Necromancer Of The Black Bible (158)

When Horun and everyone else were focused on Kael, Kael spoke.

“I can feel all five senses. And my flesh no longer decays. If I can handle mana, I can do this too.”

At that moment, Kael’s appearance changed.

Color rose in his once-pale skin, and a clear light shimmered in his eyes.

It was as if radiance was spilling from his entire body.

After showing everyone that sight, Kael spoke again.

“This is magic. The difference from magic while alive is that our bodies accept mana much more actively. So it lasts longer and is easier to maintain. Even those who cannot handle magic can wield it more easily.”

Kael’s words changed the way Horun and the soldiers, who had been full of distrust until now, looked at him.

They changed from doubting it was impossible to wondering if it might actually be possible.

It was a small but definite change.

Kael said to Horun, who was still looking at him.

“This is your last chance. For reference, Rietta took that chance.”

When Kael finished speaking, he turned his back and went outside.

Darkness settled back into the room.

Horun and the soldiers were full of confusion.

No one could speak.

Then the voice was heard again.

-If you want the gift, place your hand over your chest. And swear obedience to me. I will grant eternal life to those who do.

The other side did not force a choice.

It simply offered a choice.

Muttered vows of loyalty from those placing a hand over their chest as he said could be heard everywhere.

Horun sensed it instinctively.

That he could not stop this situation.

That their operation had already failed long ago.

In the end, Horun spoke.

“Who are you…?”

After a brief hesitation, the voice continued.

-I am Damian, the god of death.

Horun gave that name and swore loyalty.

The remaining soldiers also began to follow him in swearing their loyalty.

And death came down upon them.

It was not difficult for Damian to kill the commanders and soldiers who had been lying in ambush in the underground prison.

Once he blocked the entrance and drained the air, they each died from lack of breath.

Considering the weight of the time they had lived, their deaths felt terribly hollow.

‘The god of death…’

Damian fell into thought as he looked at the knight Horun, who had been speaking with him just moments ago.

He had never thought of himself as a god before, but the thought that suddenly pierced him ended up defining him.

‘Since I can raise the dead, grant them eternal life, and even bestow life upon dead souls, I suppose one could call me a god.’

Of course, I am only a half-baked god.

I cannot create living flesh.

I cannot even control the minds of souls.

I cannot create new souls either.

That is clearly different from the power of Kallios, the creator of the past.

-Master’s power does indeed belong to the realm of gods. The title God of Death is by no means excessive.

Nocturne’s voice.

Given that the one who had been silent until now spoke first, this moment must have been quite impressive.

-Death used to feel rather horrific, but the death you bestow is not like that.

-Really? Then what kind of feeling is it?

-Well… how should I put it… maybe it feels like a gift?

I let out a snort of laughter.
I had used the word ‘gift’ toward my enemy a moment ago, but even I did not think it was a real gift.

‘Strictly speaking, it is more beneficial for me.’

But it is not a bad proposal for them either.

Eternal life, and continuing to live with intact memories at that, is the wish of most humans.

But not everyone accepted my offer.

About a third of them died without swearing.

That meant they were not tempted by eternal life.

‘That makes perfect sense.’

If life itself was suffering, then time given again would have no meaning.

They would not want to suffer any longer.

Looking over the dead, I marked which had sworn and which had not.

From there on, I left it to Ceres.

-You must have heard my promise. Proceed as planned.

-Understood.

Having capable subordinates makes my own work that much easier.

I had not felt it before, but now that I have so much to do, the existence of a capable subordinate like Ceres feels grateful.

‘This battle is almost over too.’

Wasn’t winning without fighting said to be the best tactic?

A line from some book I had read in my previous life suddenly came to mind.

Certainly, the more battles I fought, the more that phrase came to mind, perhaps because of my changed mindset.

I no longer want to see countless people splashing blood and slashing at one another.

It is a fight I will win anyway.
Since I know the outcome, I want to move forward quickly and easily.

And strangely, this thought has taken root in a corner of my mind.

‘I must not kill them all.’

Why?

I have despised humans.

My anger toward those I showed goodwill to, only for them to betray me in return, is still the same.

And yet, every time I kill someone, I hesitate.

Perhaps that is why I try to kill them without pain whenever possible.

I occasionally asked Equinox about this, but it would only answer like this.

-You will come to realize the answer soon enough.

It had been quite a while since I last spoke with Equinox.

I do not really know what it is thinking or plotting.

But thanks to it, I have grown more.

I became able to solve on my own the problems that once required help.

And each time my domain expands, I feel a strange thrill.

It feels like I am walking the path I am meant to take.

Then Kael came into the palace and knelt before me.

“What should we do about the remnants in the forest?”

“What do you think?”

Kael thought for a moment and answered.

“I will fight them.”

“Hmm…”.

There are 30,000 enemies left.

Ours number 20,000.

Though the 20,000 lying in ambush in the underground prison will be revived to our side, it will take time.

‘It will take at least a week.’

Only after taking oaths from the souls and reestablishing their memories can I raise them through Necromancy, so I cannot use them as troops right away.

‘If it were Master, how would he have decided?’

Now that Equinox had disappeared, I organized my thoughts while recalling my Master from when he was alive.

Master judged phenomena with keen insight, and because he made decisions accordingly, there was never any trouble.

I remembered my Master’s words from long ago.

-Always think of the best option first, and be prepared for the worst-case scenario as well. But remember this: if you refuse to decide because you are afraid of the worst-case scenario, the situation will only grow worse than that.

Any decision is better than hesitation.

Once I realized that, a good idea came to mind.

What I am hesitating over now is the fact that the enemies are in the forest.

If we pitched tents on the plain and camped there, we could wage a war of attrition.

Because our army regenerates endlessly, that alone would be enough to defeat the enemy.

‘But there are too many variables in the forest.’

What worries me most is the weather.

Laerin created this situation under my orders, but if they use the special terrain of the forest, they can change the shape of the battle.

They could lure the soldiers into the forest and surround them, or disturb the terrain to scatter the troops and then pick them off one by one.

If you think about it, there are quite a few methods.

I do not want to fight while carrying such risks.

‘We do not go into the forest.’

Now that we have taken the castle, there is no point in pursuing them.

And they still have hope.

The hope that the ambush force’s raid will succeed.

‘If I use this…’

I should be able to produce a fairly convincing victory.

I focused more and devised a strategy.

A strategy that would reduce our losses until the very end and let us win easily.

Valbern was watching the situation from the forest in the northeastern part of the castle.

‘Is the signal not here yet?’

Horun had clearly said he would send a signal if the raid succeeded.

He had also said they could use the torches on the watchtowers installed all along the walls.

But a full day passed, and there was no change in the castle.

What was most chilling was that even though the enemy had captured the castle, there was no sign of any living person inside it.

‘I can’t see any lights.’

When the sky is covered in dark clouds like now, the inside of the buildings is dark, so they at least keep torches lit.

But now every light was out.

At first he thought it was fortunate, since it would be easy to observe the ambush force’s movements, but as time passed and nothing unusual appeared, he grew more restless.

As he stared endlessly into the empty, snowstorm-swept air, a knight came up and bowed low.

“My Lord Margrave. A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

My heart dropped, thinking it might be someone sent by the enemy.

But when I turned my head, there were mages in familiar clothing standing there.

They bowed and said,

“We are mages dispatched from the Imperial Capital.”

One of them had long pale blue hair and a bushy beard.

As far as Valbern knew, there was only one mage with such a distinctive appearance.

“Aren’t you the Deputy Towermaster?”

“You remember me.”

“How could I not know you?”

The Deputy Towermaster is a position that attends almost every event together with the Towermaster.

That was why Margrave Valbern knew him as well.

Hyro smiled faintly and spoke.

“Good. Then things will move a little faster.”

“The dream… Do you mean you’re going to help us?”

Hyro nodded heavily.

He looked at the distant Graneum Castle and spoke.

“It seems the castle has already fallen.”

“Regrettably, yes.”

“Yet seeing that you are safe like this, it seems luck was on your side.”

“That is…“

Valbern hesitated, then laid out everything that had happened.

From the surviving Swordmaster Rietta’s dream to their leaving the castle and carrying out the ambush plan at her suggestion.

When he had said this much, the mages’ expressions grew heavy.

After listening to Valbern’s story to the end, Hyro spoke.

“Then does that mean Your Lordship is leading such a large army here to wait for the ambush force’s raid?”

“Exactly.”

Hyro stroked his chin and thought, then spoke with a grave expression.

“How long has it been since the castle was taken?”

“Not even a full day has passed yet.”

“How much longer do you intend to wait?”

At the unexpected question, Valbern calmly organized his thoughts and answered.

“Three days. After that, I will move immediately.”

Hyro slowly shook his head.

“No. You must give up hope that the ambush will succeed. We cannot defeat them with our strength alone.”

Hyro’s voice was sincere.

On top of that, after seeing Rietta’s end, Valbern’s heart wavered.

But Horun’s final look flickered before his eyes.

‘What if he succeeds?’

‘I cannot let that chance slip away.

‘No, I must not let it slip away.’

In the end, Valbern spoke heavily.

“I understand your words well, Deputy Towermaster. But my knight is lying in ambush to carry out my orders, and I cannot retreat in a situation where I do not even know the result.”

“You must consider him already dead. Only then can you save even your own life.”

“But…“

It was then.

Light appeared from one spot on Graneum’s walls.

That was not all.

Flames surged up from the watchtowers all around, and those flames began to light up the darkness.

At the same time, the tightly shut gate swung open wide.

“Just as I thought!”

Valbern shouted, turning to Hyro.

“It looks like the ambush succeeded. We must advance now!”

Hyro did not answer.

But Valbern quickly gave the order, and a resounding bugle call filled the entire forest.

It was the bugle signaling the advance.