"But these Golems aren't very strong in combat, are they?"
Solitär noticed the look in Fíliya's eyes and immediately went to her side. While Fíliya was thinking, she didn't remain idle either. Seeing the other gem cores nearby, Solitär tried to analyze the magic formulas contained within one.
In her view, the magic formulas inside the core were indeed exquisite, but there were many aspects she couldn't comprehend. Such intricate nested inscriptions, clearly integrating over a dozen different functional inscription magics, could have been used to make the Golems individually much stronger. Yet, their creator chose to sacrifice individual combat power in exchange for linguistic functions and a sense of camaraderie.
What need does a Golem have for such things? Rather than making a group of weak Golems learn to coordinate in battle, it would be better to just build a single, mindless, powerful Golem capable of storing more mana.
At least, that's what Solitär believed.
"Yes, individually, that's certainly true. But, Solitär, the creator of these Golems designed them this way precisely because they held a grand ideal, which is why they are as they are now."
"..."
Solitär didn't reply, merely looking at Fíliya with a puzzled expression.
So, Fíliya continued.
"Solitär, you must have analyzed it too, right? The way these dozen or so magic formulas are nested within each other is so harmonious that even after hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, not a single conflict has arisen... The structure is absolutely exquisite... yet also incredibly [simple]. I have no doubt that the Golem's creator could have gone even further. Not just a dozen, but if she wished, she could have nested even more magic formulas, more functions, into this Golem."
"So, Solitär, why do you think she, despite being capable, ultimately chose not to do so?"
The smile on Fíliya's face grew brighter, and her eyes seemed to hold the twinkle of crushed starlight.
"I don't know..."
Solitär shook her head honestly, almost afraid to look at Fíliya's smile. It was the first time she had seen Fíliya with such a bright, genuinely kind smile, free of any malicious intent... This smile was completely different from her usual teasing smirk and possessed a destructive power all its own.
If the collapsed Golems before them were Fíliya's treasure, then that smile was clearly Solitär's treasure.
"Hmm, my guess is that she did this intentionally. Although she could have continued nesting more functions, further perfecting these Golems, she had to consider making it easy for future generations to understand and replicate. Because this... this is the legacy she left for posterity."
"It's not that she was incapable of increasing the Golems' individual combat strength, but that doing so would have made them much harder for later generations to analyze... What she must have wanted was for her successors to first understand her legacy. As for power, later generations could always improve upon it, after all, the magic formulas she left behind are both exquisite and easy to work with."
"Besides, I discovered something else from these formulas. This Golem seems to come in various models. The five we encountered are combat types, but there are other models for tidying rooms, tilling fields, cooking automatically, and so on... This is just fascinating."
"From this point, I can roughly guess what kind of person she was. It's truly incredible. To have such profound magical attainments and yet love humanity so much. The purpose behind her Golem creation seems to be entirely for the ideal of [making life better for future generations]."
"It's precisely because they needed to serve humans that she added the seemingly unnecessary and performance-hindering [linguistic function]... Just how good a person could she be... honestly."
Fíliya chuckled softly, her hand stroking back and forth over the gem core.
Solitär, on the other hand, wore a thoughtful expression, still processing Fíliya's words. But just then, Aura interjected.
"Uh, are you saying some human mage who lived hundreds, or even thousands of years ago, created Golems to serve future generations just to make their lives easier? Is she insane?"
Aura scratched her head, completely unable to comprehend why any human would do such a thing.
"Hmph, Aura, this is the difference between humans and the Demon Race. Your kind would never leave anything behind for your weaker descendants, would you? Perhaps that's the core reason for your defeat."
"Uh..."
Aura was at a loss for words.
"And she's no lunatic; she's a true saint. Ah... Solitär, see? Humans are super complex, aren't they? Monsters more cold-blooded and cruel than any demon can often appear among them, but when they are good, they can give rise to truly selfless saints. Solitär, if you really want to understand humanity, to study them thoroughly, you can't just rely on chance encounters... One day, you'll have to walk among the crowds. Yes, with me."
...Still lost in thought, Solitär felt her heart tremble slightly upon hearing Fíliya's words.
Fíliya's casual remark seemed to contain another new promise.
It also made Solitär realize something: her title of "humanity expert" was likely undeserved. After all, how could a "humanity expert" possibly be afraid of crowds... especially compared to Fíliya, who actively approached the Demon Race and even lived with a demon like herself.
Her own "purity" in the subject was simply too low.
"Oh, right. I also discovered something interesting."
As she said this, Fíliya's gaze towards Aura finally revealed a hint of mockery.
"Hm?"
Aura froze, not understanding why the flavor of Fíliya's smile had suddenly changed.
"Hehe, while I was studying these Golems just now, I also discovered that their creator seems to have designated your Demon Race as the greatest threat, the kind that needs to be prioritized for elimination. It seems even humans from a thousand years ago thoroughly detested demons."
Fíliya said with a smile.
"N-No... that can't be right? Weren't we standing right here just now? Those five hunks of metal were clearly attacking that Earth Dragon."
Aura retorted.
"Hmm... regarding that point, perhaps it's because I was present? Besides, when we encountered them, they were already at war with a Monster. We were relatively far away. Even if the Demon Race has a higher priority, they couldn't just abandon an opponent they were already fighting... Once the Earth Dragon was dead, didn't they immediately surround you two and prepare to attack?"
Fíliya continued to stare at Aura with a provocative gaze.
_____
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