Chapter 52: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork - Act 2 (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: The Tin Knight and The City of Clockwork - Act 2 (1)
In front of the monitor, you were lost in quiet contemplation.
Tik-Tok, the City of Clockwork.
You were thinking about all you had accomplished there.
With Dorothea, you had succeeded in restoring a portion of the Tin Knight’s power at the magic doll workshop.
With Adelaide, you had successfully obtained a pass token from the Lennart dojo.
With Sophia, you had gained knowledge at the bookstore and learned a little about the Tin Knight’s past.
It had been a remarkably busy day, considering you had only arrived in Tik-Tok yesterday.
But at the same time, you realized this wasn't all.
The doll workshop you visited with Dorothea. The sibling owners, Smith and Sinc, seemed to have some unspoken circumstances.
And you were certain that resolving those circumstances would lead to further enhancements for the Tin Knight. The flow of events seemed to point that way.
The other witch you had encountered in front of the shop, Gale Elilaz, also weighed on your mind.
The owner had a 2P color scheme, and her familiar was a magic doll. It was an obvious, deliberate setup.
From a purely meta perspective, you predicted she was extremely powerful and competent, and that her catalog specs might even surpass those of the Tin Knight and Dorothea. That’s how rivals were supposed to be.
It was, in truth, a delightful prospect.
How could you possibly resist a type-swapped mirror match?
Adelaide’s story, too, had more to it.
René von Lennart, who had actively used the home advantage of the City of Clockwork to reinvent the dojo with a training system based on magic dolls.
And the old man and his followers, once driven out by René and her faction, now back to sharpen their blades for revenge.
It was a conflict between the new generation and the traditional one, a contest to decide who would lead the dojos of Tik-Tok.
Since the validity of the token Adelaide had acquired depended on the outcome of their struggle, simply staying out of it was not an option.
As a bonus, though it wasn't a main objective, the still-uncleared 6th and 7th-level tests also bothered you.
They had the distinct feel of challenge quests.
And what about Sophia?
The story told by the adventurers you rescued with her was more than enough to pique your interest.
A conspiracy brewing within the Adventurers Guild. Unreasonable and coercive tyranny. You and your party marked as its victims.
Your opponents had drawn their swords instead of talking, and having been attacked, you couldn't just let it slide.
More importantly, you suspected that what the masterminds behind this incident were after was likely not mere money.
The guild had gone so far as to distribute fake interpretations to adventurers to prevent the “final room” of the labyrinth from being opened, and Sophia had been sealed in that very room.
Given that this incident was orchestrated by the guild to retrieve ‘treasure found in the labyrinth,’ it would be strange if Sophia had no connection to it.
Your eyes gleamed.
It seemed there was still much to be done in the City of Clockwork.
*
Throughout breakfast, Dorothea’s expression was grim.
It wasn’t because the inn’s food was terrible.
For one, Dorothea wasn’t particularly picky about food (though there were limits, of course, like the Tin Knight’s homemade cooking). Besides, the onion soup provided by the inn was of quite high quality.
But no matter how good the food tasted, it was meaningless if the person eating it was troubled.
This is a headache.
Dorothea recalled the events of last night—or rather, this morning.
A suspicious vampire and a crazed doll.
The duo, whose descriptions alone were out of the ordinary, had brought along three more adventurers and a prisoner, and the story they spewed was nothing short of absurd.
What? Murdering adventurers? A sneak attack from behind? Robbery and plunder?
From Dorothea’s perspective, it was preposterous.
If Dorothea had truly intended to commit such vicious acts, she wouldn't have needed to do something so troublesome, cumbersome, and inefficient.
She could have just raised an army of corpses from a nearby graveyard, slaughtered all the ill-mannered guild staff, blocked the labyrinth entrance, and then funneled a mixture of poison and curses down below to wipe out every human and monster inside. After that, she could have strolled in as if on a walk and taken all the treasure for herself.
It wasn't that she couldn't do it for lack of ability, but that she wouldn't because the aftermath would be a pain.
She had tried to be as moderate, lawful, and rational as possible to avoid clashing with a massive organization like the guild, achieving her goal and getting out cleanly. And for her troubles, she was suddenly being accused with shouts of, ‘You killed them! You evil witch!’
It was impossible not to be furious.
If Sophia hadn't proposed a new method last night, she might have seriously prepared for a large-scale battle, even if it meant sacrificing a bit of her social reputation.
Dorothea’s principle was to avoid fights she could, but if an opponent pointed a sword at her, she would always strike back.
The pursuers were all from the Schwartz branch. The branch manager is likely behind it. But there’s no physical evidence. Sophia said she’d come up with another plan, right?
Mulling over the information the terrified pursuer had blabbered, Dorothea moved her spoon to her mouth almost unconsciously.
Just then, she felt a stare from the corner of her eye, fixed on her.
“What. You have something to say?”
[The Tin Knight points out that you are eating without any relish!]
“It’s none of your business how I eat.”
[The Tin Knight insists that if Dorothea wishes, it can teach her the secret to enjoying food!]
“You can’t even eat anything, so what’s the point of you saying that—”
Dorothea paused mid-sentence.
She remembered that the Tin Knight had once been human.
It is not difficult to endure not knowing something.
But it is difficult to endure knowing something you can no longer have.
Especially if it’s something you can never get back.
The Tin Knight, too, must have once eaten and drunk normally, enjoying the taste and the feeling of fullness.
What must it feel like for a person like that to become a body that can consume nothing, only to watch others eat?
“If you have such a problem with how I eat, go bother Adelaide. She’ll be more of a spectacle.”
But Dorothea wasn’t honest or obedient enough to meekly accept the Tin Knight’s suggestion.
As she waved her hand dismissively with a gruff voice, the Tin Knight spoke.
[The Tin Knight says she is currently washing up after her workout!]
[The Tin Knight asserts that for rich soups, dipping a hard-crusted bread is the proper way to eat!]
“A second ago you said you’d teach me if I wanted. I don’t recall asking.”
[The Tin Knight claims that a true man never looks back!]
“Hah.”
Dorothea weighed her options: grab the staff leaning against the wall and swing it, or satisfy the demands of this insufferable spectator.
In the end, she chose the latter.
It was too much trouble to use her strength at the dinner table.
It had nothing to do with learning about the Tin Knight’s past. Probably.
She soaked a piece of dark bread in the soup and put it in her mouth. The bread, which had been a bit hard, was now much softer.
Each time she chewed, the soup soaked into the bread seeped out, filling her mouth with flavor.
It certainly wasn’t bad.
But this isn’t amazing enough to be called a ‘secret,’ is it?
Dorothea was about to make a bitter remark about the fuss, but seeing the Tin Knight nod up and down in satisfaction, she decided to just keep her mouth shut.
…Well, whatever. The more motivated he is, the safer I am.
Rationalizing her actions, Dorothea finished her meal and stood up.
[The Tin Knight asks about the schedule for the rest of the day!]
“Why do you ask?”
[The Tin Knight wishes to receive further enhancements at the doll workshop!]
“Hmph. Fine.”
Dorothea nodded readily.
…I can leave the guild matter to Sophia for now.
It wasn’t that she trusted Sophia completely.
Quite the opposite.
In order to force a breakthrough if things went south, she needed to raise the Tin Knight’s combat power as much as possible.
“We need a large jewel that can serve as a mana tank, right? Let’s get going.”
[The Tin Knight is thrilled about getting an upgrade!]
*
“Welcome! What kind of accessory are you looking for? A jewel? Of course, we have them! Oh, something bigger than this? I’m sorry, but the one I just showed you is our largest….”
“Welcome to our general store. What are you looking for? A large jewel? Hey, missy. I think you’ve got the wrong shop.”
“Welcome to Samson’s Doll Workshop! A mana tank? Right this way. Hmm. This is one of the finest items available in the city, but it’s not to your liking?”
“Hehehe, to think you’d find your way to a secluded place like this. You’ve got some nerve for a young lady. I don’t have any jewels, but I have something just as good. Just one taste of this medicine, and you’ll reach paradise, gack! I-I’m sorry! Spare me! Gack!”
About three hours after leaving the inn.
Dorothea scratched her head in annoyance.
“There’s nothing useful here, seriously.”
She had scoured every corner of Tik-Tok all morning, but she couldn’t find a jewel suitable to become the Tin Knight’s new mana tank.
She had seen one or two jewels that seemed to have a decent capacity, but even those were inferior compared to the Tin Knight’s original vessel.
…Increasing its mana capacity doesn’t seem easy. All that’s left is to improve its efficiency.
“Hey, if you can’t do it, you can’t do it. What’s with the ‘for now’? How pathetic.”
“I could totally do it if I were in Grandpa’s old workshop, not this back-alley hovel!”
Dorothea recalled the siblings from the back alley of Tik-Tok.
If there was any chance of further enhancing the Tin Knight in this city, that seemed to be the only place left.
Just as Dorothea was about to start walking again, she heard a strangely familiar voice.
“I’m telling you, I have nothing to do with it!”
“A mass murder occurred in the back alleys last night. According to a witness, the culprits were someone in suspicious armor and two young women. The innkeeper also testified that you were absent from your room around the estimated time of the crime. Are you still going to deny it?”
“I was just out for a walk! And what do you mean, suspicious armor? What part of my Sig’s armor is suspicious? It’s so magnificent!”
“No, I mean—”
A girl in a white dress with blonde hair and blue eyes. And by her side, a white knight protecting her.
The familiar-looking duo was surrounded by city guards, caught in an argument.
Dorothea turned her head to look at the Tin Knight.
Suspicious armor and two young women. A mass murder in a back alley.
A lot of the keywords sounded familiar.
It seemed that because of the incident Sophia and the Tin Knight had caused, the wrong people were being suspected as the culprits.
Well, considering Kumara’s party wasn’t mentioned at all, the witness testimony probably wasn’t very credible anyway.
[The Tin Knight asks what you are going to do.]
“What do you think?”
Dorothea puffed out her chest and strode forward confidently.
That is, in the opposite direction of where Gale was.
“I’d better increase the output of the perception-hindering magic. You try not to do anything that stands out, either.”
[The Tin Knight expresses admiration for your excellent choice!]