522: Scolding, and the Young Lord of the Imperial Capital

"Even though! Aaaah, even though I specifically told you not to break it if you could avoid it, what the heck is this half-destroyed mess supposed to be!? What were you even doing out there, Otou-sama!?"

"Uhh, well, I didn't do anything... but, I mean, still—"

"No excuses allowed!"

Kuhn was seriously pissed off.

Well... I can't blame her. We did almost completely wreck a rare ultimate weapon built from the pinnacle of an ancient civilization’s technology—the Golem known as Gigantes.

Its thighs were split in two, its forearms cracked and full of fractures from Sakura’s resonance weapon, Symphonic Horn. The abdomen, taken down by Ende, and the upper arms, dealt with by Yae and Hilda, were still relatively intact, but the lower legs? Completely obliterated by Overlord’s Cannon Knuckle.

To top it all off, the most important parts—the head Golem that likely housed the Gigantes’ central intelligence crystal, the Q Crystal, and the chest Golem that held the massive G Cube power source—were stolen by one of the Evil God's Apostles.

Even if it wasn’t Kuhn, someone was bound to blow their top over that. It was a major failure, no excuses.

But... are we really blaming me for the first half of Gigantes being turned into scrap!?

"Do you even understand!? That Gigantes was a priceless Golem left behind by the ancient Golem civilization! One-of-a-kind artifact! Sure, if you really wanted to, Babylon’s power could probably make another, but that’s not the point! The value lies in the fact that it was a unique, painstaking creation from the sweat and tears of ancient engineers! And you! Are! Even! Listening! Otou-sama!?"

"Ah? A-Ah, yeah, I’m listening, I’m listening. Sorry. So, what were you saying again?"

"You’re not listening!!"

Kuhn blew up even harder.

Honestly, the way she gets mad reminds me so much of my mom. It made me feel nostalgic… She used to scold me exactly like this.

We may be of different races, but Kuhn definitely inherited something from her. I couldn’t help but feel a little happy about that.

"Why are you smiling!? I’m seriously angry here!"

"Yes ma’am... I’m sorry..."

A lightning bolt named Kuhn came crashing down on me as I grinned. Crap looks like I made her even angrier.

"Alright, that’s enough. You didn’t really think you’d be able to get it intact anyway, did you?"

"Well... no, I guess not..."

Elze, who hadn’t joined the battle, stepped in to stop her. Saved. I've been sitting seiza-style and getting scolded for thirty minutes straight.

"Well, you know... Even in pieces, we can still learn a lot from the parts. Compared to our country being wiped out, this was a far better outcome."

"I really appreciate you saying that..."

The Iron King consoled me with a sympathetic look. Maybe Kuhn was scolding me publicly so that I wouldn’t get chewed out by him instead.

"...Still! What a waste! Such a damn waste!"

...Or maybe not.

"Anyway, is it alright if we dismantle and analyze Gigantes here in the underground city of Agartha? Of course, we’d like to participate in the process."

"Yes, that would be helpful."

As I pulled out one of the abdomen parts from my Storage, the Professor patted it and spoke to the Iron King. …Wait, haven’t you already cast Analyze on it? You’re so pretending you haven’t!

"There’s one more issue. What are we going to do about this underground city, Agartha?"

"Hmm. Technically, this is part of our nation's territory, but Agartha existed even before the kingdom was founded. That means we have to recognize their autonomy as native inhabitants… but the fact that all the residents are Golems makes it quite tricky."

The Golems like Perlusika don’t have any Contract Masters anymore—or more accurately, their masters are dead. If the original inhabitants were the masters, then the Sub-Master system that would normally pass on contracts to descendants is meaningless. After all, the entire population was wiped out.

Normally, we’d reset everything and form new Master contracts, but...

"Absolutely not! These are legacy Golems that survived the Great Ancient Golem War! You can't just erase their memories! Even if they used a stasis system, it’s a miracle that they’ve been preserved in this condition with their memories intact! Don’t you realize how incredible that is!?"

Engineer Elka flat-out refused. Apparently, there are a few Golems that have been found with memories still intact. Our White Crown, Albus, is one. Robert’s Blue Crown, Blau, still has some memories, too.

But for humanoid types—Golems made to live closely with people—to retain their memories when discovered? Almost unheard of.

They’re delicate by design, easy to break, and often passed from one owner to another.

Every time a humanoid Golem is passed on to someone outside the bloodline, their contract is reset. That means the memories of ancient civilizations are wiped clean, making it nearly impossible for any to still exist.

Yet humanoid types like Perlusika were created to live alongside humans. That means they hold memories of ancient culture, customs, and daily life.

At the very least, Perlusika still retains such memories. Erasing them would be the same as tossing away a treasure of historical value.

In other words, she cannot and will not accept a new Master contract.

Perlusika may be a Golem, but she possesses a fully independent personality. I think it’s best if she remains in control of this underground city and maintains it herself.

The Iron King agreed. Agartha can be developed as a relay point for the tunnel system. And since Perlusika is a humanoid Golem who desires to contribute to humanity, she doesn’t object to the plan.

Ah, right. We were digging a tunnel, weren’t we...? Ugh, that’s gonna be a pain to continue...

"What are you even saying? You haven’t done anything at all!"

"If you're saying that, then Elze hasn’t done anything either..."

"I can’t use Earth magic, remember? Now hurry up and dig, dig. Ende, you’re joining in too."

"Eh!? I have nothing to do with this!!"

Caught off-guard by a wild pitch from his junior disciple, the senior disciple flailed in panic.

Kuhn was too obsessed with the Gigantes to be of any help, and Leen was probably exhausted. Guess they’d have to make do with Ende for now.

"What do you mean 'make do with'!? You all have been treating me like a disposable tool lately!"

Ende protested with teary eyes, but ha! Too late for that. He'd already been slotted into that role.

"Alright, let’s go. I’ll reinforce it, you just keep digging."

Grabbing Ende by the collar, I activated [Power Rise] and dragged him off by force. Let’s finish this fast and head home already.

"Ah— wait, Touya!? A-Alice! Help me stop him!"

"You can do it, Daddy~!"

"Aaagh, fine! I’ll do it alreadyyyyy!!"

Man, thanks to Alice, you’ve gotten way easier to handle.

　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

While such a ruckus unfolded in the Iron Kingdom, over in the imperial capital Galaria of the Regulus Empire...

"I'm short on money..."

Sitting on a bench near the fountain in the central park at the end of the lively main avenue, Kuon sighed while pulling out his wallet and muttering.

『Money, huh? Humans really do let the weirdest things control their lives.』

A soft voice echoed from a sword leaning against the bench. There wasn’t anyone nearby, so only Kuon could hear it.

『I don’t really get it, but is the fare for the stagecoach to your hometown really that expensive?』

"No, the fare itself isn’t too high. I’ve got enough to cover that."

『Then what’s the problem?』

"I don’t have money for souvenirs..."

With a long sigh, the six-year-old boy mumbled to himself. The look on his face was one of resignation and quiet suffering—far too heavy for a boy his age.

『S-Souvenirs, huh? I mean, I don’t think it’s a big deal if you don’t bring any...』

"That’s not an option. Father and Mother probably wouldn’t mind, but my older sisters would absolutely complain. Like, nonstop."

He had seven older sisters. The kindest among them, Elna, might not say anything, but the other six would definitely complain. Even his only younger sister, Stephania, would probably whine if he showed up without souvenirs.

In other words, not bringing anything was out of the question. But after setting aside money for the ride, he didn’t have enough left for everyone’s souvenirs. If he bought cheap junk, he’d get passive-aggressively scolded for days—and he really didn’t want that.

"There’s nothing else I could sell for money either..."

『Why’re you glancing at me like that!? I’m not for sale, y’know!』

Of course, Kuon had no intention of selling Silver, his Legacy-class ancient machine. Even in the Eastern Continent, it would fetch a fortune. But doing something like that would definitely bring down Kuhn’s wrath like a thunderstorm.

The current emperor of the Regulus Empire was the grandfather of Asia, Kuon’s older sister. Strictly speaking, that made the emperor Kuon’s step-grandfather. Still, there’s no way he could just waltz up to the castle and say, “Hi, I’m your step-grandson, can I borrow some money?”

"Even if I did say it, I doubt he’d believe me..."

In truth, Touya had already explained the situation to the emperor, so if Kuon had just gone to the castle honestly, the whole problem would’ve been solved. But he had no way of knowing that.

"Worst case... I’ll use the travel money for souvenirs and just run all the way back to Brunhilde... Or maybe I can hunt a magic beast and sell the materials... Ugh, if I’d known it’d be like this, I should’ve earned a bit back in the elf village..."

"Hmm..." Kuon crossed his arms, frowning deeply as he tilted his head in thought. Just then, a quiet whisper reached him from nearby—Silver, propped against the wall, was speaking in a hushed voice only he could hear.

『Bocchan, bocchan. Take a look over there. What do you suppose that is?』

"Hm?"

When Kuon looked up, he saw a crowd gathering near the fountain. Two men were shouting loudly, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Come one, come all! Feast your eyes on this mechanical doll! This here is a Golem, the newest kind of slave, set to replace human labor across the Western Continent!"

"And not just any golem—this beauty’s a legendary ‘Ancient Unit Legacy’ excavated from ruins! It's got monstrous power! Normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t go for this cheap. If you're gonna buy, now's the time!"

Slipping through the edge of the crowd, Kuon made his way to the front where the two men were shouting.

One was a burly, bald-headed thug with a mean look, and the other a gaunt, hawk-nosed man with sharp eyes. Behind them stood a towering black-iron-colored golem nearly three meters tall, a price tag hanging from its neck.

It was nearly four meters in height, with a massive torso, a small head, thick arms, and even thicker legs. At a glance, it looked like a power-type golem built for brute force.

"Does it really move? Show us!" someone called out.

"Of course it does. Hey, greet the good folks!"

At the hawk-nosed man's command, the black golem raised both massive arms overhead. A chorus of gasps and awe followed from the crowd.

Among them, a well-dressed, plump merchant-type man stepped forward and called out.

"Hmm... So how much strength does this thing have?"

"It can lift a full wagon with ease. You can use it for heavy lifting or even as a bodyguard on long journeys. And at this price, it’s a steal!"

The merchant-type man paused in thought for a moment before pulling out a fat wallet from his inner coat pocket.

"Alright, I’ll buy i—"

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you."

A sudden voice from down below startled the merchant, who turned his gaze toward it.

Standing there was a small boy, five or six years old, with silky blond hair tied neatly behind his head. In his hand was a sheathed short sword.

Something about the boy seemed off—not dangerous, just... different. The merchant couldn’t shake the feeling. And now, that same boy was telling him not to buy it.

Recalling his respected older brother's words—“Trust your instincts.”—the merchant decided to ask.

"And why’s that? At this price, I don't see how it's a bad deal."

"Well, if it were a real Ancient Unit Legacy golem, maybe. But it’s not. This thing’s a fake."

"You little brat! Don’t spout lies and ruin our business! Beat it, kid!"

The bald brute stepped forward to drive Kuon away, reaching for him. But Kuon easily slipped past his grasp, and with a ton, he leaped off the ground, kicking the golem’s arm and landing on its shoulder.

Then, without drawing it, he lightly tapped the golem’s head with the sheathed short sword.

Kaang.A dry, metallic clang echoed through the plaza.

"That sound... There’s nothing inside, is there? Where’s the Q Crystal—the control core for any real golem?"

From Silver came a disgruntled murmur:

『Bocchan... please don’t treat me so roughly...』

Kuon ignored it.

"Q Cr—? Stop talkin’ nonsense and get down from there! Get him!"

The hawk-nosed man shouted, and the black golem began to move, reaching for Kuon perched on its shoulder.

But Kuon slipped away once more, landing on the ground in a blink. He unsheathed Silver in one fluid motion, slashing several spots on the golem’s surface in an instant.

Clang, clang—clatter!The chest plate fell off with a loud thud, revealing the interior—and a very startled little man crammed inside, gripping a control stick.

"Knew it. Not a golem—it’s a Dvergr."

A Dvergr: a civil engineering machine sold by the Strand Company. Unlike golems, Dvergrs require a human operator to function.

They weren’t widely distributed yet, mostly used in state infrastructure projects.

While Dvergrs were still expensive, they were nowhere near the value of a true Ancient Unit Legacy golem.

In other words, these two—no, three including the man inside—were attempting a scam.

Still, Kuon tilted his head in doubt. How exactly was the man inside planning to escape after the sale? Maybe he was going to sneak off in the middle of the night with the Dvergr?

"Tch...! You damn brat! You’re dead!"

The bald man swung a vicious kick at Kuon—but Kuon dodged it and gave the man’s side a light tap.

"【Paralyze】"

"Nguh!?"

With a crushed-frog sort of croak, the big man collapsed in place.

With graceful motion, Kuon stepped in and swiftly severed all four limbs of the Dvergr using Silver.

"Guh?!"

The Dvergr, falling forward with a loud crash, pinned the operator inside—trapping him completely.

"Kh...!"

"You’re not getting away!"

"GYAA!!"

The hook-nosed man who had tried to flee was slammed to the ground by one of the onlookers. Kuon, who had been about to activate his Magic Eye of Binding, stopped just in time.

“Hey! Someone call the knights!”

“Give me something to tie them up with! Grab the one under that pile of scrap metal too!”

For some reason, the crowd of bystanders began to stir noisily, subduing the three men. Perhaps they thought a mere child couldn't detain them, but Kuon paid them no mind and dusted off his clothes. He couldn't care less what happened to the scammers.

“You! Ah—thank you. You saved me. I was this close to being tricked.”

The merchantman expressed his gratitude to Kuon. If Kuon hadn’t stepped in, he would’ve ended up buying that Dverg at several times its actual value.

It was an unusual item, so he had gotten ahead of himself. The man silently scolded himself, thinking, My brother would say, "You're still too naïve," and he’d be right.

“In this era, Dvergs and Golems still aren’t in widespread circulation across the Eastern Continent. So, I can’t really blame you for being tricked.”

“This era?”

“Ah, no, don’t worry about it.”

Truth be told, Dvergs and Golems were starting to become more available in the Eastern Continent, but most of the transactions were still prioritized by the state, so they were mostly just rumors to the general public.

Some sharp-eyed merchants had already started making their way to the Western Continent to buy directly, so it was only a matter of time before these goods became more common knowledge.

That said, it’s not like ordinary folk could afford them just yet.

“I’d like to do something to thank you for helping me… Say, where are your parents?”

“Ah, well, I’m traveling alone… I don’t have any parents right now.”

“What…! That must be tough…”

The merchant looked at the boy in front of him again. He couldn't have been older than five or six. He seemed to be carrying a sword, but still, a child traveling alone with only that? It was worrying. The earlier scuffle showed he had some skills, but even so, it felt far too dangerous.

“Do you have somewhere to go? I’m heading to the Rodmere Federation—if you like, I could take you with me?”

“Ah… That’s a generous offer, but unfortunately, I’m going in the opposite direction… I’m planning to head to Brunhilde.”

What a shame. If they had been going in the same direction, Kuon would’ve gladly accepted the offer. That way, he could even buy some souvenirs and wouldn’t have to worry about earning extra money. He sighed in disappointment.

“Oh? Brunhilde, you say! Then this is perfect. My brother owns a shop in Brunhilde. He’s here in the Imperial Capital right now, but he’s planning to return in a few days. We arranged to meet up after a long time. If you’d like, I can ask him to take you along. What do you think?”

“Really!? That would be a big help!”

Kuon gladly accepted the offer. Now he could buy souvenirs. His sisters wouldn’t be able to complain or tease him. Everything was falling into place.

Just as Kuon was smiling in relief, the merchant turned and waved enthusiastically at someone behind him.

“Niisan! Over here!”

“Long time no see, Barack. Hm? And that child is…?”

“Ah, I’m… huh!?”

Kuon turned around—and was shocked to see a familiar face. The man looked slightly younger than the version Kuon knew, but there was no mistake.

Standing there was Zanac Zenfield, the personal tailor of the Brunhilde Royal Family.