“Advanced fire magic?”
Pieces of the blown-apart golem rained down.
They bore into the walls of nearby buildings and even some people were hurt by them. There were also people who were burned.
“What are they doing in the middle of the town! Elsa, go check on the injured.”
“Mm.”
Jin rushed to a building. It was greatly cracked and there were parts that seemed like they would collapse any time now.
“[Fusion].”
Jin started repairing the walls with Craft Magic.
For now, it seemed like there was no worry of the walls coming down.
“T-thank you very much…”
On Elsa’s side, the treatment of the injured also seemed to be nearly over.
Jin took a breather and Elsa took another look towards the direction where the magic had come from.
A lone magi knight was there. Numerous knights came from the same direction and they were checking the scene and its surroundings for anyone suspicious.
“Captain!”
Gloria raised her voice, ran over, and scowled a little. The magi knight looked at Gloria awkwardly.
“S-sorry. Looks like I overdid it a little with the power.”
“Not just little! The citizens also got harmed! You’re always like this, captain! Please learn restraint!”
“But if I ignored them the damage would’ve been greater…”
“I know that! That’s why I said restraint!”
Looking more closely at the person Gloria was chiding, she was a woman who seemed under 30 and was slightly shorter than Gloria. She also had very short hair but hers was vividly red.
Her eyes were such a bright brown that they also looked red, so at a glance she gave the impression that fire-attribute magic was her forte. That said, according to current theory one’s hair color had no relation to one’s strongest attribute.
Her breastplate bulged outwards a lot, the size was as Reinhardt liked them.
“Oh, so you were here too, Gloria? How’s the damage?”
A carriage stopped behind the so-called captain and someone called out from inside. Recognizing the voice, Gloria was surprised and corrected her posture.
“There has been damage to the buildings but temporary repairs seem completed. Few people suffered wounds, but several were hurt by the aftermath of the [Flame Lance]. But thanks to the cooperation of a person who could use healing magic, treatment has been taken care of.”
After Gloria had replied while standing at attention, she pointed to Elsa behind her who had treated the wounded.
“I understand. Let’s give ample compensation to the citizens later. I’ll also have some strict words with Jessica. But settling this incident comes first. Jessica, take command.”
“Yes.”
The captain called Jessica replied with a salute to the command that came from inside the carriage.
In the meanwhile, female knights who seemed to be her underlings arrested three suspicious men who were near the wagon. Apparently these three had moved the carriage here.
Although it was called a wagon, there wasn’t a horse connected to it and the men had apparently pulled it by themselves.
“Take them back for questioning. And afterwards come back to pick up those two golems.”
Jessica said, and afterwards stepped up towards Jin.
“Due to your efforts the two golems could be captured, thank you. My name is Jessica Norton and I am the captain of Cline Kingdom’s female imperial guard knight troops.”
“I’m an Honorary Magi Craftsman of Egelia Kingdom, my name is Jin.”
“Oh, a visitor from Egelia Kingdom? Is that lady who is treating the people with you?”
She said and looked towards Elsa.
“Yes, she’s my little sister. Her name is Elsa. This is my sister Hannah.”
Jin said and introduced Hannah.
“Mh-hm, I’ll extend the thanks to your sister. So, I’ve been instructed to tell you that the esteemed person in the carriage would like to thank you personally. Could you please come with me?”
As the captain of the female imperial guard knight troops had called them ‘the esteemed person’, Jin could have a rough idea of who they were.
“Yes, I understand.”
Thinking that if he refused here it would be troublesome in the future, Jin agreed.
“Thank you. Have your sisters come too. …Gloria, you were off-duty today, weren’t you. Enjoy the rest of your day off. See you tomorrow at the royal palace.”
“Y-yes.”
Being told so by her superior, Gloria cast a sidelong glance towards Jin’s group and,
“Well then, Jin-dono, Elsa-dono, and Hannah-dono. I’m sorry that it things got hectic at the end, but goodbye for now. If you need anything, please feel free to come and ask my family ”
She said, gave a light bow, and left.
“Come, Jin-dono, over here.”
Jessica Norton said and beckoned Jin’s group to follow her inside the carriage that was parked at the side of the main street. Once they had a closer look they noticed that the carriage’s craftsmanship was remarkably fine.
“Without revealing her exact status, I’ll just tell you that she is a noble of this country.”
She said, opened the carriage door, and announced,
“Lies-sama, I’ve brought them.”
Then a very lively voice came from inside.
“Ooh, have you now! I am Lieschen Physis Cline!”
“…Eh?”
“The princess of this country?”
“A princess…?”
Her Highness the Princess was there, throwing out Jessica’s consideration with her grand introduction.
＊ ＊ ＊
“…Sigh.”
Jessica was sighing inside the carriage. Next to her was the dark brown haired, blue-eyed princess.
She was wearing what were probably street clothes and that’s why they had no frills or other extra decorations attached, but the clothes were still refined so that one could sense that she was of noble birth.
Jin, Elsa, Hannah, and Reiko were sitting in the seats in front of her.
“Don’t sigh like that. Don’t they say that happiness escapes the body when you do?”
The princess said to soothe Jessica but,
“Whose fault do you think that is…”
She replied with a worn-out voice, then the princess retorted with a mischievous smile.
“Being royalty is not a secret or something to be hidden!”
Jessica then sighed many times more.
“…Sigh.”
“Moving on from the melancholic Jessica, the reason I summoned you here was that for one I wanted to express my thanks. ”
The princess stated to begin with. She looked to be no more than 12 or 13, but she spoke like an adult probably due to her education as royalty.
“Express… your thanks?”
Jin spoke as the representative.
“That’s right. I saw it, that Automata protecting the child and you dropping the two golems into a hole and neutralizing them. And the older one of your sisters helped the wounded by healing them.”
I’ve got a magical eye that can see at a long distance, the princess said and pointed at her right eye.
“Lies-sama! You didn’t have to tell him that!”
She went and spoke of something secret and Jessica flusteredly cautioned her due to her wildness, but it was like talking to a wall as the princess didn’t seem even a bit shy.
“A magical eye…you say?”
A magical eye was literally that, an eye which held Magic Energy. They were said to be extremely rare, something only one in tens of thousands of people had.
In addition their effects varied from seeing through objects, clearly telling true from false through disguises ad camouflage, and there even were charm-type eyes like the former ‘Golden Princess of Destruction’ Elena had had.
Then there eyes like the princess’s that could see into the distance, and so on.
“I had just snuck out of the castle to see the situation around town. There was some kind of a disturbance so we hurried here, and it was at that time that I saw your efforts.”
Speaking elegantly while mixing in things like ‘snuck out’, even this princess was the pitiable type, Jin thought.
She had refined looks not just because she was royalty, and her slightly upturned eyes were clear and her determination was well visible from them. She gave a feeling of elegance, just her mannerisms were very tomboyish.
“I have given my name, so please introduce yourselves too.”
Being told so, Jin’s group hurriedly introduced themselves.
“Ah, my apologies. My name is Jin. This is my little sister Elsa, and this Hannah, who is also my little sister. And this is Reiko.”
“I’m Elsa.”
“I’m Hannah!”
Elsa stood up, pinched the hem of her skirt and gave a simple bow. Hannah greeted her in a lively manner. Reiko stayed expressionless.
“Ah, I see, so you’re Jin. Egelia Kingdom’s Honorary Magi Craftsman, aren’t you? That is the second reason I summoned you.”
There was a pause, and then Princess Lieschen began talking, this time with a slightly faltering tone.
“Egelia Kingdom’s third prince is called Ernest-sama…or so I hear. Do you know him? If you know then please tell me. W-what kind of a person is he?”
The princess asked while blushing a little. Oh my, Jin thought as he replied.
“Let’s see, if I recall correctly he just turned 13.”
“H-hmm, so he’s a year older than I.”
“He’s rather intelligent and likes golems.”
“…Huh, we would get along well.”
“He’s also considerate and watchful towards his subordinates.”
“Kind, is he?”
“Your Highness, could it be that this is about marriage proposal or something?”
“Yes, that’s…W-whawhawha-what are you saying?!”
Midway to confirming what Jin asked the princess turned bright red and panicked. It was appropriate for her age.
“No, it’s just that marriage between members of royalty isn’t uncommon, and you wanted to know about a prince in a faraway country, so.”
At strange times, Jin could be quick on the uptake.
“Uh, we-well. We’re just sounding things out at the moment though.”
The princess replied while hanging her head down. It was a bit cute.
“I think he’s a good person. However, I don’t myself understand relations between men and women.”
Jin finished talking and the princess nodded.
“M-mhm. You’ve been very helpful. Thank you. …There’s one more thing, it’s about an Automata I would like you to repair.”