Chapter 345: The Greatest Golem Maker Was Definitely Not a Prison Manager
Chapter 345: The Greatest Golem Maker Was Definitely Not a Prison Manager
Elyn’s POV
Zayrion nodded attentively.
"I understand."
He...wait was that a notebook? Where did this child ever get one from. His hands had been empty a while ago.
I stared.
"...Where did those come from?"
Zayrion looked at me.
"My notebook?"
"Yes."
"I always carry one."
"...Where?"
He adjusted his glasses.
"In a safe place."
"...Which is?"
He smiled politely.
"A safe place."
That answered absolutely nothing. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Perhaps he hid it inside one of his tails. Or maybe his pockets were enchanted. At this point, I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if he somehow carried an entire library on his person.
He lowered his gaze and immediately began writing. The scratching of his pen echoed softly through the workshop as Lithovar patiently waited.
Beside him, Brixton smiled.
"My father doesn’t make golems like Master does."
Zayrion looked up from his notes.
"He doesn’t?"
Brixton shook his head.
"He uses special stones whenever he has to make one."
"He can create them," Lithovar’s calm voice echoed inside our minds, "but he is not a Golem Master."
His smooth face tilted ever so slightly.
"The Duke of Golemhold..."
There was a brief pause.
"...is the first Duke of this territory who is not a Golem Master which is quite a surprise."
Lithovar slowly turned his featureless face toward Zorathys.
"...Just as there had never been a Shadow Demon ruling this realm until the Harbinger of Death."
The workshop became strangely quiet. I glanced toward Zorathys who just yawned in reply.
That was his entire response. Yet something about the way Lithovar had said it almost sounded pointed, like there was another meaning hidden beneath those simple words. Was he criticizing Zorathys? Or was I imagining things? I honestly couldn’t tell. Zorathys certainly didn’t seem to care.
Lithovar returned his attention to Zayrion.
"As for me..." He picked up an ordinary stone from the table. "I require only stone."
Everyone watched silently.
"This..." He held the pebble between two fingers. "...is enough."
A faint pulse of magic spread from his hand. It wasn’t flashy. There was no brilliant light, no explosion of power. The magic simply flowed quietly into the stone.
"Then..." He gently tapped it with a finger. "...I imagine."
The pebble trembled. Its shape shifted. Little legs sprouted first, then a tail, two tiny ears, and finally a pair of bright little eyes opened. A tiny stone rabbit stood proudly in Lithovar’s palm. It twitched its nose before hopping happily onto the table.
"...That’s all."
Zayrion stared. His pen immediately began moving again.
"Incredible... very much so."
The tiny rabbit bounced happily around the table before another little golem chased after it. Velira watched them with sparkling eyes, then turned toward Brixton.
"...Can you do that too?"
Brixton smiled proudly.
"I can make little ones. I’ve been practicing."
Velira nodded.
"Good."
Then she looked toward Lithovar with disgust.
"...Because I don’t like your master."
Um...I knew children were honest but did she really have to say that and without fear too.
"What?" I asked before I could stop myself.
Velira shuddered dramatically.
"He’s creepy." She said. "And annoying, he’s not handsome too."
She paused then added.
"He’s ugly and creepy."
"Velira." I called out.
"Your majesty?"
"You can’t just say that."
"But he is."
Before I could gently remind her that insulting one’s host was perhaps not ideal, Azerion nodded vigorously.
"I agree." He folded his arms. "For some reason... he smells vile."
Rin immediately rolled her eyes.
"Azerion."
"What?"
"Snakes don’t even have noses."
"They do."
"They don’t."
"They absolutely do."
Before the two of them could begin yet another completely unnecessary argument, Zayrion adjusted his glasses.
"Technically..." He glanced toward Rin. "...snakes possess nostrils."
"They do not smell in the same manner as mammals, but they are capable of detecting scents." He smiled politely. "Although, since Azerion is a Syrenthis Demon, referring to him as an ordinary snake would not be entirely accurate."
Rin stared at him for several long seconds, then let out a defeated sigh.
"Sometimes I forget you know everything."
"I don’t."
She pointed toward Lithovar.
"Fine. Continue your lesson, creepy ugly vile jail master."
The cave became very quiet. A cold voice echoed through every one of our minds.
"I am not a jail master."
Rin shrugged without the slightest hint of fear.
"You could’ve fooled me."
The tiny golems stopped moving. The dragonfly-like insects hovering overhead became strangely still. Even the air itself felt colder.
Then Lithovar repeated, even more icily.
"I am not..." A heavy silence settled over the cave. "...a jail master."
Thalira tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Hm." She looked at him. "So..." She smiled brightly. "...you’re a prison manager? Or perhaps Mr. Ugly?"
"He is ugly." Aziren said laughing then he turned to Lithovar. "Sorry but mummy says to tell the truth especially about beauty."
He really meant no offense with the way he said it.
I bit the inside of my cheek very hard because every instinct in my body wanted to laugh. This was absolutely not the time. Lithovar was very clearly becoming annoyed, yet none of the children seemed remotely concerned. Not even Brixton. He was completely focused on Velira.
"I can show you how to make little golems."
"You can?"
He nodded proudly.
"Master has already started teaching me."
"I’d like that."
"I’ll show you after—"
A deep, ancient growl suddenly rolled through the cavern. It wasn’t loud, not particularly, but the entire mountain seemed to vibrate with it. The glowing dragonflies scattered.
Silence followed. Then Lithovar’s voice rang through every corner of the workshop, no longer calm, no longer patient, filled instead with unmistakable irritation.
"...I am the greatest Golem Master to ever exist."
Another growl echoed.
"...I am not a jail master."
The tiny golems hurriedly hid behind rocks.
"...Nor am I a prison manager."
Even the Lunacite Stones lining the walls flickered uneasily.
"And..." There was a long, very dangerous silence. "...I am not ugly, or vile, or creepy. I am cursed."