Your Majesty!
With a hurried sidestep, Tyren, the Chief Magistrate, knelt on one knee upon the filthy prison floor.
Given that the two people before whom he must kneel in this kingdom had appeared simultaneously, Tyren had no choice but to forego further words.
Looking down at him, Grand Magus Rockfelican chuckled and spoke.
It seems, Chief, you also have business with this man. Would you be so kind as to yield to us for a mont?
Yes, understood.
Under the guise of a polite request but, in reality, a veiled command from Rockfelican, the imposing Tyren retracted his stance, though his expression still held a thinly veiled animosity toward .
As he left, Rockfelican clicked his tongue and muttered.
Ah, what a hothead. If youre in such a position, you should be cold and composed.
King Orpheus smiled as he replied to Rockfelicans criticism.
His passionate nature keeps our kingdom safe, making him all the more trustworthy.
Well, if Your Majesty says so.
When Orpheus sided with Chief Magistrate Tyren, Rockfelican didnt add anything further.
Only then did their gazes shift to .
So, youre the madman who openly confessed to being a Necromancer?
King Orpheus looked at , arms crossed, as if I were an intriguing artifact.
Soon, I really felt like a valuable object in the hands of an appraiser, as he circled around .
You are aware of our kingdoms laws, arent you? Dark Mages can be executed on the spot at the discretion of the Mage Magistrate.
I am aware.
The kingdoms crackdown on Dark Mages is more stringent than one might imagine. Even in dieval tis, imdiate execution without a trial was a rarely exercised right, and in the modern world, it would be unimaginable.
But this is a dieval settingand a ga.
And considering the kingdoms history, their strict asures against Dark Mages were sowhat understandable.
Are you the reincarnation of Herald-Hazard or sothing? Planning on single-handedly bringing ruin to our kingdom?
Herald-Hazard.
A na that could send shivers down the spine of any citizen of the Griffin Kingdom.
A monstrous figure who, as a necromancer, almost single-handedly brought the kingdom to the brink of ruin.
Even the main storyline in the ga involved tracing his steps and unraveling the secrets of the kingdom.
No.
As I answered calmly, King Orpheus let out a long, seemingly exasperated sigh.
Then why confess? Do you feel guilty for your cris? I heard sothing odd happened at the Robern Academy, although no official reports have arrived yet. You might be related, I presu?
Not even two days have passed since the incident at the Academy.
Even for a king, its impossible to have imdiate knowledge of such a supernatural event.
Its for the kingdom.
Hmm?
Upon my declaration, both King Orpheus and Rockfelican, who was silently standing behind him, had a slight tremor in their eyes.
You must have read my letter.
I never sent a letter to the king. Theres no hotline for that sort of thing, to begin with.
The letter was sent to the Mage Tower where the Grand Magus resides.
Under normal circumstances, a simple letter would never make it to the Grand Magus. Thats why I had enclosed a special device of my own in the letter, sothing he couldnt simply ignore.
Rockfelican slowly reached out his hand.
A transparent mbrane, akin to a fish tank, materialized. Inside it was a lively, blue mana clusterthe very thing I had included in the letter.
Setting aside the contents of the letter, in which you confessed...
King Orpheus observed the lively mana, intrigued.
Rockfelican seed to have a lot to say too, but restrained himself given the presence of the king, who slowly spoke.
...How is this mana moving on its own? Is this so kind of necromancy as well? Even Grand Magus, who is said to have mastered most forms of magic, ca to with wide eyes just 30 minutes ago due to this unique magic.
Ahem.
Rockfelican coughed awkwardly, avoiding eye contact but not denying the statent. The Grand Magus then took over the conversation.
The notion of mana moving autonomously is truly astounding. Properly managed, this could result in a groundbreaking, almost perpetual source of energy that requires no resources.
...
As I gazed at him, as if to question the obviousness of his statent, the Grand Magus chuckled and nodded his head.
Yes, of course. The one who invented it would naturally recognize its significance.
Then, Rockfelican inquired further, his voice tinged with a low groan.
If your claim to act for the kingdom is true, could you explain the principle behind this extraordinary marvel of sentient magic? Which feels as if it possesses a will of its own?
I responded, indifferent to the Grand Maguss captivated eyes.
Necromancy.
...
Thats right. As if it possesses a will of its own No, it is actually a self-thinking, self-acting form of magic.
Because
Its crafted through the souls of the deceased.
The faces of the Grand Magus and the King visibly distorted.
Despite having anticipated this, hearing it from my lips seed to stir a range of emotions in them.
Struggling to maintain composure, the Grand Magus finally spoke.
I understand that you are a rare necromancer even among dark mages. However, as far as I know, necromancers usually extract mana from souls, blending it with grudges to manipulate as magic.
...
Ive never heard of a soul independently possessing its own consciousness and acting as magic.
Thats only natural.
Theres no other necromancer capable of directly communicating with souls like .
Thats what sets apart, and why the kingdom needs .
Hm?
King Orpheus, who had been quietly intrigued by our conversation, subtly turned his gaze towards .
Your Majesty, I am a necromancerone of the few wise n on this continent who knows the truth about what cos after death.
Oh?
Realizing that I was trying to persuade him, King Orpheus grinned slyly, crossing his arms and leaning back against the cell bars.
Unfortunately for the faithful, there is no realm beyond death. The deceased simply close their eyes and find rest.
Theres no future where one finds solace in the arms of the Goddess Justia, or enjoys eternal feasting and luxury in the palace of the God Velas. Theres no future where one becos a beloved angel praising goddess Hertia.
For humans, all that awaits after death is pure rest.
Hmm, you speak words that would incense the priests quite casually.
Its because its the truth.
However, theres no real need to know the truth. This world has people who find salvation in religion and those who make a living from it.
I have no particular desire to win any argunts with them, either.
... Wise.
Spreading such a truth would bring not only the kingdom but also the entire continent into chaos.
And inevitably, Id find myself at odds with the religious authorities whod never admit this truth.
Moreover, I had neither the intention to make them acknowledge it nor to spread it.
Whether religion is true or false is not sothing I intended to argue.
I too understand that it exists because it is needed.
However, Your Majesty cannot afford to ignore this.
I locked eyes with King Orpheus. My gaze transford into a piercing spear, ensuring that he had nowhere to escape.
For countless eons, this continent has been a sanctuary for the departed. But now, the places where the deceased can find rest are dwindling.
Have you not noticed? Mysterious cris are increasing, the perpetrators never found... Arent you conveniently sweeping this under the rug?
It was as if King Orpheus had been struck by an unexpected blow. He unfolded his arms and leaned forward involuntarily.
Are you suggesting that the departed are responsible for these occurrences?
Yes, and it was manageable up until now There were still places on the continent where the souls of the deceased could find solace.
But now, things were different.
Do you not hear the screams of the continent? Can you not hear the voices of the restless spirits wandering aimlessly because they cant find a resting place even in death?
The flesh decays, the bones turn to ash, and they return to the embrace of the earth. But souls dont decay, even through the eternal passage of ti.
They simply exist, left in place.
I understand the unsolved, mysterious cases had to be covered up. Failing to resolve them would eventually lead to a loss of trust in the royal family from the people.
Hmm.
But covering up is not a solution. Eventually, all these issues will resurface and threaten the kingdom as a whole.
Rejecting dark magic is a refusal to acknowledge the entire field of study.
Ever since suffering major damage from the dark mage Herald-Hazard, the kingdom had forcibly turned a blind eye and held a hostile attitude toward dark magic.
And now, the price of ignorance was coming due.
Soon, countless lost souls will try to drag down the radiant divine beast known as the Griffin. That will be the cost for turning your eyes away from fear.
That said
King Orpheus interjected. I did not continue my sentence but instead closed my mouth and listened attentively.
We cant just overturn a 200-year history of rejecting dark magic that has been handed down from countless ancestors either.
A long and storied history indeed.
It was 200 years ago that a dark mage by the na of Herald-Hazard brought the kingdom to the brink of annihilation, all by himself.
And now, the citizens naturally believe dark magic to be evil, an absolute wickedness. The religious institutions have also taken advantage of this to solidify their position.
.
To suddenly accept dark magic now? Believers from all corners would rise up in revolt.
Whether their belief is right or wrong doesnt matter. For them, it is an immutable truth.
The scars that Herald-Hazard left behind still painfully linger within us.
It was an irrefutable refusal.
With a furrowed brow and a sense of resignation, King Orpheus heard speak again.
Your Majesty.
...Speak.
If we keep a bandage on a wound indefinitely, well never know whether it has healed cleanly, festered, or turned into a scar.
...
How long will the Griffin Kingdom continue to nurse the wound created by dark magic? How much ti has to pass for the scars of that day to fade?
Their deaths will be rembered forever!
Gritting his teeth, King Orpheuss eyes flared up for a mont, venting fury towards .
The countless citizens who died at the hands of the nefarious dark mage will forever be rembered in my heart and in our land! Do not insult them so thoughtlessly.
Yes.
Rembering the departed is the right thing to do.
The weight of their deaths was undeniableladen with sorrow, tragedy, and heartache.
Yet.
Your Majesty.
The dead are just thatdead.
Turn your gaze toward the living.
...
Look at your citizens who toil under the sun, who seek solace in a single drink at the end of a weary day, who close their eyes at night with hope for another dawn.
King Orpheus is no sovereign from centuries past. Hes not the monarch who once presided over souls lost in the calamity of Herald-Hazard.
His concern must be for the living. For the present.
Its honorable to rember the past, and venerable to pay tribute to the deceased. But do not misplace your priorities.
Its sothing I, a necromancer, can confidently say.
As Deus Verdi, a being who has deciphered the core tenets of necromancy and stands at the very nexus between life and death, I speak with utmost certainty.
I can clearly delineate the line, for my vision encompasses both the living and the deceased.
The dead cannot take precedence over the living.
King Orpheus tightened his lips and averted his gaze, his expression betraying a tangle of internal struggles.
Your Majesty.
A sword made of mana suddenly materialized in my hand.
Grand Magus Rockfelican, who stood behind, visibly tensed, readying himself to interject imdiately. But King Orpheus quelled him with a re gesture.
Look at this sword.
His gaze landed on the tip of the sword, shimring with blue mana.
Right now, its a weapon that threatens you. With the slightest movent, it could harm Your Majesty.
But then, I slowly handed him the hilt of the sword. He accepted it, as if propelled by so unseen force.
Now the sword was pointed at .
With just a slight change in direction, with rely a different hand wielding it, the weapon that could harm Your Majesty has beco the closest thing to protect you.
With the sword between us, I locked eyes with his golden irises once again.
Would you forsake a sword entirely, branding it as evil, just because it once hard you?
Most things in the world are too ambiguous to be neatly categorized into a binary frawork.
To treat poison, one must use poison. Similarly, its also necessary to utilize one evil to vanquish another.
The countless wounds and grudges born of Herald-Hazard
Those scars left unhealed by the dark mageI will soothe and heal them.
And who are you to say that?
In the Kings slowly spoken words, a palpable weight resonated.
And in response to his query, a gentle smile naturally ford on my lips.
People call a woman who borrows the power of gods to save others a Saintess.
And then, I continued.
As for I, who borrow the power of the dead, am nothing but a re necromancer.
--- End of The Chapter ---
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