NOVEL WEB Chapter 161
“Master, I was just about to finalize the finishing touches.”
“Thank you for your hard work on the project, Edric.”
As usual, Rupert finished his lecture and stopped by the clubroom to check on the members’ works, only to be met by Edric, who bore a pale complexion.
Even with Edric’s excellent stamina, which surpassed that of the average knight, preparing to present a new animation for the second-semester closing ceremony proved to be a daunting task.
Rupert’s eyes met Amelia’s as he encouraged the tired Edric and other members.
Both quickly averted their gazes, looking as flustered as a pair of adolescents.
Fearing that the others might sense the unusual atmosphere between them, Rupert swiftly directed a question at Edric.
“Have you decided on a title for the work you’re preparing?”
“Yes, it’s titled Steel Heart.”
The comic club members were in the midst of wrapping up the visuals for a story that had been completed some time ago, ready for screening.
‘Seriously, those two make a great combination,’ thought Rupert, glancing at Edric and Adrian, who were bickering over the title in the moment.
Edric’s initial project resembled a modern romantic comedy by today’s standards.
It revolved around the events occurring at a lodging house for applicants aspiring to enter the Imperial Academy, focusing on a boy who met a girl resembling a childhood friend he had promised to attend the academy with.
Rupert thought it was quite good, but astonishingly, when Adrian teamed up with Edric, it led to a creation he hadn’t anticipated at all.
Rather than a romantic comedy, it was more akin to a science fiction story titled <Steel Heart>.
Rupert judged it to be a masterpiece forged from Adrian’s solidly structured plot, infused with Edric’s character depth.
“Master, I really enjoyed this new piece as well. That new female character, the night cat Naru, who appeared this episode, is incredibly charming!”
“Oh, is that so? I’m grateful you think highly of it.”
“The costume design for this character is very distinctive….”
Once Adrian and Edric finished their squabbling, Edric returned to Rupert, beginning to share his thoughts on the new female character from their upcoming piece <Great Treasure>.
‘What’s up with him?’
Rupert felt a strange sense of debt towards Edric ever since he made a promise with Amelia, but now he was just curious about whom Edric would marry.
***
“Do I really need to put this lamb head on the bow of the ship?”
“That’s the point! You have seriously poor artistic sense, Kroon.”
It would have been inconceivable that a Dwarf, known for their artistic talent exceeding that of any other race, would hear that humans lack aesthetic sense.
Yet, Kroon’s fixation on the new Golem’s Arm that had captured his heart, coupled with Rupert’s drawings and all the items involved in the project, displayed extraordinary aesthetic flair.
Thus, he was left with no choice but to entertain the outrageous suggestion of placing a lamb’s head on the ship’s bow.
“Oh, a goddess statue would fit perfectly on a ship’s bow…”
“If you put a goddess statue there, it might get cursed.”
“Cursed?”
“That’s a possibility. Something about being dragged to another world, you know.”
Ignoring Rupert’s strange mutterings, Kroon took another look at the construction of the ship before heading straight to his workshop.
“Ah! Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you, Lord Kroon.”
Kroon’s specialized workshop, built beside Somerset Workshop, was filled with tools and rare materials he had acquired while enduring Rupert’s constant nagging.
“The framework work is already done. Thanks to the mithril you provided, I could manage it.”
“Then, we need to engrave the magic circle now.”
“That’s right. And about the part that will serve as the energy source…”
Kroon was having a serious discussion with someone through a communication crystal that could only be found in a Mage Tower.
“Well, it seems we need to use top-grade magic stones to ensure that it automatically gathers mana for recovery.”
“I’ve seen those in the master’s storage before. I’ll grab them next time.”
“Thank you, Miss Jenia.”
The person with whom Kroon was conversing, and who had managed to make him smile, was none other than Jenia.
“I’m thinking of creating a new type of golem. I need your help, Kroon.”
One day, when Jenia approached Kroon with the proposal, it intrigued him greatly.
Until now, golems had mostly been artificial beings controlled by wizards, primarily used for combat.
However, Jenia suggested creating a golem that could take on a human-like form and perform everyday tasks.
The new golem she envisioned was closer to a human than a golem.
It would be impossible to create such a humanoid golem without Kroon’s delicate craftsmanship, and conversely, no matter how good his design was, without magical knowledge, he wouldn’t be able to imbue life into the golem.
In a way, it was nothing short of miraculous that the two optimal talents for crafting the new golem were aware of each other.
‘However, if I make it according to this design, the materials it will require…’
Initially, Kroon was excited at the thought of being able to create something new once again.
But upon reflecting, he realized that producing this new type of golem would require a significant amount of money—far more than he had anticipated.
To ensure that a golem, based on the human body, would operate without issues for an extended period, not only the technique was crucial, but the materials were paramount.
Furthermore, since the energy source would be mana, he couldn’t use ores that had low mana absorption or conductivity.
‘Kroon, seriously, the research costs nearing the annual budget of another territory is a bit excessive, don’t you think?’
After having been chastised in the past for splurging on materials and tools, believing in Somerset’s recent economic prosperity, he felt somewhat conscious of his spending.
‘Don’t worry! I’ll somehow manage to get the materials!’
However, after making a bold declaration that she would procure the materials, the arrival of Jenia with genuinely rare materials allowed Kroon to begin the fabrication of the new golem without any anxiety.
“This is truly art…”
Due to Jenia’s request for secrecy from Rupert, this masterpiece had yet to be shown to anyone.
The skeletal frame of the new golem, made of mithril, resembled that of a skeleton of an undead creature.
Soon, Jenia’s magical formulas would be meticulously engraved here, along with materials that would serve as its power source and mimic the blood and flesh of a human.
Lastly, the most crucial component: artificial intelligence.
This was something that even Kroon’s skill couldn’t achieve, as Jenia was directly developing it through command control formulas.
‘Why are you so intent on creating this?’
He pondered, wondering why Jenia, even though he was born to create new items, was working so hard to create this new golem.
‘Because this is the only way I can be of help to Lord Rupert.’
Imagining Jenia’s shy response, turning red at the mere thought of Rupert, Kroon remarked.
“Tsk… that guy really has a way with women.”
Even Kroon, a Dwarf, found Jenia, a remarkably attractive woman, to be enviable for toiling so earnestly for Rupert.
However, considering that Rupert was such a clueless fellow himself, he felt that Jenia might have to endure quite a bit.
***
“Get to the shop, Gaton.”
“Faceless… I….”
The leader of the doll-destroying group Silver, Faceless, was already half of his body shredded between cogs.
Gaton found himself at a loss for how to respond to Faceless.
“Now, hurry and destroy Francois and the doll.”
“…”
“Come on, you did listen to the last words of that faceless man, right?”
Gaton was left with no option but to gaze at the still face of the man who had fallen into his own trap.
Wearing glasses of deep black that concealed his eyes, Faceless, the leader of the doll-destroying organization, looked simultaneously sorrowful and serene.
“Without this, I end up chatty…”
He put on his glasses once more and turned to Gaton for his final words.
“I believe fate is nothing but a machine from hell…”
Gaton turned away after witnessing that magnificent farewell, knowing he had to shatter Francois and the doll, the origin of all evil.
“I withdraw my support for the Puppet Theatre.”
At the entrance of Yuren Merchant Association, on a day similar to the release of Manapia.
A man, having finished reading the latest installment of <Puppet Theatre>, exclaimed loudly, causing the attention of those around him to shift.
“What? Did that fanatic group really withdraw their support?”
“He’s the one who always made a fuss about how great the Puppet Theatre was every time we met, right?”
“Did he eat something strange, or what?”
< Puppet Theatre > was a work that evoked polarized reactions among readers of Manapia.
Some praised it as a masterpiece, while others criticized its early chapters as chaotic and tedious.
However, the affection from its fans rivaled that of even the most popular comics, leading the Puppet Theatre’s fandom to be one of the strongest among comic book reader circles.
And when suddenly one of the members of that fandom, who constantly encouraged others to watch <Puppet Theatre>, declared that he was withdrawing his support, everyone who knew him was taken aback.
“From today onwards, I sever all ties and join as one with the Puppet Theatre.”
– Any attack on the Puppet Theatre is an attack on me!
The solemn declaration from the man left those around him utterly speechless.
“What on earth did this madman see to act like this?”
However, curiosity about why he was behaving that way gripped the onlookers, prompting many to skim through Manapia to read the <Puppet Theatre> section.
And then—
“He’s lost his mind!! How can it unfold like this with such scenes…?”
“If I had only read the early parts and then put it down, I would have regretted it immensely!”
“This really evokes every emotion in a person, doesn’t it?”
Readers of the latest installment of <Puppet Theatre> could only express similar sentiments.
It felt as though the author had laid down countless hints and plot developments just for this moment, with the story expanding explosively during the desert circus theater arc.
Moreover, the art style, which seemed a bit disorderly at first, had now matured, conveying intense emotions overwhelming the viewers, making it impossible not to read it to the very end.
“Son, why didn’t you recommend <Puppet Theatre> to me sooner?”
The moment a father, who had previously complained after being recommended <Puppet Theatre> by his son, reacted to the comic as it now had enough intrigue to reconcile with his child.
“This week, the Princess will undoubtedly be extremely pleased.”
H Jorge, Ilene’s Dark Guards member, stepped out as usual to observe people’s reactions, feeling immense relief and joy at the excited responses.
Not only was he glad to deliver good news to Ilene, but now he too was one of her readers who admired the story she was weaving.