Kays Translations

Chapter 183: This Thing… It Moves!

“Alright, young lady, you’re up first. Alright, have a seat there. I’ll give a quick explanation on how to move the Magic Giant Golem, so everyone, listen up.”

After confirming with a nod toward Isamu, Norman directed Tiramisu to sit in the pilot’s seat. He then began explaining the general operation of the Magic Giant Golem to the group.

“As I mentioned earlier, the Magic Giant Golem and the pilot are connected through a mana pass. Once connected, if you try to move, instead of your own body, the Golem will move.”

Norman demonstrated with hand gestures as he spoke.

“That said, it won’t move the way you want it to at first. The sensation varies from person to person. It might feel heavy, or there could be a strong sense of discomfort. Sometimes, only the right hand moves well—things like that happen often. We call this state ‘the pass isn’t fully open.’ There’s no other way but to get used to it and gradually open the pass.”

He added that the time it takes to open the pass varies significantly from person to person.

“It’s a very sensory process, so there’s no specific trick. You just have to keep practicing until it becomes natural.”

“And how do you cut the mana pass?” 

Isamu asked, concerned about the danger of not being able to disconnect the pass when necessary.

“Just strongly imagine ‘taking off’ the Golem. Everyone, to some extent, feels like they’re wearing the Golem like armor, so this method is the most reliable.”

He emphasized that at first, it’s crucial to focus on smoothly disconnecting the pass and returning the pilot’s awareness to their own body.

“Anyway, the rest will come with practice. You should be able to hear us through the Golem, so there’s nothing to worry about. Oh, and like I said earlier, if you’re compatible with a cat, you’ll get used to it faster, so it’s worth trying with one if it seems possible. But the first time, you have to go solo.”

“Haha, Kiki-chan, I’m counting on you!” 

Tiramisu said, picking up Kiki, the kitten at her feet, and placing her on her lap.

“There’s one more big benefit to being compatible with a cat. Normally, all five senses get transferred to the Golem, so if someone tries to talk to you or even hit you while you’re piloting, you wouldn’t notice.”

In other words, the pilot becomes like an empty shell, unaware of any external stimuli. While it’s possible to forcefully disconnect the mana pass by pulling the pilot out of the seat, doing so can cause lingering effects. It’s something only done in emergencies.

In severe cases, the pilot’s consciousness might not fully return to their body, or only partially return, leaving them in a state similar to paralysis—there have been cases like that in the past.

“For some reason, though, cats are able to directly communicate with the pilot. If a cat scratches the pilot, the pilot will feel it.”

Having a partner cat can notify the pilot of any emergency their body may be experiencing. Some cats will do this on their own, while others might be prompted by someone else to signal the pilot. It depends on the cat’s personality.

“However, if the cat is mischievous or still a kitten, it might bother the pilot even when it’s not an emergency.” 

Norman added with a wry smile.

This was typical cat behavior, after all.

“Hime, will you let me know if I’m in danger?” 

Isamu asked, gently petting Orihime. She responded by licking his cheek and proudly puffing out her chest.

—

“I heard there was someone with a mana pass level of 10, but this is impressive.”

The sound of a purple Magic Giant Golem, much lighter than it appeared, echoed as it jogged along. Norman, arms folded, watched in awe.

After receiving an initial explanation, everyone practiced connecting and disconnecting the magic pass. Once they were generally able to disconnect without problems, they moved on to walking training.

While most struggled to stand or walk properly, Julius, with his rare mana pass score of 10, was able to walk perfectly from the start. At Norman’s instruction, he even managed to break into a light jog without difficulty.

“Darn it, Julius-sama is incredible…” 

Tiramisu muttered, frustrated as she held Kiki.

With a score of 8, the second highest in the group, Tiramisu had been unable to walk properly on her first attempt. Though she had managed to stand, she was still clearly frustrated by her performance.

“This is going to be quite the challenge. The fact that we can see our surroundings normally makes the sensation of being unable to move all the more disorienting.” 

Drexler, a veteran knight remarked as he observed Julius’s smooth handling of the Golem.

By the end of his first attempt, Drexler had just barely managed to stand.

“You’re right. This feeling of being in control of your body, but not really, is something we’ll have to get used to.” 

Isamu replied with a wry smile, standing next to Drexler.

As for Isamu, he had yet to manage standing upright during his first challenge.

“When you’re running, the higher perspective makes your vision shake a lot more.” 

Julius commented.

“Well, your height is more than doubled, so it’s only natural. But I think you’ll get used to it quickly, Julius.” 

Sarah replied.

Julius, having finished his 10-minute challenge, was now able to lightly jump in the Golem. Although, given the ceiling height and the limited size of the test area, running and small jumps were the most he could do.

(Is Julius for real? It feels like I’m seeing a Newtype in action…) Isamu thought to himself, watching Julius, whose conversation was clearly beyond that of a beginner.

Before long, it was time for the second round of challenges. To improve efficiency, they also started using the yellow reserve Magic Giant Golem. Isamu’s turn came up with the reserve machine.

“Well, this time I’d at least like to manage to walk, even if it’s slow.” 

Isamu muttered as he strapped himself into the harness in the pilot seat. Securing yourself with the harness was the standard practice to prevent any unexpected falls.

“You can do it, Isamu-san!” 

Annemarie encouraged him while helping him with the harness.

“Yeah, I’ll give it my best shot.”

“Meow!” 

Just as Isamu was about to activate the control magic tool, Orihime leaped onto his lap.

“Hmm? You’re going to try it with your cat this time?” 

Norman asked, noticing Orihime’s presence.

“Yeah, it looks like she’s eager to join in, so I’ll give it a try.”

“Got it. If it works well, it should make piloting easier than before.”

In the first round, everyone piloted without cat assistance, regardless of whether the cat was willing. If the cat’s support had kicked in immediately, it would have been difficult to tell whether the support was active or not. That’s why it was preferred to start without any support.

“Just having physical contact with the cat is enough. I’m not sure why, but cats can intervene in the mana pass that way.” 

Norman explained.

“That’s amazing… Well, even if the support doesn’t work, Orihime’s cuteness isn’t affected one bit, so I’ll take it easy.” 

Isamu said, stroking Orihime, who sat cozily on his lap.

“Alright, I’m activating the system!” 

Isamu resisted the urge to say, “Isamu, ready for launch!” as he activated the controls.

After experiencing a strange sensation like floating, Isamu’s consciousness blacked out for a moment, only to be replaced by a sudden shift in his surroundings.

He was now seeing from the perspective of the Magic Giant Golem, which was kneeling on one knee. Slowly turning his gaze to the side, he saw his own body still seated in the pilot’s chair—a bizarre experience.

At the same time, he noticed something different from the first attempt.

He could feel something on his shoulder.

Curiously, he looked toward it, but there was nothing on the shoulder of the Magic Giant Golem. Just as he began to wonder what it could be, something licked his cheek.

(Huh!? Was that Orihime?!)

He cried out in his mind, though, of course, the sound didn’t come from either his body in the pilot’s seat or the Magic Giant Golem. But then, the presence on his shoulder responded with a “meow” and rubbed its cheek against his, a sensation that Isamu could clearly feel.

(Heh, thanks, Orihime.)

Isamu whispered to himself, and then he noticed another major difference from his first attempt.

The feeling of the Golem’s knees and the soles of its feet on the ground was vastly more realistic than before. According to Norman, the sensory feedback through the mana pass was weaker than what one would feel with their own body. Even with a stronger mana pass, it was still like sensing things through thick fabric.

During Isamu’s first attempt, it felt like he was wrapped in a thick quilt with almost no sensation. But now, he could distinctly feel the feedback.

(Amazing. Is this Orihime’s support at work? This is completely different from before. With this…)

With that thought, Isamu put some force into the Golem’s legs.

(Whoa, it’s moving!)

He couldn’t help but say that classic line as the Magic Giant Golem slowly stood up. Unlike the first time, when he had to struggle to maintain balance and could only stay standing by spreading his legs wide and concentrating with all his might, this time he was able to stand normally.

He flexed the Golem’s arms, opening and closing its hands. Although it wasn’t as easy as moving his own body and he felt a lot of resistance, he was able to move more or less as he intended.

After doing a couple of shallow squats, he began walking. Slowly but steadily, he was able to walk without much difficulty.

When he glanced down, he saw Julius and Annemarie below, both smiling broadly and waving at him. Tiramisu, on the other hand, looked shocked. He couldn’t hear her from this distance, but she was probably grumbling, “Grrr!”

Isamu waved back lightly, continuing to walk the Magic Giant Golem before successfully completing his second challenge.

“Matsumoto-dono, you’ve really improved since the first try. Is it thanks to the cat’s support?” 

Norman called out to Isamu, who stood up while holding Orihime after disconnecting the mana pass.

“I’m not sure exactly how the support is supposed to manifest, but there’s no doubt that piloting became significantly easier. Even after my consciousness was transferred over there, I could always feel Orihime, so I think she was supporting me.”

“I see. Feeling the presence of the cat nearby is something many people with support experience.” 

Norman replied.

“I can always feel Lucy on my shoulder or head, so I’m pretty sure you were receiving Orihime’s support too.” 

Sarah, who had been listening added.

“So that’s how it works. Also, the sensory feedback from the Magic Giant Golem became much clearer. Although, when I tried to move it, it still felt heavy, and all I could do was walk…” 

Isamu scratched his head, but Sarah reassured him.

“Being able to walk that well on your second try is impressive!”

“It’s rare for the sensory feedback to be so clear.” 

Norman continued. 

“I’ve heard it improves a bit with time, but most of the adaptation comes from getting used to piloting.”

“Yeah, the biggest benefit of the support is reducing the awkwardness when moving or trying to move.” 

Sarah added.

Apparently, dramatic improvements in sensory feedback from the Magic Giant Golem due to the cat’s support were unheard of.

“Is that so? Maybe it’s because your cats have the blood of creatures from our world. That could explain some differences.” 

Isamu suggested, looking thoughtfully at the two.

Besides that, Orihime had become a being nearly equivalent to a goddess when she came to this world. The fact that the goddess often took an interest in her lent credibility to this. Isamu was sure this connection played a role, but he chose to keep that part to himself.

And so, Isamu and the others’ training in piloting the Magic Giant Golems officially began.

Simultaneously, Isamu, along with Eto and the others, also started to delve into decoding the magic circles of the Golems and the control seats during breaks or after training. While the magic circle in the control seat they had examined earlier was already intricate, upon closer inspection, the magic circle of the Magic Giant Golem itself was even more detailed.

On the third day, as they settled down and began decoding, Isamu made a significant discovery.

“What? A magic circle that was used before the mana pass!?”

“Yes, that’s right!! I was going over the magic circle of Abel-san’s Golem, and I noticed there were an unusually large number of commented-out sections.” 

Isamu explained.

“Commented-out, as in, they’re drawn but don’t actually have any effect? Like notes?” 

Eto asked.

“Exactly! And when I followed the content of those comments, it turned out to resemble the control method magic circle we saw in that ancient ruin!” 

Isamu responded eagerly.

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