Chapter 36 : Did you think before causing trouble?

“All done…!”

After three days of effort, I had created the golem.

The lumps of stone, which had come together to form a muscular, bumpy shape, weren’t exactly impressive.

But considering the effort I put into it, it was something I could feel proud of.

“Alright. Then, shall we test if it moves properly?”

Of course, it wasn’t fully complete, but since I had worked on every detail, it shouldn’t fail to move.

But before checking the final step, there was something I needed to do first.

Serena must witness this massive golem moving!

So, I dragged Serena, who had been reading a book in her room, out.

She looked annoyed, clearly questioning why I was calling her for something like this.

“Huh? Did you make all of this?”

“Yep. Now, I’m going to make it move, so watch carefully.”

“Hmm.”

It seems she wouldn’t believe it until she saw it for herself.

After all, who would think that such an ugly pile of stones could be impressive?

But I know from experience, regardless of appearances, the mere fact that something this massive is moving is impressive.

“Now…rise!”

When I gave the command, holding the magic stone in my hand, the magic stone embedded in the golem’s chest began to glow.

The ground trembled slightly, and the golem, which had been lying down, slowly lifted its upper body.

“Wow…”

Serena gasped, her mouth hanging open at the sight of the giant awakening before her.

She was in awe, as if witnessing a scene from a fairy tale or mythology.

See? 

I told you your opinion would change.

As the golem stood on its two feet, Serena, who had been clinging to my legs, let go and clapped her hands.

I hadn’t exactly put on a show, but when I gestured for the golem to wave its arms, it followed my command.

“While I’m away from the mansion, this will guard the place. It may look like this, but it’s really strong, you know?”

I had made it at a level that even a mid-tier mage wouldn’t be able to handle.

If I made another one, it would be even safer, but I had no place to put it in the garden, so I gave up.

So, as a result, I had to settle for making the golem as powerful as possible, at a medium size that could fit in the available space.

With this, it should be able to handle the role of a gatekeeper.

“Wow… this huge thing really moves.”

Serena, fascinated, started tapping the golem’s leg, showing great interest.

At that moment, struck by her innocent curiosity, I found myself handing her the magic stone.

“Here. Try controlling it however you want.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Just make sure not to destroy the garden, alright?”

Normally, I shouldn’t have treated it like a toy for a kid, but how could I resist when she looked so happy?

She would have begged to try controlling it on her own, even if I didn’t say anything.

“Okay! Got it!”

Serena smiled brightly, like the sun, nodded enthusiastically, and took the magic stone.

Before she began, I made sure to explain to her how to give commands and control the golem, but I wasn’t sure if she was paying attention.

Her eyes were so full of excitement that it seemed like she wouldn’t listen to anything I said.

Well… Serena is smart, so she probably understood, right?

“Alright, let’s start… jump, go ahead!”

“Huh?”

She hadn’t expected me to give such a command.

How could I ask a huge golem to jump? 

I knew what might happen…!

Boom! 

Boom! 

Boom!

Despite that, the golem obeyed the command.

Ignoring the humans’ circumstances, the moment it jumped, the ground trembled like an earthquake.

I nearly fell over, losing my balance, but I managed to stay upright.

“Wow! This really works?!”

The one who gave the command, Serena, was just smiling brightly, enjoying herself.

It’s true what they say sometimes. 

Children’s innocence can sometimes resemble malice.

I guess that saying was right after all.

“Stop it, stop it right now!”

In the end, I took the magic crystal away, thinking that if I let her handle it any longer, a bigger mess would happen. 

She immediately became sulky, but after looking around at the garden and seeing the damage caused by her orders, her expression changed.

The ground where the golem was standing had deep indentations, and petals that couldn’t withstand the tremors had fallen off. 

Dust had risen, making my body dirty, and the garden had turned into a disaster.

“I’m… sorry…”

“…It’s fine. I didn’t give proper instructions either, so it’s partly my fault.”

She quickly realized her mistake and reflected on it, so I didn’t scold her further. 

Thankfully, no one was injured. 

Well, at least it was just me.

“Master… Did you just stand by and let this happen?”

“Well, you see…”

Ord had come out to inspect the scene, likely because of the rumbling that felt like an earthquake. 

His expression was laughing, but the veins at his temples were visibly swollen. 

His face looked contorted from the anger rising inside him.

This is bad.

“I never imagined Miss Serena would go this far. Of course, it’s a bigger mistake that you, the master, didn’t stop her…”

“What?”

Are you seriously blaming all of this on me?

I felt wronged, but thinking about how Serena would be scolded by Ord, I decided it was better that I take all the blame. 

I knew this, but that also meant I would get an earful of complaints.

“Now, let’s go inside and talk. I’m sure you have a mountain of things to say to the master. You better be prepared.”

“Wait! Serena! Serenaaaa!”

I was grabbed by the neck and couldn’t escape from Ord’s strength, so I had no choice but to be dragged along. 

Even as I called out to her in despair, Serena just turned her head and ignored me.

Brutus, even you?

*

As I was preparing to leave for the Levath Kingdom and also educating Serena, time flew by quickly. 

The coolness of spring, which had still retained the chill of winter, began to melt away, and the warmth of summer started to be felt.

With the changing seasons and the wind, Prince Reyzen suddenly visited the mansion again. 

This time, without any prior notice.

“I’m sorry for showing up so suddenly.”

“It’s no problem. It’s an honor just that you came.”

Honestly, I was quite surprised, but as a count, I could at least hide my expression. 

But I wondered why he came. 

Given that the prince came in person, it must be something serious.

I escorted Prince Reyzen to the reception room and prepared a simple snack, deciding to have a chat. I also sat Serena next to me.

“…We meet again, Serena.”

Huh? 

He remembers my name?

Ah, well, considering we even had a verbal argument, he must have remembered my name.

Of course, it would be on the negative side.

“…Yes. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

But now it’s different.

Our Serena has been learning proper etiquette as a noble for a long time.

Prince Reyzen seemed quite surprised by her changed, polite demeanor. 

He cleared his throat and tried to act nonchalant.

“Hmm. It seems you’ve learned some manners.”

Upon hearing that, her gaze immediately became sharp, but I quickly shoved a cookie into her mouth, and her emotions settled down.

Phew. 

If I had been a bit slower, we would have ended up arguing again.

“By the way, may I ask why Your Highness has come in person?”

“Ah… well, you see…”

Prince Reyzen hesitated for a moment before answering my simple question. 

It wasn’t a difficult one.

“About the Duke Faigle case, the Count has been excluded from the list of suspects. He has an alibi and insufficient motive, so it’s only natural.”

“Oh, is that so?”

That’s a relief. 

I had been worried that the Count might still be a suspect until we left for the Levath Kingdom. 

If that were the case, we wouldn’t be able to cross the border.

Yeah, it’s definitely good news, but… is that all? 

You came all this way just to tell me that?

‘He could’ve just sent someone to inform me.’

It didn’t seem like it was important enough to warrant a personal visit, so I couldn’t help but think there was more he wanted to say.

He didn’t seem to want to hide it either, as he had some tea and then continued his story.

“Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask the Count about.”

“Yes? What do you mean by that…”

“You know the secret you told me before? The one that allowed me to use advanced magic?”

Ah, so that’s what it was. 

But why is he bringing it up now?

“After returning to the palace, I’ve been trying to use it, but it hasn’t been working well. Maybe it’s because I don’t have the knack for it, or perhaps I didn’t learn it properly.”

“…So you’ve come to ask me to teach you again, is that it?”

“Mm. It’s embarrassing, but yes. I know it’s shameless of me to ask, but…”

“Oh, no. Not at all.”

I was actually in disbelief that he came for just that.

I wanted to say something, but I held it back.

Anyway, whatever the reason, it’s a good opportunity, right? 

It’s a chance to change our perceptions of each other.

‘This time, I’ll make him reconsider!’

I thought that this time would lead to a different outcome.

That was, until Reyzen Prince and Serena started fighting, grabbing each other by the collar.

Ah, my head.