The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 141
Of course, the farther we went, the more burdened Athena would become, so we had to start from a domain as close to the Siglen counts as possible.
“It’s a bit risky.”
“If you’re worried, we can get help from the Pook’s family.”
“Ah, that’s for sure.”
As long as we didn’t enter the Monster Forest, we could get sufficient help.
Athena nodded in satisfaction, seemingly pleased with the answer.
“I want to see Tia.”
As we talked, Athena muttered to herself, perhaps thinking about how long it had been since she last saw her brother.
It had been a while since they last met.
It was something to be missed.
Especially since she cherished Tia extremely….
During the few days of rest, news arrived that the ruins exploration had been completely cleared.
Furthermore,
“Is it an armory?”
“Yes, there was a place to store equipment.”
Paully returned with new information.
“How interesting.”
It seemed that, like the previous Minotaurs, they had discovered shields in the temple, and it was similar here.
“The storage was well-maintained, and it was even blessed….”
Then I was relieved.
“That’s also sold out.”
“After conducting a final inspection and determining that there are no more guardians, we will consider the request complete.”
We had to enter the ruins to retrieve the golem.
In front of the altar, all the undead, Valdur, and Anneliese were lined up, waiting for us.
“Is anyone injured?”
“No one is.”
As we checked our party, it was indeed as he said.
“There were no undead losses either.”
Since they hadn’t even replenished their black water, it was clear how much they had focused on safety during the battle.
I thanked them for their hard work and collected all the undead.
Oriene said she would call us again soon and entered the dimensional fragment.
“I’ll see you again soon.”
And by then, we wouldn’t have to enter the dimensional fragment for a while.
We checked the entire ruins with our party.
As expected, there was nothing left, and after meeting Paully and receiving confirmation, we rode the carriage he provided and returned to the mercenary guild.
The reward we received upon completing the request was enormous.
We earned a large amount of gold, and considering what we had received immediately upon arrival, it was a request that would surely spread rumors.
“Don’t take on any requests for a while.”
The reason was obvious.
“Grillianne will come to visit us soon with that news.”
The rumor that we had completed an unprecedented request spread throughout the Dorim interior.
As soon as the rumor spread, someone came to find me.
“You’ve finally returned. I heard the rumor. You’ve completed an incredible request, right?”
“Has the rumor already reached Ottrioka?”
Ottrioka, the director of the Dorim mage tower branch.
He was also the one who had promised to grant me junior membership.
“I apologize for the late news. I received the approval for junior membership as promised.”
“It took a while.”
“Exactly, your request was approved shortly after you left on this request.”
It seemed we had just missed each other.
“It’s okay. Thank you for your hard work.”
“It’s not a big deal. It was just a transaction.”
Now that I had obtained the qualification, it was time to use it.
I immediately expressed my intention to hire an artifact craftsman and a magician through Otrioke.
Otrioke nodded immediately, as we had discussed this before.
“What kind of artifact do you need?”
“I need one with the Dig magic engraved on it.”
“Well, there are already-made ones available.”
“I need something that can be fine-tuned a bit more.”
I originally planned to build a tower that went deep underground, with a low foundation.
That’s why I needed Mutre, and at the same time, I wanted to create an artifact that could assist with the excavation work, which would take the longest.
So, I needed another magic besides Dig.
“I also need an artifact that can use Hardening magic together. If necessary, it can be divided into two.”
“…Are you planning to build a dungeon underground?”
“Yes. My goal is to become a certified black magician. I think I’ve gotten quite close to achieving that goal with this request.”
“That’s true. You wouldn’t be out of place if you became a certified black magician tomorrow.”
“So, I want to prepare in advance.”
“…It’ll be expensive… No, money isn’t a problem.”
He also knew about my financial capabilities, so it wasn’t an issue.
“Then, why do you need a magician?”
“I need them for a long-term request. Specifically, for my party.”
“Hmm. It doesn’t matter. I said it doesn’t matter even if their level is low, right?”
“As long as they’re affiliated with the tower, I’ll make sure to compensate them sufficiently.”
“It’s not a big deal. There are many people who would lend me a low-level apprentice.”
It was a casual attitude compared to artifact crafting.
“I’ll have it delivered to the main tower. The artifact crafting shouldn’t take too long. It doesn’t seem that difficult.”
Although I had placed a separate request for fine-tuning, the magic itself wasn’t difficult, so it wouldn’t take too long.
There were many cases where people wanted something like this, so the production experience was sufficient.
“Wasn’t it used in the mines?”
It was also used when building high-class mansions.
However, originally, the production order would be delayed, and it would take years to complete, but thanks to my junior member qualification, I could obtain it quickly.
“It won’t take more than a month.”
“I’ll have to receive it through a proxy.”
I thought I would have to ask Griant or Colmail for a favor.
“The magician…”
“Please ask them to hurry as much as possible.”
“Got it.”
My meeting with Otrioke was brief, but it was very satisfying.
Two days passed, and Griant finally came to see me.
He smiled brightly and opened his mouth as if he was afraid of me.
“I’ve heard it’s a perfect success. The royal family is extremely satisfied as well.”
Griang praised, saying, “I believe it. Here’s the appointment letter. We’ve already discussed it with Rinetta’s side.”
“What’s Rinetta’s reaction?”
Originally, I should have met with them directly, but the story progressed so quickly that I became a publicly recognized dark mage without even seeing their faces.
“They’re very pleased. They’re moved that the royal family hasn’t forgotten about them, and they’re also surprised that we’re directly supporting them.”
Thanks to this, the royal family has gained face, and they’re expressing gratitude on behalf of the royal family.
“Now that you’re a publicly recognized dark mage, you can receive the same treatment as any other mage.”
Even as a dark mage, they can’t openly discriminate against me, and there won’t be any unfair treatment.
I can even create my own exclusive magic tower.
“Rinetta’s side wants to visit as soon as possible.”
“That’s what I wanted. However…”
Griang looked puzzled by my reaction.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, I became a junior member of the magic tower, and I have an artifact request that I was told would be completed within a month.”
“Ah, if that’s the case, don’t worry about it. If you just tell me, I’ll have the information department deliver it through their people.”
It was simple, so I didn’t have any issues with handing over the artifact delivery.
“Then, let’s prepare and head to Rinetta’s territory.”
Griang’s face lit up with a smile, as if he had gotten the answer he wanted.
He prepared a carriage for me again and left a message saying I could use it whenever I wanted.
The group looked relieved, as if they had finally gotten what they wanted.
I turned to Artina and said, “Artina, you’re staying here.”
“…You’re telling me to bring Tia, right?”
I handed her a pouch with 50 gold coins and said, “Before you go, tell Ottrio first. We’ll also pay the advance payment for the mage employment. When the mage arrives, we’ll hire separate mercenaries.”
She nodded slowly, already aware of the excuse.
“What about the remaining personnel if Tia isn’t there?”
“Tell Tia to appoint someone to manage the place. With this amount of time, Tia should be able to train at least one person to manage.”
However, the legitimacy of the appointed person would be lacking.
What’s the point of legitimacy in a small underground dungeon, anyway? But prestige is still important in a small society like this.
In fact, it might be even more important in a small society.
Tia was the owner of the place, and I had directly appointed her as the administrator. She was also Artina’s younger sister, a key person with strong military power.
However, the person she appointed as administrator would lack that relationship, and the residents might not recognize the new administrator.
So, I added that I would leave the two Living Armors I had left as Tia’s bodyguards.
“Will that be okay?”
“That’s fine. We can prevent any unexpected rebellions.”
Although my governing power was limited, and I couldn’t directly govern the undead, I could still increase them indirectly.
And if maintaining the inner palace required that much, I thought it was a small price to pay.
“I can use my military power to oppress them, but I wouldn’t be foolish enough to appoint someone like that as an administrator.”
I could have said something to the Orc side, but the underground dungeon is my territory.
I didn’t want to get involved up to that point.
“If you make a mistake, you’ll pay the price later.”
“Alright, I’ll do as you said.”
“Don’t get too excited on the way. I’ll check when we arrive at Rineta.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Remember, while you’re away, Balder will be directly guided by me.”
“…Don’t worry, I won’t be caught.”
Atna’s expression, which had a hint of mischief, changed slightly.
It seemed like she didn’t want to lose to Balder at all.
After telling the group to prepare their luggage, I visited the Magic Tower as Atna had instructed.
When I said I had become a publicly recognized black magician, Ottrioka’s expression showed surprise.
“What? How did that happen just a few days ago?”
“Yes, which lucky noble family has reached out to you so quickly?”
“It’s the Rineta Earl’s family.”
“…The Rineta Earl’s family?”
Ottrioka’s face stiffened.
“…Maybe we should rethink this? That place is…”.
“I already know the rumors about the Rineta Earl’s family.”
“And yet you chose that place?”
“That’s because I have a lot of room to shine. If I make a significant contribution, I’ll earn their trust, won’t I?”
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“…An ordinary black magician might think that way. But do you really need to go that far? You’ve already proven your credibility and abilities. You’re not just anyone; you’re the one the Doirem Mercenary Branch has vouched for. You don’t need to take such a difficult path.”
I nodded in agreement with Ottrioka’s words.
“I know. But even so, the fact that I’m a black magician won’t change.”
“At least I need to gain the absolute trust of the noble family that has accepted me. In that sense, the Rineta Earl’s family meets the conditions perfectly.”
“…I suppose that’s how you think. If that’s the case, I have no choice but to accept it.”
“So, I came to discuss the matters I requested earlier.”
I mentioned that I had someone to transfer the artifact and that the hired magician would be working with Atna.
“I’ll pay the deposit in advance.”