Chapter 4

I realized I had been forcibly summoned by a transfer spell when I noticed I was at the center of a circular arena.

"Well, well, this is the work of the Legion Commander, isn't it?"

There was no need to say it.

I knew of no other demon who would do such a tasteless and meaningless thing.

She remained unseen, letting her voice resonate through magic.

"Aik, do you understand why you have been called here?"

"Um, sort of..."

I responded vaguely.

"What's with that vague answer? You don't really understand, do you?"

"Well, the Legion Commander always calls me for some arbitrary reason. Last time, you called me because there were cockroaches in your room..."

"Fool. A weak superior had cockroaches in her room. It's only natural for a subordinate, no, a man, to come to the rescue."

"Weak... huh."

If the witch who instantly transferred me and destroyed the knights with a meteor shower spell was considered weak, the dictionary of this world would need to be rewritten.

"So, by the way, why did you call me? If it's about the occupation report, I was planning to submit it myself."

"Hmm, not really..."

No, you're thinking hard right now, aren't you? You probably called me without any real reason.

I was about to point that out, but she seemed to have found a reason.

Or rather, she made one up.

"Right. The reason I called you is because it took longer than expected to conquer, shall we say?"

"Shall we say...?"

I was exasperated, but I respectfully countered, given that she was my superior.

"By the way, conquering a city of that scale with just one brigade in a week is a historic achievement, I think."

"Fool, don't be so proud. It's because the other brigade commanders were facing the enemy's main force, leaving the defenses thin."

"Um, that's true, but..."

It was true, but I still wanted my efforts in capturing that fortress city to be recognized. Well, she probably did recognize them, but she seemed to need a reason to play pranks.

I sighed deeply and asked,

"So, what kind of golem did you make this time?"

"What, you knew I was making a golem?"

"You're going to use me as a test subject again, right? What kind of golem did you make this time? Mud? Wood? Or copper?"

"......"

There was a moment of silence, probably because she was smirking in her room.

This golem must be quite impressive.

"This golem is made entirely of iron. Not just any iron, but Damascus steel, which I had brought from the West, making it a gem of a golem."

As she said this, the door on the opposite side of the arena opened.

There, a golem made entirely of steel stood.

I couldn't help but catch my breath.

The golem was about five meters tall, the size of a small giant.

Moreover, its body was made entirely of metal, the hardest steel known as Damascus steel.

No wonder the commander was in a good mood.

"By the way, surpass the time it took to defeat the wooden golem from last time. Otherwise, you'll be punished."

As she said this, the golem charged at me.

Its speed was astonishing.

It didn't seem like something made of iron.

It ran as if it were dashing across the ground.

"Wait, is it really dashing?"

Looking closely, I saw rollers attached to the golem's feet.

It seemed my joke from before had been taken seriously.

"Yes. Using wheels to move a massive body is a good idea. I didn't expect you to come up with such an idea, truly the grandson of the legendary immortal king."

Well, I said it, but it's also strange that she adopted and implemented it so easily.

Indeed,

"You're a mad alchemist."

That was my honest thought, but I didn't say it out loud.

Instead, I focused on defeating this giant.

Indeed, this giant was made of the strongest steel, Damascus.

But it wasn't invincible.

Because my magic power was amplified several times by the immortal king's robe and staff.

Even if it were orichalcum or mithril, I could pierce through Damascus steel.

I believed in the power I inherited from my grandfather.

I concentrated all my magic power in my palm and transmitted it to the tip of the staff.

I imagined concentrating and condensing all the magic power in my body into a single point.

I visualized slicing the massive iron block in two and then cast the "Slash" spell.

If I failed, I might be crushed to death by the giant, but I didn't even consider that possibility.

The staff in my right hand was not just any staff. It was the strongest equipment created by my grandfather.

A legendary weapon that had consumed the blood and flesh of many humans and demons, its very existence exuding a sinister aura.

With the power of the ouroboros staff and my honed magic, there was no way I couldn't slice through the golem, even if it was made by the commander.

I had no intention of losing.

I poured that determination into my magic and released it.

The result—

I won the battle beautifully.

The golem was cleanly bisected, revealing its internal mechanisms.

The mechanical parts inside, making a whirring sound, were exposed in an ugly manner.

I confirmed this and shouted in the direction where the commander was likely to be.

"Commander, what was the time for the defeat?"

"......"

After a moment of silence, the answer came.

"Hmm, 1 minute and 54 seconds."

Hearing this, I exclaimed,

"Damn, that's the same time as last time."

The commander had said to surpass the time, but would she forgive me for this?

I looked pleadingly at the commander, who wasn't there, for mercy.

"......Hmm, well, it's fine. It didn't get shorter, but it didn't get longer either. This time, there will be no punishment."

She said this and instructed me to come up to the top of the arena.

I obediently followed.

She was my direct superior, and despite her troublesome personality, she wasn't a demon I disliked.

Moreover, she was the only one who understood me after my grandfather's death.

I wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with her as much as possible.