The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 160
“Should I call my mentor?”
In reality, I know that there are hardly any skilled individuals on the Dark Elf side, thanks to my mentor from the previous chapter.
My mentor loved their own kind and dreamed of their revival.
That’s why they made the risky deal with the Demon King.
The problem is…
“The person who’s been pulled in isn’t the one who’s going to come…”
My mentor’s goal is clear: the revival of the Dark Elves.
Therefore, they’re not someone who can be easily swayed. Moreover…
“Even if I could pull my mentor in, it’s still a problem. We need to break the contract with that damned Demon King.”
Is that going to be easy?
Black Mages make deals with demons to gain power and offer their souls as collateral in exchange.
Black Mages are humans, too. And they’re usually more selfish than regular humans. After gaining power, they want to reclaim their souls.
Naturally, demons won’t easily return the souls of Black Mages, which is why only a handful of Black Mages have successfully broken their contracts.
“Just look at the magic books I obtained from the dungeon in the past.”
He was a 6th-class mage, yet he couldn’t break his contract with the demon.
He couldn’t find a way to compensate for it, so he tried to force the contract’s cancellation, but ultimately failed and died.
“It’s something the Demon King would desire.”
The Demon King would give up their contract with my mentor if the compensation was worth it….
I knew roughly about the contract between my mentor and the Demon King.
What they wanted was the revival of the Dark Elves.
It seems they planned to use me as a vessel and make the Demon King descend upon this place, creating a colony where the Dark Elves would hold a higher position.
You can’t simply cancel a contract due to a change of heart, so something like a penalty is needed to convince the Demon King.
I had a similar regret when I was being taught in the past, but that didn’t stop them from making me a vessel.
Originally, I had a plan in mind, but it’s not feasible now.
“I was thinking of doing it years later.”
But now it’s become urgent.
Of course, I didn’t think of contacting them immediately.
At my current level, it’s too difficult.
“It’ll have to wait until I reach 7th class or Kayla becomes a Master.”
Only then can I have a conversation with my past mentor and gain the minimum qualifications.
If I don’t have the skills, I’ll get caught before I can even talk.
“The Demon King will see my worth at a glance.”
Using the dragon’s corpse is out of the question, so I have to rely on the old method.
That’s not much of an option, either.
“It’s just a matter of reaching the extreme and consistently meditating.”
In the past, I suddenly got an opportunity while organizing and establishing my knowledge.
Maybe that was enlightenment.
But I refused it.
Originally, I had planned to meet with the Demon King after preparing everything, including reaching Class 7, but that became difficult.
By the way, my teacher surpasses me in terms of abilities.
My teacher is also exceptionally skilled in handling souls.
After discovering the powerful soul within the dragon’s corpse, I stopped all research related to dragons.
It was regrettable to put an interesting topic on hold, but I didn’t want to take any risks.
So, I refocused on expanding my own abilities and refining the magic I could use before researching the dragon’s corpse.
Time passed, and about a year after we entered the Rhineta territory, Atina brought news while regularly traveling between the desert’s shield.
“The Rhineta family has successfully reclaimed their territory beyond the Cross of the Holy Spirit. And… the messenger sent by the interspecies alliance has made contact with the Spetraltan royal family.”
The visit is scheduled for two weeks from now.
Only one person will be sent from the royal family, along with a guard.
Since Prina Rhineta also wanted to meet me, I headed towards the desert’s shield a bit earlier.
Kaila immediately stopped her training and followed me upon hearing the news, while Oriele remained behind to protect the tower.
Only four of us were moving directly: Kaila, Atina, Anelis, and I.
The skeleton horse was excluded since it was a mount.
Kaila, whom I hadn’t seen in a while, was emitting a strange aura.
“Did you achieve any results?”
“It doesn’t feel like I’ve broken through any walls.”
“That’s correct. I just feel like I’m making progress on my own.”
In the past, I thought there was a solid wall blocking my way, but now I feel like I can try.
“Indeed, the Dragon Slayer’s techniques are old, but there’s a lot to learn. Honestly, they’re even more superior to mine.”
The techniques from hundreds of years ago are more advanced than her current skills.
They’re more sophisticated and simultaneously more difficult, making it hard for ordinary people to learn even with a mentor.
“I wouldn’t have been able to learn if I wasn’t at my current level.”
It’s fortunate that I can learn from her.
“Ah, I should’ve trained with my teacher as well.”
Kaila shook her head towards Atina, who looked disappointed.
“It’s regrettable, but I don’t have time to teach you.”
She said that she couldn’t teach anyone because she’s too busy focusing on her own growth.
“I might get surpassed by Valduer like this.”
Atina had spent a lot of time moving around for her messenger and supply roles.
Meeting Tia frequently was a huge advantage for her, but it meant she couldn’t allocate much time for training.
On the other hand, Valduer had been fighting every day at the third oasis.
He had already become a perfect, high-ranking figure, and what’s more, he had perfectly synchronized with the undead, showing a flawless appearance.
While there’s a limit to the undead’s growth, Valduer could continuously improve as long as he put in effort, and with daily, dangerous battles, he was showing remarkable growth.
Of course, not everyone can grow like that.
Valduer’s growth proved that his talent, as Kaila mentioned, was extraordinary.
Currently, Atina is ahead, but if she continues to fall behind, she’ll eventually be surpassed.
Atina had sacrificed herself for the party.
‘It’s likely to end soon, though.’
If the meeting with Prina goes well, I won’t need to travel between the desert’s shield as frequently, and it’s likely that Tia will take over that role.
“It’s dangerous, but Tiara won’t allow it.”
She didn’t want to stay in Artina’s care forever.
She wanted to showcase her abilities and become a person who contributed to the team, not just someone being protected.
Until now, she had been silent about the unavoidable situation, but she didn’t want to receive Artina’s protection unnecessarily.
“I’ll make sure to provide sufficient protection as well.”
“I’ve been feeling it lately, but the number of monsters has decreased significantly. Especially since I frequent the area, I can feel it clearly.”
I nodded in agreement with Artina’s words.
“The frequency of attacks on the Oasis has also decreased, hasn’t it?”
The number of monsters had decreased to the point where it didn’t matter that there were only three water sources left.
“The only thing that’s still dangerous is…”
“The frequency of monsters emerging from the underground has increased, hasn’t it?”
It was likely due to the absolute decrease in the number of prey.
“Well, at least the monsters aren’t coming out to the barren land outside.”
The rewards for our hard work were finally coming back.
When we arrived at the Desert Shield, Prina Rinate had already arrived.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has, Your Excellency.”
The place we met was one of the largest rooms in the castle.
It seemed to have been used as an office in the past, and someone had cleaned it beforehand.
“Amazing. You’ve restored the barren land and the Desert Shield in just a year…”.
Although the appearance had changed a bit, the fact that they had rebuilt the castle was no ordinary feat.
“It’s hard to believe that you’ve restored it to this level in such a short time, despite the difficult circumstances.”
“That’s because the castle walls, gates, and towers were the limit.”
“That’s the most important part.”
It was true. Renovating the interior was relatively easy.
The interior wasn’t in a complete mess, either.
But that was fine.
“You didn’t call me here to praise me, did you…?”
“This is also an important matter.”
Prina smiled slightly and continued.
“The matter of rewards and punishments must be clear. It’s the most basic thing, and if that’s not in place, the Rinate territory cannot survive.”
It was true.
“But it seems like you, Do-inha, think that’s more important, so let’s put that aside for now.”
In the past, she was called Magician Do-inha, but now she was referred to as Do-inha-nim, either because she had been recognized for her achievements or because she was indirectly acknowledged as an independent force.
I bowed my head in gratitude.
“Is what you want to talk about the story of a permanent alliance?”
At my response, the knight Atolek, who was standing beside Prina, furrowed his brow.
< 154th Move ﹥ Motion
However, that was only for a moment. He soon let out a short sigh and regained his composure.
I couldn’t help but feel puzzled by Atolek’s reaction, and Kaila and Artina showed signs of discomfort.
Anelisna and Tia didn’t show much of a reaction, but they seemed quite displeased.
The reaction of the group was to be expected.
From the perspective of the Lenneta territory, I am the person who has provided the most significant help, second only to the royal family.
The fact that I demanded compensation and the short duration may have differed from the royal family, but it was a reasonable demand, and considering what I had done, it was only fair that I received such treatment.
As a black magician, I was the officially recognized black magician of the Lenneta territory, and Atorak was someone who didn’t have much conflict with me from the start.
But suddenly, they were reacting like this… The group’s displeasure was a natural reaction.
Prina seemed to understand our reaction and apologized.
“I’m sorry. Lord Atorak made a mistake.”
“…It’s a bit unpleasant, but I’ll think about the reasons behind it.”
“Yes, anyway, Lord Atorak seems to think that the compensation I promised is too high.”
“That’s natural. As I’ve said before, I still disagree.”
“You’ve done a great deed. If it’s not this much, we can’t reestablish the balance.”
“There are other methods! We can receive the royal family’s guarantee or make a promise in the name of our family.”
“That would affect Diyar as well. I hope that child grows up safely and becomes a great lord in the future.”
“Even if the lord makes a choice now, it will still affect you.”
“But it will be relatively less. Especially in the next generation.”
My group and I silently watched the two suddenly arguing.
“…I didn’t stay in the territory for this. Not just you, but the lord as well…”
“I know. And this is my choice.”
“…Do as you please.”
In the end, it seemed like Prina had won the argument.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“…It’s not like that.”
I was curious about the reason, but considering the compensation I demanded, I could soon understand. There was no need to ask further.
“Ah, we were talking about the compensation. A long-term and trustworthy alliance, and in return, we would make a large investment in our territory, right?”
“And I accepted that condition.”
“So, no matter how I thought about it, I wondered what could symbolize a long-term alliance, but surprisingly, there was a simple method.”
I honestly thought that I would promise in the name of my family.
A family’s name is not something to be taken lightly. Nobles value honor.
Considering the gaze of those around us and the honor of our family, forming an alliance with a black magician might not be appealing, but thinking about what I had done, it was inevitable that others would accept it, and the royal family would support Lenneta, so I thought that was the most natural choice.
However, Prina’s thoughts were different.
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“Let’s make a contract with me, Lord Doynha.”
Prina’s words shocked the group, and Atorak closed his eyes.
“A simple contract can be broken, but… this contract is different. If our family takes on debt and it becomes known that we’ve made a contract with a black magician, it’s equivalent to blocking my marriage path, so the effect of the contract will be believable.”
While I was stunned, Prina’s words continued.
“Let’s make a contract with the precondition of marriage, and when my younger brother Diyar Lenneta becomes an adult and inherits the territory, we’ll officially get married. In return, I’ll promise one thing: please don’t have children. If you take a new wife, I won’t say anything. As long as this marriage is a symbol of our alliance and promise, it’s not too difficult to accept… And if we inevitably have a child, I’ll make it clear that they have no rights to our family.”
“What…?”
My mind couldn’t keep up with the sudden proposal.
“You’ll take on the role of a wife. You’ll have the right to participate in our family’s events, and as for the dry land, we’ll follow the original promise and not interfere… and for the desert shield, we’ll recognize a certain share…”