The Golem Mage

The Banquet

"Why don't you ask me before you name it?" Arthur complained.

"Nothing you say can change this. I am naming it Oni, and that's all you need to know," Alec replied nonchalantly,

Arthur fumed angrily since he didn’t understand what the word Oni meant.

And Alec was too tired even to bother explaining its name to Arthur.

"Thank... s, master," the six-arm Asura golem said as it only bowed its head.

"Thank God I didn't get any gladiator path golem again," Alec thought.

Even if he crafted them, he could not alter their paths, which might affect the golem's potential.

"At least I get to choose how they look at the beginning and which weapon they wield; that's more than enough for me," Alec said to console himself.

"What am I going to name you now?" Alec whispered, but it was loud enough for the mage next to him to pick his words.

"Sword Saint," Arthur yelled fast before Alec named the golem with another unfamiliar name.

"Hmmm, that kinda sounds cool. I would go with it. You shall be called Sword Saint," Alec said while pointing at the golem he first checked out.

"I want to meditate more; I don’t have enough mana to go through with the last golem," Alec said.

"Okay," both Arthur and Brandon replied almost at the same time.

Just as peace was about to return to the courtyard, the front door was barged open as an old man walked in.

"Who is that shameless person who can’t even bother to knock before inviting himself in?" Arthur said without turning back.

He was still depressed now that he realized his slight advantage against Alec's golems was gone when Alec evolved them.

Even though he knew the training just went back to square one with him getting beat up again, he loved that Alec now had five Tier 1 golems.

He was already fantasizing about how he and his boss (Alec) would go for a walk.

They strolled around Estonia, with the Tier 1 golems protecting them from both left and right, showcasing the true power and prestige they wielded.

However, his daydream was abruptly interrupted when an uninvited person barged in, prompting him to restrain his pent-up emotions.

"Shhh... Shhhh shut up, Arthur," Brandon cautioned him, placing his hands on Arthur's shoulders.

But Arthur had already let slip a torrent of words and turned majestically, hoping to capture the surprise on the uninvited guest's face.

The moment he locked eyes with the smirking face staring back at him, he knew things had taken a turn for the worse.

"Pa. Pa. Pa. Patriarch, welcome," Arthur stammered as he bowed his head, and even Brandon joined him in bowing down to the patriarch.

"Oh, my big mouth. Here I go again, landing myself in another heap of trouble. Why did I have to show off?"

"Oh, Lord, if you let me off the hook this time without punishment, I promise to turn over a new leaf."

" I can't even handle my small boss, and here I am offending the bigger boss of the whole clan," Alec muttered a silent prayer.

"Hey, I didn't quite catch what you said just now. Would you mind repeating it?" the patriarch asked Arthur while maintaining his smile.

When Arthur raised his head slightly, he noticed the striking resemblance between Alec and this man.

"It’s nothing important, really," Arthur quickly replied, not eager to stir up more trouble.

"Alright, I'll let it go for now," the patriarch replied, looking at Alec, only to notice a set of Tier 1 golems he had never seen before.

"Wow, this is amazing. I can't believe our family has produced a golem crafting geniuses," the patriarch marveled.

"Oh no, I think you've misunderstood, sir. Those are all Alec's golems. None of us follow the golem path," Arthur confessed.

"What? Are you lying to me?" the patriarch exclaimed.

"I have no reason to lie about something this serious," Arthur assured the patriarch, as he was trying his best to kiss a*s to throw off his bad strike with the patriarch.

Alec's grandfather began counting the Tier 1 golems, marveling at their number.

"I can't believe it. This boy is a Tier 1 mage but already has five Tier 1 golems."

"Will anyone ever be able to match him or curb his arrogance?" the patriarch exclaimed, visibly distressed.

Observing this, Arthur decided not to divulge that Alec was planning to promote another golem, not wanting to break the old man's spirit.

"I can't understand how he can have four elite golems while I have only three, and those are my lifetime work and pride," the patriarch finally voiced his inner turmoil.

Arthur finally realized what kind of prodigy Alec was, understanding that the patriarch's comparison of Alec's golems to the quality of the Gordons family's "Big Three" meant Alec was destined for greatness in the future.

"Thank goodness I quickly grabbed onto the coattails of the Big Boss before he became a big shot," Arthur silently thanked his stars for aligning him with someone as remarkable as Alec.

Unable to contain himself any longer, the patriarch walked up to Alec and faked a cough to get his grandson's attention as Alec was meditating by the lake with his back turned.

But Alec pretended not to hear him.

"If you don't turn and greet me properly, I promise to knock my greetings gene into that damn arrogant skull of yours," the patriarch threatened.

"Why can't you let me meditate peacefully, old man?" Alec responded as he finally turned to face his grandfather.

The patriarch's eyes almost bulged out as he pointed a finger at Alec.

"You. You are a little scoundrel. You promised to let me know when you broke through next time; where is your dignity as a man?"

He questioned fiercely, his long beard flying around with his rage, sensing that Alec's aura had improved again.

"Oh, old man, I just broke through and haven't told anyone," Alec reassured him.

The patriarch then shifted his gaze to Brandon and Arthur.

"Oh, that couldn't be helped; they have practically been living with me," Alec explained, realizing what the patriarch was trying to point out.

"Well, that's not why I'm here. The city's coming-of-age banquet is approaching again, and I want you to fully embrace your role as the leader of the Gordon family's younger generation," the patriarch explained.

Both Arthur and Brandon gasped upon hearing about the banquet.

"What is this banquet in the first place, and what benefit do I have in attending and still being the leader anyway?"

" I think I might just stay here and experiment more on the new golem I have been trying to craft," Alec explained, only to receive a sharp knock on his head.

"What did you do that for?" Alec shouted.

"To knock some sense into your head, you scoundrel, I already gave you rare materials you think that was for free," the patriarch retorted as he bickered with his grandson.

Arthur enjoyed watching the exchange; the moment Alec got knocked on his head, an excessive joy bubbled up inside him, now believing that karma exists.

"You are my grandson, for God's sake. How dare you disregard your duties as the leader of this family's younger generation for personal benefits?" the patriarch scolded.

"Because I am your grandson, old man," Alec retorted.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I am a selfish person? Like you? "

"Isn't it obvious?" Alec replied.

Arthur and Brandon couldn't believe their ears as their image of the perfect patriarch was being shattered by Alec without remorse.

"Can't you see where Alec got all his weird behavior from? I'm sure the patriarch is his mentor and role model," Arthur commented to Brandon.

"There is completely no doubt about that." Brandon could not help but agree with him on this.

********

Meanwhile, someone had just broken through to the mid-tier one mage realm in another family training ground.

"Hahaha, yes! Finally, I have advanced once more; I want to see the look on the faces of those Gordon bastards when we all meet at the banquet," the person said.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Bryan," Sheila said.

Just as she finished her speech, she and Bryan felt the wind around them change, and the Lanzt patriarch was by their side the moment it was over.

"Well done, my boy. I see you even beat the Gordon family leader to enter the mid-tier realm," the Lanzt patriarch said.

"Are you sure he has not advanced at all?" Sheila asked, shivering a little as she remembered the face of the person she had been trying to forget.

Even Bryan, standing beside her, anxiously awaited the patriarch's answer.

After all, even he still had some anxieties about Alec.

"Well, all the spies I have placed around their house kept on saying that he is still in seclusion since that battle and has not made any moves."

"This means he has not advanced to the next level yet; otherwise, he would have come out from his seclusion," the Lanzt patriarch said to reassure his grandchildren.

And the moment they heard this, a smile blossomed on their faces.

Even Bryan raised his fist in the air, a sign of victory.

Although he knew he could never go toe-to-toe against the golem who had killed a peak-tier one zombie, he Still took this as a personal triumph.

If only he knew how wrong they were.

Alec was already a mid-tier one mage and was only in seclusion because he was searching for the perfect idea to craft his next golem.

If Bryan ever finds out why Alec refuses to come out, he might cry because of his inferiority to Alec.

Despite considering Alec a rival, Alec didn't even remember him.