The robot, it turns out, is officially called a Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machine, or Arti-Horse, according to Bell.

And then there’s Yoru standing beside her…

[Its name is Siegfried.]

[Stop naming it on your own.]

Smack. Bell gave Yoru a sharp whack on the head.

She seemed rougher than usual, probably because she was suddenly summoned out of nowhere.

…No, it’s more likely because Yoru had flattened Ria and the mountain elves.

Bell ended up dragging Yoru around, bowing deeply and apologizing to everyone.

Thankfully, the injuries were more or less what they’d normally get during training, so neither Ria nor the mountain elves held a grudge.

It’s not like Yoru had seriously gone all out, either.

Still, we had to hand down some sort of punishment to keep order, so we decided to postpone the test firing that had been planned for autumn.

When I told her that, Yoru’s mood visibly dropped…

But,

[Then that means we’ll be doing the test firing in winter, right!? Got it! I’ll increase the number of weapons it can fire by then! I’ll make tons of ammo too!]

She bounced back with incredible energy.

Unshakable.

Strong.

-0-

Siegfried, the multipurpose humanoid mobile heavy machine, was suspended inside a custom-built hangar constructed by the high elves.

The hangar’s location wasn’t officially designated yet, but for the time being, it was set up on the southern side of the racetrack.

We couldn’t leave it parked in the middle of the field forever, after all.

Now hanging from its frame, Siegfried was being meticulously disassembled piece by piece by the mountain elves, who were investigating why it wouldn’t start.

One thing was for certain, the problem wasn’t due to a lack of fuel.

Yoru had already refueled it.

I’d really prefer if she didn’t do things like that without warning.

After all, Siegfried is essentially an antique.

Not only that, but it was a piece of discarded machinery left to rot without maintenance.

Replenishing its fuel like that out of nowhere, there was a very real risk it could explode or catch fire due to degraded internals.

[That’s impossible. The mobile machine’s liquid fuel is non-flammable.]

That’s what Yoru insisted.

……

Non-flammable? Then how the hell does the engine even run?

[Engine? Umm, the primary drive is actually a Nemal-type magical core system, so the liquid fuel acts more like a catalyst to activate the power core.]

……

[To put it simply, the liquid fuel is like Siegfried’s food. Food doesn’t explode.]

I… I see.

Thanks for the easy-to-understand analogy.

Guess I was stuck on the idea of “fuel” being like gasoline.

Gotta stop letting assumptions trip me up.

-0-

I had called Siegfried an antique, but apparently, its condition was shockingly good.

Normally, things like this would be falling apart, decayed to the point where even maintaining their original shape would be nearly impossible.

In such cases, transport is virtually out of the question.

But Siegfried? We were able to sling it under the airship and bring it back just fine.

There wasn’t even a single part that fell off or got damaged during the journey.

Preservation magic?

Unlikely. Considering it was found in a garbage dump, I doubt any such spells were cast on it.

And even if there had been, over a hundred years, possibly over a thousand, would render most such enchantments useless.

Maybe someone reapplied preservation magic every century or so?

On garbage?

That would be way too unnatural.

That’s why Bell is currently conducting interviews and gathering testimony from everyone involved in Siegfried’s discovery.

She thinks there might be something deeper going on.

As for why Bell is in charge of this fact-finding mission and not Yoru, well, the answer’s obvious.

No one in their right mind would assign Yoru to the job.

Bell even volunteered, saying she’d rather go herself than let Yoru anywhere near it.

And I’m grateful.

That said, I’m still not sure why she left Yoru glued to me while she was gone.

It’s not like she’s actively getting in the way, but the second I let my guard down, she tries to sneak into Siegfried’s cockpit again.

Maybe this is Bell’s subtle protest over me approving the name Siegfried, despite her objections.

-0-

Dinner.

The dishes being served were familiar, but the flavors were just a little different from usual.

That was because today’s meal used the meat of the demon beasts and monsters we hunted during the excavation trip.

[It’s got a strong flavor, but not bad at all.]

Hakuren had no complaints.

[Hmmm…]

Rasuti seemed to be having trouble with the toughness of the meat.

Fair point. Compared to the rabbit meat we usually eat, this was definitely tougher.

Still, it wasn’t inedible. They’d cut it into small pieces to make it easier to chew.

[It’s yummy!]

The kids were happily digging in, so that was a relief.

Well, we’ll be going back to our regular meals starting tomorrow anyway.

We did bring back a fair amount of meat, but most of it was shipped off to Village Five.

After today’s dinner, there’s probably not much left in Big Tree Village.

[The Adventurers’ Guild was delighted. There were a lot of unfamiliar demon beasts and monsters. They’re making great progress studying edible parts, cooking methods, and anatomical references.]

Youko said that as she ate today’s meal.

[…It tastes a bit wild.]

As always, Youko was a tough critic.

Oh right, should we be worried about revealing the location where those beasts were hunted?

[No need. Revealing it would undermine the value of the excavation work. Best to keep it secret.]

That helps.

[If anyone’s being helped, it’s us. Don’t worry about it.]

Well, I am also the Village Chief of Village Five after all.

[Fufufu. That’s true. Just make sure you drop by there from time to time too.]

Once we finish the summer harvest and the autumn planting, I’ll come by.

Harvest season’s just around the corner.

-0-

Now then.

This might be a bit late to bring up, but…

Alfred has been joining us for meals at my house, well, mansion, quite regularly.

Even though he’s supposed to be living in ancestor-san’s country.

At first, it was about once every ten days.

Lately, it’s more like once every five days. He’s been tagging along with ancestor-san’s teleportation magic to drop by the mansion.

Honestly, I see him more often now than I did when he was attending the academy.

Why?

Apparently, the food in ancestor-san’s country doesn’t suit his taste.

He’s been tactful in how he phrases it, good on him for being polite.

But in short: It’s so bad, he can’t eat.

He tried his best at first, but lately he says it’s hard even to look at the food there.

What’s kept him going for five-day stretches is that he brings back ingredients and seasonings from here whenever he visits.

Says his cooking skills have improved a lot.

Also, it seems he’s been studying teleportation magic under ancestor-san, hoping to master it himself.

On one hand, I’m proud of how hard he’s working. On the other hand… is it really okay for him to be coming back this often?

Is this sustainable?

Well, he says he’s fine with it, and both his mother, Loo, and his little sister, Lupumirina, are happy to see him.

So are the village kids.

So, I’ve decided not to worry about it.

-0-

By the way, Alfred.

I see you shaking hands firmly with Yoru. What’s that about?

Ah… so you found out that Yoru was the one who named Siegfried.

And it moved you, huh.

…Yeah, I get it.

You did hole up in the cockpit and wouldn’t come out for a while yourself.

But listen, don’t get in the way of the mountain elves working on it, okay?

I know, I know.

Siegfried really is something special.

I’d love to see it moving again somehow.

Oh right, Yoru.

The mountain elves said they had some questions about the liquid fuel.

[I gave it to them in barrels, though?]

No, they want to know where you got it from.

[Ah, that. It was produced at the Sun Castle’s, no, the facility in Village Four. The fuel I had was originally meant for armaments over there.]

What’s the raw material?

You’re not pulling it out of thin air, right?

[Of course not. We use sunstones… or hot stones* as you call them.]

TN: I guess I didn’t notice the hotsutosuto-n written above the previous thermal insulation stones. I guess it’s never too late.

Really?

[Yeah. That fuel storage facility we had filled with hot stones on your orders, Village Chief. Bell and Gou have been standing there every day, grinning at it like idiots. Don’t you think that’s a bit indecent?]

Hahaha, well, I’m glad they’re happy about it, but…

You know Bell’s standing right behind you, don’t you?

Just as I said that, Bell’s strike came down, only for Yoru to dodge it with perfect grace.

She gave a refined bow to me and Alfred…

…and bolted at full speed.

……

Lately, I’ve been feeling like Yoru has quietly shifted in my mind from “elegant secretary” to “walking disaster”.

I hope it’s just my imagination.

-0-

Bell: [Weapons… She’s perfectly reasonable, as long as weapons aren’t involved!]

Village Chief: [Y-You don’t have to plead your case in tears…]

-0-

Gou: [I’m in the ‘fuel gauge should always be full’ camp.]

Bell: [If it drops below half, I can’t relax.]