Chapter 93
“…Haha. Should I have just humored them?”
Yair smiled bitterly as he looked at the woman in the maid outfit looking down at him.
More accurately, at the evil entity that must be watching this entire situation from behind her.
When asked to boast about his evil deeds, he ended up answering truthfully.
If he had just pretended to be a suitably cruel necromancer, he might have passed safely.
But that didn’t suit his temperament.
‘No. I’d rather die.’
He couldn’t deny his own convictions.
Ever since he learned necromancy, the world had always despised him.
“What? Dark Magic? Get out of our village right now, you monster!”
“You devil spawn who feeds on filthy corpses!”
Ordinary people spat and threw stones at him for the sole reason that he handled corpses.
Even people he had been close with would instantly change their expressions the moment he revealed he was a Dark mage.
But was the treatment from other Dark mages any better? Not at all.
“Yair. Don’t be a hypocrite for no reason. We’re all the same Dark mages anyway.”
“Tsk, tsk. You frustrating fool. Why don’t you realize that your petty morality is eating away at all your efficiency!”
His friends mocked him, and his master clicked his tongue.
In the world of Necromancers, his stubbornness to use only corpses for which he had paid a fair price and obtained permission was treated as a peculiar eccentricity.
Sometimes, he even suffered losses because of that principle.
But for the past three years, Yair had never crossed that line, not even once.
Because no matter what anyone said, he believed it was right.
And yet.
“This True Ancestor acknowledges your convictions.”
He met the progenitor of Vampires for the first time today.
Surprisingly, that great being who used spatial magic… had affirmed those convictions.
“…”
Something hot surged up from deep within Yair’s chest.
‘I wasn’t wrong…!’
The path he had walked as a loner existed.
He had finally met someone who understood him.
And he realized.
“…That earlier question asking me to boast about cruel evil deeds was to test me.”
Yair quietly bit his lip.
* * *
‘What’s up with him?’
I tilted my head as I looked at Yair, who had frozen stiff beyond the Sight Sharing screen.
That guy was just laughing and chatting amiably a moment ago.
Why is he suddenly acting like that with his eyes tearing up?
Is he that moved just because I gave him a single word of praise?
I took my eyes off the screen for a moment and asked the monarch standing on one side of the Office.
“Monarch, What do the mortals of this world think of Necromancers?”
At that, the monarch answered immediately.
“Necromancers are considered terrible people who disturb the rest of the dead and covet corpses. It is common for people to fear and despise them, and to unconditionally ostracize them.”
“Aha.”
Only then did I understand his excessive reaction a little.
With that kind of perception, he must have been really thankful that I acknowledged him.
But why do they despise them to that extent just for handling corpses?
‘Isn’t he just a young man who likes corpses?’
It’s like a medical student with a lot of interest in anatomy.
Then again, I guess it’s conservative since it’s a medieval fantasy world.
Anyway, it seemed that not all Dark mages were unconditionally bad guys.
“Hmm. Should I give him the corpse then?”
He was a guy who diligently kept his own rules, and he didn’t seem to be lying, so it seemed fine.
Previously, after the war ended, Si-yeon had brought the bishop’s corpse like a stray cat bringing in a mouse.
Whether it was because of divine power or because all the blood had been drained out.
It hadn’t rotted and was perfectly fine even after a few days, so I roughly instructed the monarch to store it in the underground warehouse.
I had no use for it anyway.
It was more profitable to exchange it for the high-quality blood that guy had.
I spoke to Yair again through telepathy.
“If you offer the blood as tribute, this body shall also bestow a fitting reward.”
At those words, Yair’s complexion brightened significantly.
“Ah, thank you! Then I will offer the blood I’ve collected right away.”
But where is he going to take the blood from?
There didn’t seem to be any space to hide luggage on a guy wearing just a single loose robe.
“Arise!”
Just as I was having my doubts, Yair reached his hand toward the ground and chanted a short spell.
A green magic circle appeared on the ground.
With a squelching sound, a monster rose up.
“Uweeeck.”
Flesh stitched together like rags.
It was an undead with a round, fat body like a hippo, and a huge mouth that took up half its face.
Craaack.
The undead opened its mouth wide as if yawning, and Yair stuck his hand inside and rummaged around and soon pulled out several glass bottles filled with blood.
He scratched the back of his head and laughed as if embarrassed.
“Haha, it might look a bit like this on the outside, but it’s very clean, so you don’t have to worry.”
Katarina approached without a change in expression and took the glass bottles one by one.
‘It’s gross, but he says it’s hygienic, so whatever.’
As I kept looking at it, that fat undead monster had its own charm.
It was definitely ugly, but having two pea-sized eyes stuck right above a huge mouth was a surprisingly likable design.
But right then.
Thud!
“Hiiiik…! P-please spare me!”
The guide girl, who had been watching the situation all along, collapsed to the ground and began to beg pleadingly.
“I’ll take what I saw to my grave! I absolutely won’t blab about the Dark mage and the Vampires making a secret deal!”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it, from that girl’s perspective, it was quite a desperate situation.
A deserted forest.
A scene where a gloomy Dark mage and a gang of evil Vampires pulled out a hideous monster and exchanged blood.
Having witnessed a secret, she seemed to have gotten scared preemptively that she would be killed to silence her.
“No, why would we kill you?”
Yair waved both hands as if it were absurd and clarified.
“T-that’s right…! We don’t harm innocent people without reason…!”
Sera urgently waved her hands and soothed the girl, and Si-yeon also silently nodded.
I also let out a hollow laugh.
“Do not cry. This body’s retainers do not find interest in trivial killing.”
After even I stepped in to soothe her remotely, we were barely able to calm the girl down.
* * *
Like that, the situation was roughly wrapped up.
Now it was time to call Yair to Arden Domain to hand over the bishop’s corpse.
I gave the monarch a heads-up.
“A Dark mage will soon come here.”
“A-a Dark mage, you say?”
The monarch’s shoulders flinched and trembled.
“Are Vampires not also treated as monsters by the world? There is no reason to blindly ostracize someone just because the source of the power they wield is different.”
At my words, the monarch soon bowed his head deeply.
“Ah… I see! I can only marvel at the Distinguished One’s broad-mindedness. My thoughts were short-sighted.”
Meanwhile, on the way back to the territory from the forest.
“Human, I’ll run with you on my back.”
Si-yeon said to the hesitant guide girl.
“Yes? A-weren’t you going to run while holding me?! I feel like getting piggybacked will make my motion sickness worse…”
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
“Uwaaah, I’m not fine - !!!!”
Si-yeon hoisted her onto her own back like a piece of luggage and leaped up.
The problem was Yair’s means of transportation he had left behind.
Since he was a Dark mage, it was a bit awkward to have Si-yeon or Sera carry him and run, but at that moment, Yair grinned and waved his hand.
“I’ll make my own way, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Screech!”
When he placed his hand on the ground, a giant undead Bone Eagle made of bones and rotten feathers was summoned this time.
Yair let the Bone Eagle’s talons grip his shoulders.
Flap!
The eagle soared into the sky while tightly gripping Yair. Its speed was considerable.
“Wow! That looks fun! I want to hang on too!”
Riri shouted as she ran and followed along.
“Haha. Should I give you a ride later too, little lady?”
Yair leisurely waved his hand at Riri while dangling in the air.
After such a bout of noisy travel, the retainers and Yair finally arrived at the Office of the monarch’s manor in Arden Domain.
“Liege monarch. We have retrieved the blood as you commanded.”
“I have completed the mission and returned, Master.”
“Masteeer! Riri is heeeere!”
“We brought the blood, Master…!”
The retainers knelt before me in unison and offered their greetings in their own ways.
“Mhm.”
I crossed my arms and nodded, striking a pose.
But Yair’s condition was strange.
From the moment he crossed the threshold of the office, he just stood there blankly, staring at me in a daze.
A face full of bewilderment.
“Why are you standing there so stupidly? Hurry and pay your respects to the Liege monarch.”
Katarina scolded him with a fierce voice.
Only then did Yair snap back to his senses and open his mouth, stuttering.
“A-are you… the True Ancestor-nim…?”
“That is correct. What are you so surprised about?”
“Y-you’re much cuter than I thoug… a-ah, no. Because you are so noble. Haha…”
‘You just said I was cute, didn’t you?’
Glare.
I furrowed my brow and glared at him.
I was setting the mood and showing off my dignity in front of the retainers and the monarch, and he called me cute.
If I let this slide, my face as a True Ancestor would be ruined.
I pointed my finger right at him and shouted.
“Mortal. Do you dare look upon this True Ancestor with profane eyes? That is a death sentence!”
A bloodthirsty remark about taking his life just for calling me cute!
It was a dignity befitting the monarch of Blood.
“…Gasp!”
At that, Yair suddenly clutched tightly near his heart.
And then, as if his legs had given out, didn’t he just collapse onto the floor with a thud?
“Ahem. He must have finally realized my dignity.”
My shoulders rose slightly in a boastful mood.