Chapter 93
──Liana's Perspective──
"Then let us set out on the investigation, Princess Liana."
Grand Duke Charon said this and boarded the carriage.
Liana followed him and gave the signal to depart.
Every soldier surrounding the carriage had removed the Grand Duke's family crest.
This was to avoid alerting the people at their destination.
"As we approach, the culprits behind the demon-beast summoning may hide documents and evidence. Let us simply pretend to be border guards, shall we?"
Inside the carriage, Grand Duke Charon laughed.
In contrast, Liana wore a serious expression and said,
"Our destination is the fortress to the east, as reported by the investigators, correct?"
"Indeed. The number of suspicious fortresses has been narrowed down to two. What is more, they are only half a day's ride apart. Even if one proves to be a false lead, we should still have time to enter the other."
The investigation unit came to report again yesterday.
Those who had remained in the Imperial Capital had investigated the frequency of the fast courier horses sent to the fortresses for communications.
As a result, they discovered that a strangely large number of couriers were being sent from the Imperial Capital to the two fortresses in the east.
However, no incident requiring communication with the Imperial Capital had occurred at either fortress.
There had been no reports of demon beasts appearing, either.
And yet, couriers from the Imperial Capital were being sent frequently. A great deal of money was also flowing there.
Moreover, the fortresses were quite close to the border.
Finding this suspicious, Grand Duke Charon and Liana had decided to investigate the fortresses.
"Grand Duke-sama."
"What is it, Princess?"
"What will you do if word that we are heading to the fortresses has leaked to them? Wouldn't they hide the evidence?"
"I have sent the investigation unit ahead. If the other side moves to hide the evidence, that will become evidence in its own way."
"Then, if the enemy is a demon beast and attacks us..."
Liana hesitated before opening her mouth.
"No... I think that is unlikely. Inciting a demon beast to attack the Grand Duke would be tantamount to treason against the Empire. However, in the unlikely event that it happens, I will—"
"Indeed. The Princess and I, Charon, will simply have to deal with it somehow."
Grand Duke Charon shrugged as though it were nothing unusual.
"Well, there is no point in thinking only about the worst-case scenario, Princess."
"...Yes, Grand Duke-sama."
If the worst came to pass, she would use herself as a shield and allow the Grand Duke's unit to escape.
Liana thought this to herself.
Her sister Sofia was also interested in this demon-beast investigation.
Perhaps Sofia's unit had begun its investigation as well.
Liana could not disgrace herself in front of them.
Besides... it was the Grand Duke who had made it possible for her to meet her sister. She wanted to repay that debt.
Liana clenched her fist as she thought about this.
"What concerns me is the Demon Lord's territory."
Grand Duke Charon said this suddenly.
"I doubt they will find the demon beast's summoner before we do... but if they do, matters may become troublesome. We cannot allow another country to learn of the Empire's disgrace."
"I understand."
"I, too, live off the Empire. I have a duty to it. We shall conceal our own country's disgrace."
"Grand Duke-sama."
"Yes?"
"Suppose the Empire was involved in this demon-beast summoning... What do you intend to do if the people of the Demon Lord's territory learn of it?"
"I will speak with them and ask them to keep quiet."
Grand Duke Charon smiled cheerfully.
"I could offer them something in exchange. The Grand Duchy could offer tribute. Or we could support 'Noza Town' near the border. If that led to increased trade, it would benefit the Demon Lord's territory as well."
"The Grand Duchy would support it and trade with the Demon Lord's territory?"
The Grand Duchy had adopted a system of government and taxation that differed somewhat from the Empire's.
If it provided support, 'Noza Town' might be able to establish official relations with the Demon Lord's territory.
That should benefit her sister Sofia as well.
"This is merely a precaution. I have no intention of losing to the Demon Lord's territory in the first place."
Grand Duke Charon lightly rattled the sword resting beside his seat.
It was his beloved silver single-edged sword. It was said that whenever this sword was swung, a silver whirlwind would carve demon beasts to pieces.
It was a sword that could be called a part of Grand Duke Charon, a living legend.
"I do not intend to underestimate the Demon Lord's territory, but our victory is not in doubt. Still, I would like to speak with its people. I would very much like to learn where the source of their power lies."
"...Yes, Grand Duke-sama."
Liana was deep in thought.
(If we capture the culprit, it will benefit the Empire. If the Demon Lord's territory captures the culprit, then... it will benefit my sister.)
Her kind sister, Sofia.
She was governing 'Noza Town' better than ever—far beyond anything Liana could have imagined.
She was also someone who guided Liana strictly.
As Liana pictured her sister, she thought—
(I cannot afford to hold back. Sofia-sama would never forgive me if I handed her victory through such halfhearted methods. I have had quite enough of being scolded.)
Let us compete in earnest.
Even if she could never match that person in the Demon Lord's territory.
As the carriage rocked beneath her, Liana made this vow in her heart.
──Meanwhile, in the forest southeast of 'Noza Town'──
"We will now begin the joint investigation with the Demon Lord's territory."
In the forest southeast of 'Noza Town',
Imperial soldiers and a unit dispatched from the Demon Lord's territory had gathered.
The Imperial soldiers were led by the unit commander, Isaac Omawarisan Myura.
The soldiers of the Demon Lord's territory were led by General Raizenga Freizad.
There were 20 Imperial soldiers and 10 Minotaurs from the Demon Lord's territory.
The Demon Lord's territory had brought fewer soldiers so as not to frighten the Imperials. Since the Minotaurs were twice as strong as Imperial soldiers, the two sides had decided on these numbers together.
"The purpose of this investigation is to locate the person who summoned the demon beast. That is why we have come as a small elite force. Everyone, do not disappoint Princess Sofia's expectations!"
"For Princess Sofia!"
"For the pride of the 'Omawarisan' who protect public safety!!"
"Excellent spirit!"
After confirming the soldiers' morale, Isaac looked toward Raizenga.
"And General, I hear that the Demon Lord's territory has prepared a trump card for tracking the demon beast's traces."
"Indeed. Allow me to introduce it."
At Raizenga's signal, soldiers carried over some boxes.
They were wooden boxes, each several dozen centimeters on a side. There were three of them.
"These were prepared by someone I deeply respect. They are magic items capable of tracking demon beasts, and they are called 'Robot Vacuum.'"
"'Robot Vacuum'!?"
Isaac raised his voice, and the Imperial soldiers began to murmur.
They, too, knew the legends of the Heroes.
They even knew that several Heroes had looked at golems and said, 'So cool. They look like robots.'
"In other words, these are golems. But what is a vacuum cleaner?"
"They are said to be items from the Hero's world that pursue garbage and vermin wherever they go."
"Garbage and vermin!?"
"The Heroes of old called demon beasts 'You garbage!' and 'You weaklings!' If these are items for exterminating such things, they should be able to pursue demon beasts anywhere. That was the reasoning the alchemist used in making them."
The boxes opened.
Three golems emerged from inside.
They must have already been activated, because they were slowly trying to make their way outside.
"These are the 'Robot Vacuum' devices made by the alchemist-dono of the Demon Lord's territory—the Spider Type, Snake Type, and Spherical Type!!"
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'Robot Vacuum'
(Attributes: Light, Dark, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind)
(Rarity: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆)
Made with magic stones of every attribute, it possesses 'Magic Detection' at the same level as a magic-power detector.
A golem created with the Hero world's 'Robot Vacuum' as its model.
It possesses the ability to identify traces left by demon beasts and pursue them wherever they go.
It inhales demon-beast fur, pieces of skin, and other remnants, then uses them as clues to advance.
The more material it inhales, the greater its tracking ability becomes.
At present, there are three types: the 'Spider Type', 'Snake Type', and 'Spherical Type'.
'Spider Type'
A metal, multi-jointed golem.
It inhales garbage on the ground and pieces of demon beasts with powerful suction.
It has the highest defense of the three types. Equipped with the Link function.
'Snake Type'
A golem made by combining metal with 'Magic-Woven Cloth'.
It can move in a wriggling fashion like a real snake.
It can enter any gap and collect hidden garbage.
Various options can be attached to its tail. Equipped with the Link function.
'Spherical Type'
A completely spherical golem.
Made of metal and 'Wind Magic-Woven Cloth', it inhales garbage and other materials with its entire body.
It has the highest movement speed. It is also highly resistant to impact and difficult to break.
Equipped with the Link function.
Physical Destruction Resistance: ★★★ (Can only be destroyed with a weapon enhanced by magic)
Service life: 1 year (However, it will last longer if maintained regularly)
Includes two years of user support.
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"Is this... a golem?"
The Imperial soldiers were at a loss for words.
To them, a golem was a giant made of rock or metal, or something humanoid in shape.
Yet what had appeared before them was a spider, a snake, and a mysterious ball.
Moreover, for some reason, they were called 'vacuum cleaners'.
Each was roughly one meter in size. The spider came skittering out of the box, the snake came slithering out, and the ball went pop-boing as it emerged.
"General Raizenga."
"What is it, Unit Commander Isaac?"
"I do not mean to doubt the technology of the Demon Lord's territory, but... will these really find the demon beast?"
"Indeed. They are copies of items from the Hero's world, after all."
"The Hero's world!?"
Isaac's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
Raizenga gazed toward the north, where Thor's workshop was located, and said,
"According to someone I know, the people of the Hero's world use 'Robot Vacuum' devices like these to maintain their rooms. I hear they even eliminate invading enemies. I suppose they used them to exterminate demon beasts like 'garbage' that threatened their lives."
"It is true that there are records of Heroes shouting things like 'You garbage!' and 'Return to dust!' at demon beasts, but..."
"This is merely my opinion, but perhaps 'cleaning' in the Hero's world was slang for defeating enemies cleanly and completely."
"No... but how could that be?"
Isaac tilted his head.
There was no such thing as a 'Robot Vacuum' in any of the Hero legends he knew.
Even if he was told that they cleaned up demon beasts and kept their surroundings clean, he could not accept it.
"I have been familiar with the legends of the Heroes since I was a child. But I have never heard of anything like this. Is this truly an item from the Hero's world...?"
"Hmm. You have studied the legends of the Heroes?"
"Yes. I have read everything kept at our manor."
"Then surely you know that one of the summoned Heroes was fond of maids."
"...Maids?"
Of course he knew. It was a famous story.
Indeed, after being summoned, there had been a Hero who was moved upon seeing the maids in the palace.
More than one, in fact.
"There was surely a Hero who said, 'I want a maid-san to take care of me. I want her to clean my room.'"
"That is true, but did that not stem from a difference in culture?"
"Then what do you make of the fact that Heroes brought maids with them when fighting demon beasts and the Demon Lord's army?"
"Th-that was probably a matter of personal taste as well, was it not? Some Heroes even liked maid-sans who did the cleaning. I believe it was simply a custom from another world..."
"Do you really think so? When Heroes possessed overwhelming power and came to save the world, they were still so particular about it. Is it not more natural to assume there was a reason beyond personal taste?"
"...Th-then, could it be...?"
Isaac's voice began to tremble.
Raizenga nodded in satisfaction at his reaction and said,
"Indeed. The 'cleaning' that otherworldly Heroes wanted from maids meant defeating weak demon beasts. It meant serving as a 'Robot Vacuum' in this world. That is why some Heroes insisted on hiring maids. Is it not possible to think of it that way?"
At Raizenga's words, the Imperial soldiers began to murmur.
"This is the opinion of the person who made these golems. What are your thoughts, Unit Commander?"
"A new theory... This is truly a new theory!"
Isaac shouted excitedly.
"The Empire's academic theories about the Heroes will be turned upside down, General!"
"But is it not a convincing explanation?"
"Indeed, some maids did grow stronger after receiving instruction from Heroes... The reason the Heroes were so particular about maids and strengthened them was... could it be...?"
"They wanted to give the maids the same strength as a 'Robot Vacuum.' They wanted them to clear the way so that they could focus on powerful demon beasts... and the Demon Lord's army, our ancestors."
"So that is why the Heroes left behind the phrase 'combat maid'...?"
The phrase Isaac had uttered was one of the still-undeciphered terms in the legends of the Heroes.
There were no maids in this world who specialized in combat.
That was precisely why the phrase 'combat maid' left behind by the Heroes had remained such a mystery.
However, if the Hero world's 'Robot Vacuums' had been golems that cleaned rooms and even defeated demon beasts, then—
"In the Hero's world, the same things handled cleaning and combat... In that case, perhaps the Hero's world had humanoid golems shaped like maids."
"It is possible."
"And this golem is like the Hero world's 'Robot Vacuum' and the 'combat maids' desired by the Heroes—it tracks demon beasts and cleans up the world...?"
Isaac murmured this in a daze.
"I, Isaac Omawarisan Myura... have been made painfully aware of my own immaturity. To think I would be taught a new theory about the Heroes by someone from the Demon Lord's territory."
"Oh, we too have only been taught by that person."
Raizenga lifted one of the golems.
"Then let us confirm the power of the 'Robot Vacuum' made by that person. Unit Commander Isaac-dono, which way is the trail left by the giant demon beast?"
"Beyond that large tree."
"This one...? Ah, yes. The trees have certainly been knocked down."
Still holding the 'Spider Type' golem, Raizenga moved in the direction Isaac pointed.
There was a trail left by a large creature.
The trees in the forest had fallen to either side, the ground had been gouged, and grass had been scattered everywhere.
It looked as though a giant demon beast had dragged its heavy body through the area.
"Our unit discovered this several days ago."
The unit commander, Isaac, spoke.
"It was not here when we came before. Villagers nearby heard a loud noise in the forest. We believe it is a trace left by a giant demon beast, but..."
"Then let us confirm it."
Raizenga set the 'Spider Type' golem down on the ground.
Slither. Roll.
The other two—the 'Snake Type' and 'Spherical Type' golems—came over to the 'Spider Type'.
Their movements were awkward, like those of newborn creatures.
"──It's moving slowly."
"──Even if they can track the demon beast's traces, won't this take a long time?"
"──It must be difficult to perfectly reproduce an item from the Hero's world. It cannot be helped."
The Imperial soldiers murmured.
Perhaps those golems had been made to reproduce the Hero world's 'Robot Vacuum'.
But they were probably imperfect copies.
Thinking this, the soldiers sighed.
"By the way, General."
"What is it, Unit Commander Isaac?"
"Why are the movements of these golems synchronized so perfectly?"
The golems on the ground were moving around the fallen trees.
The 'Spider Type' was crawling along the trunks above ground, while the 'Snake Type' was winding around the exposed roots. The 'Spherical Type' was spinning over the dug-up earth. It even looked as though it were stirring up the surrounding soil while searching for something.
Each one was moving according to its role without interfering with the others.
It was the first time they had seen golems coordinate without a spellcaster present.
"According to that person, the Hero world's 'Robot Vacuum' devices can link with various things through something called 'Wi-Fi'."
"Link through 'Wi-Fi'?"
"It seems to be a type of magical power. These golems have a similar function. Apparently, they were made so that 'by matching the wavelengths of their magical power, they can move as one'..."
All at once.
The three 'Robot Vacuums' stopped moving.
Skitter. Slither. Rumble-rumble.
As though controlled by invisible threads, all three turned toward the east at once.
And then—
Skitter-skitter-skitter-skitter-skitter!
Shu-shu-shu-shu-shu!
Roll-roll-roll-roll-roll!
They began racing toward the edge of the forest at tremendous speed.
"──H-how fast!? What was that!?"
"──Did they find a clue to the demon beast!?"
"──Wh-what speed! Who was the one who said they were slow!?"
The 'Spider Type' skittered over obstacles—
The 'Snake Type' slipped through the grass and trees—
The 'Spherical Type' rolled without hesitation, spinning at incredible speed—
──All three raced east together.
"Fast! Is the 'Spider Type' the fastest!?"
"Yes! It is faster because it has more legs! It is stable, too. To move that fast through a forest with such treacherous footing!"
"No! The 'Snake Type' is the fastest!"
"It does not care about tree roots or rolling stones. The 'Snake Type', which ignores obstacles, is the fastest!! Look at how smoothly it moves! It has already rounded the corner and is nearing the edge of the forest!"
"No, no, the 'Spherical Type' is the fastest!"
"It is racing while spinning at high speed. Is it bouncing over obstacles to avoid them!? Could it be using the other golems' fields of vision? It is overtaking the 'Spider Type' from the inside..."
The soldiers desperately chased after the golems.
"General Raizenga, may I ask you something?"
"What is it, Unit Commander Isaac-dono?"
"The Demon Lord's territory is not considering using those in battle against the Empire, is it?"
"Of course not. Neither His Majesty nor that person would wish for such a thing."
Raizenga nodded with a serious expression.
"We consider Princess Sofia and Unit Commander Isaac to be good neighbors."
"...I am truly glad the Demon Lord's territory is not our enemy."
Cold sweat ran down Isaac's forehead.
If those golems were meant for combat, he had no idea how anyone could oppose them.
The 'Spider Type' could climb castle walls as easily as breathing.
The 'Snake Type' could slip through even the narrowest gaps.
The 'Spherical Type'—
"──That one is the most frightening. No one would pay attention to a ball rolling along. If you put weapons inside it and tossed it into the enemy ranks... it would be like being attacked by spinning weapons."
"When you put it that way, it is rather frightening..."
"The person who designed the 'Spherical Type' must have been extraordinarily imaginative."
As they said this, Isaac and the others continued chasing after the golems.