June 21st.
This day, outside demonstrations were the primary focus.
“Hmm. There isn’t as much as I was expecting…”
Jin had a serious expression as he checked the magic tool that he had activated the previous day.
“Even if I raise the power a little, it won’t have enough stored until it’s nearly midday.”
Jin muttered. And so he went over to the exposition committee and asked them to move his demonstration to after midday, and they agreed.
And then at 9 am, the second day of the exposition began.
Nearly everyone was outside, as they left representatives to look after their booths in the hall. Jin too left his to the new Quinta, Regulus 50.
An arena had been built in front of the port, and it was here that most of the guests gathered.
“Hehe. I’m looking forward to this.”
Saki found Jin and Elsa and ran towards them. She took the seat that was next to Jin.
“I feel like I’ll be able to hear detailed explanations if I sit with you.”
Ehr was behind Saki, and Edgar stood behind Elsa.
On the other hands, Reiko wasn’t sitting behind Jin, but on his lap. And as he had nothing better to do, Jin would play with her hair and pat her on the head. Reiko looked very pleased.
“Oh, I think it’s about to start.”
A magic screen had been set up here as well, and so you could see the faces of the speakers even from far away.
“Now then, the second day of the 10th Technology Exposition begins!”
The announcement came on the magic loudspeaker. And then the demonstrations began.
The first was a new type of carriage.
Well, it was only new in terms of design. The roof could be taken off if necessary. It was just a convertible. And Jin was not particularly impressed.
The second was a new type of golem. There were three, and they carried a sword, spear and mace respectively as they demonstrated their skill in combat.
Their movements were quite smooth and elegant. Jin felt that they were ‘decent enough.’
And the third was Reinhardt.
“Next is Reinhardt Rendol! His work is the ‘paddleboat,’ ‘Scarlet Trail’ and the golems who operate it, ‘Mac and Mick!’”
The magic screen showed the Scarlet Trail floating at the port.
“This is a high-speed boat that uses a new type of propulsion system involving ‘paddles.’ It is operated by the twin golems. This allows both sides to be moved symmetrically.”
Reinhardt’s explanation echoed. Mutters of approval could be heard from the gallery.
“Now, allow me to show it to you in action. Mac, Mick! Go!”
Reinhardt himself got into the Scarlet Trail, and the boat immediately started to accelerate and leave the port.
Everyone’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“Oh! It’s so fast!”
“What an exciting new method.”
“Ohh, it can even change directions.”
The outside wheels on the side could change direction and speed. This allowed it to not only turn, but slowly change direction as well. All of the spectators were impressed by this.
“Lastly, allow me to introduce to you the person who thought of this method. Jin Nido, an Honorary Magi Craftsman from the kingdom of Egelia.”
Reinhardt ended his demonstration by declaring that Jin was the originator of the idea.
As Jin’s name was already known, thanks to the Mini Golem he showed yesterday, the arena was filled with rumors about him.
“I had never heard of this Honorary Craftsman, Jin, before. What kind of man is he?”
“He isn’t unknown. In fact, I heard that he won the golem boat race in the Elias Kingdom.”
“I heard about that too. He is well liked by the king and prince of Egelia.”
However, these mutterings quieted down once the fourth demonstration began.
“Oh…”
“Wh-what is…”
The speaker had pulled a cloth off of a very large container, and a single golem stood up.
It wasn’t any ordinary golem. It was gigantic, at 6 meters.
Well, Jin had made the 15 meter Titan, and the artifact that was the Shouro Empire’s giant golem was 20 meters.
So perhaps it was small compared to those, however, it was large compared to most golems and was quite intimidating.
“Our fourth speaker is Marcus Grinbalt! The grandchild of the Magi Engineer Maestro!”
Marcus did an exaggerated bow after being introduced, and then he talked about the golems.
“Ladies and gentlemen! This golem is called ‘Goliath,’ and it was made to be the biggest golem that we can create with current technology.”
Marcus waved his hand, and the Goliath took one step and then two steps forward.
Indeed, the movements were surprisingly smooth. Definitely better than Gigantes. And this was all the more astonishing given that it was 6 meters tall.
So, he hadn’t been lying when saying that this was as far as technology would allow.
“Hmm, I see. I’m glad that I sat next to you, Jin.”
Saki muttered as she listened to Jin’s commentary. But Elsa was waiting for his opinion on something else.
“Marcus… I think he was the Magi Engineer who worked for my father. But I didn’t know that he possessed such skill.”
Elsa said, completely ignoring the fact that she had become a top level Magi Engineer in just two months.
But that was no wonder. Unless you had a really good teacher, and also ‘Trans Info,’ you could not hope to make progress so quickly. That’s just how Magi Craft was.
“Besides… He wasn’t so bold back then either.”
His face was unmistakably the same, but his words and actions seemed different. That’s what Elsa thought.
“Now, do it! Goliath!”
So, it was at least partially independent. Goliath obeyed Marcus’s order and started to move at once.
“Hmm?”
The ground shook as the Goliath moved. It was four times larger than a human, but moved in a similar fashion. In other words, it was moving four times as fast.
To be a little more precise, if each joint moved like a human’s, then if the size was four times larger, then the speed at which they moved was also four times as fast.
This was quite shocking to watch, and if you weren’t used to it, it would have been very strange indeed.
The size did not seem to match its movements. Everyone believed that the larger something was, the slower it would move.
There were some exceptions, but large animals were generally slower. It was the same with wild monsters as well.
“Ji-Jin. This is amazing! Don’t you agree?”
“Hmm. It’s alright.”
Saki was confused by this answer, but she quickly regained her calm.
“Wh-what? It’s alright!? …Phew, I see. That’s right, Jin. You don’t think like normal people do.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Hehe. Of course, it is.”
Saki said with a smile. Reiko, who was still sitting on Jin’s lap, smiled too as if it was obvious.
“Hmm. It’s not enough…”
It was a quiet voice, but as it happened just as the audience had become hushed, so others heard it.
“Why Ernest, what are you saying?”
Scolded Queen Lieschen, who was sitting next to him. But it was too late.
“Oh, the person who just said that…it is the prince of Egelia. Would you mind telling me what you meant by that?”
As they were seated near the front where they had a good view, Marcus Grinbalt was able to hear Prince Ernest quite clearly.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Oh, I’m sure that it isn’t nothing. I heard you quite clearly. Now, please tell me how I can improve.”
It was a rather nagging way to say it. But now everyone in the arena was watching them. Prince Ernest shook his head as if he had no choice.
“…I just thought that it was inferior to the giant Deus Ex Machina golem. That’s all.”
“Deus Ex Machina? Ahh, the dubious thing that appeared during the Unifier incident.”
“The Deus Ex Machina isn’t dubious”
The Deus Ex Machina had saved the country. And Prince Ernest would not stand by when someone tried to slander it.
“Pardon me. But it hasn’t shown itself since, and no one knows what it is. If that is not dubious, then what is?”
“…”
Prince Ernest could not reply to this, and he fell silent.
“Well, as long as you accept the greatness of my golem, Goliath. It’s better than your dubious golem.”
That made Ernest react again. He ignored Queen Lieschen, who was pulling at his sleeve.
“…That’s not true.”
“What? What did you say?”
“I said that it’s not true.”
“What do you mean?”
Marcus continued to talk to him with superficial politeness but with a rude attitude. Just then, someone interrupted them.
“Stop this, Marcus.”
It was a man of about fifty who looked like he was from the military. He had a large physique and had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. His hands were on Marcus’s shoulders.
Jin recognized him.
“…Father.”
Elsa muttered next to him.
“Father?”
Yes, his hair and eyes were just like Elsa’s. No, Elsa must have inherited those traits.
“…That’s your father, Elsa?”
The severe expression and the muscular body. He looked very much like a soldier.
“Prince Ernest, and the people of the audience, please excuse us. Accept my apology in Marcus’s place.”
With these apologetic words, Elsa’s father, Georg Randol von Amber bowed and then dragged Marcus off of the stage.
Reiko glared at Marcus until he was out of sight.
As for the giant golem, Goliath, it remained standing.
“We-well then, the last speaker of the morning…”
The announcer’s voice echoed as the crowd buzzed. And so the fifth speaker’s demonstration began. This was also a new kind of carriage. It was light and had fancy decorations.
However, the impact of the giant golem had been too strong. And this carriage didn’t even have a suspension. It was just a pretty carriage, and so the audience reaction was quite muted.