Chapter 81
"But isn't that place determined to be a land of death?"
The land of death.
It means a land where humans can't live.
More than being desolated by war, it was largely ignored by people.
The war with the legion commander lasted for a whole year.
Tens of millions died, and most of their bodies were not recovered.
Bodies torn and burst were mixed up everywhere, making recovery impossible.
The war ended in humanity's victory, but nobody attempted to rebuild Kalos.
'Who would want to live in a place buried with tens of millions?'
Thus, people were gradually erasing the painful memory, the Kalos where they buried their families.
And yet, Kalos was mentioned by me.
"Keke, money can overcome even death. But you know that better than I do."
Now an uninhabited ruin, Kalos was once the capital of the Rohan Empire, called the land of gold.
True to its reputation, it was said to have many statues and ornaments made of gold.
It was no surprise that black marketeers roamed such a place.
If lucky, one could even pick up a few weapons.
"Could they have seen it wrong? Mistook black marketeers or grave robbers for walking corpses?"
"Or it could be a false rumor spread to monopolize the treasure. However, a black marketeer I've had a few dealings with told me. I have no reason to go to Kalos, nor for him to lie to me."
Caron fell into thought for a moment.
His conclusion was.
"Walking corpses... It's likely a prank using special chemicals and artifacts."
Caron was known for his exceptional deductive skills, but even he hadn't anticipated this.
Beings that defy death, the undead.
Certainly, it was an event that defied common sense.
'If Caron thinks this way... it's obvious what others would think.'
It's no wonder the continent is on the path to ruin.
Erosion, chimeras, undead, and someone assassinating key figures.
The Four Heavenly Kings were steadily weakening humanity's strength.
'I've achieved half the success with the chimera. I must achieve at least that much with the undead.'
The undead led by the Maestro of the Battlefield were a major headache, among other things.
The more they fought, the larger their forces grew.
A legion, in the true sense of the word.
If the number of the undead legion exceeds a certain figure, nobody could stop them.
There were not one or two instances where a well-going game ended in a bad ending.
'Originally, it would only have been possible to reduce Volkan's power during the winter break...'
If Caron becomes aware of Volkan and the existence of the undead?
He might be able to reduce his power faster.
Since the empire would take direct action.
I faced Caron with a gravely serious expression.
"If, just if..."
I swallowed hard, as if the mere thought was frightening.
"There exists someone who can raise the dead?"
"Raising the dead? That's nonsense!"
Caron exclaimed.
He wasn't annoyed. It was a perfectly natural reaction for someone unaware of the undead.
'I'm not giving up.'
Convincing Caron. And alerting the continent to the existence of a necromancer.
Achieving just that would be considered half the success.
"Then do chimeras make sense to you?"
"...That's a completely different matter. Humans and demons exist. It's entirely possible to conceive the mad idea of mixing the two. But walking corpses. That's impossible."
"Keke, black magicians could very well do such a thing, don't you think? Wasn't it the case this time?"
Caron pressed his forehead with his hand.
The human and demon tower discovered in the Creator of Madness's laboratory.
Those who commit such acts without any remorse.
Raising corpses as a prank? It's not entirely out of the question.
He must be thinking along those lines.
"Sigh... Alright, let's say you're right. But at best, they're just skeletons. There's no reason to be afraid. What power could those without muscles possibly have?"
Forty years have passed since the war with the legion commander.
The flesh attached to the corpses would have returned to nature by now, leaving only skeletons behind, as Caron speculated correctly.
However.
'They move by magic, so muscles are irrelevant.'
Moreover, when a person who has trained in mana for a long time is turned into an undead, they become a much more powerful being than ordinary undead.
Death Knights are one example of this.
"No matter how much you raise them, they're just one-hit wonders. What they're aiming for is... the fear that comes from seeing skeletons move? At most, that's all it would be."
No. The most terrifying aspect of the undead isn't that corpses come back to life.
They do not feel pain.
Someone who was an ally just moments ago turns their blade on their comrades.
Kill one, and two stand up; then you find yourself as the third one rushing at your allies.
The more you fight, the more desperate the battlefield becomes. That's what's terrifying.
Yes. The most terrifying thing about the undead is.
'The numerical onslaught from hell.'
Human wave tactics... no, undead wave tactics.
That was exactly what made the undead legion and necromancers so fearsome.
"Keke, wouldn't it be alright to investigate? I don't have any other information anyway."
Caron fell deep into thought.
It wouldn't matter if he said no. I'd keep nagging and annoying him.
About a minute passed. Caron spoke softly.
"...It's too far to go personally. I'll dispatch a rat."
I was slightly surprised.
I knew it would work, but I didn't expect it to work right away.
I was prepared to nag at least five or six more times. 'My trustworthiness must be higher than I anticipated?'
That was good news.
It meant we could continue to have a good relationship.
"Well, it'll probably just be a waste of time. I don't need to bring the next payment. With such poor information..."
Hmm, I need to revise what I said earlier.
Not a good relationship, but a good transaction to continue.
A business relationship is perfect with someone who grumbles even when helped.
'What can I do? The nice and cool me has to tolerate it.'
Contrary to me, Caron is bad and incompetent.
I decided to give him a small gift for that.
"Keke, also tell them not to go too deep."
"What do you mean?"
"What if the creation condition for walking corpses is based on corpses or bones?"
Caron's brow twitched slightly.
He seemed not to understand what I meant at all.
"What happened in Kalos about 40 years ago?"
"The war between the fifth legion commander of the demon realm, Crowley, and the human alliance."
"Back then, 10% of humanity buried their bones there. What if the walking corpses are based on bones as a medium?"
"Wait! You don't mean...!"
Unfortunately, that's exactly what I mean.
"Imagine if all of them are being turned into walking corpses."
Caron's face turned to horror.
Even more so than when he guessed the reason for the chimera research.
"Keke, even if only 1% of them wander around, no one would be able to escape. Even if they are rats trained by Mr. Caron himself..."
There's no answer to overwhelming numbers.
That's why they must retreat immediately upon confirming the existence of the undead.
"...You'd do well not to underestimate my rats. Some of them are even worse than me."
His words were brusque, but I understood.
Search as cautiously as possible.
Retreat immediately upon confirming the target's existence.
He would give such instructions.
"Keke, is that so? Then I won't worry."
"Tsk! Insolent brat!"
How can one not be insolent?
Having too much talent is also a problem.
My head throbs-.
'I should probably stop soon.'
It could have been a comfortable conversation to end.
But I ended up thinking too hard because of Caron's anger at the rumors.
At this rate, my honey-like skin might get damaged.
Having achieved the goal of revealing the existence of the Four Heavenly Kings, it was time to withdraw.
"...Are you still going to keep the deal you made with Renia a secret?"
Caron suddenly changed the topic.
Well, it's not strange.
'The descent of a legion commander is no easy matter.'
It requires the lives of at least a million people or a sacrifice of equivalent value.
Even if there are beings capable of communicating with a legion commander, it wouldn't be an easy task.
He must have judged that there was enough time, and that's why he changed the subject.
"Keke, if you speak first, I might consider it."
"Impudent brat. Have you no respect for your teacher?"
"Were you my teacher? Oh, my, I thought you had stopped teaching since you haven't been coming to class lately."
I bowed slightly, showing respect.
Caron's expression soured.
I don't understand why he's like this. Whether I treat him like a teacher or not, it's a problem either way.
Such a finicky business partner, isn't it?
"Keke, isn't it natural to keep it a secret? Since we can't fully trust each other yet."
"...Keeping you alive itself shows trust. You should know that, right?"
"Is that so? I thought it was because you liked me."
Crackle- crackle-.
Veins popped out on Caron's face again.
It's kind of scary.
So, what can you do about it?
What can you do to me, who has Renia and Luna as shields!
As I stared blankly at Caron, he let out a deep sigh.
"...Insolent brat. Just make sure you deliver the artifact properly."
He's talking about the 'Spirit's Breath.'
An end-game artifact that prevents death once per battle.
The thought of giving it to Luna. No matter how I think about it, it feels like a waste.
"Keke, I'll also convey that it's a gift from Mr. Caron."
"...You're not that foolish. Stop being spiteful for no reason."
"It's not spite, but a legitimate complaint. The reward for the information goes to Miss Luna, not me. Do you think that's fair?"
Information about one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Creator of Madness, and the existence of chimeras.
It's top-tier information that could change the future of the continent.
And the reward for this information is going to Luna, who's probably scratching her belly in the dorm.
I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied.
"...I don't know what deal you made with Renia, but it seems clear you need to take care of it. Isn't that a good thing, then?"
"Not at all. On the contrary, isn't it Mr. Caron using me to protect Miss Luna?"
"Not at all."
Such a shameless guy.
To give such an artifact and say 'not at all' with confidence.
He wouldn't have any excuses if he were mistaken for a lolicon.
"Are you really going to do this?"
"I'm just returning the favor. Keke."
Caron let out a laugh, imitating my laughter.
This won't do. I have to use my secret weapon.
Puff-.
I filled my cheeks with air and puffed them up.
A cute expression full of dissatisfaction.
Wouldn't this be a fatal attack for lolicon Caron?
Was the cuteness too lethal?
Caron scrunched up his face.
"...Alright, stop making that ridiculous face. Where the hell did you learn to make such an expression?"
From your beloved Luna, of course.
Caron rummaged through his pocket and threw something at me.
It was a pocket watch small enough to fit in one hand.
[Silver Flash : A]
Attack Power: 1
Cooldown: 5 turns
Concentrates mana into a beam of light and shoots it.
The target hit by the light is stunned for 0.1 seconds.
A high-quality artifact modified to consume almost no mana.
In exchange for reduced mana consumption and quick casting effects, it sacrificed attack power.
It has been transformed into the shape of a pocket watch by someone's hand.
--TL Notes--
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