"Woah, action figures turning into real people!" Akane exclaimed, though her voice was still full of admiration, she seemed a bit overwhelmed.
Although this wasn't the first time she'd witnessed events beyond reason, seeing six living figures suddenly appear from inanimate objects was still an experience she couldn't fully accept yet.
"They're not human. They're automatons." Azlan corrected while observing the six girls before him.
"Automaton?" Akane repeated, furrowing her brow. The term sounded foreign. "Like robots or dolls?"
"Automatons are autonomous dolls fitted with magic circuits. Usually, there are two types of magic circuits in them: Eve's Heart which allows them to have autonomous movement, artificial intelligence, and their own limited will; and other specific magic circuits that allow them to use certain types of magic arts."
"An automaton requires a puppeteer to send magic energy into it to function, and when damaged, they can recover faster when someone is nearby."
That was the basic knowledge about Automatons he received from the Light Orb, Azlan was merely repeating it.
"Stand."
Following his command, the six automatons rose from their dogeza position.
"Looking more closely... Hard to believe they're dolls. Their appearance is no different from real humans. Even... their beauty could easily make them famous stars in the entertainment industry."
Akane approached them carefully. She stopped in front of a girl with long straight pink hair and a veil inscribed with the character 'Fire'.
Then she lifted the veil on the girl's face, revealing a beautiful but flat face, expressionless, like a perfect porcelain doll—which was indeed true.
"Hotaru. Don't resist."
Through the mental bond between him and the six Automatons, Azlan could sense the automaton named Hotaru preparing to take defensive action when touched by Akane.
"Yes, Master."
Hotaru abandoned her intention to attack, allowing Akane to touch her cheek.
"So soft... Her skin is no different from a girl who regularly does beauty treatments."
Not satisfied with just examining Hotaru, Akane moved to another automaton—a girl with long blue hair tied in a ponytail, with the character 'Sickle' on her veil.
"Let her do whatever she wants, Kamakiri."
Just as before, Azlan who sensed Kamakiri's rejection of Akane, commanded her to comply.
"Understood, Master."
Kamakiri lowered her hand that had almost moved, allowing Akane to touch her body.
"Other worlds are amazing. Their technology develops in a very different direction from my original world."
Realizing the automatons' defensive reactions toward her, Akane decided not to touch them carelessly anymore. She returned to Azlan's side, observing them one by one from a safe distance.
"My name is Kurokawa Akane. My relationship with your Master, Azlan-kun, hmmm... roommates? Anyway, I'm under his care. Nice to meet you all."
"..."
The six automaton girls just looked at each other, appearing confused about how to respond to Akane's informal introduction. Finally, they simultaneously turned their gazes to Azlan, waiting for further instructions.
"Introduce yourselves one by one. Starting with Hotaru."
Unlike Akane who needed to go through the normal introduction process, Azlan had already received complete information about the names and basic abilities of each automaton through the bond formed when they acknowledged him as Master. But for Akane, this introduction process was necessary.
"Hotaru."
"Kamakiri."
Akane already knew the names of the two young girls she'd touched. She smiled while nodding lightly.
"Tamamushi."
Tamamushi had short layered lime-colored hair extending to her chin, and her veil inscribed with the character 'Jade'.
"Kagerou."
Kagerou had long wavy bluish-white hair, almost reaching her hips, with a veil inscribed with the character 'Dragonfly'.
"Himegumo."
Himegumo had long straight purple hair tied high into twin tails, with bangs hanging on the sides of her face. Bandages wrapped around her arms and hands. Her veil was inscribed with the character 'Spider'.
"Mitsubachi."
Mitsubachi had short, straight orange hair, only ear-length. Her veil was inscribed with the character 'Bee'. Among them, her body was the most wrapped in bandages—encircling her head, face, and forming intricate cross patterns.
The six automatons wore clothing inspired by late 19th-century aesthetics: black mullet-style dresses with purple stripes, adorned with frills, lace, and silvery cords tied at the waist and hanging down the back. The inner skirt was light pink, with low-heeled dark red mary jane shoes. Copper ornaments with curved horns adorned their heads, along with a square piece of black cloth.
"It seems they're a set of automatons called a 'Squadron'."
As for each one's specific abilities, Azlan decided not to explain them to Akane right now. It would be easier to let her see for herself later than try to describe the magic and combat power contained in each 'insect' represented by their names and characters.
"How strong is your combat power?"
As their new puppeteer, Azlan needed to accurately evaluate this asset. Sending them to the battlefield without knowing their capability limits was reckless action that could be fatal.
Moreover, if these intricate-looking Automatons were damaged, he had no knowledge or tools whatsoever to repair them.
As if appointed as spokesperson, Hotaru stepped forward.
"According to our creator, Akabane Tenze-sama, our combined combat power is comparable to several warships."
"Several warships?! You... are very strong?! Indeed, can't judge someone by their appearance, huh..."
Akane's eyes widened, shaking her head, feeling once again her understanding of the world needed updating. Though it sounded extraordinary, she was inclined to believe it.
Unlike humans, a mechanical doll that obeyed the Master's commands had no reason to boast or exaggerate.
Azlan remained calm. His mind spun quickly.
(Looking at the clothes they wear, 19th-century aesthetics, the civilization of their original world likely hasn't reached the 20th century in pure technology. Of course, their direction of development must be different due to the magic power system and automatons.)
(But they don't seem to have completely abandoned conventional technology. Instead, they may have integrated magic and technology, creating sophisticated machines like these Automatons.)
"Try describing the warship you mean."
Azlan wanted to get a more concrete picture. The power of "several warships" could vary greatly depending on the era and type.
Hotaru nodded obediently, and answered without hiding anything.
"The warships that our creator used as reference are the main ships of the Royal Navy of Great Britain. Specifically, the King George V or Queen Elizabeth class."
"These ships have lengths of about 220 to 250 meters, widths of 31 to 33 meters, with full displacement reaching 40,000 to 45,000 tons."
"Their main armament consists of 14 to 16 inch caliber guns (356 to 406 mm) capable of firing armor-piercing projectiles weighing 700 to 950 kilograms to distances over 30 kilometers. Their armor plating has thickness up to 15 inches (380 mm) in the hull and gun turrets."
"They are also equipped with dozens of smaller caliber anti-aircraft weapons, early mechanical-electrical fire control systems, and capable of reaching speeds of 24 to 28 knots."
She paused briefly, her dark red eyes visible through the veil remaining fixed on Azlan.
"Our offensive power is measured from the magic energy output we need to penetrate or destroy such ships, as well as our attack speed and range. Our strength lies not only in raw output, but also in the variety of magic elements and our ability to work together in squadron formation."
"So, you're anti-warship weapons..."
That power far exceeded the enemy he had just faced. If he could have deployed these six Automatons earlier, he wouldn't have needed to use Balance Breaker to defeat the Winter Shogun.
"I understand. Thank you, Hotaru." Azlan nodded.
He knew he had just obtained an extremely valuable treasure. And it was all thanks to Akane!