The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 188
“I don’t know if it’s possible, but…”
The masters of magic said so, but what could I say?
As a human, I needed to experiment and revise the process myself.
Anyway, the dragon shared its method with me, and as it said, it was a time-consuming task.
“Hmm… I don’t know what’s changed from the original method… Ah, I maximized the utilization of my living body. But will this really work? I’m only level 7, after all.”
– “So, grow quickly and maximize the utilization of your living body, but with limitations. At your current level, my power in my living body is too much for you to handle. If you make a mistake, you might die.”
“Should I be grateful for your consideration?”
I started preparing to transform the dragon’s body into an undead, following its instructions and bantering with it.
As it said, it would take a long time. The most basic work was the problem.
I had to burn all the mana in my body and replace it with magical energy.
Although my magical energy was infinite, the output I could produce at once was limited.
Filling the dragon’s body with magical energy to that extent was like trying to fill a dam with a single faucet.
It would eventually be possible, but it would take an enormous amount of time.
Of course, it would be faster than an analogy, but it would still take a considerable amount of time.
Moreover, I wasn’t a machine, so I had to take breaks in between.
“…Huff. Let’s stop for today.”
After working until I was exhausted, I told the dragon.
“I’m going to make a priest into a lich.”
– “Hmm? Really… No, not really. Hmm, a priest. If I had one, it would be quite troublesome.”
“Riche is the most efficient way, isn’t it? Looking at how you talk, it seems like you’ve given your consent as well….
“That’s right.”
“Then it won’t be that difficult. Especially if you make it yourself, it won’t be a big deal. What you create is yours, and I roughly know what you want. Just make the Life Vessel with your own abilities. That’s as far as I can help.”
Unfortunately, I had to be firm with him, but he kept talking.
“By the way, making Riche is a first, isn’t it? I’ll pray for his soul.”
As the Dragon said, and just as I predicted, making Vorldi into Riche wasn’t an easy task.
Since it was my first attempt, there were many failures.
It’s not like you can succeed at once. You accumulate failures, improve one by one, and strive for success.
The one who suffered the most during this process of failure was Vorldi himself.
Screaming was a given, and he even attempted suicide several times.
He exhausted his mental strength, and in the end, his appearance became pale and haggard.
Just looking at his appearance, he seemed like Riche.
Of course, I didn’t only focus on making Riche.
Meanwhile, I started creating Skeleton Knights using the corpses I had.
Entein was delighted to see his growing subordinates every day and repeated training to synchronize their breathing.
Especially when I gave them all horse-riding skills, they showed an insane amount of effort, as if they were driven by a strong sense of responsibility.
Undead and effort – an odd combination of words.
As the undead who had to endure among humans, they finally became usable in the way they wanted.
Muturing activated the newly created furnace and started making armor that met my requirements using the available materials.
I left this side alone for a while.
About a month passed, and I finally succeeded in making Vorldi into Riche.
“It’s an incredible feeling. Just a moment ago, I was suffering from unbearable pain….
“I don’t feel the pain anymore.”
Furthermore, my connection with the gods was severed, and I established a new connection with him.
He became my servant, eternally loyal to me.
Vorldi’s Life Vessel was in my grasp, and I stored it inside the fragment of the dimension.
The material for the Life Vessel was his heart, which was relatively easy to obtain.
Entein’s knight squad was also complete.
Including the two knights I used before, Nelson and Langbing, a total of 41 knights were completed.
Adding myself, there were 42 in total. I wanted to make more, but unfortunately, there were no more usable corpses.
Moreover, these were not ordinary knights.
I had engraved permanent strengthening magic on each individual, and they were scheduled to receive specialized equipment. I had also engraved strengthening magic on the horse-riding skills I had given them.
If I were to cast strengthening magic on them again, the buffs would overlap.
Now, when I was about to work on the other corpses, news arrived.
Artina, who had gone to the Desert Shield for regular supplies, sent a message saying that the prince’s messenger was on their way to the territory.
I immediately stopped what I was doing and headed back to the Desert Shield with my companions.
“Is your teacher really becoming a knight now?”
“That’s right.”
“…….”
Kyle had an air of nonchalance, but couldn’t completely hide his anticipation.
Thanks to our long time together, both I and Athena could read Kyle’s expression, and we exchanged a small smile.
Kyle was a bit embarrassed, but that was all.
Currently, our party consisted of me, Kyle, and Athena, three people in total.
I didn’t bring Tia along.
If it were just a simple knighting ceremony, I would have brought her, but I had plans to meet with my old mentor afterwards.
That’s why I had stationed Entien’s undead knights, led by him, inside the dimensional fragment.
Although I couldn’t hand over the artifact and the equipment made by Muter was only wearable by Entien, Nelson, and Langbing, the fact that it possessed immense power remained unchanged.
At least with this, I wouldn’t be easily caught by my old mentor.
That’s why I was making contact, and especially, I was well aware of my old mentor’s dungeon internal structure.
If things got too dangerous, I could always flee. It was possible.
As we arrived at the Desert Shield, a guide sent by Prina was already waiting for us.
We crossed the cross-shaped mark and headed towards the main castle, guided to where Prina and the royal messenger were waiting.
“Oh my, it’s…”.
“…….”
“Should I say this is…?”
The royal messenger was a woman, extremely young and beautiful.
She introduced herself as the 3rd Princess and asked to be called Sharon.
“I’ve come as the representative of His Majesty, conveying his apologies for not being able to attend himself.”
“Is that so.”
“There are circumstances.”
Just then, Prina intervened and said,
“A full-scale war has begun across the kingdom.”
“…….”
It seemed that many territories had been caught up in the conflict, just like Doriem and Jutes.
“As His Majesty has said, due to the circumstances, he is unable to attend. That’s why I’ve come as his representative.”
Then, why did they have to send this young and beautiful princess?
Naturally, the light, casual temptation proposed by the crown prince came to mind.
Of course, I didn’t waver.
‘This princess seems to have a flower-patterned brain.’
It seemed she didn’t know why she was chosen to come.
Interestingly, Prina wasn’t wary of the 3rd Princess at all.
The conversation we had didn’t seem to pose a significant threat.
“What is the message for me…?”
“There is no message from His Majesty.”
It seemed they had already decided not to use me on the front lines.
There’s nothing bad about that. After meeting with my old mentor, I had planned to focus on increasing the number and quality of the undead anyway, and thanks to the lack of schedule, I could now focus on this matter.
Of course, it’s not an entirely good situation.
“‘The Mutr family’s compensation can be solved with money, I suppose.’”
In a territory that had consumed many resources and power during the war, if you were to offer them a jewel… it would be difficult to refuse.
Even if the compensation was a dwarf, it wouldn’t be more precious than the territory.
“Don’t be too disappointed. You really wanted to come, and as for this matter, I’m here as the proxy with full authority from my brother. He even wrote the appointment letter himself.”
The Third Princess was still defending the crown prince.
“It’s still a promise kept, isn’t it?”
A handwritten appointment letter. Honestly, that was enough.
“So, who is the person I should confer the title to?”
Although they knew the appointee was a woman, they looked back and forth between Artina and Prina, asking.
I glanced at Kayla, and she cautiously stepped forward.
“It’s this person. We’re going to simplify the appointment ceremony, is that okay?”
“It’s okay.”
The country was at war, or rather, in a state of civil war. In such a situation, a grand knight appointment ceremony would be out of place.
We didn’t like unnecessary formalities either.
Although Kayla’s status as a knight was being elevated, we didn’t like formalities, and Kayla also agreed to have a simple ceremony, considering the past knight appointment ceremony was quite cumbersome.
“It might not be too long since the recipient is alone… but still, it’s not like we’re going to make it too short either.”
Considering that, it was still unpleasant.
Thanks to that, the appointment ceremony was really short.
The Third Princess, holding a sword, knelt on one knee and lightly touched Kayla’s shoulders and head with the sword, making a simple oath, without even asking about the vow.
It seemed like she was treating Kayla as one of her people.
It certainly seemed like the crown prince was good at handling things.
And so, the short appointment ceremony ended, and the appointment letter was delivered to Kayla.
Kayla looked at it with a strange gaze.
“Congratulations. You are now a formal, free knight.”
Those words seemed to move her. Kayla’s body trembled.
Thud.
It seemed like something in Kayla’s heart had broken, and her aura began to change rapidly.
◈ Change
The aura emanating from her changed rapidly.
No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t help but be amazed, and Artina also stared blankly at Kayla’s back.
Prina and the Third Princess Sharon also took two steps back, surprised by Kayla’s unusual atmosphere.
“This is…”.
The change was short.
Kayla soon got up, looking as if nothing had happened, and turned around with a calm expression.
Her appearance didn’t seem to have changed at all.
But everything had changed.
Her aura, gaze, movements, presence, mana… everything except her appearance had changed.
It was as if the being in front of me was not Kayla, but someone else….
I slowly opened my mouth.
“Kayla, did you… transcend the wall?”
I confidently yet uncertainly blurted out my words, unable to adapt to the sudden change in reality. Kyle calmly affirmed my words.
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Um… I don’t know how to put it into words… Even I didn’t fully understand it myself, but it seems I still had a lingering attachment to being a knight.”
Kyle chuckled, seemingly amused by his own thoughts.
“Honestly, I didn’t even notice it myself. I thought I was fine with being my master’s knight, not caring about external opinions, but it turns out I had a desire for external recognition.”
That’s possible. Kyle is also human, and the desire for recognition is a fundamental human desire, no matter how small or large.
“I felt embarrassed when I realized that small desire. I thought I was satisfied, but deep down, I wasn’t.”
“…I don’t think it’s something to be embarrassed about. The desire for recognition is natural.”
“That’s true. I just thought that as long as my master recognized me, that was enough, but it seems I had more desires than I thought.”
Kyle continued, his expression tinged with a wry smile.
“At the same time, I realized it didn’t mean anything anymore. I’m already a free knight recognized by the royal family, and my hidden desires have already been fulfilled. My master has already resolved that for me. And when I realized that, I discovered the absurd fact that I was the one holding myself back.”
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And at the same time, Kyle said he had surpassed himself.
“I should say I’ve recognized myself, or accepted myself… That’s the correct way to put it. What can I do? I’m a person with more desires than I thought, and my thoughts were wrong, but reality is what it is, so I have to accept it. It’s more comfortable now that I’ve acknowledged it.”
However, there was no dramatic change. She already possessed a master-worthy physique.
“There’s still room for growth, though. I need to cultivate my mana heart and adapt to new aura.”
As she spoke, she raised her hand, and the aura that had been swirling around her began to take shape, transforming into a blade-like form.
“Hmm… My control is still lacking.”
Aura Blade. Even after becoming a master, she still finds it insufficient.
What’s more, she didn’t even use a sword; she drew it out with her bare hand.