Chapter : 10
Necromancer of the Mine (2)
“Um, so, this person is….”
“He is the second young master of the Duke Leinrant household.”
At Dunkel’s explanation, the village chief’s two legs trembled like aspen leaves.
Even if he was only a baron, no more than fourth among the five ranks of nobility, to people like them that status was akin to the heavens.
In such a situation, the fact that a member of a ducal family had come to the village was, to them, no different from terror.
“W, what brings such esteemed people to our village….”
“I heard news that undead were appearing from the mine. So we came to investigate….”
While Dunkel explained the whole sequence of events to the village chief, I looked around at the village scenery.
“There was a recent attack.”
Broken fences and houses standing empty here and there.
Bloodstains that had yet to be cleaned clung all over the place.
From time to time, I could also see children who had come out to stare at Dunkel and me.
‘They’re far too thin.’
If there was no work, the village granary would inevitably grow emptier by the day.
It had been two months since the mine was closed.
In a village that was practically sustained by the miners’ wages, a two-month gap had formed, so starvation was only natural.
“Is that really true? From the count’s family?”
In the meantime, I heard Dunkel questioning the village chief again.
“Yes. Starting a couple of months ago, they suddenly said they were closing the mine without any explanation, and then last week, from there….”
“You mean undead burst out.”
I cut into the conversation between the village chief and Dunkel and asked the chief.
“During those two months, was there any strange news?”
“S, strange news, you say….”
“Like people disappearing, or bodies meant for funerals being taken away.”
When I said that, the village chief nodded as if that was exactly right.
“T, that’s right! People from the count’s family came and said that whenever there was a death in the village, we were to bring the body to them immediately….”
Hearing those words, Dunkel’s eyes widened.
“Young master. Then the undead coming out of the mine right now are…!”
“Artificially made, and at that, systematically produced by the count’s family.”
As I said that, Dunkel clenched his teeth.
“How could a mere count use the people of his own territory like that…!”
“It wasn’t something Count Cornwell did alone.”
I continued, taking up Dunkel’s words.
“The Count Cornwell family had been a family of knights for generations. They neither had the ability to research necromancy nor any reason to do so.”
“Then are you saying Count Cornwell only provided the people and the place? Who would do such a thing…!”
“On the continent right now, who would be capable of pulling something like this on us?”
When I said that, Dunkel ground his teeth.
“The Empire…!”
“Things are starting to line up.”
Dalton, who had tried to kill me as an example.
And when he failed, the Empire’s Necromancer that appeared as if on cue.
“We need support from the knight order. Let’s return to the ducal estate first.”
“No.”
I refused Dunkel’s suggestion and spoke to him.
“We don’t have time. If the main house moves, there’s no way the other side will stay still.”
Having said that, I continued.
“We have to catch them in the act. We enter immediately tomorrow.”
At that, Dunkel sucked in a sharp breath.
“It’s reckless! A closed space like a mine, and we don’t even know how many undead there are!”
“It’s a chance to secure evidence of the Empire’s intervention in the north. We can’t let it slip.”
Dunkel was momentarily left speechless by the sound argument, but he didn’t back down either.
“Even so, we can’t send you into a death trap, young master! To begin with, His Grace the Duke said…!”
“He probably meant that I should build experience while doing relatively safe work.”
When I stated the reason Heinkel had sent me here, Dunkel nodded.
“But listen, Dunkel.”
Looking at his face, I began, forming a smiling expression by moving only my lips.
“Is our family really in such a comfortable position that it can afford to wait for my growth?”
“……!”
Last night.
Dunkel closed his mouth as he recalled the conversation we’d shared between the campfires.
‘With our current strength, we could just sweep the north aside.’
Once, the Duke Leinrant family had defended the continent by standing head-on against Akimond’s army.
Compared to that time, the present north was far too weakened, and he remembered the words he himself had spoken while referring to that fact.
“Just because Cornwell has fallen doesn’t mean the Empire’s surveillance disappears. The moment the knight order moves, that bastard hiding in the mine will erase all traces.”
“Young master….”
“Try trusting me a little. I’m not doing this without thinking.”
After reassuring Dunkel like that, I looked at the village chief and said.
“There are a few things I need. Do you think you could get them for me?”
***
At the point we arrived at the village, it was already past noon.
Dunkel and I, who had decided to depart the next morning, were able to secure one of the empty houses.
“Young master. What is all of this…?”
“Supplies. The village chief gathered various things for us.”
I said so while looking at the assorted odds and ends laid out in the middle of the house.
A cow’s leg bone, a sun-shaped cross carved from wood.
And even a small amount of liquor brewed for ritual use.
“You’re saying these are supplies? This is just….”
“Sacred body, sacred image, holy water. They’re materials for creating each symbolic item.”
As I said that, I took out a dagger and began shaving down the bone.
I carved a bone about the length of my forearm into a stake, then attached a wooden cross to the end of its handle.
“And if you sprinkle holy water on it like this….”
As I spoke, I poured the liquor onto the bone stake, and a reaction appeared.
“What is this…?”
The bone stake, which had been white, was instantly dyed black.
“Young master, you could do something like this as well?”
“It was taught to me by the church.”
At that, Dunkel nodded.
‘Well, I didn’t say it was the Holy Order, so it’s not exactly a lie.’
Thinking that I had deceived him well, I looked at the exorcism tool I had made.
‘It’s absorbed the demonic energy I refined quite well. This should be enough.’
Though it was disguised by engraving the symbol of the Holy Order, this item would be something that priests of the Order, who used divine power, could not even begin to understand.
Necromancer(Necromancer).
A term referring to the many priests who existed even before the monotheistic Holy Order took root, those who dealt with corpses(Nekrόs) and divination(Manteia).
However, now that the Holy Order had spread across the entire continent, it had become merely a word used to refer to inferior magicians who raised corpses and used them as minions to fight.
‘The biggest reason necromancy became distorted like this is probably me.’
The great calamity in which millions of undead invaded the continent, the Akimond Incident.
The army of undead that swept in while completely ignoring existing logistics and tactical doctrines shook the entire continent.
It was to the extent that people later recalled that if Berkel Leinrant, the great hero of the north, had not killed Akimond, the mastermind, every nation on the continent would have perished.
Because of that, the nations of the continent that survived the great calamity were inevitably both wary of and fascinated by the potential held by necromancy.
Those who handled soldiers who didn’t care if they were injured, did not die, and never tired.
Thus, separate from the fear evoked by the name Necromancer, every nation except the theocratic state that served as the Holy Order’s headquarters did not restrict necromancer activities.
‘Outwardly, they scorn it as Akimond’s cursed knowledge, but behind the scenes, they’re figuring out how to use it militarily.’
A mask stamped with the Empire’s seal.
Recalling the one worn by the necromancer who had attacked me filled me with a rather ironic feeling.
Rustle!
“Hm?”
At the sound coming from outside the building, I leaned my body out the door.
“Young master. What is it?”
“No, what was that sound….”
“A sound?”
As I answered Dunkel and scanned the surroundings, something caught my eye.
“Eek!”
“We’ve been spotted! What do we do?”
“H, hide quickly…!”
The source of the noise was children hiding behind a wall and watching me.
They seemed intrigued by the horses tied up beside the house.
Wiggle, wiggle.
I squatted down and gestured for them to come over.
As if they had understood my gesture, two children hesitantly approached and met my eyes.
“Uh, well….”
“W, we’ve committed a crime worthy of death! It was our first time seeing horses up close….”
While listening to their excuses, I placed my hand on the head of one of the children.
“Ah, um….”
“I know.”
When the child who had tried to avoid my hand heard that, he slumped his shoulders and then raised a finger to point toward one corner.
“They’re coming from over there. Thanks.”
After seeing the child smile brightly at my reply, I spoke toward the inside of the house.
“Dunkel!”
“Yes, young master.”
Dunkel, having been called, came over to me.
“We still have some of the venison we caught yesterday, right? We also brought plenty of rations.”
“Ah, yes. We brought about fifteen days’ worth of jerky and rations, just in case.”
It took only two days to get here from the ducal estate, yet he had me pack all that.
It made me realize just how overprotective Duke Heinkel was.
‘Well, he even attached a knight commander as my escort.’
Thinking that, I opened my mouth toward Dunkel.
“Tell the village chief to borrow a big pot, and have him bring the villagers. Let’s feed them.”
“P, pardon?”
“It’s an order. Hurry.”
At my words, Dunkel thought for a moment, then stood up as if he couldn’t help it.
“Ah, but young master.”
“Hm?”
As he headed outside, Dunkel tilted his head and asked me.
“Earlier, who were you talking to in the empty air? There was no presence….”
Hearing that, I shrugged.
“Just talking to myself.”
When I looked back again after saying that, the children were nowhere to be seen.
“Truly, I don’t even know how to express my gratitude.”
In the evening, as the sun was setting.
Looking at the soup bubbling away in the large pot, the village chief swallowed hard.
Dried wheat bread broken apart, then boiled together with jerky, venison, and vegetables brought by the villagers.
It seemed it had been a long time since they’d eaten meat, and the villagers’ expressions had visibly brightened.
“Young master. Even so, what if something happens, your own food supplies….”
“It’s fine. If I’m staying for a day, I should at least pay rent.”
Answering both the village chief’s thanks and Dunkel’s concern at once, I examined the people gathered there.
People sitting together in the fire-lit hall.
Gathered around steaming soup, talking about the world, trivial chatter, and even bursts of laughter mixed in.
Watching it from a distance, the stifling feeling in my chest eased a little.
“I missed this human warmth too.”
Saying that, I turned my back and looked toward where the mine was.
And not long after, I saw someone running toward us with urgent footsteps.
“T, this is bad! From the mine, from the mine, undead…!”
A resident who lived on the outskirts ran in saying that, but upon seeing everyone in the middle of eating, he let out a dumbfounded remark.
“W, what? Everyone’s already gathered?”
The building where the villagers had gathered was the hall, located at the highest point of the village.
Seeing the empty village below, I nodded and, as I passed him, patted his shoulder.
“Warm yourself up, and don’t come outside no matter what. Got it?”
The young man, seeing the clothes and sword I was wearing, nodded immediately and ran into the hall.
The undead attack that occurred the moment everyone had gathered in the hall.
At how strangely well the timing matched, Dunkel’s eyes widened.
“Young master. Don’t tell me you predicted this from the start…?”
“If I wanted to solve hunger, I wouldn’t use a stopgap like this. I’d go to the count’s territory and beat the local governor instead.”
As Dunkel muttered while looking at the zombies walking toward the village, I said that, and he asked again.
“But still, to anticipate an undead attack? I saw no signs at all….”
“I didn’t know at first either. But….”
As I said that, I looked toward the house where I had been staying.
“The kids here told me. That something scary was coming.”
