The excavated deformed golem showed no sign of moving.
"All right. We'll wait and see how it looks by tomorrow morning."
Having reached that conclusion, Special Investigator No. 99 returned to preparing camp.
"Golem, keep watch over the campsite. Make sure to stay alert in case that Deformed Golem starts moving."
"YES."
No. 99 reasoned that if it remained still through the night, the risk could be considered fairly low.
Naturally, the Deformed Golem did not move an inch, and dawn arrived without incident.
"...Morning, huh. Nothing happened."
No. 99 muttered to himself as he chewed on his field rations.
He should have been used to eating them, yet for a fleeting moment, he found himself missing the meals back in Saichi Village. Shaking his head a few times to dispel the thought, No. 99 stood up.
"Now then, time to head out."
The Deformed Golem lay exactly as it had when dug out the day before.
"Golem, can you carry that thing?"
"YES."
He loaded the baggage the Golem had been carrying onto the horse. Deciding it wasn't overly heavy, he judged the animal would manage just fine.
"All right, let's go."
The Golem hoisted the Deformed Golem onto its shoulder and set off. To be safe, No. 99 kept a distance of about ten meters as they made their way toward the Principality.
He expected to reach the regional city of Draugr in the Jagus Principality by evening.
"Special Investigator No. 99 carried out Eiji 1 just as planned, didn't he?"
According to Laojun's calculations, the probability of him transporting it was roughly sixty-five percent, while the chance of him returning first to report it stood at thirty percent.
The remaining margin accounted for the possibility that he would simply ignore it.
However, as was typical of the elite, he was bound to have a strong desire for recognition; thus, Laojun's deduction that he would bring it back himself despite lingering caution had proven entirely correct.
"Now we shall see how the Jagus Principality reacts."
Since the one who found and retrieved Eiji 1 was an elite operative like Special Investigator No. 99, Laojun anticipated that the Jagus Principality's response would be swift.
"Then let us watch how events unfold."
On the evening of August 20, Special Investigator No. 99 arrived in the regional city of Draugr right on schedule.
Revealing his identity to the local mayor, he arranged for urgent word of the deformed golem's discovery and recovery to be sent to his superior, Miki Amelin, in the royal capital of Jags.
Carrier pigeons existed for precisely such occasions.
Even though evening was approaching, it was still light out, so he judged the bird would have no trouble flying.
After all, a pigeon could cross the fifty-kilometer distance between Draugr and Jags in less than an hour.
Racing pigeons, in particular, were known to reach speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour.
In other words, so long as there was nearly an hour before sunset, a carrier pigeon had ample time to fly between Draugr and Jags.
"...What did you say?!"
Having received the message via carrier pigeon just before sunset, Director-General of the Information Agency Miki Amelin immediately reported to her superior, Chancellor Beyax Geer.
"Mmh... A 'deformed golem', you say...?"
He had heard of such artifacts crafted with unknown magi-craft being unearthed from ancient ruins, but finding one in a location that showed no trace of a ruin was an exceedingly rare occurrence.
"This is something that should be reported to His Majesty as well."
Concluding as much, Chancellor Beyax Geer delivered the report to Duke Niestol Kirilo Jagus.
"What?! A four-armed golem?...Mmh... Have it transported here immediately! Listen well—immediately!"
Duke Niestol made his decision on the spot.
He recognized the description of a four-armed golem.
(Mmh... A four-armed golem, you say?...Could it be the one from the legend passed down through the ducal family...? No, lore says the First Generation enshrined it back in its original resting place, but...)
The Duke waited with bated breath for the golem to arrive.
At nine o'clock that evening, the Deformed Golem arrived at the Ducal Palace.
"Oh, so this is it."
Duke Niestol's eyes gleamed as he gazed upon the construct.
(The golem said to have aided the First Generation... Four arms, and no head... Its appearance matches the lore to the letter.)
While waiting for the Deformed Golem's arrival, the Duke had reread the records preserved by the ducal family, confirming that its outward appearance was strikingly similar.
(It's likely not the exact same one. However... could this one also bring prosperity to our nation?)
With that thought in mind, the Duke turned to Chancellor Beyax Geer to confirm.
"...Does it truly not move at all?"
"Yes, Your Majesty....Reports indicate that it stirred faintly upon discovery, but at present, it is completely unresponsive."
"Is that so?...Mmh... Very well. Send it to the laboratory and have them investigate it."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
"He sent it to the laboratory rather than the Progressers, did he?"
On Hourai Island, Laojun was monitoring the situation via a Peeper, slightly surprised that the Duke had ordered the laboratory, rather than the Progressers, to examine Eiji 1.
"I had estimated the probability of that outcome to be under ten percent, however..."
Laojun deduced that it was likely because the Chancellor was present.
"Knowledge of the Progressers' existence is strictly limited, and the Chancellor was likely not among the initiated."
In any case, there was no way a mere laboratory could decipher Eiji 1, nor did Laojun have any intention of allowing them to do so.
"Shall we let the laboratory indulge in their futile efforts for a while?"
Though it might take more time than initially planned, Laojun reasoned that the overall course of events would remain unchanged, and resolved to wait.
The following day, on the 21st, Special Investigator No. 99 returned to the royal capital of Jags.
He immediately reported to his superior, Director-General of the Information Agency Miki Amelin.
"..."
Miki Amelin listened to the briefing in silence.
Hearing everything out before raising any questions was her standard practice.
In particular, since she had already received a brief message via carrier pigeon from the Saichi Village Chief, she had expected his account to merely corroborate those details, but...
"W-Wait just a moment....Are you entirely certain about that?"
...She found herself compelled to confirm the facts again and again.
No. 99's report was far more thorough, and because of that, much of it bordered on the unbelievable.
"..."
Even after he finished speaking, she remained stunned.
"...It's hard to believe, but this is truly the reality?"
Her expression made it clear that she still could not wrap her mind around what she had heard.
"Yes... Even having witnessed it with my own eyes, I find it difficult to believe myself."
"A 'Magi Craft Meister'... What a terrifying presence."
Miki Amelin turned her thoughts toward what course of action the Jagus Principality should take next.