Chapter 78
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 078
Chapter Title: The Lord and the Troublemaker (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The time had finally come.
The moment to learn the third spell from the Underground Guide Grimoire.
"At last, the scent of death clings to your body as well."
The voice of the Underground Guide Grimoire.
The moment I heard it, the grimoire on the desk began to move on its own. It flipped open to the exact page I'd last read, and the pages started turning automatically from there. Before long, the motion stopped. The spot was about three-fifths into the book.
Meaning two more spells still remained.
'Let's see what spell this one is...'
Information surfaced in my mind.
I examined it carefully. First, the spell's name: Thought Endowment.
It used the lingering thoughts in objects my undead had wielded in life to raise their intelligence higher than before. In that sense, it resembled Thought Body Summon, relying on the deceased's possessions as material.
'Mana cost is about the same as the previous spells.'
Thought Endowment
Mana Cost: 80 (100 pre-efficiency)
Mana Gain from Reading: +50
The mana cost for Thought Endowment was 80—or 100 before I'd learned Mana Conservation. Identical to the Death Deferral and Body Sculpting spells the Underground Guide Grimoire had taught me before. Even the mana boost from reading the grimoire was 50, matching the prior two.
'For the material, Gilbert's sword will do.'
The sword Gilbert had carried as a skeleton. It was the weapon he'd used in life, forged from some special metal that kept its shape even after all this time. I had no idea what that metal was. Just something Master had mentioned once long ago.
'Hate to waste the sword, but no choice.'
Gilbert was now wielding the longsword granted to him by Count Chester. The old blade from his skeleton days was no longer in combat use.
So I decided without hesitation.
'Let's cast the spell right now.'
Gilbert's original weapon.
I used it as material and cast Thought Endowment. Mana drained from my body, and the sword floated lightly into the air.
And then.
BOOM!
It shattered into fragments.
Those shards swirled in place, turning to fine dust that flew toward Gilbert and absorbed into his body.
'Done?'
I scrutinized Gilbert closely. No obvious changes. If anything, his eyes looked a bit clearer?
"Gilbert, can you talk now?"
With higher intelligence, maybe conversation was possible. Holding that hope, I asked. He shook his head.
Ah, smarter but still no speech.
I was thinking that, feeling a twinge of regret, when I noticed something odd.
'Gilbert shook his head?'
The old Gilbert would've ignored the question entirely, standing stock-still.
Something had definitely changed. To test it further, I threw out another question.
"Gilbert. If you had to spar one of them, who would you cross blades with?"
Bear and Connell stood behind me.
The question about which of the two. Gilbert looked back and forth between them, then raised his right hand and pointed at Bear.
"Whoa!"
I couldn't help but exclaim. He'd made a choice on his own.
Stretching it, you could say he'd gained a sense of self.
'This means I can give him complex orders now, right?'
As I thought that, Connell spoke up.
"Picking me out as a sparring partner means he must find Sir Bear an easier mark than me."
Bear scoffed at that.
"Sparring's most fun against someone on your level. Sir Connell's weaker than me, so Gilbert picked me instead."
Their words hung, and their gazes clashed in midair.
Moments later, both turned to me at once.
They wanted to spar Gilbert. I nodded.
I wanted to check how much stronger he'd gotten, after all.
"Then let's head outside."
I was in the mansion bedroom. Starting a fight here would've wrecked the furniture.
"How about we see who lasts longer against Gilbert? Winner and loser that way."
"Fine. No excuses if you lose."
"Thanks for saying what I wanted to."
Bear and Connell growled at each other.
Meanwhile, I focused on the Underground Guide Grimoire's voice. Curious about its fourth demand.
"The dead cannot be revived. That defies the natural order. But making them appear alive? That's possible."
"Breathe the breath of the divine into the corpse of the departed. Once it takes hold in the lifeless shell, no one will ever suspect he's dead."
From the wording, the fourth spell seemed like another undead enhancement technique.
Breathe the breath of the divine into it.
Simple on the surface. But the more I pondered, the trickier it got.
Breath of the divine? What the hell did that mean?
'My breath won't cut it?'
On a whim, I stepped up to Gilbert and blew on him.
Whoosh.
About ten seconds later, I was out of breath. No reaction from the grimoire.
Not the right answer.
'No clue. Gotta think this over slowly.'
Breath of the divine.
I couldn't get a read on it at all.
The open lot behind the mansion.
We headed there. Plenty of space, walled off to block prying eyes.
Perfect for sparring.
"Lord Heros, we're starting."
Bear faced Gilbert and charged without pause.
Whoosh!
He closed in fast and swung.
A strike too quick for most to react, but Gilbert blocked it casually.
BANG!
After the roar, they locked in a test of strength.
Pure power clash. Gilbert won.
Bear held for a few seconds before clicking his tongue and retreating.
'Gilbert, pressure Bear. Keep it to where he won't get hurt. You get what I mean?'
Watching the spar, I gave the order. Deliberately vague.
To test his judgment.
BOOM!
My command dropped, and Gilbert went on the offensive.
Endless sword swings. Bear gritted his teeth, blocking.
But watching Gilbert fight, something felt different from before. Couldn't pin it exactly.
Just... off.
"His movements are smoother."
Connell, spectating, tossed in a comment.
I glanced at him.
"What?"
"Ah, about Gilbert. His motions are way smoother than before."
That nailed it.
'Right, the transitions between actions. That's the difference I sensed.'
Old Gilbert moved rigidly, no matter what. Say a horizontal slash into vertical.
Before, he'd pause slightly between. A hitch.
Now? Horizontal flowed seamlessly into vertical, like water.
Subtle, but huge progress.
"Ngh...!"
As I admired that, Bear—still countering steadily—finally slipped up.
Gilbert's blade halted at his throat.
In a real fight, he'd be dead.
"Hah... hah..."
Bear panted heavily, sighed, and returned to my side.
"He's definitely stronger than before."
Bear sparred Gilbert often. Only opponent he could go all-out with.
His assessment rang true. I looked to Connell, expecting him to rib Bear.
Surprisingly, silence.
'Shocked by Gilbert's growth?'
Connell stared at Gilbert, face stiff.
Sensing my gaze, he turned.
"Lord Heros. My turn for a spar."
"Go ahead."
Connell strode forward, facing Gilbert, then lunged.
BOOM!
Bear's match was brute force. This was skill on skill.
They clashed blades on first exchange. Gilbert twisted, thrusting at Connell's face.
Connell reacted sharply.
Clang!
Parried with the base near the hilt. Clean.
Gilbert slid his blade higher, now aiming for the chest—preempting Connell's counter.
Forcing Connell back.
'How many exchanges in that blink? Incredible.'
Fierce bladework.
As I marveled, Bear spoke.
"It's over."
"Huh? What?"
"The spar. That clash decided it."
"Why?"
"Sir Connell lost initiative. Gilbert'll press nonstop now. He'll just defend till the end. Happened to me."
Astonishingly, it unfolded just like Bear said.
Gilbert seized the moment, hammering Connell relentlessly.
Connell scrambled to block, then exposed a gap.
Match point. Flow mirrored Bear's.
"Ha..."
Connell gave a hollow laugh post-spar, then approached.
"Still, I lasted longer than Sir Bear."
Bear bristled.
"What nonsense! I held out longer than you!"
They bickered.
Then asked me who won.
"Dunno. Seemed even. Call it a draw?"
Truthfully, it was. I'd ordered Gilbert to end Connell's match around Bear's duration.
"Lucky, Sir Connell."
"You too, Sir Bear."
They traded barbs, then glared at Gilbert again.
Seemed they wanted round two.
The next day.
As lord of Evergreen, I made my first decision.
"Mr. Rupert, from now on, I'm delegating all Evergreen affairs to you. Take good care of my territory."
Granting him proxy authority.
"Pardon?"
Rupert blinked in shock but quickly composed himself.
"You haven't even toured Evergreen properly, and you're handing me everything?"
"I'm leaving anyway. Better say it early."
Rupert stared blankly. Hard to believe the handover after just three days on the job.
But what could he do?
Lord says dump it, you dump it.