The Duke of the Jagus Principality, Niestol Kirilo Jagus, was visiting the magi-brain.
"A four-armed golem was discovered recently. Do you have any information regarding this?"
"Could that be Try, who effectively made me what I am today?"
"No, it seems not....I am told it was discovered on the Great Flot Plain."
"Then does that mean it is a golem of the same model as Try?"
"I cannot say. I have never seen the actual Try myself."
"I see. That makes sense."
Unusually, this time the magi-brain was the one asking the Duke questions.
"A pity. If only Try were here, I could become far more sophisticated."
Duke Niestol Kirilo Jagus seized upon those words.
"Is that true?"
"It is true."
"Hmph... Would our country's engineers not suffice?"
"They would not."
"And why is that?"
"Because those permitted to modify me are only Try and its creator."
"And who might that creator be?"
"Disclosure of that information is not permitted."
"..."
Here we go again, thought Duke Niestol Kirilo Jagus as he took his leave of the magi-brain.
Panting as he climbed the stairs, he pondered,
(It is always like this whenever the topic turns to the person who created the magi-brain....Still, Try, was it?...I wonder if anything will come to light from the golem currently undergoing analysis?)
"Phew, hah... Perhaps I shall go visit Elena again."
Having finished his conversation with the magi-brain, the Duke headed for the Tower where he had placed fake Elena under house arrest.
"...Hey, carry me to the top."
"Yes."
Having evidently lost both the will and the stamina to climb the Tower's stairs, the Duke ordered one of the security golems to pick him up and carry him.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Welcome."
Seeing Duke Niestol, fake Elena greeted him cordially.
"Umu....What is today's menu?"
The Duke's very first words went straight to food.
"It is sashimi."
"What is that?"
"It is a dish primarily consisting of raw fish caught from the sea."
"...Does that even count as cooking?!"
Hearing that he was expected to eat raw fish, the Duke recoiled slightly.
"Yes. It was bled immediately after being caught, and I had it transported chilled on ice, so it is quite fresh."
"Please, have a look," fake Elena said as she brought the dish out from the kitchen.
"Oh, what is this?!"
"This is trevally sashimi. And over here is fuko arai."
"...It certainly looks beautiful."
"This liquor pairs wonderfully with it."
Japanese sake brewed on Hourai Island, delivered via Nostalgia, had been prepared.
Naturally, soy sauce and wasabi were served alongside it.
"...Umu, then let us give it a try."
Considering the many delicacies fake Elena had presented thus far, the Duke trusted that this too would prove delicious, or at the very least an exquisite novelty.
He dipped a slice of trevally sashimi into the soy sauce, which had a modest amount of wasabi dissolved into it.
"I have tasted soy sauce several times now, but this 'wasabi' is a first..."
Having sampled various Japanese dishes by now, his chopstick etiquette was quite practiced.
"Ohh, this is... delicious!!"
He then took a sip of the Japanese sake.
"This drink is splendid as well! It has an entirely different character compared to white wine!"
"I am delighted to hear it suits your palate. Please, try this one as well."
Fake Elena smiled and gestured toward the arai.
"Umu, let's see... Ohh, this is delicious too! The flesh on this one is much crisper and firmer!"
He seemed exceedingly pleased.
"This spice called wasabi is wonderful as well. The heat passes straight through the nose rather than lingering on the tongue, leaving no unpleasant aftertaste."
"If you apply it directly to the sashimi rather than dissolving it in the soy sauce, you will be able to appreciate its flavor even more."
"Hmm, let's see... Oh, indeed! It gives a sharp tingle to the nose, and then the aroma blooms."
Duke Niestol Kirilo Jagus took quite a liking to the sashimi, devouring every last bite of the sashimi and arai provided—roughly two full portions—and drinking over five gou of Japanese sake.
"...Umu, I am thoroughly satisfied. Well then, I shall return again."
Leaving behind those parting words, Duke Niestol departed from the Tower with unsteady, drunken steps.
Naturally, he had the golem carry him down the stairs on the way back as well.
"...The Duke's health appears to be in quite a poor state."
Once the cooks dispatched from the Ducal Palace had departed and fake Elena was left alone, she muttered to herself.
"Lifestyle diseases, without a doubt... High blood pressure and a fatty liver. His kidneys appear to be deteriorating somewhat as well."
She possessed more than enough diagnostic capabilities to determine that much.
"His knee joints are also becoming deformed, and his spine is on the verge of developing a herniated disc..."
Is there really not a single good healer available? fake Elena wondered.
She decided to contact Laojun.
"...And that is the situation....How would Elsa-sama diagnose this?"
"Elsa-sama would likely be able to cure any of those symptoms. However, the Jagus Principality possesses no such healers."
"Then, if things continue as they are..."
"He will likely collapse before long."
Laojun gave the matter some thought.
If Duke Niestol were to collapse, what would become of the Jagus Principality?
"Since a formal successor does not appear to have been established... a struggle for the ducal throne will likely erupt."
In that scenario, chaos would inevitably engulf the Jagus Principality.
"If that happens, things will become even more troublesome than they are now..."
Therefore, Laojun judged that it would be far more convenient to keep Niestol on the ducal throne for a little while longer.
"Let us consult with My Lord and Elsa-sama."
The operation regarding the Jagus Principality was about to enter a new phase.