The Skeleton King's Followers (4)
Kuuuguugu!
Beneath a lightless shroud of sky, a colossal monster rose from the earth.
A white body utterly devoid of life's warmth, from crown to toe. Armor draped over a robe that proclaimed the dignity of a mage. And the skull that symbolized death itself — the mere sight of the thing froze the priests in their tracks.
Its hollow, empty eye sockets gazed into some fathomless abyss, inspiring dread, while the burning light that surged up from within them flickered like soulfire.
And wait — is that a normal skeleton?
That size. That oppressive presence.
Everything about it screamed the strongest and worst of demon kings, the very thing that makes humans tremble in terror!
“The Skeleton King!”
“The Skeleton King has been summoned!”
The voices of those watching shot up into the darkened sky.
The eyes of the priests stationed throughout the Imperial Palace shifted. Holy arts brimming with killing intent surged to their hands.
“So the wretch has finally set foot on this land!”
“How dare a demon set itself upon the Holy Empire!”
But exactly one person could only clutch the back of his neck in fury.
You bastards! It's NOT!
That's not the Skeleton King — that's a Giant Skeleton... in other words, a mutant among skeletons.
Not a low-tier demon, more like upper-tier, but still...
“Skeleton King! I shall destroy you!”
“How dare a demon presume to enter the Holy Empire!”
No, it's NOOOOT, you dog-blessed priests!
Killing intent flared in Isaac's eyes.
Though he couldn't know the exact circumstances, this aura and pulse were unmistakably a demon king summoning circle — a Skeleton King summoning spell, a modified version of the skeleton-summoning holy art.
And yet, out of all the countless demon-summoning circles in existence, someone had gone out of their way to use one that required an actual understanding of holy magic?
Which meant the culprit was, without question, a member of the clergy.
Those cursed priests!
Summoning a baby skeleton wasn't enough — now you're summoning other people's precious skeletons?!
Whisper grinned as if greeting a long-lost relative at a family reunion.
[Look at him, Master. Been a while. For a man who used to be a vanguard captain, he was a remarkably gentle, well-behaved sort.]
Now is NOT the time, you brat! Enemies just summoned my subordinate!
[Generally, a summoned creature obeys its summoner.]
As if to prove it, the senior priests who had been analyzing the activated spell froze mid-motion, hands still pressed to the ground.
Even these seasoned veterans had no choice but to go rigid with horror.
“This is bad! This spell — it's a spell that commands the summon to attack!”
“What? Attack whom?”
“His Majesty the Emperor!”
“What did you say?!”
The priests could only blanch. If a being with that much mana set its sights on the Emperor, something irreversible would happen!
Sure enough, a cold, delighted chuckle drifted out of the darkness — someone in the shadows gloating over their success.
“Excellent — it worked! Once summoned, it must obey the summoner's words.”
“Now — kill the Emperor! Spell, do your—”
But the skeleton merely glanced around with a kuuuguugu, and then, far from casting any spell, headed off in some entirely different direction. For the summoners, it was beyond bewildering.
“What — where is it going?!”
“Why isn't it listening to us?!”
The skeleton paid the summoners' commands no more heed than the wind, hurrying off toward somewhere else entirely.
[Master!]
“!”
[It's Master, isn't it!]
The Giant Skeleton came barreling toward Isaac.
KUUM! KUUM!
At the sight, the hidden summoners panicked.
“Why is that thing heading over there?!”
“That's outside the Imperial Palace — it's going the wrong way!”
The priests were equally dumbfounded. Why wasn't it attacking the Emperor? And why was it going in the other direction?
Well, fine — the other direction was one thing, but the direction it was headed in was...?
[Master! You've finally called for me!]
Where the Giant Skeleton thundered off to, there stood Isaac. Whisper burst out laughing at the tableau.
[Your skeletons are famous for ignoring whoever summons them, Master.]
...Right. Yes. Exactly.
And that wasn't all.
Even if humans summoned demons and ordered them to attack, it would be useless so long as Isaac existed. The highest chain of command always belonged to the demon king.
So yes, that's all true and good...
[To think you'd call for me after 150 years!]
No, you idiot, that's NOT what this is!
[This humble servant is so moved his eyes are going blind!]
Your eyes are ALREADY gone, you fool!
And stop coming this way!
As the enormous skeleton bore down on them with something close to a wail, Shuri, who was with Isaac, shrieked in horror.
“Aaagh! That thing's coming right at us!”
He'd hoped against hope, but that thing really was marching straight toward them from the Crown Prince's Palace!
Not that I'd mind it coming over — but why does it have to sprint at full speed?!
“That thing is definitely trying to attack us!”
Shuri screamed.
The moment the Giant Skeleton finally closed to within an embrace's distance of Isaac, the priests hurled themselves forward to shield Isaac and Shuri — the senior clergy, alarmed by the skeleton's movements, had come running.
“Are you all right?!”
“Yes, we're fine, but that thing suddenly started coming right at us—”
At those words, the senior priests stiffened with belated realization.
“Come to think of it, aren't you three Saint candidates?!”
“What?”
“Don't tell me the creature's goal is the Saint candidates—”
No! NO, it is not!
Sure enough, their trembling eyes turned — not to Kina or Shuri — but to Isaac.
Don't tell me it's after Isaac?
“That's it! He's the Saint candidate who holds the Supreme God!”
“Just like at the Ordination — so you really are the Saint!”
Isaac clutched the back of his neck.
No! I mean, yes, I'm the Saint, but — argh!
That is not the point right now.
“Look where we are — how dare that thing be summoned into the Holy Empire!”
The senior priests marveled.
“Ohh! Truly the Guardian of Blue! The great one who shall deal with the Skeleton King!”
“Yes! You're the only one who can handle that bald monstrosity!”
Maybe I should start by beating some sense into these fools?
Isaac waved a hand at the Giant Skeleton, which had grown sulky at watching everyone dodge away from him.
I'll play exorcist like last time and send him back for now.
But then—
A collective flinch.
Every cleric who had been about to deal with the skeleton stared down at their own hands in bewilderment.
“My holy power — it won't activate!”
Shuri gritted his teeth, sensing what was coming.
“This might be what the God of Blue was talking about!”
“What?”
“He said this place was dangerous! It was a prophecy — that the priests' feet would be tied up because of the Skeleton King's followers! That we'd be trapped here!”
I don't think that's what the God of Blue actually meant, but...
[Master.]
Right. There's a spell wrapped around this whole area.
Isaac shot a glance at the sky.
This was magic that neutralized holy power.
Not that it posed much of a problem. For Isaac, it was trivially beneath notice.
If anything caught his attention, it was that for something cast by a person of the Holy Empire, it was remarkably sophisticated...
But then—
KUUGUNG!
The halted Giant Skeleton's eyes changed in an instant. All the joy of reunion evaporated, and it abruptly turned to attack Isaac.
Whisper cried out in alarm.
[It's the power of high-tier domination magic! Someone is controlling that thing directly!]
Isaac's eyes went cold.
Not that it was anything to be surprised by. Any upper-tier demon could dominate a skeleton through sheer force of presence. It was precisely why the True Demons had so feared and hated the Skeleton King, the one being that could never be dominated.
In any case, the fact that the creature had been dominated was proof of demonic involvement.
It seemed the so-called Skeleton King's followers, the ones trying to kill the Emperor, had finally crossed the line. Summoning wasn't enough for them — now they had to resort to domination too?
[You'd need to cast magic to break the domination. Shall I?]
Holy arts were out. Well, being in front of priests made it a little risky, but a very brief flash of magic would be fine.
“I swear I will bring these bastards to utter ruin.”
But at that very moment, a beam of light came crashing down onto the dominated skeleton's head.
FLASH!
Simultaneously, the power that had been controlling the skeleton vanished without a trace.
It was none other than the power of the Divine Dragon! In a single instant, some overwhelming force teleported the skeleton away, banishing it to somewhere far off.
And descending before them along with it was a man with a sword drawn.
“Your Highness!”
Their rescuer was the Crown Prince. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Isaac.
“So the Skeleton King's goal was this nation's ruin, after all.”
NO it was not!
Well — it kind of is, but — NO, regardless, it is not!
Still, he owed the Crown Prince thanks for sparing him from using his own power. If anything, being flung somewhere else entirely was the better outcome.
“You saved our lives. Thank you.”
But Kina immediately rounded on the Crown Prince as if to hold him to account.
“Doing that means it won't be dealt with cleanly! Why didn't you crush its magic core yourself?”
Why, indeed.
Instead of answering, the Crown Prince slid a glance toward Isaac.
“...Aren't you not supposed to destroy it?”
Isaac gave him an incredulous look.
“...Why are you asking ME that?”
At that, the Crown Prince tilted his head with his trademark blank expression — wearing the unmistakable look of isn't that skeleton yours?
“That's a Skeleton King (your) subordinate—”
“I told you it's NOT!”
Watching the two of them bicker, Kina stared at Isaac and the Crown Prince with sheer disbelief.
When did these two even get this chummy?
At the same time, Isaac spoke to Shuri.
“Anyway, I'm going after the followers, so Ki—Shuri, you find that skeleton and keep watch! And don't touch anything!”
Kina clicked her tongue.
“Wouldn't it be better if I just tracked it down and dealt with it?”
“Back off — touch it and you die. That one's mine. Lay a finger on it and you'll be stuck studying with me for the rest of your life.”
“What?!”
Kina looked utterly scandalized, but the senior priests inwardly marveled.
So he means to deal with it personally.
Truly the Guardian of Blue... he takes demons seriously.
In any case, with demons genuinely summoned, this was a golden opportunity to earn merit.
As Isaac turned to pursue the culprits, Shuri blocked his path.
“Isaac. Don't dig too deep into this.”
“What?”
Shuri glanced at the Crown Prince and murmured under his breath.
“This is an internal fight within the royal family. If you're careless, you'll get dragged in too.”
Isaac gave him a look of feigned surprise. In truth, the only reason he'd taken a liking to this whole affair was that he'd caught the exact same scent of politics...
“And how would a Guardian of Blue with zero political sense know that?”
At that moment, Kina declared proudly.
“I told him.”
“!”
Kina spoke to Isaac as if demanding he finally recognize her usefulness.
“My prediction? This whole disturbance is meant to pin the blame on the Crown Prince and escalate into treason. If you wade in without evidence, you'll get swept up in it too. It's a fine chance to build merit, but this particular affair—”
But Isaac only scoffed and turned away.
“Why wouldn't I get evidence? I'll just catch them red-handed.”
“What?”
“They dare dominate my skeleton and try to pin treason on the Crown Prince? That, I will not tolerate.”
At those words, the Crown Prince gazed at Isaac with an expression of profound emotion, while Kina — the Crown Prince's sworn enemy — stared at him in flustered disbelief.
Don't tell me this brat is taking the Crown Prince's side?!
But Isaac's eyes gleamed for an entirely different reason.
These bastards. Summon my subordinate AND try to dominate it? They're going to pay for that. In full.
[...Well, of course you will, Master.]