171. A Rose Blooming in Poison (3)
171. A Rose Blooming in Poison (3)
- 1 -
The takeover of Guileus happened with a swiftness astonishingly disproportionate to the territory's size.
Those with specialized knowledge or skills became monsters and entered my service, and those chosen as the 'minimum sacrifice' became my soldiers.
For me, a necromancer, their talents were both weapons and resources.
"William...!"
"Urgh...!"
Sometimes common soldiers or servants lost their lives; sometimes, noble knights or aristocrats did.
Though they themselves would never consent, their deaths functioned perfectly as instruments of terror to prevent the deaths of many more.
A representative example of this was the treatment of the Count of Guileus, Guillaume Durangard.
"They say you've already handed over most everything to your son, so you must be useless now. Isn't that right?"
The inner castle's central banquet hall.
In full view of many, I cast those words toward the Count.
"P-please... spare my life...! U-heuk!"
The Count's body, answering with an ashen face, trembled mercilessly. His eyes, saturated with fear, were no different.
Then, as if seizing upon some answer, his face lit up and he shouted.
"The personnel authority for territories above a county must be transferred under the oversight of House Orosia's royal personnel department! If not, it is treason...!"
"Is that true?"
At those words, I turned my head to look at my people, and Amelia and Eve immediately nodded in agreement.
"You must keep the Count alive, Master."
"It serves as a minimal measure to prevent treason."
"I see."
He had handed over all real power to his son but withheld a few rights, and the chief among them appeared to be the dominion over Guileus Castle and personnel authority.
I nodded my head, and a sense of relief spread fully across Count Guillaume's face.
"Th-there, you see...!"
"Yes. I've fully understood the fact that your life must be preserved for the banquet."
Besides, to learn the know-how of ruling a county, his knowledge and skills needed to be properly preserved as well.
It was simply a matter of his body being added to that equation.
Initially, I had planned to extract only the desired knowledge from his soul and use the body for other purposes, but now that things had come to this, I would have to change the method.
"Bring one person."
"Yes."
Eve bowed her head once, then pulled a notebook from her bosom.
It was to single out the 'most useless intellectual' from among the prisoners.
A noble, regardless of character, was a repository of various knowledge and skills. To extract knowledge from such a being, it was better if the being I was about to create also possessed such talents.
Soon, she brought one such individual.
"P-please spare me! I beg you!"
Dragged out with both arms restrained by skeletons, the official struggled desperately.
His face was a mess of tears and snot, and the space between his legs was already soaking wet.
"Stay still. The Master's hand must touch you, yet here you are, making a mess."
Eve stepped forward, wiped his face with a handkerchief, discarded it, and then respectfully bowed her waist to me.
"He is a court administrator. I understand he was managing the banquet hall."
"You'll at least know how to handle basic etiquette. What was his original power?"
"About advanced level."
"Perfect."
I placed my hand on the administrator's forehead.
In that instant, overwhelmed by my mana, he could not move his body, only staring up at my hand with his eyes forced inward.
"You may not be happy, but do not grieve. You will not die."
This was too paltry a concept to be called death.
Life activity would cease, but as an existence, he would gain permanence at the banquet.
"「Summon: Corpus Skull」."
"Kuh... Kuaaaack—!!"
Along with the incantation, my mana instantly blanketed his body and soon began to dissolve all his flesh, viscera, and parts of his bones.
For summoning the lower species, Cerebrum Skull, only the central nervous system was necessary, but to create this entity now, even the mana of that body was required.
Suak!
All remnants created by dissolving the body were absorbed into his bones, and the bones, saturated with deep mana, were dyed a somewhat dark hue.
A moment later, what remained in that spot was a 'Bone Lizard' formed from the skull and elongated spine.
- I... have come... to see... Master...
"Pleased to meet you."
Though his speech and actions were clumsy as a newly created being, there would be no hindrance in performing his abilities.
I gestured to him, and the lizard instinctively climbed up my arm and settled on my shoulder.
It was not weightless, but my body wasn't so frail that my balance would crumble from it.
"C-could it be... I, too, will be turned into that...?"
The gray bone lizard stared covetously at Count Guillaume, its two eyes blazing with greedy blue light.
It had instinctively recognized its prey.
As if asking for permission, it looked toward me, and I extended my hand, granting it.
"Devour him. He will become your new body."
"N-no... sa-spare— Kuaaaack—!!"
The lizard that crawled onto Guillaume's body began to slowly carve away the flesh from his back with its sharp claws.
It almost seemed like it was torturing its meal, but upon closer examination of its movements, one could tell it was advancing while damaging muscle and major blood vessels as little as possible.
It was meticulous work to avoid ruining the sacrifice meant to become its new body.
"Ghuk..."
At last, the Corpus Skull, which had replaced the body's central nervous system and entire skeleton, slowly rose from its spot.
The sight of its eyes and neck occasionally bending at angles they shouldn't was akin to a zombie awakening.
But Guillaume was still alive.
He had merely accepted a new master into his body.
"Ah, Father..."
Lucian, who had watched that spectacle from beginning to end, muttered in despair.
As if afraid he himself might end up in such a state.
His pretense of worry, when he hadn't even uttered a single word asking me to spare his father so far, was detestable, but I didn't dwell on that sentiment for long.
Because nobles were always such creatures.
"Your name shall be Durangard, using the name of that family."
"Y-yes. Master..."
"From now on, transfer all the knowledge in the Count's body to Amelia. The knowledge of ruling the county."
"Understood..."
The monster that had stolen Guillaume's body naturally approached Amelia and stood beside her.
I looked at Lucian.
"Now it is your turn to decide your treatment."
"I-I will do anything, if only you spare me as that being...!!"
"... Right. If only I spare you, that is."
It didn't take long for Lucian, who had been looking up at me on his knees, to press both his arms and head to the floor.
The other officials and knights followed suit.
It was a reward for having deliberately disposed of Count Guillaume before their very eyes.
They would soon abandon their selves as humans.
- 2 -
"It is easy. Truly."
I muttered while looking out the window in the lord's chamber.
The fading sunset illuminated the citadel, and beneath that light, the figures of knights and soldiers moving in groups entered my sight.
Outwardly human, they were beings whose reality was now monsters.
"It may partly be because they moved troops to keep an eye on the west, but it's certain they were generally steeped in complacency."
Eve said, kissing the back of my hand. Her still-red eyes glimmered faintly.
I looked down at her and asked.
"What about the imprint on the citadel?"
"It is all finished."
She had just returned after finishing the installation of the magic circle over the entire citadel.
That magic circle that had been successfully completed in Solemio.
It was a circle of mental magic designed to 'weaken alertness toward non-hostile monsters.'
Soon, the residents of this citadel would no longer be terror-stricken upon seeing skeletons or orcs striding through the corridors.
Rather, they would come to feel it natural to work alongside them.
There was no need for me to move personally for the reinstallation of this magic circle.
Because it could be imprinted with its function, or skeleton mages with intelligence could manage it on their own.
It was the fruit of Sonia's efforts.
"Right... You were excellent today. Far better than me."
"Seizing an enemy's citadel has been my specialty since my days as a human."
At Eve's smooth-tongued laugh, a smile unconsciously formed on my lips.
I asked her as I took a seat on the office sofa, escorted by her.
"Can I entrust you with the control of the nearby citadels as well?"
The territory of Guileus still had three or four citadels and several villages remaining. At the very least, one could say dominion over the territory was complete only after seizing all the citadels.
"Of course."
Eve nodded trustworthily.
Her platinum blonde hair swayed gently, reflecting the light.
There was a reason I could entrust such aggressive expansion to her. It was because new information had come into my hands as a result of placing my people among the information merchants.
[There are hardly any of them in the south of Hysen.]
These individuals, who typically dealt in more profitable information, had apparently only placed informants in the major cities of southern Hysen.
Originally, they had dispatched additional informants to the south this time after using Mikaela as bait, but before that attempt could succeed, the incident of Arpina seizing control and purging information merchants occurred.
In other words, Arpina had blocked their advance into the south.
'In many ways, I've ended up grateful to her.'
The members of the information merchants dispatched to the south were all presently replaced by my people.
That meant the greatest eyes and ears capable of extracting information from southern Hysen had all become mine.
In this situation, anyone who didn't expand aggressively would rather be a fool.
"How long do you think it will take?"
In Eve's eyes, answering my question, was already a confidence brimming with certainty of victory.
As always.
"With the main castle's cooperation, I believe we can finish the other territories within one or two weeks as well."
"Good. But don't overwork yourself."
I lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. I trusted Eve's abilities, but I didn't want her to overexert herself for it.
"Of course, Master."
Eve gently laid her hand over mine, kissed it, and smiled.
With eyes filled with reverence and loyalty.
"I trust you."
"Hmm. Though it's a shame I won't be able to attend the banquet with you in person."
Eve smiled bitterly, sincerely disappointed.
I stroked her hair and asked.
"What importance does a banquet of shallow nobles hold?"
"Being with you, Master, is what's important."
She who had seemed so restrained when we were alone in the carriage now displayed a bold, confident demeanor shortly after the battle.
Thinking that I was quite something to find that side of her endearing, I chuckled softly.
"Someone's coming."
Right after Eve murmured those words, I sensed a presence at the door of the office.
It was the presence of my second disciple.
- 3 -
Tok-tok.
"Come in, Amelia."
Amelia's face was deeply colored with bewilderment as she entered the office.
"Master. I'm sorry, but I don't have the confidence to govern such a large territory. How could I..."
What she said did not deviate from my expectations. It was about the one task I had assigned her without prior consultation.
"It's alright, Amelia."
As I grasped both of her shoulders while she poured out her feelings, seated on the sofa, I could feel her shoulders were stiff.
Tension and a sense of responsibility.
I didn't hide my smile.
"A count actually handles very few matters. What you'll have to do is not so different from what you've been doing. Just review and approve."
It was true that a variety of knowledge was necessary for the final decision-maker.
At the very least, you need to know when something is going wrong.
But knowing just enough not to interfere with the working-level staff was sufficient. Half-baked knowledge beyond that would only be a hindrance.
"You can become an outstanding lord. The lord of my land, that is."
In that sense, Amelia, who tried not to decide anything on her own, was actually an ideal candidate for becoming an 'ordinary lord.'
She was merely a proxy who would stamp her seal on the opinions of the working-level officials I designated. Of course, she knew that well too.
The burden she actually felt was not about those duties.
"But... isn't this a matter of more lives being at stake?"
A countdom and a barony. The number of lives to be managed was indeed different.
As expected, she was far more admirable than those 'dissolute nobles.'
At least, compared to those who hunted their own kind to procure 'special pork.'
"Those lives are mine. Not yours. Don't carry an excessive sense of responsibility."
Her eyes wavered for a moment after that, but once she closed them deeply and opened them again, they had completely settled.
"...Yes."
Such a very good disciple.
I pulled her into an embrace by the shoulders and whispered softly into her ear.
"Your mother and father are living well, aren't they? You should be at ease too."
"Ah..."
Indeed, her parents, the Teramors, were adapting well to the dungeon.
It wasn't even difficult.
Because all I had to do was maintain the luxuries they had enjoyed in their lives, then gradually reduce them over time.
It hadn't taken long for Baleon and Grellda to settle in, and I had already shown Amelia their current state — enjoying a comfortable life in some luxurious, undisclosed location.
"Yes. Master..."
After that, she submitted to me from the bottom of her heart.
Seeing the parents who had always emphasized the 'duty of nobility' so easily find comfort.
Realizing that the values she had believed in all her life were nothing.
The aftermath of that disappointment still lingered within her.
I smiled at her and then spoke about a subject that happened to cross my mind.
"Come to think of it, how about I truly become your guardian?"
"Guardian...?"
"Yes. I want to find you a truly good suitor, not some man whose only asset is a superficially prestigious family name."
"Uh..."
As if she had never even considered it, she touched her pale lips and fell deep into thought.
"I'm grateful for the guardianship. But I have no intention of marrying. ... No, I would rather you kept me from having to."
Soon, she shook her head.
Her voice still carried lingering despair and fear.
"Is that so?"
"Yes..."
Amelia clouded over and lowered her head. I directed a sharp remark at her.
"You're hiding something."
"No, no! That's not it!"
Amelia's reaction was intense.
Her eyes were truly shaking intensely, unlike any time before. Far more than when she had been told to govern the countdom.
It was because of the 'past' between her and me.
The memories of repeated, successive failures when taking control of Solemio made her weak.
I spoke with a reassuring smile.
"Then, of course it isn't so. I was just saying you should tell me if something is worrying you."
"Ah..."
She hung her head low, closed her eyes, and soon opened up her heart.
"I... don't want my child to become a monster, nor do I want them to suffer while remaining human."
Deep remorse was etched into her voice.
It seemed the memory of when her younger sister Yurianne had decided to become a monster had become a trauma for her.
Yurianne had made that choice to protect her family, but back then, Amelia hadn't been able to do anything for her.
"Dear me. Yurianne would be sad to hear that."
At my words, Amelia's pupils shook violently.
Since becoming a werebear, Yurianne had been growing into a fine warrior under Shue's supervision.
Her choice to become a monster had been the right one, in the end.
At least, for Yurianne herself.
"Is Yuri... truly happy?"
Anxiety still lingered in Amelia's voice.
A sense of powerlessness wasn't an emotion easily shed, after all.
"Of course."
I answered firmly.
Because her being happy right now was a fact beyond doubt.
Although she still hadn't stopped worrying about her 'older sister who couldn't yet sincerely serve the Dungeon Queen.'
"Would I... be able to escape all these doubts if I became a monster as well?"
Her tone was as if the worries she had accumulated all this time had burst out in a single moment.
I stroked her head and answered.
"If you wish it."
I whispered in the gentlest tone I could manage.
Frankly speaking, it would be beneficial to me if Amelia became a monster.
The burden of entering the dungeon would lessen, and her heart would naturally become completely mine.
But that was purely from a cost-benefit perspective.
I didn't sincerely wish for it.
"But you are beautiful just as you are. Just know that such a path exists, that's all."
"...Yes."
"Good. That's my girl."
When we returned to the first topic, her eyes followed me anxiously.
I nodded once more to reassure her.
"If you don't want it, I will of course not force you into marriage. Not with Lucian, nor anyone else."
"B-but... if I am to become the lord."
Her words trailed off.
For her to become the lord of this place, proof of a blood connection to House Durangard was necessary.
It was a demeanor that showed both self-doubt about whether she could do well, and a simultaneous sense of responsibility.
"Wouldn't a marriage of convenience be possible at least?"
"Ah... I understand. I'll do that."
Originally, for nobles, marriage was a matter of great importance tied to the family's honor.
But it didn't take long for Amelia to accept that proposal.
Because now, her 'identity as a noble' was no longer a self she wished to preserve.
I tossed a remark at her, half-jokingly.
"Still, don't share his bed. You could even turn him into a eunuch altogether."
"I-I don't wish for it to go that far! ...You're teasing me...!"
As expected, her eyes widened in surprise, but she soon realized it was a joke and released the tension from her shoulders. The small, escaping hollow laugh carried a hint of relief.
I approached her, gently caressed her shoulders, and said.
"You are a child more precious to me than high-ranking nobles or members of royalty. I could give you a position far higher than a mere count."
"I don't wish for such things. Just... please let me stay by your side, Master."
There was no more anxiety or hesitation in her voice.
Only sincerity remained.
"If that's what you wish. I shall gladly do so. But I would be happier if you followed my instructions."
"...I'll try."
I stroked the head of Amelia as she nodded with her head bowed, and smiled with satisfaction.
Even after completely submitting to me, Amelia still couldn't let go of her own thoughts.
She hadn't yet realized it. That such a quality was precisely what made her shine even more brightly.
- 4 -
The takeover of Guileus had progressed more smoothly than expected, and the remaining matters were scheduled to be handled by Eve — it was time to think about the next move.
It was time to advance south and harvest the grain I had been cultivating there.
"Master. You've come."
"Sonia. Has everything been well?"
After parting with Eve, I headed to the dungeon before going elsewhere.
There was the reward I had promised Talhan, but I also had other business.
"Maria Olas reports to you, Master, that she has returned from her assignment."
Beside Maria's black eyes as she bowed her head to me, her reddish-brown hair flowed softly down.
A sense of accomplishment and hope sparkled in her eyes.