Runen
“Chad, sir. I’d like to use the library.”
I wrote my name in the library logbook and pulled out my coin pouch. The third floor of the Necromancer Guild was stacked with old tomes. All of them were necromancy spellbooks. Guild members could use the library freely, but reading any book required payment. Learning magic cost a fortune.
“You seem to be up to something interesting these days.”
Chad approached like a shadow while I was still writing in the log. That old man. He could at least make some noise when he moved.
“If making money counts as interesting, then yes. I’m doing something interesting.”
“You little rascal. Always with the mouth.”
Chad chuckled darkly. On the surface he looked like nothing more than a withered old man, but his eyes gleamed with sharp, vivid intensity. Just from that gaze, anyone could tell he was no ordinary elder.
“When are you going to quit that explorer nonsense?”
“Do I have to?”
“You’re better suited to being a scholar than an explorer, Hajun.”
“...”
That sounded familiar. Was it just my imagination?
“I could teach you properly, you know? Practical experience matters, but without theory to back it up, you’ll hit a wall in the field. You spend too much time chasing real combat.”
“I’ll pass.”
Chad believed I was an exceptionally talented necromancer. When I first chose the class and fell into this world, he had taught me the basics of necromancy. I had followed his instructions without a single mistake. Of course, I had no real talent. It was all thanks to the system.
“I should visit the Black Catacomb someday.”
The Black Catacomb was the gathering place and headquarters for necromancers. Promising practitioners went there to build connections and share knowledge. It was essentially an academic society for necromancy. It was a place I would eventually need to visit to learn advanced spells, but… what was the point of a mere Level 3 necromancer going there now?
“I’ll go when I have time.”
“Heh heh… Understood.”
Just as silently as he had appeared, Chad vanished. What a creepy necromancer.
“Status Window.”
I checked the spells I had learned. There weren’t many. I had chosen only the ones with practical use in the field. As my level rose, better spells would become available. I just had to survive until then.
Now, the spell for Level 3…
Basic Poison Magic for Necromancers
This was it.
Spell: Poison Arrow
The caster creates a toxic liquid arrow from their fingertips. Necromancers who have mastered human anatomy can synthesize a venom that melts skin and festers muscle. The more skilled the caster, the more powerful and accurate the arrow. This spell is effective against most living beings, especially those with humanoid forms. However, it has no effect on entities without a physical body for the venom to act upon.
Classification: <Magic> <Low-Grade Necromancy>
I opened the book. The pages were filled with talk of corpses, toxins, and reaching death. Just looking at it made my stomach churn.
You have begun reading Basic Poison Magic for Necromancers.
This book contains information on the spell Poison Arrow.
Would you like to begin memorization?
Of course I wanted to learn it.
You have begun slowly memorizing the spell Poison Arrow.
(25 hours remaining until complete memorization)
I locked the door to the small room and spent the entire day learning the spell. Unless I was building a poison-magic-focused build, Poison Arrow wasn’t particularly useful. It was the kind of spell you used if you had it, and ignored if you didn’t. But right now, without at least this much, dungeon exploration would be too unstable. When you had to fight enemies directly inside dungeons, it was only natural to feel more at ease with more cards in hand. More options meant more opportunities to adapt to any situation. Learning it now would pay off someday.
The next morning, Seoha called me to have lunch together after finishing her early training. The menu was grilled fish for the second day in a row. No matter how cheap preserved fish was, eating it every day had to get old.
“I’m meeting a client today. Could you tell me about the alchemists?”
Seoha chewed and swallowed a piece of fish before slowly opening her mouth.
“Well… as you already know, I used to be an alchemist.”
Seoha had originally been an alchemist affiliated with the Alchemist Guild in Runen. She had been exceptionally bright since childhood, entered Runen Comprehensive Academy with outstanding grades, studied various advanced disciplines, and then joined the Alchemist Guild.
“There was… some trouble within the guild. So I quit.”
“For example?”
“First of all, the internal politics are extremely vicious. The guild runs on a 100% apprenticeship system. Do you know the official name of the Alchemist Guild?”
“The Elixir Alchemical Artisan Union.”
“Right. They call themselves artisans. Technicians.”
The Alchemist Guild fundamentally operated on an apprenticeship system. Masters took in apprentices and taught them their craft. When new apprentices arrived, senior apprentices passed on what they knew to the juniors. In other words, the hierarchy between master, senior, and junior was extremely strict.
“To succeed in the Alchemist Guild, you absolutely have to pick the right side.”
Seoha spoke seriously.
“It’s basic to attach yourself to a promising senior. Eliminating competitors is also necessary.”
“…Eliminating them?”
“Even among those who entered in the same year, treatment differs depending on whether or not they receive full transmission of techniques. Usually, peers are competitors, so they fight to the death. They gather juniors to form factions. If you endure until you’ve received all the techniques and can craft Elixir Potions, then your life is set.”
Listening to her, I could understand why Seoha had quit midway. The Alchemist Guild was an incredibly stifling place. In comparison, the Necromancer Guild was a paradise of freedom.
“Anyway, the only good thing about that place is that it pays well. Nothing else.”
“You made the right choice switching.”
“Right?”
Necromancers at least didn’t interfere with each other. Because they were the type to curse you if things went south, they were careful even among themselves. Compared to her alchemist days, her income was lower, but the woman eating grilled fish in front of me looked happier than anyone else in the world.
“You should eat the skin too.”
“I don’t really like the skin.”
“Hmm. It’s delicious, though.”
Seoha proudly showed me her plate. She had cleaned it so thoroughly it looked like something out of a cartoon. When I gave her a thumbs-up, she grinned and laughed.
“Anyway, getting involved with alchemists won’t do you any good. They grew up gathered in shady places from the start, so their actions are sinister.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Just then, Seoha blinked.
“Someone’s coming?”
Not even a minute after she said that, someone appeared at the guild. No—could she actually hear them? How did she know?
“Welcome!”
Seoha reflexively rushed out. But the visitor was…
“Ah.”
A girl with long violet hair. It was Roa.
Roa hesitated in front of Seoha, then looked around and spotted me. She pointed at me timidly. Seoha’s eyes widened. Roa walked toward me.
“H-Have you been well?”
She couldn’t meet my eyes and instead looked elsewhere while twisting her hair. Today she wasn’t wearing her hooded robe but her Guardian uniform—light leather armor, long boots, and even a ceremonial cloak.
“I’ve been fine. Did you come because of Maya?”
“That’s part of it, but…”
Roa hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I was wondering if any strange people had come by.”
“…Did the alchemists come?”
“Yes. I drove them all away, but…”
I laughed quietly. Those alchemists. Their persistence was truly impressive. Not satisfied with coming after me, they had gone after Roa too.
“Did you teach them a lesson?”
“Yes.”
If they had any sense, they wouldn’t have tried to threaten a Guardian. Most guilds in the Dungeon Overseer world were full of lunatics who wouldn’t back down to ordinary organizations, and the Guardians were no exception. No matter what an alchemist said, a Guardian wouldn’t even listen with their back turned.
“Good job.”
Roa smiled brightly and nodded. At that moment, Seoha sidled up and poked me in the side.
“Who’s that?”
“A companion. She’ll be joining us on the next mission.”
“Hmm. A companion?”
Seoha smirked and began clearing the lunch dishes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Roa of the Guardian Order.”
“I’m Seoha, in charge of guild guidance. Don’t mind me—take your time and talk.”
Seoha disappeared back into the guild. Roa watched her retreating figure and smiled.
“She seems like a kind person.”
Seoha was kind. I chatted briefly with Roa. Most of the conversation was about the upcoming mission.
“Maya asked us to come by. Would you like to go?”
They must have grown closer while spending time together. Roa was calling Maya “unnie” now. I had been planning to visit anyway. This worked out well.
“Is now okay?”
“It should be fine.”
Maya was currently staying at an inn near the Guardian Guild. Roa had paid for the entire lodging fee.
“It’s here.”
Roa stopped in front of the stairs leading to the second floor. A girl was sitting leisurely in the middle of the staircase. Red hair and an innocent-looking face. She even had a lollipop in her mouth—where had she gotten that?
Our eyes met.
“Oh.”
What did “oh” mean? Was that a greeting?
Roa naturally approached the girl and spoke.
“Where’s Maya unnie?”
“She’s upstairs.”
The girl grinned, dusted herself off, and stood up before extending her hand to me.
“You’re the Necromancer, right? I’m Haneul. Ironclad.”
Ah. So this was the new party member joining the mission.
“Should we go up and talk first?”
At Roa’s suggestion, Haneul bit into her lollipop and said,
“If we go in now, we’ll get scolded.”
“Why?”
“She said we’re in the way. I just got kicked out too.”
“What’s unnie doing?”
“She’s making a supply plan. She seemed really stressed.”
An escort mission was still a mission, so a plan was necessary. Travel always had to be organized and efficient. But now that I thought about it, Maya didn’t really need to be the one making it. Usually, the supervisor and party leader planned together. Depending on the situation, either the supervisor or the leader could handle it all. Since Maya was the client, she could have someone else do it.
I ignored Haneul and went up to the room.
Knock knock.
When the door opened, I saw a room in complete disarray. Clothes were scattered everywhere, along with paper wrappers, used dishes, empty potion bottles, broken chopsticks, and stamped documents rolling across the floor. She had only been here a few days, yet it was already a mess that would be hard to clean.
Maya, her long brown hair hanging down, had her face buried in documents and shouted irritably,
“I told you not to come in! The candy’s over there, so take it all at once!”
Just as she said, several pieces of candy wrapped in paper were piled on the corner of the desk. Since she was offering, I’d take one. I popped a piece into my mouth. It was good.
“Thank you.”
When Maya heard my voice, she looked up in surprise.
“H-Hajun?”
She frantically tried to hide the documents.
“Were you doing something you shouldn’t? Let me see.”
Roa and Haneul followed right after and piled into the room.
“What are you doing?”
Maya’s face flushed bright red as she stammered.
She really seemed flustered.
“Um… travel preparations…”
The flustered Maya asked me,
“What brings you here, Hajun?”
“Didn’t you ask me to come? I followed Roa.”
Maya dramatically pounded the floor with her fists. She was embarrassed.
“Ah. R-Right. I did call you. I was so out of it…”
I glanced over Maya’s supply plan for a moment. She tried to hide it, but eventually had no choice but to hand it over.
“Hmm.”
It was a very neatly organized expense sheet. Maya’s notes on where to buy what and for how much were particularly impressive. A four-person party for a week. Since it was a walking journey, adjusting supplies would make it perfect. I wanted to praise her for doing such a good job, but Maya was looking at me with an endlessly anxious expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Maya took a deep breath and spoke with determination.
“You can say whatever you want. Please be honest. If there’s anything to fix, I’ll accept all of it.”
She looked so strangely resolute that it made me feel odd.
“It’s not like anything will change just because I look at it. I’m not the supervisor.”
“Supervisor Gawin said it would be fine to have you check it…”
What was the supervisor going around saying? Just as I had thought earlier, I pointed out the parts that needed fixing. True to her word, Maya accepted every single suggestion. Of course, she didn’t forget to look wronged while doing so.
“If only you had come a little later…”
Me, Maya, Roa, and the newly recruited party member Haneul. Since we were all gathered, it was a good time to talk.
“Maya, something strange happened yesterday.”
“What happened?”
“Someone from the Alchemist Guild came. They told me not to help you.”
“...”
Maya’s expression darkened for a moment.
“That’s… probably the work of people who don’t want me to return.”
“Shouldn’t you go back?”
“My father is the master of the Oricil Alchemist Guild. So some alchemists say I’m the successor who will inherit the guild.”
I was inwardly impressed. Her father was the guild master. Wasn’t she incredibly wealthy?
“But I have a younger sibling. A sibling much better suited to the guild than I am.”
“It seems you’re not interested in becoming the next guild master.”
“…That’s right. I don’t want to concern myself with guild affairs.”
Maya spoke as if sighing. Suddenly, Seoha’s story came to mind—the strange internal politics of the Alchemist Guild… Maya, the daughter of the guild master. And her sibling.
“The ones who had me declared dead are probably the people who want to make my sibling the guild master.”
For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.