131. The Beginning of Depravity
131. The Beginning of Depravity
- 1 -
'Still sharp as ever.'
Evangeline inwardly assessed that he was still as perceptive as ever.
It was just his ability to distinguish friend from foe that had dulled.
Swish.
Suddenly, Evangeline appeared before him, holding the sharp tip of her dagger to his throat.
It had literally happened in the blink of an eye.
"Ugh...!"
Clatter!
The moment he grasped the situation, the startled Alexis roughly raised his hand, sending the longsword he had been holding crashing to the floor.
His expression was still superb. It meant he continued with the act of Fate (緣).
"Wh-What is this...!"
"Master is greatly disappointed. Alexis Samigina."
"If you kill me right now...!"
"A holy symbol will spread in some way. Everywhere."
At Evangeline's scoffing, cynical retort, Alexis's eyes widened.
But for Evangeline, it was nothing to be surprised about.
"How do you...?"
"Master can see across a thousand li from His seat. He knew about your petty, shallow schemes the moment you committed them."
Because her master had already received a report from Ran, and Evangeline herself had already known beforehand.
This was a matter reported the very next day after the high-ranking dungeon lords' declaration of war against the dungeon.
[Eliminate him. I already have someone else in mind for Hysen's political circles.]
Facing a major event, the Dungeon Lord had swiftly decided on the internal nuisance that had arisen.
That was why Evangeline had arrived here as soon as the war ended.
Just as she remembered from the future, before some cleric could find him a few days later and detect the dark power within him.
'Though no one would likely deduce our existence from that anyway...'
The reason she hadn't executed him or taken any action until now was simply because Alexis's affair was not that big of a deal.
Once the disposal had been decided, it was a matter of Fate (緣) to act before further losses occurred.
Dalgak-dalgak...
"W-Wait a moment..."
As he watched something like an insect crawl up Evangeline's arm, Alexis's pupils began to shake even more violently.
It was a life form resembling an insect he had often seen in 'Master's' dungeon. He knew what it was.
A monster that devours and replaces only the central nervous system of a living human: Cerebrum Skull.
"A human untainted by monsters must go to the capital...! Otherwise, their magic will detect...!"
"You're going to be executed soon anyway. Alexis."
"There's no way you'd simply kill elite manpower like me!"
"Indeed. Under normal circumstances, yes. But the lord of Copherin harbors a deep grudge against you. And there are many women targeting you on top of that."
Evangeline handed him a dagger.
To Alexis, who met her eyes to ask the meaning, Evangeline gave a gentle smile just like her master.
The smile her master would wear when putting an enemy to death.
"You defied orders out of personal desire and tried to settle for the situation. If you take your own life now, it will only be one moment of pain. But if you resist here, you will die far more painfully."
If he committed suicide, the magic he had set would not activate.
Nor would he be consumed by the Cerebrum Skull.
In other words, she, and her master,
were extending their final mercy.
Understanding this, Alexis's pupils trembled violently.
"P-Please give me another chance. It was only one failure...!"
"No. You were an enemy to Master, and this was your chance to improve your treatment as a former enemy. And you failed at it. You are now... no, you are still an 'enemy' and a 'prisoner'. Alexis."
And so, a moment later.
In the end, Alexis died.
"Grk... uk!"
"What a fool."
"Wait, waaaiiiit! Save me. Save me, I said!"
Kwaddeudeuk!
He tried to thrust the dagger forward but was counterattacked and subdued, then had his central nervous system seized by the Cerebrum Skull.
By means of being made to 'commit suicide,' in the end.
'I expected as much, but his tenacity to not give up until the end was admirable. Too bad his means were so base.'
The spell he had prepared was meaningless.
Because the Cerebrum Skull only burrowed into its victim while the target was 'alive.'
'Why is this here...'
Afterward, Evangeline, who was going through Alexis's belongings, furrowed her brows.
Because among his assets, there was something she never expected to find here.
The crest of a specific group.
"Extract all memories and send them to me."
- As you command.
A moment later, Evangeline burned all of Alexis's visible assets and his mansion, and also extracted all his hidden wealth and the memories of his activities to date.
Later, a single human corpse would be found in this mansion.
Not Alexis's body, which Evangeline had carried off, but the corpse of a man who had died after receiving money to be given to his family.
His corpse and soul were to be used for another subordinate.
"Good work. Here."
- Thank you!
"I'll be going first. I must hurry to see Master."
- Good luck to you, Steward!
"Keep up the good work."
After feeding the human they had captured to the Cerebrum Skull and seeing it take human form, Evangeline hastened her steps.
To quickly return to her master.
Her master had to know what she had witnessed.
- 2 -
The full-scale 'Spirit Speech lessons' began the day after the contract.
For the first day after making the contract, it was appropriate to give Mure time to settle into her room and unpack.
"The 'heart,' she says."
As she nodded and repeated the first keyword she mentioned a couple of times, the Necromancer approached and spoke.
"That's right. If you, Lady, steady your heart without thinking of what's possible or impossible, they will answer."
"Hmm."
What Mure described was a sort of mental theory.
But I preferred it to spouting a half-baked theory to deceive the listener.
In the end, what was needed most was sincerity.
And if it was that, I was fairly confident.
"Impossible, huh."
Indeed, I might not have even considered the assumption that a Skeleton could clearly communicate its will.
Even though I had already heard the will of Axe and some soldiers through my magic, and had seen Evangeline express clear emotions, I hadn't broken the stereotype.
I had believed it was all a special power or talent at work.
"So?"
"From now on, I will help you learn to understand what the Skeletons talk about normally."
"Alright..."
"May I hold your hand?"
At her question, I nodded, and Mure unceremoniously interlaced her fingers with mine and led me to one side.
The location was already set: a drill hall where the elites among my Skeletons who had splendidly manifested intelligence were gathered.
She brought me to the very center of them.
Then, as she looked around at them, she looked at me for a moment with an expression of mild embarrassment.
- ...
It seemed because the Skeletons were too quiet, despite the need to test communication.
"Uh... your summons are very quiet, aren't they, Lady?"
Just as I expected.
As if this was truly her first time encountering such a case, her eyes had lost their composure and coolness, and were even trembling slightly.
"Is it strange?"
"Pardon? No, it's not strange. Summons have personalities too. Perhaps they've become quiet in character, following their master, the Lady? But still, they'd normally say a word or two..."
"That's not it."
Mure said they were like that because they resembled me, but in my opinion, it was because Evangeline had educated them well.
These were literally all 'elites.'
They were not soldiers lax enough to spout their own opinions or thoughts before their master.
"Is that true? Then they are remarkable soldiers."
As I explained this, her face was colored with admiration this time.
"They are. My first is also excellent, but these are all soldiers with good qualities."
- Tak!
- Dalkak!
When a response came to my words, I saw it was the Jesters, Axe's close aides.
The ones I had named 'Katar' and 'Hammer' were now standing at attention, staring at a 15-degree angle into the air, and expressing 'That is not so!'
"Perfect, it seems they have something to say! Come this way, Lady."
Looking at them, Mure's face brightened.
She must have been relieved that this situation was not due to her incompetence.
She might have worried about what to do if she couldn't deliver her end after making a contract.
Then, she wore an awkward smile once more.
Because a certain 'special mana' extending from her fingertips was completely unable to penetrate my body.
"Um... would you permit me to use my mana, Lady?"
"Go ahead."
Since her mana was vastly superior to mine, she could have penetrated if she used more force, but that intensity would be tantamount to an attack.
So she could only be troubled.
As I consented and withdrew the resistance from my hand.
Seureureuk.
Only then did Mure's mana seep into me.
"Your mana manipulation ability is truly outstanding, Lady...!"
- Dalkak!
- Tak!
"... And your summons' hearts are truly firm for you as well."
Mure looked down at me with admiring eyes as she praised.
At the Jesters' expression of will, as if answering just in time, she directed that admiration toward the summons.
"What did they say?"
"Uh... roughly meaning that the Lady's excellence is quite a matter of Fate (緣)?"
- Dalgeurak!
- Ddakgak!
Somehow, I had a rough feeling of how they must have answered.
Should I say, it definitely wasn't a simple matter concluded in one or two words.
"... Really?"
"That's what they said?"
But Mure, who had already regained her composure, just met my gaze and spoke as if it were a natural Fate (緣).
Since I could detect no other sinister signs from her face, I inwardly shook my head and turned my gaze toward my soldiers.
"Now, tell me what to do."
"It's nothing special. I will awaken your senses now, Lady."
"Senses?"
"Yes. Following the sixth sense that mages have, it's a sense usually acquired as the seventh or eighth."
"Hmm."
According to Mure, and recalling what I knew from knowledge,
the senses mages acquire beyond the five they are born with: the first was a sense for mana, and the second seemed to be a cognitive sense of the world related to their specialization field.
In cases like Mure or myself, it would be a sense for souls.
"Actually, given your skill, Lady, it wouldn't be strange if you had already awakened it... but it's a little odd."
I had a guess as to the answer to her question.
It was probably because I wasn't born in this world.
For people of this world, the sixth and seventh senses were a matter of Fate (緣), but not for me.
I think my sense for mana came about through talent somehow, but the other senses beyond that hadn't awakened.
That was why I could glimpse the world of souls through mana, but I suspect my intrinsic perceptive ability hadn't bloomed.
"... Proceed, quickly."
"Ah, yes."
But I didn't say anything else about it; I just pressed the hand I was holding with hers to urge her on.
And a moment later.
"This is..."
I tasted a new sense.
- 3 -
Elias Ironfield.
Having now officially changed her name within the family to 'Elena En Ironfield,' she stood with her arms crossed, watching another person approach from the opposite side.
The maid woman she had seen in the 'Dungeon.' Now formally armed with armor and a sword, Maria Olas.
"You're not going to continue helping me from now on, are you?"
"No, that's not it. Master said He would send someone else."
"Is that so. Well, considering what happened."
Though the dispatch of personnel seemed too delayed, Elena simply accepted it.
She, too, had been hearing occasionally about what was happening while she was out of the dungeon.
The 'Master' she had come to serve for the first time in her life was not stingy about sharing information with His subordinates.
Thanks to that, she could hear news of the 'War' and news of the 'Demon Realm' alike.
She had been immensely anxious, worrying that the path back to being a man might be blocked forever.
Of course, she hadn't shown any sign of it.
"So, where is your sister?"
"This way."
Everything had already been finished around two days ago.
Since her master had set 'an intact body' as a condition, it had become slightly tricky, but it wasn't even that difficult in the first place.
"... Is she asleep?"
"I put her to sleep with magic. They said she won't wake for a week, so she won't get up for another four days."
"Is this okay..."
"Well, she's not dead."
Elena's gaze as she looked down at her sleeping sister—someone she now had to call her older sister—was cold.
Because she was not a very good person, neither as a noble nor as a family member.
"No other problems?"
"Of course. Even if there's no word from her, they will just think she is lying low. It was quite a big incident."
"Hmm."
After announcing that she was leaving the family to live a quiet life, she had been preparing to enter a monastery.
It wasn't by her own will.
Because she had recently caused an incident with a direct-line noble of a ducal house, she was being forced to go.
"I hope she pleases Master."
"I will convey your words."
"Thank you."
And that monastery would become the 'Dungeon.'