Published: September 9, 2025
※2016/8/9 Typographical errors have been corrected.
This is Satou. I remember my high school homeroom teacher once telling me, "When you enter society, cherish the connections between people." He probably said it as a simple, standard phrase, but ever since I entered society, I often recall those words at various moments.
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"Nice to meet you, Baron Pendragon. I am Ogusho, who conducts trade between the Royal Capital and the Labyrinth City."
"Ogusho here not only deals in high-quality ingredients but also handles books and magazines from the Royal Capital. If you need anything related to foodstuffs or literature, just ask him—he can usually get most things."
At Viscount Seemen's banquet, I was introduced to several nobles who were friends of the viscount, along with their personal merchants. These nobles were relatives of aristocrats from the Duke's Capital, and apparently, they had a decent reputation in Labyrinth City.
The personal merchants reportedly had multiple servants who managed "Treasure Vaults (Item Boxes)" and owned golem carriages. They confidently claimed they could respond quickly even to urgent requests. If I occasionally asked them to procure various goods, even if I used rare materials, others would likely guess my suppliers on their own.
I had seen golem carriages in the Duke's Capital as well. There are two types: one where golem horses pull the carriage, and another where the carriage itself is a golem. His carriage seems to be of the latter type.
"Oh, a golem carriage, is it?"
"Yes, the carriage itself is a golem, so it won't be fazed even if robbers or monsters appear."
"That's impressive. Are golem carriages common in the Royal Capital?"
Ogusho, pleased by my interest, shared more details.
"Well, for upper-class nobility and wealthy individuals, they're not uncommon. However, most of them use core parts made during King Ancestor Yamato’s era, so they rarely appear on the market."
Apparently, carriages like my self-driving one that use the rider’s magic power are rare. Some magicians own them as personal vehicles, but since magicians dislike fatigue, they often have their apprentices operate them.
For some reason, Ogusho deliberately created a noticeable pause there.
At that moment, a young man, supposedly the nephew or cousin of Lord Sorkel, who had been listening, joined the conversation.
"About five years ago, wasn't there a discovery in ruins in Count Kirik's Domain?"
"As expected of Lord Sorkel, you are well-informed. Baron Pendragon, at the ruins Lord Sorkel mentioned, several power sources called the 'golem hearts' were found. These hearts were offered by Count Kirik to the royal family, and each year one is bestowed upon a noble with significant achievements."
Ogusho probably avoided mentioning Count Kirik's Domain intentionally to make it easier for Lord Sorkel to join the discussion. Such thoughtfulness is something to emulate.
Still, it was good news to hear.
I had been planning to deploy Living Armors for protection at the mansion on the surface; it was a close call to avoid causing a fuss.
"That's incredible. Are such ruins frequently discovered?"
"Discovering ruins is very rare. The previous find was in the mountains of Count Zetsu's Domain, nearly 30 years ago."
It seems better to keep the recent underwater ruins discovery a secret.
The aerodynamic engine of the airship that appeared at a black market auction was apparently recovered from the wreckage of an unidentified airship that had crashed deep in the mountains. When the ownership was said to be unknown, they were vague, so it probably wasn't truly unknown.
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The banquet ended without incident, and we disbanded, but before boarding the carriage, the butler of the mansion stopped me and asked me to visit Viscount Seemen’s reception room. Sorry, Lulu, but you’ll have to wait in the carriage a bit longer. I’m a little worried, but apparently, no one dares to bother Lulu. Ms. Mitelna said the story of the armed maid who defeated a large man at the West Guild is famous even among noble servants.