Chapter 11: Recruitment (Part 2)
A guttural GUOOOOOOH!
It was a roar unlike any other.
In his past life, he'd encountered golems aplenty.
Rock, flame, mud, ice, all sorts of metals.
The demons had mass-produced them for the wars.
But a mechanical-attribute golem? This was a first.
Proof of the magitech advances over five centuries.
'Never thought I'd run into something straight out of a book.'
It's called a Mecha Golem. A special golem that can shift into various forms as needed.
The source of that metallic tang and overwhelming aura he'd sensed outside the cave.
It had drawn him in like a moth to flame.
The Mecha Golem revealed itself and slammed down a merciless fist—
Hallucination Spell: Sensory Distortion
Target: Mecha Golem
But it was already ensnared by the spell.
He'd repurposed the trick from when he'd downed the dragon blood—disrupting the golem's visual sensors.
Everything would look split left-right, distances all jumbled.
It had no choice but to whiff.
Still, take care. A graze from that fist means death for you.
The guardian spirit's worry was unfounded.
Hiding in the shadows, puppeteering the Mecha Golem—a sorcerer.
Kirian Kirchheis would never lose to the likes of him.
The mana flows proved it.
Special Spell: Domination
Mana flows in the area dominated.
Opponent's familiar control sharply weakened.
The foe didn't seem versed in summoning.
Kirian planned to seize the Golem's Core this chance.
He had a use for it.
"This child possesses two traits. One faintly shows skill in handling familiars. Likely Controller or Commander."
Asena Mazel's words on his unawakened trait.
The core could be the key to unlocking it.
A summon-line trait trigger.
Absorbing high-grade materials may awaken or strengthen related traits.
That's why he'd bolted here the moment he sensed the golem's aura.
But Bastion Lamoff blocked his path once more.
"Young master! What do you plan to take? That's no toy!"
A blinding white beam erupted from the Discipline Captain's sword.
—Sword Spirit.
The pinnacle of swordsmanship he'd never reached in his past life.
The Mecha Golem was tough, but a committed 7-star knight's onslaught would shatter it soon enough.
'Can't let that happen.'
He needed the core first.
Grabbing the cloak flap, Bastion flinched and turned.
Kirian summoned every ounce of dignity he could muster.
"Stay put. That's an order."
"……."
An order.
From direct kin, the words carried solemn weight.
But what did a 7-year-old know of orders?
Bastion meant to ignore it.
Until the sight before him forced a rethink.
"Watch closely."
Azure light blazed in the small boy's eyes.
With it, a colossal force rose like flames, filling the pitch-black cave.
"……!"
Bastion swallowed hard.
Kirian was wielding mana himself.
"Young master, have you formed a Mana Heart?"
"……Yeah."
"How?"
"Hm, drank the dragon blood Grandpa gave me, and it just formed? Isn't that normal?"
As the Discipline Captain gaped, Kirian's mana stretched to unimaginable bounds.
It couldn't subdue the massive golem in one go.
But it was only a matter of time.
'Just dismantle it piece by piece.'
No head-on clash, but he could take it apart.
Grab the core, done.
With Domination, he gripped the cave's mana perfectly. A casual gesture launched the counterattack.
Telekinesis spell as the opener.
SCHWUK!
A component popped from the Mecha Golem's leg like magic as it swung again.
Steel framework detached; the torso lurched wildly.
Leg buckled, the whole thing tilted like a building minus its beam.
GUOOOOOOH!
Rage roared out, but Kirian smirked inwardly.
The ripped steel bone became his weapon.
Aimed precisely—
KWAAAAANG!
It smashed the target spot-on.
Torso shook; machine parts sprayed like spurting blood.
Bastion shuddered unwittingly.
A fresh Mana Heart, yet such precise, potent magic.
'Is this even possible?'
Another gesture; the steel spun like a propeller and flew back.
Roars chained as limbs flailed.
Pinpoint joint strikes, sealing movement.
Counter halted, then—
KUUUUUNG!
An upward smash clipped the head at an angle.
The golem's fist grazed overhead almost simultaneously.
A split-second later, and it'd have crushed Kirian.
Bastion, mid-leap, furrowed his brow.
'Risked it for that strike? Or sheer luck?'
A normal kid would've frozen.
But Kirian pressed boldly, clever combos flowing seamlessly into daring blows.
THUD!
Golem staggered back.
Now Bastion was certain.
'No luck. He knows exactly how to fight.'
Minimal openings, maximal damage—endless cycle.
A knight of decades' training recognized it instantly.
Kirian fought with chilling efficiency, no waste.
Pure swordsmanship.
'How...?'
No way a child trained separately.
Yet he wielded the "weapon" like a veteran knight.
If it were a sword instead of steel bone, the golem would've been scrap already.
KWAANG!
Fist cratered the ground far from Kirian, kicking up dust.
The shadow sorcerer's commands went unheeded.
'Time to finish?'
Eyes flashed anew.
Disrupt command chain, final blow: dual spells.
Hallucination Spell: Sensory Distortion
Blessing Spell: Strength Enhancement
KWAAAAANG!
GUOOOOOH...
The Mecha Golem smashed its own head full-force, crumbling amid thunderous noise.
Perceiving the target atop its shoulder, it unleashed blessed strength at max.
KUUUU—
The massive frame toppled to the ground.
From the shattered skull gleamed a silvery-gray crystal.
Bastion recalled Kirian's mutter.
"Golem's Core……."
Telekinesis again; it flew into his small palm.
Bastion watched, but Kirian acted boldly.
He needed the clue to his third trait.
'Rohbark's right-hand man won't sabotage me anyway.'
But lips must be sealed.
Finger to lips, Kirian eyed the captain.
"This is a secret."
"Pardon?"
"Pretend you saw nothing."
"Ah……."
Bastion nodded late, grasping it.
Golem's rampage left dust thick.
Others heard only roars, saw no fight.
'Unreal scene.'
A 7-year-old toppling this behemoth solo.
Even full report, who'd believe?
And Kirian wanted the neutralization and core hushed...
"Understood."
Bastion spoke, thoughts settled.
"I'll say I felled the golem. Core completely destroyed."
"Yeah."
"But report to the patriarch..."
"Grandpa can know."
"Thank you for understanding. I'll clean up."
The captain turned, strode off.
His sword swept horizontally, whipping up wind.
Dust fog sucked out; veil lifted. Security knights rushed in late.
Bastion pointed inward.
"Golem neutralized. Sorcerer hiding inside. Capture the scum who targeted Kirchheis blood, escort Young Master Kirian to safety."
"Yes, Captain!"
Kirian was already in Jenice's arms.
The nanny, wind-swift, confirmed his safety and sighed relief repeatedly.
"How could this happen inside Kirchheis Castle...!"
"My shame. Discipline Corps will investigate thoroughly, uncover all."
"Of course! Culprit and backers—find them! Clear assassination attempt!"
"We will."
Always snarling foes, but united now.
Clash sounds echoed from cave depths.
Sorcerer exposed.
Libiel Kirchheis trembled faintly, hiding bitten lips.
'Father meant to kill Kirian outright. Used me as bait.'
The mastermind wouldn't surface easily.
Tornil Kirchheis was meticulous.
He'd severed tails for any leak.
But the girl's shame and guilt were separate.
'Wanted a fair fight.'
Libiel bit hard, head bowed.
Tears dripped unnoticed.
Thus missing Kirian's piercing gaze.
Hand in nanny's, the boy eyed her meaningfully.
'Softer-hearted than expected?'
Interesting.
Mind raced.
He'd milk this for all it was worth.
Events spun fast.
Hierniorn scoured Kirchheis Castle, gathering intel.
First, the sorcerer controlling the Mecha Golem.
The culprit was a young mage named 'Sergief Shmelcher' from the outer defenses. Said nothing of motive—took his own life.
Right after capture.
As expected.
Bold plot meant ironclad contingencies.
'No sloppiness, whoever's behind it.'
The shadow was obvious as day.
Tornil, third son, Libiel's father.
Discipline Corps knows he hung with the guy's cronies. But hard proof...
'None, naturally.'
Right. Proving suspicion will be tough.
Orphan or not, Kirian was Rohbark Kirchheis's own grandson.
Uncle targeting nephew? Fallout beyond imagining.
Thus, buried instantly on failure.
Blood feuds are Kirchheis fate. Rohbark and Elders likely won't dig deep.
'Don't want escalation?'
That, and you lack backing. They'll call it an 'inevitable trial'.
He gave a bitter smile.
Kirchheis was always like this.
Veterans who'd lived it wouldn't blink.
Deep in the power struggles already.
But not Libiel.
'Innocent kid, naive to the world.'
Prime for recruitment.
Far better than enemy elimination.
Hierniorn tilted at the plan.
Wise up, she might turn on you again?
'Don't worry. Safeguards, obviously.'
Today's task was separate.
At dawn.
Toying with the Mecha Golem's core, he eyed the phoenix.
'Block everyone now. Attempting forced awakening of third trait.'
Oho...!