The Vessel
"Shall we move somewhere else first?"
"Ah, yes."
I walked with Con toward the hills behind the castle.
"First, please attune it."
"Attune it?"
"Yes. Simply place your hand on the Vessel and channel your mana into it."
"Ah, I see."
Following Con's advice, I poured mana into the Vessel. A strange resonance hummed from within.
Woom—
The change came immediately after.
"Oh."
The Vessel rose into the air, emitting an eerie mana wavelength. Just like a drone.
[Fascinating.]
Right?
The Vessel followed my movements at a fixed distance, as if it possessed a will of its own. How should I put it? There was something romantic about this Vessel. Just having it trailing along would provide considerable psychological satisfaction.
Of course, the Vessel's functions didn't end there.
"The functions I've granted the Vessel fall into three main categories."
"Three of them!"
Those functions were as follows: Storage, Domination, and Command.
First, Storage.
"Since we used a core as the material, it can naturally store mana. But not just mana."
"Then what else?"
"It would be faster to try it yourself… First, try storing some mana."
"Alright."
I placed my hand on the Vessel and channeled mana into it. Lights flickered on across the circuits on its surface — just like a battery charge indicator.
"The mana went in, yes? Now, would you summon an undead? Preferably Tiktak."
Tiktak?
Puzzled, I reverse-summoned Tiktak and then summoned it before me again.
Tiktak?
Suddenly yanked from the training grounds, Tiktak tilted its head in confusion.
"Have Tiktak try channeling holy power into the Vessel."
Is that even possible?
"Tiktak, want to give it a try?"
Tiktak.
Tiktak nodded and placed its hand on the Vessel. Then something remarkable happened. Yes.
Tss, tsszzzzz—!
Tiktak's holy power began seeping into the Vessel! At the same time, just as when mana had been poured in, the Vessel's circuits lit up — this time in white.
What this meant was simple.
It can store mana and holy power… simultaneously?
Yes. The true horizon of a Holy Necromancer had opened.
Half-dazed by a function that exceeded all expectations, I listened as our kindly merchant Con continued his explanation.
"Do you see the four circuits here?"
"Yes."
"Circuit One has lit up blue, Circuit Two white. That means Storage One holds mana, and Storage Two holds holy power."
"Then…"
"In theory, it can store four different types of energy."
Four of them. Of course, beyond mana and holy power I wasn't sure what other forces there were to store, but it was an extremely useful function either way.
But wait a moment.
"Could I store the same attribute in all four storage compartments?"
"Of course. If you keep channeling energy, it will automatically fill empty storage units."
"Oh."
So let's see.
With four storage units, I can store two of mana and two of holy power.
The question was capacity…
"How much can each hold?"
"Do you know the units for measuring mana capacity?"
"No."
"Then let me explain in simpler terms. Based on the results from the slate measurement last time, if we take your mana capacity as 1, each storage unit can hold 1.5 units of mana."
[So that's 6 Khtuns.]
Ancestor…?
Using a person as a unit of measurement? Not even an undead?
After a brief moment of horror at this inhumane practice, I could freshly appreciate just how fine a product this Vessel was.
6 Khtuns.
In other words, my combat endurance had just increased sixfold!
And that wasn't all.
"Moving on to the next function. This is 'Domination.'"
"Domination…"
"Do you have any undead besides Tiktak?"
"Yes."
I immediately summoned a Core Skeleton from my subspace.
"Ooh, a Core Skeleton. And a non-mediated one at that. The core itself serves as the medium… That costs more mana, but it's convenient for maintenance. I caught a glimpse of it that day, and it truly is remarkable."
"Ah, thank you."
"So how many of these skeletons can you command?"
"Thirty."
"Then let's bring them all out."
"Alright."
I promptly summoned all thirty. It took roughly ten seconds.
[If you can cut that down further, do so. Ten seconds is quite a long time on a battlefield.]
Yes.
But what was I supposed to do after pulling out thirty of them?
I tilted my head in puzzlement as Con asked,
"How does it feel?"
"Pardon?"
"Hasn't it become a bit easier?"
"…"
Still puzzled, I focused my mind to feel the difference. And sure enough.
It's… easier?
Just moments ago, summoning thirty alone had been fairly taxing, but now it felt considerably more comfortable.
"It's working well. The Vessel is shouldering a portion of the computational load. Let's also check how many more you can command."
"Alright."
I summoned additional skeletons. And the result:
"Forty-four… no, forty-five? That's fifteen more."
"Not fifteen."
Can't he count?
No.
"To be precise, it's 1.5 times. This efficiency will only grow as your domination power increases."
"Oh."
[You've become 1.5 Khtuns in one go.]
Truly insane performance. 1.5 times efficiency?
As I marveled, Con smiled brightly.
"Lastly, I'll explain 'Command.' See for yourself."
"…?"
As I tilted my head — Con flicked his fingers as if delivering a knuckle rap.
[Danger!]
A projectile suddenly hurtling toward me! Caught off guard by the surprise attack, I couldn't react in time — when suddenly the skeletons arrayed before me threw themselves forward. Without any command from me.
Crack!
As a skeleton shattered under the projectile, Con spoke.
"That is Command. It inherits a portion of the caster's command authority and assists in controlling your undead. Just like that."
"Whoa."
This is a full auto-defense system, isn't it?
Of course, this 'Command' wasn't limited to defense as just demonstrated. According to Con, repeatedly executed commands would be learned automatically and flexibly assisted.
It can't talk, but this is basically Iron Man's Jarvis…
Like an AI assistant created through magic, I suppose.
"Well, those are the main functions roughly. Ah, one last minor thing — could you hand me your subspace box?"
"Pardon?"
Why? Is he going to take it back after giving it?
As I eyed him warily, Con laughed.
"Just hold it up to the Vessel."
"Ah, okay."
I held the subspace box up to the Vessel as Con instructed. Then something amazing happened.
Click-clack.
With a pleasant friction sound, the Vessel opened. The opened space was just large enough for a single box — and it looked to match the subspace box's size perfectly.
"Keeping it inside the Vessel would be far more convenient, wouldn't you agree?"
At that question, I nodded as if entranced.
"Yes, it would."
I admit it. Mysterious Merchant Con is no swindler. He is a true merchant who sincerely considers his customers' convenience.
"Oh, and finally, I have one gift for you."
"A gift…?"
Mysterious Merchant Con! Are you an angel!
I looked on with anticipation, but Con's gift was of a somewhat different nature than what I'd expected.
"This is information I uncovered while tracking that trash, but you would do well to be careful of the Hadion family."
"Hadion… you say?"
"Yes."
Hadion, all of a sudden? Had they still not come to their senses even after losing the territorial war? If so, this would be the perfect opportunity to show them the might of a battlefield incarnation of a necromancer. I'd thrash them thoroughly this time.
As I resolved myself—
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave. Should any problem arise with the Vessel, contact me with this… this token. And please take good care of the subspace box as well."
With those words, Con vanished without a trace. As elusive in departure as he had been in arrival.
Anyway.
Hadion… Hadion.
[Being careful never hurts.]
Right? If Mysterious Merchant Con was warning me like that, Hadion was clearly plotting something.
So I went straight to Father.
"Father—!"
"…?"
"I've obtained intelligence that Hadion is up to something! Please raise an army and punish Hadion!"
Strike first, win first. That was the groundwork I was laying, but—
Hmm?
Something about the atmosphere was off. It wasn't even morning meeting time, yet key figures including Bilheim and Sir Valt were gathered in Father's office. And among them was one unfamiliar face.
"…Who are you?"
"I-I am Shuren of Hadion."
"Then Lord Hadion is…"
"My father."
What? Why is Hadion's son in our territory?
As I blinked in confusion, Father spoke.
"It seems the Hadion Viscounty is in danger. Demons have suddenly begun to swarm, and cultists have been sighted."
"What?"
What? Being careful of Hadion meant this?
"But son, what was that just now? About Hadion being up to something?"
"B-Baron, it's a misunderstanding. W-we swear…"
"Quiet. I am speaking with my son."
Shuren of Hadion clamped his mouth shut, thoroughly cowed.
Hmm, I feel a bit bad about this.
[You nearly framed an innocent man.]
But Hadion started the bad behavior first, right? So they can't be entirely wronged.
"Father, I've just remembered an urgent errand, so I'll take my leave."
As I tried to slip away, Father let out a soft sigh.
"Sit."
"Yes."
When told to sit, you sit. That is K-Falaon. The spirit of Confucianism, after all.
Meanwhile, at that same hour, a woman entered an abandoned castle in the Hadion Viscounty. At her appearance, the cultists preparing a summoning ritual bowed their heads.
"You have arrived, Lady Rebecca."
"Is everything ready?"
"Proceeding smoothly. We have ample sacrifices, and more importantly, word seems to have spread even in Hell — simply opening a passage is enough for demons to crawl out on their own."
"Hurry."
"Yes."
The cultists returned to their preparations for the summoning ritual. Rebecca watched from a distance.
Time… is running short.
The Grand Plan was near. But.
With Lord Rohan in seclusion… I must work even harder.
The other Apostles' gazes toward Rohan were already less than kind. If they made a mistake that disrupted one pillar of the Grand Plan… Lord Rohan would surely not escape unscathed.
Rebecca steeled her resolve. For his sake.
How much time passed?
"It is complete."
"Proceed."
"Yes."
At those words, the cultists unhesitatingly drove daggers into their own throats. Immediately after, their blood seeped into the magic circle, and an ominous light began to leak forth.
Sss, ssssss—!
The gates of Hell swung wide open.
Kyaaaaah!
Kiririk, kik!
Countless demons began pouring forth. Hungering for the blood of the surface world.