The Entrance of the Necromancer School
At the entrance, it looked as if a dozen people were about to be devoured by spiders, caught in webs and hanging like cocoons.
It seemed these were the missing individuals from the territory.
On the ground lay a corpse, the very dried-up body discovered at the scene.
It was clear that the disappearance incident was indeed the work of Erzevet.
"People! It's people!" At that moment, one of the villagers spotted Simon.
"P-please save us! Cut us loose!!" "The spider monsters are going to eat us!" A clamor erupted.
Simon nodded calmly and took out his sword from the spatial pocket, cutting through the webs.
"Pier, help us too." [Hmph, useless things.] As Pier clicked his tongue and swung his great sword, five people hanging in the webs fell to the ground with a thud.
The sound of their bodies hitting the ground echoed, and cries of pain could be heard from all around.
Simon forced a smile and said, "Pier, be gentle."
[I don't want to waste my time on such pitiful beings!] Nevertheless, Pier swung his great sword once more, dropping more people to the ground.
Simon cut the web binding one person with his short sword and handed him a sword.
"Please use this to free the others. We will go catch those spider monsters."
"Th-thank you!" "We will never forget this kindness!" While they helped each other out of the webs, Simon and Pier moved back into the ruins.
[Boy! As a necromancer, aren't you being too merciful to prisoners?] Simon tilted his head and asked, "Then what should a necromancer do?" [Of course, you should kill them all! Then raise them as skeletons and use them with all your might!] "In Kizen, killing people to create undead is forbidden, you know."
[But this is the scene, and there are no witnesses! What does it matter? You’re not the type to be bound by such concepts, are you?] Simon scratched his head and smiled wryly.
"Actually, my father always told me something that stuck with me."
[What is it?] "He said not to become a monster."
At those words, Pier flinched and fell silent.
"And to avoid becoming a monster, it’s very important to set a moral line."
Pier’s lips curled up menacingly. [That's advice only Richard could give.] "What?" [Kuhuhuh! It’s nothing! If that’s your will, then as the commander of the legion, I will respect it!] The two passed through the corridor and entered a spacious area of the castle.
The windows were shattered, letting moonlight pour in, and the place was filled with dust and spider webs.
And then...
"......"
In the distance, they saw Erzevet sitting in a large chair, sipping tea. [Kuhuh! Have you given up on fleeing?] Pier raised his sword.
She took a light sip of tea and smiled sweetly.
[That’s not possible, Pier.
Since you’ve sensed my darkness, no matter where I run, you would chase me to the ends of the continent, wouldn’t you?] [You know well!] [So I thought I should deal with you here.] She snapped her fingers.
Spiders poured in from the ceiling and broken windows.
Simon and Pier quickly stood back to back.
[And since you freed my toys, I thought I might need some new toys.] She licked her lips and looked at Simon. [I think it would be delightful to toy with that boy from Kizen, whom you cherish, right in front of you.
Don’t you think?] Pier frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but Simon stretched out his arm to stop him.
"It’s okay, Pier." [Boy!] "I’m the commander now. From this moment on, I will speak directly."
Simon stepped forward.
The spiders made clicking sounds, ready to pounce, but Simon ignored them and said, "I am the commander of the legion, Erzevet."
[......?] She looked at Simon with curious eyes.
"I formally invite you to join my legion." [Ha.] She chuckled lightly. [Didn’t you hear the conversation I had with Pier earlier? I have no intention of rejoining a legion that has already abandoned me.
Moreover...] She pointed her finger at Simon. [To join under someone like you, a necromancer chosen from Pier’s past memories, with no roots? I dislike such lowly jokes.]
Kuh! Hahaha! Suddenly, Pier's loud laughter erupted from behind.
Erzevet's expression twisted in anger. [What’s so funny, Pier?] [Hehehehe! You think I chose that boy just because he resembles Richard? How absurd! You know nothing about him!] A question mark appeared on her face.
"Now, there’s no need to hide it."
Simon placed his hand on his chest and continued.
"I am the son born of Richard Polentia and Anna Polentia. Simon Polentia." [......!!] Her expression twisted into one of indescribable seriousness. [The child of Richard and Anna...!] The child of the enemy who abandoned her, and the woman she hated more than anyone else in this world.
The child born from their union.
"I say again, Erzevet."
Simon spoke in a cold tone, as if pouring water into boiling oil.
"You were my father’s." [......
Stop.] "So as his son and the commander, it is only right for me to take you in." [Noooooo!]
Somewhere deep in her heart, buried and long forgotten, an emotion that had festered and rotted burst forth, taking over her mind. [Aaaaaaaah!] Erzevet writhed in pain.
Her nails scratched and tore at her neck and shoulders, blood flowing from her wounds.
Her body expanded with a loud pop, and six massive legs erupted from her thighs and sides, hitting the ground.
The mask covering her face disappeared, revealing a woman with monstrous eyes.
The upper half was human, while the lower half was that of a spider.
This was Erzevet’s true form as an undead. [Die! Dieeeeeee!]
Erzevet, losing her sanity in a frenzy, lunged straight at Simon.
If she didn’t erase this horrific trace immediately, she felt she would truly go mad.
Her darkened claws elongated, aiming for Simon’s neck.
And Simon stood there with a blank expression.
[Well done! Boy!]
In that instant, Pier’s back and cloak obscured Simon’s view.
A loud, clear sound of slicing echoed from beyond the cloak.
As the cloak fell, Pier, wielding his great sword, was seen while Erzevet, with four of her legs severed, fell to the ground.
'Chance!' This time, Simon moved.
He grasped a spear that had sprung from the spatial pocket. 'Blackened enhancement.' The tip of the spear turned black as night.
Pier grinned and stepped aside, and Simon dashed forward like lightning, thrusting the spear.
Puuuk! The spearhead pierced Erzevet’s body.
But it didn’t completely go through.
Erzevet held onto the spearhead with her right arm, resisting.
Simon stomped on Erzevet’s face, pushing down on the spear.
"This is your last chance."
Simon said in a chilling voice.
"Will you join the legion, or will you be obliterated here and now?" [Hmph!] She extended her remaining legs like daggers.
Pier quickly jumped in front of Simon.
Swoosh! [Kuh!] The plate armor Pier wore was torn like paper from the force.
Simon gritted his teeth and pushed down on the spearhead.
A human and two undead were entangled in a fierce struggle, while the corpse spiders approached to rescue their master.
And right above them, a white light began to rise.
Pier saw it and shouted, [Damn it! Get out of the way!]
The light expanded at a tremendous speed and descended to the ground.
The dazzling light scattered, tearing apart everything around it.
Kuguuguuguugu! [Tsk!]
Pier, having retreated from the explosion's radius, knelt down and lowered Simon.
The spiders caught in the explosion vanished without a trace.
Erzevet, despite having one leg severed, somehow managed to avoid it, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.
"What a pity~ it was perfect timing!" Everyone’s gaze turned.
Beyond the collapsed wall, a girl holding a staff appeared. [A priest, of all things!] Erzevet reached out her hand violently.
The spiders on the ceiling rushed towards her.
"Well, what can you do~" She lightly waved her staff, and spears of light flew, piercing the bodies of the spiders.
The spiders writhed in pain, screaming.
'She’s strong.' Simon’s expression hardened.
"I will annihilate all the ancient evil spirits and the grotesque swarm of spiders right here!" She took out a gem-like object from her bosom, threw it above her head, and struck it with her staff at the right moment.
The gem shattered, and a massive divine light erupted.
"Goodbye!"
The expanding white light transformed into countless spears of light, scattering in all directions.
Simon and Pier quickly hid behind a pillar to avoid it.
The heavy spears of light fell indiscriminately to the ground, and the corpse spiders bled and died.
'......
This is tough.' Simon bit his lip.
He needed to capture Erzevet alive.
It was already difficult to deal with her alone, and the spiders kept coming, not to mention the priest’s students. [Boy! In this situation, we need to take out the priest first!] "Can we win?"
[Hmph, the divine is just a nuisance; that much is enough with a single strike!] Simon nodded.
With Erzevet’s mobility restricted by her severed legs, she was practically captured.
Pier moved stealthily around the pillar.
"Oh my!" At that moment, the priest twirled her staff and smiled.
Her gaze was directed at Erzevet.
"It seems your leg is injured!"
It appeared that due to her injured leg, Erzevet couldn’t evade, as spears of light were embedded all over her body.
As the priest extended her staff, a pure white magic circle unfolded, and a spear made of divine energy appeared within it.
"Mission accomplished!"
Whooooooosh! The divine spear flew at terrifying speed.
While Erzevet stared blankly at it, Puuuk! [Ah...?]
Something that shouldn’t have happened occurred.
Simon stepped in front of her, arms outstretched.
Erzevet’s pupils shook wildly.
"Kuh...!"
The divine spear pierced Simon’s back, protruding from his chest.
There was no physical damage, but for a necromancer or a natural undead with a core, divine energy was more lethal than poison.
[W-why are you...?] Erzevet’s face was still in shock.
Simon fell to his knees.
With excruciating pain, his vision spun.
Gradually, his sight darkened, and Simon collapsed to the ground.
Tap tap.
To the sound of a crackling fire, Simon slowly opened his eyes. '......?' The atmosphere felt oddly quiet, as if the earlier chaos had been a dream.
As he moved his head, a spider with multiple eyes appeared right in front of him.
Simon jumped up in surprise.
-Kiri.
Kiririri...!
But the spider did not attack.
Instead, it rubbed its face against Simon’s arm, looking up at him as if asking if he was okay. [Oh! Are you awake, boy?]
Pier, sitting with his great sword stuck in the ground, smiled.
Simon, dazed, got up and looked around.
They were still inside the ruins.
The terrifying spiders were now calmly scuttling around on the floor.
Pier didn’t seem to be attacking them either.
And then... '......
Erzevet.' She had returned to her human form and turned her head away as soon as she made eye contact with Simon.
He remembered her being quite injured, but thankfully she seemed to be fine.
"Cough! Cough!" A coughing sound came from above.
Looking up, the priest was hanging upside down from the ceiling, tightly bound in spider silk.
"Y-young master!" The smoke from the fire rising below made her tear up.
"Please save me! Ughhh! Cough! Cough!"
Simon let out a hollow laugh. ...
What on earth happened?