Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Larish and Larosh shared a glance. Their heart had jumped a little when they saw the delicate and complex mechanical work as well as the obvious intelligence of the golem dwarf that had just shown up at the door.

They couldn’t let the Tower Master know how shocked they were by this sudden display of technological advancement. The golem knights that could be seen here and there in Delta and across Minas Mar, the district, were already more than most experts in Arget Nore could accomplish.

At best one could expect a barely humanoid earth golem, or a big and clunky iron golem, so seeing such an intricate and humanlike invention had caught them by surprise. Maybe, if this was what the man was capable of, then his promises were not empty.

Would someone as capable as this sell them the same rubbish as those people at home produced? It was hard to imagine someone with such skill would lower himself to make stuff like that. In that case, purchasing such troops could be interesting, even if Spatia was not here yet.

For now, they couldn’t show their interest, only communicating with silent glances. They couldn’t risk raising the price by seeming too eager. Silently they agreed to wait for the actual product he was willing to offer them before getting their hopes up.

“While we are waiting, why not talk about something more pleasant? It’s hard to overlook that you aren’t undead. How is life in Gamma for the living?” the Tower Master suddenly asked

“It’s not the worst. Of course, we would prefer to live in a thriving forest but- Well, not everyone can choose their fate. We dark elves are better off than most in Arget Nore.” Larish spoke openly.

Larosh looked at her in shock. What was she saying right now? He had to stop her, but he didn’t dare to act out in front of the Tower Master.

“Oh, my! Is it true then, that Arget Nore is a caste system where the high-ranking undead keep the living like slaves?” the Tower Master continued. How did that man even dare to ask such unsavory questions!? Larosh started sweating, as he noticed this thought step into the background.

“It’s not that bad, at least not for us. Sure, some humans live a miserable life since you are a pathetic race, but if you have the strength you can always rise in the ranks, like us,” she answered happily as if they were talking about the weather.

There was only a small silent voice in the back of her head, telling her that something was wrong, she ignored it and simply kept making conversation. Larosh also started doubting why he felt it was so bad to simply tell the truth. However, before they could say any more there was a knock on the door.

“Master, I brought the prototype you asked for,” the golden dwarf said happily. Behind her stood a massing hunk of stone. Massive, but not rough or crude at all. It was an imposing work of stone, like the work of a mason. A golem like this could stand in a hall without anyone suspecting it to not be a decorative statue.

“A stone golem?” Larosh exclaimed surprised, having expected something more extravagant. Already knowing what Minas Mar was capable of, he didn’t expect to see that they produced something as basic as stone golems.

“The material can always be changed, but this is the base model of the prototype for development,” the Tower Master explained still very friendly. He explained to them that they were currently working on increasing the basic golem’s intelligence.

The two dark elves listened delightedly. Usually, any golem was stronger than low- and mid-ranking undead, but they were not often used in Arget Nore. The problem of golems was their intelligence. Usually, the ego matrix of golems created in Arget Nore was very simple, barely able to follow the simplest of orders.

If a necromancer used a golem, they would usually have to keep up a constant connection to control it correctly. This was a high cost to maintain a golem on the battlefield, which was why they were not popular.

But this was only for those made in Arget Nore, their technology was simply lagging behind. If Minas Mar was willing to supply them, and they were able to reverse engineer these golems a lot of things could change.

“How strong is it, approximately?” Larosh asked, looking up and down the two-meter-tall statue, carrying an iron spear.

“How about a little demonstration? Maybe a duel against one of your guards could help? I'm sure they can summon an undead to draw out the golem's potential” the Tower Master suggested relaxed.

Larish looked at him. How did the Tower Master know their guards had those powers? Their guards were a trio of Death Knights around lv.80. They were high-ranking undead specialized in close combat but with some necromantic skills.

“No need to bother them, I will provide a suitable undead;” Larosh suddenly asserted. After all, the dark elves had their own qualities that allowed them to rise in the ranks of Arget Nore. The sibling pair's talent in necromancy was outstanding, although they could not yet control something on the level of a Death Knight.

“Alright, since it's decided, we should change venue. After all, I don't want to have them fight in my office.”

Promptly, the Tower Master led the two to a training room on the ground floor of the embassy. It was a wide hall, lined with durable materials covered in wards that would allow even high-level adventurers to train and fight seriously here without dealing too much damage to the structure. However, the place was so clean, that Larish doubted it was ever used.

The dark elf was not wrong. Despite building such a gym in the embassy, there was no reason for the members of Minas Mar to use it, since they could use the training rooms inside the tower. The golden dwarf Sivri has left somewhere after delivering the golem.

The Tower Master had only given it the instruction to follow and it had been obediently walking behind them all the way down here. All the way it had not once shown a sign of clumsiness or lag and it didn't seem like the Tower Master bothered specifically controlling it. Compared to the golems she knew, Larosh found this already amazing. At the gesture of the blacksmith, the golem walked to the middle of the gym.

“I guess it's my turn now?” Larosh said and stepped forward. He started chanting and performing several hand seals as a magic circle appeared below his feet. Crawling out from beneath his feet was a skeleton, wearing a dilapidated armor.

Larosh was an adept Necromancer and was barely able to raise high-ranked undead like skeleton commanders or zombie knights. The creature he summoned this time, however, was a medium-ranked Skeleton Warrior around lv.65.

In general, such a mid-ranked undead was equivalent to the stone golems used in Arget Nore. Although they had a lower physical strength and durability, they were usually more intelligent and faster than golems, making them about equivalent in a battle of cannon fodder. However, since they needed less maintenance, they were more popular in general.

With a clattering of its jaw, the skeleton warrior brandished a mace in one hand and a shield in the other. Larosh had made sure to summon an undead with a weapon fitting its opponent. An axe, sword, or spear would have little chance to crush a stone golem. It needed blunt force to break the stone.

“You won't regret it if it gets destroyed, correct?” The Tower master asked.

“Then let it begin. Only block for now,” he said after the dark elf nodded in affirmation.

With quick, agile movements, the Skeleton warrior attacked and- was easily blocked by the iron spear. Following the smith's command. At first, they thought the blacksmith was arrogant, but the golem showed superior combat skills.

It was not directly controlled or got any input. All on its own it matched the skeleton's pace, shocking the audience from Arget Nore.

“I believe that is enough. Fight.”

The moment the golem moved at its master's command, that spear clashed with the mace and shield three more times before it pierced the old shield and crushed the undead warrior's skull. The moment the golem fought seriously, the fight was over.

Larish and Larosh had a hard time controlling their expressions. Their expectations had been exceeded by a lot. This was just a stone golem, but it easily matched a mid-rank undead. What would higher-grade golems be able to do?

If they managed to land this deal, even if the cost was high, they might even be rewarded with a title of nobility. The non-aggression treaty that was meant as an insurance had just become a necessary foundation for business.