Nick 18 was a golem.
Because its primary material was 5.5 nickel steel, it was named "Nick" after nickel.
Naturally, the one who named it was Jin.
Nick 18 had nineteen siblings. In other words, Jin had crafted twenty of them all at once.
That was back in the year 3457.
While visiting Alban, the royal capital of the Klein Kingdom, alongside Elsa and Hanna, an unexpected turn of events led to Jin getting acquainted with Princess Lieschen. One thing led to another, and he ended up accepting a commission to craft one hundred steel swords and twenty general-purpose golems. (Chapter 10)
Out of those twenty golems, ten were destroyed by a Gigant Peeder that appeared during mining operations at the Inado Mine. Outraged by how carelessly they had been treated, Jin took the survivors back into his custody. (Chapter 13)
Consequently, the number of Nick 18's siblings that remained in the service of the Klein Kingdom was ten—specifically, those numbered Nick 11 to 20.
Princess Lieschen's older brother, the second prince Arthur, ascended the throne as the king of the Klein Kingdom at the age of thirty-one, taking the name Arthur I.
Arthur I abdicated at sixty-one, passing the crown to his son.
That new king also abdicated at seventy-five, relinquishing the throne to his crown prince.
Following this succession of reigns, in the year 3597, the reigning king of the Klein Kingdom, Alois IV, abdicated at seventy-six, and the new king, Edmond III, ascended the throne at fifty-five.
Edmond III's crown prince was thirty-five years old at the time.
The crown prince was quite the lady's man. In addition to his principal consort, he had two secondary consorts and fathered seven sons and eight daughters.
In the year 3616, the very year the crown prince ascended the throne as Alois V, his eighth daughter married into the Dahlat Territory.
At that time—perhaps not strictly as a bridal dowry, but rather as a parting gesture of parental love for a daughter moving so far away—the general-purpose golem Nick 18, crafted by the legendary hands of the Magi Craft Meister and practically a national treasure in its own right, accompanied her as part of her retinue.
"Lies, are you truly certain about this?"
Alois V questioned his beloved daughter, Liesbelt Phanas Klein.
"Father, my feelings will not change. I intend to follow Sir Alnested."
"I see..."
Even with fifteen children, each one had a distinct personality and appearance, and each was precious to him.
Because Princess Liesbelt was his youngest daughter, Alois V doted on her with particular fondness.
"My place in the line of succession is only fifteenth. With so many older brothers and sisters ahead of me, my claim is practically nominal anyway."
"Even so..."
This lively, intelligent princess, who would turn sixteen this year, had gone and fallen head over heels for a young man from the distant western frontier.
"Father..."
"U-U-Umm... It cannot be helped, then..."
In the end, Alois V relented, granting his blessing for his beloved daughter to marry the young man from the western pioneer lands: Alnested de Rozza.
The de Rozza family ruled the Dahlat Territory as its lord, destined to become the ducal family of the region.
The journey from the Klein Kingdom, nestled near the eastern edge of the Lauren Continent, all the way to the Dahlat Territory on the far western frontier was long and fraught with hardship.
Even so, the Conference Countries were well-governed, offering relatively safe roads, and because the paths and towns along Mitsuho's southern coast were well-kept, the travel took time but was not particularly grueling.
However, that smooth sailing only lasted so long.
From the western edge of Mitsuho to the Dahlat Territory lay over 1,200 kilometers of untrodden wilderness (excluding the forces of Hourai Island).
That stretch of the journey proved exceptionally harsh.
Ancient Warp Gates and magic circles existed in the region, but Alnested de Rozza chose not to use them, preferring instead to survey the terrain with his own eyes as he traveled.
His new bride, Liesbelt Phanas Klein—now Liesbelt Phanas de Rozza—readily agreed.
For the newlyweds, facing and overcoming adversity side by side was a joy in itself.
Needless to say, Nick 18 proved utterly invaluable throughout the trek.
Of course, four escort guards accompanied the party as well.
Yet, from fending off wild beasts and carving paths through trackless terrain to catching small game for food, securing water, and standing watch through the night, the journey would have been incomparably harder without Nick 18 by their side.
"Nick, I am so grateful to have you with us. Thank you."
"Yes, Hime-sama. It is my honor."
"The magi-craftman... no, the person known as the Magi Craft Meister who built you—I truly wish I could have met him at least once."
"If my Creator were to hear that, I am certain he would be most pleased..."
"Hehe. With responses like that, you really are an incredible golem."
In truth, Jin had performed maintenance and tune-ups on the Nick series multiple times back in the Klein Kingdom, which made its speech patterns and physical movements far more sophisticated than when it was first built.
Having safely reached their destination, the couple lived happily ever after... barring a few minor troubles along the way.
Nick 18 became a prized heirloom of the lord's house—the future ducal family—and faithfully watched over the descendants of Princess Liesbelt... the lady of the house.
Sadly, however, there were no skilled magi-craft engineers in the Darato Principality.
Even though it was a general-purpose golem crafted by Jin, it had not been built to Hourai Island specifications, meaning it was not entirely maintenance-free.
Furthermore, given the nation's harsh geographic conditions, it was often subjected to grueling labor.
Minor strains and wear gradually accumulated until, at long last, Nick 18 suffered a fatal breakdown and ceased functioning altogether.
That happened in the year 3765. Strangely enough, it was the exact same year Reiko and Hourai Island were sealed away to escape the onslaught of Golbart Marukitasu and the Magic Federation.
"And that brings us to the present day."
"I see."
Having just repaired Nick 18, Jin listened attentively to the brief summary of its long history.
"Thanks to my Creator restoring me, I am able to move once more. I cannot express enough gratitude."
"Yeah. If that's how you feel, then please keep working for the peace and well-being of this country's people from now on."
"Understood, Creator."
With that, Nick 18 resumed its duties as a personal bodyguard standing vigil beside the Duke.
"Nick, come with me."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The current Duke, Gilberto de Dahlat, placed great trust in Nick and relied on it heavily.
Nick, for its part, served this young ruler faithfully—a Duke who possessed the very same blonde hair and blue eyes as Princess Liesbelt of old.
On one occasion, a road caved in during an imperial progress, completely blocking their route.
"Leave this to me, please."
Operating entirely on its own, Nick 18 hauled massive boulders, stacked retaining stones, and backfilled the collapsed earth, single-handedly restoring the road in barely two hours.
"Splendid work. You are truly magnificent."
Duke Gilberto de Dahlat offered lavish praise, but the golem merely lowered its head.
"No, Your Highness. I cannot begin to compare to the brothers and sisters who serve directly under my Creator."
Hearing it speak with such humility, the Duke was reportedly struck with profound awe, wondering just how much power the golems of the legendary Magi Craft Meister truly possessed.
In any event, Nick 18 came to be treasured as the supreme heirloom of the Darato Principality, held in the highest esteem by successive generations of dukes.