Golem Fight (1)
Sir Galred's group of territory residents arrived at the New Arclight Territory after about four days. At first, since it was the outskirts, everyone felt relieved that nothing was there, just as expected. But as they drew closer to the center, bewilderment set in.
"…An empty field, right?"
"No, this is…."
They had been absolutely convinced that even if meals were provided right away, they'd be thrown into forced labor on a barren plain. Sir Galred had assumed the same and planned to set up camp for a few days to establish order. But what lay before their eyes was….
"An earth castle…?"
"I can sense his mana. I saw him briefly fling open the walls in Phoenix County to erect buildings, but…."
Even so, Daniel thought this was impressively grand as he listened to Sir Galred. Earth-attribute magic dealt with soil and stone, making it incredibly versatile for constructing buildings, tilling fields, or crafting golems. But at its core, magic hinged on imagination and mana control. Aizen Arclight had the skill to vividly picture a structure, hold it steady with magic, and manifest it into reality.
"Looks like his fame from golems alone actually undersold him. The investigation confirmed the Arclight heir was someone else, yeah?"
"Mark Arclight. He's well-trained and serviceable, but nothing beyond that. Looks like the rumors were true—professors Isarina and Reina really lamented Aizen's wasted talent."
Daniel nodded at the words from the guard who called himself a squire. Unless a family was extraordinarily wealthy, education naturally focused on the heir—so Aizen was practically a mutant outlier. Seeing this as an unexpected windfall, they cautiously approached the earth castle, marveling anew at its substantial weight and sturdiness. Upon reaching the entrance, red hair came into view atop the gate.
"Halt! Where are you fr—"
"Escorting migrants from Phoenix County, miss!"
"Ah, Sir Galred! Opening up!"
Erica Phoenix, stationed on the ramparts, fiddled with something, and the gate swung open on its own. The migrants' eyes bulged.
"Brick… road? It's already paved?"
"That's… houses? Some spots lack windows, but…."
"What's that massive building?"
A city had already sprung up. While Galred stood speechless in shock, Erica descended the rampart stairs and called out.
"Welcome! I'm Erica Phoenix. Under the border count's orders to serve Aizen with utmost devotion, I've been guarding him! I know leaving Phoenix County must fill you with complaints and anxiety, but we're not abandoning you—feel free to speak up anytime! Come on, let me guide you. That's my job today!"
Erica energetically addressed the group. As they followed her lead, Daniel couldn't help but goggle.
"That tiny weird thing…."
"Oh, that's a small Caterpillar Golem. Christa Merchant Group analyzed Aizen's golems and made it for construction work… Mina recently decided to call it a Walker."
Construction was still in full swing, so she warned them to watch out to avoid collisions as the things scurried about—but with everyone's eyes wide, who knew how much sank in. Christa Merchant Group members were everywhere, tidying and building streets. Amid them, a woman who seemed highest-ranking darted about issuing orders, spotted Erica, waved, and hurried off. A bit farther, the residential district appeared.
"Noel reviewed Aizen's proposal positively and built this residential zone. No rule says you can't go beyond, but there are dangerous, noisy areas, so they divided it up. Houses are all identical for now, so pick any. If you need more, just say—Aizen will make them. Phoenix knights, temporary barracks have lodging, so head there."
Everything prepared, with the lord himself building houses—the residents were at a loss for how to react. Amid rising anticipation tinged with unease, one ventured a question.
"…We can just settle in, then?"
"He might assign tasks, but Aizen handles construction solo, so probably?"
In just days, the central district was this developed—Daniel, masquerading as Danimus, nodded with his self-proclaimed attendant guard. Unable to contain his curiosity, Sir Galred asked.
"Temporary barracks mean no permanent ones yet? Then that structure we saw coming in…."
"Oh, that was my idea. With the Cyclops factory here and Aizen developing golems daily, it's an experimental field and tourism draw for the territory."
Pointing proudly at the building visible even from the residences, Erica beamed.
"They call it the Golem Arena!"
Massive golems clashing there? Daniel muttered unwittingly.
"…Cool."
Focusing on administration for a few days had made the territory quite presentable.
"Outskirts can develop slower."
"Central can't house everyone yet—no need to ramp up investment early."
But they should plan ahead, so Noel proposed developments for the remaining zones. After reviewing, the conclusion was straightforward.
"Good thing the territory isn't massively huge overall."
The New Arclight Territory was actually smaller than the old one. Noel nodded.
"They used to hand out land freely, but this is fabricated from nothing—size is inevitable."
"Means we can focus development."
Pros and cons. The old potato territory was vast, hard to advance; this narrow plot let them leap steps once planned—if they had people. Personally, minus the population shortage, I figured it'd outshine the potato lands. Tight space limited capacity, sure—slight mismanagement and taxes would hurt—but Noel, Mina, and I agreed it wouldn't happen. Low yields compared to big territories, but as a traffic hub, tolls alone would suffice. And above all….
"Honestly, golems brawling—who wouldn't pay to see?"
The arena, my ace-in-the-hole earner, guaranteed tourism. Noel gave an ambiguous smile.
"It felt overkill… but since you build it, material and labor costs drop huge, so I greenlit."
"Profit covers it."
Mina claimed operations confidently. Cyclops weren't mass-produced yet, but once they were, matches galore—plus shows, events. Spacious land had uses aplenty. Her head brimmed with schemes.
"Might as well break it in—test run to pack the dirt."
Of course, I hadn't just tidied the territory. I climbed aboard the machine leaning against the arena wall. Blue-glowing paint, bulkier shoulder armor. Red monocular eye, massive longsword.
"Prototype Knight's first official shakedown."
I wanted grander names, but naming rights were usurped—venting fury, I swung the blade. This one especially got stripped bare.
They were right. Sadly, I replied alone via the intercom. Was the era just too primitive for the great space federation's spirit? Anyway, to verify the Knight's performance, I flexed the redesigned joints. Some parts simplified or altered for production, but completion felt higher. I kept moving, chaining punches and kicks, then a full swing to cap it. Wind whipped up—Noel and Mina clutched flying hair as I raised the blade high.
"Maneuverability's solid."
The arena's opposite gate opened. People filed in from that entrance. A heavy thud, and the Tech Demonstrator strode forth.
"Erica."
"Snuck aboard, but it's fine, right?"
I sometimes asked Erica for shakedowns—she'd hopped on seamlessly. Maneuvering the Tech Demonstrator, she added.
"Everyone wanted to see it since I pitched the design."
Phoenix knights were there. New mech buzz plus arena? Something struck a chord. They watched eagerly.
"You're sparring anyway, right?"
Erica's voice echoed. Then.
"Let's do it with spectators!"
The Tech Demonstrator drew its sword and assumed stance.