Saint Maria and the Swamp Monster -1-
Ushotan Village sat right next to the Daradul Great Swamp. Thanks to the swamp, it boasted taller, sturdier barricades than your average village, and the adventurers flocking there had spurred growth in inns and shops. Still, it retained that classic rural vibe—scattered with all the cozy, small-town charm you'd expect.
Strangers came and went often, but it never caused much trouble. Folks lived simple, honest lives. At the heart of this village stood a modest church of the Goddess faith, sized just right for the sparse local flock.
Inside, a white-haired elderly priest—the man in charge of running the place—chatted with someone.
"Ahh... that's right. It was... Back then, I was just a lowly low-rank priest... And there, we lost so many fine holy knights and clerics..."
-Woooong
"Hua~"
The old man recounted his past with slightly glazed eyes. Behind him, Mari—in her lewd witch outfit with her purple hair—kept weaving mind-control magic on him.
The priest was one of the clerics who'd marched out forty years ago alongside Saint Maria to face a calamity-class monster. Young back then, he was unmistakably elderly now.
"And so, I lost my revered Saint and my dear comrades..."
Once he'd finished, I spoke up.
"That's horrific."
For reference, I was dressed as a plague doctor. Dena, who'd escorted me here, stood behind me.
"So, where exactly did you lose those comrades?"
Finally, I'd pinpointed the Saint's location.
"You both did great."
"Uwe!!"
"Hua~"
I praised Dena and Mari, who'd played the biggest roles.
-Squish squish
-Squeeze!!
"Uwe...♥"
It wasn't just words—I kneaded Dena's soft, firm tits like dough, making her quiver faintly with a pleased, moist moan.
"Slurp!!♥ Hua~ My lord!!"
At the same time, Mari and I thrust out our tongues for a deep kiss, rewarding them both. Her plush lips pressed to mine, her soft, slick tongue slipping in to slither stickily around my mouth.
Rewarding subordinates based on merit was crucial—basic leadership 101. Even if my crew were undead without morale stats, as their ruler, I couldn't slack on rewards and punishments.
This had nothing to do with personal indulgence.
Anyway, the Daradul Great Swamp—or Daradul Great Marsh—was ridiculously vast. On Earth terms, it dwarfed most countries.
The Roman Empire controlled a chunk of the supercontinent Pangea-like landmass, just shy of a quarter. So the swamp was barely a toenail of their territory, but it was one of the world's largest wetlands.
Bottom line: fucking huge.
Finding the Saint's corpse here was like hunting a needle in a desert. Sure,
"Whisper whisper"
"Murmur murmur..."
I could squeeze info from the spirits flitting playfully around me, but nailing the exact spot from someone who knew was best.
The Goddess Church hid the Saint's body's location airtight, but anyone who'd been with her back then would know it cold.
And while that priest's identity was top secret, Dena's template—the fallen princess—didn't know the corpse spot but had leads on the priest.
From Dena's memories, the princess had stumbled on this while digging into calamity-class beasts for power-ups—specifically, the one the Saint had sealed.
The Saint's corpse is near a massive lake smack in the Daradul Great Swamp's center.
The calamity beast had spawned from that lake, too. Our path was clear.
This village hugs the swamp border.
One of the entrances into the Daradul Great Swamp from here—head in and beeline to the spot.
Target's too precise for a carriage.
I'd outpace any cart. Especially in an unmaintained swamp—wheels were a liability.
Until now, we'd used it to scout decent corpses and bang my Living Death girls en route. But this swamp had zilch worth rezzing besides the Saint, and sex could wait till she was a Living Death. Speed was key.
"Get in, you two."
"Uwe!!"
"Hua~"
-Fwoosh!!
At my command, blue flames engulfed them, vanishing from sight.
Minus Nero in my shadow, my Living Death crew and the carriage were stashed in the undead-only subspace, [Necro King's Domain].
Just dash to the target with them pocketed.
Classic game strat.
One guy moves faster and stealthier than a horde.
Treating myself like a troop transport.
I'd considered [Warped Embryo] teleporting straight to the Saint, but with Saint Matthias due soon, something was brewing. Better scout close first.
-Crunch crunch
I approached the Daradul Great Swamp entrance.
"Rustle rustle"
"Whisper whisper"
"Mumble mumble"
A decent crowd of adventurers gathered to enter.
Per Phantom's read of Kotono's memories, with the Forest of Beginnings offline, folks are training here as a sub.
Seemed I'd need to slip deeper, lose the crowd, then haul ass.
As I moved to enter—
"W-Wait!! Lord Kinikos!! Please, hold on!!"
Someone called out.
What the—?
Turning, I saw—
"That signature black crow robe!! And you reacted—yes, it is Lord Dioneges Kinikos!!"
A blond middle-aged guy in suit-like medieval fantasy garb.
Roman Empire administrator uniform.
This village fell under Capulet territory but was centrally managed by the Empire.
"Yeah, that's me, Dioneges Kinikos. What do you want?"
"S-Sorry for blocking your path. Word from the Capulet Barony calls you an ace scavenger!! I have a request—please, hear me out!!"
The admin bowed deep in apology. Low posture for a village overseer, but this world prized strength, and the Capulets vouched for my rep and power.
Lifting his head, his face screamed desperation.
"A request, huh..."
-Swipe
I gestured for him to spill.
"Thank you..."
He launched into it.
TL;DR: His daughter hit adulthood, so for the noble/highborn rite of [Hunt of Honor]—beast-slaying for power—they sent her with his wife, escorts, trusted adventurers, and village guards. All went dark. Missing.
Hunt spot: deep in the swamp.
"It's been three days already... It was a vetted safe zone—no red flags that day..."
"Everyone vanished without a trace?"
"Yes..."
Something was up in there, alright.
"I heard you're heading in!! Please, find my wife and daughter..."
-Thud!!
He bowed deep again.
"Hmm... But the swamp's crawling with beasts, right? Undiscovered this long, they're probably..."
Dead. Plus, swamps were hazardous even sans monsters on Earth. Odds weren't great unless you were me reincarnated.
"Ugh... Doesn't matter... Even the bodies—please, just find my wife and daughter..."
Tears streamed down his face.
What to do?
Not super compelling, honestly...
"This is a magical portrait of my wife and daughter..."
Before I finished thinking, he shoved a photo-like thing at me. Medieval life, but isekai tech had its quirks.
And it showed—
"Ho ho?"
"And if you succeed, I'll give anything—anything within my power!!"
"Anything?"
Don't toss "anything" at a necromancer, buddy.
Anyway, I took the job and headed swampward. Saint first, but requests were requests.
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Today's Necro Meme
