Volume 8 Chapter 10 Golem, And The Mysterious Troops
"Al, can you use the 'Magic Power Control' spell to refill the mana for this doll golem and the High-Rank Worker Golem (T/N: revision)? They haven't moved for a long time, and their mana is almost empty."
Malachi said this while placing his hand on the body of a small golem that was standing nearby. Al wondered why this 140-centimeter (≈ 4.6 ft) tall golem was considered 'High-Rank', especially with ten giant golems around that looked stronger. He refilled the mana for both golems.
After the refill, the High-Rank Worker Golem attempted to step forward but lost its balance and fell over immediately.
"Self-check..."
While still on the ground, the High-Rank Worker Golem spoke. It seemed that this golem could talk too.
"Anomaly detected in the right leg. The third section of the right leg is not functioning..."
"Try to stand using only the left leg, High-Rank Worker Golem."
The High-Rank Worker Golem slowly lifted its right leg and used both arms to stand up on just its left leg. It was balancing, but it seemed like it could manage to stand.
"It is possible to move by jumping. However, it is quite unstable, and there is a high chance of falling."
Every time it moved, the raised right leg wobbled, and it looked like the golem was swaying a lot because of the movement.
"Should I fix the right leg so it doesn't get in the way?"
Al asked this, but the High-Rank Worker Golem did not respond.
"Al, like the other golems, will not respond to any commands other than the emergency stop command I mentioned before, unless given authority by Sir Tempest. Also, golems can only accept one command at a time, and they can't understand advice like your suggestion about the right leg being a hindrance. So, I have no choice but to say this. ...High-Rank Worker golem, maintain that posture."
Malachi Golem gave the command, and the High-Rank Worker golem stood on one leg, holding its chest up proudly. Seeing this, Malachi Golem approached and secured the dangling right leg's ankle to its body with a rope he got from Al.
"High-Rank Worker golem, move a little and report your status."
The High-Rank Worker golem hopped on one leg to show it could move.
"Balance has improved quite a bit. If the ground is flat, it should be possible to move without falling over."
"That's it. Using golems feels like this. Al, thanks for the suggestion. With this, we should be able to move somehow. For now, we won't stand out too much. Depending on the situation, we might need the 'Carrier' spell to transport things, but we can ride on it too. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Al nodded. He also needed to carry Alunite ore. Remembering when he transported Orson, it should be fine. Malachi continued speaking, watching Al's reaction.
"Whether it's me or the High-Rank Worker Golem, we really don't have much combat ability. But if I take the 'Magic Missile' staff that the guardian golem holds, I should be able to protect myself a little. The High-Rank Worker Golem also has a staff for processing the stones and metals used to create this tomb stored in its body. With this, I hope you understand a bit about golems."
Al nodded. He was curious if there were any other magic tools, but he decided to ask about that later. He wanted to know what they would do next──whether their move would be temporary or permanent.
"I think we should eventually head to the research tower, but Al, you haven't reached it yet, right? Do you know of a good place to hide until then?"
A safe place is needed to keep the body. It is protected by spells, but leaving it outside is not safe. Renting a room at the (Red-Faced Sheep) inn is not a good option either. The best choice would be a hidden cave... Al thought about this for a while.
"What can the staff for processing stones and metals do? Can it dig holes or something?"
"This is a magic tool in the shape of a staff, and it can use 2 spells: 'Soften Stone' and 'Soften Metal'. These spells can make one cubic meter of stone or metal soft like clay with just one use."
Al was impressed that such a spell existed. How many types of magic are there? If he used 'Soften Stone', could he create a huge gem? If metal could be softened, what about the weapons of the enemies he was fighting?
Al started to think about all these things, but quickly reminded himself that this wasn't the time for such thoughts. He could check those things later, once they found a safe place. He wondered if they could create a new burial site. When Al asked this, Malachi shook his head.
"You can use the 'Magic Power Control' spell without worrying about how often you use it. If you take your time, you can create a cave. However, the stone you process will look artificial and be weaker. Also, consider where to dispose of the stones you dig up. Creating something new is not easy. Instead of focusing on that, use your time to aim for the research tower."
Malachi was right. Anyway, a place where no one comes for hiding... Al remembered the abandoned village where the bandits who attacked Naresh had their hideout. It was a bit far, but he had carried the sleeping Orson there just a few months ago. The church where Al had last hidden was still in good shape.
"An abandoned village... that might be a good idea. And if it's a church, it wouldn't be strange to find a coffin there. Or maybe it would be easy to make a hidden room up in the church bell tower using leftover materials from other buildings."
Al nodded at Malachi's words.
"But are we really going to move? There are so many golems here. We could use that magic staff to fill the passageway, right?"
Al thought it was the last chance to confirm, so he asked again. This grave site was huge. It must have taken several years to create. Could they really just move away so easily?
"The existence of this grave site has been revealed. Previously, it was just grave robbers, but now Al has seen troops. This means many more people are coming than before. Even if they can resist for a while, it won't last long. The processed rocks are weak and will eventually be dug up for treasure. The troops are from the country founded by Sir Tempest's descendants. Even if guardian golems defeat them temporarily, it will not end well."
Al thought Malachi was right.
"Then let's hurry and prepare to move. I don't know if the Tempest Kingdom intended to raid the grave site or not, but with such a large troop already halfway to the grave, we definitely can't come back here. We need to make sure we don't forget anything."
"Yeah."
With that, Al and the others began to move.
* * *
By early afternoon, Al and the others wrapped Tempest's body in blankets and moved it, using a magic tool for preservation, to a cave near the hot spring. He left Malachi and one golem inside the cave to erase signs of the collapsed from earthquake. Al went outside through a gap in the rubble to check the situation and saw Duran and Heath packing up their tent.
"Are you back?"
"Yeah, it's a shame, but I have to leave."
When Al called out, Duran stopped what he was doing and replied, stretching his back while rubbing it, as if it hurt.
"Could it be a war?"
"No, it's not decided yet. It seems the lookout found another tent on the other side of the mountain. They're going to have a meeting about what to do next. I doubt it's anything serious, though."
A little while ago, Ethel from the Clarence village self-defense had said there was a big fuss about finding what looked like a knight's tent on the other side of the mountain, in Tempest. Did that happen again? He wonder if it's related to the troops Al found at the graveyard.
"By the way, Al, can you use the 'Fly' spell?"
At Duran's question, Al shook his head. The 'Fly' spell again.
"I see. If there was a magician who could use the 'Fly' spell, scouting the tents would be easy. However, since you are young, it's normal not to have this ability yet. There are only a few magicians in the knight's group who can use 'Fly'. They have been requesting more budget and personnel for a while, but progress has been slow. They are now working hard to train more magicians. If a war starts, we will be short-handed, which is a concern."
So, the 'Fly' spellbook is sold out, and using the 'Floating Eye' spell to see over the mountain seems impossible. Al can transform into a crow or sparrow, but there are likely birds of prey like hawks or eagles nearby, which is risky. It would be better to wait until he can transform into a bird of prey before suggesting this.
Now, he briefly thought that Duran, being an active knight, might know about the flag he saw at the grave site, but he decided not to ask him where he saw it.
"I wanted to hear more about my grandfather's stories, but it's a shame. Take care."
Al said this as he saw off the two people heading down the mountain with their bags.
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