Chapter 652 – Interesting Golems.

“My apologies for making you wait, Siegfried.”

Harphon finally arrived after taking his time within the guild. Roland remained seated at the table, contemplating his next move. His previous plan had ended here. He was supposed to leave, use his new identity, and move more freely through the dungeon while occasionally keeping an eye on the blacksmith. His hope had been that the Master Runesmith would protect him, and that protection during the journey would be enough. However, things did not always turn out as planned.

Assassins had appeared, potentially linked to Arthur and the Valerian household. The situation had grown more complicated, as Roland now wished to learn more about them. Doing so might lead him to whoever was responsible for the past attempt on Arthur’s life. There were many possible culprits, but from his perspective, the most likely remained one of Arthur’s brothers. Still, it was also possible that one of their mothers was involved or some other third party.

“It’s fine.”

“Regretfully, some of my associates are indisposed, having gone on various missions, so it might take me a while.”

The gnome sounded disappointed. He was here on a mission from the guild. Roland was not sure what it was or whether Harphon was telling the truth, but for the time being he was willing to believe him. Helping him could prove beneficial in the future, as having a guild inspector on his side would not hurt. Still, Roland was a busy man. He did not want to act as the gnome’s guard for long, having already spent too much time on this particular side mission.

Harphon pulled out a chair and climbed onto it with practiced ease, his boots dangling slightly above the floor. He folded his hands together and looked up at Roland, his expression grim and serious.

“I’ll be frank.”

The gnome said quietly.

“The assassins we encountered were probably not a coincidence, and the call may have come from this very stronghold.”

Roland’s eyes narrowed behind his helmet.

“May have?”

“Yes. I do not like speaking in certainties unless I am absolutely sure of what I am dealing with. There is a trail of crumbs, but I cannot prove anything just yet. This investigation will take far longer than I expected.”

Harphon rubbed his beard before looking back at Roland.

“Thus, I would wish to officialy hire…”

Before he could continue his pitch, Roland raised a hand to interrupt him.

“Sorry, but I am planning on working alone from now on.”

“Are you sure, Siegfried? The pay will be rather generous. I am certain we can work something out.”

“It is not about the money. I simply do not want to be involved in these matters anymore.”

It was a half truth. In reality, Roland did not wish to be tied to the stronghold. If he became Harphon’s bodyguard, he would have to stay close at all times and would not be able to leave whenever he pleased. He did not fear the assassins overly much and had already outfitted the area around the stronghold with various sensors. He doubted anyone could sneak up on him, let alone locate his hidden shelter and teleportation gate.

“Is that so? Are you only here to hunt a few lesser dragons?”

“Something like that.”

“Always a man of many mysteries.”

The gnome chuckled at Roland’s vague response.

“…Very well.”

Harphon let out a quiet sigh and leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes never quite leaving Roland.

“I won’t force the issue. You don’t strike me as a man who responds well to pressure, but if you find the time…”

“… If I happen to be around, then sure…”

Roland relented a little, giving the gnome permission to call on his help if he happened to be nearby. Even without Harphon knowing, he was planning to track his movements in the dungeon, at least if he went outside the stronghold. Within it, placing sensors was ill-advised until Roland determined the mages competency level. One of them had managed to see through his attempt at hiding monster bodies in the past.

“Great!”

The gnome cheered at the news, but the time to part was finally upon them.

“Then this old man won’t keep you here any longer, and also, take this.”

Before leaving, Harphon handed Roland a card that looked like an adventurer card, bearing Harphon’s identity.

“Your adventurer card?”

“Not quite, but I would like to entrust you with it. If something happens to me, could you give it to one of the guild members in Isgard, ask for Azar.”

“…”

Roland did not press for clarification. It was obvious what the man was doing. If he died, he wanted Roland to deliver the card to one of his associates and likely explain what had transpired so they could send a larger investigation team.

“I see you understand, so I won’t explain. I hope we can chat again, Siegfried. Adventurers like you don’t appear too often in this cruel world.”

“I think you’re over exaggerating. And this card, I’ll return it once you’re done here.”

“Haha, I hope you keep that promise. Then I bid you farewell, my friend.”

With that, Harphon jumped off his stool and headed out of the guild. For a moment, Roland remained there, watching to see if anyone followed the gnome. After two minutes of waiting, nothing of the sort happened, so he finally decided to check on how Agni was doing.

“Woof!”

“You’re so smart, Amun!”

While Ermes was pulled away by his master, Hasim, Millie did not follow after them. Instead, she remained with Agni, who had been left behind in front of the Adventurer Guild. Even though he was a large monster wolf, the adventurers nearby paid him little attention, as many other creatures like him wandered around unperturbed.

‘The laws are a lot more lax here.’

Roland thought to himself as he approached them. Back in other cities, he would have had to place Agni in a proper stable before entering the guild, but here, monsters were allowed to roam freely.

“Your father left a while ago with a man named Hasim.”

Even after he approached the two of them, Millie only noticed him once he spoke. Roland was not sure whether she was naturally scatterbrained or simply enamored with Agni. Either way, she was still here while her father had gone off with Hasim, which conveniently gave Roland an excuse to do something now.

“Oh? He did?”

“You did not hear the shouting?”

“I…”

Millie finally realized what she had been doing, and a blush spread across her face. She looked away from Roland, her gaze shifting awkwardly to the side.

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‘She is around the same age as Lucienne.’

The thought highlighted the stark contrast between a commoner and a noble. His younger sister had already entered a magical academy and lived among her peers, while this girl was stuck working at an inn with her mother from a young age. It was clear that she longed to experience the world through youthful eyes, yet she was confined to this place, unable to leave, like a bird trapped in a cage.

“The man looked like a craftsman.”

“Oh… yes, Uncle Hasim is the greatest craftsman here?”

“I see… Does he sell any enchanted equipment?”

“Does he!”

It seemed that once he mentioned Hasim, Millie reacted positively. He was not sure why she called him an uncle, but it implied some kind of deeper bond.

“He’s the only one the Adventurers trust with their runic plating!”

Millie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with a mix of pride and secondhand ambition.

“Papa says Uncle Hasim can hear the metal screaming if the heat is not just right. He’s a bit grumpy from time to time. Okay, he’s a lot grumpy… always grumpy, but he’s still the best craftsman here.”

Roland nodded slowly, processing the information. A Master Runesmith with a second Master Golem Designer class was a rarity even within the kingdom. Finding one tucked away in a frontier dungeon stronghold suggested either a deep love for rare materials or, perhaps, a desire to work somewhere oversight was thin.

“If he is that skilled, perhaps I should pay his workshop a visit.”