The Runesmith

Chapter 633: Overworked.

“Everyone, get ready.”

“Oh no… is he coming? I thought we would be done early today.”

“I was planning to ask Lilly out today. This is going to take forever…”

A group of laborers talked among themselves as they realized they would have to stay longer than expected.

“Quiet.”

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed, causing everyone to turn their heads.

“You should be glad you are getting paid extra for this. I do not want to hear a single complaint!”

A stocky man with a black beard and a butcher’s apron barked at them. The workers stiffened at once, as if afraid he might strike them. His stare was intense, and the room fell so silent that the rushed footsteps approaching the entrance could be heard.

“He is here. He is here!”

A young man burst through the door, his eyes wide with panic as he announced the arrival of the expected guest. The leader’s expression remained firm, yet beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“Everyone, get in formation and do not speak.”

Men and women wearing thick leather aprons hurried into neat rows beside the wide loading bay. Support golems clanked into standby positions, their eyes glowing faintly as they activated and waited for orders. The enormous double doors at the far end of the hall creaked open, and at last the visitor entered.

A cold draft swept in as a tall, armored figure stepped inside. His cloak rose slightly as the cold air from within the building rushed toward him. He did not need to announce himself. Everyone knew who he was. Wayland, the High Knight Commander, carried a presence none of them could ignore. He was the second most important person in the city, yet to these workers he was something else entirely. He was their greatest customer.

“Sir Wayland, please come in.”

The stern leader stepped forward. It was obvious that courtesy did not come naturally to him, but with this man, he had no choice. No one else dared to speak, not out of fear of punishment but because their livelihood was bound to this visitor, whether they liked it or not.

The footsteps of the armored knight echoed through the hall, each one disturbingly calm for a man carrying so much metal. A few workers swallowed hard. Others tried not to look directly at him, as if afraid he might detect insolence through the slightest glance. He stopped in the center of the building without speaking a single word.

Everyone held their breath because they already knew what was about to happen. In their minds, they prayed to Solaria that it would not be anything tedious, but deep down, they understood that this hope was usually misplaced. Each time he appeared, their workload increased to an exhausting degree, though the pay was always worth it in the end.

Wayland lifted one hand, and a rune across his gauntlet glowed faintly. Mana spread through the area as something took shape on the ground, a spell they still could not comprehend, even after seeing it many times. Suddenly, something immense began to emerge, larger than anything they had ever witnessed.

A wet and heavy mass slammed onto the reinforced floor with a tremor that rattled the bolts in the walls. A second impact followed, then a third. Something serpentine and impossibly long slid out of the spatial tear, each new meter more horrifying than the last. When the first monster carcass finally appeared completely, a collective gasp filled the hall.

“…That is… fifty meters… at least…”

One worker whispered the words before realizing he had spoken aloud. He clamped both hands over his mouth and looked toward their leader.

“Idiot, keep your mouth shut.”

The man who looked like a butcher hissed the warning and then faced forward again. He was clearly shaken by the monstrosity before him. Its scales were blue and black, torn open in several places where something had punched through. Each wound was wide enough for a grown man to lie inside it. The serpent radiated a strange pressure that made the hair on everyone’s arms stand on end.

“I hope you can process these Azure Scaled Sea Serpents soon.”

At last, Wayland spoke and revealed the identity of the creatures they would be handling. They were in the monster processing plant, a facility built for the disassembly of beings taken from the dungeon and from the world beyond it. This was the largest structure of its kind, yet the fifty-meter serpent nearly touched the far walls.

“Of course, Sir Wayland, it will not be a problem. We will dismantle these as soon as we can… ”

The man paused as a troubling thought struck him.

“These Azure Scaled Sea Serpents?”

“Yes.”

As soon as he answered, the strange spatial spell activated again. More sea creatures poured out of the rift. Some were shattered into segments while others matched the first serpent in length or came only slightly shorter. A collective groan echoed through the hall as the workers watched the pile grow until it filled nearly two-thirds of the entire facility.

“I believe you should expand this building or make a second one. I will probably bring more soon, and they could become bigger.”

The workers stared in shock at the mountain of monsters now lying before them. Wayland’s remark made everything even worse. This was not the first time he had done this. For weeks, he would appear without warning and deliver creature after creature until the staff could barely keep up. After a short reprieve, the cycle would begin again, a few weeks of rest, sometimes a month or two.

The mountain of Azure Scaled Sea Serpents steamed in the cold air, filling the hall with a thick smell of blood and fish. Every few seconds, a scale cracked as the corpse settled under its own weight. The sound resembled snapping twigs and caused the workers to flinch before putting on their masks to avoid the smell. No one dared to move until Sir Wayland lowered his hand, and the spatial ripple finally faded.

“…T-This is more than last time, but we can handle it…”

“Good. You will be rewarded well. Hire more people if necessary. I will have more work for you later.”

Wayland nodded and activated another spatial rune to release additional monster parts. These looked like smaller fish, and some resembled plants. By the time he was finished, the facility was nearly at full capacity. Only then did he turn on his heel and walk away, leaving the monster disassembly crew alone with a mountain of work piled across the floor.

For a long moment, no one dared to breathe. Only after the echo of armored footsteps faded fully did the tension snap all at once.

“Uuuuugh… we’re dead. We’re all dead. This is going to take days… no weeks!”

“I knew it! I knew he was going to dump a whole mountain on us again!”

“Is this even legal? This can’t be legal!”

A chorus of groans, sighs, and whispered curses filled the massive hall as the workers finally relaxed their rigid posture. Tools clattered against the floor while some slumped against crates or leaned on their tables for support. The mountain of serpents steamed ominously, and the smell was so thick that even the reinforced masks could not fully suppress it.

“But you know… if this monster is what he said it was, one of these has to be worth…”

One of the workers began counting on his fingers and then gulped without naming the amount.

“Yeah… we might be able to retire soon if this keeps up.”

“I really want to buy a new house.”

One by one, they realised how much they would be earning, and their leader grinned.

“I knew you were all greedy bastards. That’s why you’re here. Now be quiet and get back to work.”

“Aye aye, Chief!”

It did not take them long to change their tune. Once they learned these were middle level tier three monsters with parts valuable to both Platinum and Mithril adventurers, they knew they were standing in a gold mine.

*****

‘I hope I’m not overworking those guys, but they did hire new people, so it should be fine. It’s not like I’m forcing anyone to be there.’

Roland walked away from the monster processing area. It had been expanded recently due to the growing volume of monster parts coming from the dungeon, and several additional buildings were already under construction to keep up. This particular facility was reserved for his personal use, and since he planned to hunt more lesser dragons, expanding it further seemed like the best choice.

He had overheard some of the things the workers were saying, and if they knew how much he worked, they would probably think whatever they were doing was a vacation. This was only the first stop after returning from the dungeon, and there were many more things waiting for him.

‘I should go check on the other projects.’

There was another reason he had come to the guild, so he made his way toward the Guild Master’s office. The moment he stepped onto the lower floor, everything came to a halt. In the past, he could pass as a nameless adventurer, but now his runic armor and presence gave him away.

‘I’m not sure I like this treatment, but at least things are quiet…’

He had no idea what people truly thought of him, as countless rumors were circulating, some painting him as someone who would kill without hesitation if spoken to. He did not know where these stories had started, since he considered himself fairly docile. Still, thanks to them, he avoided interactions with strangers and was granted access to the Guild Master’s office rather quickly.

“Well, if it isn’t the famous High Knight Commander Wayland, what does this humble Guild Master owe this pleasure?”

As he entered, Aurdhan greeted him in a mocking tone, a sharp contrast to the reverence shown by everyone else.

“I just wanted you to check up on a few people, if that is possible.”

“Hah, this isn’t an information guild.”

Roland spoke, but Aurdhan only shook his head.

“Can you do it or not?”

“That depends. Who do you want information on?”

Without hesitation, Roland placed several stacks of paper on the table, each filled with names and even physical descriptions. His golems had spent time in the dungeon, recording and taking photos of the adventurers moving through the forest and some within the encampment. He planned to enter the area himself eventually, and before doing so, he wanted detailed information on every one of them.

“These are all Platinum and Mithril adventurers from within the third ring of the Drachnid Valley.”

“Oh? That is quite the place you have in mind. How did you even get these... on second thought, do not tell me.”

Aurdhan examined the printed photos. Some were blurry due to the low-quality golemic eyes his smaller creations were equipped with, but after a moment, he gave a slow nod.

“Fine. I can do it, but it will cost you.”

“Sure. Just send the bill to me later.”

“Hah, always a pleasure working with you, High Knight Commander.”

After another round of mocking words, Roland took his leave. The Guild Master’s level had not increased since their last interaction, or perhaps even since Roland arrived in Albrook. For a moment, he wondered how well he would fare against him now, with all his recent level gains and improved gear.

‘Now then, on to the next one.’

The day was just beginning as the sun rose over the city. For a moment, he looked around while a group of armored soldiers led him toward a carriage. Some people seemed afraid of his presence, but many wore smiles on their faces.

“Look, Mommy, it’s a knight!”

“Yes, yes, that’s Sir Wayland.”

“I want to be a knight when I grow up!”

Before entering the carriage, Roland inclined his head slightly toward the child, a gesture so subtle that most adults missed it. The boy’s eyes widened as if a legend had noticed him. The carriage door shut with a muted thud, sealing him away from the noise of the waking city. He leaned back against the cushioned seat and savored the brief moment of peace.

‘Knight, huh. I wonder if Father Dearest would be proud of his son doing so well.’

His title still felt strange, as it was something he had begun this journey to escape. In the end, he had become something similar to a knight, though only in name, as he had never truly sworn any proper oaths binding him to his new lord.

The carriage rolled slowly through the city, and thanks to his entourage of armored soldiers, everyone parted to the sides. He did not want to make a spectacle of it, but he had to at least pretend that his position meant something. Every time he appeared in public, it had to be with armored bodyguards walking a few paces behind him.

Soon he arrived at the Lord’s estate, but the Lord was not there to meet him. Instead, he made his way to one of the secret underground facilities. From there, he went to the area where he had previously conducted research on the runic prosthetic. When he arrived, he was greeted by several maids and members of a research team composed of handpicked craftsmen.

“How is the subject faring?”

“Quite well, sir. It seems to have regained its vision and can now follow simple indicators.”

Roland nodded as a screen flashed before him. On it, he saw a hobgoblin bound to a chair. At first, there was nothing unusual about it, but something about its eyes stood out. One of them looked different, clearly artificial. A faint glow emanated from it as the creature watched a golem circling nearby.

“The eye is reacting to movement. It is a success, but…”

One of the maids pointed at the screen as the monster began to fidget. Roland noticed its clear discomfort and, after a moment, identified the cause.

“The heat from the rune is still a problem, Georgina?”

A maid wearing large spectacles and her hair in a braid stepped forward. She adjusted her glasses with one finger before speaking.

“Yes, sir. The runic eye prosthesis is functioning as intended, but the longer it is used, the more heat builds up, which causes discomfort to the subject.”

“I see… getting down the heat further will take some time, but at least the image clarity is getting there.”

Roland spoke while looking at another screen that displayed what the hobgoblin was seeing. The human eye was an incredibly powerful organ, one not easily replicated with golemic eyes. The versions used by golems were inadequate, and the few that came close were far too large to fit into an eye socket. All of this research was intended to restore Arthur’s mother’s eyesight, but although these eyes were not yet suitable, there were still other options.

“What about the other project?”

Georgina nodded and glanced down at her clipboard, where notes had been carefully written. She then moved to the panel and pressed a sequence of keys resembling a modern keyboard. The display shifted to another room. Inside stood a lone figure, not a monster but a human, holding a sword in one hand. Several tier two monsters surrounded him.

The man wore a strange visor over his head. It was not quite a helmet but more like a half mask covering his face. Several orbs were embedded in it, each one glowing brightly as it activated. His left leg was almost entirely metallic, and the hand holding his weapon was the same.

A monster charged at the man, who seemed blind, but he sidestepped with ease at the last moment and drove his blade clean through its throat. The creature collapsed with a wet gasp, its claws scraping uselessly against the floor before falling still. Another lunged from the side, but the man twisted smoothly, his mechanical leg whirring faintly as it compensated for the sudden movement.

Roland narrowed his eyes behind his helmet as he watched the man dispatch the monsters with ease. Even during the fast-paced combat, the replacement eye device functioned perfectly, and within moments, all the monsters lay slain. The man lowered his weapon and finally removed the face mask, revealing a missing eye beneath.

“This one shows more promise.”

“Yes, sir. Even when the runes start to heat up, as long as the device is not embedded in the flesh, the subjects remain unaffected.”

He nodded, satisfied that this technology was best suited for Arthur’s mother. In the past, he had managed to synchronise the eyes with the mana phantom, but the issue of overheating persisted whenever the prosthesis was placed within a person’s eye socket. This face mask, however, was far less invasive and did not require the removal of an eyeball to function. It was perfect, though it would need to be remade to suit a proper noble lady.