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My Villains Chapter 30
8. The Mill and the Undertaker (4)
To be honest, I don't really like Necromancers. The reason is obvious - it's because of PvP. They're too heavily affected by matchups.
Some classes can beat them even with basic control, while other classes can't win no matter how hard they try - that's exactly what Necromancers were like. Should I say it's almost impossible to overcome their structural limitations?
And to begin with, fragile casters weren't really my style.
But regardless of my preferences, Necromancers were quite popular characters. Versatile, easy to play, and with an interesting concept. No wonder they're popular.
Plus, their performance is decent.
The so-called ‘death spear’ magic represented by ‘Venom Lance’ and ‘Acid Arrow’.
Area-of-effect damage-over-time spells like ‘Sphere of Annihilation’ and ‘Death Fog’.
Powerful crowd control abilities called the ‘Abyss Series’.
While not the absolute best, these were all skills boasting excellent performance.
However, the skill that represented Necromancers wasn't annihilation magic or black magic.
The name is ‘Necromancer’, right? Naturally, the signature skill of Necromancers was ‘Necromancy’.
The spirit series ranging from ‘Will-of-wisp’ to ‘Ghost’ and ‘Banshee’.
The corpse series ranging from ‘Zombie’ to ‘Skeleton Soldier’ and ‘Dulahan’.
The hybrid series like ‘Wandering Skull’ and ‘Death Knight’.
And the ultimate undead, the ‘Death Knight’, which can only be summoned as a single entity.
Necromancy was the technique of creating and commanding these various undead minions.
What's interesting about this Necromancy is that, with such a variety of minions, players could form all sorts of combinations to their liking.
You could form an elite squad with high-tier units, or create a large swarm with low-tier units.
The ‘standard composition’ that mixes minions of each type in a balanced way, the ‘fly composition’ that only uses flying minions, the ‘tank composition’ centered around the Death Knight with Dulahans everywhere, the ‘ear-deafening meta’ that fills the screen with Banshees to blow out your speakers, and so on.
Combining troops in all these ways was the true charm of playing a Necromancer.
There's even a saying that the moment you start leveling a Necromancer, the game genre changes from RPG to RTS - that says it all.
Moreover, I'm a true hardcore player.
I understood very well how useful these undead minions - who would die again for the player, well, they're already dead though - could be.
As I was thinking this, Mr. Luke, who was avoiding the sun under a tree, laughed and said, "Isn't it hot? Take it easy, Phoenix."
"Ah, it's fine, Mr. Luke. I'm not even sweating at this level."
Mr. Luke was weaving branches in the shade, while I was digging hard in the scorching sun. It was to bury an unclaimed body found in the market.
Why am I going through this trouble, you ask?
Obviously, to make a good impression on Mr. Luke.
With the help of a Necromancer, the campaign could progress much more smoothly.
If I could gain Mr. Luke's favor by doing this bit of digging, I'd gladly dig all day long. This was a matter of survival.
Of course, that's just a manner of speaking. The actual digging finished quickly. Thanks to the combination of a reserve sergeant's skills and superhuman endurance.
Once the nameless man was completely buried, Mr. Luke stuck a cross in front of it and knelt down. Then he closed his eyes and muttered something while touching the ground.
"...Death is not loss but shedding, shedding worries and desires to finally be liberated from life's suffering..."
I quietly watched Mr. Luke and fell into thought. There was so much I wanted to ask.
Why the seeker of 'Eternal Words', also known as the 'Eternal Forbidden Text', was working as a mortician in South Harbor.
Whether he might have something like a staff made from a great demon's bone or a bronze crown.
Whether he had used the corpses of powerful losers to create low-level undead.
Things like that.
But as I was wondering if it would be okay to pour out such questions upon first meeting,
Mr. Luke finished his prayer or ritual and approached me with a gentle smile.
"Thank you, Phoenix. You've saved me a lot of trouble."
"It's nothing, Mr. Luke."
Seeing Mr. Luke's gentle smile made me feel uneasy.
The most pressing question echoed heavily in my chest.
Just as the elementalist 'ABCDMagician' had become Ellen.
Had the Necromancer 'CorpseMannerjokka' become Mr. Luke?
I couldn't be certain yet, but the hat and clothes Mr. Luke was wearing were the same equipment I had equipped.
I remember it clearly because it was a look I had deliberately matched for concept play.
I wanted to ask about those clothes, but - weren't Mr. Luke and I meeting for the first time today? It seemed a bit strange to suddenly ask about the origin of someone's clothes.
So I - as if roleplaying - brought up a topic that people of this era might be curious about.
"I didn't know there was a mortician in South Harbor."
"Ah, yes. It's because there's a church here. I'm probably the only mortician in this city."
Mr. Luke continued, brushing off the dirt from his knees.
"As you might have guessed, I'm not from here. I came from Ailant across the sea."
"...I see."
Actually, since Phoenix the Blood Knight was also from Ailant, it would have been right to act like I knew about it here, but I didn't.
If we kept talking, it would become obvious that I knew almost nothing about Ailant.
...Role-playing without even knowing the character setting properly. What nonsense.
That bad habit of skipping comes back to bite me again.
"Ahem, did you come to South Harbor alone?"
At my question, Mr. Luke shook his head with a deep sigh.
"Sigh, no. I had a few companions, but I lost them in the sewers. It's been ten days already."
"Oh, that's unfortunate. But why were you in the sewers...?"
Mr. Luke's face was covered with self-blame or sadness. The wrinkles seemed to create even deeper shadows.
"We had an urgent matter to attend to back home. But the city lockdown showed no signs of lifting, so naturally my companions grew impatient. I should have stopped them more actively then..."
Ah, I remember. The scenario objective for the Necromancer and the paladin was 'Seteniora', the monastery on the cliff.
In the game, after finishing the tutorial-like Chapter 1, player characters share the same path from Chapter 2 onwards to solve the campaign.
The Blood Knight and Elemental Mage, Necromancer take the southern sea route.
The Berserker and Summoning Shaman take the western corridor.
The Swordsman and Martial Artist take the eastern snowy mountains.
The Paladin and Arcane Hunter take the northern forest.
They all gather in South Harbor, the stage of Chapter 2.
After that, while the scenarios differ slightly, the regions they pass through are almost identical.
While I was thinking about that, the old mortician stroked his wrinkled face and continued speaking.
"We heard a rumor that there was a passage in the sewers leading outside. So we recklessly went down into the sewers and met with misfortune."
"Oh my... You must be heartbroken."
"Thank you for your sympathy. Losing my fellow countrymen was already a great sorrow, but - sigh. The guilt of not being able to do what needs to be done makes my heart even heavier."
Mr. Luke, who had been smiling bitterly, said that much and suddenly raised his head to meet my eyes.
"Actually... The reason I paid attention to the rumors about you is because of that."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"I heard you caught a lizard in the sewers. And not just any lizard, but a very large one."
Wait, what kind of neighborhood is this for rumors to spread so quickly? Even for a small city, this is...
"I was lucky. I didn't catch it alone either."
"Ah, I heard you had a young porter with you."
"...A porter?"
Could he be talking about Ellen? These rumors are too much.
Ellen as a porter? Nonsense! She's more like a luggage ball.
"Hmm? Is that not right? That's what I heard."
At Mr. Luke's question, I shook my head. Whatever my true feelings, badmouthing a companion to an outsider is foolish.
"Haha, that's just nonsense from people who don't know. Ellen is my reliable companion."
"Hmm, I see."
Mr. Luke nodded for a moment and then asked in a polite tone.
"If you're planning to enter the sewers again, could you take me with you?"
Oh? What's this? This was actually what I wanted to say... Could it be that my subcharacters and I are connected by some sort of 'thread of fate' or something?
...Whatever it is, being connected to Mr. Luke feels a bit unsettling.
If it were busty beauties like a female paladin or female Blood Knight, that would be one thing, but an old, decrepit Necromancer grandpa is a bit...
Seeing my expression darken, perhaps misunderstanding, Mr. Luke hastily added in a calm tone, "Of course, I'm old, but I have that much more experience. I'm as healthy as any young person, so I can carry a lot of luggage, and I can use a few tricks."
You don't need to appeal that much, grandpa. I was going to take you anyway.
"When you say you want to enter the sewers... I suppose you want to find the passage leading outside?"
"That too, but... If possible, I'd like to retrieve my fellow countrymen who might be lying somewhere underground."
"Hmm, I see. Then, what do you mean by 'tricks'?"
"I'm a follower of the teachings of the Eternal Forbidden Text. I can draw a bit on the power of the abyss, and I know a little about annihilation magic."
The power of the abyss and annihilation magic...!
Of course, being still low-level, he probably doesn't have any amazing spells, but it should be quite useful. It's magic after all, isn't it?
Whew. My heart is swelling. Am I finally, finally getting a proper companion?
Trying to suppress the laughter that was about to burst out, I asked Mr. Luke, "Ahem, I see. Then - can you also handle undead minions?"
"...Undead, you say?"
"Yes. Undead. You know, skeleton soldiers or flying skulls, I mean, flying bones..."
...What's this? Mr. Luke's expression became a bit strange.
Just as I was thinking I might have said something wrong and was about to ask again.
"Phoenix! What kind of rude thing are you saying?"
"Daria?"
Having finished milling at some point, Daria appeared from the direction of the mill, holding a sack of grain in her arms.
She approached me with quick steps, elbowed me in the side, and bowed her head to Mr. Luke.
"I'm sorry. Phoenix is a bit lacking in common sense. He sometimes does weird things... Please understand, Mr. Luke."
"No, it's alright. As someone who seeks the truth of the Eternal Forbidden Text, I often encounter such misunderstandings. Though I never imagined being asked so directly."
What's this about? Did I do something wrong?
Noticing my questioning eyes, Daria came close and whispered, "Undead? What are you saying that could get us in big trouble? If the church catches wind of this, you could be burned at the stake."
"...What? But a Necromancer handling undead is-"
"Phoenix! Watch your mouth!"
Daria quickly covered my mouth and looked around. Judging by the timing, it seemed she was startled by the word 'Necromancer'.
Wait a minute. This doesn't bode well.
In a panic, I removed Daria's hand and asked Mr. Luke, "But Mr. Luke, what about that Fen fire, I mean, will-of-wisp you used earlier?"
"Ah, that?"
Mr. Luke's expression hardened a bit, as if he was slightly uncomfortable. Yet he still tried to smile as he explained.
"Will-of-wisp is just a spiritual flame created by gathering the lingering thoughts of restless spirits. It has nothing to do with Necromancy."
...What nonsense is this? Summoning will-of-wisps is a rank 1 Necromancy skill.
"Hmm, it seems you're still misunderstanding something. Let me be clear-"
Seeing my confused expression, Mr. Luke stated firmly, "I do not deal with evil arts. Defying death goes against not only the doctrine of the Light Church but also the teachings of the Eternal Forbidden Text."
...Just when I thought things were going smoothly after the wand stand incident, now what? A Necromancer who can't use Necromancy?
Trickster, you bastard! Are you telling me to break this or leave it?