<621 – Oknodie's Guard Unit (2)>
After hearing Professor Plato’s request, I immediately headed to Jonnas’ Workshop to obtain rare metal, the main material for creating the bio-type golem for Oknodie’s Guard Unit.
Even though I was disguised as Professor Pinkberry and not in my original form, Jonnas willingly consulted with me.
“Well, for a muscle-headed fool, you’ve come up with a decent idea. Of course, I’ll assist with Professor Plato’s lady protection plan. But why do you want to help her in the first place?”
Having been captured on site regarding the incident with Jonnas’ Saintess, Reap was shooting laser beams from her eyes right from the entrance.
Not a Titos beam, just a piercing stare.
Jonnas was just as wary.
Normally, he would have easily allowed snacks or toys, but the usual warm indoor temperature felt like it would cool down as if to say “shut off.”
Seeing the cold reaction from Jonnas and Reap, which was unusual for them, made me feel inexplicably proud.
Cold city butlers and maids.
But warm to my lady.
No master wouldn’t be pleased with the change in attitude from a minion who’s loyal only to me!
“I was asked by Professor Plato. He wants me to help out since I taught Oknodie in my first year; it’s been weighing on my mind.”
Jonnas’ demeanor softened a bit.
The barrier that was blocking the thermal magic in the room lifted, and the temperature rose slightly.
Reap, having clinked her spoon in the empty teacup for a while, finally poured tea.
“Professor Jonnas might be satisfied with that, but as a temporary professor and maid, I still feel uneasy. Can you answer a few questions?”
“Anytime?”
“Then, the first question. How many sugars does the lady put in her coffee?”
“None. That’s to avoid any hindrance in collecting the monster database. She’s a child who knows the bitter taste of adulthood.”
“Correct. Now for the second question. Why does the lady keep a spoon in her school uniform front pocket? 1: To crack the enemy’s head and consume their brains. 2: To stick it in her mouth when she’s hungry. 3: To steal her friend’s snacks.”
“3!”
“Correct.”
Reap’s eyes seemed to show surprise as if she didn’t expect this to be answered correctly.
But the cold city maid seemed unwilling to acknowledge it easily and once again put on an expression of vigilance.
“Final question. When the lady whines that she’s hungry, your food pouch contains delicious green tea ice cream, rare brown rice crackers, and a new development of tasteless cheap black bread. What will you serve the lady?”
“Of course, I must give her all three! While I have to eat that cheap black bread for the sake of the monster database, I can’t just eat that and ruin my appetite. I need to freshen up with the crackers and ice cream!”
“Correct…”
April shook her head in disbelief, feeling like she couldn’t be surprised any longer.
She presented me with a maid badge.
“Here, take this. Starting today, you are recognized as an apprentice maid by April, the lady’s exclusive maid. You can be trusted with her.”
“Uh… thanks?”
“But you… it looks like you didn’t just come up with those answers, rather you chose what you wanted to eat. How come your taste and eating habits are so similar to the lady’s?”
Gasp!
Caught off guard, I was on the verge of being properly snagged.
What sharp intuition this maid has!
“Don’t tell me…”
“W-What do you mean…!”
“Do you sometimes have meals together with our lady?”
“Uh?”
“If you’ve had meals several times together, you might develop similar eating habits. It’s rather hurtful if you solve your meals outside without letting the maid know. In the future, please go out for meals together, and when you return, it would be appreciated if you let Jaku, a minion, or us through the Magic Watch.”
Isn’t that a bit too much?
I almost said something but nodded instead, sensing some inexplicable pressure.
“Please write down the list and quantity of materials.”
I filled out the necessary materials on the sheet Jonnas handed me without hesitation.
Jonnas, who didn’t expect me to list requirements even on the back of the sheet, spoke with a blank face.
“Am I being visited by an assassin here to bankrupt me?”
“No!”
“If not, then you must have originally been rather thick-skinned.”
“Then you’re thinking of not giving this level of support to protect Oknodie?”
“I can support you if it’s for the lady. However, I’ll need to supervise the production process myself.”
“Well, since you’re Oknodie’s butler, I’ll make an exception.”
Creating a bio-type golem isn’t easy.
The better the materials, the harder it gets.
Just look at the difficulty involved in making weapons or armor.
Rare metal has different melting points and forging methods.
Unlike commonly known metals, the manufacturing techniques are passed down secretly, like master artisans, mimicking human joints, the elasticity of muscles, and needing to gather mana for automatic restoration spells; it’s an effort.
Using good materials means fewer breakdowns.
However, maintaining and repairing them incurs enormous costs.
Welcome the emergence of a mana-hungry hippo that consumes a high-grade mana stone daily!
“When I lacked in physical ability, I studied metalworking techniques while optimizing for golem production and diligently researched methods—after all, I wanted to find a various ways to avoid my favorite character meeting a bad ending!”
Some crazy veteran players enjoy characters who fall to bad endings!
But I’ve already completed the ending collection.
I don’t want to see an ending that cruel.
[Success rate for manufacturing is reduced by 50% due to the Penalty of the Rune of Misfortune.]
Of course, it’s inevitable that the subject will have some mentality finding an excuse to misstep.
[You regained your lost sense instantly by exercising your sense of balance.]
[Experience Points for Sense of Balance +1]
So I need to concentrate harder!
Thud. Thud.
As I intensely hammered away, I felt an overwhelming gaze.
“Why~? Is it that amazing?”
“…Are you asking because you don’t know? The design for mana circuits flowing like water, which I don’t even know as a metal magician, inserted into the mana flow as a command form for constant mana charging is virtually the skill level of a magical engineering professor, isn’t it?”
“Of course I can do this much; otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked you for the materials. Or else why would I ask you to make it?”
“What reason can you possibly have to hide such skill all this time?”
Good point.
What reason could a disguise professor potentially have to be adept in magical engineering?
“Probably because there’s a reason to keep it a secret!”
“A woman with many secrets.”
“Yeah. Just don’t ask any more about it!”
Jonnas nodded easily and fell silent.
Hours later.
The production of the bio-type golem’s body was completed.
I also placed the premium mana stone obtained from the foundation and the capital that would repeatedly consume and recharge inside.
By projecting my will onto the mana stone, I completed the specialization process to decide which function to grant to the golem.
Next, I needed a self to control this doll.
Directly making an artificial self is too dangerous.
There are many branching bad endings, so you shouldn’t carelessly meddle with it; normally, the only way to evade bad endings was to dispose of all artificial selves.
So I ran straight to the Communication Room.
“Hello, Instructor Hitler!”
“…It’s you again.”
“Please connect me to the Imperial Palace!”
Unlike those who quit the instructor job every visit due to exhaustion, the persistent Communication Instructor Hitler made the connection.
“Oh? You just met not long ago, and you’re already calling. Did you miss me that much? Pffft You really like me, huh, Huhnodie♡”
“Yeah, I totally like Masugaki! So could you send over some homunculi you gathered from the palace?”
“…Tch. It’s no fun when you admit it so readily. They’re in protective isolation at the Homunculus Protection Agency. But where do you plan to use them, are you planning on experimenting on these tiny homunculi?”
“Not at all! I’m giving them jobs!”
“How commendable!”
Masugaki readily promised to send the homunculi.
Thanks to lavish spending, it took less than three hours for the homunculi to arrive at Jonnas’ Workshop as they jumped through all the transfer stations.
These homunculi were once raised as sacrificial humans at the Forbidden Research Institute by the emperor, Pake Hiuqmag.
“Alright, everyone. We have a job with no salary, working three shifts daily while fighting off assassins attacking me— a chance to rack up loads of skill experience; how does that sound?”
The homunculi held up little signs.
[Mom, please save me]
[I don’t want to]
[Help!]
Looks like nobody liked the job offer.
“Instead, you get to control this massive bio-type golem!”
Half of the homunculi raised their signs high and waved them.
[Of course, I’m in!]
[I can’t resist controlling a giant golem!]
[Let’s do this!]
The eager homunculi, all male, expressed their willingness to contract.
Well, anyone would have a hard time resisting controlling a giant robot when born as a man!
