SWNOVELXO Chapter 358
After the shock and horror subsided and some time passed, Liche and Arisa finally calmed down and were able to assess the situation.
“…So, are you saying you intend to pledge your loyalty to me?”
Nod
The white knight, or rather, the golem in white armor, nodded with a dignified demeanor, as if it perfectly understood Liche’s words.
No, it was a golem in the form of white armor.
Although Liche had asked just to be sure, anyone could see from the golem’s actions that it considered Liche an important figure.
For who knows how long, this golem had been hiding in the ancient ruins, avoiding human eyes.
It had even managed to evade the sharp eyes of Arisa, a master of tracking, and two slave hunters who were skilled enough to hide nearby without noticing the golem’s presence.
And now, this golem had suddenly revealed itself to people, and even to save Liche and Arisa?
Anyone could see that it held Liche, in particular, in high regard.
“I don’t know why this golem is following me, but at least it’s a relief that it’s not hostile to us.”
“Ah, maybe it’s because of what Daria mentioned before! Daria said that Wizards are a race closely tied to the history of the Ancient Empire, so perhaps a golem created by the Ancient Empire would naturally cherish Liche, who carries the bloodline of the Ancient Empire!”
“…Is that so?”
“Of course. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for this golem to save us and pledge loyalty to Liche. Maybe Liche’s ancestors were incredibly important figures during the Ancient Empire!”
Nod
As if understanding their words, the white golem nodded while kneeling in a reverent posture.
“Originally, these golems were created to protect the ruins of the Ancient Empire. But the most important central part of the ancient ruins has already fulfilled its role and passed on all the necessary information to future generations. So, in a way, this golem has completed its duty.”
“…I see. Typical golems have an algorithm that makes them return to their previous commands after completing all given tasks. And since this golem’s original role was to protect high-ranking figures in the Imperial Palace of the Ancient Empire… Is it pledging loyalty to me, a Wizard who carries the bloodline of the Ancient Empire, to continue its duty?”
Nod
The golem continued to nod at Arisa’s words while maintaining a posture of loyalty toward Liche.
Though it didn’t speak, its demeanor seemed to genuinely express a desire to serve Liche as its master.
As Liche seemed to understand its actions, the golem held out the sword it had been gripping with both hands, offering it to Liche.
It was as if it were performing a knight’s oath, presenting its sword to its future lord.
The golem stood still, waiting for Liche to take the sword, exuding an air of reverence despite being a lifeless creation of ancient magic.
For a moment, Liche was overwhelmed, but she soon regained her composure and spoke cautiously.
“But… there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
The golem silently gazed at her.
Though it couldn’t speak, its demeanor seemed to say it would answer anything within its ability.
“When we first met, you genuinely tried to kill us. So why are you now pledging loyalty to me?”
Twitch
For a moment, the golem twitched as if it were human.
Its armor clanked as it moved.
“Surely, you didn’t just attack without knowing who we were, then after falling, hid in the ruins for months, figured out the situation, and then rushed to pledge loyalty to me, right…?”
Twitch
Again, the golem twitched and clanked.
But the two of them, seeing the golem’s strange behavior, simply brushed it off, thinking it was just how the golem was.
“Ah, no way. A golem, the pinnacle of Ancient Empire magical engineering, wouldn’t suddenly change its attitude like a human drained by a vampire and pledge loyalty to Liche for such a silly reason, right? There must be some complex, Ancient Empire-like reason we don’t know about.”
Twitch
“Right? If that were the case, it would be too shameless, even for a golem, to act all cool and serious after saving me from slave hunters and trying to erase the fact that it once pointed a sword at us arrogantly.”
Twitch
By the way, the two weren’t mocking the golem with malice.
If anything, they were being cautious around it.
So, Liche was genuinely curious about the golem’s behavior and asked her questions.
But sometimes, words without malice can still be sharp.
The white golem reacted as if it were human, flinching at every word the two spoke.
Was it just an illusion that the golem’s fingertips seemed to tremble more as the conversation went on?
“Taking in this golem was unexpected, but…”
At those words, the golem tensed up like a human.
“Still, if we leave it here, who knows what it might do? And its abilities will be a great asset in our future adventures…”
As Liche spoke, she took the golem’s sword with both hands and gently touched its shoulders and head with the blade.
“Take care of me, Golem-san.”
Liche returned the sword to the golem, and just like that, a golem was added to Arisa’s party.
—
After safely escaping the clutches of the slave hunters, the two returned to Astram.
Clomp clomp
Clank clank
“Hoo. Do you know how hard it was to convince Astram’s guards? I had to persuade them that we were just wandering knights (Freelance) and not dangerous, even vouching for us as a Silver Rank Adventurer. You should be grateful.”
Bow
“Ahaha… But it turned out well, didn’t it? Liche, you succeeded in having the fateful encounter you always wanted…”
“Hmm… I did always think it would be nice to have something to accompany me…”
Though she failed to get a pet monster, Liche succeeded in getting a pet golem.
But instead of being happy, she wore an inexplicably awkward expression.
“This isn’t what I had in mind…”
Whether it understood her feelings or not, the golem silently followed her.
—
As they walked toward the Adventurer Guild, Arisa suddenly thought of something and asked Liche.
“Um, are you okay with this, Liche?”
“With what?”
“Well, that golem… we once fought it to the death, remember?”
Twitch
“Didn’t we already talk about that? Back then, the golem was just fulfilling its role, and technically, we were the ones who intruded into the ruins, so we decided to let it go.”
Nod nod
The golem twitched at Arisa’s words but then nodded vigorously at Liche’s rebuttal, as if reaffirming its loyalty.
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
As they chatted, the two soon reached the entrance of the Adventurer Guild.
“…? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Creak
“W-Wait! If you open the door like that…!”
Without understanding Arisa’s warning, Liche casually opened the door to the Adventurer Guild.
“Ah, Liza! Liche, you’re back too! Did you finish the request? Huh? That person behind you looks familiar…”
The first to notice the two entering the guild was Mari, a golden-haired, fair-skinned, sociable half-elf with maxed-out charisma, the complete opposite of an awkward dark elf.
She greeted them warmly but then noticed the golem following them and began to look puzzled, her expression gradually hardening.
“Hahaha. Mari, have we ever seen a knight in such expensive-looking armor during our adventures…?”
“What? First Mari, now you. What’s going on? What’s with all this…?”
Similarly, Karina and Serena, who were a beat late in greeting the two, also lost their expressions upon seeing the golem.
And finally.
“That guy…”
Even Kurt stood up from his seat.
Swoosh
The white golem also drew its sword upon seeing Kurt’s face.
“Ah…”
Only then did Liche realize she hadn’t explained the golem to Kurt and the others, and she covered her face with both hands.