🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 15
A screaming skeleton.
And this is supposed to be my master?
“Ancestor, what do you think about this?”
[It… makes sense.]
“Eh?”
I scrunched up my face in disbelief, but Ren spoke.
“So, I heard that you don’t currently have a master. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And I heard from the baron that they’ve been looking around, but it seems necromancers are extremely scarce these days.”
“Well… that’s…”
I didn’t know. This was something I hadn’t heard before.
‘Father was looking for a necromancer master?’
Wilheim answered instead.
“That’s right. Strangely, it seems all necromancers in the area disappeared. Any idea why?”
“Well, there weren’t many in the south to begin with… but I guess it’s because of the western front of the kingdom?”
“The western front?”
“Yeah, don’t you know? Lately, the west has been in chaos because of monsters. You can get high-quality monster corpses there, so everyone tends to go that way.”
Ah, that makes sense.
He added that hunting monsters was a two-for-one deal: you get materials and participation rewards at the same time.
‘So after one big haul, you can relax and live for a year?’
Necromancers really are the best!
My pride swelled for a moment.
But my doubts weren’t fully resolved yet.
So… what does it mean that the skeleton bucket is my master?
…It was simple.
“This, believe it or not, is the corpse of a fairly high-level necromancer. You killed it with your older brother not too long ago… even if you summon it, some consciousness should remain.”
“Ah, so…”
“If you just summon it properly, it could actually become a pretty decent master.”
Oh! That’s a method?!
I guess this is why people need to learn things.
I felt like my horizons had expanded!
“So, what will you do? You can answer however you want. Even if it’s a necromancer, it’s natural to feel uneasy if you’ve just started.”
Huh? Why would I feel uneasy about this?
‘It’s a free master!’
No second thoughts were needed—it was an easy yes.
But I had to check something first.
“But… isn’t there a price?”
“Huh? A price?”
“Yes.”
In any world, nothing is truly free.
It’s a universal truth.
Meaning, while you can use the master for free, receiving something from it usually requires a cost.
But why…?
“Hmmm.”
Ren squinted thoughtfully instead of answering immediately.
Wilheim intervened at that moment.
“Don’t worry about the cost. It’ll be nothing.”
“Yeah, you don’t have to worry. Even if there’s a price, it’s not difficult for your brother, and this much can just be given as a favor.”
Hmm, really?
I wasn’t particularly concerned about Wilheim, but receiving something just like that felt a little off.
Then it happened.
“Well, fine. I’ll just give it to you as a gift.”
“Eh?”
“Since you were a little rude when we first met, and giving a little gift to a friend’s younger sibling isn’t too difficult.”
Really?
I looked at Ren, as if asking if he was serious, and he nodded.
“I’m serious. Although… it feels a bit humble for a gift, so… alright, I’ll give you this too.”
“This is…?”
Ren handed me a palm-sized crystal.
And the moment I saw it, I knew immediately.
“A soul stone?”
Yes, a soul stone.
A gem that crystallizes a soul through magical processing.
Of course, what remains inside is not the original soul, but residual consciousness.
But this…
[I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s a powerful soul.]
Yes, this was a very strong soul.
“As expected of a necromancer, you can tell immediately. How about it? With this, you could probably control a very capable undead, right?”
“Yes, that’s true… but…”
“Who is it?”
Before I could ask, Ren smiled and replied.
“My master.”
“Eh?”
“Just kidding.”
This… had better be a joke.
“Ah, just so you know, the necromancer in the box deserved to die, so don’t feel uneasy about it.”
“What kind of guy was he?”
“Curious?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember the last time he ate?”
“Why…?”
“Not exactly a story you want to hear on a full stomach.”
“Then I won’t listen.”
“Wise choice.”
Anyway, roughly speaking, he was a real jerk.
So much so that when the lab was raided, almost all the magical books found were inhumane, and the only useful one was On Death.
But…
“Why is it screaming like this? Is it a lich or something?”
“Oh, you know what a lich is? But he wasn’t strong enough to become one. That’s… because of the box.”
“The box?”
“Yes. If you put his head in it, it traps the soul. You could say it turns him into an undead.”
Ah. A truly curious object.
“I’ll give you the box as a gift too.”
“Eh, thank you, sir.”
Even though I just met him today, he is incredibly generous.
Though the soul stone was a little unsettling…
‘…It must be a joke. Yeah, it’s a joke.’
What kind of crazy person would give their master’s soul stone to a necromancer?
Even if the soul inside is not the original, but just remnants or traces, someone with a human mind couldn’t do that.
Anyway.
“So, what do we do now? Shall we set off? Wil, what do you think?”
“Leave immediately.”
“Shall we? Fine, wait a moment outside.”
Ren said that and disappeared somewhere inside the house again.
I put the gifts Ren gave me into my backpack and quietly waited.
After a while…
Bang! Crash―!
A tremendous roar of flames erupted from the cabin.
What…?
Shouldn’t I go rescue him? But Ren calmly walked out of the flames.
“Let’s go.”
What the…
Why did he burn down the house?
Noticing my gaze, Ren smiled.
“I grabbed everything I needed.”
That’s not the problem.
‘Indeed, they say wizards are often crazy.’
Ren seemed to be a prime example.
Somehow, his aura felt different from Wilheim’s.
After some time, it took us about as long as it did coming, we arrived at the inner castle of the domain.
“Ren, follow me.”
“Alright, we’ll see each other later anyway, since we’ll meet often.”
Hmm, what a horrifying statement.
After Ren went to meet his father, I returned to my room.
The silent ancestor finally spoke.
[So, what will you do?]
“Do what?”
[About the necromancer and the soul stone.]
“Hmm.”
I thought about it on the way.
“First, I’ll try to summon the necromancer once.”
[That won’t be easy.]
“There’s a stronger summoning procedure than the one used on you, ancestor. More forceful, more binding.”
The materials are a problem, but those can be gathered.
The real issue is the soul stone.
“What about the soul stone…?”
Honestly, even if I took it without comment, I would have wondered.
I couldn’t know whose soul it was made from.
And after hearing the ‘my master’ joke, it’s even harder to accept lightly.
Then, what should I do?
[Keep it for now and think about it later.]
“What if it really is my master?”
Using a dead person as an undead master isn’t exactly a dilemma I should worry about—but this felt different.
[Regardless, that soul stone is yours now. You can release it later if you wish. But…]
“But?”
[Just remember, acquiring a soul that powerful is never easy.]
“Hmm.”
Yes, that’s true.
‘Well… I can decide later.’
Whether Ren’s master or not, I should deal with the soul stone after gaining more experience.
I can decide then whether to release or summon it.
Anyway.
“Whatever it is, I should wake my master quickly.”
[Your master seems to have been awake all along. Open the box. He’ll scream at you happily.]
“I’m coming! To you, my heavenly master!”
Master, just wait a little.
This disciple will restore your mind.
I stroked the firmly closed box and bowed.
Meanwhile, in Baron Palaon’s study.
The baron blinked at the young magician sitting before him.
“So, your name is…?”
“Bioren.”
“Bioren, Bioren…? Was your master’s surname Sylvanis?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Hah!”
The baron laughed in surprise.
“What a coincidence! Could it be that Wilheim’s friend was Sylvan’s disciple? How is Sylvan doing? Still the same personality?”
Sylvanis.
The man the baron remembered was a talented magician and a cheerful companion.
Even on a battlefield where death was certain, he never lost his smile and always found a way through—a true magician.
Hearing news of an old comrade unexpectedly brought a youthful smile to Baron Palaon.
But the answer he received was far from cheerful.
“My master passed away.”
“What? Sylvan? How…?”
“An accident during an experiment. Ah, no need for that expression. At least he passed with a smile.”
“Ah, I see. That friend… huh. Alright. Sad, but at least he went smiling, that’s a relief.”
The baron tried to shake off his grief.
It wasn’t proper to show sorrow before his late friend’s disciple, and he was accustomed to comrades’ deaths.
Grief could be expressed with a drink alone.
After collecting his emotions, a question arose.
“From your reaction, it seems coming to our domain wasn’t a coincidence. Isn’t that so?”
“Well, becoming friends with Wil was coincidence, but yes. Coming to Palaon’s domain wasn’t random. My master left me instructions.”
“What instructions?”
“If anything happens to you, or if you find yourself lonely after their passing, visit Palaon’s domain. There, you’ll find things that need your help. And when I arrived, that turned out to be true. Did my master know about the vein too?”
“Never told you directly… but a smart friend could have figured it out. Yes, the domain needs a magician now. So, what will you do?”
“I made up my mind when I decided to meet the baron. I will serve Palaon’s domain.”
Baron Palaon nodded as if expected.
“Of course, there will be compensation. What do you expect?”
“When the magic stone mine is successfully developed, please invest in my mage tower.”
“You… were affiliated with a mage tower?”
“Not yet.”
“And then?”
“I plan to build one myself. If the baron’s mine is successfully developed and you keep today’s promise, it shouldn’t be difficult. Until then, I will serve Palaon with my utmost effort.”
“Confident. So… investing in the present for the future?”
“Yes.”
Ren answered without hesitation.
And was certain that given the domain’s situation, the baron would have to accept.
But the baron’s response was unexpected.
“I refuse.”
“…Eh?”
“Instead, how about this.”
The baron handed a piece of paper.
“What’s this…?”
“A contract condition.”
“I know… but…”
The terms were… somewhat below average.
Could he really be asking for a contract under these conditions?
“Isn’t it better to get some compensation while you work, instead of waiting indefinitely? Investment in the mage tower can be discussed later. Well? What do you say?”
“Hmm, even so…”
“Don’t like it? Then it’s off. You’ve worked hard to come here anyway.”
“No… um…”
Ren couldn’t continue.
No wonder—the baron’s proposal was basically a thief’s trick.
He’d have Ren work cheap now and postpone discussion of the tower investment.
If the baron reneged later, Ren would have only served at a low price.
But Ren realized something.
Once the intentions are revealed, the negotiation control shifts to the other party.
And now it’s impossible to find another investor.
After all, finding a noble to invest in a costly mage tower is not easy.
‘So that’s what it meant.’
My master’s words came to mind:
―A curious specimen and a good friend. But…
…not entirely kind.
Indeed, it was true.
Ren had no other choice.
“I will accept… but please add a clause to discuss the mage tower investment seriously later.”
“Ha ha, of course.”
The baron smiled brightly.
