Chapter 48
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Golem
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"Your Majesty. Please reconsider."
"I have already refused."
"Your Majesty!"
In the audience chamber deep within the imperial palace of the Holy Empire Yukram's capital—known as the heart of the empire—a blond knight clad in ornate silver armor knelt before the figure on the throne, addressing him as "Your Majesty" while voicing his plea.
Despite being over eighty years old, the knight maintained the youthful vigor of a man in his twenties. His honed muscles and eyes of unfathomable depth marked him as a warrior of legend.
Lumen, the Hero of Radiance.
One of the six pinnacle warriors on the entire continent—the 5-star heroes—and the mentor to Chris, the 3-star hero who had recently been returned to the Return Temple as a mangled corpse.
"My disciple was killed. And you're telling me to sit idly by?"
"Lumen. You know your position well enough. Understand the weight of your seat and do not act rashly. You must realize that the moment you leave the capital, the demon tribes—who are always eyeing our empire—will make their move."
"But, Your Majesty!"
Sitting before him on a throne radiating brilliant light was the man at the center of the Holy Empire Yukram: the current emperor, said to be of "God's Lineage."
His face obscured by the halo innate only to the imperial bloodline, the emperor issued his solemn command to the kneeling Lumen.
"My decision stands. Hero of Radiance, focus on your duty. With the demon tribes showing unusual activity, I forbid you from acting on your own."
"...Understood."
In the end, unable to sway the emperor's resolve, Lumen bowed his head and accepted the order. Intellectually, he understood. His mere presence served as a deterrent to the demons; he couldn't move recklessly at a time like this.
Yet the news of his diligent disciple's death—who had always strived to keep pace with his master, even at great personal cost—was enough to numb his reason.
"Lumen. Instead, I grant you authority to select the team to dispatch to that dungeon. You'll learn the details at the temple."
Having rejected Lumen's request, the emperor offered him this concession instead. He wouldn't allow Lumen to move personally, but neither did he intend to leave that newborn dungeon—which had already devoured several heroes—unchecked.
Even if they decided to "preserve" the dungeon, they had to recover the holy relics swallowed within. Holy relics were priceless treasures, the very power that allowed humans to triumph over vile demons.
Naturally, they were already selecting personnel for the dispatch, and the emperor granted Lumen decision-making authority over the team.
"Hero of Radiance Lumen, you have received His Majesty's exalted command."
With no other choice, Lumen accepted this limited authority and departed the audience chamber.
Once Lumen had left, the emperor turned to his waiting ministers.
"What of the analysis on 'that item' brought back with the hero?"
"Well, you see..."
The mysterious garment binding the arm of Chris, who had returned to the Return Temple as a cold corpse. Its bizarre form was unlike anything seen on the continent, raising countless suspicions.
"It matches no known fibers or materials we have on record. Cross-verified by the high priests, it shows no trace of demonic energy and possesses infinite durability akin to a holy relic."
"Hm. A genuine new holy relic, then?"
A material beyond human knowledge. Infinite durability. It bore all the hallmarks of a true "holy relic," yet unidentified.
However, the temple's main archives held records of every holy relic that had ever appeared on the continent. None matched this garment's description.
"A new dungeon... and now a new holy relic..."
The emperor, who had tentatively classified the garment as a holy relic, let out a deep sigh.
'What in the world is happening on this continent?'
Sensing a new wind blowing across the land.
After recovering Desmond's legacy(?) and leaving the enigmatic wall painting behind, I returned to the garden and immediately used the Dungeon Merchant Summon.
"Oh my! Calling us so soon..."
As Kenchi had mentioned, a different Gord tribesman appeared at the dungeon entrance—not Kenchi. They all looked pretty much the same to me, though.
"What do you need? Information? Powerful gear? Or food to feed your troops?"
"You sell monsters too, right?"
"Of course! That's our mainstay. The monsters available for immediate purchase are around this level..."
Ignoring the dungeon merchant's sales pitch, I stated my intent to buy "monsters" right away.
After hearing about the merchant's wares from Kenchi earlier and pondering during the collection of Desmond's legacy(?), I'd reached a conclusion. To prepare for incoming invaders, I needed to increase my numbers first.
There were magic circles and weapons for dungeon installation, but you needed personnel to use them, right? And the monsters I chose were...
"Ho ho. Golems, eh... An excellent choice."
"Yeees..."
I purchased ten massive Iron Golems, each about 3 meters tall and made of steel, and twenty slightly smaller Stone Golems made of rock.
"Golems may be slow and simple in movement, but their exceptional durability makes them quite useful. Plus, their strength suits them for labor too... A fine choice."
The dungeon merchant praised my selection, but I had reasons beyond what he mentioned.
First, golems don't eat food or wear clothes, so maintenance costs are virtually zero.
Second, most monsters are vulnerable to holy power wielded by human priests, but golems have no such weakness.
Third, they don't shed fur or anything, so they're incredibly clean.
'That's pretty important too.'
I said it half-jokingly, but no matter how much I fortified, I couldn't forget the [Main Quest]. The quest I suspected was why I'd been summoned here. Arming up only to fill the ruins with filthy monsters and let it get constantly dirty would defeat the purpose.
And one more thing I'd thought of—I'd try that after the merchant left.
"No traps? Nothing beats them for defending fixed positions."
"Already have some."
I glanced at the traps but passed. On closer inspection, none outperformed the ones already installed in these ruins. The decent ones were ridiculously expensive anyway...
Next, I bought a rather unusual plant.
"Bloodwood, huh... Quite the unique pick. This peculiar tree produces blood like an animal. It's sometimes used to hunt monsters drawn by the scent..."
Among the catalog items was a tree that produced blood. I'd whispered to Erzsebet, who confirmed that while lower quality, the blood from Bloodwood could restore some strength and memories.
If Erzsebet could drink the infinite blood from the [High-Pressure Cleaner], I wouldn't need this... but here's hoping it proves worth the investment in her.
After completing the purchase and seeing the merchant off, gazing at my thirty new golems filled me with a sense of security. Now it was time to try that idea from earlier.
'It looks like a perfect fit, doesn't it?'
-[Robot Vacuum (lv.1)]: A robot that moves autonomously and cleans!
Leaving the [Robot Vacuum] diligently cleaning near the entrance, I bought another from the [Shop]. Then I approached an Iron Golem emitting a low mechanical hum.
"Yeees..."
On the golem's chest, where a low machine-like sound emanated, a gem-like object pulsed with green light.
'That's the core, right?'
The merchant had explained during purchase: Regardless of type—Stone Golem, Iron Golem, etc.—all golem-type monsters have a core that's their lifeline. Even the toughest body stops functioning if the core is destroyed.
But conversely, as long as the core is intact, the golem regenerates its body indefinitely. Protecting the core is paramount...
"Hey, you there. Try slotting this in. Oh, perfect fit."
"Yees?"
I placed the [Robot Vacuum]—about the size of a small cushion—over the golem's exposed core. It covered it exactly, and the light from the core vanished.
"Erzsebet. Attack where the core was, would you?"
"Durability test?"
Erzsebet, who had been watching quietly, conjured a small blood spear at my command and tossed it lightly at the golem like a probe.
-Kclang!
"Ho ho."
As if it were nothing, the [Robot Vacuum] layered over the core effortlessly deflected Erzsebet's blood spear. Impressed, she then drew her massive scythe—the one she used in real combat—and swung down at the golem.
-Kwaaaang!!!
The impact shattered part of the golem's body—it couldn't withstand it fully. As dust settled and I worried it might actually be broken, the golem reappeared: body cracked and partially crumbled, but the core perfectly preserved.
"Great!"
"Tch...!"
As expected, the [Robot Vacuum] served excellently as a shield for the core. Satisfied, I was about to end the test when I glanced aside. Erzsebet was drawing far more blood, forging a scythe three times larger.
"Hey. Hold on. What are you doing?"
"No, Master! I can break it!"
"Why would you break it?! I didn't tell you to destroy it! Hey! Stop!"
Do you know how much that costs?!