Gotta Do What Needs Doing

“Apostle, there's no need for you to step forward. I shall go and tear them all to shreds.”

We descended to the third underground level to check on the skeleton miners.

The skeleton miners didn't even glance our way, despite our arrival.

Clink-clink.

Crack-crack-crack.

Clink-clink-clink.

Whether we watched or not, they just kept cracking away, diligently digging something out.

This is...

My eyes lit up at the pile of items the skeleton miners had stacked in the corner, but Lena spoke first.

“Theo-nim! This is... magic stones! And they even contain mithril!”

“Just as I thought? I'm not seeing things?”

“Yes! And if we refine them properly, they'll definitely yield high-grade quality!”

Lena had a much keener eye for quality.

Her excitement suggested it was top-notch stuff.

A magic stone mine, huh? This must be the power source driving Magrid's Legacy.

Magrid's production facilities didn't run on autopilot.

Such massive setups needed a power source.

That's why Magrid's Legacy was placed near a magic stone mine.

And with mithril mixed in, material supply wouldn't be an issue going forward.

If I sell this... how much would it fetch?

It was more than I could use alone.

A grin crept onto my face unbidden.

I couldn't gauge the total reserves, but even the casually piled amount was substantial.

This was worth looking forward to.

Can't just leave treasure like this behind, right?

Sorry, Baron Sellevan, but I had zero intention of reporting this.

I pulled the Life Vessel from the depths of my spatial backpack.

Petra frowned at the sight.

“Apostle, it's best to smash something like that as soon as possible. It's an item containing the vile soul of that wicked lich. If it falls into the hands of another evil being... it might even resurrect.”

“I know. I can feel it too. But just destroying the lich's soul outright feels too merciful, don't you think? Gotta milk it for all it's worth first.”

“Beyond soul annihilation... what other method could there be?”

I flashed Petra a smile.

Then I checked the Life Vessel's info again.

I zeroed in on the Undead Command part.

If I could preserve just that function while repurposing the Life Vessel into something else, I might be able to command these skeleton miners.

“Lena, help me out.”

We dove straight into crafting.

No pressure.

It was subtly trying to reconstruct a body anyway.

Even if it failed and shattered the Life Vessel, no big loss.

Petra would probably love that outcome.

First things first, separate the soul.

Kraaaaaah—

Black smoke poured from the Life Vessel, writhing unstably in the air.

A sinister wail echoed from within the smoke.

But it was just another form of mana.

And I knew how to handle it.

“Camilla! Soul-tracking doll!”

Camilla quickly handed me the soul-tracking doll.

Its Soul Absorption function should do the trick.

If I absorb even a bit of the lich's info through soul absorption... that's profit.

The soul-tracking doll fluttered around before starting to suck in the black smoke.

Kraaaaaah! Krack—

Screams rang out each time the smoke shrank.

A chill ran down my spine, but it felt good.

The bastard who tortured Petra suffering? All the more welcome.

I savored the pleasant messages before resuming work.

So far, I'd only separated the lich's soul—the real crafting lay ahead.

But an unexpected reaction pinged.

My Soul Resonance Necklace started responding.

I fiddled with the necklace while eyeing the Life Vessel.

The two items were syncing mana, causing intense resonance.

This could be... interesting. If I apply this resonance pattern...

I pushed through the crafting and even tried enchanting.

Hitting 3rd-class had made crafting faster and more efficient.

“Done.”

“I-Incredible! Descendant of Magrid... no, this surpasses that! This is true creation! Proof of Seras's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠power! We must go to the Church at once...”

“Enough nonsense, Petra. Imagine how the Church would react to soul-handling like this... ugh.”

“B-But...”

Lena had been a huge help in the crafting.

Working together let her read my mind even better.

Her face flushed red from assisting, she backed me up.

“Petra, do you want Theo-nim wanted by the Church?”

“Miss Lena, that's not it. Seeing a lich soul purified and an item created...”

“Think they'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠acknowledge it? That Church?”

Petra fell silent at Lena's calm words.

She knew the Church's nature better than anyone.

“They wouldn't. For starters, the Apostle isn't one of theirs...”

“And that's where it'd end?”

“...They might even try to eliminate him. But I could stop them! As former Holy Knight Commander, they couldn't ignore my word! They'd have to acknowledge it!”

Petra was forgetting something.

Lena coldly reminded her, forcing reality home.

She could be ruthless when needed.

“Forgot how your undeath was barely halted?”

“Th-That...”

“Theo-nim would be the villain who turned the Holy Knight Commander into an undead tool. Right?”

Petra deflated under Lena's words.

But Lena hammered the nail in.

“Theo-nim took you in despite that risk. If you truly care for him, don't suggest dragging him to the Church.”

Firm as ever, Lena.

Overwhelmed by her momentum, Petra nodded in realization.

“As expected of Miss Lena. My thinking was shortsighted. I nearly troubled the Apostle again.”

I silently gave Lena a thumbs-up for her spot-on points.

Then I checked the crafted item's status.

One bracelet, and it formed a set with the Soul Resonance Necklace.

The bonuses were highly satisfying.

Undead control capacity +100%? No more 'temporary control' limits for a while.

When I first controlled the skeleton miner, minion slot shortages slashed the duration.

Of course, I wasn't burning Hunter Points to expand slots just for one temp undead.

The bracelet solved that breakthrough.

Base 100 plus 100% meant easy control over 200.

“You, come here.”

After confirming the Soul Resonance Bracelet's details, I summoned a skeleton miner to test it right away.

The effect kicked in immediately.

Maybe because it was one the lich used—no resistance, it obeyed perfectly.

Crack-crack-crack.

I gave the cracking skeleton miner a few orders, and it carried them out.

Plus, imprinted commands persisted even without me there.

Issue orders, collect periodically. Gotta use Magrid's facilities anyway.

Pop in occasionally to grab what the skeleton miners produced.

Automated mining, I just harvest.

Perfect.

“This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠should... be usable, right?”

I glanced at Lena.

She beamed back.

“Usable? Way beyond that! Show this to a dark mage... it'd be a sight!”

“That good, huh?”

“It doubles undead control capacity. Huge deal.”

Lena's take intrigued me.

She focused on a different angle from my perspective.

Anyway, squeezed value from the lich soul, crafted an item. Now...

Work done, I called out to the group searching the area.

“Prep to move out!”

They swiftly packed at my word.

Camilla had hauled weird items and books from the lab.

“Masteeer! This stuff! We can sell at Petron Magic Market! Dolores said these sell well!”

“How do we sell lich junk? Get caught, it's a headache.”

“Hee-hee-t! Ways around it! Trust me! Barter too—helpful for Master!”

Unsettling, but I nodded.

No plans to leave anything behind anyway.

Taking it all.

Settlement in Petron.

Unsellables go into crafting materials.

Anything grabbed is gain.

We left Magrid's Legacy behind and moved out.

Boom!

Exiting, I planted flame explosion mines and detonated.

Rumble-rumble.

Collapsed the tunnel to the entrance.

Next visit, have the remaining skeleton miners dig it open.

Better than letting others find this place.

“Where'd Camilla go now?”

“Slipped into shadows earlier.”

“Not sulking 'cause I didn't make her a shadow horse?”

“She prefers inside shadows.”

“Yeah? Lena...”

Lena hugged me tight from the rear saddle.

“This spot's perfect for me! Can't ride anyway!”

“Noble training, but no riding skills...”

“I. Don't. Know. How!”

Bickering playfully, the group headed for Petron Magic Market.

But someone was watching our moves.

“What the hell? Even a Holy Knight joined? Impossible...”

Seemed they'd stealthily tracked our trail.

But no way they'd enter that dangerous spot—waited outside.

“How do I report this to Lord Burno?”

He pulled a communication orb from his pouch.

Hesitated, situation unresolved.

Explosion what? What happened to the undead inside? That's Holy Knight Commander Petra, right? Where're the others? Why solo? Nuts.

Unanswered questions.

As he toggled the orb on and off—

A chill gripped his nape.

Shadows rippled.

Shiiiik—

A black scythe sliced the air.

Slash.

Thud-thud-thud.

“Hee-hee-t, Master's too lax on this stuff—gotta cover for him!”

Camilla rummaged the man's pockets, muttering.

“Hmm, Burno? Snooping on Master! Slice when meet! Memo! Handle later! Huh? Masteeer! Wait up! Don't leave me!”

Panicking at the speeding shadow horse, she dove into shadows.

Forgot to dispose of the body properly.

A slip she wouldn't normally make.

In deep woods like this, hardly a mistake.

Monsters would sniff the blood and clean up.

But considering what we'd faced... yeah, a real oversight.