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The Purgatory Workshop.
A workshop passed down in Dwarven legends.
The fiery flas of hell were a source of fear for the wicked, but for Dwarves, they were the ultimate flas, capable of forging any tal.
They weren’t called madn for nothing. The Purgatory Workshop was a testant to how the ancient Dwarves perceived hell.
Having dealt with the iron golems at the entrance, Hans and the Dwarves opened the door and went inside.
Beyond the tightly sealed vault-like door were countless decorations and patterns.
Its splendor was like that of a palace.
Considering that Dwarves, aside from their weapons, didn’t usually prioritize aesthetics, this was a truly magnificent workshop.
However, there was a distinct difference from other workshops, the seemingly bottomless underground space below. Spanning dozens of levels downwards, it truly lived up to the na “Purgatory.”
“It seems there’s sothing down there.”
“We should go down.”
“We can’t turn back now, can we?”
At the edge of the underground space was a spiral staircase made of steel leading down.
Hans stepped onto the stairs first, and everyone followed.
“What kind of person is Sir Hans?”
Bell, escorted by the Jewel’s Star, spoke to Ruby, who was walking beside her.
Ruby wanted to walk with the Commander, but Hans had ordered her to act as an escort. And since Bell was her first friend in the Dwarf Kingdom, Ruby obeyed without complaint.
Ruby, walking ahead of Bell, thought for a mont before answering.
“You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?”
“Excuse ? Ulterior motives?”
“Forget it.”
Ruby had wondered if Bell harbored any romantic feelings for Hans, but judging by her tilted head, it seed she genuinely didn’t.
Ruby was relieved.
She didn’t want any more rivals.
“The Commander is a very strong person. In many ways.”
“In many ways? Do you an he has a strong heart?”
“Well, of course. He’s like perfectly tempered steel.”
“Tempered steel… For a Dwarf to say that…”
Dwarves were engineers.
They were stingy with praise.
Part of it was because they found it embarrassing, but mostly, it was because they were so discerning that they were rarely satisfied.
Especially using steel as a taphor for praise was the highest complint for a Dwarf.
Therefore, it was rare to hear such praise from a Dwarf.
Perhaps a hero who saved the Kingdom? That level of accomplishnt would warrant such praise.
She hadn’t expected to hear it so easily.
Even Ambassador Viral had compared the Commander to heavy steel. And Bell had just witnessed the truth.
The power to instantly eliminate iron golems that even the Jewel’s Star struggled against.
Yet, he wasn’t arrogant, carrying himself with a quiet strength and consideration.
A noble knight.
Is that the kind of person it takes to rebuild the Royal Knights?
He was a man of great character. And he possessed a level of strength that made him a dangerous enemy.
How could such a person suddenly appear?
Bell was amazed.
This was also proof that Hans’s image managent was working.
While so still doubted him, the results he had produced were undeniable.
Who could refute them?
Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs.
A giant iron golem ca into view. If the golems at the entrance were human-sized, this one was a true giant.
It stood approximately 10 ters tall, easily dwarfing any ordinary structure.
Hans clicked his tongue.
“So that’s the Steel Giant.”
It was certainly worthy of the na, giant. If it were to rampage here, it would be extrely difficult to subdue. But in this situation, there was only one thing to do.
“Get ready.”
“Excuse ?”
“It’s probably going to attack us.”
“What…?”
[Two of the four jewels confird. Iron King, Activated.]
A grating, tallic voice echoed.
Everyone present shivered.
With a creaking sound, the Iron King moved. Its rusty joints moved surprisingly well.
Hans had anticipated this.
Why? Because he had played many gas like this.
He knew it would attack, disguised as a test or trial.
But the other unit mbers and the Dwarves hadn’t thought so.
While they had expected a trial, they had assud the iron golems at the entrance were all there was to it.
“Commander Hans! Do you know sothing about that?!”
That’s why they found Hans’s casual deanor strange. It was as if he knew sothing about the Iron King.
“That’s not important right now. Subduing it is our priority.”
But Hans refused to answer Bell’s question.
Bell agreed. He wasn’t wrong.
Their primary objective was to subdue the Iron King before them.
The Iron King moved with a scraping sound. Its fist slamd into the ground.
KABOOM!!
A deafening sound, like a massive hamr shattering the ground, reverberated.
Hans shouted,
“Focus! If that hits you, you’re dead!!”
Hans’s shout snapped everyone out of their montary lapse in attention.
Bayard was the first to move.
She lunged forward, baring her sharp fangs.
“You piece of scrap tal!!! I’ll crush you!!!”
Her madness awakened once more.
No, perhaps it wasn’t madness. Perhaps this was her true nature.
Bayard leaped towards the Iron King’s face in an instant.
Bayard’s physical abilities rivaled even Yuren’s.
Of course, that was assuming Yuren was in human form.
In any case, this was no challenge for Bayard.
Reaching the Iron King’s face in a flash, Bayard swung her fist, striking its face.
BAM!
With an impact like a hamr blow, the Iron King’s body was pushed back.
Hans shouted,
“Watch out for the next attack! It’s coming!!”
“I know, Commander!!!”
Bayard instinctively knew.
That attack hadn’t killed the Iron King. At the sa ti, she felt a chilling sensation.
Bayard imdiately raised her arm like a sturdy shield.
Her strong arm barely blocked the Iron King’s fist. But the impact sent Bayard flying into the wall.
With a cracking sound, the steel wall fractured.
To cover Bayard, Ruby moved.
WHOOSH!
Blazing flas engulfed the hamr in Ruby’s hand.
Just then, the Iron King reacted.
[Warning! Ancestral Fla detected! Designating as highest priority target!]
“Ancestral Fla? What’s that?”
“That’s…!!!”
With a strange, chanical whirring, the iron ball attached to the Iron King’s right arm retracted, and sothing else erged.
A cylindrical object that looked unmistakably like a cannon.
Oh, my god.
It even has a cannon?
Damn it! Are the ancient Dwarves monsters?!
But there was no ti to hesitate.
Hans touched his middle and index fingers together, a familiar gesture.
The peculiar action stopped ti.
Everything around him turned grayscale.
Initially, he had intended to move Ruby out of the way. But then he reconsidered.
Wasn’t this an opportunity?
Hans pondered, arms crossed.
He would use that cannon to destroy it.
But what was the best thod?
After so thought, Hans looked at the holy sword at his hip. It had been quite effective against the Mud Guardian.
Using the holy sword would be the most effective here as well.
The problem was how to get the sword inside the cannon.
Hans finally reached a decision. He would just throw it.
Fortunately, the Iron King’s cannon was pointed downwards, not upwards, and thanks to Bayard’s punch, it was kneeling on one knee.
He should be able to throw the sword inside.
Hans gripped the sword in reverse and slowly raised it.
Inside the cannon, there was a sphere that looked like a cannonball.
🚨 Important Notice 🚨
); }
Hans threw the sword with all his might.
Fortunately, the holy sword was sharp enough to pierce the sphere easily.
“Good, that should be enough.”
And then, ti resud.
Naturally, the Iron King didn’t notice Hans’s handiwork and imdiately fired the cannon.
KABOOM!!
A massive explosion erupted.
The explosion was so powerful that it shattered not only the arm with the cannon but also the torso and head.
As everyone stared in shock, only Hans moved. He slowly walked forward and picked up the holy sword from the wreckage.
From Hans’s perspective, he was simply retrieving his sword,
But to the others, it looked as if he had casually destroyed the Iron King and was now calmly surveying the surroundings.
Bell, in particular, was finally certain.
That was Sir Hans.
The Commander of the Royal Knights.
Possessing overwhelming power.
Soone who absolutely must not be made an enemy.
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[Translator Notes]
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