The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 142
The artifact’s price was around 20 gold, and the magician’s fee was a whopping 100 gold.
“This is a lot, but…”.
“Ottrioka-nim has gone to great lengths, so please think of it as a service fee. Even if the magician is 1st class, their status is certain.”
“I understand what you mean. Don’t worry about it. Someone will come to collect it.”
As our conversation ended, Ottrioka stood up and extended his hand.
“If you’re going to Rineta, it’ll be hard to meet again. But if you come to the nearby area, I’ll come to visit. You’re always welcome.”
After bidding farewell to Ottrioka, I went to find Colmail.
He already seemed to have heard the news, his expression calm and collected.
“There is a branch in Rineta, but it’s a place that’s virtually abandoned.”
“I’ll make sure to stabilize the territory as much as possible. Don’t miss that opportunity.”
“…Is that possible?”
“I will.”
“…If it were someone else, I would have treated them as a nuisance, but considering what you’ve shown me so far, it’s hard to do so. Plus, you’re a necromancer…”
I was under the royal family’s protection at that time.
Colmail, with a subtle expression, soon fixed his gaze and said,
“…I’m from Dolarem. Does it matter?”
“It doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
“You know, don’t you? Lintern and Dolarem are in a difficult relationship, to begin with. Moreover, both families are part of the royal faction, aren’t they?”
“That’s true.”
Lintern and Dolarem were neighboring territories, but their situation was different from other territories.
Geographically, they were adjacent, but that didn’t mean their relationship was bad.
“It’s not exactly good, either.”
To be precise, it was like a relationship where they watched each other like hawks.
Dolarem, who wanted to expand their family’s power, couldn’t touch Lintern.
No, to be precise, they couldn’t afford to touch them.
Dolarem’s power was stronger, but Lintern was a founding merit family.
Regardless of their strength or weakness, they couldn’t be touched without a justifiable reason.
“Without Lintern, Dolarem would suffer greatly.”
You could say they were mutually restrained.
Lintern was a territory adjacent to the “Barren Land” and played a role in blocking the monsters coming from there.
In other words, from Dolarem’s perspective, Lintern was a barrier.
And currently, that barrier was on the verge of collapsing.
Lintern County
“It’s not about what to do right now. The timing is also bad.”
“It’s just a reminder not to miss the opportunity when it arises.”
The mercenary branch had to maintain a close relationship with the territory’s lord.
As the head of that mercenary branch, Colmail, who was close to me, was related to someone who wouldn’t harm me.
Of course, I didn’t intend to get on bad terms with the lord of Lintern territory.
However, at the same time, I wouldn’t tolerate being restrained by the lord using the mercenary branch in the future.
I didn’t plan to interfere with the territory, but I also wouldn’t be restrained.
I would secure an independent position within a certain area while living in the territory.
“I intend to contribute that much, too.”
The dragon’s corpse, my personal desire, was the greatest, but it was also a fact that it would greatly benefit the territory.
In reality, after becoming the official dark mage of this place, one of my tasks would be to clean up the “Barren Land”.
The reason was simple.
“There’s a dragon’s corpse there, after all.”
So, my tower would be built there, too.
As long as that place was secure, there was no reason for the Lintern County to perish.
Of course, it was just a matter of catching a breath, not recovering their past glory.
The current state of the Lintern County was too poor for that.
Honestly, it’s to the extent that it’s hard to revive. Of course, with the royal family’s support this time, the situation will be better.
It wasn’t for nothing that I gave up my territory in the previous chapter.
Even if I resolve the barren land, the adjacent monster forest exists, and if I recover my strength, the noble faction’s obstruction will continue.
It wasn’t just a matter of getting some breathing room.
However, if the revival of the Daechi Mogyo is successful, the royal family’s power will inevitably grow stronger, so the noble faction’s obstruction will ultimately be resolved.
“It’s amazing how vast the monster forest is.”
The monster forest, which branched out from the southern great forest, boasted a massive size that rivaled several countries, and inevitably bordered on all territories.
Moreover, the level of threat varied depending on the distribution of monsters…
“The Lineta side had many mid-sized monsters.”
Occasionally, even high-level monsters revealed themselves.
In a way, it could be called a cursed territory.
At the same time, its military power was also strong.
One reason the king was concerned about the Lineta side was that it was once a founding contributor and a legitimate royal faction, but another reason was the practical concern that the royal family didn’t want to take responsibility for that land.
If they took back the land, the royal family would have to spend a large amount.
However, the current royal family was pouring all its effort into reviving the Daechi Mogyo…
“Well, it could be used as an excuse to increase the royal family’s military power, but the losses would outweigh the gains.”
Of course, in the world before my regression, the discovery of a dragon’s corpse led to a huge boom, but that luck was bound to come to me.
I didn’t forget to ask about Athena’s situation.
She said she had a separate task to attend to and would stay in Dorilem for a while, and that she needed mercenaries to handle the job.
“I know the situation isn’t good, but it’s an important task. I’d like to prioritize Athena’s request and assign some capable mercenaries to her.”
Colmail looked troubled at my words, but he eventually sighed and agreed.
We had done favors for each other, and Colmail was close to me, having received the royal family’s protection.
Especially since I had indirectly expressed that our connection wouldn’t be severed even if I left this place, it was difficult for him to refuse.
So I bid farewell to Colmail with a suitable promise and returned to my group.
I didn’t exchange personal greetings with the lord, as we had an awkward relationship due to him trying to pull me into his faction in the past.
Preparing to depart didn’t take long.
Since I had an airtight pocket and fragments of dimensions, I had almost everything I needed, so there was no reason to delay.
“I’ll find you as soon as possible.”
” Safety first. Don’t rush and take risks. Tia, don’t forget that you’re physically weak compared to me.”
To be precise, she was just an ordinary woman of her age.
It’s just that the comparison made her seem weak.
“I know.”
“It’s okay to be a bit late. Just come back safely.”
Athena, who was staying behind in Dorilem, seemed a bit anxious since we would be separated for a long time.
After all, her life had changed rapidly after meeting me.
She gained power and safety, and at the same time, she lived a life that wasn’t lacking in anything.
“There was no lack of food or clothing.”
In this world, there were many people who couldn’t even fulfill those basic needs.
Adding to that, she wasn’t easily neglected anywhere she went.
In that life, it was only natural that she would feel uneasy and anxious about being alone and taking charge for a while.
In reality, this kind of thing was more suitable for Kaila than Atna.
However, it was difficult for Kaila to take the lead, as her military power was desperately needed in the Ryneta territory.
Atna was also necessary, but she was lacking compared to Kaila, and it was better for her to take her younger brother along.
In reality, Atna seemed to think that she had to go herself if she had to.
So, amidst the anxiety, she didn’t say anything out of the ordinary.
Thus, we left Atna in Dorialem and boarded a carriage headed for the Ryneta Earl’s territory.
There were no particular incidents during our journey to the Ryneta Earl’s territory.
However, when we entered the Earl’s territory, we were met with an unmanaged landscape, and Kaila let out a small sigh.
“I heard the stories, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”
There were no roads, no proper villages.
Luckily, it wasn’t to the point where bandits were roaming around, but the atmosphere was almost as if the territory was dead.
Furthermore, even after crossing the territory’s borders, there were no inspections or guard posts, and we encountered almost no villages.
We even met a monster along the way.
Kaila, who had cut down the monster with ease, muttered with a serious expression.
“The territory itself is vast, but it’s not being utilized properly. This is more serious than I imagined.”
“…The villages we found were all abandoned, and they seemed to have been destroyed a long time ago.”
“…There was even a village where goblins had taken over and were living.”
Valdur and Anelis also nodded in agreement.
“At this rate, is this not a monster’s territory rather than a human one?”
It was a remark that was half-true.
However, this was officially the Ryneta Earl’s territory, and therefore, other territories couldn’t interfere arbitrarily.
If the Ryneta Earl’s territory didn’t receive the royal family’s protection, it would have been taken over by surrounding territories due to mismanagement, and there would be nothing they could say about it.
“In reality, the area controlled by the Ryneta Earl’s family has been decreasing over time.”
The most important areas, such as the dry land and the monster forest, were still being maintained, but even those had their weaknesses.
Of course, there were no territories where monsters didn’t exist at all.
There were rarely any lords who managed their entire territory well, and monsters often took root in certain areas.
There were cases where villages were attacked, too.
However, such incidents were rare in central territories, and this place was an extreme case.
No territory would openly allow monsters to roam around like this.
Kaila’s remark about this being a monster’s territory wasn’t unfounded.
On the third day of entering the Ryneta territory, we finally arrived at the Earl’s castle.
The castle itself was enormous, befitting a place that had once been a powerful contributor to the country.
However, signs of mismanagement were evident everywhere, and the castle’s size was all that remained, with almost no substance.
The state of the territory was similarly bleak, and the castle’s state was no exception. It was no wonder that this territory wouldn’t last long.
A man who discovered our carriage stopped us.
“A knight?”
Instead of a guard, a man who looked like a knight was standing there, blocking our way.
Of course, his appearance was far from that of a knight.
It’s rather similar to a mercenary.
However, anyone with discerning eyes would never call him a mercenary.
His posture, gait, hand movements, and aura all hinted that he had no intention of hiding his skills.
‘Minimum expert.’
He seemed to be of a certain age, and at a glance, he looked to be over forty.
Considering that those who wielded mana appeared younger than their peers, it was likely that he was nearing fifty if not already there.
Someone with such skills and at that age would have a solid career, yet he was guarding the castle gate.
“Who are you? You don’t seem to be a noble. Show yourself.”
He wasn’t a regular guard, and if he was a knight, that would be a different story.
I immediately got off the carriage at the man’s words.
“…A wizard?”
“I’m Do-Inha. I’ve recently become the official dark wizard of the Rinetta Viscountdom.”
Official dark wizard. The knight’s gaze sparkled like he had seen a rare animal.
“Are you that famous eccentric dark wizard? You look much younger than I expected.”
Eccentric.
That’s what the rumors seemed to say.
‘Luckily, it doesn’t seem to be a bad image?’
Perhaps it was because he was a dark wizard who had dealings with the royal family. There was no typical dark wizard’s wariness.
When I thought about being a dark wizard, the image of a dark wizard known throughout the continent came to mind, and being treated like an eccentric or a rare animal was a sign of goodwill.
He verified my appointment letter and the stamped seals, nodding his head.
“It’s certain. However, it seems like one of your party members is missing.”
From noble mtl dot com
“My sister’s brother-in-law was receiving treatment, so I went to pick him up. He’ll join us later.”
“Sister? Ah, I haven’t heard that story, but it doesn’t matter.”
“If a woman named Athena comes looking for you, please let me know.”
“That’s not difficult. I’ll make a note of it.”
“But, no matter how I look at it, you seem like a knight, don’t you?”
“That’s correct.”
“But why are you guarding the castle alone…?”
“It seems you don’t know the circumstances of our territory. We lack manpower, and our equipment is also inadequate. Our territory is poor.”