Chapter 282 We Shouldn't Depend On Things That Can't Be Operated Steadily
Rihito turned to Marquis Grandchester, who was still reluctant to get up.
"In my personal opinion, I understand that Your Excellency the Marquis wants to actively use golems."
"I thought a wise person like you would understand."
"I understand, but I oppose the introduction. I'll leave the ethical and emotional arguments to Miss Sara. This isn't a topic that has a clear answer."
"So, you mean there are other reasons?"
"That's right. To operate a golem steadily over a long time, you need an enormous amount of funds, magical power, and Miss Sara is essential. You know that just making one golem requires a national treasure-level magic stone, right?"
"I know, but wouldn't Sara be flexible?"
"She might be, but she's a merchant. She will definitely charge for her services. Since you're family, she might give a small discount, but she won't do anything that would cause a loss. Just because you're family doesn't mean she'll be lenient."
Marquis Grandchester had a bitter expression.
"Even if it's for Grandchester?"
"As a counter-question, do you think Miss Sara would agree to keep hearing 'it's for Grandchester' while constantly being asked for money?"
"Normally, she'd get fed up and run away."
Robert also shared his opinion.
"Actually, it's not just a funding issue. Your Excellency the Marquis needs Miss Sara to create the golems. Even if you brought in another magician who can make golems, they wouldn't be able to match the performance of the golems that Miss Sara makes. Even if they were taught the manufacturing method, finding someone with enough magical power and the ability to visualize the details properly would be extremely difficult."
"Does that mean Mr. Paracelsus can't do it either?"
Robert had a curious expression on his face.
"Since it's based on my theory, it might be possible if I invest time and budget. However, I have no means to secure the magic stones. About 50 years ago, I tried to create a similar system, but the previous Marquis Grandchester told me it was financially impossible. I'm very curious about how Miss Sara solved the magic stone issue, but at least I can't do it now. Miss Sara and Alicia's abilities are genuine."
"Hmm."
Marquis Grandchester crossed his arms and pondered.
"There are few earth attribute magicians with the ability to create golems, but we could find one if we look. However, they won't have the same performance as Sara's golems. After all, golems are supposed to be operated by magicians, not move autonomously like that."
"That's a technology made possible by the unit based on the magic stone embedded in the golem. It turns the golem into a magical tool."
Rihito didn't mention the Magi System. Probably, neither Sara nor Alicia plans to leak this information outside.
"For stable long-term operation of golems, proper management is necessary, including manufacturing, operation, and repairs or recovery when they break or are destroyed. Golems are not something you can just make and hand over. And Miss Sara is essential in all these processes."
"I understand that Sara is needed for manufacturing, but..."
Marquis Grandchester gave Rihito a suspicious look.
"Have you considered how to replenish the magical power needed to operate them? As you can see from the magical power leaking right in front of us, Miss Sara's magical power is on another level. I have enough magical power to operate a few golems, but it's impossible to supply magical power to all nearly 100 golems that are said to exist."
"Hmm. Is that much magical power really needed?"
"If you're an ordinary magician, you would use most of your magical power to operate a single golem for a short time. That's why golems are only used in battles where a quick resolution is needed. Moreover, if the magician controlling them dies, the golems return to the earth, so several guards for the magician are necessary. After all, a magician controlling golems is defenseless because they are focused on the operation."
"I understand that. That's why using golems in combat is said to be inefficient, huh?"
Rihito continued to explain further.
"I don't know how strong the golem made by Miss Sara is, but it can get damaged. It should be able to self-repair minor wounds or missing parts with the magic power stored in the magic stone, but that will end once the magic power runs out. If the magic power that makes up the golem runs out, it will return to the earth like a normal golem, but the unit with the magic stone will remain as it is."
"Well, that makes sense."
"Probably, if it's Miss Sara, she would have some way to make the golem self-destruct if it gets taken away. I think she has a mechanism to destroy the unit if the golem's magic power runs out and it returns to the earth. She can't let it be taken by the enemy."
"Hmm. If it's Sara, she would definitely do something like that."
Rihito suddenly stopped explaining and smiled slightly at Marquis Grandchester with a beautiful face.
"To maintain a golem that requires a huge amount of magic power every day, and that would destroy a national treasure-level magic stone if the magic power runs out, can you really keep that stable in Grandchester?"
"Th-that's..."
"The golem's system is based on Miss Sara being at its center. If you want to incorporate it as a fighting force, you would have to make Miss Sara a military user of golems. But Miss Sara is just a child who would faint at the sight of the quarrel between Your Excellency the Marquis and Sir Robert. I wouldn't adopt a system that relies on such an unstable existence."
Marquis Grandchester let out a deep sigh.
"I see. Maintaining stability is indeed tough."
"I believe Your Excellency the Marquis already understands, but we should not rely on individuals or just a few people for issues related to territory management and security. If we want to operate magical tools like golems steadily, the methods of production, performance, operation, maintenance, and even disposal must be clearly documented, and that knowledge and technology should be shared in a way that others can inherit it. Relying on just one person is too risky, especially if that person is lost or, in some cases, betrays us."
With that, Rihito paused, leaned a bit closer to Marquis Grandchester, and continued speaking with a sly smile.
"Miss Sara seemed to have feelings for Your Excellency the Marquis at the dinner party. But people's hearts change over time. We can't be sure she will always feel the same way."
"What!"
"Father, she might run away from a lord who makes unreasonable demands. I would be happy if she came to our territory, but Roisen would quickly accept Sara, and she might even go to Genoa, where her parent relatives are."
"If she moves to the Coastal Union area, there's a possibility she could become an enemy someday. To be honest, I don't want to make Miss Sara an enemy, so if that happens, I might move too."
As Robert and Rihito threatened him, Marquis Grandchester's expression grew increasingly severe.
"I'm not saying I wanted to make such excessive demands. I just thought it would be an easy task for Sara, like asking my grandchild for a small favor."
"Father, that's just being too greedy. Elma brandy, cider, and even Spieluhr would benefit the Sophia Merchant Guild as well. Plus, securing the lost stock of wheat was something Sara herself suggested as a reward for helping establish the Sophia Merchant Guild and her status. But asking for a golem is going too far."
"...You're right."
"Golems are convenient magical tools. If we introduce them, our dependence on golems will increase rapidly, and knights and regular soldiers will start to act as if golems are always there. Once people get used to comfort, it's hard for them to go back. Introducing golems, which can only be operated in a personal and unstable way, could weaken the entire security system of the Grandchester territory. I think we should keep them as mysterious magical tools that only exist within the Sophia Merchant Guild and let them help in saving lives when necessary. If we maintain a good relationship with Miss Sara, I'm sure she will lend a hand if we ask for help."
Robert stood next to Marquis Grandchester and gave his shoulder a light pat.
"Father, the golems are already doing a great job for us as they are. Let's treat the Sophia Merchant Guild as someone we can turn to for help when we're in trouble. They are close to the Grandchester family, but the Sophia Merchant Guild doesn't belong to Grandchester. If we speak from a noble perspective, we should say, 'By staying the closest to them, we can gain the greatest benefits.' Well, to be honest, I really doesn't want to see Sara drift away. I'm happy about the profits, but that's not the most important thing."
Suddenly, Rebecca spoke up.
"By the way, with Sara in this situation, how long can the golems of the Sophia Merchant Guild keep operating? Mr. Rihito said earlier that it would be impossible to maintain them, right?"
"""Ah!"""
At that moment, Alicia and Amelia returned after finishing cleaning the equipment. They seemed to have overheard Rihito and the others' conversation, and Alicia answered their questions.
"The golems can operate for about 6 months."
"What about their power source?"
"The magic stones that power them have a triple structure. When one magic stone runs out, it starts drawing magic power from the next one, and in the meantime, the golems will swap out for the magic stones that are stored separately. Considering the amount of spare magic stones currently stored at the Sophia Merchant Guild, we should be fine for about 6 months."
"By the way, what is the third one used for?"
"Once both magic stones are empty, the golem enters energy-saving mode and goes into hibernation. While it's hibernating, the third magic stone maintains the golem's appearance, and if an unexpected situation arises where it might be taken, it has the function to self-destruct. Theoretically, it should be able to hibernate for about 50 years. Well, I don't really know since I haven't actually operated it."
'Could it be that the active golems can also exchange magic stones?'
"Oh, but great-great-grandfather, the active golems use a lot of magic power just to extract the units, so if possible, please inject magic power from the outside. I want to extend the golem's operation for as long as possible."
"Ah, yes."
Rihito felt a little down at Alicia's comment, as if she could read his thoughts.
"Well, since replenishing magic power seems to require a specific location, let's have Sophia's golem stop by Maiden's Tower every morning. I'll prepare a room for great-great-grandfather."
"Sigh... every morning, huh?"
"Since it's a magic eater, there's no helping it."
"Hey, Alicia. I was just thinking, but Sophia's golem is really beautiful, right?"
"Of course! Thomashiina is a lavish beauty with luxurious blonde hair, but Lady Sophia is a delicate beauty like the moon goddess."
'Yeah. Alicia, it seems like grandfather is going to have a lot of trouble...'
Then Robert curiously asked Alicia,
"Hey, who is Thomashiina?"
"Miss Sara created a female biological golem modeled after Mister Thomas. Originally, she was the librarian golem of Maiden's Tower, but now she is great-great-grandfather's personal secretary."
"Wait, Mister Thomas is the model!?"
"Yeah, that's right. He turned into an incredibly beautiful golem."
"Mr. Rihito... I'm a little jealous."
"Rob?"
Rebecca shot a cold glance at Robert's careless comment. It felt like the room's temperature dropped slightly.
"N-No, what I mean is, I'm jealous because having a golem as a secretary is amazing. They're really skilled. But I don't plan to follow in my father's footsteps. The golem belongs to the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"Oh, I see."
It seems that the seeds of conflict are everywhere.
Author: A fragile beauty... the appearance fraud is terrible.
Sara: You wrote it yourself, though.
Author: That should be the case, but while writing, you just go off on your own.
Sara: That kind of occult is impossible.
Author: That's not fragile; it's just not wearing!
Sara: Um... I don't think many people will understand that.
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