407 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 407 "Faster! Hurry!!" The loud cries reverberated noisily within the workshop, yet the dwarves and human craftsmen who should have been scrambling at the sound were largely indifferent. With vacant eyes, most of them had already reached their limits. "Ugh, I’m gonna die." "Feels like we're the ones at war, doesn't it?" "Damn it. The work is simple but the quota is too much." Groans could be heard from all around, but Hamar did not relent with his urging. Once round and full like a ball, his frame had slimmed down significantly, and his haggard face belied the ever-increasing volume of his voice. "If we run out of ammo and Libertatio, we'll all end up dead! Especially you dwarves! Finish the quotas if you must die doing so!" No one could argue against his forceful declaration, which carried an intensity that felt almost lethal. "Workshop Chief, why don't you take a rest?" "Rest? What rest…!" "Your legs are shaking." When Temar gestured with his hooked hand towards Hamar’s trembling legs, only then did he realize and let out a groan. "If quotas aren’t met, no eating! No sleeping! I’m doing it myself!" "That’ll just make work harder. It’s a vicious cycle." Hamar ignored Temar’s murmuring beside him. He wasn't actually suggesting abstaining from food and sleep, just making a point about the level of commitment needed. "We’re ensuring meals are rich in nutrients and the beds in the resting quarters are well cushioned, right?" "Yes. I’ve focused everything on maintaining the craftsmen's condition." "Good. I'll whip them into shape, so you take care of easing them down. You know, the carrot and stick approach." "Of course. Now, have a rest." "Yeah, I should…" Having said that, as Hamar turned to pat Temar’s shoulder and leave, he suddenly shouted upon spotting a dwarf staring blankly. "Hey, Dreer! Stop daydreaming! I’m watching you!" "I'll keep an eye on things, Chief. Just take a break." "Fine, fine. Got it, sheesh." Seeing Dreer jump at his shout and get back to work, Hamar sighed quietly and massaged his quivering legs as he returned to his office. He’d definitely been overworking himself lately. ‘I need to sleep, even just for a bit.’ Thud. Hamar flopped down into his chair, leaned back, and closed his eyes. Despite his clear intention to sleep off his fatigue, he opened his eyes wide in less than five minutes. "Argh, damn it. I can't sleep." Like everyone else, Hamar’s complexion was a shade of dark, deadened color, as he cursed while holding his head. The reason was clear. Anxiety. Even the news of a victory in the initial battle couldn't completely dispel that anxiety. A master craftsman cannot afford to be naive. Hamar knew well that this victory was a temporary one achieved through asymmetric information. Furthermore, the size of the emperor’s forces approaching the front again was colossal. Could Mackline withstand when all secrets are exposed? The anxiety stemming from that question kept him from sleep. No matter how dire the situation was though, he couldn’t give up. He was gradually realizing his mission to gather all the dwarves of the Eastern Continent to create a city for dwarves, to kindle a resurgence with the support of the royal family. For that, Mackline had to be protected. And above all, an elusive sense of potential, something that seemed achievable if only the circumstances were right, kept nagging at him and driving away sleep. "Is there no better way? If only we could mass-produce that…" Hamar’s gaze fell upon the rapid-fire crossbow with a ‘red glow’ ammunition clip on his desk. The Bomb Bow. A weapon that saw a scarce few produced and supplied during the Grendia Civil War. Despite its impressive combat performance relative to cost and production time, it was ultimately abandoned because the production efficiency wasn't viable. The lingering attachment to its improvement wouldn’t fade, even though he confirmed its impossibility several times. ‘If only mass production were feasible, it could truly end the war.’ It wasn’t a weapon at the level where a civilian might ‘threaten’ or possibly kill a knight like the rapid-fire crossbow. It was a weapon that could definitely kill a knight, one that could overturn the battlefield’s established norms in an instant, hence he couldn’t let go of the desire. But there was no method. Magicians, who knew Arcane Reactant formulas, lacked understanding of the crossbow’s structure and components, and they themselves lacked an understanding of that consumable artifact. ‘If only I had some magical talent, or even the spirits of my ancestors were here.’ It was a source of deep regret. "Damn…" Ultimately, Hamar had no choice but to rise once more, muttering curses under his breath. Perhaps conducting another doomed experiment would finally allow him some rest. At that moment. – KABOOOM! A tumultuous explosion roared, impossible to overlook. "What, what!? No way!?" Startled, Hamar quickly identified the general origin of the explosion and, gritting his teeth, burst through the office door. Inevitably. Upon stepping outside, he was greeted by the sight of flames spreading from deep within the ruined magical workshop. "Damn! The warehouse!" Hastily moving his short legs, he noticed other craftsmen abandoning their work, rushing in the same direction. "Clear the way! If you're going to get closer, put the fire out! Where are the knights!?" Continuously shouting as he pushed toward the heart of the workshop, Hamar internally acknowledged a terrifying truth. ‘It’s no accident.’ Advertisements The explosion was deliberate. And at this time, those capable of such an act were obvious. ‘The Empire.’ Those bastards ghosting through the tighter-than-palace security webs of Taren, setting fire in the depths of the workshop’s warehouse. The perpetrators, whom the demonic master had warned about, surely infiltrated during the ghostly silence of night. And, as if to validate his suspicions, Hamar’s eyes locked onto a brown-robed figure—or a body—floating eerily near the burning warehouse. The limp body of a man seemed to be floating away, as if being carried by something invisible over the walls. The eerie sight was further enhanced by the familiarity of the back of the man's head. "Enan!?" Enan, Hamar's second disciple, had been responsible for the formulation and production of Libertatio in place of Clayton, who had left for the battlefield. The moment he confirmed this, a scream-like shout burst from Hamar’s lips. "Stop them! All knights, pursue that retreating magician! It’s a ghost from the Empire!" The eyes of the knights gathered at the warehouse turned towards the figure carrying Enan away. Hamar saw this and mounted a pony that was always kept nearby, galloping away as if possessed. 'If Enan gets kidnapped by the Empire... If he even dares utter a word about Libertatio, that cannot happen!' His fear of horses, which emerged during the gold mine development in the Mackline territory, didn't even occur to him. Right now, he was just grateful that they owned ponies to facilitate the dwarves’ movement. ‘I know the layout of the workshop better than anyone!’ Given he was responsible for the design and construction, it was only right. And fortunately, in his haste to run out, he had grabbed the Bomb Bow. With this weapon, he could wield the power of several knights. ‘If it’s obvious enough for me to notice, they aren’t the monsters said to have ambushed the master. I can do this. Yes, I can. No, I must.’ Hamar skillfully maneuvered the pony, deducing the direction in which Enan’s captor was moving. Just then, he heard similar hoofbeats beside him. "Chief, I’m coming with you!" Startled by the clear voice amidst his frenzy, Hamar turned to see Temar, dark circles under his eyes, riding with another Bomb Bow attached to his hooked right hand. "You...!?" "After working together for so long, I guess we think alike. We need to cut off the escape route, right!?" "Don’t overdo it! The knights will catch up!" "Yes, yes! You too, Chief!" Thunk, thunk, thunk. ‘This guy...’ Though he usually found Temar annoying, the dwarf’s presence now provided unexpected reassurance. Yet, it did little to assuage his urgent heart. "Yah!" Neigh! The clattering hoofbeats felt unusually slow. Thankfully, their efforts seemed not in vain. As they turned into a shortcut within the systematically built inner castle of Taren, they managed to catch up with the invisible kidnapper heading for the western wall. Advertisements "Hold it right there!" What a reckless fool. He wanted to smack Temar upside the head for announcing their presence after securing the path, but there was no time for that. Hamar aimed the Bomb Bow at the space beneath Enan, where a person may be, imagining it was Temar’s head, and fired. Bam, bam, bam. "Chief! What about Enan!?" Temar, who initially tried intimidation to rescue their ally, shouted in shock. Boom! Of course, the only response was the roar of the explosion followed by more shouting. "Just fire, you fool!" The implication was clear: capture them without concern for Enan’s safety. Though a harsh decision, it was the sight of Enan (?) emerging unscathed from the inferno that compelled Temar to grit his teeth and fire the Bomb Bow. Boom, boom, boom! The combined twenty volleys from Hamar and Temar’s Bomb Bows were exhausted quickly. The silver lining, however, was that their shots were not in vain; the form of the masked figure was becoming visible as it carried Enan, staggering noticeably. Despite this, Enan remained untouched, a marvel in itself. If even half the rumors circulating were true, neither Hamar nor Temar would have had the capacity to stop the ghost. 'He didn't anticipate the Bomb Bow.' The mistake was most likely the masked figure’s initial attempt to deflect Hamar’s first Bomb Bow shot without evading it. Hamar shouted to the knights now closing in behind the figure. "The bastard’s hurt! Capture him!" The knights surrounded the specter, launching relentless attacks. “Capture him!” “Kill him!” In this chaos, Hamar witnessed a bizarre sight. The masked figure was shielding even the deflected attacks from reaching the unconscious Enan. 'So it’s true they’re death dolls following only the emperor’s orders.' Hamar clicked his tongue, awed by the stories circulating about these phantoms. Naturally, the knights noticed what Hamar had seen too. As concerns about the hostage melted away, the knights unleashed their full might, and the masked figure’s final resistance lasted less than five minutes. * * * The news of Taren’s attack swiftly reached Logan in Kyle. "… Right, that’s a relief. Whew, you’ve really done a great job." Logan heaved a sigh of relief, compelled to praise Hamar for this heartening news. [However, reports of sporadic attacks continue to emerge from the supply units heading to the front. Is there nothing happening at the forefront fortresses?] "...There’s bound to be issues." Logan wore a wry smile. Ordinary soldiers and knights couldn’t wholly fend off ghostly attacks. Each night, a small number of ghosts haunted the Mackline forces, fraying their nerves. Moreover, even if slight, the theft of Libertatio couldn’t be avoided. Advertisements But it was expected to this extent. [It seems some Libertatio samples will inevitably fall into the Empire’s hands, Master.] "That’s unavoidable. Didn’t I assure you they wouldn’t uncover the formulation?" [Indeed, but considering the quantity… No, surely not. Clayton's analysis must be correct.] Yes. Even considering the worst-case scenario, as long as they hadn’t abducted a magician who knew the formulation, Libertatio wouldn't surface on the Empire's side in this war. That assurance was sufficient. At that moment, trying to calm his alarmed heart... Hamar added a chilling observation. [We found something like a physical enhancement artifact on the ghost's body. It seems they carried it to counteract the weakening spell matrix...] "What?" [Aren't these guys supposed to be immune to the weakening spell matrix? They don't bear the mark, after all. That's what’s particularly unsettling here.] A shiver ran down his spine as the anxiety he had barely managed to subdue began to resurface. Hamar continued, uttering words that amplified that anxiety. [We’ve caught all the infiltrators hiding in Taren for now, but there’s a chance some might have slipped through. If this continues to happen, won’t the Empire eventually figure out what the weakening spell matrix actually targets?]