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The knights, upon seeing him, quickly shouted.

“Cease fire!”

The deafening sound of the cannons ceased, and they began chanting Garavan’s name.

“Ga! Ra! Van!”

“Ga! Ra! Van!”

It was clear how much they trusted him.

At Garavan’s gesture, the golems formed a formation around him. From above, it was easy to see everything.

Grotesque monsters poured out of the outer gate, rushing toward Garavan with hostility.

But the monsters, charging with their heavy bodies, were slaughtered on the spot. It all happened in an instant.

‘Huh?’

Ian blinked. When the sorcerer personally joined the battle, the golems’ movements became noticeably different.

Where they previously seemed like a group of mercenaries, now they moved like a trained order of knights. It was incomparable to Audrey’s golems.

‘…Is that platinum?’

Bronze, steel, silver, platinum, gems, and meteors.

Considering Audrey’s golems were made of silver, the next step would indeed be platinum.

Since golems made of gems were Level 6 or higher and it was unrealistic to possess that many, it was best to exclude that possibility.

“Wowww!”

Soldiers and knights alike shouted with fervor.

The sight of golems, armed in thick armor and wielding heavy weapons, defeating monsters much larger than themselves, filled the onlookers with a powerful sense of catharsis.

In the face of such overwhelming strength, the grotesque monsters were visibly terrified.

They hesitated, retreating, and soon turned their backs, fleeing into the forest beyond the fortress.

Garavan did not bother to pursue them.

Screeeech, screeeech!

He approached the outer gate, where the crack was expanding with a pulsating red energy. Gathering his magical power, he struck it.

Boom! Like shattered glass reversing in time, the crack closed and eventually disappeared without a trace.

All that remained were the mangled corpses of the monsters.

Garavan left the golems where they stood and climbed up to the fortress wall.

“I thought you were lost and wandering. So, you were here?”

“They asked me not to interfere. Thanks to that, I could enjoy the show.”

“Really? Good job. What did you think of them? My creations.”

“They were far more impressive than I expected. It was like watching a well-trained order of knights.”

Garavan smiled with satisfaction.

“It’s an honor to hear that from the Red Spear Knight, the so-called Protector of the East.”

“Well, to correct you, I am no knight.”

“Hm?”

“It’s just the personal opinion of a mere mercenary.”

“You’re a mercenary?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m working as a mercenary. That’s why I took on this request.”

“…I thought you were joking.”

As Garavan awkwardly laughed, Ian looked down at the soldiers being commanded by the knights below the fortress wall. At some point, they had gone outside and were collecting the corpses of the monsters.

They seemed to care little for the blood that was everywhere, focusing instead on recovering the durable hides of the monsters that had withstood the bombardment, and most importantly, the magic stones.

Garavan turned his head to follow Ian’s gaze.

“Those byproducts are the main source of income for this fortress. Quite lucrative, really. Half of the profits go toward buying food and ammunition, though.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be supported by the government?”

“The government buys the bones, hides, blood, and magic stones from the monsters at a premium. What’s left is basically my allowance. Thanks to that, I was able to acquire materials needed for golem production. If it weren’t for the maintenance costs, I wouldn’t even be here. Tsk.”

It seemed even a Level 6 with rank could not be free from financial troubles.

With a wry smile at this practical issue, Ian asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, how much does it cost for a single golem?”

The thick heavy armor, the precise internal components, and you can’t use subpar weapons, either.

In the end, it all came down to money.

Garavan seemed to have been waiting for that question and told Ian, who blinked in surprise.

“Does it cost that much?”

“Of course. Just so you know, if you factor in my fee, the total cost goes up by several times. It’s all handmade, you see. It’s basically a work of art. Do you think there aren’t maintenance costs? Golem sorcerers, my friend, need to be wealthy.”

Garavan spoke with a hint of lamentation as he walked away, and Ian followed him.

“Otherwise, you’ll end up making garbage golems with trash materials.”

“Is that from experience?”

“Indeed. No matter how skilled an artisan is, good materials yield good results; it’s a law of nature. I don’t know why you want to learn about golems, but I can tell you one thing for sure.”

“…?”

“If you plan to make golems yourself, don’t skimp on costs. You must use the Gimir alloy for the shape memory. When etching the magic circuits, be sure to include blue tear powder. If you try to save money by using red tear powder, you’ll regret it later.”

With unnecessary worry, Ian chuckled.

He couldn’t tell Garavan, but he had no intention of making them himself.

However, he was keen on learning more about golems. Given that he had obtained the power source from the dragon, his plans had changed.

‘Maybe I’ll stay here for a while?’

It seemed reasonable to go hunting around here to gain practical experience. The income from that could be considered an added bonus.

The more he thought about it, the better it seemed.

“Garavan! We just baked some bread; would you like some?”

A man waved his hand, and the savory aroma wafted through the air.

“Give me two pieces.”

Garavan shared the bread with Ian, who found himself eating as they walked.

“It’s delicious.”

“Hurry up and eat. Others will be coming out with food soon.”

“Really?”

Garavan devoured a piece of bread in just three bites. As soon as his hands were free, he quickly shared whatever food came his way.

Bread, meat, boiled potatoes, fruit—there was a variety.

Though the freshness might have waned a bit, it was surprising how often they handed out food.

Ian felt a refreshing sense of community.

Garavan was a nobleman, and he was even the lord of this Helrem fortress.

Yet, the residents spoke to him like they were chatting with a friendly neighbor, freely offering him things.

“Don’t the townspeople treat their lord too familiarly?”

“When necessary, I assert my authority, so it’s fine. They’re just being grateful, aren’t they? Honestly, I prefer it this way.”

“I would rather sit down and eat leisurely.”

“Sorry about that. But at least you have some snacks, right? Once you’ve eaten… it’s time to work.”

“Excuse me?”

Garavan gestured for Ian to look ahead.

In the heart of Helrem Fortress, the central plaza appeared. Although it was called a plaza, it was just a bare patch of earth.

In a city, there would have been bricks laid out and a large fountain installed at the center, surrounded by benches. Instead, here stood golems covered in the blood of recently defeated monsters, looming ominously in place of benches.

“I feel like I’ve fallen into a trap and ended up in an arena,” Ian remarked, looking around at the residents gathered to watch.

“Sorry about that. But I have to keep my promises.”

“I don’t remember you making any promises.”

“Is that so? Now that you mention it, it seems like I haven’t. But what of it?”

Garavan grinned and gestured. The golems took a step forward.

“Choose which of my children you want to fight. This is just a test anyway. I won’t have to intervene, so don’t worry. This will not harm you in any way.”

“That sounds a bit like you’re trying to gain fame at my expense. At first, you wanted to check the level of the golems.”

“Please understand. If I can show the residents this kind of performance, they’ll trust me and stay here in Helrem Fortress, right?”

“Is it okay to break them?”

“If it’s unavoidable, then so be it, but I’d appreciate it if you could hold back. And do not break their heads ‘under any circumstances.’ I can remake everything else, but we have a shortage of spare heads. Can you promise me that?”

It was absurd that he had to make a promise like this, but Audrey also valued the heads of the golems, so Ian nodded in response.

“Alright, then choose. By the way, I’m confident that none of my children have been graded yet, but they must be of platinum grade. You’ll be in for a surprise if you compare them to Audrey’s golems.”

“I’ll fight the one with the spear.”

“Good eye. That one is the fifteenth strongest of my children.”

“Is there a gap between the golems?”

“…No, not really. I was just trying to sound impressive.”

A golem wielding a spear, specifically a halberd, stepped forward.

“We’ll say that the match ends when you surrender or if you strike my child’s neck or heart.”

Ian drew the holy sword at his waist but paused.

After all, if he fought with the holy sword, it wouldn’t be a fair test. The golem wouldn’t have a weapon of comparable level.

He borrowed a sword instead and swung it lightly through the air before nodding.

“Let’s begin.”

Before he could finish, Garavan pulled out a dagger.

Paat!

A pure white dagger, Baekokru, appeared in his hand like magic. It felt like ages since he held it, but he threw it naturally without any hesitation.

Shwiik!

The light streaking through the air was deflected lightly by the spear of the golem.

Following the dagger, Ian advanced and brought his sword up with force.

It was a speed that Audrey’s golem couldn’t react to.

Kaaang!

“Oh?”

But it was blocked. The golem immediately countered.

Seeing the spear aiming for his head, Ian lowered his stance. The claim of being platinum grade, higher than even the silver grade, was not mere boast.

The golem didn’t seem eager to relent once it seized the momentum and began to push Ian back.

“Whoa!”

The onlookers gasped in awe. The golem’s movements were nothing short of dazzling.

With every swing of the spear, a fierce wind surged, slicing through the air and kicking up clouds of dust.

‘It’s fast.’

Ian couldn’t help but admire it while focusing on evasion.

From a distance, it had seemed impressive, but now, in direct confrontation, Ian realized just how sharp and heavy the golem’s attacks were.

It felt as if there were a person inside the thick heavy armor. Yet, amidst the keen sensations, he couldn’t feel the presence of any living being.

Chachachachack!

Instead, the faint sound of dozens, if not hundreds, of gears interlocking and a cylinder moving echoed in the background.

‘This is fun.’

While Audrey’s golem had felt like hitting a sandbag, Garavan’s golem gave off the impression of training seriously.

Suddenly, the golem adopted a wide stance. It raised the halberd, ready to split Ian in two.

Kwaaaang!

The ground shook and cracked beneath the impact.

But that wasn’t the end. The golem retrieved its spear and aimed for Ian’s heart. He couldn’t help but smirk.

[Bloodclaw Style, Return to Heaven]

Kaaang!

The metal clashed, producing a clear ringing sound as the spear tip was deflected outward. Ian swung his sword again, targeting the exposed left shoulder of the golem.

Kwajijik!

The solid outer armor crumpled as if struck by a blunt weapon, damaging the internal components.

Then, Ian witnessed an unbelievable sight. The golem, with its one remaining arm, adjusted its grip on the spear and began to move its fingers gently.

‘……?’

That was undoubtedly an unnecessary motion. It could even be seen as a habit that appeared when a person was tense.

Moreover, it had no connection to the subsequent attack.

With doubts in his mind, Ian plunged his sword into the golem’s neck.

As he watched the golem freeze in that position, he released his grip on the sword and stepped back.

“Ha ha ha ha! Excellent! Truly excellent!”

Garavan applauded with a wide smile, and Ian felt a sense of unease.

———-