“Oh my.”
My eyes opened wide.
A stone golem!
A huge, lumbering creature, covered from head to … well, no, it didn't have toes, but it was still covered in seaweed, arcana crystals and what appeared to be common earthworms!
A hulking creature of legend. These were the famous protectors of treasures and ruins. A powerful and durable enemy dressed in a granite exterior, and a favoured foe of swashbuckling heroes and their band of gallant vagabonds.
A problem, then.
I was no swashbuckling hero.
And between Coppelia's excited expression as she jumped and clapped on the spot as if she were watching a trained gryphon being showcased at a circus, and the alchemist's stunned horror as she fiddled with the pouches by her waist, I was left with the distinct impression that all of us were out of our intended roles here.
“A stone golem!” said Coppelia, her bubbly voice filled with admiration. “How wonderful! See how the shine reflects off its pulverising arms? And that reinforced torso? It could shake off the blow from a [Fireball] as easily as a mountain shrugs off a raindrop. And to think that it could have been lying here, dormant for centuries! Neither time nor monotony erodes its capabilities. This here is engineering at nature's finest. I mean, I even consider them to be distant cousins!”
“Is … Is that so?”
I had to spend a moment to process that. Did a clockwork doll and a stone golem truly share any similarities in their construction? As far as I knew, one was entirely mechanical while the other was magical.
Perhaps all constructs possessed a shared fraternity?
If so, did that mean I couldn't rely on Coppelia's brutish strength to do away with what was, by all accounts, a high level foe which struck fear into even the hearts of veteran adventurers?
A troublesome predicament. While I didn't condone her general impudence in denying my frequent requests, it was rather uncouth to ask her to punch her cousin. At least not until it first made a slanderous remark about her character.
“Juliette, I suggest aiming for the knees!” she said, beaming with delight. “Their weight is a burden on their legs, and so their joints are especially vulnerable. In short, fight dirty! Go low!”
“W-What is this! Isn't that your cousin?!”
Coppelia shrugged.
“He never showed up to my birthday party.”
BrrrRRrruuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm.
I steadied my feet as cracks began to form in the bedrock.
Water from the central basin splashed over, flinging not only onto my precious boots, but also my leggings as well. To my horror, some of the water which crashed over slid back into the pool, leaving a trail of mucus behind as it went.
I shuddered with despair as I considered the amount of soap needed to cleanse myself of water slimes, then remembered I had to stop the source of this bellowing first.
The stone golem sent a crashing step towards me, dust and debris flying in its wake as this moving mountain trundled slowly onwards.
Flight was possible, but not if I wanted to secure the full breadth of riches that this chamber had to offer. Arcana crystals, a fully bloomed starflower, and, yes, I'm sure someone would be in the market for fresh seaweed, too!
A princess does not leave money on the table!
I readied myself, holding Starlight Grace aloft as I took in the hulking frame of the stone golem.
I was no swordswoman, but I didn't have to be to defeat a foe such as this! Overwhelming confidence and a callous disregard for collateral damage were the most important things to defeating even the most famed of monsters—my treasonous aunts and uncles. What were stone golems, compared to the plots in the night that my extended family dreamed in their bat-laden castles?
That's why, I wouldn't mess around!
It was time to—
“I-I-It's okay! I got this!”
Hmm?
Glancing to the side, I saw the alchemist holding a green coloured bottle in both hands.
Raising it over her shoulder, she took stock of the giant creature in front of her, aimed and ... threw!
I watched with my heart in my mouth as the vial flew through the air, its contents bubbling viciously in its glass container.
The stone golem's head turned with alarming speed, but could do nothing against Maria … Marina's unexpected attack! It failed to raise its lumbering arms in time to shield itself against the alchemical concoction as it proceeded to shatter harmlessly onto the ground barely inches in front of the young woman.
She blinked, then watched as the green liquid spilled onto the bedrock, vanishing as it melted through the ground like lava tearing through snow.
“Oh,” she said. “I forgot I was very bad at throwing.”
BrrrRRrruuuuuUUuuuuuUuuummmmmmmmmm.
Its attention now wholly turned to the alchemist, the stone golem let out another thundering bellow before slamming what counted as a foot towards her.
And then another. Then another.
There was no hint of that lumbering slowness as it emerged from its cleft in the wall. Instead, the stone golem accelerated its movements as it committed to each step, quite literally shaking off the dirt and dust that caked the shining granite which comprised its true form.
“Move away!” I ordered the young woman, whose eyes were wide at the sad results of her throw. “You cannot die until you first evaluate the cost of the starflower! Allow me to handle this! Get far away from this chamber!”
I paused.
“But not too far,” I quickly added. “Strangler crabs will not hesitate to earn their namesake. In fact, if you have any more of those green vials on hand, I suggest you have them at the ready. Threaten to boil them in a lemon and clarified butter sauce, and if they continue to approach you despite that, utilise what alchemical concoctions you have available.”
BBBrrRRrrRRrruuuuumuUUuuuuuUuUuuUuummmmmmmmmm.
I was forced to hop away as my left boot suddenly found itself shorn of any ground to stand on. The entire chamber rocked perilously, shards of jagged rock falling from the ceiling as the earth threatened to collapse below and above me.
This was bad!
True, I'd acted a bit confidently despite the fact I had no right to. But this was actually quite bad! If the ceiling broke, no amount of divine intervention could save me from the tons of soil that resided above. I'd die! Or worse, live and look like a peasant!
“Excuse me!” I said, raising my voice at the stunned woman. “Did you not hear me? I said … no, I command you to move!”
At my second set of instructions, the alchemist finally snapped out of her stupor and moved—only to immediately stumble over the newly formed cracks in the ground.
She fell with a small cry, then lay rooted with a look of utter fear as she watched the approaching behemoth. Far from obeying my express commands, her feet simply brushed against the earth as though she'd forgotten how to stand.
All the while, the stone golem sauntered forwards, each foot dragging the other with even greater force. In moments, it'd have nothing left to crush but the prone body of the defenceless alchemist.
I was horrified.
This alchemist was a skilled tradeswoman! The foundation to which our kingdom's economy relied upon! I could not condone the death of anyone whose worth had yet to be squeezed dry by the hands of our treasury!
Thus, I did what I had to.
Taking a deep breath, I sprang to action, brandishing Starlight Grace in my hand as I leaped towards the direction of Coppelia, who was sniffing at the seaweed on the wall.
“Coppelia! Rescue the useless shopkeeper!”
She glanced at the woman in question, then at the stone golem.
“Hmm. Well, he did miss my birthday. I'll take suggestions. But no promises.”
“Toss her like a pillow!”
“Okie~”
The girl smiled, gave a thumbs-up, then gracefully jumped towards the prone figure on the floor. With only a yelp of resistance, the alchemist was picked up by the ankles and promptly swung into the pool of water plus added slimes.
“W-W-What?! Noo .. noooooooooooo!!”
She screamed as she flew, the noise echoing even after she landed head first into the centre of the water body. Her feet remained upright for a few terrifying moments before her head swapped places, water dripping down her soaked hair and brows as she coughed frantically.
Coppelia placed her hands on her waist in satisfaction. I looked at her in horror.
“C-Coppelia! You cannot swing an injured person into a basin of water!”
“Hmm? Why not? The stone golem can't get her there. They don't swim.”
“Injured people cannot swim either! I require her to drown in debt, not water!”
Coppelia tilted her head slightly, then looked at the woman wildly flailing her arms upon the surface of the water. Her chin continually dipped beneath the surface, bubbles streaming forth whenever she failed to lift her head over the water.
The clockwork doll waited a few seconds before saying anything, clearly observing whether or not the victim of her throw was actually drowning or not.
“Eh. She'll be fine.”
BBBrrRRrrRRrruuuuuUmmmMmmuUUuuuuuUuUuuUuummmmmmmmmm.
“Hiiee!”
I let out an unseemly noise as I dodged an entire section of the ceiling attempting to decapitate me. The stone golem's thundering bellow was so boisterous that I could feel it rattling in my bones.
I turned to the monster whose fury was now aimed towards us.
Though it was said that magical creatures lacked the intelligence of their flesh and blood compatriots, that did not mean they were without instinct or emotion. Even a rock, it seemed, could feel rage.
I looked up, spying the obvious cracks in the ceiling. A wonderful assist for the Miner's Guild when they started tearing through the earth. But not one I appreciated while I was still under it.
The next rumble it emitted would be the last.
“So, would you like me to take a swing at the thing?” asked Coppelia, rotating her shoulders and loosening whatever cogs there were. “By the way, I don't normally do that. Punching things, I mean. I know you think I do, but I don't. It's just that this thing looks tough and I'm curious what'll happen if—”
I held out my palm. Coppelia had a far more important task than defeating this powerful foe.
“No, that will not be necessary. Do not put yourself in harm's way until I bid it. I require you to be in good shape to carry me. I refuse to tread through the vile contents of that stream again.”
“I'm not carrying you.” Coppelia paused. “I'll swing you, though. I wasn't really trying the first time. Should I?”
“No.”
Coppelia blew up her cheeks in disappointment. She quickly regained her enthusiasm when I turned towards our adversary. But I had little choice in the matter.
It was now running towards us.
Brwoom. Brwoom. Brwoom. Brwoom.
Or well, perhaps lightly jogging was more accurate.
Even so, as though emboldened by its own rumbling, the stone golem did away with the last of its pondering movements and came hurtling forth with all the speed of a rolling boulder … on a very slight decline.
“Remember, go for the knees!” said Coppelia, as she heartily skipped away. “Not just now, but in general. Nobody ever expects it.”
I nodded. It was a sure enough tactic, especially for a foe such as this. I hadn't any magic to pierce the stone golem's natural armour.
But I had Starlight Grace. And that was close enough.
All it took was a precision strike at the correct weakness!
It wouldn't be that simple, of course, even with the enchanted blade. Yet a thin crack clearly existed between its upper and lower legs. They were two separate shards of rock that moved in conjunction with the magic that powered it. But even magic could be pierced, cut and severed. Maybe.
The stone golem brought one of its great, pulverising arms up as I brandished my sword. It didn't slow to strike, instead continuing to hurtle towards us.
And that's when I saw my chance.
How could I not?
After all—
I had all the time in the world.
Because for each step that the stone golem took towards me, this lumbering giant simply … slowed down.
Even with its form in full motion, the creature's movements shuddered to a crawl as lethargic as a slug beneath the summer sun.
For a moment, all I could do was blink in puzzlement at this rapid deceleration. But then the facts became clear.
Why, this stone golem had likely been encased here for years, perhaps centuries! Naturally, there would be repercussions if it suddenly decided to break out into a sprint. Whatever magic powered it was likely old and withering. Awakening was itself a feat. Running? That was clearly beyond it!
I wouldn't let this chance pass. If it was on its last legs, then I could help ensure that it stayed that way!
I pushed off where I was, circling around the stone golem as it made to swing at me. I might or might not have stumbled over a pebble as well, but that doesn't matter. Because after locating the thin groove joining its legs together, I easily thrust Starlight Grace into the gap.
The moment I did—
Brwooph.
The stone golem's movements returned.
The leg that I'd struck buckled, and its entire frame came crashing down into the ground at a pace that far exceeded its slow approach. The sudden momentum shift shocked me, and I had to raise my sword to stop my face from being pelted by the earth and dirt.
In that instant, I feared the ground would give way. A crater now served as the stone golem's home, with slimy, mucus-like water now seeping through to fill up. I hopped away from the peril to my boots.
A moment later, I came to realise that the stone golem was still the thing I should be concerned about.
Despite its heavy landing, its huge arms pummelled into the earth, then began to lift itself out of the crater. The leg that had been struck by my sword was clearly damaged and failed to properly move, but the other had no issue, rising on its knee with purposeful, if laborious movements.
I was stunned.
Here I thought the stone golem was on its last charge, and yet it was now managing to right itself. Did this mean it had some alternative energy source to draw from? Was I simply fortunate when it decided to slow itself for my benefit?
Or could it be ...
“Of … Of course! The arcana crystals!”
I wanted to chide myself for not realising sooner.
It was so obvious!
The arcana crystals that littered its body along with the earthworms and the strings of seaweed. They were the primary reagent for mana potions. The lifeblood from which mages continued to function long after coffee had finished working.
Somehow … the stone golem must be drawing energy from them!
I smiled brilliantly.
In that case, there was only one thing for it!
“Ohhohoho … you have my admiration, Sir Stone Golem. But to duel me in the dance of death is to invite your own demise. How foolish, to think you could best someone as overwhelmingly capable as I.”
The stone golem paused in its struggling. For a moment, it turned its faceless head at me, as if to gape with disbelief at my denouncement of its pitiful attempt at murder.
I paid its complaints no heed.
Instead, I held up my sword over my shoulder, the hilt delicately poised between my fingers as though to write with it. This was the position I held Starlight Grace in when using it for its most unique function—
Reading my books beneath my duvet while pretending I was asleep!
“It appears you have a fondness for arcana crystals. If so, allow me to offer you a buffet to fully quench your appetite! Mysteries gather unto me, these are the truths revealed in the starlight. Poetry Form, 4th Stance. [Reading Light]!”
For a moment, Starlight Grace merely wobbled in my hand.
And then—out came the light of the heavens.
Here it was! The ultimate technique in cost-effective lighting! For those nights where it wasn't sufficient to merely light up the page I was reading, but also to scour the depths of my wardrobe, cabinets and the space beneath my bed for my dropped belongings!
When I required it, my entire room was lit up as if a lighthouse was beaming directly into the window!
Originally designed as an aid to my late night poetry writing sessions, [Reading Light] was now an invaluable tool to ensure that my hairbrushes, bookmarkers and stationary never went missing in the corners of my bedroom again!
The effects were immediate.
The chamber filled with enough light to drown out the sun. The seaweeds on the walls instantly puffed up, their dull, green exterior flourishing into the colour of summer grass, while a strangler crab that'd been inching into the chamber broke its pincers trying to burrow into the ground.
More pertinently, each and every arcana crystal on—and inside—the stone golem became ablaze with light. These fragile crystals were never transported without extensive cover. Overexposure risked their degradation. Even more than that resulted in their destruction.
For a few seconds, the stone golem looked as though it was aglow with the light of a thousand fireflies as each and every arcana crystal simultaneously ignited. They burned brightly even as [Reading Light] faded.
Up until the moment they violently exploded.
“Hiiee?!”
For the second time in quick succession, I was forced into an unseemly noise as Starlight Grace swept out to smack away the hundreds of small pieces of stone shards to fly towards me.
All that remained when the cloud of debris dispersed was a plume of smoke, the sound of hissing fragments and the sight of a large magical core, the crystallised heart which fuelled the golem's movement.
Nothing else remained of the stone behemoth.
I prodded at the magical core with my sword, shocked at the efficacy of my impromptu idea. My plan was to weaken it, or at least remove its source of magical energy. I didn't know arcana crystals reacted so violently to sudden light!
“M-My! To think it'd be … so weak to my [Reading Light]! Of course, I expected nothing less. What a foolish creature, to think it could challenge the power of the stars.”
The effects of the arcana crystals' overexposure to Starlight Gaze's light was astonishing. I'd only witnessed similar effects once before as part of my mineralogy studies of the kingdom's resources, and that had been a tiny fragment of a particularly inert crystal.
The effects of so many reacting so fiercely was, as far as I knew, undocumented. Were these arcana crystals unique? Yet another amendment I'd need to add for the Miner's Guild to consider. I had no doubt they'd find a way to draw a profit from this. And I was eager for the results.
In any case, the chamber had been cleared!
Success!
“Ooh ... that wasn't bad at all,” said Coppelia, not even needing to balance herself as she landed gracefully beside me like a trained acrobat. “The next family gathering's going to be awkward. How do I explain that a reading light just made my uncle explode?”
“That was your uncle?!”
“Not anymore.” She joined me in poking at the remaining fragments with her shoe. “Don't worry. He was always a fan of theatrics. Going out with a bang is how he'd want to go. It was really pretty!”
“D-Do you think so?”
I smiled with pride.
In truth, it was difficult for me to take all the credit when it was my sword which clearly did all the work. It was likely also due to the chamber's total darkness that allowed the light to shine even brighter. Even a child holding Starlight Grace could surely have achieved the same result.
“I mean, most people just use a candle to read.”
“Well, they should be gifted an enchanted sword too, then.”
“Mmh, they're pretty dumb, aren't they?”
Behind us, the sound of ragged breathing caught my attention.
I turned around to see the sight of the alchemist, looking utterly pitiful as she climbed out of the basin of water. Her clothes and hazelnut hair were drenched in whatever life had made their home in there. She gave a squeeze of her apron, the water dripping out being instantly replenished by the water dripping down from her hair.
Then, she sneezed.
“Ughhhh … that was … that was … awful … uuuuuuuu ...”
I nodded. It was. But her flight into the pool of water was a worthy cause. That her face wasn't melting was proof that the slimes which inhabited that water were not of the toxic variety. A useful note I'd also need to convey to the Miner's Guild.
“Your starflower is ready,” I said, pointing towards the crevasse where the floral jewel shone. “All in all, a worthy use of my time. I look forward to seeing the results of your alchemy.”
The woman gave a glum nod. She glanced at the wreckage of the stone golem, then let out a depressed sigh.
Her eyes never once wandered to the prize waiting for her at the end of the chamber.
“The starflower … of course. Ugh. Does this water never end … ?”
“There'll be opportunities to dry yourself on the surface. I suggest you harvest the petals you require so we can leave at haste. Much needs to be done to remedy the Withering above.”
“Yes, yes,” she said, her voice frustrated as she squeezed the apron dry. Her index finger twitched noticeably. “The Withering. Unfortunately, there's one additional ingredient that I also need, which I don't think I'll be able to find here. Ugh, I despise getting wet ...”
“What ingredient?” I asked, refusing to climb back down for a return trip. “If it can be located nearby, then I'll not object to rendering out my services once more. As you can see, I'm highly proficient in everything I do.”
The woman didn't immediately answer. She looked at her sore palms in much the same way I did the first time I planted an apple tree seedling. Namely, while wondering why I wasn't ordering my servants to do it instead.
“It's not a question of location, but planning,” she said, repeatedly flicking the water from her hands. “You need not worry. It's something I can attain myself.”
Suddenly, Coppelia gave a lovely smile, then chimed in with a clap.
“Wait, wait, wait—let me guess!”
“Hmm?”
The young woman looked up, clearly not expecting an answer.
“Is it … the soul of a heroine?”
Silence pervaded the chamber as Coppelia finished her query with a bat of her eyelashes. Only the dripping of water from the young woman's drenched figure could be heard spoiling the newly induced quiet.
Her expression was frozen, still locked in the look of mild frustration she wore as she wrung the apron dry. And yet her hands no longer moved.
“Gotcha!” Coppelia snapped her fingers, then pointed straight at the young woman with a triumphant smile. “Marina Lainsfont, was it? You have my book.”
The soft sound of dripping water was the woman's only response.
After a few moments, she sighed and stood up straight.
“I hate water.”
Then—
Her hands burst into flames.
“Oh my.”
My eyes opened wide.
A stone golem!
A huge, lumbering creature, covered from head to … well, no, it didn't have toes, but it was still covered in seaweed, arcana crystals and what appeared to be common earthworms!
A hulking creature of legend. These were the famous protectors of treasures and ruins. A powerful and durable enemy dressed in a granite exterior, and a favoured foe of swashbuckling heroes and their band of gallant vagabonds.
A problem, then.
I was no swashbuckling hero.
And between Coppelia's excited expression as she jumped and clapped on the spot as if she were watching a trained gryphon being showcased at a circus, and the alchemist's stunned horror as she fiddled with the pouches by her waist, I was left with the distinct impression that all of us were out of our intended roles here.
“A stone golem!” said Coppelia, her bubbly voice filled with admiration. “How wonderful! See how the shine reflects off its pulverising arms? And that reinforced torso? It could shake off the blow from a [Fireball] as easily as a mountain shrugs off a raindrop. And to think that it could have been lying here, dormant for centuries! Neither time nor monotony erodes its capabilities. This here is engineering at nature's finest. I mean, I even consider them to be distant cousins!”
“Is … Is that so?”
I had to spend a moment to process that. Did a clockwork doll and a stone golem truly share any similarities in their construction? As far as I knew, one was entirely mechanical while the other was magical.
Perhaps all constructs possessed a shared fraternity?
If so, did that mean I couldn't rely on Coppelia's brutish strength to do away with what was, by all accounts, a high level foe which struck fear into even the hearts of veteran adventurers?
A troublesome predicament. While I didn't condone her general impudence in denying my frequent requests, it was rather uncouth to ask her to punch her cousin. At least not until it first made a slanderous remark about her character.
“Juliette, I suggest aiming for the knees!” she said, beaming with delight. “Their weight is a burden on their legs, and so their joints are especially vulnerable. In short, fight dirty! Go low!”
“W-What is this! Isn't that your cousin?!”
Coppelia shrugged.
“He never showed up to my birthday party.”
BrrrRRrruuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm.
I steadied my feet as cracks began to form in the bedrock.
Water from the central basin splashed over, flinging not only onto my precious boots, but also my leggings as well. To my horror, some of the water which crashed over slid back into the pool, leaving a trail of mucus behind as it went.
I shuddered with despair as I considered the amount of soap needed to cleanse myself of water slimes, then remembered I had to stop the source of this bellowing first.
The stone golem sent a crashing step towards me, dust and debris flying in its wake as this moving mountain trundled slowly onwards.
Flight was possible, but not if I wanted to secure the full breadth of riches that this chamber had to offer. Arcana crystals, a fully bloomed starflower, and, yes, I'm sure someone would be in the market for fresh seaweed, too!
A princess does not leave money on the table!
I readied myself, holding Starlight Grace aloft as I took in the hulking frame of the stone golem.
I was no swordswoman, but I didn't have to be to defeat a foe such as this! Overwhelming confidence and a callous disregard for collateral damage were the most important things to defeating even the most famed of monsters—my treasonous aunts and uncles. What were stone golems, compared to the plots in the night that my extended family dreamed in their bat-laden castles?
That's why, I wouldn't mess around!
It was time to—
“I-I-It's okay! I got this!”
Hmm?
Glancing to the side, I saw the alchemist holding a green coloured bottle in both hands.
Raising it over her shoulder, she took stock of the giant creature in front of her, aimed and ... threw!
I watched with my heart in my mouth as the vial flew through the air, its contents bubbling viciously in its glass container.
The stone golem's head turned with alarming speed, but could do nothing against Maria … Marina's unexpected attack! It failed to raise its lumbering arms in time to shield itself against the alchemical concoction as it proceeded to shatter harmlessly onto the ground barely inches in front of the young woman.
She blinked, then watched as the green liquid spilled onto the bedrock, vanishing as it melted through the ground like lava tearing through snow.
“Oh,” she said. “I forgot I was very bad at throwing.”
BrrrRRrruuuuuUUuuuuuUuuummmmmmmmmm.
Its attention now wholly turned to the alchemist, the stone golem let out another thundering bellow before slamming what counted as a foot towards her.
And then another. Then another.
There was no hint of that lumbering slowness as it emerged from its cleft in the wall. Instead, the stone golem accelerated its movements as it committed to each step, quite literally shaking off the dirt and dust that caked the shining granite which comprised its true form.
“Move away!” I ordered the young woman, whose eyes were wide at the sad results of her throw. “You cannot die until you first evaluate the cost of the starflower! Allow me to handle this! Get far away from this chamber!”
I paused.
“But not too far,” I quickly added. “Strangler crabs will not hesitate to earn their namesake. In fact, if you have any more of those green vials on hand, I suggest you have them at the ready. Threaten to boil them in a lemon and clarified butter sauce, and if they continue to approach you despite that, utilise what alchemical concoctions you have available.”
BBBrrRRrrRRrruuuuumuUUuuuuuUuUuuUuummmmmmmmmm.
I was forced to hop away as my left boot suddenly found itself shorn of any ground to stand on. The entire chamber rocked perilously, shards of jagged rock falling from the ceiling as the earth threatened to collapse below and above me.
This was bad!
True, I'd acted a bit confidently despite the fact I had no right to. But this was actually quite bad! If the ceiling broke, no amount of divine intervention could save me from the tons of soil that resided above. I'd die! Or worse, live and look like a peasant!
“Excuse me!” I said, raising my voice at the stunned woman. “Did you not hear me? I said … no, I command you to move!”
At my second set of instructions, the alchemist finally snapped out of her stupor and moved—only to immediately stumble over the newly formed cracks in the ground.
She fell with a small cry, then lay rooted with a look of utter fear as she watched the approaching behemoth. Far from obeying my express commands, her feet simply brushed against the earth as though she'd forgotten how to stand.
All the while, the stone golem sauntered forwards, each foot dragging the other with even greater force. In moments, it'd have nothing left to crush but the prone body of the defenceless alchemist.
I was horrified.
This alchemist was a skilled tradeswoman! The foundation to which our kingdom's economy relied upon! I could not condone the death of anyone whose worth had yet to be squeezed dry by the hands of our treasury!
Thus, I did what I had to.
Taking a deep breath, I sprang to action, brandishing Starlight Grace in my hand as I leaped towards the direction of Coppelia, who was sniffing at the seaweed on the wall.
“Coppelia! Rescue the useless shopkeeper!”
She glanced at the woman in question, then at the stone golem.
“Hmm. Well, he did miss my birthday. I'll take suggestions. But no promises.”
“Toss her like a pillow!”
“Okie~”
The girl smiled, gave a thumbs-up, then gracefully jumped towards the prone figure on the floor. With only a yelp of resistance, the alchemist was picked up by the ankles and promptly swung into the pool of water plus added slimes.
“W-W-What?! Noo .. noooooooooooo!!”
She screamed as she flew, the noise echoing even after she landed head first into the centre of the water body. Her feet remained upright for a few terrifying moments before her head swapped places, water dripping down her soaked hair and brows as she coughed frantically.
Coppelia placed her hands on her waist in satisfaction. I looked at her in horror.
“C-Coppelia! You cannot swing an injured person into a basin of water!”
“Hmm? Why not? The stone golem can't get her there. They don't swim.”
“Injured people cannot swim either! I require her to drown in debt, not water!”
Coppelia tilted her head slightly, then looked at the woman wildly flailing her arms upon the surface of the water. Her chin continually dipped beneath the surface, bubbles streaming forth whenever she failed to lift her head over the water.
The clockwork doll waited a few seconds before saying anything, clearly observing whether or not the victim of her throw was actually drowning or not.
“Eh. She'll be fine.”
BBBrrRRrrRRrruuuuuUmmmMmmuUUuuuuuUuUuuUuummmmmmmmmm.
“Hiiee!”
I let out an unseemly noise as I dodged an entire section of the ceiling attempting to decapitate me. The stone golem's thundering bellow was so boisterous that I could feel it rattling in my bones.
I turned to the monster whose fury was now aimed towards us.
Though it was said that magical creatures lacked the intelligence of their flesh and blood compatriots, that did not mean they were without instinct or emotion. Even a rock, it seemed, could feel rage.
I looked up, spying the obvious cracks in the ceiling. A wonderful assist for the Miner's Guild when they started tearing through the earth. But not one I appreciated while I was still under it.
The next rumble it emitted would be the last.
“So, would you like me to take a swing at the thing?” asked Coppelia, rotating her shoulders and loosening whatever cogs there were. “By the way, I don't normally do that. Punching things, I mean. I know you think I do, but I don't. It's just that this thing looks tough and I'm curious what'll happen if—”
I held out my palm. Coppelia had a far more important task than defeating this powerful foe.
“No, that will not be necessary. Do not put yourself in harm's way until I bid it. I require you to be in good shape to carry me. I refuse to tread through the vile contents of that stream again.”
“I'm not carrying you.” Coppelia paused. “I'll swing you, though. I wasn't really trying the first time. Should I?”
“No.”
Coppelia blew up her cheeks in disappointment. She quickly regained her enthusiasm when I turned towards our adversary. But I had little choice in the matter.
It was now running towards us.
Brwoom. Brwoom. Brwoom. Brwoom.
Or well, perhaps lightly jogging was more accurate.
Even so, as though emboldened by its own rumbling, the stone golem did away with the last of its pondering movements and came hurtling forth with all the speed of a rolling boulder … on a very slight decline.
“Remember, go for the knees!” said Coppelia, as she heartily skipped away. “Not just now, but in general. Nobody ever expects it.”
I nodded. It was a sure enough tactic, especially for a foe such as this. I hadn't any magic to pierce the stone golem's natural armour.
But I had Starlight Grace. And that was close enough.
All it took was a precision strike at the correct weakness!
It wouldn't be that simple, of course, even with the enchanted blade. Yet a thin crack clearly existed between its upper and lower legs. They were two separate shards of rock that moved in conjunction with the magic that powered it. But even magic could be pierced, cut and severed. Maybe.
The stone golem brought one of its great, pulverising arms up as I brandished my sword. It didn't slow to strike, instead continuing to hurtle towards us.
And that's when I saw my chance.
How could I not?
After all—
I had all the time in the world.
Because for each step that the stone golem took towards me, this lumbering giant simply … slowed down.
Even with its form in full motion, the creature's movements shuddered to a crawl as lethargic as a slug beneath the summer sun.
For a moment, all I could do was blink in puzzlement at this rapid deceleration. But then the facts became clear.
Why, this stone golem had likely been encased here for years, perhaps centuries! Naturally, there would be repercussions if it suddenly decided to break out into a sprint. Whatever magic powered it was likely old and withering. Awakening was itself a feat. Running? That was clearly beyond it!
I wouldn't let this chance pass. If it was on its last legs, then I could help ensure that it stayed that way!
I pushed off where I was, circling around the stone golem as it made to swing at me. I might or might not have stumbled over a pebble as well, but that doesn't matter. Because after locating the thin groove joining its legs together, I easily thrust Starlight Grace into the gap.
The moment I did—
Brwooph.
The stone golem's movements returned.
The leg that I'd struck buckled, and its entire frame came crashing down into the ground at a pace that far exceeded its slow approach. The sudden momentum shift shocked me, and I had to raise my sword to stop my face from being pelted by the earth and dirt.
In that instant, I feared the ground would give way. A crater now served as the stone golem's home, with slimy, mucus-like water now seeping through to fill up. I hopped away from the peril to my boots.
A moment later, I came to realise that the stone golem was still the thing I should be concerned about.
Despite its heavy landing, its huge arms pummelled into the earth, then began to lift itself out of the crater. The leg that had been struck by my sword was clearly damaged and failed to properly move, but the other had no issue, rising on its knee with purposeful, if laborious movements.
I was stunned.
Here I thought the stone golem was on its last charge, and yet it was now managing to right itself. Did this mean it had some alternative energy source to draw from? Was I simply fortunate when it decided to slow itself for my benefit?
Or could it be ...
“Of … Of course! The arcana crystals!”
I wanted to chide myself for not realising sooner.
It was so obvious!
The arcana crystals that littered its body along with the earthworms and the strings of seaweed. They were the primary reagent for mana potions. The lifeblood from which mages continued to function long after coffee had finished working.
Somehow … the stone golem must be drawing energy from them!
I smiled brilliantly.
In that case, there was only one thing for it!
“Ohhohoho … you have my admiration, Sir Stone Golem. But to duel me in the dance of death is to invite your own demise. How foolish, to think you could best someone as overwhelmingly capable as I.”
The stone golem paused in its struggling. For a moment, it turned its faceless head at me, as if to gape with disbelief at my denouncement of its pitiful attempt at murder.
I paid its complaints no heed.
Instead, I held up my sword over my shoulder, the hilt delicately poised between my fingers as though to write with it. This was the position I held Starlight Grace in when using it for its most unique function—
Reading my books beneath my duvet while pretending I was asleep!
“It appears you have a fondness for arcana crystals. If so, allow me to offer you a buffet to fully quench your appetite! Mysteries gather unto me, these are the truths revealed in the starlight. Poetry Form, 4th Stance. [Reading Light]!”
For a moment, Starlight Grace merely wobbled in my hand.
And then—out came the light of the heavens.
Here it was! The ultimate technique in cost-effective lighting! For those nights where it wasn't sufficient to merely light up the page I was reading, but also to scour the depths of my wardrobe, cabinets and the space beneath my bed for my dropped belongings!
When I required it, my entire room was lit up as if a lighthouse was beaming directly into the window!
Originally designed as an aid to my late night poetry writing sessions, [Reading Light] was now an invaluable tool to ensure that my hairbrushes, bookmarkers and stationary never went missing in the corners of my bedroom again!
The effects were immediate.
The chamber filled with enough light to drown out the sun. The seaweeds on the walls instantly puffed up, their dull, green exterior flourishing into the colour of summer grass, while a strangler crab that'd been inching into the chamber broke its pincers trying to burrow into the ground.
More pertinently, each and every arcana crystal on—and inside—the stone golem became ablaze with light. These fragile crystals were never transported without extensive cover. Overexposure risked their degradation. Even more than that resulted in their destruction.
For a few seconds, the stone golem looked as though it was aglow with the light of a thousand fireflies as each and every arcana crystal simultaneously ignited. They burned brightly even as [Reading Light] faded.
Up until the moment they violently exploded.
“Hiiee?!”
For the second time in quick succession, I was forced into an unseemly noise as Starlight Grace swept out to smack away the hundreds of small pieces of stone shards to fly towards me.
All that remained when the cloud of debris dispersed was a plume of smoke, the sound of hissing fragments and the sight of a large magical core, the crystallised heart which fuelled the golem's movement.
Nothing else remained of the stone behemoth.
I prodded at the magical core with my sword, shocked at the efficacy of my impromptu idea. My plan was to weaken it, or at least remove its source of magical energy. I didn't know arcana crystals reacted so violently to sudden light!
“M-My! To think it'd be … so weak to my [Reading Light]! Of course, I expected nothing less. What a foolish creature, to think it could challenge the power of the stars.”
The effects of the arcana crystals' overexposure to Starlight Gaze's light was astonishing. I'd only witnessed similar effects once before as part of my mineralogy studies of the kingdom's resources, and that had been a tiny fragment of a particularly inert crystal.
The effects of so many reacting so fiercely was, as far as I knew, undocumented. Were these arcana crystals unique? Yet another amendment I'd need to add for the Miner's Guild to consider. I had no doubt they'd find a way to draw a profit from this. And I was eager for the results.
In any case, the chamber had been cleared!
Success!
“Ooh ... that wasn't bad at all,” said Coppelia, not even needing to balance herself as she landed gracefully beside me like a trained acrobat. “The next family gathering's going to be awkward. How do I explain that a reading light just made my uncle explode?”
“That was your uncle?!”
“Not anymore.” She joined me in poking at the remaining fragments with her shoe. “Don't worry. He was always a fan of theatrics. Going out with a bang is how he'd want to go. It was really pretty!”
“D-Do you think so?”
I smiled with pride.
In truth, it was difficult for me to take all the credit when it was my sword which clearly did all the work. It was likely also due to the chamber's total darkness that allowed the light to shine even brighter. Even a child holding Starlight Grace could surely have achieved the same result.
“I mean, most people just use a candle to read.”
“Well, they should be gifted an enchanted sword too, then.”
“Mmh, they're pretty dumb, aren't they?”
Behind us, the sound of ragged breathing caught my attention.
I turned around to see the sight of the alchemist, looking utterly pitiful as she climbed out of the basin of water. Her clothes and hazelnut hair were drenched in whatever life had made their home in there. She gave a squeeze of her apron, the water dripping out being instantly replenished by the water dripping down from her hair.
Then, she sneezed.
“Ughhhh … that was … that was … awful … uuuuuuuu ...”
I nodded. It was. But her flight into the pool of water was a worthy cause. That her face wasn't melting was proof that the slimes which inhabited that water were not of the toxic variety. A useful note I'd also need to convey to the Miner's Guild.
“Your starflower is ready,” I said, pointing towards the crevasse where the floral jewel shone. “All in all, a worthy use of my time. I look forward to seeing the results of your alchemy.”
The woman gave a glum nod. She glanced at the wreckage of the stone golem, then let out a depressed sigh.
Her eyes never once wandered to the prize waiting for her at the end of the chamber.
“The starflower … of course. Ugh. Does this water never end … ?”
“There'll be opportunities to dry yourself on the surface. I suggest you harvest the petals you require so we can leave at haste. Much needs to be done to remedy the Withering above.”
“Yes, yes,” she said, her voice frustrated as she squeezed the apron dry. Her index finger twitched noticeably. “The Withering. Unfortunately, there's one additional ingredient that I also need, which I don't think I'll be able to find here. Ugh, I despise getting wet ...”
“What ingredient?” I asked, refusing to climb back down for a return trip. “If it can be located nearby, then I'll not object to rendering out my services once more. As you can see, I'm highly proficient in everything I do.”
The woman didn't immediately answer. She looked at her sore palms in much the same way I did the first time I planted an apple tree seedling. Namely, while wondering why I wasn't ordering my servants to do it instead.
“It's not a question of location, but planning,” she said, repeatedly flicking the water from her hands. “You need not worry. It's something I can attain myself.”
Suddenly, Coppelia gave a lovely smile, then chimed in with a clap.
“Wait, wait, wait—let me guess!”
“Hmm?”
The young woman looked up, clearly not expecting an answer.
“Is it … the soul of a heroine?”
Silence pervaded the chamber as Coppelia finished her query with a bat of her eyelashes. Only the dripping of water from the young woman's drenched figure could be heard spoiling the newly induced quiet.
Her expression was frozen, still locked in the look of mild frustration she wore as she wrung the apron dry. And yet her hands no longer moved.
“Gotcha!” Coppelia snapped her fingers, then pointed straight at the young woman with a triumphant smile. “Marina Lainsfont, was it? You have my book.”
The soft sound of dripping water was the woman's only response.
After a few moments, she sighed and stood up straight.
“I hate water.”
Then—
Her hands burst into flames.
