A Fool's Resurrection

The battle ended in a flash, culminating in Kaen's swift victory.

"Whew... I completely ruined my clothes."

The blood mage had tried to gather blood and detonate it at the last second to obscure her vision, but it hadn't worked very well. As a result, Kaen was completely drenched in blood. Fortunately, she had anticipated something like this and brought a change of clothes, so she wasn't too bothered.

Taking a clean cloth from me, Kaen wiped her face.

I really hope she doesn't dig too deep into who her master is...

Fortunately, the Sword Saint had no children. Sierra knew this as well. Since Kaen and the Sword Saint shared not a single drop of blood, Sierra hadn't even come close to guessing that her master was the Sword Saint.

Now, it was time to collect the reward. It wasn't something I needed to use; rather, it was a reward to give to Kaen. It would serve as a stepping stone to utilize the 'Kaen Chance' more effectively in the future. But before that, there was something to be done.

"Lady Kaen, what is the very first thing one should do after defeating a blood mage in their hideout?"

"Hmm... Should we check for the presence of a bloodstone?"

"Half-correct. Please look for the bloodstone. I will search to see if there are any bodies of the victims."

After that brief exchange, we split up and searched the hideout. Well, as I already knew, there were no bodies. Even in the game, there was nothing of the sort when visiting this place. It was probably best not to imagine how he had disposed of the corpses once they were completely drained of blood.

I grabbed the reward intended for Kaen and immediately returned to her side.

"I found the bloodstone," Kaen said.

In her hand was a small, reddish pebble.

"To be precise, it should be called Vampiric Iron before it becomes a bloodstone. Could you hand it to me?"

I took the Vampiric Iron from Kaen, bit my finger, and smeared my blood onto it. Soon, the Vampiric Iron let out a low hum before shattering into fine dust.

"Bloodstones require specific recipes to form. If blood that doesn't follow the recipe is introduced, it shatters like this. Their dreams, their futile desires, are broken."

Kaen nodded slowly as she listened to my explanation. Watching her, I continued.

"The recipe won't be here. Blood mages are inherently distrustful of others, so they have a habit of never keeping written records."

Having finished my explanation, I tossed an object to her.

"What is this...? A ring...?"

Kaen caught the ring I threw and stared at it intently.

"I couldn't find any bodies... but I found this instead. It seems to be imbued with magic. Since we solved the problem, shouldn't we get a reward?"

It was a ring that slightly increased attack power, but it wouldn't be of much help to me. As I handed the reward to Kaen, my mind drifted to the reward I needed to obtain for myself.

The Lich. It was a matter concerning its reward.

It was one day before the Black Blood Trio and Mikhail, the commander of Polwin, were scheduled to leave the fortress. In other words, it was also the day before the Lich was to be resurrected.

Having returned from an uneventful night patrol, I had skipped my daytime sleep to investigate the Lich.

The book written in the demonic tongue was useful regardless of whether I aimed for a complete resurrection or not. It made cleaning up afterward overwhelmingly convenient.

However, I had never faced a fully resurrected Lich even in the game. Setting aside the fact that the rewards would be better... it also meant the creature would be far more dangerous.

Ultimately, it was a question of whether I could handle it on my own.

According to my plan, I would climb the snowy mountain and eliminate the Lich the moment it resurrected. As long as I didn't die to it, the Lich would have no chance to harm anyone else.

Furthermore, I had absolutely no intention of dying or letting others get hurt due to my own greed.

With very little time left before the demon god worshiper resurrected the Lich, I needed to conduct some preliminary research on what the Lich was like before it was frozen.

The Lich's reign of terror in the North was a story from decades ago. Therefore... I had to meet elders who had personally lived through that era.

But they couldn't just be ordinary citizens. They had to be martial artists, or at least soldiers.

Thus, after asking around among the soldiers, I managed to find an old man who had been a seasoned veteran but was now retired. He had been an Imperial soldier and had joined the Allied Forces after the outbreak of the war before finally retiring.

"...Did you ask how strong the Lich of that era was?"

"Yes. I heard talk of the Lich while out on patrol, and it made me curious. I thought perhaps you might know something about it, elder."

"Haha, the Lich... quite a nostalgic fellow... You're in luck. I was actually there when we subjugated the Lich back then."

"Really?"

The old man stroked his beard with a warm smile, seemingly pleased by my curiosity.

"You do know that Liches are divided into different ranks, right...?"

"There are Liches turned into undead by demons, and Archliches who became undead on their own, right?"

Indeed. Liches in this world were broadly divided into two categories.

Those who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠became undead after being granted power by demons, and those who walked the path of the undead entirely on their own without borrowing anyone else's strength.

The latter, in particular, was called an 'Archlich'—a being on a completely different level from a normal Lich.

There was a massive difference between a standard Lich and an Archlich: the presence of a 'Life Vessel'.

An Archlich would hide a vessel containing its life force or soul—known as a 'Life Vessel'—in a place where no one could ever find it. As long as this Life Vessel remained intact, the Archlich could resurrect at any time, in any way.

However, this Life Vessel was also the Archlich's weakness. No matter how immortal or deathless the Archlich claimed to be, if the Life Vessel was damaged, it would easily perish.

"Aye. I still remember what that bastard used to babble. 'If only I had a damn Life Vessel!' Why on earth he fell for the wicked tongues of those demons... Even thinking back on it now, he was a truly foolish bastard, hahaha."

"Haha, that is... quite a hilarious fellow."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chimed in, letting out a hearty chuckle. The Lich I had to defeat this time was not an Archlich. It was merely a Lich that had foolishly joined hands with demons to become undead. That was why it could be killed by Aisin's ice magic alone.

"Aye. He was ignorant... arrogant... and needlessly talkative. He'd literally announce where and how he was going to attack... Even that notoriously quiet Aisin fellow told him to shut his damn mouth, so you can imagine how bad it was."

The old man took a swig of the premium liquor I had bought him. As I continued our conversation, I compared his description with the Lich I had faced in the game.

It seems it will be exactly twice as strong.

Even if it resurrected in a perfect state, it didn't seem like any special new patterns would be added. It was simply a matter of its magic being more potent. At that level, I judged that I could easily handle it on my own.

The second boss, the Lich, was both undead and a black mage. Focusing on the fact that it was a mage, I possessed Dispel to negate its magic, and considering it was undead, I had the Necklace of the Hero's Protection.

The necklace was particularly reassuring. It was, after all, the protection of a 'Hero'. It was an easy trick to learn from the game: if you obtained this necklace from the Labyrinth beforehand, defeating the next ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠boss, the Lich, became incredibly easy.

If it were a demon, it might have some resistance to the light attribute, making it a bit tougher. But the Lich in the game, being a mere undead, could not withstand the Hero's protection.

Furthermore, I had Reverse Heaven. If I used the Second Form, I could even amplify the necklace's effects. On top of that, I had its attack patterns memorized to a tee.

"Why don't you have a drink as well? Aren't you on the night patrol anyway?"

"Ah, I don't handle alcohol very well. I am fine, thank you."

"A pity."

Afterward, I shared a bit more casual conversation with the old man. It was mostly me listening to his stories, but he seemed thoroughly satisfied with just that. On my way back after wrapping up the conversation, Sierra materialized in front of me in an empty alleyway and spoke.

"Yes. I plan to return the book to its owner. I've already figured out who they are."

Now, it was time to subjugate the Lich. I was aiming for the complete reward, not an incomplete one.

A man stood before a massive block of ice halfway up the snowy mountain. Today was the day he had been waiting and waiting for.

Reflected in his eyes was the figure of the Lich, frozen and dead inside the ice. A black mage turned undead by borrowing the power of demons.

He believed that he, an apostle serving the Demon God Helgenas, and the black mage who became a Lich through demons, shared a similar nature.

Resurrect the Lich and strike a blow to Fortress Polwin. That was the order handed down to him by the 'Dark Cult' to which he belonged.

Fortress Polwin was no easy target. Even if the Lich were resurrected, it would never be able to completely destroy it. Although he didn't fully understand the intentions of his superiors, they had said that dealing a blow would be enough.

He did not bother to question the order. He firmly believed that, in the end, everything would unfold according to the will of the Demon God Helgenas.

To think that the commander would leave the fortress so soon after his arrival at Polwin... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠He was certain this was a divine revelation from the Demon God.

However, there was one problem.

"Of all times to lose the book... A complete resurrection will be difficult, but this should still be enough..."

The man muttered quietly in front of the block of ice. He had lost the book required to resurrect the Lich.

He had likely lost it while being chased by the yeti. The existence of a yeti hideout nearby was information he hadn't heard yet.

A yeti... With his frail physical body, there was no way he could ever fight one. Although he had somehow managed to escape the rampaging beast with his life, he had been unable to retrieve the book.

Fortunately, he had memorized the crucial passages. The process he had to follow now was simple. He just had to place his hand on the ice block trapping the Lich and chant the demonic incantation.

Soon, his hand touched the cold ice. Just as he was about to open his mouth to chant the spell, he sensed a presence behind him. Someone was approaching.

Today is a rest day for the patrol squads, so there shouldn't be anyone coming here...?

He hurriedly turned his head to identify the intruder. What met his eyes was a man with a stark white blindfold wrapped around his eyes. An academy cadet visiting Polwin on a field trip.

"Zeto... How are you here...?"

"To think we'd meet in a place like this, Buckland. Isn't today your day off?"

Buckland was flustered. Why had Zeto come here? Why on earth would he seek out this snowy mountain, this specific block of ice, on a rare day of rest?

However, his confusion did not last long. A highly suggestive remark slipped from Zeto's lips.

"Or should I call you... Apostle... instead of Buckland?"

"You... what is your identity...?"

Buckland immediately drew a sharp dagger from his breast pocket as he spoke. However, Zeto's next words were entirely unexpected.

"For the Demon God Helgenas..."

"...be praised."

For the Demon God Helgenas, be praised. Having completed the short phrase with Zeto, Buckland wondered if this man named Zeto was also an apostle of the Demon God, just like him.

Yet, Buckland did not let his guard down. He had never heard of or seen a blind apostle in the cult.

As silence stretched between them, Zeto reached into his coat and pulled something out. Buckland flinched instinctively. Zeto was a man of monstrous strength, someone on a completely different level who had torn a yeti's throat open with a single strike.

"You left this behind. It is an important item, so you shouldn't lose it, should you?"

What he held out to Buckland was a book. It was the very book he had received from the cult, containing the demonic incantations to resurrect the Lich.

Buckland took the book in a daze. However, the question marks on his face did not fade.

"I figured that if you were to resurrect the Lich, it would surely be today. Fortunately, it seems I am not too late."

"Then you are also like me..."

"Yes, indeed. Given the nature of the place I've infiltrated... it makes sense we haven't crossed paths before."

Only then did Buckland understand. The reason why he hadn't recognized Zeto despite him being a fellow apostle of the Demon God. The cult had infiltrated an apostle into Innocence Academy.

If Zeto's identity were exposed, it would cause a massive uproar. Even the cult wouldn't escape unscathed. Because the risk was so high, they had kept his identity strictly under wraps.

Buckland, deeply moved by the sheer grandeur of the cult, let out a chuckle and spoke.

"Haha... To think they infiltrated an apostle into the academy... In any case, thank you. Thanks to you, I can resurrect the Lich in its perfect state."

"I won't report this mistake. Please be more careful next time. The beastkin who was with me almost discovered this book."

Buckland nodded slightly and placed his hand back on the ice block. Finally, it was time for the Lich to resurrect.

Buckland read through the difficult demonic language, chanting the incantation. By the time he had finished reciting the contents of the small book—

Rumble!

Crack... Crack...

Immediately, the block of ice began to vibrate as cracks spread across its surface.

"It's a success! I resurrected the Lich!"

Buckland shouted in sheer excitement, looking back at Zeto. In contrast, Zeto's expression remained completely flat. Was it because he was blind and couldn't witness this spectacle? Or was a mere Lich simply not enough to surprise him?

Soon, Zeto looked toward Buckland and asked.

"...So, is the resurrection complete now?"

"Yes! Soon, the Lich will completely shatter the ice and descend upon Polwin. We should escape now. I plan to leave Polwin immediately."

"That is good to hear. Hmm... Buckland, I have one last thing to say to you."

"Huh?"

"The book. You must absolutely never lose it again, okay?"

"Ah, don't worry about that."

Buckland replied as he carefully tucked the book back into his coat.

Is he scolding me, even though we succeeded in a perfect resurrection thanks to him?

Just as Buckland was grumbling to himself—

Shlick.

The sound of a sword being unsheathed rang out.

And Buckland's head flew into the air.

"..."

Flicking the blood off his blade, Zeto stood quietly before the cracking, crumbling block of ice. He calmly awaited the Lich.

Atop the walls of Polwin, during the sleepiest hour right after lunch. Lucia was yawning on the ramparts.

"Yaaawn... I'm so sleepy..."

"..."

Standing beside her, Orphel stared down the wall without a single reaction. Orphel had never been one to pay much attention to Lucia.

Assigned to the wall patrol, the two of them were idly passing the time.

"The view is quite nice today, probably because it's not snowing heavily."

Lucia forced her heavy eyelids open, taking in the northern scenery. As she did, something on the snowy mountain caught her eye. She spotted a strange block of ice.

Curious, Lucia asked a nearby guard.

"Excuse me, what is that over there on the mountain...?"

"Ah, the weather is clear enough to see that far today. That's the grave of the Lich that died decades ago."

"A-A Lich...?"

"Yeah. It's a block of ice created when they defeated the Lich decades ago. Orphel, you know about it, right?"

Listening to the conversation between Lucia and the guard, Orphel nodded. Finally, the silent Orphel opened his mouth to speak.

"...I've heard of it at least once in my family. They were very proud of it, calling it the ice that would never melt."

"Really? That's amazing, for it to remain unbroken for decades...?!"

Lucia spoke to Orphel with sparkling eyes. Orphel stared at her blankly before replying flatly.

"The ice of the Aisin family does not break easily."

"Hehe... That's so cool..."

Lucia leaned over the edge of the wall to admire the block of ice. Just then, a loud rumbling sound began to echo from the distance.

Rumbleeeee...

Just hearing the sound made it difficult to tell exactly what was happening.

"What is that sound...?"

"There shouldn't be any construction today."

"Find out what's going on, quickly."

The guards on the wall began to grow restless. To Lucia's ears, the sound was definitely coming from the snowy mountain.

Rumbleeeee...

Soon, Lucia witnessed the block of ice halfway up the mountain shattering.

"Um... Mr. Orphel..."

"What is it?"

Orphel tilted his head and approached Lucia. Lucia, her mouth hanging wide open, silently pointed toward the mountain. Only then did Orphel see the block of ice shattering.

"Over there... the block of ice... it broke...?"