Chapter 559: Necromancy

The magical devilish being Giluel’s body was certainly lifeless. She could no longer move her flesh. She was definitely dead even for a magical devilish being.

But her soul was a different matter. It was likely that she was alive through her soul.

「It was my mistake. Necromancy seems to be her specialty. 」

Richard spoke calmly. He seemed resigned to the consequences despite having his own life threatened.

One could see the background of this old-looking hero, who had endured countless years of escaping death, not just a year or two.

Valerie’s eyes wavered in a daze.

「…Is it the poison from the dead? 」

「No, it’s something worse. She’s got her fingers on my soul. It seems she’s determined to take my soul no matter what. My body will follow suit if things continue like this. So I’ll die before that happens. I have no intention of becoming the immortal she desires…Hey, Neymar! 」

Veteran necromancers could freely control people’s bodies and souls. Essentially, they controlled the dead, but Giluel was different.

She invaded and controlled the souls and bodies of living humans. Richard knew that the magic cast on him was of that nature.

If he didn’t take action, his body would become immortal, and his soul would be bound by Giluel’s threads.

「… 」

「…Hey, Neymar. 」

The aide, who was certainly there, remained silent, refusing to come out of the forest. She was still trying to hide.

「Don’t be stupid! Come out! 」

「His Excellency told me to go home! So I shouldn’t be here! 」

Neymar had made a fool of herself. Richard opened his mouth, stunned. A few seconds later, he realized.

She was simply trying to obey orders.

She had been ordered to go home. When she tried to resist, Richard had forced her to sleep, knocking her out. So she was afraid that if she resisted, the same thing would happen again.

「…I understand, that’s an order, Neymar. Come here. 」

「…Yes, Your Excellency. 」

Neymar, seemingly waiting for more words, stretched her legs out of the forest. She had likely thought that her hunter-like clothing, rather than that of a soldier, would make it easier to hide in the forest.

Richard was speaking seriously, and this situation didn’t feel right. In fact, Neymar couldn’t hear much of the earlier conversation that Richard had with Valerie.

Richard pointed at Neymar solemnly.

「There’s no turning back now, Neymar. We don’t have enough hands. You need to head to the Olyn Plains. I need you to deliver a message to Lugis. Fort Medraut has fallen. Tell him I’m going to die. 」

Neymar’s face creaked as she tried to reply.

An extraordinary tension instantly filled her whole body. But there was no time to wait for her to calm down.

Neymar couldn’t do her best anymore. So she had to do what she could do.

「Valerie, this is a military negotiation. I will die here and now. I will give you Fort Medraut intact. In return, you must let my men live. If you have even a shred of honor left, you will not interfere with my party’s goal any further, which is to kill Zebrililith. Do you think that’s a convenient offer? 」

Valerie straightened up, put on a warrior’s eyes, and said…

「…Do you think I’ll accept that? 」

「I know you will. You hate immortals. That’s why you hate the Old Church. It was the Old Church that first created immortals. They created them and spilled them into the world. For you, they’re evil. You would rather kill someone you know than have them become immortal. That’s why you’re going to kill me. On the other hand, I want you to avoid killing my soldiers needlessly. That’s why you’ll accept it since you’ll get Fort Medraut intact. 」

A tremendous storm of emotions was rising within Valerie.

What Richard said made sense, and considering her past, she was convinced that this was the way it should be. She should do it now.

But her thoughts suddenly came to a halt when it came killing him.

Kill him? Or let him become immortal? She wondered why she had to make such a decision.

Immortals. A nightmare born from the Heraldic Church’s quest for knowledge.

Necromancy was merely a branch of magic that had existed since the past, but it was ultimately merely a technique for controlling parts of deceased souls and spirits. It merely involved listening to the words of the dead and did not harm live beings like other forms of magic.

It was the magicians who had belonged to the Heraldic Church in the past who overturned this. They were like demons, and they were capable of exploring new possibilities.

And so she began to think.

Soul and body were one. An inseparable unity. But necromancy only controlled one side of that. If soul and body were truly inseparable, then just as it was possible to control dead souls, surely it would also be possible to control living bodies?

In conclusion, if the attempt was successful…the dead would be resurrected.

This new necromancy spread beyond the boundaries of the Heraldic Church, and many learned it. Necromancy became so widespread that it was considered a master art.

The armies of undead born from this were even able to overwhelm demonic forces. Mankind had a new means of fighting back against demonic forces. Or so it seemed.

However, those undead had a major flaw.

When their casters died, they didn’t disappear…In fact, they became free.

Furthermore, for some unknown reason, they always desired war. They desired to fight, to kill each other without even dying.

After two great wars, many of the undead were defeated. Necromancy then went into a steady decline.

People’s aversion and fear for necromancy precluded its existence. It had largely been abolished, with only a select few remaining, passed down through the generations.

「Wa…Wait a second. What’s going on!? What is this conversation!? I don’t know anything, I’ve never heard anything!! Your Excellency!? 」

「Hey. 」

Neymar couldn’t keep up with their conversation, so she began to scream. Richard tried to stop her screaming voice with just one word.

But Neymar raised her voice again and pressed on, but Richard remained far too quiet.

「Don’t waver if you intend to survive on the battlefield. You can, but don’t show it to others. Everything changes in an instant on the battlefield. A commander must make up their minds on the spot. The idea that it takes time to make up their minds is just a cowardly tradition. People can make up their minds in an instant and make decisions in the blink of an eye. 」

「…! So you’re telling me to leave and let you to die!? 」

「That’s right. 」

Richard nodded flatly. It wasn’t resignation; to put it bluntly, it was resolve, a very powerful will. Richard continued, choosing his words like a teacher warning a student.

「Not all lives are equal, Neymar. You must always distinguish between those who should be killed and those who are better left alive. Don’t get caught up in trivial matters; focus on the big picture. 」

This was just one way of thinking about military decision-making, but what was terrifying about this old-looking general was that he even incorporated himself into that framework.

“Keel me alive because it’s more efficient. Or kill me because it’s more advantageous.”

Was his true identity a hero, or a monster who valued ​​rationality? No one could tell anymore.

「Valerie. You too. It’s easy to kill me, isn’t it? One slash with your magical armor and it’ll be over. Or are you unable to decide? 」

「… 」

All that came out in response to the question was silence.

Valerie’s eyes widened bravely, but she still couldn’t come up with any decisive words. Her thoughts became opaque. Her breathing became heavy.

It was strange. She had come here to wage war. Naturally, killing Richard was one option.

And yet, being told to kill him face to face caused all thoughts to cease.

「Three days. 」

Richard muttered softly. Valerie’s face shot up.

「I’ve stated my demands. You’ll have three days to decide. Make a decision by then and accept my demands before it’s too late. 」

—

Richard returned to Fort Medraut and finally settled down. His body creaked slightly, and his breath became heavy. He felt a fondness for his former body, the one he’d experienced in the spiritual world.

「Visia, Neymar appeared and I lent her your horse. She will deliver a message to the party in the Olyn Plains. 」

The elderly lieutenant who greeted the old-looking general said with a smile, with his wrinkles deepening.

「So she returned, huh. Perhaps, it will be better to push her away with a more aggressive approach. 」

「Ah, that’s fine. I was just scaring her a little. 」

Neymar spat at Richard that she wouldn’t forgive him if he was dead by the time she returned. Then, she ran off across the snowy plains.

But everything would be over by the time she returned. There was no need to think of an excuse.

「So, how did the secret meeting between the two generals go? 」

「It went well. 」

Yes. It went well.

He was able to buy time by giving Valerie some time off to think.

Valerie was quick to make decisions, but once she was overcome with anguish, she’d sink into a dilemma. It had always been that way.

So he set a three-day deadline, since she would definitely agonize for two days. That way, he would earn the date he’d promised Lugis.

All he’d offered was his own life. What a cheap price to pay he thought while releasing a small smile.

Richard was relieved that his plans had worked out in his favor for the time being.

All his objectives had been to buy time from the beginning. He had never expected Valerie to really lend him her help in defeating Zebrililith.

Even if she promised to help, it would be too late to mobilize his troops now. It would take two full days to move his troops to the Olyn Plains.

So, all he could do was confuse Valerie and make her worry.

It would’ve been bad if Valerie had made the swift decision to kill him. Richard was confident that this wouldn’t happen in an 80% possibility.

「We’ve bought ourselves some time. But there’s still a chance that Lugis won’t arrive in time. Just be prepared for that. 」

「We’re fully prepared now. We’re all experienced. 」

「Ahah. That’s the kind of mistake only old soldiers make. 」

Richard lightly bit his lips as he responded to Visia’s joke with a nonchalant laugh.

He had now fulfilled his duty as a hero.

The problem was the presence of necromancy magic clinging to his soul. This was no lie. It wasn’t something that could be completely hidden.

Without a doubt, Richard had begun his path to immortality. This was his first experience with an unorthodox technique that captured the body and soul of a living person and turned them into immortals.

As Richard’s frown deepened, wondering what to do, Visia took a step forward.

「Sir, we’ve been given a good place to die. I thought all that was left for us to do was grow old, but I don’t want to die in a peaceful bed. 」

Visia spoke as he handed him the drink, savoring the words deeply. Richard glanced back, and the old lieutenant’s face, dignified and tense, no longer resembled that of an old man.

「For us old people, what we desire more than life itself isn’t money or possessions. It’s honor alone. Only fame can comfort our creaking bodies. 」

Visia spoke with a wry smile, as if speaking to an old friend. The years that had passed were evident in every tone of voice, expression, and eye color. His laughter sounded more like a passing air than a voice.

「…That’s just like you. I see, you’re right. We’re nearing our deaths. This must be the end. 」

Richard nodded. He had just relived the peak of his heroic days. And he realized just how debilitated his body was at present.

That’s right. Death had always been close at hand. Just a few steps closer meant there was no need to be afraid.

His cheeks lifted. A smile formed on his lips, unable to hide his cunning smile.

「This is the best battle. Hey, let anyone who wants to go home leave first. We mustn’t forget that wars are always desperate at the end, be it for those who want to flee or for those who want to feel ecstatic. 」

「Yeah. I will do so. 」

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