Chapter 142 - Episode 139: Golem Training ①
Autumn was drawing to a close when the puppet mages Noein had hired in the royal capital arrived in the Arqvist territory.
Since some of the seven puppet mages had brought their families along, the group totaled about twenty people.
"Your Excellency Baronet Arqvist. Gustav and six others have resigned from our positions as Royal Mages and have come to serve Your Excellency."
"Thank you for your hard work, I'm glad you made it... Also, outside of public settings, you can just call me 'Noein-sama'."
All seven saluted Noein, who had come to meet them at the entrance of the territorial capital, Noeina, and Gustav spoke the greeting on behalf of the group. Noein responded while returning the gesture.
"It looks like all seven of you arrived together. Did you leave the royal capital together?"
"No, we departed separately, but we thought it would be better to arrive as a group... We had arranged to gather beforehand in Retovik, in the neighboring Koenitz territory, before coming here. We apologize for being late."
"I see. Actually, I think arriving before winter is plenty fast. Good work on the long journey."
Resigning as Royal Mages must have required various procedures, and there would have been preparations for moving, including their families. Transporting cumbersome golems must have also cost a significant amount of time and money.
As for Noein, he had thought that Gustav and the others might not arrive until after the new year. Considering that, the fact that they had all arrived before winter was something to be happy about.
"Well then, for now, I'll guide you to the houses where you'll be living. Let's go."
"Your Ex— no, to be guided personally by Noein-sama... it is overwhelming."
"Ahaha, that just shows how much I value you all."
The unconditional provision of housing for immigrants had already ended, but Gustav and the others, whom Noein had recruited himself, were a different matter.
Leading them, Noein walked through the streets of the territorial capital.
.....
A few days after Gustav and the others had migrated, their instruction began immediately.
"First, I want to confirm something. Until now, when you operated golems, what kind of sensation did you use to move them?"
Noein first questioned the seven puppet mages gathered in a corner of the territorial army's training ground.
"What kind of sensation... I believe it is close to the feeling of moving a marionette. I believe it is a very common method for puppet mages..."
"Yeah, I thought so."
Wooden dolls engraved with magic patterns, moved by magical power rather than control strings. That was the general public's perception of golems.
In fact, there were puppet mages in the world who lived as puppet theater performers, skillfully manipulating small, palm-sized golems. However, while small dolls could be moved lightly, the difficulty naturally increased when moving a golem larger than a human; no matter how much one concentrated while operating it, the movements became sluggish.
And Noein believed that this general perception was exactly what hindered the growth of puppet mages.
"I believe that the sensation of moving a golem is closer to 'possessing another body'."
"Possessing another body, you say..."
Even after hearing Noein's words, Gustav and the others didn't seem to quite grasp it.
"For example, when you move your own arm, do you think 'I'll raise my right hand up' or 'I'll thrust my left hand out' every single time? When you walk, do you move forward while deliberately thinking 'I'll put my right foot forward' and 'next, I'll put my left foot forward'?"
"...No, we move our limbs almost unconsciously."
Gustav and the others looked as if they had realized something.
"Exactly. We can manipulate our bodies without specifically being conscious of it. Why is that possible? It's because the entire body, from the head to the fingertips, is connected by nerves. That is why we can move our own bodies unconsciously. We are going to achieve this with golems. You connect your own head to the golem's body."
Since learning at age ten that he had a talent for puppet magic, Noein had also initially practiced golem operation as if moving a marionette. Having found his first entertainment other than reading books, Noein became captivated by golems.
Using his abundant free time, and sometimes even cutting into his sleep, he immersed himself in mastering golem operation.
Then one day, he got the sensation of something "connecting" inside his head. Immediately after that, he became able to swing the golem's arm—which he had previously moved by desperately concentrating—unconsciously and freely, as if moving his own arm.
His growth from then on was rapid. He gained the sensation of his brain connecting with the golem's limbs, became able to grasp the golem's sense of balance as if it were his own, and eventually became able to make the golem run, jump, and even fight.
"I think most of you started working as puppet mages as soon as you became able to move golems to a certain extent. But I was different. I strove solely for the mastery of golem operation. I continued practicing to a dizzying degree, and then my head and the golem connected, and I became able to treat the golem as another body."
"...But, is that not because Noein-sama possesses immense talent?"
Cecilia spoke up, appearing timid.
Her way of thinking was common for those with magical talent. Improvement in magic depends on individual aptitude. Rarely, geniuses capable of fighting with golems appear in the world, but that is because those people had the talent, and perhaps Noein was simply one of those people by chance. That was her line of thinking.
"I think being able to move two at once is my personal talent. However, becoming able to move a golem freely at first was undoubtedly the result of steady effort. Regarding this point, although there are differences based on individual dexterity, I believe it is reproducible to some extent for people other than myself."
Noein's way of thinking differed from the common sense of the kingdom. He believed that the large individual differences in a mage's skill existed because there was no way to systematically learn how to handle magic in this country, and each person had to rely on self-study. At least regarding the talent for puppet magic, he believed so.
"I believe you puppet mages have been treated coldly in the Royal Army. But it is different here in the Arqvist territory. My people know my skill in golem operation. In this territory, puppet mages are not objects of ridicule. On the contrary, depending on your future growth, you can even gather respect as 'Great Mages'."
Noein grinned and looked at the seven puppet mages. Receiving that gaze, Gustav, Cecilia, and the other five all swallowed hard.
They imagined it. Their own figures, becoming able to move golems quickly and skillfully like the master before them. Their own figures, contributing to the territory with that ability and being praised by other residents as mages with extraordinary power.
Just thinking that it was by no means a pipe dream, but a possible future, made their bodies shiver.
"Are you willing to put in the effort for that?"
"...O-of course. That is why we came here!"
Gustav raised his voice and saluted. The other six followed suit.
"Good, then let's start training immediately... First, there are two things I want you to do. The action of thrusting the golem's arms alternately, and normal walking. I want you to do this relentlessly. Until you can do it at a human speed."
Smiling with satisfaction at their reaction, Noein explained the specific training content.
"As for the arm thrusting practice, from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon, with a break for lunch. As for walking, from two in the afternoon until eight. Every day. I will not give you any holidays until you can do it."
When Noein said this, Gustav and the others looked blank.
"What's wrong?"
"Um... are we really only going to do training? With absolutely no labor?"
Since they were receiving twice the salary of the Royal Army, they assumed they would be made to work to some extent, not just train. That was what Gustav and the others thought.
"That's right. I believe the reason your growth stopped was because you continued working without proper training. There's no way I'd make you work despite that. As I said during recruitment, your immediate goal is to reach about half of my skill. Until then, I will only make you train."
The seven were astonished by Noein, who spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Receiving twice their previous salary just for accumulating training. It was treatment beyond imagination. This generosity showed exactly how large an investment Noein was making in them.
"Because I'm expecting you all to show growth."
"...We will surely meet your expectations. We will exert ourselves and pile up efforts to show results as soon as possible."
The seven saluted again. Saluting too many times is not usually done, but right now, they couldn't help themselves.