“Oooohhh! Golden armor! A head modeled after a dragon! Everything is exactly as the documents described! There’s no doubt, this is the Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machine, our guardian lost a thousand years ago!!”
While shouting such things, Thanasis, a scholar from the Sage Tower, jumped onto the “Colossus.”
Seeing that, I asked Xanthos.
『Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machine… I don’t really get it, but is it something amazing?』
“Indeed… I shall continue the explanation.”
I didn’t remember hearing enough to call it a continuation, but I urged him to go on anyway.
“A Pseudo-Golem Machine is essentially a moving stone statue. It’s a type of Artifact. Would it be easier to understand if I said they were the things that attacked Kouya-dono?”
『I get it. I thought they were similar, but so the “Colossus” and those Pseudo-Golem Machines (Golem-like) are similar things after all.』
“Similar… huh. They are classified under the same category, but…”
He sounds hesitant.
“But there’s a difference in performance that makes them practically different things. I haven’t seen it myself, but the “Colossus” that Kouya-dono fought had power surpassing that of a 〖Feral Beast〗, right?”
『Well, yeah. It had various weapons, and a normal 〖Feral Beast〗 wouldn’t stand a chance.』
“Just as the legends say. Because it possesses power equal to or greater than a 〖Feral Beast〗, that Pseudo-Golem Machine was given the title of Calamity-Class.”
Calamity-Class because it’s 〖Feral Beast〗 class, an easy-to-understand naming convention.
“However, the ability to construct such mythical beings was lost when the kingdom sank underground a thousand years ago. Since then, we’ve been preoccupied with dealing with environmental changes and resource issues, and now we can barely manage to assemble a few High-Class Pseudo-Golem Machines.”
“Huh? Sank underground?”
Fiss raised a voice of doubt. I thought the same thing.
Since the “Colossus” was on the surface, I figured there was some connection, but what does it mean to have sunk?
“It’s as the words say. It is said that this city (Etha Kingdom) was sunk from the surface to the underground a thousand years ago.”
“……!”
『Are you kidding me…?』
A whole city being buried underground, I can’t believe it.
『Is the cause also known? Like a war with another country, or an Artifact going berserk…』
“Of course. Even children in this country know it. What sank this country a thousand years ago was—a single Demon Beast.”
『…Was it a village of about ten people back then?』
“No, I hear it was much more prosperous than it is now.”
I haven’t seen every corner of this city, but I’ve grasped a sense of its scale from when I entered until I reached this plaza.
At least ten thousand people live in this city.
To bury that many people underground—if you were to kill them all, that’s one thing—but even with my abilities as a 〖Feral Beast〗, it’s impossible.
『…They had Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machines back then, right?』
“That’s right.”
『If they couldn’t defend against it even with that power… were they attacked by an enemy stronger than a 〖Feral Beast〗?』
Xanthos nodded silently.
“It’s the most famous myth. A 〖Calamity Beast〗 even larger and more terrifying than the Sage Tower, and six Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machines built by the Great Sage-sama. A fierce battle that even faded the color of the sky unfolded. After a grueling fight, the Pseudo-Golem Machines were reduced in number, and when only one remained, the Great Sage-sama sealed the 〖Calamity Beast〗 with a magic spell that cost him his life.”
But that didn’t lead to a happy ending, Xanthos said.
He’s talking like he’s reading a picture book, I thought faintly, and focused back on the story.
“Just before being sealed, the 〖Calamity Beast〗 unleashed all its power and activated a 〖Skill〗. As a result, the city was swallowed by the earth along with the mountain, and it seems it arrived in this large cavern deep underground. At that time, the five Pseudo-Golem Machines that were defeated by the 〖Calamity Beast〗 sank with it… but only one of them went missing.”
『I see, so that was the “Colossus” that was left on the surface.』
“Yes. It probably lost sight of its defense target, the Etha Kingdom, and remained in standby mode.”
Hmm, hmm. If it’s such a relic of myth, it’s no wonder the researchers were so happy.
While I was thinking that, Fiss opened her mouth.
“Question. If the other five are in this city, what is that person investigating?”
『Now that you mention it, yeah.』
Even if it’s an authenticity assessment, it’s taking too long.
The internal structure of Artifacts seems quite complex, and forgery itself is nearly impossible. What on earth is he investigating?
“It’s a misunderstanding to say they are in this city. It’s true that the remains of the five sank, but the Etha Kingdom at the time didn’t have the resources to repair them. After confirming that there were no 〖Feral Beast〗-class enemies in the vicinity, the remains of the five were diverted to Artifacts to improve the living environment.”
Well, yeah, that makes sense. If you’re suddenly trapped underground, you’d be desperate to survive.
It’s amazing that they managed to survive for a thousand years without being destroyed.
『By the way, is that thing shining in the sky also an Artifact?』
“You have a good eye. That is the Sunstone, an Artifact made from the remains of a Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machine. It’s a substitute for what’s called the sun…? on the surface.”
“Amazing…”
Fiss seems speechless at the fact that they created a sun with human hands.
Even though it’s a sun that’s only a few hundred meters above the ground and its heat is nothing like the real thing, it’s still amazing that it can fill this entire space with light.
“—My apologies, I was so excited that I lost myself.”
And with that, Thanasis returned.
He sat next to Xanthos with a satisfied expression.
“Now then, let me tell you about the surface—”
“Could you please do that later?”
Thanasis was asked in a commanding tone and reluctantly shut his mouth.
“Due to the high importance of this matter, we have asked the wise Thanasis-dono to come so that we can make a more accurate judgment.”
“I believe you did mention something like that.”
I thought he was called to inspect the “Colossus,” but it seems the main purpose is something else.
“What I want to discuss is the treatment of Kouya-dono and the others. Do you intend to reside permanently in the Etha Kingdom, or if not, how long do you intend to stay?”
『Well, we just happened to come here, and we’re planning to leave eventually. Right?』
“Yeah, I agree. But since we’re here, I want to do some sightseeing too. For now… how about staying for about a month?”
『Let’s go with that.』
After listening to our conversation, Xanthos gave a few instructions to the nearby Wardens, then turned back to us and opened his mouth.
“Very well, then next. —We will prepare a suitable reward. Therefore, would you be willing to transfer or lend us the Calamity-Class Pseudo-Golem Machine?”