A day later.
Standing in an empty field in front of the Frinstoun’s castle, Aleric raised the Spine Staff, and his Dark magic filled the prepared bodies in front of him. It took dozens of servants an hour to gather and sort all of them, but now he raised them in a re minute.
It emptied Aleric’s mana, but there were plenty of prisoners to recover it.
’If the local graveyard wasn’t consecrated, I’d be able to drown this place in skeletons!’ he thought in frustration.
His servants took the new slaves to the army so they could be equipped and put to so work, while Aleric himself went to the castle, planning to take a short break and find a prisoner to torture to recover mana.
But almost as soon as he settled in a corner away from the zombies bustling around and doing their tasks, Aleric was accosted by his advisers.
"Master Fenn, here you are! You wanted details about the army losses—well, I got them now!" Ditrich said, smiling jovially. "Oh, and there are also so guests in the city. Rare ones! Although guests in our cities are already rare, ha-ha-ha!"
Right near him, Samuel. His armor was being cleaned and repaired, so all the new bandages that covered him from head to toe were open to see.
"There are also more citizens imprisoned for opposing your lore, master. We had to lock them inside an empty warehouse, because there wasn’t any space anywhere else. Oh, and one of the imprisoned people claims that it was a mistake and he only wanted to speak with you. And he’s a Dark mage... The inquisitors must’ve been pretty distracted that they didn’t notice him around."
Aleric perked up.
"Another one?"
"Yes! That would make three of them," Ditrich said. "The guests I’ve ntioned ca into the city this noon, claiming that they were following our tracks for a while. They showed so tricks, and I showed them where to wait for you. So soldiers are making sure they won’t make trouble."
Aleric let out a long breath.
"How fortunate to get them when I barely have any low-quality bodies for them to work on. Assuming these Dark mages are even necromancers, and they won’t spend the next week simply learning the spells I need from them. Alright... Ditrich, arrange a al for and bring it to so office. I will be there, too. When I’m done, I want to speak with these Dark mages."
***
The master of the castle, Count Frank Mirrand, was marching with the king’s army, and his study was free for Aleric to use. Mirrand’s family didn’t protest, either—they all had fled the castle even before the attack.
In this room, Aleric accepted his Dark mage visitors one by one.
The first two were the Dark mages from outside the city. Both were young, zealous-looking n, and both had been following the rumors of Aleric since Oakdale. But instead of traveling there, they wanted to speak with Aleric himself, so they tracked his departed army. By their claim, the mages have been following him for the past week.
Both mages were only slightly stronger than Aleric ca to expect from their kind. They both were only of the first rank and could only do a few basic spells, which didn’t stop them from hoping to achieve great things under Aleric’s rule. But at least they had enough mana to raise an undead slave, if they only knew the spell.
Like Rita, they had an illusion that being Dark mages sohow made them better than the undead under Aleric’s control.
Aleric ordered Spine Staff to teach them the basics and sent the future necromancers to practice in raising undead slaves.
The third Dark mage was much more interesting.
He was a good deal older than the other two, looking to be at least forty-five. But Aleric felt that the man simply looked older than his real age... A good dozen years older.
He was also thin and held himself as if a single touch from soone might break him, and was constantly throwing glances at the pair of guards that hovered behind him.
"Thank you for making your servants let go, Supre Necromancer. Imprisonnt is terrible for my health. H-honestly, I just saw the templar signs on the armor of your general and thought they ca after ... An accident, a silly accident."
The Dark mage shook his head, then bowed.
"I really didn’t an to attack any of them, either. My na is Krenn Ellians, and I wish to beco your apprentice."
"Supre Necromancer? This nickna seems to have caught on... But it’s just Aleric Fenn... Master Fenn, if you plan on serving ."
Aleric asured the man’s aura. By now, he has gained much more experience in estimating a mage’s power from the intensity of the magic energies lingering in their bodies.
From the look of it, Krenn must’ve been a second rank Dark mage, and a good way toward the third rank.
"Apprentice? You look like you don’t need to learn much, Krenn. You got a lot of magic practice despite living in the country where templars are on every corner."
Krenn hunched his shoulders.
"Yes... I had to be cautious. My curses can’t do much against templars... Unlike your necromancy. Let study from you, and you will find no better and more loyal servant."
"Oh, you know second rank curses?" Aleric learned forward. "Interesting. Very well, Krenn, you can beco my apprentice—but in return, you will share both your magic and your knowledge. While I’m in this city, you will raise the dead together with my other apprentices. And while we are on the road, you will teach the curses you know."
"Thank you, Master Fenn. Thank you. Uh... I will prove to you that these guards who are watching are really unnecessary. I won’t betray you."
Aleric gave the man a flat look.
"Then you have nothing to worry about, Krenn, and these zombies will just protect you from templars."
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