So, to sum it up.
As a Dwarf engineer, I couldn’t contain my curiosity and ended up pressing that suspicious button. As a result, I found myself in a situation where those things were swarming towards me? Truly a laughable act.
Hahaha!!!
Hans stopped escaping reality. It was because he almost had his head smashed by the Iron Men’s fists right in front of him. Fortunately, his experience and training so far allowed him to narrowly dodge the fists.
However, the problem was the number of Iron Men. There were far more than he could have imagined, and each one was challenging to subdue. But Hans had seen it. The scene of the Gem Star subduing the Iron Men…
They were swinging a massive hammer at the yellow gem embedded in the chest of the Iron Men. As the gem shattered, the Iron Men crumbled into pieces and fell to the ground. Hans nodded his head.
“I can’t help it. I’ll take care of this here.”
Having figured out a method to tackle this, he was no longer afraid. With a unique gesture of bringing his thumb and index finger together, the surrounding scenery turned gray. Time Stop, a space only Hans could access.
He carefully snatched the giant hammer that the Gem Star was holding nearby. Then, swinging the hammer, he smashed each of the Iron Men’s gems one by one with great care.
It wasn’t hard to break the gems themselves. Nevertheless, the reason the Gem Star retreated was due to the movements of the Iron Men. Unless time was stopped, dealing with them was not easy.
However, thanks to Time Stop, Hans could smash the Iron Men’s gems without difficulty. He placed the hammer back where it originally was and walked past the fragments of the Iron Men.
“This should be enough.”
The position of the Commander of the Royal Knights was a role that thrived on performance, at least from Hans’s perspective. Of course, it was true that he had become quite strong through continued training.
However, the reality was that he was still far from being a mythical-level powerhouse on par with Yuren or Cluna. Therefore, every performance mattered. It might look like mere show on the surface.
But, as rumors tend to be exaggerated, witnessing something firsthand becomes an achievement. Especially, the weight of accomplishments generated by one’s position cannot be dismissed.
Simply put, who on earth would dare to even think that a Commander of the Royal Knights could be weak? Hans had managed to maintain his image through a precarious tightrope act, barely achieving results.
And now, time began to move again. The Gem Star, along with Beril, gazed in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them. The Gem Star was indeed the highest Knight Order of the Dwarf Republic.
Even those veteran knights had struggled to barely handle the Iron Men of the Purgatory Workshop. Yet, suddenly, Hans had muttered something and eliminated all the Iron Men in an instant!
“I heard rumors, but your skill is truly astonishing.”
“Isn’t that why he’s the Commander of the Royal Knights?”
“The Chancellor is far more composed than I expected.”
“I’ve seen his skills numerous times.”
Only Viral, aside from the Royal Knights members, wasn’t surprised here. He replied to Beril’s statement with an indifferent attitude. After all, he had witnessed Hans’s prowess multiple times.
Thus, Beril understood why Viral was so friendly toward the Royal Knights and why he had poured so much support into them. Of course, Hans being a benefactor of the Dwarf Republic was one reason, but…
Above all, Hans’s own power was probably the biggest reason. Surprisingly, before the Lionheart Fortress was attacked, Hans’s prowess hadn’t been prominently highlighted within the Racial Alliance.
Up until then, only Yuren, Cluna, and Bayard had been greatly known for their power. Moreover, Bayard’s overt push from the Twelve Tribes had even led to doubts about his strength.
However, everything changed with the repulsion of the Blood Demon’s attack. Of course, some still sought to downplay him, but it was undeniable that he had the power to deserve the position of Commander.
“Razly, did you happen to see that movement?”
“No, not at all.”
“I see.”
The orange-haired Dwarf knight closely attached to Beril, Razly, shook her head at Beril’s words. She was the youngest female knight to join the Gem Star, having gotten in through Beril’s recommendation.
She was a knight capable of breaking through any discrimination or contempt. Yet, even Razly couldn’t keep up with Hans’s movements. Razly brought her hand to her forehead.
Sweat was flowing from her forehead. It was just a brief moment, but Razly felt overwhelmed. It was something she had never experienced before. If that man were to attack Lady Beril…
Could I really protect her from that man? Razly briefly imagined that scene. And the end always resulted in her not even being aware, losing her neck to that man.
‘Razly is reacting like that. I have to be on guard.’
Seeing Razly look tense was the first for Beril. Razly, who always had an expressionless face, effortlessly smashing the strong of the Dwarf Republic head-on. Thus, she earned the nickname, “Iron Hammer.”
Yet, even the “Iron Hammer,” which the Dwarf Republic prided itself on, appeared but a child before the Commander of the Royal Knights. She had heard the stories, but who knew there would be such a gap?
“It’s only natural for a Commander!”
“Indeed, the Commander is truly magnificent.”
“Right! Whose Commander is he!”
“….”
Looking at the joyous Ruby, Beril wore a complicated expression. Half of it was intentional as a princess of the Dwarf Republic, but half of her genuinely thought of her as a friend.
“…Ruby, what if….”
“Yes?”
“Oh, nothing at all.”
Beril shook her head side to side. She didn’t want to tarnish her image with any strange questions. Regardless, she understood one thing: she needed to strengthen her relationship with the Royal Knights.
“Looks like everything’s sorted. Let’s go inside.”
Hans turned coldly and walked away. According to Hans’s words, Beril and the Gem Star headed towards the entrance of the Purgatory Workshop. The button had already been pressed. It seemed that the Iron Men at the entrance were all that remained.
“Sir Hans, what are your thoughts on the fragments of these Iron Men?”
This was surprisingly important. Much like how the name Iron Man wasn’t given lightly, the Iron Men were weapons made of steel. Not just any cheap iron, but high-quality steel.
In other words, from a Dwarf’s perspective, just entering the entrance was akin to stumbling upon a treasure trove. However, that also necessitated caution. After all, Hans had dealt with these Iron Men.
Moreover, it was the Dwarf Republic that had called for help from the Royal Knights. In that situation, if Hans claimed the Iron Men as his share, there would be little the Dwarf Republic could say.
‘…Still, if I negotiate, I might manage to get something.’
“These Iron Men, huh? Take them if you want.”
“…Huh?”
“What’s so strange about that?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing at all.”
Beril shook her head. She feared that the Commander might change his mind. The Iron the Iron Men held immense value to the Dwarves. Yet, the question that arose was unavoidable.
Why had he handed them over so easily? Does he not know the value of these Iron Men? No, that couldn’t be. It absolutely couldn’t be. Unless one were just a knight fighting against enemies in the front lines, it was impossible for a man holding the title of Commander in the Knight Order not to know their value.
“If I remember correctly, he’s the one who willingly conceded a National Treasure to the Human Kingdom.”
“Chancellor, I said nothing.”
“I can see through everything you think.”
“I guess I can’t outsmart the Chancellor.”
Viral had immediately grasped what Beril was thinking. She possessed a suspicious and complex character not typical of Dwarves, which is why she held a title befitting a duchess.
But perhaps because of that, Beril, who had been entangled in various matters since childhood, was denying pure goodwill. Thus, Viral viewed his meeting with Sir Hans as a kind of opportunity.
A ruler must be unyielding. However, without any mercy, that would just be a tyrant. Through his noble meeting with Sir Hans, Viral wished for their ruler to be a true monarch, not a tyrant.
‘What use is it to take this iron piece with great difficulty?’
In truth, the fact that Hans had given them away simply because he didn’t know their value was the reality.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.