Chapter 259 – The Homunculus

Nothing bad if Tabula hires us as escorts. It must have been predestined that Albert and the homunculus would attack Tabula’s studio anyway. If you can stay in the workshop, you can prepare for the attack in a more advantageous position. Going out on patrol around the workshop every day was annoying.

“As a reward, we will pay a total of 60 gold. On the condition that the adventurers stay in the workshop.”
“Okay. Accept the quest.”

I readily accepted Kellon’s request.

From that day on, we changed our place of stay from the spring water inn to Tabula’s workshop. During the escort period, they said they provided free lodging, so they saved money. There is a sleeping room for outsiders inside the workshop, so there is no particular inconvenience in living there.

“Luke, when the hell is that guy named Albert showing up?”
“I don’t know.”
“I want to go back to the Northern quickly. I don’t want to end my adventurer life in the woods like this. He’s a very cautious guy. Isn’t it time for him to show up at least once?”

After moving her luggage to the workshop, Rebecca came to me and complained. Because the journey to beat Albert took longer than expected. At first, I thought it was just a quest to catch a bizarre thief. However, it turns out that the thief is a descendant of the devil, and he is not very careful.

Until now, while staying in the Holy Land, I had never met him.
I’m frustrated too.

“I’m sorry.”
“Jonver? What else is a joonver?”
“Get into the damn burrow. If you wait patiently, it will appear someday. The one who loses patience and gives up first loses. Rebecca, do you want to be a loser?”
“Uh, huh? Of course I want to win.”
“Then don’t be impatient.”

Hearing my advice, Rebecca clenched her fists in agreement.

“Okay, I’ll stick with it!”

So my party stayed in Tabula’s workshop until the quest was over. After unpacking in the bedroom, we were introduced to various facilities of the studio by Kellon. The main route through which enemies can invade, and the storage room where the rune scrolls are kept.

“This is the place where the rune scrolls are stored. We, Tabula, have prepared several protection devices in preparation for an attack by the enemy. We have placed barriers as well as golems.”

Golems were placed inside the storage room. The total number of golems is three. It’s enough power to pull the time. Between the three golems, a rune scroll with barrier magic was visible.

“Our alchemists will directly take care of the storage room’s security. Adventurers, please keep an eye on the workshop’s entrance. The beastmen warriors dispatched to us will also act with you.”
“Are you saying that beastmen warriors were dispatched directly to the workshop?”
“That’s right. Even now, they are staying in the workshop. It’s been a long time since we’ve been working together, so it would be nice to have a conversation.”

A myriad of beastmen warriors working under the command of the Great Warrior Lephiel. As I said earlier, Le Piel had dispatched his men directly to the workshop. After being introduced to all the facilities, and on our way back to the bed, we encountered the beastmen warriors.

“Oh, the hero who killed Grendel.”
“Those adventurers killed Grendel? Except for the blond dreamer, everyone looks insignificant.”
“Daejeonsaim! Adventurers!”

Beast warriors of various races appeared before us. Among them were some unexpected figures. It was Lepiel, who was no different from the leader of the warriors.

A female warrior of the Wuin tribe with large horns.
As soon as Le Piel saw me, he lightly waved his hand.

“Daejeonsa sir?”
“I heard the story. You guys will also be staying at Tabula’s workshop for a while, right? Please take good care of me until the quest is over.”

I would have thought that even Lepiel would have been dispatched to help protect the workshop. Since he was busy, he thought he would only send his subordinates to take care of the work, but in many ways he seemed to prefer to go out on his own.

“I really appreciate you.”

After saying goodbye to the beastmen warriors, we went back to the bedroom.

*

Although I advised Rebecca not to be impatient.
In fact, among the party members, I was the most frustrated. I had been abroad for several days already, and I was starting to miss Yoensu. The pleasure of watching the beasts waving their fur is also short-lived. When he thinks of Yoensu’s Tabad inn, his heart becomes depressed, as if he is homesick. The desire to go back to the hometown of my heart and rest well was like a chimney.

“Albert! You bastard!”

I called out Albert’s name while patrolling in front of the studio’s main entrance. A mischievous relative who gets into trouble. I wanted to bring justice right away, but he didn’t show up easily.

How long do you have to wait?

No way.

Could it be that the bastard didn’t splatter?

‘What if he gave up on rune scrolls?’

By any chance, the heavy security might have forced Albert to give up aiming for the rune scrolls altogether. If so, we, who ran all the way overseas to catch him, are like a dog chasing chickens staring at the roof. After waiting for a long time, there was no news, so now I felt like I was going completely crazy.

Rebecca, who was silently sitting next to me, spoke to her.

“Luke. You told me to stay with me? Why are you suddenly losing your temper?”
“No… Even if you do something, there’s a limit. Isn’t it too much to not hear from you for a month?”
“Honestly, it’s too much. I want to finish all the quests or whatever and go back to Yoensu. I’m sick of beasts’ fur waving.”

The same goes for wanting to give up on the quest. If I hadn’t had a sense of duty to annihilate the Wiseman, I would have been able to return home right away. In many ways, I couldn’t get out of my way and I was in a difficult position.

Maybe it’s because my mind and body got tired after a long wait?
I was praying in my heart for Albert to appear. With a desperate mindset, I prayed for good luck in meeting every day.

“Albert, Albert, Albert, Albert. Please show up.”

It’s been a week since I stayed at Tabula’s workshop.
That morning I stopped by the market and bought a pig’s head. A pig’s head with a warm impression was placed on the table and a prayer was recited. It’s a Korean-style Gosa-sang. Rebecca reacted in bewilderment to my sudden action.

“What, what are you doing, you madman! Why did you bring a pig’s head?”
“To make a wish to meet Albert. It’s an old custom of the dreamer clan to make a wish. You should sit next to me and pray.”
“He makes everything happen.”

Rebecca grumbled, but sat next to me and prayed. In front of Tabula’s front door, the two of us prayed with earnest hearts. Kate, Bella, and Wendy are currently not here because they are assigned to the workshop’s internal facilities. It’s just a pity that we can’t get them to join us in group prayer.

“Follow me. It’s bina, it’s bina. Please bring Albert in front of us quickly.”
“It’s rain, it’s rain! It’s rain!”

The beast warriors who stood guard in front of the main gate stared blankly at us. When I opened the old thought out of nowhere, everyone was looking at me with puzzled eyes.

Rebecca, who was still on her knees praying, blushed as if she was ashamed.

“It’s embarrassing, Luke.”

She couldn’t afford to be bothered by embarrassing things. I coolly ignored Rebecca’s complaints and continued to pray for her.

Were the deities of heaven and earth in another world moved by my sincerity?
Finally, an abnormality occurred around the workshop.

“Fire!”
“Quaaaaah”

It was the moment when the screams of the prisoners rang out. Acrid smoke billowed from the streets around the studio, and flames soared. Fires were burning everywhere.

Roaring!

Fire in the Great Forest is a particularly dangerous disaster.
Because the land was covered with vegetation, everywhere you looked was filled with rideable things. The street where the workshop was located was quickly engulfed in blazing flames.

A sudden fire accident?

This is not the time to sit still and gossip. I immediately got up from my seat and looked around. Did you say that everything has a cause and effect? Soon we were able to discover the cause of the fire out of the blue.

“Kyahahahaha! Everyone burn to death!”

I saw people walking leisurely through the flames. They are beasts with a common impression with animal ears on their heads.
Each of the five prisoners was holding a magic scroll.

“Flame Wall.”
“Explosion.”

The moment they opened the magic scroll, flame magic was released from the scroll. In the middle of the Holy Land, they are carrying out a terror attack with a magic scroll. A well-intentioned prisoner would not burn their hometown.

“Mi, they must be crazy! They’re all going to burn to death!”

Rebecca drew a curved sword and looked out for the arsonists. In the street where the workshop is located, a great commotion was taking place due to beastmen running around to avoid the fire. I guessed that the commotion was what the arsonists wanted.

“They’re not just crazy. They’re approaching the workshop.”

Intuitively, it occurred to me that it was not a simple arsonist. Judging from the fact that he was heading straight towards the workshop, it must mean that Tabula’s workshop has business. It is more likely that it is a homunculus that has changed its form rather than a real beastman. The homunculus we encountered in the cave were perfectly disguised as beastmen just by looking at their appearance.

“Finally…”

Finally appeared!

Albert’s homunculus appeared in the holy land of the Great Forest. Still, Albert did not give up on aiming for the rune scroll. It was as if he had found a clue to catch him, so he was hopeful.

“It’s a homunculus just by looking at it.”
“What? How do you know that? You said you can’t tell a homunculus apart by its appearance.”
“There is no proof. But there is a way to identify a homunculus.”

There is no physical evidence yet that they are homunculus. Maybe, with a low probability, they are real lunatic arsonists. However, I had a tool to discriminate between homunculus.

That’s the quarter staff.
You can break the head with this and check the blood.

Anyone with a weapon can become a homunculus discriminator.
It was a much more violent job than a chicken taster.

“Thurisaz…”

He immediately recited the space jump spell. It was fortunate that the shock energy was stored in advance in case of an attack.
I was sucked into the wormhole and jumped out of the air in the blink of an eye.
It is above the head of the arsonist who was advancing in the lead.

“Well?!”

The arsonist looked up at me with a puzzled expression as I jumped out of the air.
I’m not the one who misses that moment.

“Go back into the flask!”
“Keeck!”

Kwajik-!

The quarter staff, who hit it with its weight, hit the arsonist directly on the top of his head.
The moment my head was shattered and liquid instead of blood gushed out, I was sure.

He said he succeeded in identifying the homunculus.