Chapter 89
Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: The Golem's Core and the Dream of the Airship
-----------------------------------------------------------------
At first, I thought it was a monster attack. And who could blame me? A massive roar had shaken the mansion, flooding the interior with morning sunlight. It was early in the morning. The first things I spotted were Albern's pale, ashen face, the mansion's entrance that had completely crumbled away, and Durel and Simo standing there tense and on high alert.
A wake-up call like that seemed a bit over the top, didn't it? As I stared steadily at Albern, she hurriedly bowed her head.
"S-Sorry...!"
I had a rough idea of what happened. Albern must have woken up, couldn't resist her curiosity, and poked around at the golem's core. In the process, her mana had flowed into it, and without any separate safety measures in place, the core had activated its magic just as designed.
We got lucky. No one in the mansion was hurt. I naturally extended my hand and took the golem's core from her.
"As long as you're not hurt, it's fine."
"I'm sorry..."
"Looks like your mana circle caused the slip-up. From now on, don't touch things recklessly. Mana flows through your body without you even realizing it."
"Y-Yes..."
She apologized while sneaking peeks at my expression. Leaving Albern behind, I examined the golem's core. There were no issues. It was in perfect condition, just like when I'd first completed it.
'I only focused on the mana circle...'
The problem was that I'd only put deactivation functions on the core's mana circle power source. With all the other functions active, it was only natural that the magic would trigger once it got a supply of mana. That moment created another safety measure inside the core.
Paah-
'That should do it.'
Now, just pouring mana into it wouldn't activate the core anymore. The core with its levitation magic engraved didn't need extra work. Unless I slammed in mana beyond a certain level, the levitation wouldn't kick in anyway. Plus, there wasn't enough internal capacity left to design another safeguard.
"Master, about this incident..."
"I-Is it okay now?"
Durel and Simo approached belatedly and asked. Their eyes were fixed on the core in my hand. As if there'd be a problem after I stepped in to fix it. I chuckled softly and lightly tossed the core I'd been holding into the air. The two of them freaked out and collapsed in shock.
"No issues."
Leaving my dumbfounded disciples behind, I turned my body. Even though I hadn't slept much and had been forcibly woken, I had no desire to go back to bed. My heavy eyelids tried to droop naturally, but I endured it with superhuman patience.
"Albern."
"Yes?"
"The morning sunlight's nice, huh."
"I'm so sorryyy!"
As I gazed at the gaping hole in the mansion's entrance, Albern, who had been following me, flung herself flat on the ground. Her face pale and eyes squeezed shut, she seemed to think I was scolding her.
It had just been a light joke, but to Albern, it must have sounded utterly terrifying.
"It's fine, get up. I have something to ask."
"What...?"
"I want to buy a ship... Do they have workshops that handle them, or shipwrights who build them?"
My original plan had been for the golem to form its own body. But that wasn't feasible now, so I needed a separate hull to mount this core on directly. Albern hesitated for a moment at my question before nodding.
"Th-There is!"
"There is?"
"Yes! There's a shipyard that specializes in building ships! Of course, I've never seen it myself...!"
An unexpected answer. Honestly, I hadn't asked expecting a real reply. Azgal Rock was surrounded on all sides—east, west, south, north—by towering rock mountains. The idea of a shipyard in a place so far removed from any waterway was quite surprising.
"Where?"
"I heard it's in Leadville."
"Leadville...?"
It was the name of the third kingdom in Azgal Rock, alongside the other two. It bordered right next to the Teren Kingdom, and aside from rumors of their advanced crafting skills, I knew nothing else. A shipyard in a place like that?
I glanced back at Durel and Simo, wondering if it was info only I was missing, but my two disciples shook their heads as if it was news to them too.
"I only know they have highly skilled artisans living there."
"First time hearing about it for me too. It's a place where ordinary tourists aren't even allowed in... Ah, but we can enter. Mages aren't restricted."
After a moment of thought, I pulled out a map. A long river stretched through the forest paths beyond the barren rock mountains toward the sea, but between the river and Leadville stood even taller rock peaks.
"Is that true?"
"Of course!"
Albern nodded vigorously at my casual question. She had no reason to lie to me. After pondering briefly, I headed toward the blasted-open entrance of the mansion.
"Let's go to Leadville. Everyone, pack your things."
Our next destination was set. My three disciples scurried about, gathering their belongings and exiting the mansion. I naturally held out my hand, and Durel cautiously approached to strap the bag onto my back. He was definitely the quickest on the uptake among my disciples.
Leaving Teren behind was a breeze. We'd sold off all of Albern's assets anyway, so there was no hesitation. Her mansion was left, but we couldn't just sell it with the entrance smashed. In the end, we had to abandon it and move on.
Right after passing through the massive city gates, I pulled the golem's core from my pocket and tossed it lightly. A small mana reaction sparked inside the core as it left my fingertips, activating the mana circle. In that instant, rocks and dirt piles were sucked toward the core.
Kugugung-
What emerged was a six-legged turtle golem.
"Whoa... It's the exact same shape as last time..."
"The internal design is identical."
The core was different, but the internals were the same. I adjusted the new turtle golem's posture and climbed aboard. It began to move.
Thud thud thud-!
The massive golem swiftly advanced along the mountain path.
Leadville was reached in no time. Three nations bordered a single region. The highways connecting them were well-maintained, so there were no monster attacks.
'Translucent crystals.'
The first thing I noticed upon arriving near Leadville were the crystals sprouting everywhere along the roads. Beautiful crystal flowers blooming atop the barren rock mountains sparkled in all colors under the sunlight.
The frequency of crystals increased the closer we got to Leadville. Now, crystal formations outnumbered the dark rocks. Right at the entrance to Leadville, we were greeted by towering outer walls made entirely of massive crystals.
"Oh..."
"No way... Did they carve all that from crystals?"
I slipped out of the turtle golem at Durel's near-muttered question. Following the towering crystal walls toward the center, my eyes were captured by a gigantic black pillar. Obsidian crystals had been embedded on either side to form it. Even the massive gate took the shape of crystals.
"It's a pretty place..."
If the entrance looked like this, what would the inside be like? Filled with considerable anticipation, I moved the turtle golem aside.
The entry procedures were the same as before. Verification checks, then stating our purpose for visiting. With everyone in our group being mages—including Albern, a resident of the neighboring kingdom—we were granted entry without issue.
The only difference was the lack of other tourists waiting for entry procedures. Without special qualifications, everyone else was denied.
After recovering the golem, we passed through the grand gates.
A world of sparkling jewels unfolded. Crystals gleaming in every color formed a beautiful harmony. The towering obsidian spires shone brilliantly, as if infused with the dwarves' artistic souls, while layers of crystals built structures both large and small.
The flood of colors was almost too beautiful. Yet the light's reflections never stabbed at the eyes. It meant the entire city was designed to perfection. This, too, was a grand mystery akin to magic.
Of course, not everything was made of crystal. Stone and wood were mixed in as well. Still, the translucent, glowing crystals stood out, harmonizing naturally and overshadowing the rest.
An admiring sigh escaped me unconsciously. Everyone except Albern reacted similarly.
"It's really amazing, right?"
"If I ever build a school building, I'd want to invite their construction artisans."
I replied to Albern as I naturally walked along the road. My disciples, who had been standing around dazed, snapped to and hurried after me.
We first found an inn to stay at. The large inn was surprisingly cheap despite its flashy exterior, which made it quite satisfying.
After booking rooms and unpacking, we gathered in front of the inn. Now it was time to go acquire the ship that would become the airship's hull. With my arms crossed, I said to Albern,
"Albern. Lead the way."
"Got it!"
Albern responded energetically and pulled out a small map—I had no idea when she'd packed it. The map detailed Leadville's internal layout.
"We have to go this way!"
The spot Albern pointed to was a small building slightly removed from the city center. It was quite modest in scale. For a shipyard that built ships, the size felt a bit off. As I tilted my head, unable to hide my puzzlement, Albern grinned and spoke up.
"The shipyard is underground from here."
"Underground...?"