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“W-What did Master do this time!?”
“Hey, keep your voice down! If they find out we’re involved, we might get arrested too!”
“R-Right. Sorry…”

I quickly clamped a hand over my mouth and folded up the wanted poster I’d been clutching, stuffing it into my pocket.

We’d only been apart for five days, and now there was a fifty-million bounty on her head, and it was rising by ten million a day.

In just ten more days, it’d hit a hundred million. That’s more than I could ever hope to make in my entire life.

“W-W-W-What should we do, Mr. Arnitta!? If Master gets caught, she’ll be executed!”
“Calm yourself! First things first—we get into the city and gather information. We can’t make sense of anything with just this poster!”
“Lady Momose, it says here: ‘Capture alive only.’ I don’t believe her life is in immediate danger.”
“R-R-Right. Yeah… she’ll be okay… right?”

Master wouldn’t get caught that easily—she couldn’t.

But for someone who’d spent a thousand years locked away, being hunted must be unbearable.

I didn’t want to leave her alone. I had to reunite with her as soon as possible. I couldn’t stop worrying—was she eating properly? Was she getting any sleep?

“Mr. Arnitta, let’s hurry up and get into Regulus! Please take care of the entry process!”
“Aye, I’ll handle it right quick! Just hold on a bit!”

✦✧✦✧✦

“Wow—water!!”
“Well, it is a city on the water, after all.”

As soon as Mr. Arnitta finished the entry process—absurdly fast, I might add—we passed through the massive gates, and a breeze thick with pleasant humidity brushed against my face.

Canals stretched out in all directions, with little boats carrying people and cargo here and there, each one strung with softly glowing lanterns.

White stone bridges spanned the waterways, and even though it was already evening, the streets were still lively and bustling.

“It’s so cool… This is what water smells like.”
“Um… I think… everyone’s staring at us…”
“That’s because Kyodaigorou stands out quite a bit.”
“Arnitta, wouldn’t it be best to find a place to dock?”

Right—since we entered Regulus with Kyodaigorou, we were definitely drawing a lot of attention.

Not that I could blame anyone. I mean, it’s a robot. A super cool robot. Of course people are going to look.

But maybe… just maybe, if we’re this conspicuous, Master might spot us somewhere too. Even if she doesn’t, Kyodaigorou is bound to be a good landmark.

“I asked the gatekeeper during the process about an inn where we can park Kyodaigorou. It’s already late anyway—serious action starts tomorrow.”
“Make… haste… slowly…”
“Yeah, you’re right. We shouldn’t rush. Let’s rest and gather our strength for tomorrow.”
“Settled, then. I’ll get us moving.”

Mr. Arnitta transformed Kyodaigorou into humanoid mode, then carefully descended into the canal, avoiding the crowds as he started walking.

Naturally, Kyodaigorou had been built for both land and water travel, so this was no big deal. People on nearby boats clapped and cheered from a safe distance, clearly impressed.

“Papa, look! It’s a giant golem!”
“Unbelievable… That thing might be even more impressive than the king’s golem!”
“Whoa! That’s sick!”
“Is the king pulling another stunt? Wait—this isn’t related?”
“Whoaaa! Amazing—it’s got transformation functions and waterproofing!? Even though joints like those are a nightmare to maintain! How’d they pull it off? I mean, this is a masterpiece—reminds me of Mobile Suit Gumdan! What a treat for the eyes…”
“…Huh? That voice… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before…”

Amid all the cheers and chatter echoing outside Kyodaigorou, one voice stood out to me—familiar, somehow.

I poked my head out of the hatch and looked around at the surrounding boats—and then I locked eyes with a woman in Arabian-style clothing… wearing glasses.

“…Huh? Momo?”
“Ah—Ms. Hoshikawa! Long time no see!”

The woman looking surprised on the small boat was none other than Ms. Hoshikawa, a guild staff member who had helped us out back in Aldebaran.

I didn’t recognize her at first—probably because I was used to seeing her in that staff uniform or the cute cosplay outfits she used to wear.

“Lady Momose, is she an acquaintance of yours?”
“Eep! A dashing gentleman! L-Long time no see~… I didn’t expect to run into you here of all places.”
“Yes! A lot’s happened, and now we’ve come to Regulus! What about you, Ms. Hoshikawa? What happened with your job?”
“I took some time off because I was too heartbroken over Laika… Wait, hold on. If you’re here, then th-th-th-that means Laika is h-h-h-here toooo!?”
“Senior disciple… this person… dangerous.”
“Eeee, Stell’s with you too!! What a treat!!”
“Uh, enjoy…? Anyway, we’re actually looking for Master right now ourselves…”
“O-Oh… I see… That makes sense…”

The moment she realized Master wasn’t with us, Ms. Hoshikawa’s glow just… wilted.

She hadn’t changed a bit since Aldebaran—just being around her was kind of fun.

“Oh right, Ms. Hoshikawa, have you been in Regulus long? Do you know anything about Master?”
“I’ve memorized her measurements and height and weight, if that helps~”
“Should we hand her over to the guards, perhaps?”
“Waiwaiwait! Hang on, unfamiliar grandpa! Umm, if not her measurements, how about her marriage to the king?”
“……Excuse me?”
“Yeah, so apparently the king wants to marry Laika. That’s why the wanted posters are up—he’s having her tracked down.”