The Rat's Stirring
Another week passed. While test-firing the machine gun that would serve as the Cyclops's main armament aboard the Caterpillar Golem, Noel glanced at me from the side and smiled faintly.
"Aizen, you seem to be enjoying yourself these days."
"Yeah?"
I'd been thinking work felt more satisfying than usual, but did it really show on my face?
"The artisans are dropping like flies every day, but only this guy's thriving."
"No one's actually died, so isn't that fine?"
"That's not something the guy who won't let them rest should say."
She said that, but Mina actually looked even happier than I did. Well, she was the employer, after all. Employers usually prefer it when their hires keep working without a break.
"Still, with everything going so smoothly, who wouldn't be pleased?"
"Couldn't agree more."
If there was one reason for my good mood lately, it was that I'd spent another week holed up and successfully built the facilities for the arms and torso. The head was mostly about protecting the magic stone that served as the main camera anyway, so its frame was more or less done. Now all that remained were the most crucial parts: the engine, the intricate magic tools to fill the internals, and finally the armor plates. Once those were ready without my direct involvement, we'd have success.
"And the armor plates? A bunch of Mina's artisans worked on those together, so we just need to standardize the specs."
"At your pace, Aizen, the facility research should wrap up in about two weeks."
That freed up some time, so I planned to dive into armament research and mass production next. The Cyclops required a lot of precise, intricate craftsmanship, so the weapons shouldn't be too tough by comparison.
"About three weeks, and we'll be done here."
After that, it was back to the academy. I'd been gone nearly two months, but plenty of guys took off for months at a time as proxy lords, so this was nothing. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted.
We arrived at the designated site and disembarked from the Caterpillar Golem. Then, from its trailer, the Phoenix Count, Professor Reina, Erica, and the others began climbing down.
"Hmph. Even on an unpaved road, it was smooth as silk."
The count muttered as he eyed the path the Caterpillar Golem had traversed. It was in rugged mountains too far for carriages, but tracks made everything equal. Still, I owed him an apology.
"Sorry for making you ride in a spot not meant for people."
"Nonsense. If you insist on tagging along, you bear the consequences."
Originally, it was just me, Mina, Noel, Erica, and Professor Reina, but the count had demanded to join. The cockpit wasn't exactly spacious, so we'd hastily repurposed a compartment for Mina's caravan crew—and luckily, he didn't seem too put out.
"You said you embedded a few float stones? The ride was shockingly smooth. Tweak the impact absorption a bit more, and nobles would eat it up for travel or sightseeing."
"Excellent insight. I'll keep that in mind."
Mina's eyes sparkled as she replied. She smelled money.
The count looked ready to begin, so I climbed back into the Cyclops and powered it up. From the trailer, the Cyclops rose to its feet, drawing gasps from those who hadn't seen it yet. It crested a ridge and descended slightly. I hefted the machine gun in both hands and fired.
Brrrrrt!
Its size made the roar deeper and more guttural than I'd imagined. But the Cyclops didn't budge from the recoil, and it hammered the targeted cave in the opposite mountain with impressive accuracy. Technically, it wasn't firing separated rounds and casings but shoving out solid metal slugs—yet it cleared the magazine without a single jam. I grabbed a fresh one from the hip rack, slotted it into the top of the gun, and repeated the process.
"Wait, it's reloading from the top like that and just keeps firing? And he said that was a backup method because the original didn't work?"
"At that size, it's like hosing everything down with artillery..."
The onlookers gawked at the Cyclops's machine gun, while the count nodded approvingly. This was a heavily compromised design I couldn't fully replicate yet, but they seemed impressed anyway. Perfect recreations took time and research, no helping it. Still, spotting all the improvements kept things fun.
I'll tweak it bit by bit later.
I'd rope Professor Rodellini back in for the upgrades, but this was good enough for initial mass production. Time to move on.
The dagger equipped at the Cyclops's waist—its melee weapon. Mana from the engine flowed in, and the blade began to glow red-hot. Gripping the oversized handle suited to the Cyclops's massive hand, I swung. Wood and grass scorched from the intense heat.
"Grip strength is solid."
The Cyclops could clench a fist, but wielding a melee weapon without it slipping had been iffy—until the fixes I'd implemented. Now it swung true. I stabbed at the hillside ahead, and the blade sank in effortlessly.
And it didn't slip here either.
I hadn't expected it to perform this well and found myself smiling unwittingly. It wasn't in the original plan, but the incident with Galred had brought an unexpected gift, bringing the mech infused with space federation soul one step closer to completion.
Heatmetal.
A rare metal occasionally found among mana metals. Right around when we'd confirmed the leg frames built purely by Mina's artisans worked fine and started on the arm and torso facilities, Erica had delivered the count's "gift"—a metal reborn as an excellent melee weapon.
Of course, the cost was an issue; it'd need some clever engineering for standard mass-produced units.
But it let me experiment with some unexpectedly fun features, so that's a win.
Studying the Heatmetal had uncovered a neat trick while tinkering with a safety mechanism. Regardless, the count's gift had been a huge help. There was still a little polishing left to do.
Once I see the path, I just charge ahead.
Trusting myself now, I crested the mountain again, returned to the Caterpillar Golem, and laid the Cyclops back in the trailer.
"Magnificent."
"With that kind of power, once we systematize mass production..."
Emerging from the cockpit, I saw the Phoenix Count and his retainers buzzing with excitement—alongside a few knights looking distinctly uneasy. And then...
"You did it!"
Noel and Mina approached with smiles, Erica trailing just behind. The Cyclops was one step closer to true completion.
Not far off, on a nearby mountain, two men dressed as common farmers peered through far-seeing magic tools, watching the Phoenix Count.
Dangerous. That's dangerous.
They could only gape at the spectacle below. An unnamed giant, under the count's watchful eye, unleashed a barrage from its massive cannon and swung a dagger. The deafening roars, the shattered cave in the mountain, the effortlessly piercing blade radiating heat—and all executed with precise, mechanical grace.
At first, they'd thought the count had tamed a monster. But up close, the giant's body was pure metal.
That's no monster.
Checking the note in their bosom, they confirmed the message and stared back at the giant.
Rumors say the kingdom is testing a new weapon in Phoenix County. Investigate.
"It's real."
They were certain now—that was the note's subject.
"That's the weapon that threatens the Argent Empire."
Good call coming to Phoenix County to verify. It bordered the empire, and they'd once used bioweapons here to gain military superiority. But the bioweapon had rampaged, costing fourteen of the count's knights their lives to subdue. Since then, he'd focused on gathering troops and building strength, showing no aggressive moves...
"So they were researching and building weapons behind the scenes."
Or had the bioweapon been a feint? Various theories swirled, but judgment wasn't their job. What mattered was the massive figure now laid in its box. Given its metallic body, its nature was...
"A golem."
It defied golem conventions, but nothing else fit. Stone golems were massive and heavy, forcing multi-legged designs and sluggish movement. Yet what else could explain this obedient, inorganic behemoth?
When the giant's chest opened and a black-haired man emerged, the two "farmers" nodded.
"We need to investigate that guy."
"If possible, recruit him. If not..."
Eliminate him.
"Conveniently, one of the empire's sword saints is near the border. Word is he's come to unleash that thing on the county."
"Perfect timing."
They recalled one of the empire's anti-kingdom weapons. That should counter the giant. It had to.
"Honestly, it's unsettling, but..."
"To neutralize the threat early, we move fast."
For the empire's future, the spies nodded. With their course set, action was all that remained.
"Until all paths under heaven lead to the Empire."
Chanting the imperial slogan, the spies hurried down the mountain.