Chapter 539

The air in the basement is always uncomfortably damp. Especially if it’s a confined space.

So, it was only natural that I pulled out a cigarette and bit into it to replace the stuffy air with a refreshing minty scent.

‘Got it?’

[What’s natural about that? You’re coming up with all sorts of weird excuses now.]

Hersela didn’t seem too pleased with me using her ancestor’s tomb as an ashtray. Not that I cared.

Your ancestor, not mine.

Anyway, I puffed on my cigarette while exploring the tomb by the light of the lantern. Well, “exploring” might be too grand a word. It was more like sightseeing.

It had been nearly five minutes since I descended the underground stairs and started walking down the spacious corridor, but all I could see under the flickering crimson light were the pillars connecting the passages and the dusty stone walls.

There was no sign of any living beings, and there were no traps like collapsing floors or arrows shooting out.

Corridor, corner, another corridor, a small unremarkable room, a statue, corridor.

The tomb was so quiet and ordinary that all tension had vanished. It was almost embarrassing how overprepared I was with all the equipment I brought.

There were jars filled with burial items here and there, but when I opened them, the armor and weapons were all rusted, and even the ornaments were just ordinary gold trinkets.

Well, gold and jewels could be sold for money… but there’s no way I could sell items from this place, and I’m not exactly strapped for cash, so they were just useless junk to me.

‘There’s really nothing here….’

[Didn’t that white-haired girl say it too? That it’s just an ordinary tomb.]

Hersela chuckled, clearly amused by how ridiculous I looked, insisting there’d be something special and lugging around all that equipment.

I walked for another five minutes.

—

Well, there was something.

Though not quite what I expected.

Suddenly, the space widened. In front of the door leading further into the passage, a massive black lump of metal rose like a hill.

[What on earth is that…?]

Hersela voiced her confusion.

Instead of answering, I cautiously raised the lantern, wary of the giant mass in the distance.

It looked like molten metal poured over a giant, then clad in heavy iron armor. It wasn’t hard to figure out what it was.

‘…A Colossus. A war machine made by the dwarves in the image of giants. Seems like all its core weapons have been removed.’

Originally, it would’ve been equipped with cannons or rockets, but the Colossus before me only held a massive sword, with no ranged weapons in sight.

…I didn’t expect to see something like this in the Holy Kingdom’s underground. The dwarves, who are extremely sensitive about their technology leaking, wouldn’t just let their main war machine fall into human hands.

Ah, since this is the Tomb of the Twelve Knights, maybe they forcibly took it from the dwarves back then?

Well… anyway, I’ll have to destroy it first.

It’s clearly placed here like, “If you want to go further, you’ll have to take me down!” Probably some kind of final test.

Just as I expected. I had a feeling something like this would be here.

I set the lantern down, narrowed my eyes, and slowly approached, wary of its movements. I firmly gripped Durandal with both hands.

A Colossus without ranged weapons shouldn’t be too difficult, but… I couldn’t let my guard down. The strength of a Colossus varies greatly depending on its materials and power source.

A weak one could be taken down by two or three masters, but a strong one could even give a hero-level knight trouble. If it’s placed in the Tomb of the Twelve Knights, it’s probably one of the better ones.

How strong it is… I’ll find out by fighting it.

After closing the distance, I kicked off the ground and charged at it.

– Kwaaang!

A blue streak of light stretched out like a tail. A probing strike, leaving some room to retreat depending on its reaction.

In an instant, I was within striking distance. Close enough that if it swung its sword, it would hit me immediately. But the Colossus remained motionless, still crouched.

Wait, it’s not reacting even at this distance?

**Is it a trap?**

Doubt flashed through my mind.

It’s too defenseless. It feels like it’s luring me into a trap.

Mines? An electromagnetic shield? Explosive armor?

I don’t know what’s coming, but I need to create some distance…!

– Kwaddeuk!

I stomped the ground hard, stopping my momentum and leaping back to take a defensive stance.

You think a lump of metal can trap me? As if I’d fall for that. Bring it on.

I was confident I could block whatever came as long as I kept my distance.

…….

[…What are you doing?]

…And then nothing happened.

The Colossus remained motionless, completely indifferent to my approach or retreat.

It just sat there.

…….

Wait, is it…

A sudden ominous thought crossed my mind, and I silently drew my bow, firing an arrow at the Colossus.

– Thunk!

The arrow slightly dented its armor before bouncing off. A clear act of hostility. Even if it was a light attack, it was enough to damage the machine.

…….

But the Colossus still didn’t react.

No lights turned on, no creaking as it stood up. It just sat there quietly.

……It’s broken, isn’t it?

My cheeks burned with embarrassment.

The Colossus isn’t moving. No, it can’t move. It looks fine on the outside, but it’s completely broken inside.

…In other words, I just made a fool of myself, wary of a broken lump of metal and non-existent traps.

[Kuk, kukuku… Kuhuhuhu! What were you even doing? Were you really scared of a dead enemy and backed off? Like a frightened squirrel!]

Hersela burst into laughter after understanding the situation.

‘…….’

Damn it, I had no comeback.

If there were no witnesses, I’d just feel a bit embarrassed, but I’ve got this annoying stalker watching me 24/7.

I just showed her the most humiliating spectacle. This is the worst kind of disgrace.

‘…Well, normally, in situations like this, it’d wake up and block me. How was I supposed to know it was broken from the start?’

I made a lame excuse as I approached the Colossus.

Close enough to touch. It still didn’t move, so it was definitely broken.

This bastard made me look like a fool.

I swung Durandal at it. A strike filled with anger from the embarrassment. The roughly swung Durandal viciously tore into the Colossus’s body.

– Kakakaka!

With a fierce shower of sparks, its armor split open.

Metal fragments, gears, cylinders, and pipes scattered everywhere. All the parts were heavily rusted.

[Kukuku. Since you’ve got nothing to say, you’re taking it out on that lump of metal? What a delightful clown show!]

‘…Oh, shut up. It’s my first time facing something like this, so it’s natural to be overly cautious.’

Of course, Hersela didn’t stop laughing. Even as I smashed the Colossus into pieces, my fists trembling.

[Huhuhu…!]

‘Stop laughing already. If you keep this up, I might strip and dance in front of Ja-han.’

[Well, you might just do that.]

It was a desperate threat, but Hersela just snorted.

Damn it, now even impossible threats don’t work.

After nearly a year together, Hersela understood me too well. She was certain I’d never do something like that.

—

– Kugugugung!

Ignoring Hersela’s laughter, I smashed the Colossus to pieces and pushed open the massive stone door it was blocking.

Even without stepping inside, I could feel it. This inner chamber was undoubtedly the tomb where Rotholandus’s coffin was placed. I had reached my destination.

I stepped inside and raised the lantern high.

For the Tomb of the Twelve Knights, it wasn’t a very large space. About the size of a small cathedral’s prayer room.

In the center, on a knee-high platform, sat a stone coffin engraved with Elpinel’s holy symbol. The walls were covered in reliefs depicting Rotholandus’s exploits, similar to what I’d seen at the entrance.

A scene of him receiving Durandal from a man who looked like Carolus.

A scene of him piercing a giant’s heart with Durandal.

A scene of him hunting a dragon with the other knights.

The reliefs were so detailed they felt grand, but the content was just the typical, clichéd hero’s tale.

I turned to the opposite wall.

It was also covered in reliefs of Rotholandus, but at a glance, they seemed to depict wars against other races.

A scene of him grabbing a fairy’s head and shoving its ear into its mouth.

A scene of him cutting off a beastman king’s limbs and roasting him alive.

A scene of him using a dwarf as a shield to charge through their barrage.

A scene of him tearing people apart naked…?

Wait, hold on.

I rubbed my eyes and looked at the last relief again.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t misseen it.

There was no doubt. A completely naked man, his lower half flapping around, was tearing people apart with his bare hands!

‘…This guy’s insane.’

I couldn’t help but laugh.

In games, there’s the concept of veteran players fighting naked, but in real life, that’s just being a lunatic. And he wasn’t even wearing underwear!

‘Your ancestor’s not right in the head.’

This is one of the Twelve Knights? Just a crazy exhibitionist.

[My ancestor? I don’t know that person.]

Hersela, also stunned, went so far as to deny her own lineage.

That’s your mother’s bloodline, you know.

Anyway, I decided it’d be better not to tell Lacey about this relief.

If she found out that the Twelve Knights she admired and praised were actually a bunch of naked lunatics, she’d be deeply shocked.