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Chapter 4
The honor of serving my ancestor as a Confucian citizen… My heart had swelled with the pure thought of performing filial duty according to the Three Bonds and Five Relationships, without any notion of free undead servants or unpaid slaves. But that excitement was short-lived.
I ran into a dilemma.
How exactly was I supposed to make a contract?
[Hey, why aren’t you answering? Huh? I said we’re going to make a contract!]
It was around that time Wilhelm came to see me.
“Are you awake?”
“…Yes.”
Something felt awkward.
How should I put it?
It was like being sober after dancing wildly to a drunken tune of “my brother’s kid!” and suddenly facing reality.
But Wilhelm seemed perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened.
“So… what brings you here?”
“I had to go on a short urgent trip for a few days.”
“A trip?”
“Yes. It’s regarding the intruder from yesterday. It shouldn’t take long… at most a month. I have something to give you before that.”
He seemed to have discovered who was behind the intruder.
I was curious about that, but Wilhelm didn’t seem willing to say.
A gift, though?
Puzzled, I watched as Wilhelm pulled something from his coat and handed it to me.
“This is…”
“A book on necromancy. I originally intended to give it to you yesterday, but the situation was urgent, so I couldn’t.”
“So the trip you went on was…”
“Nothing important.”
It turned out he had gone to get this book during the time he had encountered the intruder.
I gratefully accepted the book.
Then I flinched.
“Um… sir?”
“Speak.”
“What happened to the owner of the book?”
“He’s dead.”
“….”
I asked because, well, the books had blood on them.
‘Did he die, or did you kill him?’
I’d bet on the latter.
I recalled Wilhelm from that dawn, returning drenched in blood.
“Anyway… I’ll use it gratefully.”
“Good. Also, I’ve told Lord Balt to make sure you don’t neglect physical training. With your bloodline talent, proper training could let you rival non-bloodline knights.”
“Yes, thank you for the advice.”
“Then I leave Palaon in your care while I’m away.”
With that, Wilhelm briskly walked off.
I watched his retreating figure for a moment.
‘Better not get cocky.’
From how he acted yesterday and today, I could tell he was sincere—but one never knows.
Anyway…
‘A book on necromancy…?’
[Hey, when are you going to make the contract?]
‘Just a moment. I’m figuring out how.’
[Huh?]
I immediately locked myself in my room and examined the book.
There were three volumes in total, titled On Death, divided into upper, middle, and lower volumes.
I opened the upper volume.
“This book is for beginners entering the path of death.
If you have not yet reached the stage of Taphu, there is knowledge here for you.
Please savor it and use it as a stepping stone to reach Taphu.― From the followers of ■■■ ■■, in honor of the great one, □□□.”
The preface was unremarkable, except that some parts, presumably names, were painted over.
[Quickly find the part about contracts.]
‘Yes.’
Pressured by my ancestor, I quickly flipped through the pages.
Let’s see… first, what is necromancy.
‘Contract… contract… is there a part about contracts?’
I scanned the text for the words I needed.
After a while, I found the section about contracts.
[Ah, here it is.]
“Wait, let me read this carefully.”
I read the relevant section thoroughly.
Honestly, I was a little worried.
No matter how talented I was, could I really perform magic after reading a book just once?
But thankfully…
“Hmm, the method isn’t that special.”
[Is that so?]
“Yes.”
It felt less like magic and more like a ritual.
Perhaps it was because this was a “primitive” method, as the book described.
Anyway, according to the book, what was needed was:
First, the food the spirit enjoyed in life.
“Do you know what kind of food they liked?”
[Food… I want alcohol. I enjoyed fruit wine made from wild grapes.]
Alright, so fruit wine.
I wrote down the items and called my dedicated servant, John.
“Yes, young master. Did you call me?”
“Can you get what’s written here?”
“May I check it first?”
“Sure.”
John calmly read through the list.
After a moment, he spoke:
“These are all easy to get. By when should I bring them?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Yes, I’ll return quickly.”
Reliable John came back about an hour later.
“Here, young master.”
“Thanks.”
“Is there anything else you need me to do?”
“No, it’s fine. Go rest early today.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, you’ve been busy with bloodline training lately. Oh, and tell the kitchen I sent you; maybe grab some snacks for yourself.”
“Yes, young master. Thank you. My sibling will love this.”
Looking back, John was the only friend I had in this estate.
Not that we were that close, but at least I thought of him that way.
With all the ingredients ready, it was time for the contract.
[This will be close.]
‘I’ll do it quickly.’
I reopened On Death.
The room was dark, with shadows blocking the light.
In the center of the room, a circular symbol was drawn.
It was made with ink mixed from sulfur, pigment, and salt.
And inside the circle, Ktoon sat upright, eyes closed.
The beginning of the contract was simple:
“I, Ktoon, heir of Palaon, second son of Sahad and firstborn of Viola, am here. Those present, answer my call.”
By defining himself with his family and parents, he called forth the spirit.
This was to make the existence of the “ritual target” clear.
Next came the spirit’s turn.
[Like this… alright, I will respond.]
“Who are you?”
[I am Ark, the beginning of Palaon, unaware of my parents’ names, sword of the Heoron Kingdom, dragon slayer of Sirunus.]
“Ark Palaon, hero of Heoron, dragon-slaying knight. There is no falsehood in this description?”
[None.]
“Swear to your original soul.”
The “original soul” referred to the spirit’s true essence, which ascends to heaven after death, leaving a remnant behind.
Ark, being a remnant, was not fully “himself,” yet he could not lie.
Ark answered without hesitation:
[I swear, it is true.]
“Good. Your truth is confirmed.”
At that moment, the primitive magic circle began to change.
Ts, tszz…
The circle glowed faintly.
Sensing this, Ktoon proceeded with the final step:
“Hero, I ask that you serve as my spirit. Speak your wish if you accept.”
[My power will serve Palaon.]
“Accepted.”
The light from the magic circle intensified.
The final step remained:
“Accept my offering as a token of our contract.”
The offering was food.
Prepared was Ark’s favorite fruit wine.
Ark, as a spirit, hesitated how to “drink” it.
Then…
Ts, tszz…
The wine glowed brightly.
Compelled, Ark reached out.
[Wow, amazing.]
Sensations he shouldn’t feel were perceived—the sweet, tart aroma of grapes, the scent of alcohol brushing his nose.
After savoring it, Ark opened his eyes.
[It’s done… hmm.]
Ktoon had fallen asleep.
[Exhausted, perhaps.]
Understandable. Making a contract with a spirit like himself was not easy.
Many necromancers wouldn’t even attempt it.
‘He might have failed the contract.’
Yet Ktoon succeeded—a truly remarkable talent.
In terms of necromancy, he surpassed Enoxcia, once considered the greatest mage of our era.
Then…
Ts, tszz…
A purple aura enveloped Ktoon.
It was the Blessing of Death.
But manifesting it like this? Ark had never seen it before.
[Spirit King…]
The first to awaken the Blessing of Death, who became immortal.
Historical records say the monster grew surrounded by this blessing.
Could this child rival the Spirit King?
‘…No, that’s impossible.’
Ark shook his head, doubting it.
Yet one thing was clear:
[This one might…]
…bring a second glory to Palaon and to himself.
Not long after, Ktoon awoke.
[Are you awake?]
“Did the contract go well?”
[Yes, it went smoothly.]
“Phew.”
Ktoon exhaled, relieved.
[Are you physically okay?]
“My body? Uh… yes, I feel fine.”
[Good. But be careful next time. Contracts like this are dangerous. Today it was me, but with another spirit… who knows?]
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
The first contract was successfully completed.
Ktoon observed his transformation.
‘The book said I’d feel something… and I do.’
He could sense a connection to Ark, his ancestor, even while remaining still.
It wasn’t the only change.
“I feel like I have rooms inside me now.”
[Rooms?]
“Yes.”
Visualized, it looked like this:
■□□□□
Five rooms, one fully occupied.
‘Does this mean I can only control five spirits? Or is it the total number of undead I can command?’
[Not the undead. A necromancer who has awakened the Blessing of Death can’t only control five undead.]
Then it must be the number of spirits.
I still had much to learn about necromancy, so certainty was elusive.
Anyway, the change was noted.
The next task remained.
“Time to make a body.”
[A body?]
“Yes, I can’t do anything in spirit form alone.”
[Are you sure? You just got up after collapsing. Don’t overdo it. Also, you don’t know how to make a contract—how will you make a body?]
Ark worried, but Ktoon shook his head.
“It feels like now or never.”
[Now or never?]
“Yeah.”
After waking, his mind tingled, as if something was about to come to him.
A kind of inspiration was welling up.
“Just a moment.”
Ktoon closed his eyes and focused inward, interpreting abstract images into reality.
After some time…
“…”
He half-opened his eyes and reached out.
The mana rooted in his heart accepted his will.
Then…
Ts, tszz—!
White particles of a skeleton rose into the air.
This was to resurrect the dragon-slaying Ark and, in another sense, to recreate a legend.
The form was completed.
[Wow, already making a non-conduit undead. Amazing talent. So that’s my body now?]
Ark admired the skeleton that would become his body.
Then…
Clatter?
The skeleton tilted its head.
“…?”
[Hmm?]
Ktoon tilted his head. Ark tilted his head.
The skeleton, watching them, tilted its head as well.
Then it spoke:
Clatter?
…The skeleton had consciousness.
