Chapter 296 The Maidens Involved
"I have something to apologize to you all about."
"What do you mean?"
As Sara muttered this, Alicia looked in with a worried expression.
"Because the golem is standing out too much, it's probably caught the attention of the nobles."
"Well, that was expected."
"But I'm not planning to sell the golem, and I don't intend to lend it out either. Actually, I even turned down a request from my grandfather to help maintain the security of the territory."
This surprised all the maidens.
"I thought you would cooperate with the Grandchester territory."
"Eh, why?"
"I mean, is it really okay to do that?"
Sara finished her herbal tea and placed the empty cup back on the table.
"I guess I'm apologizing because it's not really okay. Even my grandfather was pretty overbearing with me, so I think it's that attractive for the lord. If that happens, I don't think other territories or even the country will stay quiet."
"It sounds like it's becoming a big deal."
"It's still okay for now, but I think it might become a big deal soon. But I plan to refuse everything."
"Wait, could it be an order from the king, Your Majesty?"
"Yeah."
"Sara, you might be charged with treason, you know? If that happens, your whole family will be executed too!"
"Hmm. If the king is begging a young girl and then threatens to execute her family if she refuses? I don't want to live in a country ruled by such a king, so I thought about running away, but then the people left behind would be in a terrible situation, right? Especially Alicia, Rihito, and Mr. Theofrastos. Also, they really want to force the golem to be made. Even if they succeed in making a golem, without Magi, they can't act like my kids, so they'll just get complaints again."
"Sara, it sounds like you're saying something really scary."
Alicia looked at Sara with a face that looked like she was about to cry.
"Yeah. Right now, things are really tense. In fact, we've been getting so many letters from the Sophia Merchant Guild asking us to sell golems, it's exhausting."
"Yikes."
"Think about it. How much money do you think it takes to make one golem? And even if they manage to get one, without Magi, how much it can learn beyond what they teach it when it's shipped depends on the size of the magic stone inside it."
"It also needs magic power to operate, and Miss Sara, just by sleeping for ten days, used up more than 20% of the magic stone she had stored."
"I'm not bragging, but my magic power is so much that I wouldn't want to compare it to others. I really can't imagine anyone else managing and operating a golem at my level."
"That makes sense."
"If that's the case, then what's waiting for me next is probably being confined. If things go badly, I might end up being locked away and living a life where I keep refilling magic power into the magic stone, right?"
"Ah, I can see a powerful person doing that, but I can't imagine Sara just quietly being locked away."
"I think so too. I mean, a country that has to force girls like that to protect itself is bound to fall apart."
Listening quietly to the maidens' conversation while preparing a refill of herbal tea, Maria smiled sweetly at Sara.
"Maria. You seem like you want to say something."
"No, I just thought that if it were Milady Sara, she would probably crush His Majesty the King without waiting for him to fall apart. Maybe even the whole castle."
"How rude! Even I wouldn't go that far."
"Really?"
"I'm a merchant, after all. I would definitely drive the king to bankruptcy to protect my reputation."
"That would make the citizens unhappy, though."
"Then I'll protect the citizens and just crush the king."
"...Milady, that sounds like you're declaring a path of conquest."
Maria looked at Sara with an exasperated expression.
"A path of conquest, huh? But I don't want to be a king. If someone else could rule in my place, I might consider it."
"Sara, are we completely caught up in this?"
"That's why I said I need to apologize for something."
"I didn't think it would involve the whole family!"
"I'm really sorry. But I believe I can handle it at the negotiation level before it gets too serious."
"I hope you can find a peaceful solution."
"I just want to live a quiet life."
The maidens looked at Sara with confusion, but they didn't say anything to deny their involvement as maidens alongside her. In fact, they were grateful to Sara and had no regrets at all.
It's not like the royal family is really putting pressure on the Grandchester territory or the Sophia Merchant Guild. At this point, it's just a story that goes beyond imagination.
"Alicia, do you think we should teach the golems combat skills? I didn't want those kids to become golems that could harm people."
"Ah, I get how you feel, Sara, but..."
Alicia hesitated and showed a complicated expression in response to Sara's question. From her reaction, Sara somehow sensed the situation.
"I have a really bad feeling about this. Is it too late?"
"Rather than too late, those kids have had combat abilities from the start, Sara."
"What do you mean?"
"Since the first golem you created, Sara, they have had combat abilities to protect their creator, you. I think you probably imagined them as guardians when you made the golems."
"Maybe I did..."
"There's no such thing as a guardian that can't fight, right?"
"R-right."
'What a mess. I did this myself──'
Suddenly, Teresa made a puzzled face.
"Hey, Alicia. What's up with that weird dance?"
"I don't really know. I think a strange image got mixed in when Sara created the golems, but it was funny, so I decided to leave it as it is."
"I think it's a totally unnecessary feature. Let's get rid of it now."
It seems that the reason for the weird dance being passed down was because of Alicia.
"Well, if we delete it, the kids will be disappointed, you know? That dance is super popular among the kids!"
"I heard about it, but I feel like I'm realizing it all over again."
'Hmm... maybe I subconsciously thought of the former club president from the Sarasa era as my guardian? Well, they were a good boss, except for the party tricks!'
Teresa asked more questions.
"Are you not planning to give the golem any weapons, Sara?"
"I still have a baton (magical tool) on its waist. It was really tough to make a small mechanism that doesn't need magic to switch on."
"So, they use stick fighting?"
"Hmm. When you say stick fighting, it gives the image of fighting with a long stick, but it won't be that long. Since it's a magic tool, when you switch it on while touching the opponent, it makes them numb."
"Numb?"
Teresa tilted her head.
"If I explain in detail, Teresa might not understand. Originally, Rihito came up with the idea, and Sara and I completed it, but basically, it feels like a small lightning bolt comes out from the tip of the baton."
"Oh, like when your hair stands up in a really dry winter, Alicia? When you touch someone, it gives a little shock, right? It's like that, but a bit stronger."
"Wait, the scale of what you two (Alicia and Sara) are saying is too different for me to understand. Is the lightning and that winter shock the same mechanism?"
"Well, generally, yes."
Sara thought it would be difficult to explain the mechanism of static electricity to Teresa. Even Sara only learned a little about it in class back in the Sarasa days, so she wasn't that knowledgeable. She just knew that when an object becomes charged and there is a potential difference with another object, a current flows. She vaguely remembered a teacher saying that lightning is also static electricity, and it strikes when there is a potential difference between the clouds and the ground.
'Yeah, I'm really grateful to Rihito and Alicia for turning theory into reality.'
Sara feels deep gratitude towards the two science-minded individuals, but for Alicia, she can only feel thankful towards Sara for providing generous funding for research that may or may not lead to results. Rihito will probably feel the same way in the future.
"Still, it might be hard to understand just by hearing it. But it sounds amazing."
"Teresa, just be careful, though. Sometimes it can accidentally stop someone's heart."
"Whoa, that's scary. What's that about, Alicia?"
"Usually, it's fine, but it can happen sometimes. So far, there haven't been any accidents like that in the Sophia Merchant Guild."
"I hope there won't be any in the future. Oh, but what I wanted to say is that golems are really smart, so I think it's better to give them proper martial arts training and teach them about human anatomy to capture someone without causing too much harm. You know, even knights and soldiers can hurt someone if they're inexperienced, right?"
Amelia also chimed in during Alicia and Teresa's conversation.
"I think it's important to teach them about not just people, but also dangerous beasts and monsters. Is it too much to ask for them to protect people gathering herbs in risky areas?"
Sara thought for a moment. She understood Amelia's feelings because she knew that Amelia used to make a living by gathering herbs. However, Sara was hesitant about using golems for protection.
"From a guild master's perspective, if I send golems to that area, I wonder who should cover the costs. If the herbs they collect are really expensive, it might make sense, but there aren't that many expensive herbs, right?"
"That's true."
"And if I send golems, they can collect the herbs themselves. I'm more worried about taking away jobs from the herb gatherers we have now. In that sense, it could also take away jobs from hunters."
"Thinking about it that way, we really need to carefully consider how to use golems."
"I'm glad Amelia understands. But, for example, if we need to collect herbs that only grow in high places or in monster nests, then we might consider sending golems."
"That's right. There have been people who fell to their deaths trying to collect herbs from cliffs."
"We need to think seriously about using them in a way that helps people without abusing their power."
Sara let out a small sigh.
"But I do understand the need to teach golems how to fight. To disable an opponent while being careful not to over-defend, they need to understand human anatomy and behavior, and master the correct use of weapons."
"Of course, Sara, defense is part of fighting, so the current golems aren't wrong. In fact, I think they should be praised. But from the perspective of someone who makes weapons, it can be frustrating."
"I see. By the way, Teresa, do you practice swordsmanship or anything?"
"I make swords, so I know a little about swordsmanship. But my main focus is on staff and spear techniques."
"Oh, really?"
Suddenly, something crossed Sara's mind.
"Hey, Teresa, do you think we can make a weapon like this?"
Sara drew a picture of a U-shaped metal tool with a 2-meter long stick attached to it, called a sasumata.
"Hmm?"
"I'm thinking we can use the tip to pin someone down and keep them from moving. It might be useful for capturing attackers. Even if they have a sword, we can hold them down with a longer stick. It probably won't work on skilled knights, but it should be able to handle a low-level criminal."
"I see. I think it would be easy to make."
"I plan to use it with golems, but I think humans can use it too. I might make a few and teach the castle staff how to use them."
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Since women might use it too, I'd like it to be sturdy but light."
"Got it, I'll think about it."
"If it goes well, I might sell it to the knight order."
"Haha, you really are a merchant."
After suggesting the sasumata, Sara thought of several long-handled weapons. There are spears in this country, but she couldn't imagine using one herself.
'Speaking of which, when I was playing a game themed around the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade was really cool... But it kind of looks like a naginata, right?'
Sara tried to draw the Green Dragon Crescent Blade from her memory, but her artistic skills were still lacking, and it just looked like a strange object. So, she decided to use earth magic to create a small prototype of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
"Hey, hey. Can we make a weapon like this? It's not for the golem, it's for me."
"Is this a spear? But it also looks like a sword."
"Maybe it's some kind of long sword. I can't use it with my body right now, but I think Sophia could."
"I think I can make it, but I can't really picture using it. By the way, what's with the decoration that looks like a snake with legs?"
"It seems that's how the dragons from the country where that weapon was made look."
"Wow, really? Well, I'll give it a try. I'd be happy if you could spar with me when it's done! I'll use a spear."
"Definitely!"
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