[Kyaak! There’s something strange here!]
“…?”
Dirt-Dirt suddenly popped out of the ground, yelling.
Something strange, huh?
I glanced up at the sky to check that the monsters were still far away.
There’s enough time to quickly check below the fortress walls.
“What is it, what is it?”
“Don’t get too excited and stand behind me, Charlotte. It could be dangerous.”
“Yes…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ holds our dark knight back and demands you lead the way.]
I planned to do that from the beginning, even without the nagging.
I grabbed Charlotte by the back of her neck, stopping her from dashing off, and placed her behind me.
Drag.
She reluctantly let herself be dragged, slightly pouting.
This girl… is she brave or just completely unaware of danger?
I had Sylvia take the lead as we descended from the fortress wall.
Since Dirt-Dirt didn’t seem too alarmed, it probably wasn’t something dangerous.
But as I approached the hole and peered inside…
“…I don’t see anything.”
Only pitch-black darkness filled my vision.
I signaled to Sylvia, who snapped her fingers and chanted a dull spell.
“Shine!”
A light floated in the air, scattering flashes around.
The hole was illuminated, revealing none other than human bones.
Not just one or two, but a massive pile of skeletons stacked upon each other.
“…Ugh.”
“What on earth is this?”
“Buried alive…? Ah. Judging by their armor, they weren’t buried after death.”
Sylvia stepped back, startled.
Indeed, she was right. This wasn’t a typical burial — the skeletons were tangled up, clad in armor, and scattered with weapons.
Could this be the result of a massacre?
But then…
There were also numerous animal bones mixed in, their once-white remains now discolored to a sickly blue.
“These are animal bones, corrupted by excessive mana. In other words, they’re monster bones.”
“So, they must have fought monsters and were annihilated.”
“Yes, that seems to be the most plausible explanation.”
I could picture it now.
The torn-up flag in the center.
The soldiers must have gathered around it, making their final stand, only to be wiped out.
The armor looks ancient, though.
I’ll need to ask the Archduke about this later.
“What was it? …Mister?”
“They were the remains of soldiers who died in ancient times.”
“Eek!?”
“Why are you moving closer if you’re so scared?”
“Th-they’re so pitiful… This means they’ve been forgotten, with no one to remember them. If there are any who haven’t found peace yet, shouldn’t we help them move on?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ sheds tears of admiration for our necromancer’s compassionate heart.]
Despite trembling with fear, Julia stepped forward.
I had momentarily forgotten because she’s been working with spirits lately, but Julia is also a necromancer, capable of dealing with souls.
She used to panic and run away from things like this when we were with Master Craftsman Jain.
But now, she’s stepping up to help souls pass on.
Julia approached the pit, looked down, and hiccuped.
Then, with her small hands clasped together, she quietly began to pray.
…Isn’t she making them disappear instead of passing on?
She looks more like a priest than a necromancer, but since Kali seems pleased, I guess it’s fine.
By the time Julia finished her prayer and opened her eyes…
“Eek!”
“What’s wrong, Julia?”
“T-the skeleton moved down there!”
“Come on, you must have imagined it.”
“No! It really moved! Look for yourself!”
Julia let out a startled yelp and fell backward, landing hard on the ground.
Charlotte giggled and approached the pit again.
Somehow, this feels ominous.
Charlotte, still playful, leaned over to peer into the hole.
Her face turned pale, and her body froze stiff.
At that moment, I sensed danger.
For Charlotte, with her quick reflexes, to freeze like that meant she was utterly terrified. I immediately lunged, grabbed her by the back of her neck, and pulled her into my arms, carrying her away.
Just then, a skeletal hand shot out of the pit.
“Kyaaaah!!!”
Julia screamed, her voice splitting the air.
Charlotte clung to me like a koala, trembling uncontrollably.
I could feel her shaking through her ribs.
“I’ll handle this, my lord.”
“No, wait. It doesn’t seem hostile.”
“Huh…?”
Sylvia began to unsheathe her sword with a swift motion, but I stopped her.
The moving skeletons might look threatening, but they didn’t seem to harbor any malice.
Could it be…?
“Julia, try talking to them.” “W-what? How am I supposed to talk to that…!?”
“They’re the ones you awakened. If anyone can communicate with them, it’s you. Even if you’re scared, give it a try.”
“I’m not scared! F-fine then…”
Julia, her voice trembling, gathered a bit of courage and steeled her gaze.
Though anyone could tell she was frightened, she clearly didn’t want to admit it.
“Who… who are you…?”
“Clack clack clack! Tap tap clack! Tap tap!”
“Ahhh!!!”
As Julia asked her question, the skeleton’s jaw moved rapidly, making bizarre sounds.
Then, countless skeletal hands began to rise from the pit, and skeletal soldiers started emerging en masse.
Damn it. Did the conversation fail?
Just then, Sylvia was about to draw her sword in resignation.
“Ugh, ugh! They say they’re the First Expeditionary Force of the Demon Realm! Because they died and were forgotten, they’ve been trapped in the soil mixed with mana!”
“…What?”
Did the conversation actually connect?
The skeletal soldiers crawling up from the pit lined up in an orderly fashion.
A dazzlingly armored skeletal knight stepped forward and knelt before Julia.
“Clack clack clack! Tap tap! Clack clack tap!”
“…What are they saying, Julia?”
“They’re saying thanks for finding them and reviving them… and they want to pledge their loyalty to me! But I never intended to revive anyone!”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is overwhelmed with joy that our necromancer has finally acquired an undead army.]
An undead army, huh? The presence of the skeletal soldiers standing at attention before Julia is indeed majestic. Even if their bodies have weathered over time, perhaps their spirits remain strong. I could almost see their fierce eyes glowing from inside their skulls.
“T-Then…! Help us stop the Monster Wave!”
“Clack!”
“Ahh! You don’t have to answer!”
They all responded by clacking their jaws together and then drew their weapons, marching forward.
With the unexpected appearance of flying monsters, the situation had grown dire.
Perhaps we could use them to fend off the monster wave with minimal casualties?
As hope began to rise, an overwhelming dread washed over me at the thought of how to explain this to the Archduke.
Just then, a frantic voice called from behind.
“Aslan… my lord! What on earth is going on?”
“Why are you dragging the princess along with you!?”
“The princess insisted on following, and there was nothing I could do.”
“Hey!!!”
Yuri appeared, holding Merilda’s hand tightly by his side.
My blood pressure spiked at the sight, and anger surged within me.
Why is Merilda, who should be in the shelter, here?
How am I supposed to explain this to the Archduke?
Ah. I’m going crazy.
***
“Is Merilda still missing? Damn it! Where could she possibly be…!”
The Archduke’s hands trembled.
He always felt anxious when his daughter was out of sight, but now, at the height of the monster wave, she was missing?
It felt like he might go mad.
What if something happened to her?
Just imagining it made his heart ache, and tears began to well up.
Now he understood how a tyrant could be born from such despair.
“Your Excellency! We’ve found the princess!” “What!? Where? More importantly, is she hurt?”
“She’s unharmed. It seems Count Vermont’s party was protecting her.”
“Ah! Thank goodness! What a relief! We owe yet another debt to the Count!”
Finally, the Archduke let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.
If she’s safe, that’s a huge relief.
Now he can let Merilda and the Count into the shelter and focus on the battle.
There will be casualties this time, but he can’t let guests get hurt.
“Everyone, evacuate to the shelter. And the combat readiness should be set, right? I will command from the ramparts.”
“Yes, yes, Your Excellency. But about the Count… Ah. How on earth do I explain this…?”
“What’s taking you so long to explain!?”
“I’m sorry. It might be better for you to see it in person.”
Damn this frustrating guy.
What sort of catastrophe could be happening in this dull city besides the appearance of flying monsters?
What could possibly be causing him to be so flustered and unable to explain?
The Archduke stomped up to the ramparts in exasperation.
“Wait…?”
In that moment, his eyes widened at the bizarre scene unfolding before him.
Clack, clack.
The skeletal soldiers were marching in orderly formation behind Count Vermont.
“Ah, Your Excellency. Please open the gate. I’ve brought support reinforcements.”
“Reinforcements…?”
What on earth is going on here?
The Archduke felt his mind starting to spiral into confusion.
