The Unicorn's Judgment and the Pegasus's Offer
**CHAPTER TITLE: The Unicorn's Test of Purity**
Fafnir descended the mountain to report the quest to the NPCs.
“*Hehehe!* My dear Fafnir, you’ve truly done wonders!”
The NPCs’ faces lit up with genuine joy.
“Unicorns are helping us? Then we can finally rest easy! Hahaha! I knew I could trust people!”
The nobles were sincere in their delight.
After all, if they could borrow the unicorns’ power, the safety of the revival army was guaranteed.
“Unicorns helping… This is truly fortunate…”
Even the sweating Blackheart Count looked perfectly natural.
“Indeed. Since the unicorns guard our outpost, the Duke of Gwin won’t dare approach it easily.”
Princess Elizabeth looked at Fafnir with a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
“I said I’d believe you, but I never imagined you’d actually find such information.”
“Thank you.”
“But how did you obtain this information?”
In the novel, they would have contacted the operators if they’d seen it in-game.
Fafnir gave a vague answer.
“That’s… something I learned beforehand.”
Fortunately, Elizabeth didn’t press further.
“Thanks to you, we didn’t waste our time here.”
There was just one condition.
“Then I suppose we must find that pure woman.”
Following Princess Elizabeth’s order, all the female NPCs in the revival army gathered.
The elite knights, the nurses who handled chores, even the priestesses who granted blessings.
“All married women, those with lovers, and all men must leave!”
Watching the bustle, Fafnir thought to himself.
“With this, we’ve almost secured our outpost.”
Deploying NPCs to pass through was unavoidable.
He’d have loved to give the chance to players like Hilde and Sihyun, but unfortunately no player met the conditions.
To pass the unicorns’ test, a player’s overall karma had to exceed 300,000.
“Come, follow me.”
Fafnir, Princess Elizabeth, and the carefully selected women all ascended the mountain.
Soon a mana portal connecting to the upper section appeared. The moment Fafnir stepped through, the upper area materialized instantly.
“Puhihih.”
“These are all of them?”
On the other side of the portal, about ten unicorns had already gathered.
“I will begin the test.”
A slightly larger unicorn than the others approached.
It was a special unicorn with pure white skin and white frost at the tips of its horns.
“Um…”
The unicorn’s legs tensed as it scanned the knights.
“Puhihih! Fail!”
The unicorn kicked mercilessly.
“Ugh!”
“It seems you thought of dozens of men while fighting together. Fail!”
“Th-that’s… While we were fighting together, the muscles of that guy kept flashing in my head…”
The knight lowered his head in shame.
‘No way. Just thinking about it is grounds for failure?’
What kind of test is that?
Fafnir wanted to shout in disbelief.
‘When Flush was here, he passed with a free pass… What kind of saint is that guy…’
In the novel, Flush had passed the unicorns with free passes thanks to the veiled Saint Irene of the Veil Church.
‘It can’t be helped. If luck is lacking, you just have to prepare and display your skills.’
Meanwhile, the unicorn rejected several people by biting or trampling them.
“Fail!”
“Fail!”
Knights, mages, and maids alike were failing left and right.
Even one of the nuns from the Veil Church was among them.
“A nun… is she not pure…?”
As Fafnir muttered, the unicorn rolled its hooves.
“Go! That one is the most lewd!”
“…!”
“Aaah!” The nun’s face flushed red as she bowed her head.
“Fail! I was thinking of my childhood boyfriend back home!”
“Fail! You are…”
“No! What did I do!”
“Women are no different!”
“…!”
The women who failed had to explain every detail to everyone.
Eventually, without needing further questions, many simply left.
How much time had passed?
Fafnir’s expression grew increasingly grim.
‘There are no passers…?’
They only needed one. But none appeared.
Finally, the frosty unicorn rolled its hooves after checking the last person.
“Puhihih. The test is over. You have all failed.”
“…What?!”
Surely not even one out of hundreds! Fafnir pressed his forehead.
That was when…
“Almost. Unicorn.”
Step by step, Princess Elizabeth stepped forward.
“What about me?”
“*Hehehe…*”
The frosty unicorn began eyeing Elizabeth.
Unlike the others, it stared for a long time and even seemed to ponder deeply.
“…Perfect.”
For the first time, the unicorn gave a positive reply.
“Your Highness the Princess!”
“Your Highness the Princess!”
The maids were moved to tears of emotion.
But their relief was premature.
“…There is one small disappointment.”
The frosty unicorn sighed from the heart.
“While almost perfect in every way, there is a fraction lacking.”
“What is it?”
Elizabeth asked, her expression hardening.
The next moment the unicorn answered.
“You love your country. That is why you cannot pass this test.”
“…!”
Among English queens, there was one who had said something similar.
“I have married the nation.”
Even as the queen who remained unmarried her entire life, she was famous as a wise ruler.
Yet somehow it fell short because of that?
“…”
Fafnir was a pro-gamer accustomed to rational judgment over emotion.
Instead of arguing, he summoned Penelope and Bell along with the skeleton soldiers.
‘Even if I kill all the skeleton soldiers, I must protect Princess Elizabeth.’
The frosty unicorn turned its head toward Fafnir and tilted it curiously.
“Um…?”
It approached and glared at Penelope several times.
After a moment, the unicorn bent its legs and sat on the ground.
“Pure maiden, you have passed our test.”
“…What?”
“Your heart is filled with purity and benevolence. Your knowledge of swordsmanship and tactics is complete. Your body is perfectly pure… Everything is perfect.”
“…”
“You are qualified to meet our lord, the divine beast Pegasus.”
Penelope looked at Fafnir in confusion.
“Necromancer.”
“Eh?”
“Explain. What exactly is this unicorn trying to say?”
How should he explain?
Fafnir shrugged and answered after thinking.
“It means that thanks to you, over ten thousand revival army members of the kingdom can now safely establish an outpost.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie.
***
At the summit of Mount Aeolos.
There stood a winged white horse.
It possessed an nobility far beyond ordinary horses and other unicorns.
One of the divine beasts— the divine steed Pegasus.
“*Huu…*”
Fafnir took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Lord Pegasus!”
The Pegasus moved forward cautiously.
*Ugh…! Dark mana…*
The Pegasus glanced sideways before its eyes widened in surprise.
“Still, having passed the unicorns’ test, you do not seem like a bad person.”
Fortunately, the setting matched the novel. Fafnir exhaled in relief.
“I have a request!”
*Request?*
“It’s not free. This is…”
Fafnir offered a shimmering silver herb stem and leaves.
**Um…!* What is this?*
“I happened to obtain it from the north. Perhaps…”
*No. This is my favorite herb. In the past, I ate a meal with it.*
The Pegasus closed its eyes and ate the herb.
*It brings back memories of the past… The times I carried my master through the skies while fighting… Happy times…*
A single tear trickled from between the Pegasus’s closed eyes.
‘Master?’
Fafnir checked the saddle and reins on the Pegasus’s back.
*That’s…*
The moment he reached out, a message appeared.
[Hero’s Reins]
*Current conditions for handling the reins are not met.*
*Conditions:*
*Heroic aura of 300,000 or higher.*
*Holy knight job equipped.*
*Level 400 or higher.*
*Hero’s Trial (Legendary) quest cleared.*
*When wielding the Hero’s Reins, you may become the new master of the divine steed Pegasus.*
“…!”
The conditions for the Legendary quest of the Holy Knights!
‘In the novel’s timeline, it must have expired and disappeared long ago.’
In fact, even in the original novel, Flush never discovered this quest.
Given his absurd luck, it was probably one that had simply expired.
*Even the gift of old memories… and seeing the purity of your companion… I shall grant your request.*
“Actually…”
Fafnir told the Pegasus about the situation of the Baran Kingdom revival army.
After hearing the story, the Pegasus nodded.
“I see. To revive the royal line… It was only natural that you passed the test.”
“Then?”
*The mountain has plenty of space. You may enter and stay. I will lend you my strength until you find the kingdom.*
*Quest condition ‘Finding the Princess’s Hideout’ has been completed.*
*Rewards available from Princess Elizabeth.*
The quest conditions had been fulfilled without issue.
Fafnir sighed in relief.
*Thank goodness I didn’t need the golden reins.*
The golden reins had originally been an item prepared in case Pegasus attacked.
Since the conversation had gone smoothly, they could simply use them elsewhere.
‘The plot has diverged a little from my plans… but my luck held out.’
The biggest gain, of course, was securing the divine steed Pegasus—one of Flush’s hidden pieces—before the enemy could.
‘Now I can head back down, complete the quest, and bring everyone up.’
Once the revival army established an outpost, it would become a new village and safe zone.
A save point, login area, shops for miscellaneous goods and weapon repairs—all possible there.
‘There’s a world of difference between dying and respawning at the base versus here.’
Travel time to other villages would shrink dramatically, along with access to infrastructure and resources.
That time could be spent exploring hidden pieces and hunting instead.
‘It turned out even better than expected.’
That was when Fafnir was pondering his next move.
The Pegasus, who had been staring at Penelope, opened its mouth.
“But, knight Penelope, do you know about the seal on your body?”
“Seal…?”
*Yes. It is a very firm and strong seal. Perhaps it is not a seal, but something that remains after being chipped away.*
Suddenly, Fafnir smelled the hidden piece and hastily interjected.
“Lord Pegasus, there is something I sense. Could you explain in more detail?”
The Pegasus closed its eyes for a moment before continuing.
“Necromancer, a seal has been placed upon this knight. Whether you break it or not is your choice. However, if you need greater power, breaking the seal would be the better option.”
“I understand.”
*I am not omniscient. But… the mana residue I sense from that seal makes me suspicious.*
The Pegasus looked eastward.
“Go to Lake Oz in the central continent. There is a connection there that can break this knight’s seal.”
*A new quest has been generated: ‘Penelope’s Seal 1 (Unique)’*
**Title: Penelope’s Seal 1** **Grade: Unique**
**Objectives:** - Visit Lake Oz (0/1)
**Description:** A seal has been placed upon knight Penelope. The only clue to breaking this seal lies at Lake Oz.
**Rewards:** Experience, linked quest
*This time my luck held out too.*
*Power-up event!*
Caught off guard by the unexpected gain, Fafnir let out a small surprised laugh.
**# I Became a Necromancer Villain in a Game Novel**