2. Good News (2)
2. Good News (2)
- 1 -
The scene of the first summoning had been fairly spectacular even in the game.
First, a lightning effect would flash and the focus would zoom into the Demon Lord Candidate's room. Then the entire screen would fill with a magic circle and shake, and beauties with demon wings would smile as they burst onto the screen, before finally revealing the summoned creature.
The storyboard itself was obvious and childish, but the style made up for it with illustrations.
It was a letdown that the result of the first summoning was usually something like a goblin or zombie, but at least it cost nothing, so there was no need to complain.
Kukung...!
Now that it had become reality, the intensity was even greater.
Though there were no beauties... no, did this mean I was now a body that didn't have to pay any mind to beauties?
"..."
I quickly pushed away the slight wave of depression that crept in.
Kurrung...!!!
Along with a tremor that seemed to shake the entire cave, a summoning circle formed—not enormous, but large enough to easily fill at least two rooms—and it glowed red.
Going by its majesty alone, it was a spectacle that looked as though it might summon a high-ranking demon, if not the Demon King himself.
Kwajik!
A hand burst through the rock of the ground, pressed down on the surface, and pulled the rest of its body up until it finally emerged.
This kind of entrance even varied for each type of summoned creature, which could truly be called a splendor unbecoming of its station.
『First summoning successful, Demon Lord Candidate! Please proceed with the contract!』
When I pushed aside the message window that popped up as soon as the summoning succeeded and looked at the Skeleton, it was, honestly, more impressive than I'd thought.
'Its appearance is cleaner than I thought?'
Even for a 2D deformed, dot-drawn SD illustration, they usually drew it so you could clearly recognize its features.
The regular Skeleton soldier I had seen in the game was, first of all, dirty.
It had a very filthy appearance, with bits of flesh that hadn't fully fallen off yet, clumps of dirt, or cracked bones.
On top of that, it was common to be able to guess its former occupation from the weapons or equipment it wore.
But the Skeleton before my eyes was so... it had a certain 'style' that instantly wiped away that prejudice.
- Dalkak.
First of all, its bones, which made up its body, were clean and looked sturdy, and even its posture with that clean body was different.
Whether it was a Skeleton or a Zombie, a basic summoned undead had a hard time even standing properly.
Its instincts from life remained and it tried to stand as before, but a dead body differed from a living one in center of gravity, weight, density, and stiffness.
However, this sharp-featured Skeleton before me raised its head to look straight at me, then knelt down on one knee right there and gazed up at me.
As was always the case with basic Skeletons, it had practically no equipment on its body, with only an old longsword clumsily hanging from its pelvis, so the posture's style didn't quite come across properly...
But the posture itself had sharp angles, so it was quite pleasing to the eye.
'It seems to be an individual with a fair amount of its habits from life remaining.'
"Stand up."
Guessing that, I gestured and spoke to the Skeleton, conveying the will for it to rise.
Since a basic Skeleton couldn't possibly have knowledge from its life, verbal commands were nothing more than a way to satisfy my own mood.
Still, the sight of the Skeleton snapping straight to attention and standing properly as it followed my words filled the longing I'd had since my days on Earth for a necromancer, a commander of the dead, quite nicely.
Jjalgeurak.
However, unfit for such a fine and proper posture, the tip of the longsword was dragging on the floor.
Because the sword belt wasn't properly fastened to its pelvis.
"I wasn't considerate enough. Right?"
I said that for no real reason as I approached the fallen sword.
The Skeleton was still standing properly, but it looked somehow torn between the sword belt that had fallen to the floor and my command to 'stand up'.
Maybe that was the feeling.
I recalled reading a line in the game's settings that said the master could sense the summoned creature's mood.
I still didn't know for sure whether this soldier understood my words, but the Skeleton had straightened up and was looking at me as soon as I spoke.
It felt as though it was denying my previous statement.
Jjalgak-jjalgak...
The belt had an intuitive shape, so I was able to somehow hang it on the Skeleton's body and secure it so it wouldn't fall.
The Skeleton was at least a head taller than me now, so the work wasn't difficult.
"There, is that okay?"
- Dak.
When I spoke while patting its waist, the Skeleton, which had been watching me until then, clacked its jaw together in response.
At this point, I could figure it out.
This one probably retained not only its 'instincts' from life, but also a certain degree of intelligence. In game terms, it must be one of those rare individuals that occasionally popped up during summoning.
Perhaps it was a Skeleton with the 'Smart' title.
If so, that was a relief.
Communicating with words was still a long way off, but at least it meant I wasn't alone in this vast dungeon.
That was a good way to dispel the silence that had filled my space since being summoned into this wide cave, and the loneliness that would likely come once I got used to that silence.
There was bound to be a difference in attachment between those brought in from outside and those I summoned personally.
"Now, then... we have to make the contract... hmm?"
I was searching my memory because the tutorial for summoning the status window and such hadn't mentioned how to make a contract. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something placed where I had been standing.
'Come to think of it...'
"So there was this."
A somewhat unpleasant-looking long staff made of white bone, and a carefully wrapped bundle beside it.
These must have been the basic items given to me when my class was determined during the summoning. It was a system that existed in the game as well.
The summoning process had been so flashy and noisy that I apparently hadn't noticed right away.
『Apprentice Skull Staff』
『You have acquired an Inventory (2x2).』
As expected, the staff was a weapon, and the bundle was the inventory.
'It feels like a scythe.'
The staff was the stereotypical necromancer's item often seen in games and novels: a rod of white bone with a skull attached to the end.
The two rubies glowing in the skull's eyes and the short blade protruding from its mouth were impressive.
『Inventory』
『Necromancer Basic Core』
『Rations (10 days' worth)』
The 4-slot inventory was activated as I picked up the bundle.
Inside were an orb that I could intuitively tell was a skill-related item just by its name, and simple rations.
However, the rations here were not for the user, that is, the Demon Lord. They were food to distribute to summoned creatures if I chose biological ones.
If I tried to maintain all of these summoned creatures' upkeep with the dungeon's mana alone, the required mana would increase considerably. That was why it was necessary to feed 'outside food' to the Beast types with many mouths to feed.
The Demon Lord did not eat. There was a separate means of supplying their upkeep.
'The size is a bit small, though.'
I was a little bothered by the inventory's small size, but after a moment's thought, it made sense.
Since the dungeon came with a basic warehouse for materials, the personal inventory was probably meant to be used when procuring materials from outside without a cart, or to store my equipment.
In the first place, the inventory itself was a feature that hadn't existed in the game. There was no way I'd complain about getting something that wasn't there before.
Hwaak!
As I touched the orb, light flashed and general knowledge of necromancy and contracts entered my mind.
A vaguely unpleasant feeling, as if someone were rummaging through my head, made me frown, but I decided to endure that much.
Being unable to form contracts meant I couldn't even survive as a Dungeon Lord. My success might not mean anything good to the people of this world, but even so, I had no intention of just lying down and dying.
There was no hint of that yet, but I might discover a clue to returning while trying to live.
This wasn't the time to be picky.
- Dalkak.
When I lifted the staff, its body of clean white bones straightened up as if it immediately knew what I intended, then returned to its initial posture.
Meaning, it knelt on one knee facing me just like when it was summoned.
Just like a knight.
"You must have been a knight when you were alive."
The contract required no special process; it was enough to inject my mana into its 'core' and imprint it. The proof of the contract was the black skull pattern wrapped in a purple flower etched onto the back of its hand.
This, too, was something I had drawn in myself during the customization process.
The process ended succinctly.
However, seeing it still prostrating even after the contract ended stirred some inspiration in me.
There was a famous ceremony for knights—I thought I might try imitating it.
Cheok.
Then, the Skeleton immediately unfastened the sword from the old scabbard it was wearing and presented it to me.
As expected.
The thought communication between summoned creature and master wasn't one-way. My thoughts flowed into it as well.
"You're smart."
- Dak!
I was happier about the fact that we could communicate, even if it was through it hearing my thoughts. It felt like the loneliness that might have come someday was retreating before it even arrived.
And anyway, it was showing a positive response to me.
Seureureung.
The sound of friction between its hand bones and the sword.
This sound also confirmed my guess that its body would be hard. Such a friction sound wouldn't occur unless it was at least as hard as stone.
I was becoming more and more curious about the identity of this soldier made of nothing but bones... no, this knight.
"So this... is a sword."
The sheathed sword was just an old longsword, but once drawn, it was a magnificent thing that seemed to contain the knight's long years.
My purple eyes were reflected in the clean blade, so well-maintained that even an ignorant eye could tell.
'It's definitely heavy.'
I had held solid iron objects before, but a weapon so clearly refined was obviously my first.
My outward appearance was that of a small woman, but perhaps because my true identity was a Demon Lord Candidate, I was fortunate that lifting a sword for the first time wasn't difficult.
Otherwise, the sword would have dragged comically on the floor.
Perhaps, as the common saying went when describing a sword, it was 'well-balanced.'
Since combat was a matter of mindset and skill, it would be absolutely impossible for me to become a fighting force right away, but if I trained over time, maybe I could even fight on the front lines myself.
"I don't know any complicated ceremonies."
- Dalkak!
In response to my words, a sense of indifference was conveyed. On top of that, an emotion akin to 'joy' was also felt.
Even the method of conveying that intention felt like it was transmitting increasingly complex emotions in a more delicate way.
It hadn't had a chance to build any real familiarity with me yet, so was the reason this smart fellow felt affection toward me simply because of the master-summoned creature relationship?
... I decided to put those complicated thoughts aside.
Right now, it was time to survive. Other emotions and questions were a luxury.
"I am Libertas... no, Rita. Become my sword. I'd like you to kill my enemies for me."
I slowly lowered the sword, holding it just barely above its head, as I said that.
- Dalgeurak!
It answered with a clacking sound that was lighter and brisker than before.
The moment of forming a contract with my first memorable summoned creature.
"I'm counting on you. My soldier."
Chak!
And it was also the moment the preparation for the first battle began.
- 2 -
'Finally.'
The moment of the contract.
'I've reclaimed it.'
- Dalgeurak!
Rita's first soldier thought as such.