Chapter 81
Chapter 81
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 81
>Chapter Title: It's a Bracelet to Me, But Not to You
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
It's an emergency right now where every second counts.
Normally, I'd have to consider the mercenaries' morale, but that means there's no room for such luxuries.
‘Morale only matters when your allies are still alive.’
If the 4th Base Camp falls, what good is high morale?
“As expected. Got it. We'll do that, then. A short rest should be fine, though, right?”
“Of course. Let's eat our fill before we head out.”
At my response, Fixer immediately issued orders to Aviot's mercenaries.
I watched the scene quietly when someone approached me.
“Um...”
“...?”
It was Flen.
In the past few days together, this was the first time Flen had spoken to me.
I glanced at him curiously.
“Sorry for the late greeting. To the brothers of Victima. Thank you so much for letting me see their end.”
It seemed he had learned that I was the one who insisted on leaving the 2nd Base Camp as it was.
“No hard feelings?”
“Honestly, I did resent you at first. I wished you'd let my brothers rest sooner. And...”
“Why show them in such a gruesome state, something like that?”
“...Yes, exactly.”
Flen answered awkwardly and gave a bitter smile.
“But looking back... it was good that I saw. Even if they were scum who caused harm, I had to see how they went. And...”
“Make those bastards taste the same pain.”
“...”
Flen's eyes gleamed coldly.
He didn't bother hiding it.
Since that killing intent wasn't directed at me, I didn't tell him to soften his gaze.
“And another thank you...”
“Enough, stop there.”
“...?”
I patted Flen's shoulder.
He was at least two heads taller than me, so it probably didn't look great, but I didn't care.
“You're probably about to thank me for taking care of the rats. But the revenge isn't over yet. Save your words.”
“...Ah, yes.”
Flen clamped his mouth shut after that.
So did I.
“...”
“...”
Once the words were said, an awkward silence settled in.
These kinds of conversations don't need many words anyway.
Just mutual understanding and a few words to express it—that's enough.
‘Definitely not awkward between us.’
“Ahem. Well, then, I'll...”
“Yeah. Go on.”
I waved off the embarrassed Flen.
Right on cue, a voice rang out.
[Hey, kid.]
The owner of the voice was Shine.
I looked at him with a sullen expression.
“What, brat?”
[Come see me for a sec.]
“Aren't you right here?”
[I have something to ask. Follow me.]
Shine's tone was uncharacteristically serious.
He tossed out his words and trudged off, his heavy armor clanking.
“...Sheesh.”
I stared at his back for a moment, then followed.
* * *
The place Shine led Aster to was on the outskirts of the 3rd Base Camp.
A remote cabin right in front of the barrier.
[......]
Shine, who had arrived first, sat quietly on the bed and stared at the door.
Creak—
The door opened soon after, revealing a face. Or rather, a mask.
“What? Wanna fight?”
The tone was the same as always.
Rude, not serious, the kind of speech that invited fists.
But the light in Shine's helm as he looked at him was utterly calm.
[I have something to say.]
“Something to say?”
Shine von Remang, putting on uncharacteristic weight.
Aster narrowed his eyes and gazed at the Death Knight in black armor.
That's when Shine spoke.
[While moving here, I checked my... body. Hm. Anyway, my condition.]
“And?”
[It seems... my time isn't infinite.]
A terribly curt explanation.
But Aster's reaction was calm, as if he'd expected it.
“As I thought.”
[You knew something?]
“I don't know the details. Just had a hunch.”
Death Knight.
No, the common image of undead is immortal beings that won't die even if killed.
But nothing in the world is eternal.
That's why naturally occurring undead endlessly seek the living.
To steal life force and maintain their existence.
“No matter how undead you are, you need an energy source, right? Looks like I'm spot on.”
[...Hm, that speeds things up. I'm clueless about this stuff. Hear me out and judge.]
Shine calmly explained the state he'd grasped during the journey.
Death Knight. A dead husk, but his voice held no emotion for someone sensing his end.
When the story finished.
[What do you think?]
Shine looked at Aster with flickering flames.
“Hold on, let me sort it out.”
First, summing up Shine's words.
Killing monsters restores some power, even if faintly?
[Yes.]
“Similar to natural undead? Anyway, next...”
[I tried the Ether Breathing Method just in case. It had some effect too.]
“That works?”
What breathing for something that can't breathe.
But Shine scoffed at Aster's reaction as if it was ridiculous.
[The core of breathing methods isn't ‘breathing.’]
“Then what?”
“It's ultimately a matter of ‘will.’ Accepting mana and storing ether isn't the body's job. It just borrows the vessel of the body. Breathing is just the act.]
Some vague talk.
“Will, huh...”
[You won't get it all at once. You're a mage, aren't you? Just know it exists. Anyway...]
“Right, so the Ether Breathing Method works?”
[But the efficiency is poor. Nowhere near when I had a body. Ether gathers at less than one percent speed. And even that...]
“Depletes instantly.”
[Yes.]
It was obvious.
Ether seemed to be an energy source too.
If the intake is that minimal, it can't accumulate—it's consumed on the spot.
“Hmm, what to do...”
Aster crossed his arms, deep in thought.
‘This isn't good.’
Honestly, forbidden magic. Necromancy isn't even my specialty.
Especially for high-tier undead like Death Knights—even necromancers tread carefully.
‘Haven't even resolved the 13 Sins yet.’
Losing Shine would be a painful blow to our forces.
“How much time?”
[At best, half a month.]
“Not bad.”
[You have a way?]
“Of course...”
Aster shook his head at Shine's question.
“I don't know any methods.”
[Then why not bad?]
“Still enough to use against those warlocks.”
[......]
Shine stared at Aster with coldly dimming flames at the selfish remark.
[What a piece of trash...]
“Kidding.”
Aster grinned slyly at Shine.
“In your current state, I have no real fix. Not right now, anyway.”
[......Then?]
Shine asked with subtle hope.
That's when Aster pulled something from his pocket.
“Know what this is?”
What Aster showed was the bracelet the Golden Mage used to control Shine.
I'd kept it after freeing him, thinking it might come in handy.
But.
[...A bracelet?]
Shine was right, but Aster shook his head.
“It's a bracelet to me, but not to you.”
[......?]
“Your collar, maybe?”
“Col...lar?”
A bad premonition crept up.
A Death Knight, one of the most ominous beings, feeling ominous—sounds absurd, but Shine truly shivered.
Conversely, Aster beamed.
His smile was so wide his cheeks puffed, lifting his mask slightly.
“Become my slave... no, comrade.”
[......]
“Then I'll make your dream of extended life come true.”
* * *
I'd learned the bracelet's function relatively recently.
‘Come to think of it...’
Knowledge from Frizen's tomes I'd devoured in my past life.
Quite a bit on forbidden magic and artifacts, including this.
[Artifact List]
A sorted list of known artifacts.
‘Back then... I thought it was just an idea notebook.’
You know, plans like “I'll make an artifact with this function.”
But among them.
[Bracelet of Subordination]
Luckily, my memory's decent, so I remembered its appearance vividly.
I'd memorized it obsessively out of revenge.
But.
‘Who'd have thought... this was it.’
Now I saw—it wasn't a sketch.
It was a list of the Golden Mages' artifacts.
Why he listed others' artifacts, who knows. But what mattered was the ‘Bracelet of Subordination's’ power.
That power: subordinates a single undead entity.
Doesn't matter what.
Even natural undead, and with conditions, even those with summoners.
Seems the necromancer Golden Mage gave it when lending the Death Knight...
[......So, be subordinated again?]
“Heh, subordination? Comrade, I said? Let's call it forming a friendship.”
I teased Shine despite his sour tone.
Of course, I understood his feelings.
The Golden Mage who woke him from death—his hatred ran deep.
Relapsing into that state wouldn't sit well.
But.
“Think about it. That half month you mentioned. Be honest. That's just for idling and breathing, right?”
[...I don't breathe. It's assuming sustaining on monster energy.]
“Then how do you plan revenge like that?”
Suppose you scrape by killing monsters to delay oblivion.
What about revenge?
“Eventually, you'll be too busy hunting monsters. Even if Hamern Forest is monster-infested...”
[......Ugh.]
Shine groaned.
I waited leisurely for his answer.
Of course, some might think: if it's that great an artifact, just force it.
But it's not easy.
‘Need forbidden magic for that, and for one undead... not worth it.’
The cost-benefit doesn't add up.
That's why I need Shine's consent.
For sentient undead, contracts need mutual agreement.
[......Then, if subordinated, life... tch. Life extension dream possible?]
Shine asked slyly, realizing no alternatives.
“Of course.”
Sustaining summons is a summoner's duty.
Yet he still hesitated.
[......Ugh.]
Shine pondered again.
I whispered temptations.
“It's a pretty good artifact. Subordination doesn't mean slavery. Can even grant veto on orders?”
Of course, I'll use him as a slave.
“And that's not all. With my permission, you can draw on my mana. More freedom then, right?”
Of course, no permission.
I coaxed him with sweet words for a bit.
Did it work?
[......Fine, agreed.]
Shine's consent at last.
I cheered inwardly.
‘Mana as energy source is a bit wasteful, but...’
For a Master Knight as slave... no, full comrade, it's nothing.
[But conditions. Guarantee that, and I accept.]
“...Sure. Let's hear it.”
Negotiations ended.
The contract sealed.
[......Tch, unpleasant.]
Shine grumbled at the subordinated feeling, but it was great for me.
‘This much... mana drain is manageable.’
Maybe my mana's purity helped.
Post-contract, mana leaked to Shine minimally.
“Please to meet you, slave... no, comrade.”
I smiled and offered my hand.
[......Damn it.]
Of course, Shine smiled too.
No expression as a Death Knight, but surely.
Thus, after twists and turns, Shine under my command.
A few more days.
“...There! The 4th Base Camp!”
We reached the 4th Base Camp.
But, how to put it.
“...Huh, that's the 4th Base Camp?”
The 4th Base Camp before us was on another level from the ones we'd seen.