Chapter 178: Abel and Avalushi

Liline wanted to prove that she was not an enemy, so she made an offer.

“I’ve recovered some of the stolen magic stones. I’ll return them now. Douglas, please bring them out.”

“Yes.” 

Douglas, a man who was apparently Liline’s partner and accompanied her, said as he emerged from the vehicle with a large box as she called out.

“I’m sorry it’s only a partial return since we were meant to return them separately. However, I selected ones with a high concentration of middle-grade magic stones. It’s strange to say after stealing them, but there you go.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. I trust you to some extent just from your appearance. The princess seems relaxed as well.” 

Isamu said, noting that Orihime was playfully batting at the white wolf’s large tail.

“I’m grateful. I can’t be too obvious in my actions since we’re supposed to be working together publicly…”

Liline bowed her head.

“Now, let’s proceed with the discussion.”

Liline began her explanation. 

Isamu, and likely Mizeroi as well, were eager to hear about the cat named Max first, but they restrained themselves.

Excluding that, the priority would have been to get information about the current crisis involving the Avalushi Giant Army. However, since explaining that would require discussing what the Avalushi are, which might be confusing, I decided to start by calmly listening to the origins of Avalushi.

“As mentioned earlier, the Avalushi you know from the story is the second generation. We don’t know much about the first Avalushi, but it was the first generation that created the magic giant golems. It’s believed that the first generation collapsed shortly after the golems were completed and began to be active, resulting in a thousand-year gap.”

Some ruins in the Rock Desert are thought to be facilities from the first generation of Avalushi. The ruins where Isamu discovered the leg parts were likely one of those.

“The great boss—oh, we refer to him as Abel-sama—was brought to this world about 1,100 years ago, a bit after the thousand-year gap. His full name is Abel Hincapie.”

According to Marquis Felker, the recognition of wanderers by the Kingdom of Staleen was about 800 years ago, so Abel’s arrival was considerably earlier.

However, it is not necessarily the case that he was summoned at the same magic circle as Isamu.

Additionally, since there shouldn’t be a significant difference in their ages, it implies that the time in this world and Earth’s time might not align at all.

“At that time, the western part of Staleen, the area around Kempbach and the eastern part of Zun, was a place where many small nations were in constant conflict. The great boss was summoned to a location a bit away from this turmoil and ended up joining adventurers—then known as monster hunters—and discovered his own abilities there.”

The region was advanced in skills and magic due to the constant wars, and it seems they provided free appraisals to recruit individuals with excellent abilities.

“The great boss’s skill was called Synchronization, which allowed him to discern the true value of vehicles, including riding animals. He could not only operate them but also identify what needed repair if they were damaged or malfunctioning.”

This skill seemed like an advanced version of Isamu’s ability related to vehicles, and including animals was quite a generous aspect.

Abel was overjoyed when he learned the name of this skill, and he thanked the god who granted it to him.

In 1995, a certain robot anime began airing. Its unique world, characters, story, and direction became explosively popular and greatly influenced the anime industry. Its theme song remains high in karaoke rankings.

As a high school student at the time, Abel became an enthusiastic fan of this anime, which ultimately changed his life. He admired the robots from the show and majored in robotics at university.

However, his desire to ride rather than build robots was stronger, so he obtained various licenses and qualifications for operating heavy machinery while still in school. After graduating, he worked as a heavy equipment operator.

About five years into his job, he was summoned here. It seems that the abilities and skills granted are reflections of one’s original world’s profession or specialties.

In the anime, which mirrored Abel’s own life, the term “synchronization rate” frequently appeared. A higher rate meant better robot control.

This similarity in names and the acquisition of a skill related to vehicle operation made Abel’s second life one of dramatic change.

Initially, he was contracted as a mercenary with favorable terms by a small nation that appraised his skills and was assigned to a cavalry unit. Despite only having seen horses on a farm, Abel’s skill allowed him to ride them as if they were his own legs.

Although he was not skilled with weapons, he excelled in diversion and surprise attacks.

About a year into his career as a mercenary, a major turning point came for Abel.

It was the encounter with the magic giant golem.

The skill Synchronize allowed him to sense nearby vehicles intuitively.

One day, while traveling through the rock desert as usual, he detected a strong reaction from beneath the ground.

Abel, who had risen to the rank of leader of a small mercenary group, thoroughly investigated the area with his team and discovered a ruin.

At that time, many ruins were still untouched, and the one Abel found was one of them.

Within it, he found the robot he had dreamed of—the magic giant golem.

“The magic giant golem he found was broken. Although Abel-sama’s skill didn’t include knowledge of how to create vehicles, he knew how to repair them. Naturally, he immediately set about repairing it.”

Using his skill to somehow force-create parts and magic circles he had never drawn before, the repair was completed after about a month.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the type you could pilot, but Abel was ecstatic to be able to control the robot he had dreamed of.

Subsequently, he invested all his accumulated wealth into excavating ruins.

During this excavation and repair, he learned that this magic giant golem had been created in a country once called Avalushi.

Over the next three years, he excavated and repaired five magic giant golems, taught his mercenary group members how to pilot them, and founded a mercenary group called the Avalushi Giant Army Corps, using the name as is.

“Afterward, he continued working as a mercenary while excavating, eventually amassing over 100 magic giant golems.”

As the number of magic giant golems increased, not only did he need pilots, but also people to repair and maintain them, and a large amount of materials and magic stones.

Gradually, various people began gathering around him and the magic giant golems.

“From there, it followed the general course of the story. He constantly said that heroes fight for justice and continued to challenge countries that seemed likely to impose tyranny.”

People fleeing from the countries he fought against gathered, and eventually, what started as a village grew into a town and then a small country.

“Abel-sama, seeing the city that had been built on top of the magic giant golem workshop in the underground ruins, said it was also fate.”

The reason was unclear, but as Lilene tilted her head, Isamu wryly smiled, understanding why they might want to name it Neo-Tokyo.

However, despite having such a wonderful skill, he was still a human being.

Eventually, as he grew old, he left behind a bold will.

“After my death, I want you to abandon this city and escape with the magic giant golems, hiding away. While hiding, pass on the piloting skills and make sure that when the world faces a crisis like the Blank Millennium, you can fully utilize their power. Also, since the magic giant golems are my very life, if possible, keep them preserved forever. But if they might fall into the hands of evil, destroy them all.”

He acknowledged that he was never a good person and had earned the hatred of many countries and people. Although it would be safe for a while after his death, eventually, those who harbored grudges would come to the city.

He didn’t want those like family to die and couldn’t bear to have the magic giant golems misused, so he asked for this last selfish request to be honored before passing away.

“Since the country was made up of people who either liked Abel-sama or had been helped by him, they all obeyed his will, and within a few days, both people and magic giant golems disappeared from the city.”

In the story, it is said that the city was eventually destroyed by a country that would become the predecessor of Zun, but this was fabricated by that country, and in reality, the attackers found the city empty.

“Afterward, they continued to honor the will and kept it hidden until now…”

At this point, Lilene finally showed an angry expression.

And finally, the story shifted to the reasons behind the current situation.

“About a year ago, Zun unearthed a large number of magical giant golems.”

“Zun did!?”

“Yes. It’s easily over 100, and probably close to 300.”

“300 magic giant golems with Zun…”

Having 300 magic giant golems, each with considerable combat power, would significantly disrupt the military balance between nations.

“And they were all first-generation golems…”

“First-generation?”

“Yes. Our magic giant golems are said to be second-generation.”

“…Could it be that the first-generation golems were larger and designed to be piloted by humans?”

“What!? Is there someone other than us who knows that? Where did you hear it?”

Lilene is astonished by the words from Isamu.

“Somewhat from within the ruins… If they can be operated properly, their combat capability might be higher than the second generation.”

“What…!! You know that much!? Even among Avalushi, few are aware of that…”

“So it was as I suspected…”

“Yes. They are not only large but also extremely powerful. Abel-sama reportedly only found two of them. However, the burden on the pilots is significant, and they consume magic power excessively, so they were not used in actual combat.”

“But if only a part of Avalushi’s knowledge is known, Zun’s people shouldn’t know about it, right? …Could it be?”

“…Yes, there were traitors from Avalushi. No, perhaps we are the real traitors in terms of numbers…”

Lilene laughs self-deprecatingly.

“Half of the elders who learned about the large number of first-generation golems and many of the young people incited by them sold the golems and their piloting methods to Zun. They believed they could operate them.”

The elders are a general term for the upper echelons of the clan and are not just a gathering of old people. They are an institution responsible for hiding, protecting, and inheriting the magic giant golems and preparing for the appropriate time.

In recent centuries, self-styled reformists who believed they should demonstrate their power to the world had risen. However, when the first-generation golems were unearthed, they panicked at the loss of Avalushi’s superiority and took drastic actions.

The impetuous young people were easily swayed, and about 80% of the existing clan members joined Zun, it is said.

“To think they disregarded Abel-sama’s will…”

Lilene hits the ground in frustration.

“And unfortunately, the first-generation golems that were unearthed were mostly intact… They could be operated even with our knowledge.”

“I see…”

“However, it was indeed true that they consumed a tremendous amount of magical power, and medium magic stones were depleted in no time.”

“So they targeted our magic stones…”

“Yes. You’ve probably already noticed, but your nobles are also involved, and there are even collaborators within Plazzo.”

“What!? Even within Plazzo!?”

Isamu was certain there were traitors among the nobles of Staleen, but he was shocked to learn that there were also traitors within Plazzo.

“It’s the Gattuso Trading Company, a long-established firm. It’s one of the top trading companies in Palazzo, but recently it has been feeling threatened by the rising influence of the Zambrotta Trading Company.”

“So, they lent a hand, thinking they could destroy the Klaufeldt family, who are closely connected to Zambrotta…?”

“That’s right. Without that assistance, it would have been difficult for Zun to penetrate Plazzo so easily.”

Lilene continues with a bitter expression.

“The nobles on your side are even more cunning. They don’t directly assist; instead, they guide the city, block roads, loosen inspections, and call for meetings. They provide support within a range that can be denied if questioned.”

“…What do they get in return?”

Isamu asks with an unchanged expression.

“I’ve heard it’s a cession of Plazzo. If they acquire the magic stones necessary to operate the first-generation golems, Zun will be able to conquer Plazzo.”

“Cession…”

“After Palazzo falls, they plan to invade under the pretext of rescuing their allies. Zun will then retreat from the south as agreed. They intend to use this as their merit to claim new territories.”

After Plazzo’s government falls, reclaiming the land will be challenging, and it will be governed by proxy for the time being. It will be impossible to gain back all the territories, but with achievements and establishing a governance precedent, it would be relatively easy to expand their territories.

“Zun also finds the entire Plazzo territory overwhelming. It’s more convenient for them if the attached nobles handle the southern part.”

“…Even as an enemy, they’ve come up with quite a plan. And this time, they might even frame us and extend their reach to the magic stone mines.”

Isamu is impressed despite himself.

“Yes. If this continues, the power balance around Staleen will rapidly collapse, with Zun and its ally Kempbach gaining dominance. It’s all due to the magic giant golems falling into the hands of villains, which Abel-sama detested the most…”

Lilene grits her teeth, expressing her frustration.

“Since learning about this plan, I’ve been trying to find a way to stop it. I even considered appealing directly to your king, but I have no direct connections. Moreover, it’s dangerous to go through the nobles since it’s unclear which ones are enemies. If it’s suppressed, it’s the end.”

Given that the top noble family, Yadelud, has betrayed them, it’s no surprise.

“The traitors acted just before the plan went into motion, so I was completely on the back foot. I could barely manage to obtain information by pretending to cooperate. In that situation, I accidentally learned about Matsumoto-dono.”

Due to the connections with the Zambrotta Trading Company and activities in the border region close to Plazzo, rumors about Isamu reached Lilene and her group.

She became interested and investigated further.

“And then I actually encountered him near the town of Picche…”

“Eh?”

“Hehe, it’s no wonder you’re surprised. The spear from that time, which Abel-sama referred to as ‘Longinus,’ was thrown by me.”

“!! So it was you. I felt like I was saved, and indeed, you were the one who helped.”

“I didn’t do much… I intervened just enough to avoid suspicion and supported the retreat before the damage could spread further.”

Lilene was deeply impressed by Isamu’s ability to handle magical giant golems in battle.

“I thought if anyone could help, it would be you, so I’ve been waiting for a chance to make contact.”

Lilene straightens up and bows deeply.

“Please, I ask for your assistance. I am Lilene Hincapie, the 38th head of Avalushi.”

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