544 - Steph, Her Grandparents, and the Ambush

The search for the "Ark" by Vaal Albus is progressing slowly.

Well, they’re trying to locate something lost in the vast oceans of the world. It's not the kind of task that finishes quickly.

The “Ark” itself hasn’t been found yet, but it seems they’ve discovered a number of sunken ships and underwater ruins.

According to the Professor, during the great Fraze invasion five thousand years ago, cities were sunk deep beneath the sea due to powerful magic and weapons capable of altering the very terrain. These ruins must be the remnants of that destruction.

Moreover, they've found several suspicious excavation sites in some areas.

Most likely, it's the work of the Apostles of the Evil God, digging up underwater resources.

Perhaps they're gathering materials to mass-produce those one-eyed golems like the Frame Gear that attacked the Kingdom of Rare.

Even if the Ark was a personal golem factory created by the legendary engineer Chrome Lanches, it shouldn't have that level of mass production capability... or so I hope.

So, I don’t believe we’ll see attacks in the tens of thousands like we did during the Fraze invasion. Still, the problem is that we can’t predict where these things might show up.

We’ve installed hidden markers on the seabed we’ve explored using Vaal Albus, but the coverage only extends to parts of Belfast, Refreese, and Panaches so far.

If we only rely on coastal detection, it'll be too late. Ideally, we want to catch them before they attack any port towns.

...Well, let’s leave that aside for now.

“Uwaa~! Ed-oniichan is so tiny~! He’s adorable!”

Steph giggled as she peered into the baby crib where young Edward, heir to the House of Duke Ortlinde, was sleeping peacefully.

Just like with Kuon, Steph refers to her uncle Ed not as “Ojisan” but as “Oniichan.”

“Fufu, Ed’s sleeping so peacefully. Steph, come over here.”

“Obaa-sama!”

Steph happily ran over and hugged Ellen-san, Sue’s mother.

Watching that warmly, Sue let out a small sigh.

“Good grief... Steph’s still such a spoiled little thing.”

“Well, she’s the youngest. And she’s surrounded by people who love to pamper her.”

“You’re the main culprit, aren’t you, Touya?”

Sue shot that back like a dagger, and I calmly took a sip of the tea in front of me, feigning innocence.

Oh, as expected of the Ortlinde household—this is some excellent tea.

“Ellen, don’t hog her all to yourself! Steph, come here. I’ve got sweets for you.”

“Thank you, Ojiisama!”

The usually stern Duke Ortlinde had a look of utter delight on his face. Rare sight, that.

Even with Sue or Ed-kun, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him act so doting. So, this is what they mean by "a grandchild is more precious than one's own child"?

Will I turn into that too once I have grandchildren...?

Which would mean my daughters are going to get married…

…No. Nope. Not happening. In my ideal future, Kuon will take a wife. That’s the only scenario.

But then, that would make the grandchild Alice’s kid, wouldn’t it? Which would also make the child Ende’s grandchild too...

Why do I suddenly feel this overwhelming need to compete?

I’ve got to become the grandpa the kid prefers over “Grandpa Ende”! I must hear them say, “I like Grandpa Touya more than Grandpa Ende!”

“…You’ve been making all sorts of weird faces for a while now. You okay?”

“Ah. Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just letting my mind wander into the future a bit.”

I assured Sue, who was watching me suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Steph, now cozily sandwiched between Duke Ortlinde and Ellen-san, was happily munching on the cookies they handed her.

They honestly looked more like her parents than her grandparents. Well, I suppose that’s only natural, considering there’s less than a ten-year age gap between Sue and Steph.

“…Somehow, I feel all muddled inside. Steph’s my daughter, you know…”

“I get what you mean. I feel the same.”

Sue suddenly squeezed herself between Duke Ortlinde and Steph, wrapping her daughter tightly in a hug.

“My, my. Sue, are you jealous?”

“Mother, this is not jealousy. I’m simply showing affection to my daughter as a mother should.”

“Well then, I guess I should show my daughter some love, too.”

With that, Ellen-san wrapped both Sue and Steph in a big hug.

Honestly... kinda jealous.

As I sat there, quietly envious of their family bonding, Duke Ortlinde—who had been ousted from the sofa by Sue—wandered over to me.

“Never thought I’d get to see my granddaughter’s face this early. She’s a good girl—just like Sue.”

“Of course she is. She’s my daughter, after all.”

“Never thought you’d turn out to be such a doting parent, Touya-dono…”

Huh? Was that a dig? I was just stating a fact.

“By the way… how long will Steph be staying in this time period?”

“…I think she’ll be around for a while longer. Don’t worry—she won’t suddenly disappear.”

When I said that, Duke Ortlinde looked visibly relieved.

The truth is, we can’t send the kids back to the future until we’ve dealt with the Apostles of the Evil God.

Those bastards might interfere and prevent the children from returning to their proper future.

Tokie Obaachan says the odds are low, but if there’s even a slight chance, we have to eliminate that threat.

With that resolve burning in my chest, I brought Steph back to Brunhild after she’d finished spending time with her grandparents—and right as we entered, we ran into Kuon walking down the hallway, hand-in-hand with Alice.

“Ah, Chichiue. Sue-kasama and Steph too. Welcome back.”

“We’re home. Are you two heading somewhere?”

“Kuon’s been cooped up in his room for so long, we’re going out to play!”

“Well, I was working on my diorama…”

Kuon muttered like he was making excuses.

The diorama project—models of castles requested by the kings of various countries—didn’t have a strict deadline. So, there’s no need for him to push himself too hard.

Honestly, spending the whole day locked in a room doing intricate work isn’t healthy. A bit of outdoor play would be good for him.

“Steph too! Steph wants to go play with niisama-tachi too! Kaasama, may I?”

“Very well. But don’t cause trouble for Kuon or Alice, okay? And be back by sunset.”

“Okay!”

Steph ran off down the hallway, hand-in-hand with Kuon and Alice.

Well, I doubt anything will happen in the capital, but…

“Kougyoku, I’m counting on you.”

『Yes, Master.』

Kougyoku, who had been perched on the windowsill, spread her wings and flew off into the sky.

Just in case. Not that I expect them to get caught up in any trouble... but with Steph, there's always a chance she causes the trouble.

“You’re such an overprotective parent.”

“Say what you will.”

Sue seems to be the hands-off type—she lets her daughter be free, but she knows when to rein things in.

Steph’s boundless curiosity, free spirit, and quick reflexes are probably a product of that kind of parenting.

Just as I was reflecting on all this, my smartphone vibrated in my pocket. An incoming call—from the Professor.

“Hello? Did you find the Ark?”

『Not yet. But it looks like we’ve snared a scout.』

A scout. One of those one-eyed golems?

『The marker we set up south of the Kingdom of Panaches picked up a shadow. It’s heading straight for Panaches.』

“How many?”

『Counting the small ones—just over two thousand, I’d say. Probably dragging along some fishmen and four-armed golems too. And about twenty of the big ones.』

Twenty units, huh. If that's all, then Reginleiv alone should be enough. We'll stop the one-eyed golems before they land at the port town—out at sea.

『Ah, Reginleiv’s not available right now.』

“Hah?”

『I told you before, didn’t I? It’s undergoing modifications so it can operate at full capacity underwater, to counter the "Ark."』

Tch. True, it’s best to get that remodeling done sooner rather than later, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Well, I suppose we can manage with the Black Knight, Night Baron…

『Want me to send Váralbus instead?』

“...No. I don’t want them to know about Váralbus. If the "Ark" gets wind of it, they might retreat even further into hiding.”

If they learn of its existence and start devising countermeasures against Váralbus, that would be bad. Trump cards should stay hidden.

After ending the call with the professor, I quickly contacted His Majesty the King of Panaches. He said he’d send soldiers as well, so we arranged to have them gather in front of Panache’s castle gate. I’ll bring them over with a 【Gate】.

“Touyaa! Take me with you! If it’s a defensive battle, then that’s Ortlinde’s job!”

That shout came from Sue, who had been listening in on the conversation. She’s right—Ortlinde Overlord, as its name suggests, is a defensive battle configuration specialized in protecting.

It should be able to stop the giant golems trying to entering the port town with a barrier. We’ll leave the fishmen to Panaches’s knights.

At first, I was planning to go check things out on my own, but having Sue reinforce the town’s defenses from the rear isn’t a bad idea either. You never know what might happen.

Taking Sue along, I headed straight for Babylon’s “Hangar.”

◇　◇　◇

Beneath the dark sea, a group advanced quietly.

The group consisted of fishmen, mechanical dolls, rock giants, and one-eyed golems—Cyclops units.

Among the twenty or so Cyclops golems, there was one that gleamed in a metallic purple hue.

Compared to the dull golden color of the others, this one was slightly larger and led the formation, clearly marking it as the command unit.

The one piloting it held a purple spear—one of the Apostles of the Evil God. Her name was Orchid.

The other Cyclops golems accompanying Orchid were also piloted by golems that had been blessed by the Evil God. They were programmed to follow only Orchid’s orders.

Normally, to command multiple golems, one would require a military unit called a Machine Soldier, a Soldat. But Scarlet, another of the Evil God’s Apostles, had adapted that system to allow one to lead even more golems.

And so, with these enhanced systems, Orchid made her way toward the port town of Kuapp, part of the Panaches Kingdom, a town she had already set her sights on.

The goal was destruction. To reduce the town to ruins and spread the curse of the Evil God—capturing humans to become their new limbs and tools.

While Orchid acted independently in this mission, the other Apostles tacitly approved.

Everyone knew that if Orchid wasn’t allowed to go on a rampage once in a while, she might destroy the “Ark” itself.

To some extent, all of the Evil God’s Apostles were mentally unbalanced. Obsessive curiosity, sadistic cruelty, or fanatical faith—suppressing any of these would mean denying their very identities.

Orchid’s destructive impulses were no different. She found pleasure in breaking things, in killing.

For that pleasure, she led the Cyclops units forward—toward turning Kuapp’s port town into a blazing inferno.

“Heehee… Alright, let’s make a real flashy entrance, shall we?”

Just as she stepped onto the coastline and prepared to survey the port town from her Cyclops, something unfamiliar stood in her way near the wharf.

A massive golden golem, at least ten meters taller than her Cyclops. It had its fist raised, clearly about to strike.

Alarmed by the danger, Orchid instinctively bent the Cyclops’s knees, sinking the machine back down into the ocean.

『Cannon Knuckle Spiral!』

The golden giant golem—Ortlinde Overlord's right arm detached from the elbow, spinning rapidly as it launched forward.

It had been aimed at the purple unit leading the enemy forces that had emerged from the sea. However, the purple unit suddenly dove underwater, and the arm exploded instead upon another Cyclops behind it.

With a splash, the Cyclops sank beneath the waves. The flying arm traced a wide arc and docked smoothly back into Ortlinde Overlord’s right elbow.

At the same time, the sunken purple unit—Orchid's Cyclops—rose back up from the water.

"Is that... one of Brunhilde’s golem soldiers? There are more weird ones too, aren’t there?"

Orchid zoomed in on the monitor inside the cockpit, showing the area in front of the pier.

Alongside the massive golden golem, several black units could be seen, along with a machine that resembled a blue deer.

He didn’t know why, but it was clear now—they had been ambushed.

"I don’t really get it, but... yeah, yeah. Things are getting interesting."

Even in this kind of situation, a smile of delight crept onto Orchid’s face.

Brunhilde’s giant golem soldier. How fun would it be to destroy that thing? He couldn’t afford to hold back.

"‘Wistaria,’ it’s your turn."

As Orchid said those words, a spear gleaming in metallic purple appeared in the hands of his Cyclops.

The Cursed Divine Armament—a weapon infused with the concentrated curse of an evil god. Its size-changing ability was just a small part of its true power.

Orchid’s Cyclops twirled the ominous spear once, then pointed its tip straight ahead.

　　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

"Muu, I was aiming for the purple one and missed," came Sue’s disgruntled voice from within Ortlinde Overlord.

While piloting my Black Knight—Knight Baron, I focused on the metallic purple one-eyed golem displayed on the monitor.

To dodge that Cannon Knuckle... its movements are sharp. Is it the pilot’s skill? Or the machine’s performance?

It’s the only one in a different color—could be a commander unit, or some kind of special model.

The metallic purple... nah, too much trouble. I’ll just call it Purple Golem. The Purple Golem pulled out an eerie-looking spear from somewhere and pointed it at us. …What the hell is that spear?

I don’t know why, but something about that weapon feels seriously dangerous.

"I’ll take on that purple one. Sue, handle the town’s defenses. Everyone from Panaches, I’m counting on you to deal with the rest of the one-eyed golems!"

I sent the message to the knights of Panaches, who were also piloting Black Knight—Knight Baron units around me.

We had fifty Knight Barons ready for this mission. Only my unit was equipped with the Flying Sword—Fragarach, though.

"Leave it to me. Let the strength of Panaches be seen," came the response from Prince Robert of Panaches—infamously known as the Pumpkin Pants Prince—piloting the blue deer-type overgear Diablau.

Panaches’s knights were positioned at the pier, ready to stop any fishmen or four-armed golems from entering the town.

"Alright, let’s go!"

As the one-eyed golems began their approach, I matched their momentum and launched our counter-charge.

From the four Fragarachs mounted on the back of my Knight Baron, I detached two and gripped them in both hands.

The Purple Golem, at the front of the enemy line, thrust its spear at me.

I barely dodged the strike and was about to retaliate, when I noticed that the spear, which had just been extended, had already retracted back near its wielder.

I halted my strike and leapt sideways to avoid the next jab.

"Fast…"

I’ve heard that in spear fighting, pulling the spear back is more important than thrusting it. A quick pull can lead into the next strike or counter an enemy’s attack. Supposedly it’s similar to boxing or martial arts—but I’m just an amateur, so I can’t say I understand the finer points.

One thing was clear: charging in recklessly would be dangerous.

I kept dodging the spear and tried to deflect it with my sword. But here in knee-deep seawater, it’s tough to keep dodging effectively.

"Heh, not bad. You’re the first one who’s dodged my ‘Wistaria’ this much,"

A light chuckle came from the Purple Golem—followed by the voice of a young man.

So, there’s a human piloting it. Or… is it an apostle of the evil god?

I switched on the Knight Baron’s external speaker.

"Are you one of the evil god’s apostles too?"

"Guess you could say that. But who cares about that crap? Let’s just kill each other already."

The Purple Golem launched another flurry of spear thrusts. It was like facing several spears at once.

I tried to create some distance, stepping back.

"Hah-hah! Think I’ll let you run? Pierce him—‘Wistaria’!"

Lightning surged from the spear’s tip.

—What the!?

Lightning attacks in the ocean? That’s bad!

“【Absorb】!”

Using the absorption magic Absorb, I converted the lightning strike into mana and took it in.The bolt of lightning that shot from the spear vanished into the air like mist.

That was close.If that lightning had hit, it would've caused damage to the surroundings too.

Better finish this fast.

“Hishouken Fragarach!”

The two remaining swords on the back of the Black Knight Baron detached and floated gently into the air.

At the same time, I let go of the sword I had equipped in one hand, and it too floated up, ready and waiting in the air.

“Go!”

The three swords shot toward the Purple Golem like missiles.It tried to bat them away with its spear, but couldn’t deflect all three at once—one sword drove into its shoulder.

The Purple Golem’s movements halted for an instant.I didn’t miss that opening. Closing the distance in a flash, I slashed with the sword in my hand, burying it deep into the golem’s side.

The golem went completely still.

…Did I get it?

『Tch, just when things were getting fun, this piece of junk had to crap out. Gonna need Scarlet to make one with better reactions.』

Clunk.The chest hatch of the Purple Golem opened with a mechanical sound, and a person emerged.

Gray hair. An iron mask covered the lower half of his face. A deep violet cape.He looked a little older than me.

…Is that the Apostle of the Evil God?

“Name’s Orchid. And this here’s ‘Wistaria’.”

At some point, the spear had vanished from the Purple Golem’s hand, and an identical one was now gripped by the man who called himself Orchid.

What the hell is that spear?

“Fighting in a golem’s fun and all, but how ‘bout you come down here and face me man-to-man? Way more exciting that way…”

“Unfortunately, I must decline.”

Suddenly, a puddle-like shimmer spread across the open chest hatch of the Purple Golem, and from it, a man wearing something like an old-fashioned diving suit and helmet rose up.

…That guy—he’s the one I saw back in Gandiris, when we fought the ultimate weapon Gigantes.An Apostle of the Evil God who looted parts off Gigantes during the chaos.

“What the hell, Indigo. Don’t get in my way.”

“I am getting in your way. Look around.”

“Huh?”

Following the voice of the man in the diving suit—Indigo, apparently—I checked the sub-monitor too.Sure enough, the one-eyed golems had been mostly wiped out.One of them was even taken down by Knight Baron, piloted by a knight of the Kingdom of Panaches.

They were outnumbered over two-to-one, and Prince Robert’s Diabrau was there too.Simple numbers game.

“With this many Cyclops units taken out, there's no point in continuing. We’re pulling back.”

Cyclops. So that’s what those one-eyed golems are called.

“Tch… whatever. I had a little fun, so I’ll let it slide.Don’t know who you are, but next time we meet, I’ll pay you back for—”

Before Orchid could finish, both he and Indigo vanished with a splash into the puddle at their feet.

Same teleportation magic as with Gigantes…Damn it, unless we find a way to deal with that teleportation spell of Indigo’s, we’ll be stuck in a constant game of cat and mouse.

Either I put up a barrier that cancels out magic,or I take him out faster than he can cast it...

While I was mulling that over, the remaining Cyclops golems were all destroyed.

At least we protected the town and managed to secure one of the enemy units.Not a bad outcome.

I guess, for now… that’ll have to do.