The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 133
Nana and I had our own ways, but others didn’t have that luxury.
Even Expert Valdemar was on the verge of collapse from the intense training, so I could only imagine how Anelis felt.
She had even been carried by Living Armor at one point.
However, as a result, our fame skyrocketed in a short period.
“What’s this new specified request, anyway?”
“…Ruins excavation.”
“Huh? Ruins excavation again?”
“…Master, don’t even joke about it.”
“That’s right. It’s one of the ruins marked on the map we provided.”
“…You’re telling us to do it?”
Artina’s expression was incredulous.
“Didn’t we only agree to receive compensation? Isn’t this a breach of contract?”
“I accepted it.”
“We were short on manpower, and I wanted to take advantage of my recent fame.”
This was an opportunity to legally excavate a ruin and receive compensation at the same time.
But I didn’t accept the proposal just for that reason.
“If we complete this specified request, we can become official dark mages without going through the next request, and I’ll prepare for that.”
“Huh? That’s….”
“I’ll use my increased fame from this excavation to reduce unnecessary processes, that’s the idea.”
The recent tight schedule wasn’t a waste of time, after all.
“If we complete this request, we won’t have to do that anymore.”
“Well done. Well accepted. We can do that much, at least.”
Artina’s attitude suddenly flipped.
“That was a wise decision, sir.”
Kaila also nodded her head in approval of my decision.
Valdemar’s face lit up, and Anelis’s eyes, which had been half-dead, sparkled.
However, Anelis soon hid her expression and glanced around at my party’s reactions.
She had worked incredibly hard while going through the tight schedule with us.
Even in difficult times, she didn’t complain and took care of all the miscellaneous tasks, providing the best support so that we could focus on the request.
Her physical strength was exhausted, and she had collapsed several times in the middle.
That’s why I assigned Kero to assist her with miscellaneous tasks and had Kero carry her during movements so she could rest a bit.
It was clear that Anelis’s physical strength was lacking, and Kaila or Artina could have complained, but since she had worked beyond her abilities, they didn’t say anything this time.
“It’s not like I’m being kind to her or anything.”
Still, they didn’t seem to think highly of Anelis.
“Ah, and among the rewards, a few silver coins will be mixed in and come to us.”
“What’s that?”
“The commission fee is set high, and on top of that, they’re providing additional support as if they’ve discovered something. They’re giving us a lot of help.”
There was no reason to refuse, and it was impossible to begin with.
It’s said that the interspecies union sent a gift to Anelis.
Originally, it would have been difficult to arrive on time, but they departed before the incident.
And the royal family is providing additional support, adding a few more things.
“I don’t know the details, but it’s not small, I’ve heard.”
Thanks to that, we’ve also received considerable support.
“It’s not like the royal family’s support is lacking compared to the interspecies union’s.”
The king himself remembers me, and in this situation, he’s given us something insignificant.
It’s been decided that the things to be delivered to us are elixirs and equipment.
“That’s great.”
The royal family probably doesn’t have a dark magic elixir, so they must have prepared it for my party.
“If it’s something decent, it’s better to give it to Valdur.”
I’ve also heard that there’s a special gift prepared for me….
“Let’s check it out directly.”
It’s clear that the royal family is taking great care of me and my party.
As I explained these things, my party was amazed.
“It’s clear that grasping this thread was a good idea. Ah, was it a bit hasty?”
“There are still things to be careful about, but it’s clear that it’s not excessive.”
Even Kaila, who distrusts nobles, thought it was remarkable from the first support.
After all, it’s an elixir.
From the royal family’s perspective, elixirs aren’t that rare.
But to give us this much support right from the start….
“It’s not something ordinary, as I’ve heard.”
It’s enough to raise expectations.
I boarded the carriage prepared by the client and headed towards the ruins.
It was a few days’ journey, but since we received a good carriage, there was no discomfort.
When we arrived, it was almost a completed base camp.
“Ah, you’re here. We’ve been waiting.”
The person who greeted us was a middle-aged man who introduced himself as the client.
“I’m Paulie. I’ve heard stories from ‘above.’ You’re special guests who need to be treated with care.”
He was a merchant, but judging by the scale of the base camp, he wasn’t an ordinary merchant.
No, it was unlikely that a merchant related to the royal family would be small-scale.
“A merchant leading a merchant group of this size is personally welcoming us.”
The royal family had indeed spoken well of him.
“The entrance to the ruins has been secured. The base camp is almost complete. The only problem is that there are guardians inside, so the excavation of the ruins is on hold.”
We could have hired mercenaries to clear the path and build the base camp, but since we couldn’t share information about the inside of the ruins, we had to thoroughly use people from our side.
Therefore, the problem of manpower was inevitable, and the guardians inside were strong, which is why the story came to us.
“Guardians? Can we get information about who they are?”
“I’m not sure if you’ll believe me, but it’s a Living Armor that moves with divine power. The two of them are moving in tandem.”
The party’s eyes widened at his explanation.
“It’s just like that place.”
The ruins we found while dealing with the Minotaurs. It seemed to be the same as the Guardians there.
Then the story becomes simpler.
We’ve already dealt with them, and we know all about our opponents. So, even if we’re cautious, we won’t face a crisis like before.
Especially since I’ve become stronger, it’ll be a big help.
Paulie reacted as if we were no big deal, saying, “You don’t suspect anything? I couldn’t believe the report I heard…”
“There’s something I can infer, so that’s why.”
“…So, it means the recommendation from above wasn’t in vain. Got it.”
I also asked him about the ruins, and as a result, I found out that the ruins were bigger than I thought, and there were many small Guardians.
“Hmm… Now that I think about it, the state of our equipment isn’t great.”
We’ve been handling too many high-ranking requests in a short period, and we haven’t been able to manage them properly.
We’ve also had a few big battles.
Equipment is consumable, unless it’s an artifact. Even if it’s an artifact, it can break, and no matter how skilled the Dwarf Mutr is, it can’t be used forever.
“We’ve been pretty busy lately.”
“That’s right. Hmm… I’m worried. You seem to know about the Guardians, but they’re not pushovers… What can we do?”
Paulie had someone bring in a few boxes.
“Take them.”
Inside the box were some decent-looking equipment, a potion, and a peculiar pouch.
“Ah, this is for Anneliese.”
One of them was entirely hers.
“…The story’s a bit different. I heard we’d get paid later under a different name.”
The plan was to excavate something from inside and provide support, but it seemed we’d get the reward before even entering the ruins.
“This is something I can handle on my own. I just hope it helps with the ruins’ conquest.”
It was bound to be helpful.
Of course, there was nothing bad about it from our perspective.
But if it turns out like this…
“It’ll take some time to thoroughly conquer the ruins.”
“I understand. I know a bit about the contents, so it’s fine.”
We needed time to take the potion, adapt to the new equipment, and especially, Anneliese needed time.
The support the union provided to her was no ordinary thing.
Two books and one black pill.
At a glance, it was obvious they were a prophecy book and a potion.
“Are they going to leak that?”
I couldn’t even imagine leaking the book that looked like a prophecy book, let alone the potion.
“If they’re going to leak it to that extent, it’s not like it’s a high level, but rather, it’s something that doesn’t matter even if it’s known…”.
Wouldn’t it be at least mid-level? Even that would be something that people would fight over, but from the royal family’s perspective, it’s a level that’s neither here nor there.
Of course, they would’ve looked into it, even if the level was low. It’s the technology of the interspecies union, after all. Knowing about it wouldn’t be bad.
Of course, this is the former case. There was also the latter case.
“From the start, humans wouldn’t know what to do even if they found out.”
To be honest, even if it’s the latter case, it’s hard to believe they would reveal it to the outside world, so I think it’s the former.
“Even considering that, it’s still hard to say.”
It’s as if something is chasing me, yet I’m getting strange support… I’m curious about how the interspecies union and the Dark Elf side view her.
The Spelteran royal family gave Anelis an artifact as a gift.
They prepared a bow, knowing it’s her main weapon, and it seems to have functions that make aiming easier and increase the power of the arrows. It also has a restoration function, so maintenance isn’t that difficult.
“It seems they’ve raised Anelis’s value.”
Anyone who uses a bow would covet it.
At a glance, it looked like a dungeon drop, not a custom-made item, but its performance was unmatched, boasting a strong power that’s hard to compare to even high-end custom-made artifacts.
It seems they’ve raised her value even higher, considering the gift they brought and the possibility of her joining our party.
“The elixir… is probably for mana users, right?”
It’s mid-grade.
The equipment looked like it was made by dwarves and was prepared according to the number of party members.
Of course, our equipment is also made by dwarves, but the material quality is different. Mutr had to make do with poor materials in a harsh environment, whereas this was made with good materials and a good environment, making it superior to what we’re using.
Especially since our equipment had taken a beating from the recent harsh requests, the party was in a welcoming mood.
“I won’t interfere with the strategy, but I hope it doesn’t take too long. Of course, success is the most important thing.”
It’s contradictory to pay the fee in advance and then wish for a delayed strategy.
But I couldn’t help but nod.
After all, they’re doing us a favor, and we’ve already received the payment. There’s no reason to delay.
Besides, everything we gain from the contract is ours.
There’s no reason to delay.
“This is unexpected.”
As I held a pouch and gazed at it, Paulig smiled mysteriously.
“They’re good items. I heard they were prepared carefully from above.”
“Do you know what this is?”
“Of course. Even if we received orders from above, we can’t hire mercenaries without knowing about them, right?”
He knew I was a black mage and a necromancer.
And it seemed he assumed I could use this properly.
“It’s the shadow of a soul extracted from those who were executed for treason or crimes in the past. You’re free to use it as you like.”
“Some of them were strong in life, I hear.”
He didn’t mention the shadow of the soul again after that.
After deep contemplation, I decided how to use it.
I’d heard rumors about it.
Any kingdom is extremely sensitive about treason.
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Therefore, each royal family takes brutal revenge on traitors.
It’s basic for the family to be ruined, and anyone related to them can’t escape death, and even if they survive, they become slaves, which is permanent.
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“They’re going to cut off all ties with them.”
It was strictly forbidden for the blood of a traitorous family to continue, and on top of that, there was a rumor that the leaders would become undead even after death, making them miserable…
“The last one was just a rumor, they said.”
Of course. Only necromancers could create undead, and the royal family wouldn’t dare get close to a dark mage, considering the external gaze.
“That’s why I’m extremely cautious about my relationship with the royal family.”