Chapter 17 – HORSE GOLEM
From going out collecting this time, Jin had found a yellow earth type 《Magic Crystal》, as well as 15 small pieces. It was a considerable amount.
Additionally, Mithril Silver and Adamantite too. He could bring back all the 《Magic Crystals》 but all the minerals was impossible. So after Jin and Rock returned to the village, together with not just Gen but Gon too, he went to collect the minerals that was dug out.
The next day, with the two Golems that did not tire, they piled up all the minerals on the yard. When Jin looked at it, the amount he could use spread out before him, and he chuckled to himself.
「Onii-chan, what are you grinning about?」
When Hanna said that, Jin came to and tried to hide his smile in embarrassment,
「I-It’s nothing」
「Is that so…? By the way, Rock-san is calling for you」
「Rock-san?」
When he left the yard wondering what it was, he saw Rock standing with something in his hand.
「Yo, Jin. This is the dried meat of the mountain deer. It’s only a little, but I wanted to share this fellow with ya」
He was holding the dried meat of the mountain deer they caught on the way back from collecting. Since raw meat goes bad if left alone, by turning the meat that is a precious source of protein into dried meat, it can be preserved.
「Aa, thanks for going out of your way for this」
When Jin accepted it, Rock continued,
「The thing is, I have a little request for you today」
「What is it?」
「This time me and a few other were thinking to go hunting for mountain deer, but for carrying our luggage, could you lend Gon or Gen?」
With a Golem carrying the luggage, it would certainly be easier to enter the mountain. So Jin,
「Sure. Then please take along Gen」
「Ou, alright. Well then, I’ll come by tomorrow morning」
Rock said and then returned home. Jin then looked at Gon and Gen,
「Un, right then, I should hurry up and get done with strengthening them」
「Onii-chan, what are you doing?」
Hanna who was still nearby heard Jin murmur and asked him.
「Hn? I’ll be making Gon and Gen a little bit more stronger」
「They’ll become stronger? Can I become stronger?」
「Haha, that’s probably impossible. Shouldn’t a girl be more graceful?」
Irresponsibly and nonchalantly Jin said that. Hanna hearing that,
「Is that how it is? So Onii-chan likes graceful girls more…」
she mumbled, but it did not enter Jin’s ear who was focusing on his work.
「For now, I’ll change the old hand and breastplate with Adamantite」
Last time, while digging for minerals, Gen’s hand broke from digging Adamantite ore. And the breastplate is to protect the 《Mana Drive》, 《Ether Converter》, and 《Control Core》 made from 《Magic Crystal》 placed inside the chest. He decided to make the two from Adamantite.
「《Smelting》!」
He smelted the minerals into metal using magic. Among the impurities was tin, chromium, nickel and other metals mixed in which he stored away and planned to smelt later.
Though Jin did the process alone, he was not aware about how it was far from the norm. Well, there wasn’t anyone in Kaina Village to point this out, therefore things continued on peacefully.
「Alright, with this the bodies of these two are now robust」
And he was still not aware that Gon and Gen were gradually becoming more of an outrageous Golem.
* * *
「Well then, Rock-san, Jeff-san, Yang-san, take care」
「Ou, we’ll be going」
「Dear, take care」
「Gen, I leave Rock-san and the others to you」
「Acknowledged, Master」
The next morning, Rock and two others went out to hunt mountain deer. Some of the children would go along partway to have fun. Mario went of course and Hanna too.
And speaking of Jin, he had begun working on making something new.
That is, a Horse Golem.
Golems have a humanoid form, the reason why they can control their movement is because stored in the 《Control Core》 is the movement information of a human. In other words, it’s only because the person who made it has an understanding of human movement..
However, that did not apply to Jin who is a 《Magi Craft Meister》. He had the analysed data for walking on the four legs inherited from his predecessor. In this respect, this period is behind that of the past. Truly, war was an unpleasant thing.
Back to the story, Jin had begun making a 《Pony》. To start with, he thought to make a mean of transport exclusively for Hanna.
Unlike an 《Automata》, the structure of a Golem was simple (but that’s based on Jin’s standards).
「Well, its capabilities should be good for an adult」
The exterior is bronze hardened by magic, at first glance a person would understand it was artificial. For that he thought it would be good if it was somehow of a normal category.
Using the Adamantite for the frame, its durability raised but it was no longer a horse.
「I should consider speed more than power and endurance」
So he used two 《Magic Crystals》 each for the 《Mana Drive》 and 《Ether Converter》. It had already become a monster-class.
「One should be fine for the 《Control Core》」
Because a complex autonomous behaviour wasn’t needed, a small《Magic Crystal》 was used.
「Okay, creating 《Control System》… un, I’ve gotten used to it」
Jin simulated the movement of a horse in his brain, then converted it into a movement control method. This series of processes could be done because he was the 《Magi Craft Meister》, for a normal 《Magic Craftsman》 it would be impossible, and Jin was not aware of that.
「Then, so it’s easy to get on I’ll attach this saddle… and it’s complete!」
With the 《Pony》 completed, with the same structure, he made another Horse Golem for himself. Its size was slightly larger, though it was still a bit smaller than a normal horse. Because it would be hard to get on and off if it was big.
「Onii-chan, what are you making… Horse?」
Just when the second one was completed, Hanna came back.
「Yo Hanna, you’re right on time. Listen here. This small horse here I made just for you」
Hearing that, Hanna’s reddish brown eyes widened up.
「Eh? My horse?」
Because it was only the village chief that had a horse in Kaina Village, it was a natural question. Jin gently smiled,
「Aa, that’s right. Hold on for a moment」
saying that he turned towards the Horse Golem,
「Activate」
The two Golems rose up. And then Jin, towards his own horse,
「Let’s see… I’ll name you, 『Koma』. Your name is 『Koma』」 ⚑
Koma. Did he mean horse? There was nothing left to say. And next he turned towards Hanna,
「Hanna, go ahead and name this horse here」
「I get to? Un, then 『Mint』!」
This herb was also in this world. It’s colour was that of verdigris so it might match. At least it was better than Jin’s naming sense.
「OK, I name you 『Mint』. Your master is this child」
Mint looked at Hanna and bowed. It seems to have understood.
「Alright, Hanna, try riding it」
「Eh? I haven’t ridden a horse before though?」
「It’s okay. Because this will be simpler than a horse」
Saying that, Jin put Hanna onto 『Mint』. It was a 《Pony》 so once Hanna got used to it she could get on it alone.
「Oh yeah. You put your foot up on that『Stirrup』. Un, now hold onto this handle」
「Eh? What is this?」
Something was protruding from the base of the Horse Golem’s neck. No matter how you looked at it, it was a bike handle. Right, Jin used the control method of a bike for the Horse Golem.
To the Hanna who was nervously sitting over Mint, Jin taught her the basics.
「The right hand is the accelerator, if you twist it, it’ll start moving. To stop, you twist back the accelerator, then clasp the break lever. And for when you want to turn, you turn the handle and the horse will turn in proportion to how much you turn it.」
After teaching that, he got on his own 『Koma』,
「Well then, try walking. It’ll be fine, I’ll move together with you」
To begin with, so the horse didn’t run wild, he added a 《Limiter》, so Mint could never run wild.
「U-Un」
Hanna softly twisted the accelerator. Accordingly, Mint slowly began walking.
「Waa, it moved!」
Pakapaka, was the peculiar movement 『Mint』 made when walking. Jin followed along with 『Koma』.
「Good, good. Try twisting the accelerator a bit more.」
「Un!」
Then, the walking pace of Mint raised in speed, becoming a trot. This was the maximum speed for the current setting.
「Waa, this is fun!」
Having adjusted to the stability of the saddle and stirrup, Hanna managed to safely ride Mint. Jin was relieved.