Chapter 20
How much time had passed? Simon’s consciousness began to return bit by bit.
[Oh ho, you’re finally awake!]
And the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a tall skeleton with burning eyes. Simon shot upright.
“……Feer! Wh-What happened?”
[The contract has been successfully completed. Feel the changes in your body!]
Blinking, Simon placed his hand on his chest.
‘The Core……!’
His Core had grown larger. But that wasn’t all, the Darkness, which had previously burdened his body even in small amounts, now felt as soft and comfortable as warm water.
It felt like something fundamental within him had changed.
[Congratulations, boy! You are now one of the seven Legion Commanders in the world!]
Feer grinned. As Simon tried to stand, a wave of dizziness forced him to clutch his forehead with one hand.
[Don’t overdo it! Your body just underwent a massive transformation.]
“Ah, yes.”
During that so-called contract, Simon had nearly blacked out several times.
That terrifying sensation of his entire body being overtaken by an indescribable alien force, it had been so painful that he had genuinely considered biting off his tongue and ending it all.
‘I won’t be able to move for a while. Looks like I’ll be stuck here for the night.’
With a quiet sigh, Simon turned to Feer.
“I have a question, Feer.”
[Go on, boy!]
Feer crossed his arms and spoke solemnly.
“What exactly is a Legion?”
[…]
A heavy silence fell over the ruins.
[What! You made a contract with me without even knowing that?!]
“Yes.”
He had simply followed the directions to the place Neftis, his father’s comrade, had given him and there, he met Feer, his father’s undead, and took him in. That was all.
Feer laughed in disbelief.
[Understanding you might take a considerable amount of time! Very well. I’ll explain it to you.]
Feer’s gaze turned serious.
[Before that, how much do you know about the undead?]
“Umm… About as much as a first-year student at Keyzen?”
[Ha! And yet you had the guts to come all the way here alone! Truly Richard’s son!]
Feer began his explanation.
According to him, the undead in this world fall into three categories.
The first: Summoned Undead.
These are the ones necromancers control. Artificially created through dark magic from corpses, they move at the necromancer’s command. They vanish either when the effect of the dark magic wears off or after a certain period of time.
The second: Natural Undead.
These undead arise naturally, independent of necromancers or dark magic. These are the ones commonly known to the public, feared across the continent for their blind hatred of the living and their extreme aggression. They are officially classified as “monsters”.
And the third—
[The Legion!]
Feer raised his voice.
[The Legion sits precisely between “Summoned Undead” and “Natural Undead”! They are self-sufficient natural undead sustained by their own Core, yet they also obey the commands of necromancers or higher-ranking entities, like summoned undead!]
“Legion-type Undead……”
Simon repeated the phrase, slowly nodding.
[There are only seven Legions in the world. In other words, only seven necromancers in existence can control them. Including you, boy!]
Feer’s explanation was a string of jaw-dropping revelations.
Typical summoning-type necromancers lead small squads of undead.
Some can command undead in company-sized units, and high-ranking necromancers like those at the Keyzen level can, though inefficiently, manage battalion-sized forces.
This numerical limitation existed because all the undead these necromancers controlled were summoned undead.
Summoning and controlling them consumed Darkness and mental stamina.
But the Legion, which moved with its own mana, was free from such constraints.
[The Legion knows no limits! Be it one hundred thousand or one million, it can be operated endlessly! If you’ve ever heard tales of a necromancer leading a massive army of the undead, it was surely about a Legion Commander!]
“Ah……”
Simon was elated and slightly overwhelmed.
To think he had become one of only seven necromancers in the world who could command unlimited forces. It was hard to believe, even after hearing it.
[Now, have all your questions been answered?]
“Yes.”
[Good! The contract is sealed, and like it or not, we are now aboard the same ship. Shall we talk about what comes next?]
“Sure, Feer.”
Feer, who had been lounging with a crooked posture, sat up straight. Seeing this, Simon also straightened his back.
[You and I are both in… rather special situations, aren’t we?]
“Yes, I’m enrolled at Keyzen.”
[Are you thinking of leaving Keyzen?]
“Not at the moment. That would go against my father’s wishes, and besides, there’s still a lot I can learn there.”
[Hmm, good! I also agree that Keyzen has its uses.]
Feer tapped his forehead lightly with one finger.
[Then let’s go over the Legion’s own special situation.]
“You mean how the Legion was disbanded once?”
[That much is obvious. If it hadn’t been disbanded, there would’ve been no reason to make a contract with you in the first place.]
The blue flames in Feer’s eye sockets flared more intensely.
[Right now, we are the enemies of all necromancers. You could say we’re wanted.]
“And why is that?”
[Because of the crime committed by the former Legion Commander, your father, Richard.]
Simon’s body trembled slightly at those words.
His father’s… crime?
[Richard committed a crime that can never be forgiven in the realm of dark magic. The Legion, as his allies, helped him carry it out.]
“What exactly was this unforgivable crime……?”
Feer closed his eyes.
[Betrayal. Richard… loved a priest.]
“Ah……”
It felt like a hammer had slammed into Simon’s skull.
To hear that story here, of all places?
[Back then, a hundred-year war between necromancers and priests was ongoing. It was a very sensitive time! But despite that, Richard gave an order to the Legion to protect the priest he loved. He commanded them to attack the fellow necromancers who came to kill her.]
Simon swallowed hard.
[Countless lives were lost. An extermination order was issued against Richard and the Legion, and even now, long after Richard disbanded the Legion, that order remains in effect. That’s why the Legion cannot show itself publicly.]
“I understand.”
After hearing Feer’s story, Simon felt a much deeper sense of responsibility toward the Legion.
Accepting Feer and the Legion, and bearing their risks, felt like the natural duty of someone born from Richard and Anna.
[Boy, there’s no need for you to feel guilt!]
Feer grinned widely.
[The Legion moves solely according to the will of its commander! Richard’s Legion and Simon’s Legion are not the same. The necromancers will recognize that, or so I believe.]
“In that case……!”
[But you are not a complete outsider. You are Richard’s son. The elders will inevitably suspect you. And more importantly……]
Feer jabbed Simon’s forehead with his bony finger.
[What do you think the other necromancers will do when they hear that a mere first-year at Keyzen has inherited a Legion?]
Simon’s eyes sharpened.
His father’s legacy must not fall into anyone else’s hands.
“I’ll have to become stronger.”
[That’s right.]
Feer clenched his fist tightly.
[For now, quietly gather knowledge from Keyzen and grow stronger! The Legion will gradually reclaim its former glory. And when the time comes—]
“Yes.”
There was no need to say more.
Simon and Feer nodded at the same time.
[Back to the main point, we’re in a special situation. That’s why I, as the master, propose a new method of operating the Legion!]
“What kind…?”
Feer raised his arm and gestured.
The skeleton that Simon had summoned earlier and given the lantern to came shambling over.
“Huh, Feer, you can control my skeleton too?”
[Of course! Now we share one Darkness, and any undead you summon with your Darkness automatically becomes part of the Legion. You, as the Legion Commander, hold the primary command authority, and I hold the secondary. However……]
Feer scratched his chin.
[This undead hasn’t undergone the ‘Legionization’ process yet.]
“Legionization?”
The skeleton approached Feer. He raised his hand and touched the skeleton’s skull.
Fwooooosh!
Simon’s signature dark blue Darkness erupted like a flame, and the skeleton floated into the air.
The swirling Darkness in the air surged into the skull all at once, forming a sphere like a ‘brain’.
A moment later, the skeleton dropped with a thud.
[This is what we call a Legionized undead!]
The skeleton slowly began to rise. Its appearance hadn’t changed much, but the same dark blue flames that burned in Feer’s eyes now flickered in its eye sockets.
In simple terms, Legionization, as Feer described, was the process of turning a Summoned Undead into a Natural Undead.
These undead, powered by their own Cores, no longer had time limits and could exist indefinitely without Simon’s attention.
“But it’s pretty obvious at a glance.”
[That’s right.]
Simon wore a troubled expression. If he brought these into Keyzen, he’d be caught instantly.
[That’s why not all undead need to be Legionized! Unless they’re old undead like me, Summoned types are generally more efficient in combat. Boy! You should continue using Summoned Undead as usual. Then, when their duration ends or they’re too damaged to use, bring them to me. I’ll Legionize them and station them here.]
“Oh, that kind of management system sounds great!”
Basic undead like skeletons or zombies were originally disposable, but now, Simon could preserve them indefinitely like a storage facility.
Moreover, as long as the damage wasn’t severe, Legionization enabled self-recovery.
[So grow stronger, boy! The stronger the undead you summon, the more powerful the Legion becomes!]
“Yes, absolutely.”
Since he was on a roll, Simon handed over the two damaged skeletons from his fight with the werewolf to Feer as well.
Once Legionized into natural-type undead, their behavior patterns changed.
Originally, they’d go limp like puppets with cut strings unless given orders, but now they scratched their heads, dashed around randomly, and showed animal-like behavior. Yet the moment Simon called, they rushed over promptly.
A clear sign that the command authority was working properly.
Even after the serious discussion about Legion management ended, the night was long.
Simon and Feer, sitting across from each other, began chatting casually.
[Boy. How long has it been since you entered Keyzen?]
“It’s been three days now.”
[I see. Just hang in there a little longer! In a few more days, even first-years can start receiving ‘missions’ from Keyzen. You’ll be able to travel across the continent using teleportation magic circles, including to Roke Mountain!]
Feer raised the corners of his mouth as he continued.
[At that time, I’ll go with you! You’ll be able to operate the Legion freely without needing to be cautious! And under the pretense of missions, we’ll begin rallying the Legion’s old forces scattered across the continent! Since you’re Richard’s son, they’ll gladly come under your command!]
Simon widened his eyes in surprise.
“You sure know a lot about Keyzen, Feer.”
[Hehehe, of course I do! I watched your father’s entire time at Keyzen! That bastard was a notorious troublemaker there.]
That overlapped with what Neftis had said. And on Feer’s face, as he spoke about Richard, a faint sentiment flickered.
[Yes, those were the good old days.]
That emotion, too, matched Neftis’s.
Simon carefully asked,
“……Feer, aren’t you resentful of my father?”
[Resentful? Resentful, you say? Hahahaha! Weak emotions like resentment have no place in the Legion! The Legion moves only at the command of its commander! Even if your father used us as sacrificial pawns to protect the priest he loved, we gladly accepted his order! That’s the Legion!]
Feer suddenly paused and stroked his chin.
[But if his son tries to pull the same crap, I might get seriously pissed. Wouldn’t you agree?]
“……Ahaha.”
Simon and Feer talked deep into the night. They discussed countless topics, but what stood out most was the talk about his father.
It was far more raw than anything he had heard from Neftis.
[Why hold anything back? Your father was a legendary scumbag!]
Feer laughed heartily.
[In front of a girl who was into him, he’d shamelessly throw around the underwear of a girl he’d just hooked up with the night before!]
“………”
Simon’s eyes narrowed.
“You’re not exaggerating just because I’ve never heard this before, right?”
[……Exaggerating? Khahahahaha! I’m keeping it mild out of respect for Richard’s dignity! Do you know how many wagons it’d take to carry the number of women he made cry?]
No way. Simon shook his head firmly in denial.
[Yes, that infamous scoundrel……]
Feer’s voice carried a strange emotion.
[That bastard who even Keyzen’s professors gave up on…… completely changed after meeting one woman. It wasn’t the kind of change you could describe with cheesy phrases like ‘the power of love’. It was more like……]
Suddenly, Feer stopped talking.
Then, he turned his head and stared straight at Simon.
[Wait, wait, wait! Why didn’t I realize this before?]
“What is it?”
[You, you said you’re Richard’s son, right? Then don’t tell me……!]
Simon smiled softly.
“Yup, my mother is Anna Follentia.”
Superb.