Chapter 58 - No! You darned golem!

The Sage, who had started bleeding out from his nose and hovering between life and death again, was carried away on a stretcher by the security workers assigned throughout the magic arena. Even if he did supplement his blood through transfusion, his body wouldn’t hold up if he lost so much blood in succession. He would have long died already if he were a pure human.

“Nose bleeding from recalling Rice Cake…”

Just how severe was his imagination? That symptom wasn’t an issue that couldn’t be solved by covering his eyes. As such, perhaps it was best to free the Sage of his virginity, by force if need be. If that happened, however, his Job ‘Sage’ would either disappear or be rendered useless. It was necessary to approach this issue in a serious manner.

Lanuvel and I continued to watch the arena competitions.

“Magician Number 5, victory!”

“Woaah!”

“Blast it!”

“Oh Yeah!”

Our betting numbers went as follows:

[Kang Han Soo: Number 5, 9, 11, 16, 23]

[Lanuvel: Number 5, 8, 11, 22]

Number 5, whom I had casually picked randomly believing in nothing but my Skill Fortune, effortlessly grabbed hold of victory. In the following contest between Number 7 and 8, Number 8 won, and between the contest between Number 9 and 10, Number 9 came out on top. Number 11 easily wrested victory in the contest after that as well. As of the present, the bets Lanuvel and I made had yet to turn out wrong.

“I don’t like it!”

“Lulu~??”

But this was but the beginning, as the magic competitions didn’t end with one victory. In order to get your hands on a considerable sum of money, the competitor you bet on had to at least win two times in a row, regardless of the dividend rate. We continued to watch the ongoing fights.

“Magician Number 15, victory!”

“I love you!”

“She’s too pretty!”

“Marry me!”

Unfortunate though it was, the idiot Number 16, whom I had picked, suffered defeat. He had truly struggled hard, but his opponent was too bad a match up.

I looked at Magician Number 15, who had won against Number 16. She was a great beauty.

“Found it.”

“What, Brother?”

“It’s a thing.”

Magician Number 15, whose charming looks were dazzling to the eye, was a special agent sent in to this Sage’s Tower’s magic arena from the Dark Commerce, which had set down its roots throughout the continents. Her goal wasn’t to gain some money by coming off as the champion. The crimson golem controlled by Magician Number 15 was no toy for entertainment, but a mass produced weapon meant for war. Its capability was extremely superior in contrast to its cheap production cost.

The Dark Commerce was aiming for the final victory of the magic arena through Magician Number 15, with the purpose of advertising the crimson golem to the key figures of the various countries within the northern continent. But achieving the final win once couldn’t prove the golem’s worth, which was why that woman would constantly participate in the magic arena to win the championship dozens of times.

“It’s becoming interesting.”

However, the Dark Commerce wouldn’t be able to achieve its ambition early, and that was because of that Magician Number 16 over on the other side, who was trembling hard after being defeated.

[?]Peek: Do you know that gentleman?

‘An excellent question, Miss Trainee Teacher! You see, that pathetic youth Magician, weeping like a baby at losing the match he bet his entire fortune on, will later come to be called the ‘War God’.’

[?]Startled: Really?

Thinking back on his personal history in my 1st Playthrough memories…

The War God was the War God. His current name was Magician Number 16! He was the genius Magician who had tossed down the gauntlet before the peerless Sage, who was an absolute deterrence against war himself within the northern continent, and ultimately even brought down the Sage’s Tower. The golden golem the War God had created at the time was invincible.

Although even his golem ended up destroyed by the cowardly power of friendship, it was the starting point of the paradigm of war in Fantasia’s continents changing—from human soldiers to golems. It was from that time onwards that the Dark Commerce’s crimson golems had begun to sell like hot cakes, and the existing public order had broken down.

It was chaos in its entirety! Destruction!

“Lanuvel. I’ve got an urgent business to attend to, so let’s meet here again tomorrow. I’ll abandon you forever if you complain that a cute little sister shouldn’t be left alone, understand? Take this chance to grow some independence.”

“Aww…”

Lanuvel expressed her discontent by pouting her lips; however, she submitted to my threat of forever abandoning her and didn’t say she would follow.

I began to move straight afterwards.

The Magicians who won their matches in the magic arena were busy as they had to set about repairing their golems starting now for their second match tomorrow. But not the losers—after deciding on whether to send their miserably busted golems to the scrap metal disposal site, or to recycle it, they would immediately head to the temporary storage located beside the magic arena.

“There he is.”

Magician Number 16 was plodding along his way. That idiotic looking guy was the maker of the golden golem that would later cause even the Sage to run away in disgust. As such, I had to either win him over or dispose of him. Only, there was one question that caught my mind.

?Race: Human

?Level: 113

?Job: Scholar(Knowledge=Sorcery↑)

?Skills: Sorcery(B) Path of Magic(C) Magic(D) Magic Power(E)

?Condition: Depressed, Despairing

And that question was: how had he created that powerful golden golem with a Status this trashy? Of course, there was no doubt that he was a great talent who surpassed the common folk. He had likely graduated with excellent grades after competing for the overall 3rd or 4th place in some prestigious academy. This level of Magician could be found everywhere in the magic arena, however; he wasn’t a genius who could stand toe to toe with the Sage.

Now here came the problem—what had made Magician Number 16 into the War God?

For starters, I decided to quietly tail Magician Number 16. Although it was possible my efforts would end in vain, there definitely had to be a reason that I had subconsciously chosen Number 16 in the magic arena.

I put my faith in the energy of the universe.

“You there, the young Magician! Cough-cough!”

A man who had been knifed in his back and shoulder urgently called out to Magician Number 16.

“Wh-what’s the matter?”

“I’m being chased by pawns of the Dark Commerce! They want their hands on my knowledge of golems, and that’s the one thing that must be prevented. The whole world will end up tramped over by golems! So please, help me!”

“But how…”

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

The man began to quietly whisper into Magician Number 16’s ear. Although I was able to listen in on his words, concentrating my hearing, I couldn’t understand the contents as part of it was full of the incoherent analogy and slang of nasty Magicians. I could understand only one thing—that the man was hinting at a certain location.

I examined the man’s Status.

?Race: Human

?Level: 12

?Job: Engineer(Knowledge=Path of Magic↑)

?Skills: Path of Magic(SS) Sorcery(S) Mental Capacity(C) Stamina(F)

?Condition: Bleeding, Critically Injured, Anemic

Now this was a bona fide scholar type. Although he was a half-assed user of Sorcery with a low Level and no Magic Power, his Skill set was specialized in the development of golems, which was called the essence of Magic Engineering. The minus was that he was on the verge of breathing his last, though.

“Just what is this place…?”

“I entrust the peace of humanit—Kurgh!”

Thud.

His life all but burned out, the man thus died.

“Gasp!”

The surprised Magician Number 16 ran away from the scene, the look on his face saying that he didn’t want to become involved with the fearsome Dark Commerce, nor be pinned as a murderer. To think that kind of coward would later be called the War God…

“Boss! He’s not breathing.”

“Ha! You crazy ass! You should have stabbed him in moderation! Argh.”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Damn. Might as well at least take the blueprint in his house.”

“Understood, Boss. Guys, let’s go.”

After the group of men, whose Levels were far too high for them to be called thugs, examined the man’s corpse, they quietly left. This was the temporary storage place behind the magic arena. Although it wasn’t a prohibited area, not many people would find their way here, which was why the man’s corpse was left as is on the cold earth until everyone left. This being the case…

“You called, Master?”

I summoned Saintess H. She seemed keen on turning on the high quality hot-water bottle feature, but I hadn’t called her for that right now.

“Resurrect this man.”

“Yes. Ahh~?”

Saintess H sang a sweet song, and then spoke as follows:

“Rise, my slave.”

With a sudden jerk, the man who had died even before his blood cooled got up normally. His stab wounds had already been cleanly healed, and his ceased breathing resumed properly as well.

?Race: Human

?Level: 2

?Job: Engineer(Knowledge=Path of Magic↑)

?Skills: Path of Magic(SS) Sorcery(S) Mental Capacity(C) Stamina(F)

?Condition: Good, Resurrected

Although his Level had decreased to a dangerous point, his Skills remained just as they were thanks to being resurrected right after he died. Wasn’t it fine then?

“Wh-what on earth is… I definitely died…?”

“Muppet.”

As low as his Level was, someone with a SS-rank Skill would be considered at the standard of a hero, but I was uncertain as to whether give him a name. As such, I decided to address him in a cursory manner.

“Who are yo—Gasp! O simply divine sir! I am ashamed at not having recognized you right away. Thank you for saving my humble self!”

A muppet who was as perceptive as he was smart. He had read the situation by himself without my having to give a long explanation, that “the divine sir definitely must have saved me!”. Thanks to that, I was able to skip telling a lame story.

[?]Perplexed: It feels like something’s gotten mixed up…?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher worries too much. I resurrected a fellow concerned for the future of this barbaric fantasy world’s humanity, free of charge, so what could be the prob-… Ah! I see.’

What I had done wasn’t fair. If the great Hero, who had to be fair and just, were to disregard some Person 2 he came across who was in trouble after having resurrected Person 1 for free, that could be considered a serious inequality in treatment. As such, I had to receive the price for having resurrected him.

“Muppet. From today onwards, work hard for my sake to the bone—to the extent of regretting coming back to life.”

Person 2 would have no complaints either this way.

“I, I understand! O divine sir!”

Struck with admiration at my fair and just decision, the muppet thus replied in a loud, strong voice.

*

*

*

I collected all of the important research materials, which the muppet had hidden in a secret place, into my Storage and moved them to the Sage’s Tower. I couldn’t afford to be leisurely, as the muppet, having sensed his imminent death, had revealed the location of that secret place to Magician Number 16. Thankfully, we were one step faster than Number 16. According to the muppet…

“Unless his Path of Magic is above A-rank, it’ll take him some time to decipher the code I gave him.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Magician Number 16 was an amateur with a C-rank in Path of Magic, let alone A-rank. He would no doubt end up bewildered at being welcomed by the completely empty secret place after deciphering the muppet’s code with difficulty and going there in anticipation. Puhihihi.

“Master, why on earth did you bring this oil-smelling person…?”

The Sage, whose complexion was wan from anemia, thus asked me this question. After collapsing at the magic arena, he was discharged from the hospital when not half a day had passed. It seemed that his changed race and Dark Energy(S) had improved his survivability and recovery ability.

The Sage’s gaze towards the muppet wasn’t good. His reaction was befitting of the conservative type who believed that Magicians should be capable of solving all their problems with a magic staff alone without relying on anyone else.

“I see that Sir Sage is the same as ever.”

Put-down the moment they met, the muppet’s expression turned rotten.

To sum up their relationship, it was like that of a dog and cat. Ah! Not a cat, but a tiger.

I proceeded to settle the situation.

“If you don’t want your heads rammed down a slime toilet bowl and get dunked in ooze, then stop the war of nerves. Listen carefully. From now on, we’ll commence development on a blue golem that’ll oppose the Dark Commerce’s crimson golems!”

Since early times, super robots were the dream of men. You weren’t a man if you couldn’t empathize.

How my painful my heart had felt, like it was being shattered, when my companions destroyed the War God’s golden golem with a joint attack using the cowardly power of friendship in the 1st Playthrough.

The opportunity had come to resolve the grudge I had borne at that time.

[?]Perplexed: Uh, Student Kang Han Soo? It’ll be troublesome if you confuse the genre. We’re in the middle of a Hero’s adventure to defeat the Demon King.

‘Oh! Miss Trainee Teacher is sharp.’

But what she had pointed out was wrong—after all, I could slay Demon King Pedonar whenever, even without going on something like an adventure with a shabby little sister.

[?]Troubled: That shouldn’t be possible normally, I tell you…

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t worry. I’m going to properly follow the main plotline, you know?’

“Within several years, war will break out in the northern continent as the Dark Commerce’s crimson golems hits great popularity. We’ll take the initiative before that happens and subjugate the Dark Commerce and the northern continent using our blue golem.”

“Gasp!”

“Ohh!”

And thus, we channeled that vigor into creating a prototype. The Sage’s Tower was bursting with golem materials, and a truly absurd golem came to be born under the cooperation of the two geniuses who didn’t want their heads shoved down a slime toilet bowl. And that wasn’t all—the golem was garnished with my holiness as the finishing touch.

?Race: Arch-Golem

?Level: 900

?Job: Shrine Maiden(Beauty→Physical Strength↑)

?Skills: Divinity(SS) Physical Strength(A) Indestructible Body(A) Massacre(A) Glamor(A)…

?Condition: Socket, Standby

Although its Status had abruptly risen with the addition of Divinity, as becoming of a hand-crafted test product, its size wasn’t much different from that of a person.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The golem’s oval-shaped face that was coated in a milky white color inspired no sense of awe, and its four limbs were very slender as well. Its protruding breasts were soft and delicate, utterly unhelpful when it came to combat, and its unnecessary blue, straight hair was long enough to reach its unnecessarily firm buttocks.

… This wasn’t the super robot I had always dreamed of.

“Bastards! What the hell did you to do my dream…!”

“Heheh…”

“Heheheh…”

Turning around, I saw the Sage and the muppet wearing identical smiles on their faces.