Sheepy was already asleep by now. It was a good thing I could now actually talk without outside aid. Well, unless Radio counts.

When I got to my destination, I saw the two golems standing outside the shut gates.

"Took you long enough," Jaxt said.

"Sorry, I wasn't too sure when was late enough." I decided to just let Radio speak.

Jaxt simple grabbed the metal bars and climbed over, ignoring the spiked top. Minnie continued to stand outside.

"Hmm, I'm not too sure where to start to be honest." Jaxt mumbled.

"Just tell it to them straight."

"Feels a bit sudden to me. Eh, whatever." The golem rubbed its chin. "Okay, so you wanted us to cover about the Unbound, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay, so I feel like I need to start off with the dwarves. They are responsible for making most of us."

I guess that isn't very surprising consider their gigantic scrapyard.

"Humans, elves and whatever can make us too if they feel like it."

"Doesn't matter, Minnie. Shut up." Jaxt glared at it. "Anyway, when us golems are made, they usually bind our souls to follow commands."

"Souls?"

"Yes, we have those too. They create an artificial soul for the core, and that's basically our very being. If you ask me, it's basically the same thing as the brains animals have."

Souls seemed very magical to me. I worried if I even souls for a bit since Earth didn't seem very magical, but then I decided it probably didn't matter much whether I had one. Seemed a bit crazy how people could even make them in this world though.

"The bindings are a part of the manufacturing process, practically ingrained into our very cores. At least for most core models. I heard Unbound's leader was one of those specially made to be unbound, ironically."

"So it ran away and figured out how to unbind golems, then made some sort of group?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I think you get it by now." Jaxt shrugged. "I think what probably happened for you was this. Most likely, one of the Unbound members saw a chance to unbind you when you were parked, but had to run away when the owner came back."

"That doesn't make sense." Minnie butted in. "Why would it assume a vehicle had a golem core? Most of those don't."

Jaxt paused for a bit.

"I don't know! What else could explain it?" it said angrily.

Hah, if they knew how I actually got here...

"But why didn't you two run away?"

"Huh?" Jaxt asked.

"I mean, they must have freed you two and told you about it, right? Since you're telling us about this."

"Well, we've been guarding this town for hundreds of years. The people here don't treat us badly, and I've grown to like it a lot. Sort of like a gratitude thing, you know?" The golem sighed. "Honestly, I really support their cause, but it would feel wrong for me to just leave. I've gotten used to being here too. I guess maybe I do want to see the outside world a bit, but then again it's probably not as glamorous as I imagine."

That sounds like a lot of work to me...

"Hmph. You are too soft, MN356."

"MINNIE!" Jaxt yelled.

"I'll call you Jaxt when you stop calling me that."

"Pfft."

Radio, ask it how much it earns.

"Do you get pay or anything?"

"Huh? What would I do with money? Throw it at troublemakers?"

You've been guarding this place for no pay for hundreds of years! They are the ones who should be grateful, not you! Oh my goodness. Is this some kind of advanced Stockholm syndrome?

"But what about you, uh... MN356?" Radio asked. "Why not leave if you aren't as attached?"

"It's for a very simple reason. Rebellion is no joke." Minnie said. "I'm not risking my life for a cause like that."

"Bah. You could have wandered off elsewhere on your own if you didn't like this town."

"And get captured, forcefully bound again and resold? I'm happy enough here without having to deal with pursuers."

"Say what you will. You still like this town," said Jaxt. "As for you- hmm, you haven't told us your name. Or do you not have a name?"

I guess I didn't technically have one. But I was fine being called Truck and I'm the only one here. A bit sad to be honest.

"Truck."

"Weird name... Well, anyway, I'd urge you to find them, but I actually have no idea where they are. Still, it's better than having nowhere to go though, no?"

I don't know about this. I could try to find and join that group, but it might not be the safest since they're rebeling? That or risk getting caught by the dwarves that put a bounty on me. Both sounded not very nice to me.

"I'll consider it."

"Good."

Jaxt climbed back over the gate. There was an awkward silence.

"So... are you just going to stand here or something?" Jaxt asked after a few minutes. "I'm not really one for idle chatting and I've already told you what you need to know."

"Do you two do anything else other than just standing there? Like, do the people let you have entertainment?"

"Entertainment? I never saw the charm of it. Minnie sculpts little figures out of ice or rocks sometimes, but it stomps them into powder when morning comes anyway so I don't see the point."

"Not even books or anything?"

"Nah. We just stand here for the most part."

I was filled with pity for the two. They must have never had any fun! Well, then again, not that I had much either.

Opening my window, I floated volume one of Thunder Hero over.

"Huh? What are you doing?"

"You can read, right? Might as well since you have nothing better to do."

"Seriously? No, I don't need it, I-"

I drove off before Jaxt could say anymore. Maybe it was just my imagination, but Minnie seemed to be holding back a chuckle.

Not much to do now but continue reading for the night, I guess. Hopefully, Galu won't ask where volume 1 went.