Golems Really Are Romantic After All

Karina-chan here. Loved by the Goddess, and burdened with the fate of collecting girls' socks…

By the way, the catalog says the Goddess's reward items are "non-duplicable." Which means if I want to use the period-skip pill every month, I'd have to buy one every month…

But I will not lose to my period!

Saving is earning!

All I have to do is endure 50 SP worth of period pain each month!

That alone is effectively 50 SP earned monthly, so endure it, Karina-chan!

 

 

"By the way, when and how do periods start? Off the record, it's been less than a month since I was born."

"Eh? Um, right… well… discharge increases…"

"??? Lots of terms I didn't learn in health class…"

"We need to start with vocabulary, then. So…"

Hmm. I see.

… Mmm, I've been feeling heavy — turns out that's a sign too.

Between us, I thought it was just my chest being heavy and lightened them a bit with spatial magic. Be kind to your Cooper's ligaments.

"Thank you, that was helpful."

"It's been ages for me too, so it's fuzzy, but keep your belly warm."

"I should buy or make a belly-warmer."

Heating stones for makeshift warmers might help too.

… In any case, I just have to experience it once. Scary, but all women do and don't normally die from it. Scary, though!

I-if it's truly impossible, I'll use the skip pill! Sniff!

 

*

 

I offered some stall-bought food to the Goddess, but since I wasn't delivering socks this time, I didn't meet her and headed back into town.

I didn't have a destination anyway. I'm faking my exit, so I can't show up at the merchants' or adventurers' guilds, and staying at an inn is tricky. Not that it matters — I sleep in my storage-space home.

I figured I'd wander until evening. As I walked near the port, I discovered something fascinating.

"… What is that?"

A bipedal mass of rocks, a size or two larger than a person. The humanoid thing was deftly lifting and carrying crates.

With gray stone for limbs, it looked somewhat like an armored knight — stylish enough to call a robot. So cool.

I grabbed a passerby to ask.

"H-hey! That — what is that!?"

"Huh? Ah — that's a golem. First time seeing one?"

"A golem! So that's it! Wow!"

Now that he says it, it definitely deserves to be called a golem.

Pop open that chest plate and there might be a cockpit.

"Ah! So, like, you tame it like a monster?"

"Tsk, tsk. Not a monster. It's a large magic tool built with alchemy."

"Seriously!?"

Come to think of it, the magic-item shop where I bought the massager mentioned golems too.

I only remembered the massager though. Tehe!

"If it's a magic tool… does that mean you can pilot it?"

"Of course. That model is semi-automatic, so it can run unmanned too. Safer than taming. It follows orders and won't run off. Perfect for heavy labor. But magic stone costs are insane — only a big firm can run one."

Mmm, magic stone costs, huh.

So golems are like heavy machinery. Watching it a bit longer, I saw it doing crane-forklift-like work unloading a large ship.

With a pilot you can do fine control; with orders only, it's like autonomous operation… I love it.

"I love that. It's so cool."

"Good eye. That's Gomezti Company's golem, latest model by alchemist Swantia. Care to have tea and discuss golems in depth?"

"Hmm. Are you a golem expert?"

"A bit of a maniac."

Tempting offer. No reason to refuse.

… Tea should be fine?

"Sure, I'd like to hear about golems."

"Great! I know just the—"

"Hold it, buddy. The lady has a prior engagement."

Huh? I turned toward the voice. A group of men with bandanas and striped shirts — classic pirate lackeys.

"Eek — the Gomezti Company… S-sorry, remembered an errand. Later."

"H-hey!?"

The passing golem maniac fled!

… He got away.

"Who are you guys. You want something from me?"

"Yeah, we've been looking for you. The captain wants a word. Come."

"Captain? … Ah, Gomezti. Right, the pirate I beat in the drinking contest — his name was Gomez-whatever."

"Drop the 'whatever' — it's Captain Gomez!"

Was it? Eh, close enough.