EPISODE 4: EXPANDING GOLEMS

-Edryan Queendom. Year 7281, Season: Final Ending

She who holds wisdom above all else. She who wars like no other. She whose wealth even shakes the heavens. She who holds three faces. I beseech you. I call upon the first ancestor. The first Edryani. No man can best me. No Edryan male has what it takes to conquer me. I beseech you, the greatest of the Goddesses. Grant me a son who thinks like no other. A son who talks like no other. A son who will not walk amongst others. Not because he is behind but because he is too far ahead! I beseech you Madris – The First Edryani. Grant me a child that no other will ever rival. Not in this continent. Not in this world.

-Iron-Blooded High Queen Titiana Koltius Verilo Edryani

***

I paced around the large experimentation room. When you have the crown supporting you. Alongside some of the best mage’s money can hire. A lot can get done. A lot but there is only so much that can happen before you hit a wall. Golem Mana Battery version 3.8 was that wall. I was successful in my attempt to make a civilian version that could last up to a week. To prevent the theft of my idea. There were several runic scripts that would pop the internals of any battery that was messed with. Not just popped the internals it would literally explode. I made sure these were clear labels in Edryan and the common tongue. A language that I was currently learning to speak. I would not allow my tech to be stolen and produced outside of Edrya. This was one of the most important matters not only to me but to the crown itself.

Currently, we hired several Crafting and Artificing Houses to develop golems that would easily accept the use of our batteries. Most Artificing Houses focused on consumables. Things that were only used a few times before being discarded for more. Now I wanted to turn their sites onto the long term. I planned on using these families to develop trains and more. The Edryans did have airships. It was one thing that I wasn’t too surprised by. Yet these ships were mainly used for traveling nobles. Those that didn’t pay the highly expensive price of using teleportation. Unfortunately, the Edryan people did not have any sort of super-fast travel besides the occasional hiring of a space mage to teleport you somewhere.

The problem I was facing was creating a battery that would last for a month without being 4-5 times the size of one of my regular ones. Right now, a golem battery was roughly the size of a softball from Earth. This was too big already for me, but I made do. I would not allow my monthly battery to be several feet in diameter.

***

“I think you're going about this the wrong way Your Highness,” Margret said to me one wintery day.

“Hmm…?” I responded questioning her.

“We’ve managed to use relatively inexpensive materials in the production of the Mana Battery. The ones available for civilian use are outstanding. Because of your ideas and knowledge, we have gone far in revolutionizing the way Edryans work. What we want to develop is a version for the military. My question to you is why limit a military-grade battery with cheap materials?”

It was like an explosion went off in my head the moment Margret finished. I repeated after her in wonder. “Why limit military-grade batteries with cheap materials?”

Wow. I had no answer. My mouth hung slightly open as I stared at her. Before I closed the distance between us and hugged her. Only reaching to her waist. Margret was 5’8 and I was only a six-year-old still.

“You’re a genius, Margret!”

She let out a bell-like laugh before hugging me back. Lifting me with a small twist of magic and a spin before releasing me with a pat to my head. “Intent of the Three Faces! Only because of you Your Highness!”

I didn’t realize I became fixated on only using cheap materials to create the batteries. Unknowingly I created a bottleneck for myself. Why did the military-grade batteries need to be cheap? I seriously considered it. I could not come up with an answer.

It took another month of development for us to create a miliary-grade battery. Much of the process was the same. The major difference was the materials used. I came up with three separate versions. The first, MGB-1, lasted two weeks as long as it used its power for the basics. It would cost a few small platinum coins to produce. The second, MGB-2, lasted a month. It cost a few large platinum coins. The last and the version I was the proudest of was the MGB-3.

The MGB-3 cost a small Edri Coin. We didn’t have the exact longevity. Yet, I’d say between 1-3 years of run time. There was no way to be certain until we put it in a golem and had it continuously worked. The moment I completed it my mother showed up at the facility. I immediately handed it over to her to inspect. Her gaze was serious as she looked at the battery. Before her warm eyes settled on me.

“Merit,” she said into the air.

A chorus of ‘Merit’ was responded to by everyone in the facility. At once they took a knee bowing in my direction.

I did not know what was going on and looked around in confusion. Most of the staff had serious looks on their faces. A few even looked at me with worship in their eyes. I had to remember the Gods of the Prime Plane were very real and they were very active in the territories they controlled.

“Chosen of Madris, as you are the Crown Prince there is not much that I can award you.

Tell me Lawruthian Imperius Koltius Edryani.

What Is It You Desire?”

“You have done a great service to the people and military of the Edryan Queendom. Merit must be rewarded. If you were not the Crown Prince. Your status would be elevated to that of a noble. You’d be given a title and land. Yet as the Crown Prince there are few under the Edryan lands that you will lack. Tell me, my favorite son. What is it you desire?”

A thoughtful expression appeared on my face. As the custom and tradition that was being displayed were finally recalled. I learned about this under Eliana. Only it was last year and far from being the thing on the top of my mind. ‘Merit’ was said usually by a high-ranking officer in the military. It was said when a soldiers went above and beyond their duty. Or did something miraculous that saved the lives of their comrades. Most of the time losing their lives in the process. The next of kin would receive the merit on their behalf of them. Usually, they would bow. I, however, was the Crown Prince. The Holy Son who worked on this project daily for three years of my life. Bringing a way for the mana and energy to be utilized. Showing the Edryans an all-but-foreign concept. If I could compare ‘Merit’ to any Earth equivalent it’d be a Purple Heart, Presidential Medal of Freedom and others combined.

What is it I desire?

“I want to build and change the learning system of the Edryan Kingdom.

 I desire the banning of slavery.

 I desire a Greater Edryan.”

I desire to be a hero!

I spoke these words from the heart. Looking around at the different shades of people as I said this. After my mother promised to support my endeavors. I quickly realized there was nothing underneath the Prime Sun that I could not have. At least in Edryan. Women? Money? Resources? I was the Crown Prince. No siblings to challenge my claim to the throne. Nor did I have any close relatives to do such as well. It took a few seconds for my words to process. Then the gazes of the people truly turned.

Worship.

Whispers of the three faces and Madris’s Grace wormed their way into my ears.

I could see it in their eyes as it began. Too late I realized my mistake. I did not ask for myself but for others. How could they not see a hero, a Holy Son, in me? Utters of the Holy Son began as people exchanged glances. Even Margret and the women and maids closest to me began to have that look. Oh fuck.

I wanted to be a hero. Not a god. A hero only had certain expectations of them. A God? A god was expected to carry the world.

“Then you shall have it.”

Even my mother, High Queen Titiana, was looking at me strangely. Not in a worshipful manner but as if she was truly seeing the character I was for the first time. All I saw from her eyes afterward was a strong radiating maternal love. I think if she wasn’t already willing to sacrifice herself for me in some horrific twist of fate. She was now.

“Then you shall have it,” she repeated. “Disperse for the rest of the day.”

She picked me up and left. A member of the Queen’s Guardsmen followed close behind. Those stationed above the Royal Guards of Edrya. Twenty of the most powerful warriors in the queendom. He was one of the three Magi who controlled the three mages' towers that protected the royal palace.

We spent the rest of the day discussing my ideas for a new royal academy. There was one already, but it was like what was in place by the knight orders and mage schools. I proposed a new system.

“I believe there should be two levels to this academy,” I began. “The first starts when you’re 15 a year before the system activates and continues for 3 years. The first-year students are taught history, sciences, math, and a minimum of two interesting pathways. For example, if someone is interested in becoming a knight, or mage. They take classes based on both. Classes that teach a standardized version of the fundamentals and basics of what each profession entails.”

My mother nodded along as I talked. Pausing, I took a drink before I continued.

“The academy should also have professions beyond just the military or fighting in general. The arts and sciences are my true goal. Those who wish to pursue a crafting path or artificer. Or any of the various paths available to follow. In the second year, they would focus on the profession they chose amongst a few electives. Learning the ins and outs and how to do their job efficiently. As their classes are now active. In the third year, they should focus solely on their job and class. Exploring the paths they wish to pursue themselves without the strict guidance of teachers. Graduating they must show a decent product that they made if they’re a crafter. Or the mages and knights must hunt a sufficiently strong beast.”

“Afterwards there should be a 2–3-year college. This is where students will put their skills into an advanced version. Their second class unlocked and now they’ll be able to do more. This college should only teach and talk about high-level techniques that are required to know to truly master their profession. To graduate they must have some sort of great achievement. An introduction to new technology. A title or feat of some type or a reimagined and reinvented version of old technology. Perhaps the fighting classes must delve a strong dungeon with no instructors.”

My mother's eyes glowed in excitement as she wrote what I spoke. She paused me here and called for Margret and Liana. Updating them on everything I said. Afterward, I continued.

“I didn’t work so hard on the golem for them to just be used more often. I worked on them to free the slaves and create a new military weapon.”

“Why free slaves,” Margret questioned. Not against the idea but curious about my reasoning.

“Simple.

In Edryan under the Prime Sun,

All Men Are Free.

I want to free the slaves because it is immoral…

and a weakness in our society.”

The three women's eyes widen as I spoke. Sparkling with admiration.

“In Edryan under the Prime Sun, all men are free,” Liana whispered. The words seem to really resonate with her the most as light and determination shone in her eyes.

“That is a brilliant use of language Lawruthian,” my mother said to me. “You will do wonderful once I eventually vacate the throne.”

“Do not worry, I still have plenty of years to go.” My mother said in response to my worried look.

I smiled and continued from where I left off. “Although slavery is not completely harsh in Edryan. It is still bad enough to the point that it creates a weakness in our society. Almost every noble house uses slaves for work and labor. Some are even used for private affairs and documents that should only be seen by the hands of nobles.”

How did I know this? On my third birthday, a few slaves were given to me. It took less than a week for them to tell me the horrors of slavery. Especially after I free them from their binding magical contract.

“I do not have the crafting and artificing houses working on new and improved golems for no reason. They are progressing weekly. Allowing the golems to be used in several manners. From mundane fieldwork to guarding key areas. These golems can replace the use of slave labor. Instead of slavery. I propose to indenture them. To those who have gambled their savings away and owe money. Indenture them. We can create strict guidelines for what rights an indentured person has. They are still a free man, however.”

I wasn’t going to completely remove the concept of working people in a different manner. I was against slavery, but I wasn’t against a truer form of an indentured servant. I still recognized that removing slavery completely would create a vacuum that could cause problems later down the line. The three women continued to look at me in wonder, each is in a different stage. Margret appeared as if she wanted to pick my brains out and study all the secrets within. Liana was looking at me like I was an envoy sent from the heavens. I was. My mother had the look of a proud parent on her face.

I smiled and continued talking about my ideas long into the night.

***

Currently, my ideas were being discussed and refined in the courts. I expanded on several more points. Including scholarships and public education that taught you your letters and math. From ages 10 to 12. I discussed tuition and the price for the crown to fund your tuition if another noble house didn’t. Of course, the crown would offer the best and most stable benefits. Tuition for both schools would require a fifteen-year service to the crown afterward. In the lifespan of a magi human, that was short. I further discussed the details and benefits the crown could provide with my mom. How much would the staff be paid. Whom we could recruit and more. Right now, they were discussing the ramifications of banning slavery. There was no doubt it was going to be banned. The size of the Merit I earned was not small. It was only how exactly we were going to go about it. As the court discussed how to enact these changes. Their cost and benefits.

I returned my attention to the golems. It took two days for me to fully hash the idea out to my mother and her harem. Nevertheless, it was completed. I looked over the recently completed golems from the crafters and artificers. I tasked the crafters with working with stone and different types of dirt. From those that had elemental properties to regular dirt in the ground. On the other hand, the artificers were tasked with creating golems built from metals. Iron, steel, mithril, and several other precious metals. For them, I had a specific set of requirements. They were to try and mimic the human body as closely as possible.

Both had relative success in the golems they created. The full schematics of the golem were to be delivered to me. After all, they were being paid on my dime. The money LSG made went right into investing and expanding LSG. I also began to purchase large swaths of land outside the capital territory. Nothing too far as I wanted to be close enough to transfer materials there. Yet not too near either as I wanted the land as barren as possible. Near some mountains, I found the perfect area. The land was shown to be through divinations. My mother would not allow me to leave the capital territory just yet.

As America had its Area 51 and secret research bases. I proposed we had the same. Such an undertaking and base would be run by a few secret operatives loyal to the crown only. This would only be the first of many. The Edryan had several secret bases throughout the country. Yet I still wanted to establish my own.

Why?

Because there are just some things a man must do before he dies.

I put an MGB-1 in the first of the crafter's golems. Its designation was GEM-1 or Golem Earth Materials. While MGB stood for Military Grade Battery. Observing and recording how the golems moved and reacted to my intent. I and other researchers were assigned to assist me. Took down every observation they could make.

There were a few ways to militarize golems. In dungeons, the monster spawning – adventurer party slaying type, golems were kept alive through the ambient mana of the dungeon. They were undying creatures that required a lot of effort to dismantle unless the dungeon put a weakness such as a core. These cores were usually highly concentrated mana crystals. Meaning if the dungeon was slain the golem could still function for several years. Most were large constructs that would attack either with weapons or their physical bodies. Some even manage to have beam and elemental attacks. I required more from my machines.

I never gave up on the imbued wand idea. I only decided to hold off on the idea for now. It wouldn’t be a great sell to adventurers and the like? Fine. I would find another alternative way for them to be used.

I turned to one of the various staff who waited on me. Since my Merit. My status only rose amongst these people. My word was taken as a sort of law. I was quick to make sure if they thought they had any idea. Regardless of whether they considered it good or bad, they should state it. I did not want to become a god.

I want to be a hero!

“I need all the golems here to have a few runic scripts carved upon them,” I began. Going into detail about what I wanted. Tomorrow I would see the results.

***

My mother and several other officials showed up as I arrived at the facility the next day. Many presents amongst them were military officials. My mom's generals who were stationed all around Edryan teleported in by spatial mages. As far as their troops were concerned, they were still on base. Their troops and any potential spies. I felt nervous because a moment after I showed up ready to conduct the test. These officials appeared.

They did not have the same worshipful gaze the staff had come to foster. Some showed contempt. Some had curiosity. Others just waited in silence. If it was a show they wanted. Then a show they would get.

I walked up to the GEM-1. The runic script I requested on this one was to fire the Tier 1 (Earthen Spike) the very first spell I learn. I inserted the same MGB-1 that was removed from it yesterday. The golem powered on and I commanded it through several basic movements to make sure not much had changed. Once I was certain nothing was out of place. I commanded the golem to raise its arm. I adjusted its aim until it was targeted at one of the test dummies. The staff knew what I wanted the rune scripts for, and they prepared them accordingly. Then I commanded it to provide power to the runic scripts in its arm.

“Fire,” I softly whispered.

The result was instantaneous. The (Earthen Spike) fired from its hand and just off center of the dummies core. The silence was deafening.

“Don’t all applaud at once,” I said in a low whisper.

Forgetting that everyone here was enhanced by their stats and could probably pick up on my hearing. My mother was the first to clap and then others. I looked around at the military officials. All had a new gleam in their eyes as they looked at me and the lines of golems I wanted to test.

“How much,” a grizzly old general asked.

“How much,” I questioned.

“How much is it to produce one of these and equip it with spells?”

Hmmm. I began to consider the prices. If they used an MGB-1 and a GEM-1. The base models I had available. The MGB-1 cost 2 small platinum to make. While the GEM-1 should only cost a small gold.

“Two small platinum and a small gold at base cost. This doesn’t include any spell work. Only counting for the materials and crafters fee in case of the golem.” The GEMs were stiff. I hadn’t even shown them the GMMs. Or Golem Metal Materials.

There were several sharp intakes of breath at the mention of the price.

“What level of spell work do you expect to be able to put on them? How long would they last? What would be the highest cost?” The grizzly general asked. Inching forwards towards me.

Hmmm. I thought about it some more. I wasn’t sure the exact cost but with Margret by my side. I quickly asked for her input. She put up a barrier around us to stop any eavesdroppers. We concluded that it depended on the golem materials. The GEM-1 would only last up to tier 2 maybe 3 if it was lucky. The final version of the GEM or GEM-5. Would be able to take spell tier 5 maybe 6. Again, that was if we were lucky. It was the same for the GMM versions. They were only more flexible and versatile.

“The battery in this golem or the GEM-1 is our MGB-1 battery which holds a charge for two weeks. That is running basic commands such as moving materials and obstacles. If it were to be employed in battle and fight from say… dusk to dawn. We suspect it to last the entire time. Of course, this factors in firing tier 1 spells for their duration. If it was equipped with an MGB-2. I think it could go nonstop fighting for 3-5 days. With an MGB-3 I’d say its maximum operation time nonstop fighting would be a month a minimum.”

There were sharp intakes of breath as I said this and now every other general was beginning to move towards me. Liana and my mother stepped up at this point and the generals backed down. I paused to drink some water and continue.

“An MGB-3 is our longest-performing battery. We expect it to last between 1 and 3 years. It cost one small Edri Coin. The MGB-2 cost 3 large platinum coins.”

“After discussing with Mage Margret, we believe the highest possible spell tier to instill on the golems would be tier five. Six if we’re lucky. I personally believe if we have the right materials, we could go even higher.”

It was silent enough to hear a pin drop in the middle of a haystack.

Then the chaos began.

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