"—and that's how I got fired from the Seven Grimms of Destruction."
"What the hell?"
After the fight with Anko ended, Haruka suddenly said, "I'm being called," and disappeared for a few minutes. Once she came back, the first thing out of her mouth was that she'd gone too far and the Grimm King's son had seen through all her deeds, so she got fired.
Apparently the prince had asked, "You did all that, right?" Instead of denying it, she'd taken responsibility for all his accusations with a smug face like a big shot and gotten fired for it.
Is she an idiot?
"Well, I kind of panicked. Or you could say that I was desperate? I was acting like I wasn't bothered, but that situation was actually really bad. Prince Natsu—Oh, I guess I don't need the 'Prince' anymore. Anyway, Natsu's level 1000, just like me, and his stats are weirdly high. He's treated as a boss. He got more HP than you. Well, I still think you'd win if you two fought, but it'd be impossible for me. I'd be wrecked!"
"So, you were saying that you could no longer act as a double agent?"
"Well, I did get banned from the castle."
I've been relying quite a bit on Haruka's double agent activities to gather info from the grimmfolk, but I guess that's not an option now. But now that I think about it, she's never actually told us what the grimmfolk were doing, so I guess that doesn't change much.
Huh? Is it just me or has my double agent been completely useless?
"So, what will you do now?"
"Hmm… For now We will try to repair those three mass-produced Pennys. As for the one that got turned into scrap… Well, its parts should be usable as materials, so let's retrieve it and go back to Blutgang."
There was nothing I could do about the Penny that'd been broken to pieces, but I could repair the one that was only halfway to completely broken. The only problem would be if they decided I was an enemy and attacked me.
I was confident I could easily win against three half-broken, lesser Pennys that didn't even have Brachium, but I wanted to avoid having to destroy them, since that would cause Blutgang as a whole to treat me as an enemy.
I was still sunk in thought about that when I spotted one of the Pennys that had taken relatively less damage walking towards me.
Hm? She doesn't seem to have a weapon ready, so I don't think she's going to try to fight…
"Comparing Data… Matched. You are Lady Lunaru Fenris, yes? We have been awaiting your arrival. Please make your way to Blutgang's royal floor. Our master awaits you."
Hm. Master, huh?
The only people these golems would call master would be their creator or their current owner. And Jenny was dead, so that naturally narrowed it down to their current owner.
It's got to be one of Blutgang's royalty, I concluded, so I threw out a question for confirmation.
"Is this master Blutgang's king?"
"No, it is someone you know well… our creator, the Blacksmith Princess Jenny Pollendina."
Wha-? …Wait. She's dead, right? I thought, but I couldn't put that into words.
That's impossible.
Huh? Wait a second… She's lying, right? Is Jenny seriously alive?!
The mass-produced Pennys led us through the streets of Blutgang. According to them, they were taking us to the royals-only section. It seemed they wanted us to meet their master or whoever, but their creator could only have been Jenny. Does that mean Jenny's actually alive?
There was also the possibility that they had a new owner. For example, Penny had also been made by Jenny, but she called me master. Something like this might be normal, since it had a precedent.
For now, let's just prepare to run away if need be… I'd need to be ready to leave quickly in case they wanted me to hand over Anko. Sure, I'd feel guilty doing it, but I still wouldn't hesitate to get violent either. I wanted to avoid that outcome if possible, but I valued my subordinates.
As we walked, the real Penny and Fiona came running from the other side of the street. Penny glanced towards the three mass-produced, half-broken Pennys, but she quickly turned back to me as if they were nothing.
"Reporting in, master. We have successfully eliminated the grimmfolk in the city. By the way, about those golems there that look to be the same model as me…"
"Pleased to meet you. I am Mass-Produced Penny Unit 3. I take it you are the original? Welcome to Blutgang. We welcome your arrival."
"Thank you for the polite welcome. I am Penny."
Both Penny and the mass-produced Pennys bowed to each other and then proceeded to stand in formation, as if it were only natural.
Huh…? Is that it? Shouldn't there be, like… Something? Like, something more? The conversation between the Pennys was surprisingly short, and afterward, they exchanged no more words. I guess I should have expected that out of golems. They're really indifferent.
The only one we're missing is Tayuya… Oh, there she is. She was standing in a hole in a wall, completely out of it. The hell is she doing?
"Hey, Tayuya."
When I called out to her, she reacted in a really exaggerated manner. As soon as she turned around, she prostrated herself before me right then and there.
"M-my apologies, my king! I was unable to fulfill the grand role you had given me: to capture one of the Seven Grimms of Destruction alive… !"
Ohhh, I get it. It seemed like the fact that she'd failed to carry out my orders was getting to her.
It's not like there was anything she could have done about it, since the Grimm King's son showed up on top of one of the Seven Grimms of Destruction already being there… It's my fault for not seeing that coming. But it looked like Tayuya didn't think the same way, since even now she was repeatedly apologizing.
"I see, I see. So you ran in the face of one of the Seven Grimms of Destruction when you have such an overwhelming level advantage? What a stupendous failure on your part."
"Hah! I see your strength hasn't accompanied you through these one thousand years, Tayuya!"
While I was trying to come up with a way to comfort Tayuya, Penny and Jaune came in with the speed and smoothness of river rapids and started throwing salt in her wounds.
Hey, stop that! Do you guys not know the meaning of mercy?
Haruka even said to Wendy, "See that? That's what a useless woman who can't do her job looks like."
Come on. Stop that!
Only Fiona tried to comfort Tayuya, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Ah… Hmm… Well, don't worry about it. Just make sure to learn from this failure."
Please don't change, Fiona.
"Wh-what touching mercy! I will succeed next time! Even if I have to sacrifice my life!"
"No, don't do that. Don't just kill yourself like that!"
Oh no. What should I do? This demon's loyalty just hurts. If things stay like this, Tayuya might seriously commit suicide. If I don't give her some easy job next to help her regain her confidence, this might turn out badly. Or maybe I should put together some sort of event to help her feel better?
At any rate, with Tayuya's reappearance, we'd all managed to regroup. Anko, who was still unconscious, was being carried by Jaune while we once again started following the mass-produced Pennys.
After we reached the fourteenth town by riding some sort of elevator-like thing, we were greeted by a giant door and several dwarves. They weren't armed, so it didn't seem as if they intended to fight… I should be ready just in case, though.
"Welcome to Blutgang. We've been waiting, Lady Lunaru Fenris. I am Admiral Realight. I have the honor of being in charge of Blutgang's military branch."
"We see… So you already know about us. Then We suppose there is no need for these bandages."
Apparently I'd long been found out. Well, I suppose I couldn't have been anyone else, given that I had the original Penny with me, had managed to punch Anko out, and then had recovered Anko instead of killing her.
I handed my stealth bandages to Haruka and took off my fake glasses. When I did, the dwarves all groaned. The impact of my undisguised appearance must have been too much for them.
"So, why were We called here? Was this an ambush to try and capture us?"
"You jest. If we dared to antagonize you with Anko inside Blutgang, we'd all be dead. I'm quite desperate not to anger you right now, actually."
"Then that is fine."
Apparently the dwarves were really nervous right now. It made sense, though, since I was basically a world-renowned villain. To them, it was as if they'd let a last boss who should have already been defeated into their country. Of course they'd be nervous. I'd started to forget, but in this world, I was the symbol of fear. There wouldn't be many people who would still interact with me normally after knowing that I was Naru. In that sense, these dwarves were really trying their best.
"Then please, tell us what you want. You called us all the way here, at great risk to yourselves. What is worth that?"
"About that. You won't be meeting our current royalty. You will be heading further in, past the royal area."
"What? What do you mean?"
"It would be faster for you to see for yourself. I will lead you from here." The female dwarf, who'd named herself as Realight, pulled on a lever beside her.
When she did, the door opened, and the view of the royal area greeted us.
The first thing I saw was a huge garden. In the distance, there was a pool and a court, which was probably used for some sort of sport. In the center of the area was a huge, white building that looked like a high-class luxury hotel. There were also several gigantic dog monsters with lion-like manes that seemed to be fulfilling the role of guard dogs.
There was something that looked like them on Earth, I think. They were Tibetan mastiffs…?
The upsized, Tibetan-mastiff-like monsters looked really imposing, but given how this world had dinosaurs in it, they weren't that big a threat in comparison. In the grand scheme of things, they were actually quite cute for monsters. I bet they're fluffy and nice to pet.
But they were all trembling with their tails between their legs. It was quite shocking. I like dogs a lot, though…
I passed by the terrified doggies and continued even further in. Every once in a while I sensed someone glancing at me… It seemed as if there were several people in the castle who were interested in me. I locked eyes with the dwarven children who were the culprits and waved, but a woman who seemed to be their mother hurriedly pulled them away.
It's not like I'm gonna up and eat them just because we met gazes or something…
"I've never seen anyone so rude. I will go massacre—"
"Stop that, you fool!" I scolded Tayuya and threw in a little poke on top.
Whoops. There's an idiot who actually would do that. I bet at least half the reason I'm so feared is this dumb demon's fault. I mean, look at how scared the dwarf showing the way is. He's even putting on a brave face as he looks at me, like he's prepared to sacrifice himself when the time comes… The hell am I supposed to do with that?
Eventually we were shown to the deepest part of the royal area… In other words, we reached a wall. There was nothing there. One of the dwarves laid their hand on the wall and muttered something. When they did so, the wall opened, revealing a room. The dwarf must have muttered some kind of secret password or something.
"This is…?"
The room was bare. Compared to the flamboyantly decorated areas before, it was like this room existed in a completely different space… The room was enclosed by bare stone walls and a bare stone ceiling. Something that looked like a crystal, which faintly glowed blue, stood in the center of the room and was the only thing within it.
"Is that a golem…?"
"Yes. This golem is the center of all of Blutgang and serves as its brain. It is also our great queen, who entrusted all of her knowledge and memories here right before she died…"
"What? That's ridiculous."
Having heard Realight's words, I couldn't help but stare at the crystal.
Is she really "here?"
Are you really there, Jenny?
As if to answer my question, the crystal glowed stronger before emitting a voice that I didn't remember… But it still sounded very familiar.
"So you're here. It's been a while, Naru, my dear friend. As well as you, my greatest creation, my daughter."
"Jenny…"
"Mother…"
Apparently it was the real Jenny. It was obvious from Penny's reaction. But I was convinced regardless.
There's no doubt. This is Jenny.
I had no actual proof, but somehow, I didn't need any. Something inside me was convinced.
"We see. So Blutgang was not just a protective charm you left to your people but you yourself. To think you became a golem… There's a limit to how much of a golem fanatic one can be."
"Yahaahaha! Is that a compliment?"
"Fool. We are exasperated."
Seriously. Who'd expect someone to become a golem?
There was a fun character in an RPG I'd played once upon a time called "Dungeonman" who loved dungeons so much he ended up becoming one. But I never expected to know someone that foolish.
"Aw, don't be like that. This was necessary. After all, I wasn't exactly myself back then."
I paused. "You mean one thousand years ago?"
"Yeah. I'm not trying to make excuses, but Jenny was acting strangely. I can say that, since the crystal that was to be the control golem for Blutgang—otherwise known as me—was finished early. Something forced Jenny to act back then. That was painful to watch. Imagine seeing the original you becoming stranger day by day. It was like watching myself transform into someone else. It's funny, right? That the copy is closer to 'Jenny' than the real thing?" She was quiet for a moment before continuing. "Soon enough, I couldn't tell which one of us was the real Jenny."
I had no reply to that.
By copying her personality onto a golem, temporarily there had been two Jennys. One had been the real one, who'd then changed and became stranger every day. The other was the copy that had maintained Jenny's original personality. Since the copy had been there, it'd experienced that weirdness, watching itself change from an objective point of view. She'd literally seen herself becoming someone else.
What torture… That's something that would drive anyone crazy.
"When did it start happening?"
"Let's see… Probably when you all came back from the Goddess's holy land. I think after that she started treating you as an enemy. I bet Erza, Juvia, and Celica were the same."
"What about the others?"
"Hinata was always in danger, since Vanaheim is right at the Goddess's feet. As for Lisanna, well, no one really knows what that cat is actually thinking. I bet it just happened at some point. No idea about Ruby, though. She's always been really attached to you. To be honest, I feel like she'd have picked a fight with you even without the Goddess's interference."
Ruby… No matter where I go, whatever I hear about her is always the same. It's always that "she's always been dangerous." Seriously, you vampire? Just how bad do you have to be in order to be regarded like that by your friends?
Anyway, I should put her aside for now.
"You know, I've always been a little afraid of you as an alchemist. I couldn't help but feel like you might take the title of Midgar's best blacksmith out from under me, you know? But wanting to kill you because of that was just unnatural. That's why I transferred my consciousness early, while I was still myself, so that this version of me would still be me."
"…"
"At the end, 'I' was completely gone. All the original could think about was defeating you. She stopped listening to me completely. And, well…" Jenny paused before delivering the next sentence in a regretful, pitying tone. "You know the rest."
"After you were gone, it was like whatever demon had possessed her left. But it was all too late. At the very least, she wanted to defeat the Grimm King to make up for what she'd done. But there was no way anyone could win all desperate like that, so she lost, and her arm was taken. In the end, the original Jenny… She lost her dear friend, her arm, the peaceful world, everything… She regretted everything from the bottom of her heart, and even into her old age she'd weep and mope about… It was so hard to watch…" Jenny said, her voice quiet and forlorn.
I had no reply. I just didn't know what to say.