Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Only Necromancer
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Krash had first met Evelask thanks to Arthur.
One day, Arthur brought her to the barracks where the Generation of the Sky was staying.
She couldn't do anything on her own and was intimidated by everyone.
Correction.
To be precise, she avoided everyone.
She never came out of the barracks.
The Generation of the Sky didn't treat her kindly in the first place, since she was a World Erosion being.
They only kept her around because Arthur had brought her, figuring she must be useful for something.
Krash hadn't spoken to her much at first either.
He only knew she was the world's one and only Necromancer.
But one day, Krash finally spoke to her.
"You're even more cursed than I am, huh? What a weakling."
It started with Evelask's typical arrogant remark.
Krash looked at the man in front of him.
A man whose presence was barely detectable.
He was none other than Evelask's No. 12 corpse.
And on his chest was a tattoo of a crow.
'So the family that rules the Empire's underworld is made entirely of corpses.'
Who would've thought.
Come to think of it, a Necromancer might be the most suited for assassinations.
Unlike a living assassin, you couldn't extract any information from a corpse even if you caught it.
'That's why they call themselves the Night Raven.'
Crows that pick at corpses.
It perfectly described the Necromancer Evelask.
"Your naming sense is something else."
"Huh? Yeah?"
As No. 12 turned around, Krash waved his hand dismissively, acting like it was nothing.
No. 12 gave a puzzled reaction but kept walking.
He was currently leading Krash somewhere.
'Now that I think about it.'
Krash glanced at Crimson Garden on his shoulder.
Crimson Garden was a World Erosion being just like Evelask.
She might already know about her.
"Crim, do you know Evelask?"
[I don't know anyone weaker than me.]
The arrogant reply came back.
And Krash knew it was true.
'Well, World Erosion beings aren't really comrades to begin with.'
It made sense that she wouldn't know.
"We're here."
Just then, No. 12 stopped walking.
In front of him was a worn door and a shabby building.
It was far too humble for the home of the world's only Necromancer.
At that moment, a click came from inside, and No. 12 opened the door.
What unfolded was an overly ornate space.
Completely different from the rundown exterior.
Krash clicked his tongue at the room that screamed vanity.
'She never even comes out of her corner of the room anyway.'
She'd probably decorated it like this just to have a cool, big house.
Thinking she hadn't changed a bit, Krash followed No. 12's guidance further inside.
And when they reached a certain room, No. 12 spoke up.
"I've brought you this far, so now tell me. How exactly are you going to get my heart back?"
Krash gave a bored look at Evelask speaking through No. 12's mouth.
"Didn't you hear me properly? You're not a goldfish."
"G-Goldfish?"
"I told you I need to meet you in person to check my skill. Open the door before I break it down."
Krash scowled, not wanting to repeat himself.
He'd realized she was doing this because she didn't want to let him in.
[What a nasty personality. She acts all nice to that little white chick, but anyone would think she's a different person.]
Crimson Garden snickered beside him, but he ignored her.
Evelask had to be handled forcefully.
That was something Krash had thoroughly learned back then.
Treat her nicely, and she'd act like she was superior.
He didn't want to see that.
"Eek, hic."
A flinch came from inside the door, and shortly after, it cracked open just a sliver.
Krash shoved his hand through the gap and yanked the door open.
He hated beating around the bush.
"Kyaa!"
With a scream, the woman tumbled to the floor and promptly buried her head in the blankets scattered there.
Krash glanced at her, grabbed a nearby chair, and plopped down.
The room was a total mess.
Half-eaten food was strewn about, and stacks of books teetered precariously.
Krash made a contemptuous face at the disastrous room, so different from the clean hallway outside.
"Clean up and live like a human."
"S-Someone else's business!"
Her face flushed with embarrassment at showing her room, and she jerked her head up.
But meeting eyes seemed too much, so she quickly bowed her head again.
Her black-and-crimson hair swayed with the motion.
Her hair was so unkempt it nearly touched the floor.
And her shirt was stretched around her unnecessarily ample chest, the collar worn out.
What a shameful sight to show anyone.
Even so, she was the world's only Necromancer.
Evelask Benapocchi.
And the reason she lived like a shut-in was entirely her own choice.
"Whatever. Lift your head."
"W-What are you gonna do?"
"I told you. I need to see you directly to confirm my skill."
She reluctantly raised her head.
Her violet eyes met his.
Just eye contact made her fidget anxiously.
It was clear she found facing people extremely uncomfortable.
Then, as if realizing something, her eyes widened.
"Your eyes are small, so it doesn't feel like you're looking."
It seemed to be due to Krash's disguise.
Ignoring the nonsense, Krash activated Black Hood.
'Target: the heart.'
The heart that should originally belong to her.
At that moment, five dials appeared before Krash's eyes.
The instant he saw them, Krash was certain.
'The true owner of the heart is Evelask.'
Even if the imperial family held it.
The real owner was Evelask, so Black Hood had activated.
That meant unlocking the dials would allow him to retrieve her heart via Black Hood.
"W-What is it?"
Evelask asked with an anxious expression.
A thousand years since being captured by the imperial family.
Used as their tool at their whim, she had always wanted her heart back.
And the reason was simple.
She didn't want to work.
The Empire provided her a room and conveniences, but she hated working.
She just wanted to roll around in her room reading books.
So she'd let Krash in readily.
Figuring this boy who seemed to see right through her might know something.
And if not, she'd just turn him into a corpse and add him to her assassin squad.
Perfect, with the crow on his shoulder and all.
'But that crow is staring too much, isn't it?'
Evelask met the crow's eyes and glared back, refusing to back down to a mere bird.
But when the crow snorted and spread its wings, she flinched and looked away.
She was scared of that crow too.
"It's possible."
In the meantime, Krash gave her the answer she wanted.
"R-Really?"
"Yes. But only if you give me permission to take your heart."
There were two ways to unlock the dials.
One was the direct method: fulfilling the dial's conditions.
The second was gaining the owner's full permission; if they consented with their entire heart, the dials vanished.
'But this one's trickier than it sounds.'
Even verbal permission wouldn't work without complete mental consent.
And that psychological barrier was the real hurdle.
People's hearts don't bend to their will so easily.
"Permission? How? I'll permit it!"
Evelask hurriedly shouted.
But her five dials remained.
Easy to say you'd hand over your own heart, hard to mean it.
"Not just words. You have to truly mean it."
"Uh, uh, truly?"
"Yes, truly."
Evelask looked puzzled.
Krash clicked his tongue, stood up, and plopped down right in front of her where she sat on the floor.
As she panicked at the close proximity, Krash tapped her shoulder.
"Evelask, imagine this carefully from now on."
"Uh, o-okay."
"You hate working, right?"
"Of course!"
She answered with more vigor than ever.
Classic her.
"If you get your heart back, you can roll around this room every day. Let your corpses handle everything for you. Stay in a comfortably warm room, surrounded by books, eating whatever, wasting your days away."
Evelask swallowed hard.
She'd longed for that future forever, so it was natural.
"But if you don't get it back, you'll have to help the imperial family forever. Work every day, and then some."
Her face darkened.
A thousand years of it—she was sure it'd be the same.
"...I feel like puking."
Just imagining it made her nauseous.
"You want to live like that forever?"
"N-No. I don't want to work anymore."
"Then truly hand your heart over to me. For a life free of work forever."
As Krash whispered, her eyes wavered.
Then she cautiously looked up at him.
Hand her heart to this boy, and she'd never have to work again.
Not like now, at least.
She didn't want to kill on someone else's orders anymore.
With that thought, she told Krash.
"I'll hand over my heart."
"More firmly."
"I'll hand over my heart!"
"More. Tell me exactly what you want from me."
Urged once more, she squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head low.
"Please take my heart!"
That was the moment.
All the dials before her vanished in an instant.
"Good."
"I-It worked?"
She looked up in shock, and Krash nodded.
'What an easy one.'
Opening one's heart was usually tough, but this showed how intensely she hated work.
"Then give it back right now!"
"Why should I?"
But Krash just crossed his arms and tilted his head.
As her eyes widened, he said with an exasperated look.
"This is a deal, Evelask. I'll get your heart back after the job's done."
Saved from drowning, now hand over your bundle too? Shameless.
"Job? More work? You devil! Jerk! No! I don't want to work!"
She started rolling on the floor.
A grown woman acting like that was utterly pathetic.
Not wanting to watch long, Krash infused aura into his foot and stomped the floor.
She flinched and stopped rolling, glancing warily.
"Cut the tantrum. I grant your wish, you grant mine. Deal done. You're free."
As Krash shot her a look—how don't you get something this simple?—she clenched her fists.
"W-What do you want?"
As if realizing something, she covered her chest.
"N-No way! Kids aren't my type! Wait till you're bigger!"
[Heh heh, such a lewd bitch.]
Krash looked at her with contempt.
"No wonder you read nothing but sensual novels."
Evelask's shoulders stiffened.
"I-I don't read that stuff!"
"Hide the title of the novel you're sitting on first."
"Eek!"
She hurriedly shoved the novel under the blanket.
Krash pitifully watched, then returned to his chair.
"The deal's as I said earlier. What Sigrin told you to do. And help stopping it. Do that, get your heart back, and you're free."
No more fooling around, he told Evelask.
"So tell me what Sigrin ordered you to do."
Hearing him, Evelask hesitated.
Sigrin had found her heart, passed down through the imperial family, and taken it for herself.
Until she got it back, Evelask couldn't escape Sigrin for life.
To break free, she needed Krash's help.
"Sera Betela."
Her attendant's name popped out.
"Kill her, then use her corpse to kill Sizzly Epania."
And an even more absurd plan emerged.