Crimson Servant

John followed the traces that Paladin Karl ran over. The bushes that had been cleared once were still dense, and the plants on both sides were like slowly rolling ice floes moving towards the middle.

John could feel the resistance from the swing of his arms and thighs. Somewhere he couldn't see, it seemed as if a pair of hands were dragging his body, although he could break free with a little force.

The druid reminded me three times on the way that it was too easy to get lost in the jungle, and even Jurgen occasionally had to stop and be patient.

Never thought walking would be so tiring, but they reached the place before John gave out.

A wooden house occupies a territory in this green frenzy. The noose-like plants not only do not tie up this similar building, but keep a clear distance from it. There wasn't even a fallen leaf around the wooden house, and the exposed stone steps in front of the door spoke of desolation.

The Sun Team cheered up, and after a brief exchange, Karl walked through the jungle and walked towards the wooden house.

As the distance shortens, the true appearance of the cabin becomes increasingly clear. It has a standard sloping roof and no chimney. The horizontal logs that make up the walls are neatly arranged. Each piece is carefully selected. Not only are the specifications consistent, but even the wood texture on the outer skin is the same. A completely different taste in this unorganized forest.

After the exchange, under the watchful eyes of Jurgen and others, Karl left the bush, stepped onto the territory, walked up the stairs, and stood under the eaves of the wooden house.

The paladin suddenly turned to look at his companions, showing a horrified expression, and waved his right hand in the air to attract them.

John and the others, who were still in the bushes, looked solemn. They were thinking about whether to respond, what caused Karl to be so panicked, and even wondering whether "that person" was their companion.

The situation took a turn for the worse, and the passage of time was accelerating everyone's anxiety. Listening to the increasingly rapid heartbeats of their companions, they all realized that they could not wait any longer.

The first to act was Karl.

He stopped waving, and punched the wall of the wooden house with his fist. The gauntlet collided with the wooden house, making a "ding" sound. Karl gestured excitedly with his eyes, while a few people who were worried fell into silence.

"You can talk, Carl."

"It's made of steel! This wooden house is made of iron!"

John recalled all the Paladin's previous actions, and felt a sense of humiliation in his heart at having been deceived by a fool. He turned towards Lightning and said: "I would rather see what kind of death trap he triggered, and his body has become a puppet to deceive us..."

"Instead of seeing him speechless and waving his extra arms in a fuss over a steel house."

The arakkoa smiled awkwardly to save the paladin's dignity.

"Steel houses are actually quite rare."

"Watch your words, Lightning. Perhaps I should reduce your intelligence to 'Karl' level."

"Please don't do that!"

Just kidding, a group of people stood in front of the door of the iron house. They were more or less curious about this unique house. The question now was how to open it.

"I can't break it open. I just tested the hardness. If I have a powerful war hammer or other blunt instrument, I can have a chance to remove this door." Karl said.

Lightning checked the cracks in the door, looking along the edge for what looked like a keyhole, but he found nothing. Not only the keyhole, but also anything like a handle or latch.

"Hidden door," someone thought.

Jurgen rubbed his beard, and while several people were discussing it, he discovered that this house emitted a special smell, a smell that was not toxic but made him a little concerned.

"Warlock, your time has come."

John, who was meditating on perception, opened his eyes and saw the paladin looking at him eagerly. John didn't answer and looked at him coldly.

"Hidden, there is hidden here." Karl pointed and awkwardly drew a small shape in the air.

Carl drew a key.

[Crenzo's Silver Key]

John didn't mind letting the Crenzo family bear another price for him, but he did mind consuming powerful props at will. It goes against his knowledge to use [Crenzo's Silver Key] in such a place where there is no benefit or even risk.

"Look again, no builder of a house forgets to make a key before locking the door, maybe there is one around."

Jurgen accepted this suggestion. He wanted to take this opportunity to look around and find out the truth about that special smell. Karl thought it was a pity, the paladin just wanted to get his artifact as soon as possible. Lightning was a decisive man of action. As soon as he finished the conversation, he started to inspect the surroundings of the house.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

While everyone was still searching, Paladin Karl was breaking down the door. He commissioned the dwarf druid to use [Shaping Rock] to create a few handy stones, then raised the stones and smashed them against the identified hidden door.

"I really feel like I'm just a little closer to getting it open. I'll try a few more times."

The sound of banging on the door continued to be heard in the dark jungle. John had no expectations for Karl's behavior. He had no intention of stopping it. The continuous noise had interfered with his meditation and created uncomfortable feelings in his mind. Stinging.

John stood up, preparing to make a sarcastic comment on the Paladin's character to divert Carl's anger away from the damn hidden door.

Click!

"The door...the door is open."

Not just that door, but the entire wall where the door sits slides downward, revealing a spiral staircase in the center of the room, extending underground. This is not a room, but an underground entrance.

Perhaps it was Carl's perseverance that impressed him, but John felt that the owner of the place was as intolerable to the noise Carl made as he was.

All in all, Steel Construction extended an invitation to the Sunsquad.

They walked steadily down the spiral staircase without hesitation. It didn't take much time. After the physical height was lowered by about two floors, a spacious basement came into view.

Wine cabinets, bookshelves, and wooden storage boxes are piled in the corner. Some useless metal utensils, a few tables, a set of alchemy tables placed in the center, and the cold steel equipment are spliced ​​together into one. The owner of the house was standing in front of the unfamiliar and sophisticated equipment.

The female sculpture-like head is supported by two counter-rotating gear rings, and the metal body makes a beautiful gear sound in time with the rhythm. As Team Sun raised their weapons, the automaton made a sound.

"Welcome to my workshop, despicable adventurers who invaded Optitdam."

The head of the automaton is exactly the same as that of the second-level lord monster Jenny XII. Only the body is the size of an adult human woman and there are no bloody mechanical arms, but they doubt that these bloodless ones are just as sharp.

As if the computer was frozen, time stopped for ten seconds.

The automaton twisted its body and faced the mechanized alchemy instrument behind it again.

"I'm Jenny VII. What do you want to drink? You lowly adventurers who invaded Optitdam."

Jurgen pressed his hand on Karl's arm holding the sword. The paladin's eyes were red, and his trembling hands were ready to strike the automaton with its back facing the Holy Slash.

"You're not going to kill us?"

Jenny VII's head rotated 180 degrees.

"Kill? Do you want lethal poison? The invading bugs will die on their own, which really makes Jenny VII happy. Although I don't have those recipes in my menu, I will do my best to meet your requirements."

At this point, Team Sun also understood that the automaton in front of them was not as murderous as the one on the second floor. Although there were only negative epithets in her mouth, she did not make any attempt to attack.

Jenny VII is not a monster, but an interactive neutral character, a native of Optitdam. It cannot be ruled out that these are just disguises, and her structure is not like that of the same type of machine that is proficient in combat.

John exchanged glances with his companions.

"Did you invite us into your workshop?"

"No. But if I don't open the door, that big fellow of yours that has degenerated into a mindless fungus will continue to make noise, won't it?"

"My orders include the order to protect myself under licensing conditions. I don't want to lose precious radio components, especially now that parts are scarce."