Volume 2 Chapter 52 The Fucking Hags
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The river crossing began. The Type 98 Golems serving as rafts were gorilla-types, about five meters in length, with short legs and long arms. Their shoulders were broad enough to carry the luggage, eight people, and a person-sized Golem with room to spare. Still, they sat low in the water; one wrong shift in the center of gravity and you’d be sitting in a puddle.
Lieutenant Veronica, piloting the lead, paddled slowly with the Golem’s arms to keep the water-churning to a minimum.
”Listen, kid,” the Golem pilot asked, “what’s the plan once we get across?”
”For starters, I’m headin’ to the Academy. Gotta keep ’em safe.”
”You’re such a damn idiot,” Kenze muttered, her voice dripping with scorn.
”Yeah, real stupid,” the others chimed in. “Not a single thought in that head.” “What is this, you just runnin’ on fumes and momentum?”
The old hags were just as noisy as ever.
”Kid, who do you think you’re even fightin’?”
”Isn’t it obvious? The rebel faction inside the Kingdom.”
”God, you’re such an idiot.” Kenze looked at me like I was something she’d scraped off her boot. The Grannies just gave a bitter, knowing chuckle.
”What is it, then?” I snapped.
”Kenze, how do you see it?” Veronica asked.
Kenze didn’t seem to like being addressed by name; she shot a sharp glare at Veronica before dropping her shoulders in a heavy sigh. “Haaah, fine. I’ll spell it out for ya. This here is a fight between the Royalists and the Aristocratic faction.”
Summarizing what she grumbled out, it was simple: the Aristocrats wanted to keep their grip on their old privileges, while the Royalists wanted to centralize power. The head of the Aristocratic faction was Marquis Harritz, the wealthiest noble in the Kingdom, whose father had been the legendary Third Sage. The other lords were just using him as a puppet.
”He’s been a spoiled brat his whole life,” one Granny wheezed, “so he’ll do whatever he’s told as long as people puff his ego.”
”Classic case of a great father raisin’ a useless son,” another added.
”Oh, look who’s talkin’, actin’ like your own kid’s a genius.”
The Grannies were as sharp-tongued as they were old.
The gist of the political rot was this: the Kingdom had annexed two states, Straba and South Bohemia, but the King refused to hand that land over to the nobility. The nobles, desperate to find land for their second and third sons, had been lobbying hard. The King ignored them, putting the territories under the direct control of the Kingdom Office. The Royal Capital was all the Royal family technically owned, and the rest was bureaucratic ground. The nobles—landed or otherwise—had enough, and Harritz had let himself be pushed to the front of that angry mob.
”So they staged a coup while he was out on a royal expedition? What about the Crown Prince?”
”Don’t you know anything?” Kenze scoffed.
The Crown Prince hated the King too. If the Fourth Prince hadn’t died at Vod Fortress, he would’ve been disinherited for sure. The Fourth Prince was just that much better. The Crown Prince wasn’t a total fool, but compared to his brother, he was a disappointment.
”They say the Crown Prince’s wife spends all that money ’cause Abe doesn’t give her the time of day,” one of the Grannies gossiped.
”He’s too busy runnin’ to the pleasure districts every night.”
”And they say Oscar—the Fourth Prince—was assassinated by Harritz.”
Oscar was the child of the main Queen. The Crown Prince was the eldest, born to Harritz’s daughter. Harritz spoiled his grandson rotten, and the boy was wrapped around his finger. If Harritz had truly masterminded the battle at Vod Fortress—and the assassination of Oscar—it explained why they’d held such a grudge against me for saving Nico. She was Harritz’s granddaughter.
If that was true, my brother and Monica’s ex had died for nothing but a petty, power-hungry feud.
”Why are ya gettin’ all worked up now, you idiot?” Kenze stared right through me.
”But… it was all so sudden.”
”What are ya talkin’ about?”
”It shouldn’t have turned into this much of a mess. If they’d prepped for this, your Information Bureau would’ve sniffed it out.”
Lieutenant Veronica looked satisfied. “That’s why the ones trashin’ the city are only about five hundred strong. Mostly guards and hired muscle from the mines. They’re here for the loot. Maybe a few rogue soldiers mixed in, but that’s it.”
”So, military types and hired goons. That tracks,” Veronica added.
”And they aren’t coordinating with the guys inside the castle. They haven’t even taken the place yet.”
”So how do we play this?” I asked.
”Finish off Harritz’s inner circle and let the man himself slip away,” Kenze replied to Veronica. “You lot are deliverin’ these Golems for that exact reason, aren’t ya?”
But why let the ringleader live?
”Why do you think we shouldn’t kill Harritz, you idiot?” Kenze bit back.
She was right. If Harritz ran, the followers would break rank to go after him. If we killed him here, the city would descend into chaos, and more civilians would die. The worst outcome would be the Crown Prince declaring himself the mastermind—then the King would have to order us to kill his own successor. But with Harritz alive, they could just pin the blame on the grandfather and keep the Crown Prince safe for the future.
”So, kid, what’s your call?”
I sighed, looking at my hands. “I’ll stay with you until I find the Major.”
”That’s a big help. Using that plane to hunt for him is a godsend.”
(Was that the plan all along? I brought it to find an exit, and they’re using it as a radar.)
”Got two questions,” Kenze said to the Lieutenant. “There’s a unit stationed in the Royal Capital. What are they doin’?”
”That, we don’t know,” Veronica shrugged. “The Duke’s son is supposed to have three thousand troops from the Third Division, but they haven’t moved.”
”Whatever. And why’d the Marquis go rogue?”
”Probably the same reason you’re thinkin’ of right now.”
I didn’t have time to process that. We reached the gravel beach in the Southeastern district, right where that slave auction house was.
”You guys with the Golem Battalion?” A merchant approached us.
”We are. Who are you?”
”We heard the Cossacks were comin’, so we came to hide the women. What’s the situation?”
”It’s not Cossacks,” I said, repeating Kenze’s summary. We managed to convince them to loan us a carriage, though horses were in short supply. We had to leave the Golems on foot.
”Whoa, is that thing safe?” Casper-san, the man who’d guided me at the auction house, recoiled at the sight of Kenze.
”Safe enough, as long as you don’t cross her.”
”You’re a brave man, kid, tamed yourself a wild Amazoness.”
(Tamed? Feels more like she’s the one holding the leash.)
We rode the carriage, staying away from the river, and slipped through the city. By the time we reached the brewery guild’s stable near the middle wall, Casper-san had vanished. I got to work, swapping the Golem’s amber and mounting the wings on the plane. We were fifty meters from the main gate.
”You really gonna bust through the main gate?”
”Kid,” Veronica asked, “do you really think these Grannies are gonna climb that wall?”
”Fair point,” I muttered. “I’ll scout the gate, head to the castle, and track down the Major.”
”Smart,” Kenze scoffed.
I strapped on the head-mounted remote. It felt like one of those weird medical reflectors. I flipped the switch, watched the blades blur, and launched the plane. The nerve-kit gave me a perfect, goblin-eyed view of the night. It soared, clearing the gate in seconds.
”Hold hands,” I told them.
”Oh my, a secret date in the middle of a war?” one of the Grannies cackled.
”A fine way to head to the afterlife.”
”You better make it good until the end, ya hear?”
The fucking hags had zero sense of impending doom.
”If you just use Mind-reading to see what I see, I don’t have to explain a damn thing,” I said, focused on the controls.
”Boring.”
”Veronia,” one of them chirped, “why don’t you suck the kid’s d**k? Since he can’t move, it’s the least you can do.”
”Oh, good idea,” another added. “Skin-to-skin contact makes the Mind-reading stronger. Get to it, girl.”
”You lot really have no clue what’s going on, do you?”
”Kid, drop your pants.”
Second Lieutenant Veronia, don’t just sit there letting these old crones goad you into saying stupid shit.
When I got angry, they just chuckled, “Oh, don’t be like that,” and grabbed my hands.
’Funny, the guard is light, isn’t it? Oh look, two outdated Golems in the Joint Government Building garden,’ a telepathic voice chirped. It seemed they were using Mind-reading to see the feed I was getting from the plane.
’Where the hell did they even dig those up from?’
’Who knows? They aren’t Royal Capital guards, anyway. Doesn’t matter. Head for the castle, would you?’
”Veronia, can you see the view from those flying Golems, dear?” Granny asked.
”Yeah, though it’s a bit dark.”
”Sounds like fun,” one of the Grannies chuckled, her voice thick with that familiar, slow-settling rural drawl. “Reckon it’s like the view from the high tower?”
”Let me see, let me see,” another croaked.
The crones started grabbing at me to bridge the Mind-reading connection.
’Oh my, what a lovely view,’ one murmured.
’Lovely, a perfect parting gift for the afterlife1,’ another added.
’Fly a little higher, dear,’ a third pressed.
My concentration was fracturing. (Hey, keep your hands off the sensitive gear!)
I shoved them off, creating some distance.
”Can’t you be nice to your elders?” one huffed.
”We want more parting gifts!” another insisted.
”Don’t be such a cheapskate, child.”
Damned hags. No matter how you look at it, they’re way too young to be worried about “parting gifts” for the afterlife.
”You’re killing my focus! I can’t even fly properly. Only two of you are allowed to Mind-read at once!”
With Second Lieutenant Veronia’s intervention, they agreed to rotate, but why does age make people so damn noisy?
’Kid, take us to the affiliated hospital next.’
I dropped altitude, heading toward the Academy’s hospital.
’Look, there.’
’Ah, Type 20 outdated Golems. If they keep moving like that… see? I told you so. Banged their heads right on the eaves. Wait, isn’t that the Commander they’re chasing?’
”Everyone, move out!” Second Lieutenant Veronia commanded, her voice clipped and precise.
At the Second Lieutenant’s order, they immediately kicked the Type 98 Golems into gear.
The Type 98 led the charge, followed by the Second Lieutenant, the five grannies, and then me and Kenze in the heavy-duty Golem. I left the controls of the heavy unit to one of the Grannies while I stayed up in the cockpit of the plane.
”Move properly, damn it!”
Perhaps it’s too much for the old ladies; the heavy-duty Golem followed behind with the erratic gait of a drunkard. These people were elite pilots once, but is this what happens when you age?
”Second Lieutenant Veronia!”
The guards at the massive gate, wide enough for two carriages to pass at once, snapped a salute as they shouted the Second Lieutenant’s name.
”Please, hurry through! They’re coming!”
”Who’s ‘they’?” the Second Lieutenant asked sharply.
”The Haritz guards. While His Majesty the King is away, they claim to be protecting the Royal Capital, but they won’t lift a finger to suppress the rioters. They’re insufferable. Please, move, they’re almost here!”
Spurred on, we pushed west toward the Academy, but that guard bothered me.
”I can’t walk that fast, so I’ll stop those Golems here,” an elderly voice rasped.
”Then I’m staying too,” another agreed.
Two of the five Grannies peeled off, slipping into an alleyway.
”Hey, are you sure about this?” I called to Veronia, but she ignored me and pressed forward. Then, a scream echoed from behind. I looked back to see the guards at the gate being pounded by an outdated Golem.
”It’s fine, they won’t die from that,” the Second Lieutenant replied coldly. “Any other movement?”
”One unit from the Joint Government Building earlier is running two streets over,” I relayed.
”And the Major?”
I pushed the plane forward, but the Golem chasing the Commander was gone. Circling over the Academy, I spotted movement in the courtyard.
A Golem moving strangely. Different from the others.
It was trying to smash the stone pillars of the arcade next to the courtyard.
”The office door by the Academy courtyard is half-open, and the Commander is peeking out. Wait, is the Commander the one operating that strange Golem?”
When a pillar snapped under the Golem’s brute force, the arcade collapsed like a house of cards. A cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring the courtyard.
Right after, a sickening crunch—like a traffic accident—sounded from behind. I looked back to see another Golem head-first into a building by the side of the road.
Did a Granny do that?
”If you know how to operate a Golem, that’s what happens,” one of the others said. That much everyone knows. The problem is how to find and take out the pilot.
I looked ahead; the Academy gate was in sight.
”That cavalry from earlier is heading into the affiliated hospital.”
”And another Golem is coming up from behind,” the Granny said before she and another one split off into the alley.
One street left to the Academy.
”I can’t run anymore, I’ll follow later,” the final Granny said. That Granny had been in charge of the heavy-duty Golem. Even with its drunken, stumbling gait, it kept following us.
Still, Kenze was running with a jug of water strapped to her neck, not even breaking a sweat. “Yo, move it already! Don’t look back now!” she shouted, her voice sharp and streetwise.
The cavalry from earlier joined up with a group of five emerging from the back of the hospital and headed for the Academy.
As the dust in the courtyard settled, two Golems stood there. One was the unit that wrecked the arcade; the other was a Type 20.
The two collided like sumo wrestlers. Granny Ferris’s rain-rotted machine snapped at the waist from the impact.
The Type 20 grabbed the head of the crumbling Golem and smashed it into the ground.
But it couldn’t celebrate its victory. A state-of-the-art Type 98 dropped from the top of the building right in front of the Type 20, its arm flashing in a single strike.
The Type 20’s head flew over the four-story Medical Mage research building. Then, its remaining four-meter frame slowly collapsed to the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
”Veronia, hand over the controls!” the Major roared, stepping out from the office entrance.
The Major vaulted onto the Type 98, opened the hatch at the nape of the neck, and vanished inside. The Golem took off with her.
”Kid, this is as far as we go. Let’s meet again sometime,” a Granny said softly.
”Who are you?” I asked.
”I can’t keep up with the Major in her current state. I’m going to go pick up the others and head home.”
”They aren’t dead, are they?”
”Who knows? Those women… they have nowhere else to go, so they’re desperate.”
”But they have children and grandchildren, don’t they?”
”Had, maybe. Better to put it that way,” she replied, her voice filled with a weary, rural wisdom.
”Kenze, keep this boy safe. He’s an idiot, but still,” the Granny commanded.
”Yeah, whatever,” Kenze replied, her tone sharp and dismissive. “I’ll keep the punk safe ’til I get home and have a good time. Even if he is a total idiot.”
Am I really that much of an idiot?
—
Summary:
The protagonist and his escort cross the river via Golems and navigate to the middle wall of the Royal Capital. Along the way, he is briefed on the political instability caused by Marquis Harritz and the Crown Prince’s alliance. They reach the stability point near the middle wall to prepare for an aerial infiltration. The protagonist prepares to use his remote-controlled airplane to scout the gate while enduring the relentless, lewd mockery of his subordinates.
The protagonist, along with Second Lieutenant Veronia and a group of elderly female Golem pilots, maneuvers through the capital to aid the Commander at the Academy. After a series of tactical engagements, the aging pilots sacrifice their mobility and machines to clear the path. A climactic battle between a decayed Golem and a Type 20 unit ensues, followed by the intervention of a Type 98 Golem. The narrative ends with the veterans departing, leaving the protagonist and Kenze in the wake of the Major’s departure.
—
Trivia:
The annexation of Straba and South Bohemia directly triggered the noble dissatisfaction.
Marquis Harritz’s wealth is tied to his father, the Third Sage.
The Royal Capital is the only territory truly owned by the Royal Family.
The Information Bureau likely failed to anticipate the coup because the participants did not expect the situation to escalate.
The protagonist’s airplane’s nerve kit is sourced from a goblin.
The Grannies are former Golem pilots who have lost their families to plague or abandonment.
Kenze carries a water jug while running, suggesting a high level of physical conditioning.
The heavy-duty Golem is piloted by a Granny, explaining its erratic, drunk-like movement.
The “parting gift for the afterlife” (Meido no Miyage) is a cynical expression of their fatalistic combat outlook.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Veronica – A Lieutenant and Golem pilot who maintains a professional yet pragmatic demeanor.
• Kenze – An Amazoness slave and protagonist’s companion, she previously tried to kill Larry but now accompanies him, wearing a white linen blouse and a black skirt with a high slit. Direct, foul-mouthed, and abrasive, she uses sarcastic or sexual remarks to assert dominance. Yet, she is highly capable in physical matters, unburdened by social niceties, and holds a protective nature toward Larry.
• Harritz – A territory associated with the protagonist’s classmates.
• Marquis – An elderly nobleman with a volatile temper. His face turns beet-red when insulted, and he is quick to abandon formal deliberation in favor of a violent resolution via duel.
• Sage – An elderly instructor and mentor who acts as a schemer behind the scenes. He is responsible for recommending Larry for various academic and safety-related positions.
• Mar – A battle‑hardened veteran, clad in worn armor, uses door panels as shields and captures enemy crossbows; Larry’s comrade who teases him about his sister‑in‑law’s pampering, known as Martin to his companion Edmond.
• Fourth – A mysterious and cunning sage who seeks advice from Larry.
• Abe – Childhood name of the Crown Prince.
• Oscar – The Fourth Prince, a capable royal reportedly assassinated, secretly acts as an agent on behalf of a curious aristocrat.
• Nico – Petite, silver-haired Teressa—granddaughter of Harritz, cousin to the Marquis’s captive, and a mana-less fabric merchant’s daughter—is a practical yet anxious Bizan Magic School worker. Abducted by the Marquis, she clings to Larry, her savior, romantic partner, and father to her unborn children. Relying on confidante Marie, Teressa endures recent trauma with Larry as her sole anchor.
• Monica – Sun-tanned and slender with a missing front tooth, this tomboyish 15-year-old lives in Larry’s managed Strock Village. As Larry’s strong-willed wife, mother of twins (including Alisa), and a contact of the deceased Denis, she rules her house with bitter authority after losing her first husband at Vod Fortress. Direct yet emotionally intelligent, she surrendered her son out of fear but wet-nurses her niece Maria.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Casper – A young merchant and auction facility employee who guides newcomers through local customs and procedures. Having previously assisted the protagonist, he possesses extensive local knowledge and expertise.
• Fee – Larry Fee Getys, of the court-recognized Fee lineage, heads the Getys household governing Strock Village alongside Hans and Iffens. Embodying traditional authority, his family—including Teressa, served by the maid Nico—manages regional finances. Connected to Adolf and local underworld power structures, the Getys family name, indicating Larry’s lineage, is also part of the protagonist’s full name.
• Ho – Ho, a comrade of the protagonist. A member of the military unit that defended Garao Village and was slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Veronia – Second Lieutenant in the Royal Army, distinguishable by her pink-accented uniform. A blunt, authoritative quartermaster leading the Golem operation under Major Sonya, she handles accounting, procurement, and strict secrecy, though tech easily surprises her. She holds a complex relationship with the protagonist, parting ways at the Academy. Though highly capable, she loses inhibitions with alcohol.
• Commander – A man leading the mercenary press-gang at the south gate.
• His Majesty – The King of the realm. He possesses a face described as an expressionless Noh mask, though he shows a flicker of amusement during the legal proceedings. He presides over the high-level deliberations and gives the final word on legal transitions such as duels.
• Ferris – Granny Ferris, an ageless elf in her thirties wearing provocative black one-piece dresses, is a close associate of the Second Sage and the elderly woman Martin hopes to marry. Bearing a lineage famed for medicine and golem-making, she was the first Commander of the Golem Battalion. Now running the village inn, she plays the flute, speaks bluntly, and claims to know Larry’s grandfather.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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