Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Cluster of Stars in the Night Sky is the Tears of God (1)
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“How about making Pippin my escort knight instead?”
Innate talent, blind loyalty, and pure respect.
Once the thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t resist the temptation. If I snatched him from the crown prince and made him my right-hand man?
Yes, I’d take him. And once he’d outlived his usefulness, I’d dispose of him. A steadfast loyalist would follow my order to commit seppuku. Not a bad deal. Turning a hero into a limb of mine.
I still wasn’t a skilled necromancer. The magical beast subjugation would come soon, and I needed something to fill the gap in my own combat power.
There was plenty of room for excuses. I’d come here under the pretext of bringing an ‘escort knight’ anyway.
The next moment, Lecrophadas roared again. Without flinching, I grabbed the horn of the verdant fiend. I meant to head toward it. If Pippin was already dead and sprawled out, I had to at least pick up that summon. Otherwise, I’d regret it.
Just as I was about to mount the verdant fiend, a dull voice shattered the taut tension.
[I’m hungry. Aren’t you eating more magical beasts? Necromancer, aren’t you eating more magical beasts?]
“What?”
It didn’t seem frightened even after seeing Lecrophadas. It even lifted a hind leg to scratch its belly. It wagged its tail leisurely from side to side, eyeing me casually. So relaxed.
Only then did I sense something off.
It was true that I’d felt the intense demonic energy. And Lecrophadas rampaging ferociously in the distance was plain to see. Humans, myself included, were clutching our trembling legs to stay upright. Even the valiant Kaku was pale with fear.
But….
“When the leaves rustled earlier, not a single bird fled.”
When Pippin had been slaughtering the magical beasts, the forest creatures had been scrambling to hide. Yet when Lecrophadas roared, it was eerily silent. The only ones terrified were the near-dead mercenaries and me.
“Where are the ant familiars right now, I wonder?”
Checking my status window, I found a message I hadn’t noticed.
[Sugar Lord’s Message: Missing the token of loyalty.]
[Sweet Swarm’s Message: Want sweets too. Sweets, sweets.]
“Ha…. Ridiculous.”
Even the familiars showed no sign of fear.
To avoid being crushed by Lecrophadas’s majesty, I desperately climbed atop the Door of Death. Gripping its horn tightly with both hands like a rope, I gritted my teeth and asked.
“Hey, aren’t you scared? Of Lecrophadas. That magical beast over there. Its presence alone feels like it could knock me out any second. Looks like some over there have already passed out.”
[Hmph. Idiot. Idiot. Humans are foolish.]
The Door of Death lifted its head high, blinking its countless eyes irregularly. The grotesque sight momentarily made me forget my fear of Lecrophadas.
[Open your eyes.]
At its curt words, I snapped to attention and straightened my back. At the same moment, I activated the Black Eyes skill. In the familiar distorted world, the massive monster at the forest’s center had vanished.
The truly frightened ones were just the humans. Animal familiars roamed leisurely around us. Two goat familiars were even headbutting the Door of Death.
In Lecrophadas’s vanished spot, a new scene had taken over. The forest was unchanged, no felled trees. Instead, between the towering leaves, white clumps leaped up like dolphins.
Golden sharp lights shot up this way and that, as if piercing through the clouds.
Was that light Pippin’s mana? If so, Pippin hadn’t died. He was still fighting.
“Illusion Dragon, Lecrophadas.”
Only then did I realize.
“It was all an illusion!”
I turned to Kaku. He lay collapsed with the mercenaries, hands over his ears.
Writhing from Lecrophadas’s fake roar.
The mercenaries wailed things like “We’re done for,” or thrashed as if already beaten by Lecrophadas.
“Illusions are Lecrophadas’s survival strategy. Which means its real body probably isn’t that impressive.”
I cheerfully slapped the Door of Death.
“Let’s go!”
We dashed toward Pippin. But we hadn’t gone far before Kaku blocked our path. He threw himself in front of me. His ears were soaked in blood. Lecrophadas’s illusions could inflict real damage.
If I hadn’t used Black Eyes, I’d have been completely fooled and writhed in pain too.
“You can’t go.”
Kaku blocked me with terrified eyes but unwavering resolve. Yet the sight wasn’t righteous or cool.
I could see the horde of human familiars clinging to Kaku’s back. As a necromancer, I felt their negative emotions pouring out plainly.
Clear resentment, anger, mockery.
The familiars mocked Kaku’s sense of justice. They were the ones his justice couldn’t protect, sacrificed to Kaku.
“Move.”
“No.”
“The reason I’ve kept you alive so far is that I haven’t needed to kill you yet. But now, a reason’s about to appear.”
“Lord Duke!”
His limbs trembled, but he didn’t budge.
“Get off the verdant fiend. That thing, that’s a dangerous magical beast. Once, in my foolishness, I thought I could control those monsters and use them for our lives. Many sacrificed due to my misjudgment. I can’t let that happen again!”
“If you’re done talking, now, move.”
“If you don’t back off, I’ll tell everyone you’re a necromancer.”
Kaku had played a pretty tricky card. Being a necromancer as a duke wasn’t just a handicap—it was a weakness. The church and imperial family wouldn’t leave a ‘Necromancer Duke’ alone.
“I thought you were too busy playacting the good guy, but you know how to exploit weaknesses?”
“Provoking me won’t work.”
“Hypocrite.”
Amid it all, the Door of Death snorted grumpily.
[I sense it. Lecrophadas’s kin. Smell of kin. Smell of home. I want to go. Necromancer, can’t I trample the human?]
“Wait a bit. I’ll think of a sane way instead of you, brainless one.”
Lecrophadas’s true form was surely nothing special, as I thought. I trusted Pippin could hold out. Somehow. Irresponsible, baseless speculation, but somehow that idiot would be fine.
And innocently waiting for me.
“I’ll praise you for figuring out I’m a necromancer—not being an idiot. But you have a weakness too.”
I continued with a grin.
“Fine if Pippin finds out? That you summoned magical beasts with the verdant fiend? And that one of them chomped up his last remaining family?”
Kaku’s face filled with horror. Landing a blow on him felt pretty good, so I decided to share what I knew.
“Phoibe was eaten by the verdant fiend. That guy passed out over there tried to kill you. He got done in while trying to report it.”
“Phoibe…. I was sure it was an accident…. Phoibe too, because of me….”
“What if Pippin learns this? Pippin’s pure and kind. Knows nothing of the world’s horrors. You’ve shielded him from its darkness all this time.”
Kaku’s eyes wavered. He was enduring Lecrophadas’s illusion attack without Black Eyes. Holding out like this was bad for both of us.
If there’s a whip, there must be a carrot.
“I’ll protect it. Pippin’s innocence.”
“…Lord Duke….”
“I’ll join your lie, so he can stay naive like now. Pippin doesn’t need to know anything. I’m going to save him now.”
Though I didn’t think he was in real danger.
“I need this verdant fiend. Pure and kind like Pippin. Ugly, though.”
[I…. am ugly…?]
“So, Kaku. Move. We’re in the same boat. Confident you can beat Lecrophadas? With those ragtag losers sprawled around?”
Still mounted on the Door of Death, I approached Kaku. He couldn’t block or yield. He looked utterly exhausted.
I wiped the blood dripping from his ear with the back of my hand, then rubbed it onto the Door of Death. Leaning close to his cleaned ear, I whispered.
“But you know, this has to stay our secret, right? Too many ears, and secrets get out eventually. I don’t like uncertainty.”
Kaku’s gaze turned to the fallen mercenaries. Tears welled in his rugged face.
“I’ll give you a chance to atone for a new sin.”
At my offer, he replied softly and calmly.
“The one who handed the verdant fiend to the Slos Mercenaries was a young necromancer. He called himself the ‘Apostle.’ That’s definitely who summoned this monster. Be careful. A dangerous one whose intentions are unknowable.”
Apostle? First time hearing the title. A name, maybe?
Kaku apologized, saying he’d washed his hands of it long ago and knew nothing more.
Then added.
“Young Lord Duke, you’re the most cruel and kind person I’ve ever met.”
“Thanks for the praise. Don’t like it, though.”
“When you go, don’t look back.”
“See ya.”
With that, I spurred the Door of Death into a run.
Human screams rose one after another behind me. But they didn’t last long, and no new familiar’s energy bubbled up. Clean work, like a slaughterer.
Its trait was ‘coup de grâce,’ right? Suited it well.
Racing through the forest toward Pippin, the Door of Death kept muttering excitedly.
[I sense it. Necromancer. Stronger than you. Scent of home. Scent of home. Smells delicious too.]
Repeating ‘scent of home,’ I wondered if other verdant fiends lurked nearby. As we ran, it drooled profusely, leaving a trail like Hansel and Gretel.
“Stop drooling so much. Gross, seriously.”
[Close now. Close!]
“Pippin? Where’s Pippin?”
[There!]
The Door of Death leaped high like flying, clearing obstacles, and landed at a spot.
Scrrch—scraping sand with its claws to stop, it scratched its neck and cried out.
[Delicious smell.]
Same as before. Magical beast corpses packed everywhere, impossible to walk. Like exploded chewed gum, debris everywhere. No room to step.
“Uh….”
To be precise, amid the chaos, the Door of Death had just eaten the meat at its feet, making just enough space to step.
“Hey, gluttony’s one thing, but this is too much…. No. Eat. Gotta bulk up that ugly body to get sturdy.”
As I wiped its mouth, careless—
“Kyaaaaah!”