‘Necromancer? Me?’
Why?
Why me, of all people?
Why am I the one who can see ghosts? I never asked for this!
At the sound of a distant, overwhelming wail, Julia clamped her hands over her ears and groaned.
Aslan, Charlotte, and Sylvia all seemed perfectly normal.
Only I can hear this voice.
Everyone is looking at me like I’m strange.
‘I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to see it! I want to go back to when I couldn’t hear or see anything!’
Why me?
Of all the people in the world, why me?
Isn’t this the kind of ability that awakens in kids who want to talk to ghosts?
I never wanted this, not even once!
‘Ah. Could it be because I wished to understand the murmuring voices…?’
Well, maybe not never.
The voices that whispered endlessly into Julia’s ear, depriving her of sleep.
At first, she wished for them to disappear.
Later, when they wouldn’t go away, she wished to at least understand them.
Was that the mistake?
Now, the murmuring voices that tormented Julia had disappeared.
Instead, the clear visions and voices of the dead had taken their place.
This wasn’t what I wanted!
‘no. I hate it. I really hate it. But… it’s so pitiful…’
I hate it, but…
Listening to them, I feel sorrow, and it annoys me.
A dwarf king killed him out of envy, he should have completed his last holy sword before dying…
It’s still scary, but at the same time, I can’t help but feel sympathy.
‘To get rid of them, I need to help them pass on, right?’
I’m scared, but what else can I do?
To get it out of my sight, I need to help it move on.
So, I should help resolve its grudge?
As I was pondering this, Aslan spoke in an exasperated tone.
“Do you think a necromancer is some kind of ghost counselor? Just capture it and use it as a power source.”
“How can you say that! It’s a person crying out in grievance…”
“Do you still see that as a person? Once it’s left the mortal realm, it’s already an evil spirit. Who knows what harm it could cause if left alone.”
“That’s why I need to help it pass on quickly!”
“Hah…”
Aslan burst into laughter.
Julia couldn’t understand what was so funny.
Does he not grasp the seriousness of the situation?
She told him how scared she was, even showing rare tears… how embarrassing…
“If that’s what you think, do as you wish. I’ll help a little.”
“Really!?”
“But, I’ll only help a little. You’re the only one who can talk to the spirit. You’ll have to handle the important parts by yourself.”
“Ugh…”
Me, alone?
With that armless dwarf ghost…?
Julia felt a chill and her hair stood on end.
But at that moment.
“It’s okay! I’ll be with you!”
“Charlotte…?”
“I can’t see or hear anything, but I’ll stay by your side!”
Charlotte grabbed her hand tightly.
This eased her tension slightly.
Julia smiled shyly.
“Sorry, but that’s not very helpful.”
“Waaah!”
It may not be much help, but it’s fine.
Thanks to Charlotte, her tension was eased.
“Phew. Okay. I’ll try talking to it. I’ll find out what that dwarf’s grudge is and why he’s being so loud…!”
Julia finally resolved herself.
She’d faced fear many times.
She’d walked through dark, creaking hallways alone at night to the bathroom.
She’d listened to Yuri’s scary stories without plugging her ears.
So there’s nothing to be afraid of!
Though she hated to admit it…
Aslan is right, she is a necromancer.
A necromancer can’t be afraid of ghosts!
[Can you see me…?]
“He… he spoke to me! He spoke to me! Waaah!”
“Didn’t you say you were going to talk to it…”
Swoosh.
Julia rushed in an instant and reflexively hugged Aslan.
Ugh, how humiliating.
Why does she always turn to him when she’s scared…?
.
.
.
“Well, that’s how it is. To summarize, your grandfather’s noisy spirit is scaring my slave, so you need to help him pass on. His grudge is that he never finished his last holy sword, so you need to complete it.”
“…”
Fwoosh!
Jacob let out a deep sigh as he stared at the furnace, which had begun to blaze for the first time in ages.
The words “It would have been nice if you had told me from the beginning” were swallowed down his throat.
“My sl*ve, with commendable bravery, managed to communicate with your grandfather. Commendably so. We learned the location of the unfinished holy sword from him, the method to purify your corrupted mana through mana practice, and even the details of the technique itself. All this, my commendable sl*ve obtained through her diligent efforts.”
“…”
How many times is he going to say “commendable”?
I get it, you love your sl*ve.
Jacob shook his head in disbelief and sat on the ground as Aslan instructed.
The foundation of mana practice is meditation.
The basic principle is to empty your mind, focus on the flow of mana, and refine it purely.
Of course, just knowing the basic principle doesn’t mean anyone can master the technique.
“Inhale and block the flow of mana, exhale and let it flow again. The nature of corrupted mana and pure mana is different, creating a difference in their flow speeds. By repeatedly blocking the flow, pure mana and corrupted mana will slowly separate and form layers. This makes it easier to separate them.”
Such detailed insights…
These are the kind of tips only someone who has mastered mana practice could give.
Aslan Vermont, unable to manipulate mana himself, couldn’t have mastered the technique.
‘Could it really be… my grandfather?’
Master Jain.
To Jacob, the name sounded like that of a stranger.
He had no memories of his grandfather, who had passed away when he was just a baby.
The only trace of his grandfather left to Jacob was a small blacksmith’s shop.
But Jacob never dared to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father.
Both had been killed because of their abilities, and even now, people looked at him with suspicion because of his connection to the Vermonts.
So he had decided to abandon blacksmithing altogether.
Thanks to his grandfather’s legacy, he had enough money to live a comfortable life without ever working.
He thought it was best to live quietly, without causing a stir.
‘That’s how I decided to live… and yet here I am.’
Every time he passed by the dust-covered furnace, he felt an inexplicable pull.
His hands would automatically reach for the forging hammer, forcing him to stash it away out of sight.
Despite all his efforts to distance himself from blacksmithing, was he now destined to learn it?
Jacob chuckled hollowly, feeling the pure mana flowing through his body.
‘It feels so natural, like this practice was made for me…’
Was the Mana Forging Technique always this easy?
He, who was deemed too corrupted to ever handle mana, was refining it with ease?
It wouldn’t have been possible without a cultivation technique tailored perfectly to his body and the know-how to implement it.
It felt as though someone who knew Jacob well had crafted this technique specifically for him, having watched over him for a long time.
Jacob began to compress the purified mana.
Even though it was his first attempt, it felt strangely familiar.
Maybe blood really can’t be deceived.
“Mana Flame…!”
Sizzle!
A flame ignited at Jacob’s fingertip, glowing green.
Mana Flame.
A technique that burns mana with oxygen to produce extreme heat, infusing mana into metal.
A technique only a chosen few could use was now burning at Jacob’s fingertips.
Jacob’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
“What are you dawdling for? Start the quenching.”
“Yes!”
Even though it was his first time, he knew exactly what to do.
Pouring Mana Flame into the furnace, Jacob began heating the unfinished holy sword without hesitation.
He hammered the heated sword repeatedly, the process infusing the metal with mana residue, making it stronger.
Depending on the arrangement of the mana residue, the type of holy sword would change.
So far, this sword was just an ordinary piece of metal.
But now, the seventh holy sword was being completed right here.
Jacob smiled, feeling a satisfaction he had never known before.
“Huh, huh?! I get it! I get it!”
“Julia?”
Bang!
The door to the forge flew open as Julia burst in.
She looked tormented by something, prompting Aslan to unleash his killing intent.
“That wretched ghost has gone mad…”
“No! It’s not that! The vengeful spirit grandfather isn’t tormenting me, so please calm down!”
“Then what is it?”
“He says you’re doing the forging all wrong, and it’s driving him crazy, and he wants me to tell you… wait, what? He wants to possess his grandson’s body? There’s no way I can do that!”
Julia babbled at the air.
Aslan was ready to use his skill, “Touch of Death”, to exorcise the ghost at any moment.
Sylvia approached and tapped Julia’s shoulder.
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
“How can I just try? It’s not even in the spellbook.”
“Was my ‘Kaboom’ spell in the spellbook?”
“No…”
“There are more spells not in the spellbook than there are in it. The important thing in using magic is to listen to the voice of your heart. Do what your heart tells you to do.”
Good. Well done. Aslan clapped internally, impressed.
Under Sylvia’s guidance, Julia gathered her courage and reached out.
Following her heart…
Though it wasn’t the method she had seen in the spellbook, she felt a strong pull towards a certain magic.
“Not sure if this will work, but here goes!”
Mana began to concentrate at Julia’s fingertips.
This time, instead of separating a portion, she was using all her mana, giving it everything she had.
Julia’s hair stood on end, and Sylvia gasped, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit.
How much mana does she have…?
“Did it… work?”
The condensed mana dissipated, and Julia’s body slumped from mana exhaustion.
The surroundings fell silent, as if nothing had happened.
But something had indeed changed.
The sound of hammering, once clumsy, became steady and rhythmic: thud! thud! thud!
“You wretched boy. Is this the best you can do with my blood running through you? The arrangement is completely ruined. It would have turned into a pile of mana dung if left like this.”
“Ah! Grandfather’s vengeful spirit!”
“…Don’t call me that.”
Julia’s face lit up with a faint smile, and his tone shifted to that of an older, more experienced individual.
There was no doubt; the possession magic had worked.
The spirit of Master Jain had temporarily taken over his grandson’s body.
“Master Jain. Is it really you?”
“You already know the answer, nobleman. I’m a pitiable soul destined to vanish once this Holy Sword is complete, so don’t worry about me. As this little lady wishes, I’ll finish this and be on my way.”
Jain did nothing but hammer the sword, his focus unbroken.
He had no interest in anything else, only in completing the final, seventh holy sword.
His hands moved ceaselessly, driven by his sole lingering regret.
“Vengeful spirits are like that. They fixate on their grievances, unable to think of anything else. In my case, not finishing the final sword was my regret. I’ve lingered in this world, waiting for this moment, to complete the seventh holy sword.”
“…”
Was that truly all there was to it?
Had he not cared at all about his grandson left alone?
Aslan fell silent, pondering.
Meanwhile, the blade, now hot and glowing, was quenched in oil, emerging with a radiant beauty.
“This, this is…!”
Sylvia’s mouth hung open.
Even Aslan, not an expert in swords, was taken aback.
Charlotte, who had quietly entered the forge, couldn’t tear her eyes away, exclaiming in awe.
“It’s the seventh Holy Sword. Thanks to you all, it is complete. Consider it a gift. Or perhaps a bribe, to take care of my grandson… I will soon vanish, having resolved my regret. What shall we name the sword? Hmm.”
“A gift? Can I have it then?! I’ll name it the Super Super Strong Sword!”
“What!?”
As Charlotte rushed forward to claim the sword, it immediately began to darken.
In an instant, the radiant, mystical aura vanished, replaced by a sinister blackness.
The once-glorious holy sword was now an ominously gleaming black blade.
Jain clutched his neck, collapsing.
“No! My Holy Sword! It turned into a Demon Sword in that devilish child’s hands! Ah! Ah! Aaaah!!!”
“Grandfather’s vengeful spirit… is disappearing…”
It was the moment Master Jain finally found peace and moved on to the afterlife.
