Chapter 117
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Golemancy Genius
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After all the matchups were decided, Pernyan returned to the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.
“Are you going to forfeit?”
But Ruina, who had followed him, asked.
“Why do you think that?”
“Your expression says so.”
“I certainly have no hobby of wasting time on matters with a foregone conclusion, but I never said I would forfeit.”
“So you won’t?”
“I never said that either.”
Pernyan shrugged.
Of course, he was leaning toward forfeiture. It would be better to focus on the loser’s bracket than to fight Ruina.
‘They’re holding a loser’s bracket for the defeated to finalize the rankings.’
He had to at least stay in the top ten to avoid being kicked out of La Vie Douce.
“I truly wish to have a proper fight with you.”
“With me? Why?”
“There is no opponent quite like you.”
“I’m just a mere merchant.”
“A mere merchant cannot kill a demon’s summon with a single strike.”
“There’s a flaw in that statement. It wasn’t me who did that…”
*Thump!*
Wooden, hanging around his neck, shot its hand up.
“Right, this one did it.”
“Wooden is your golem. Therefore, it was your doing. You may fight with Wooden.”
“The use of artifacts is forbidden in this Unified Exam.”
“I believe golems are treated as magic, not artifacts.”
She was right about that. But he had no intention of revealing Wooden to the world just to win some Unified Exam.
“Not possible.”
Wooden was, after all, his ultimate weapon.
A shield and sword that would protect Pernyan in the final, final moment.
“Why are you so obsessed with fighting?”
“Do you think I’m some battle-crazed maniac?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“I simply do not wish to be a burden.”
“A burden? You, a burden?”
What kind of trash-eyed fool would call a genuine Royal Knight a burden?
“It’s not something I heard from anyone, just my own thoughts.”
“Why? You’re the winner of the jousting tournament.”
“But I couldn’t fight properly against Andromalius.”
“You won, though.”
“If not for Aint’s light, Andromalius’s power would not have been weakened.”
If not for the trap you set, Pernyan, it would not have revealed an opening.
If not for you and Wooden, I would not have been able to kill that serpent.
And if not for the timely help of Verian and Aria, there were one or two moments I might have died.
“Without the joint attack with Aint, I would not have been able to finish Andromalius, even when it was on the brink of death.”
Ruina’s voice was stiff, and her eyes grew colder. Her fingertips trembled, as if recalling that memory.
“That thing is a demon of legend. Aren’t you setting the bar a little too high?”
“A legend, but now it is reality. Pernyan, you know this better than anyone, don’t you? That thing is just the beginning. Do you believe we can always rely on Aint’s help?”
“…”
Pernyan fell silent at her piercing words.
“Above all, demonic beasts are lurking in the north of Bercefe. Are you certain there are no demons among them?”
She was right. A greater chaos was coming in the future.
Countless demons would be summoned, and legions of demonic beasts would sweep across the continent.
“I have a duty to subjugate them and stabilize Bercefe.”
Aint couldn't be there for every single one.
Could she be certain there would never be a situation where she had to face a demon alone?
‘…She’s better than me.’
Pernyan admitted to himself that he had been too blindly faithful to the Prophecy Book.
Because they were summoned one by one in the book, he assumed they would always appear one by one. But just because it was that way now, would it always be?
No, the future had already been twisted. It wouldn't be strange if dozens of demons were summoned right this moment.
I have to get stronger. To survive, I must become stronger.
How pathetic was it that Ruina, without the Prophecy Book, understood this fact more clearly than he did?
“…I understand, Ruina. I will also do my best.”
“Thank you.”
Ruina bowed her head deeply.
She didn't touch the chocolate even as she left.
And then, the next day arrived.
“Begin!”
“…”
“…”
The referee announced the start of the match, but both Pernyan and Ruina merely glared at each other, unmoving.
“Ruina, I’m going to fight with the intention of winning.”
“The intention of winning, not to win?”
“Your words yesterday did give me a shock, but it doesn’t change the fact that my calling is that of a merchant.”
If Ruina had resolved to become stronger with demons and the future in mind, Pernyan had resolved to raise talented individuals like her to be stronger and more reliable.
He was a merchant.
Not one who fought directly, but one who supported the warriors from behind.
This time was no different. He had no intention of actually defeating Ruina.
Though he wouldn't mind pushing her to her limits to give her more experience.
*Tap—*
Pernyan chanted an incantation, lightly tapping the floor with his staff.
It was the signal for the magic to manifest.
*Swoosh—*
The ground beneath Ruina’s feet turned to sand. The flowing quicksand began to rapidly suck her in.
But Ruina escaped the quicksand more easily than expected. A faint blue light coated her feet.
In the blink of an eye, her body shot forward.
The roughly 20-meter gap closed in an instant. A fist of rock rose to block her path, but it only bought half a second before vanishing.
*Crunch—*
An enraged aura tore at Pernyan’s throat. Along with the falling head, his afterimage disappeared.
A shadow fell over her head.
A massive rock. No, rocks.
Could she dodge?
No. The rocks covered the entire arena.
He said he was weak? A human who could manifest magic of this scale in such a short time without the help of an artifact?
With a smirk, Ruina honed her aura, making it even sharper.
───!
Rock and sword collided. A shockwave spread out.
The sword split the largest rock in half, but it was no simple stone.
It was a bludgeon, reinforced with mana, harder than steel.
“You shouldn’t let your guard down.”
A moment of hesitation from the strong recoil, and in its wake, Pernyan’s voice was heard.
And the rock that had been split clean in two closed again, as if it had a will of its own.
*Craaash!*
The roar and impact were enough to crush an ordinary person in an instant.
But Ruina endured. Her body shuddered from the unexpected blow, but that was all.
She calmly shattered the rock and emerged. As if it had been waiting, she leaped into the center of the flames that filled her vision.
It was hot. Did Pernyan have this level of mastery in fire magic as well?
But it wasn't unbearable.
She tightened her grip on her sword and took her stance.
She swung her sword. A roaring lion of aura completely parted the flames.
A path to Pernyan opened.
*Boom!*
She closed the distance with enough force to crack the arena floor.
But she was too late. Her sword pierced his heart, but once again, he scattered like a mirage.
And the price for her attack immediately fell upon her.
An earthquake. The arena split in two and swallowed her.
It wasn't dark. Flames flickered from far below.
And above, a countless amount of sand completely filled any path of escape.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“Then will you surrender?”
A voice answered from an unknown location.
“As if I would. This is what I wished for.”
Her grip on her sword tightened. A blue light enveloped Ruina’s entire body.
She swung her sword just like that. Towards the floor.
Her aura devoured all the flames.
And then came a series of strikes.
A hole appeared in the pitch-black sky. Ruina threw herself through it.
A roaring lion ascended toward the sky.
And then.
“…A golem?!”
A giant blocked the lion’s ascent.
*Craaaaaash!*
The golem’s blunt fist crushed the lion. Ruina tumbled to the ground faster than she had risen.
“Ugh, I thought you said you wouldn’t use a golem?”
“Did I say that?”
He hadn't. He'd said he wouldn't use Wooden, not a golem.
*Thud.* The golem that landed with a clamor was indeed not Wooden. But a golem’s sheer size and durability were powerful weapons in their own right.
‘The best way to deal with a golem is to target the golemancer controlling it…!’
Her thoughts were cut short by the golem charging forward with heavy footfalls. Pernyan knew the golem’s weakness as well. He wouldn't give her an easy opening.
A massive, three-meter-long aura surged from her sword.
If the opponent was giant, she just had to prepare a sword to match.
Ruina and the golem crossed paths.
───!
A deafening roar shook the fractured ground.
‘This is no ordinary golem!’
Ruina gritted her teeth against the unexpectedly brute force. Her muscles screamed in protest.
Still, she had managed to sever the golem’s arm in exchange, so it was a worthwhile trade.
She moved in to finish the golem.
*Thump—*
It would have been possible, had another golem not just landed behind her.
“…Two of them?”
She had only ever heard of a golemancer controlling two golems at once a single time.
“Being constantly connected to Wooden has made me see the world through a golem’s eyes more often.”
Thanks to that, controlling golems has become much easier. To the point where I can handle two with ease.
“…And you still say you’re weak!”
As Ruina screamed, the two golems charged at her.
* * *
“…I lost.”
“Hah, hah…!”
A sword was pointed at Pernyan’s throat.
“Can’t you surrender after I hit you just once?”
“I have no hobby of getting hit. I surrender. Unconditional surrender.”
Pernyan didn't resist and immediately admitted defeat. Ruina slumped to the ground with a frustrated sigh, panting heavily.
Anyone watching might think the winner and loser had been switched, but it couldn't be helped.
“I shouldn’t have brought out the third one. It was too much.”
“As soon as it became three, their individual movements did become a little unnatural.”
He had summoned another one thinking two wouldn't be enough, but it had created problems with his control, making it less efficient than just having two.
But that wasn't particularly important.
“Crazy, he controlled three golems at once?”
“Was Pernyan always this strong? This isn’t just a matter of having a lot of mana from drinking elixirs.”
“Wow, controlling three golems simultaneously? No wonder he’s the top student.”
“This isn’t about being the top student. Isn’t the Golemancy professor’s limit two?”
“And he’s supposed to be the best among golemancers!”
The very fact that he could control three golems, and that he had pushed Ruina to a corner, had stunned everyone.
“And what about Ruina, who broke through all that to win?”
“She’s a monster. Did you see the state of the golems? They were completely trashed.”
“Her aura was insane. When did she get so strong?”
“Guess it wasn’t a fluke that she beat Rob-sunbaenim.”
“If you thought that was a fluke, your eyes must be just for decoration.”
The students endlessly expressed their admiration for the battle between Pernyan and Ruina.
It was a spectacular match, with not a single dull moment from start to finish.
“Good work.”
Pernyan extended his hand. Ruina accepted it without refusal and stood up.
“I almost lost.”
“I told you. I was fighting with the intention of winning.”
“Even so, I never thought you’d use three golems…”
“I’m regretting it.”
“Pardon?”
“I never imagined you’d smash all three to pieces. It’d be cheaper to build new ones than to repair them.”
He hadn't expected her to mince them up so completely that they were beyond repair.
“To think of such things even in this situation… They were surprisingly tough and persistent, so I had no choice.”
“That’s because they were specially modified. Anyway, I’m putting the cost of the golems on your tab.”
“…It’s your fault for bringing them out.”
*Ahem.* Ruina avoided Pernyan’s gaze. Just then, the professor grabbed Ruina’s arm and raised it.
“The winner! Ruina Bercefe!”
The winner had been decided.
* * *
The entire academy was buzzing about the Unified Exam.
But not everyone was.
Harkon Pallas, a professor whose lectures had little to do with combat, was one such person.
“This is why I like being in a niche field.”
If he had gone into the combat side of things, he’d have to supervise all those students during the Unified Exam.
But Harkon Pallas, the professor of 『Golem Magic Engineering』, had no need for that.
Although golems had a long history of being recognized and incorporated as a formal type of magic, their practicality had long rendered them a niche subject.
It was unavoidable.
When controlling a golem, the caster had to focus entirely on it, leaving them completely defenseless.
This made them ill-suited for combat.
Their most practical use was as heavy machinery in mines or at construction sites, but no one learned magic to do that kind of work.
“Fools who don’t know the beauty of golems.”
Professor Harkon pushed up his monocle.
They didn’t understand. The true value of golems was not in such trivial things.
How could they look upon these large, beautiful, and powerful machines and only have such paltry thoughts?
Harkon wanted to put them in their place one day.
By creating the ideal that all golemancers pursued: the Auto Golem.
‘If I create an Auto Golem, the entire landscape of the magic world will be overturned.’
Not a golem that had to be linked to and controlled by a mage, but one that could be instructed with simple commands by engraving instructions into it.
He had only just grasped a clue, and it would take a long time of research and refinement before it bore fruit, but that didn't matter.
There was at least a glimmer of possibility.
‘I was originally planning to announce this at the Continental Academic Conference to pull in some investment funds…’
Among all fields of magic research, golemancy was particularly expensive.
The academy’s research grant alone wasn’t enough, so he had planned to hit it big this time, but the Vile Breed incident had thrown a wrench in his plans.
‘Once I create the blueprints, I can look for investors…’
But perhaps because of his wandering thoughts, he kept hitting walls with the design today.
He crumpled up the paper in frustration and tossed it into the trash can.
“Professor Harkon, are you in?”
Just then, someone came to his research lab.
“Ah, Professor Nania.”
It was Nania Veris, the professor of 『Introduction to Spirit Studies』, who had recently been appointed from Friedien.
A professor of a niche subject in a different sense—spirit-sensitives were rare—just like 『Golem Magic Engineering』.
The two niche professors had become quite friendly.
“What can I do for you?”
“Are you not going to watch the Unified Exam?”
“I’ll pass. What is there for me to see?”
It wasn't as if any of the students used golems.
“I don’t know about that. I think something happened yesterday that might interest you.”
“Something that would interest me?”
Professor Nania handed him the newspaper she had brought.
【The Daily Academy】
【The Big Match Is Finally Here! Second-Year Knight Department Top Student and Jousting Champion, Ruina Bercefe, versus Second-Year Magic Department Top Student, Pernyan Fallenberg. A Clash of Titans!】
【Everyone Predicted Ruina’s Overwhelming Victory, But an Unexpected Result Emerges!】
【Pernyan Fallenberg Controlled Three Golems Simultaneously. A Golemancy Genius in Disguise?】
【Three Golems in the Unified Exam! Pushed Ruina Bercefe to Her Limits! Can Golems Be Used in Actual Combat?】
The newspaper focused on the duel between Ruina Bercefe and Pernyan Fallenberg, the top students of their respective departments in the second year.
That in itself wasn't strange. A battle between top students, regardless of year, was always a hot topic.
But that wasn't what Harkon Pallas focused on.
“…Controlled three golems simultaneously?”
His jaw dropped.
Not one, not two, but three? Was that even possible?
“Yes. He controlled three golems at once and cornered Ruina Bercefe.”
“…Is, is this for real?”
“Of course. I saw it with my own two eyes from my seat.”
“Good heavens…”
“I suppose summoning three must be a really big deal? I don’t know much about golems…”
“It’s more than just a big deal!”
Harkon Pallas was quite an authority in the field of Golem Magic Engineering. No, not just quite an authority—a considerable one.
At least within the Empire, there was no golemancer superior to him, and he suspected the same might hold true for both continents combined.
“Even for me, two is the limit…!”
All current golems were of the type directly controlled by a golemancer.
They were linked by mana and moved like one’s own body. Controlling two machines simultaneously was like controlling two bodies with a single mind.
Let alone three…
No, that wasn’t all. In the first place, controlling a golem was impossible without knowledge and understanding of them.
To control three golems at once meant that his understanding of golems was just that high.
“…If this is true, that boy Pernyan is a genius! A golemancy genius!”
“I see.”
“This isn’t something you can just say ‘I see’ to! This boy is someone who must dedicate his life to golemancy!”
Professor Harkon’s face turned beet red.
A talent.
A once-in-a-generation genius in golemancy, the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades, since Harkon himself. A being he absolutely had to get his hands on.
“This boy must pursue golemancy! Why is he wasting his mind on that damned earth magic?”
Leaping to his feet, Professor Harkon tossed aside his research papers and bolted out the door.
“Pernyan! Where are you!”
“Uh…”
Left alone, Professor Nania let out a hollow laugh.
“Was it that big of a deal?”
Then again, Professor Nania would have been just as shocked if a student had simultaneously summoned dozens of spirits.
“So there was a reason Aria told me to keep a close eye on Pernyan Fallenberg.”
The shock must have been on that level.
“Anyway, I just came to make some interesting conversation, and now this.”
The Electors did not welcome Friedien.
It was only natural that the professors influenced by the Electors did not welcome Professor Nania, who had become a professor with Friedien’s backing.
That was why she had approached Professor Harkon first, who had few connections with the other professors…
“I wonder if I can increase Friedien’s influence in the academy. It’s so difficult.”
She sighed and left the now-empty research lab.