Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Wandering Necromancer
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Red shadow bats circled the sky.
Leyzon, who had safely escaped the Floating Island, returned to Swordless Village.
He still had unfinished business, after all.
"Hanok."
Leyzon handed over the flower he had stored in his bag.
In the courtyard of the house where Old Man Lebon had lived long ago.
There stood a gravestone that no one else knew about.
It was the burial place of Old Man Lebon's grandson.
Even though dementia had stolen his memories, the area around the stone was pristine, as if it had been meticulously maintained all that time.
Hanok picked up the flower found on the Floating Island and approached the gravestone.
His face was filled with sorrow and a mix of emotions.
Hanok had experienced losing family—not once, but twice.
His birth parents and adoptive parents.
Having lost both, he understood the pain of losing family better than anyone.
"Grandpa Lebon risked his life to bring this flower for you."
Hanok carefully dug into the earth and planted the flower on top.
It was a spot that got plenty of sunlight.
The flower shimmered in rainbow hues under the light.
It seemed to be growing just fine, without any issues.
"Syria."
At Leyzon's call, Syria raised shadows.
The shadows soon dug a hole next to the grandson's, large enough for a person to lie in.
Leyzon gently laid Lebon, whose eyes were peacefully closed, beside it.
Soft soil covered him over.
Everyone returns to the earth upon death.
'At least he's buried next to his beloved grandson.'
He could rest easy now.
Leyzon patted Hanok's head and turned away.
"Lord Leyzon, welcome back safely."
Five members had come out to greet Leyzon's group.
While Leyzon was away from the Floating Island, the five had stayed in Swordless Village, focusing on gathering information.
They had waited deliberately, unsure when the ancient dragon might arrive.
"There's something I need to report."
The five approached cautiously.
Leyzon nodded, already anticipating what they would say.
"The Bloodless Sovereign has appeared, hasn't she?"
"As expected, you and Lord Leyzon had already discussed it."
The five wore uneasy expressions.
As the emperor's sword, the five had navigated the underworld for years.
They knew exactly what kind of person the Bloodless Sovereign was.
Even the five shuddered at her eccentricity.
"Don't worry. She won't cause any trouble."
The Bloodless Sovereign was a woman who kept her deals impeccably.
At Leyzon's assurance, the five relaxed their faces.
"Yes, if it's your judgment, Lord Leyzon, then it should be fine."
The five decided to trust Leyzon's call.
"Any other suspicious activity?"
"A necromancer showed up in Swordless Village. Seems like a mid-tier pioneer, so nothing to worry about."
Leyzon's eyes gleamed quietly.
"...Did that guy seem to have undead creation skills, by any chance?"
"Not sure on the details, but he was dragging around corpses as porters."
The corner of Leyzon's mouth slowly curved upward.
Just when he needed one, the perfect candidate had appeared.
'You adorable little luck bug.'
He'd spoil him rotten.
A boy still in his late teens, young and inexperienced.
His name was Badora.
He was a traveling merchant peddling goods from village to village in the borderlands.
He had one secret that no one else knew.
His ever-reliable bodyguard, Charles, who always stood by his side, was not a living person—he was an undead.
Charles had once been a bandit who attacked him long ago.
The bandit Charles had stolen Badora's goods.
He planned to drag Badora off and sell him into slavery.
But misfortune struck: the two were caught in a landslide.
Charles and Badora plummeted off a cliff.
Charles died on impact.
Badora's legs were shattered.
In desperation to survive, Badora pulled a skillbook from Charles's stolen bag.
A skill that revived the dead as undead minions.
Call of the Dead [B].
Badora raised Charles as an undead.
Thanks to that, he escaped the cliff and survived after a harrowing ordeal.
The problem was the side effect of learning necromancy.
His eyes turned a ashen gray.
'I've already become a necromancer.'
It was a desperate act for survival—no choice.
He disguised himself simply to cover his eyes.
And to evade the empire's gaze, he stuck to peddling in the borderlands.
This life was decent enough to get by.
Plus, Charles made for a sturdy bodyguard.
Most bandits took one look at Charles and backed off.
And so, merchant Badora arrived this time in Swordless Village.
Swordless Village was so remote.
The villagers readily bought the goods Badora brought.
"Oh, Badora. Hard work again today, eh?"
"Haha, Uncle, if you know it's hard work, buy a lot. I suffered hauling dried fish all the way here."
"Heh, sometimes I crave fresh fish."
"If rotten fish is fine, I can get you some."
Badora chatted amiably with the villagers as he sold his wares.
A while later, with his pockets full, Badora packed up his stall.
Good sales today, too.
"Charles."
At Badora's call, Charles gathered the remaining goods and stowed them in the backpack.
It was a necromancy skill learned for survival, but having Charles made life incredibly convenient.
'Necromancers might be the perfect fit for merchants.'
No need to risk his own body.
Even helped with the heavy lifting.
"Maybe I should learn more necromancer skills."
As he muttered to himself and turned into an alley toward the inn.
"Good idea. Necromancer skills have plenty of uses."
The sudden voice made Badora's back stiffen.
Chills ran down his spine as he whipped his head around.
There stood a half dark elf.
Unlike typical dark elves, the man's fierce face grinned while leaning against the wall.
Badora had sharp observation skills.
There had been no one there moments ago.
He had appeared out of nowhere.
'Damn it, why'd I mutter out loud.'
Badora forced down his panic and flashed a merchant's smile.
"Haha, necromancer? You must've misheard."
"Really? With a corpse standing right behind you. Misheard, huh."
The man stroked his chin, eyeing Charles intently.
Badora's lips quivered.
No way.
'Is this guy imperial army?'
The empire was rounding up all necromancers.
Badora knew this well, which was why he operated in the borderlands.
If this man was imperial...
'As a necromancer, I'm dead meat.'
Badora's eyes flicked to Charles.
Making his decision, Badora twisted his body sharply.
"Charles!"
At his call, Charles lunged at the man.
Meanwhile, Badora bolted for his life.
But it was only for a moment.
Whirr—whirr—whirr—
Badora realized his feet were moving furiously, yet he wasn't advancing.
His feet were trapped in red shadows.
Badora's face drained of color.
The shadows were like quicksand.
No matter how he struggled, they wouldn't let go.
"Ch-Charles."
"Grrrk... grrrk."
Badora spotted Charles pinned to the wall by a mass of straw.
Charles couldn't move, crushed by the straw pouring from the man's body.
Weeeeng—
A creepy buzzing filled Badora's ears.
A winged ant had landed before him.
Small as it was, it was the most ominous thing in Badora's life.
"Your reaction says you're not one of those Resonance World necromancers."
The man's voice echoed again.
Badora trembled violently and bowed low.
"S-Sorry! I'm just a lowly traveling merchant! The necromancer skill—I only learned it out of necessity after getting caught in an accident! Please, I beg you, spare me!"
Badora burst into heaving sobs.
Tears streamed like rivers.
The man blinked wide-eyed, then scratched his head awkwardly.
"...Uh, I didn't mean to scare you that much. Just wanted to make a deal."
"Your approach was all wrong."
Five, who had appeared beside the man—Leyzon—said quietly.
Hanok nodded in agreement with Five's words.
Since entering Dungeon Replay.
Leyzon, being a necromancer, hadn't had normal conversations.
He had forgotten how to talk without intimidating people.
'Such is my fate.'
At least no one would underestimate him on first impressions.
Good things were good, right?
Leyzon smiled wryly.
After soothing the terrified, sobbing Badora.
Leyzon bought him camel milk from a nearby shop to calm him down.
Badora still looked frightened, but he realized Leyzon held no malice and gradually relaxed.
"As I said earlier, I'm a necromancer like you."
With his short bag strap, Badora hadn't noticed at first.
But once calmed, he realized Leyzon was one too.
No reason for fellow necromancers to harm each other.
Badora's face eased a bit.
"Does a fellow necromancer have business with me?"
Badora asked cautiously, then thought of something.
"Oh, if it's about the Moving Black Castle, I don't know anything either."
Swordless Village was the last known sighting of the Moving Black Castle.
Necromancers occasionally visited for info.
It was the only thing a necromancer might ask another about.
Hearing this, Leyzon blinked.
Then he glanced sideways.
There was an ant munching on the cookies Leyzon had bought it.
A regal ant with a prominent crown.
"No worries. That's already handled."
Badora tilted his head.
What did "already handled" mean?
But his merchant instincts screamed not to dig deeper.
Badora shut his mouth.
"What I want is your help with the skill that raises the dead as undead."
Leyzon snapped his fingers.
A small poison orb formed in his hand.
"I'm a poison necromancer, so I can't use corpse-raising skills."
"...Poison necromancer?"
Doubt filled Badora's eyes.
The shadows and straw earlier didn't scream poison necromancer.
But if he said so, no point prying.
"Help me out, and I'll reward you generously. You mentioned wanting to learn more necromancer skills, right? I can introduce you to one who used to teach them."
"Ah, sure."
Badora replied blankly.
He had no clue what situation he was in.
He just vaguely thought he'd met an unusual necromancer.
"Yeah, sounds good. No reason not to help if there's a reward."
Badora had been scared of Leyzon at first, but he turned out surprisingly gentlemanly.
Not a bad guy after all.
"Thanks. Fellow necromancers gotta stick together."
Leyzon smiled gently.
The naive Badora smiled back.
But those who knew the truth behind Leyzon's smile couldn't join in.
Behind them, Hanok whispered to Five.
"Hey, Five. A necromancer teacher..."
"...The Gray Mage Tower master, no doubt."
Five closed his eyes quietly.
Hanok gave a pitying smile.
They could only hope the young necromancer navigated what lay ahead unscathed.