Chapter 47
At the entrance to the abandoned castle, about a dozen people were dangling like cocoons, trapped in webs as if they were just moments away from being devoured by spiders. It seemed likely that these were the people reported missing from the fief.
There was also a corpse on the ground, the very shriveled-up body found at the scene earlier.
As expected, it was now certain that the disappearance incident was orchestrated by Erzebet.
“People! There are people!”
Just then, one of the fiefdom residents spotted Simon.
“P-please save us! Cut this thing off!!”
“The spider monsters are going to eat us!”
A loud commotion broke out.
Simon nodded calmly, drew his sword from subspace, and began cutting the webs.
“Feer, help me, please.”
[Tch, pathetic creatures.]
With a click of his tongue, Feer swung his greatsword, and five people dangling from the webs dropped to the ground all at once. Since they fell while hanging upside down, cries of pain came from all directions.
Simon chuckled bitterly and said,
“Feer, gently.”
[I don’t want to waste my time on such pitiful things!]
Even so, Feer swung his greatsword once more to drop more people to the ground.
Simon cut the web binding one person with his shortsword and handed him the blade.
“Use this to free the others as well. We’re going after the spider monsters.”
“Th-thank you!”
“We won’t forget this kindness!”
As they began cutting each other free, Simon and Feer moved deeper into the ruined castle.
[Boy! You’re a necromancer, aren’t you being a little too merciful with prisoners?]
Simon tilted his head and asked,
“Then what should a necromancer do?”
[Obviously, kill anyone you see! Then raise them as skeletons to use in battle!]
“......In Keyzen, it’s forbidden to kill people just to turn them into undead.”
[This is the field, and there are no witnesses, what’s the problem? You don’t strike me as the type to be shackled by such ideals.]
Simon scratched his temple with a bitter smile.
“The truth is, my father used to say something so often it’s stuck in my head.”
[What did he say?]
“Don’t become a monster.”
At those words, Feer flinched and went silent.
“And he said that to avoid becoming a monster, it’s crucial to define your own line.”
Feer’s lips curled into a sinister grin.
[That’s advice only Richard could give.]
“Huh?”
[Kuhuhuhu! Never mind! If that’s your conviction, I’ll respect it as the Legion’s master!]
The two passed through a hallway and entered a wide chamber of the castle.
The windows were shattered, allowing moonlight to pour in, and the space was filled with dust and webs.
And then—
“......”
From afar, they saw Erzebet sitting on a large chair, sipping tea.
[Kuhuhu! Have you given up on running away?]
Feer raised his sword and spoke. Erzebet smiled gently after taking a light sip of her tea.
[Of course not, Feer. Since you’ve already detected my Darkness, no matter where I run, you’d chase me to the ends of the continent, wouldn’t you?]
[You know me well!]
[So I figured I might as well deal with you here.]
She snapped her fingers.
From the ceiling and the shattered windows, spiders came pouring in. Simon and Feer quickly stood back-to-back.
[And since you released my toys, it seems I need some new ones.]
She licked her lips as she stared at Simon.
[If I toy with that Keyzen boy you’ve been so fond of, right in front of you, I think it would make for a delightful little show. Don’t you agree?]
As Feer’s expression twisted in rage and he opened his mouth, Simon raised a hand to stop him.
“It’s fine, Feer.”
[Boy!]
“I’m the Legion commander. From here on out, I’ll speak for myself.”
Simon stepped forward boldly.
The spiders clicked their mandibles and looked ready to pounce at any moment, but Simon paid them no mind and spoke.
“Former legion general, Erzebet.”
[......?]
She gazed at Simon with a curious look.
“I’m making a formal offer. Please join my Legion.”
[Ha.]
A derisive laugh escaped her.
[Didn’t you hear what I said to Feer earlier? I have no intention of rejoining a Legion that once abandoned me. Besides—]
She pointed a finger directly at Simon.
[You want me to serve under a necromancer with no pedigree, someone chosen simply because he reminded Feer of the past? I’m not interested in such low-grade jokes.]
Kuk! Kuhahahahahaha!
Suddenly, a booming laugh erupted from behind, it was Feer. Erzebet’s expression twisted into a scowl.
[What’s so funny, Feer?]
[Hahahaha! You think I chose that boy because he resembles Richard? How ridiculous! You know nothing about him!]
A question mark seemed to appear on her face.
“I suppose there’s no need to hide it anymore.”
Simon placed a hand over his chest and continued.
“I am the son of Richard Follentia and Anna Follentia. My name is Simon Follentia.”
[......!!]
Her expression twisted into something indescribably severe.
[The child of Richard and Anna......!]
The child of the man who abandoned her. The woman she despised more than anyone else in the world.
The living proof of their union.
“I’ll say it again, Erzebet.”
Simon’s voice was cold as he spoke, like pouring water into boiling oil.
“You belonged to my father.”
[......Stop.]
“So it’s only right that his son, I, the Legion commander, should be the one to reclaim you.”
[Stooooop!]
Deep in her heart, emotions she had buried.
Emotions she hadn’t even allowed herself to remember under the excuse of having ‘forgotten’.
Those festering, rotting feelings erupted, consuming her mind.
[Aaaaaaaaagh!]
Erzebet screamed, writhing in agony.
She clawed at her neck and shoulders with her fingernails, drawing blood. With a cracking sound, her body expanded, and six massive legs burst from her thighs and sides, crashing onto the floor.
The mask covering her face vanished, revealing a woman with monstrous eyes.
Human upper body, spider lower body, this was Erzebet’s true form as an undead.
[Die! Dieeeeeeee!]
Enraged and having lost all reason, Erzebet charged straight at Simon.
If she didn’t erase this horrid remnant right away, she really would go insane. Her claws, soaked in Darkness, extended toward Simon’s throat.
And yet Simon stood motionless, expressionless.
[Well done, boy!]
Flap!
Suddenly, Feer’s back and cape filled Simon’s view. From behind the fluttering cape, a loud, wet sound of something being sliced echoed out.
Then the cape dropped, and Feer stood there, sword drawn. Erzebet, missing four of her legs, crashed down to the ground.
‘Now!’
This time, Simon moved. A spear shot out from subspace into his hand.
‘Darkness enhancement.’
The spearhead was dyed in black Darkness. Feer grinned and stepped aside, and Simon charged like lightning, thrusting the spear forward.
Fwoosh!
The spearhead pierced Erzebet’s body.
But it didn’t go all the way through, Erzebet caught the spearhead with her right hand and held it back. Simon stomped on her face and forced more strength into the spear.
“This is your final chance.”
Simon spoke in a chilling voice.
“Will you join the Legion, or will you perish here and now?”
[Hmph!]
She thrust her remaining legs like spears. Feer quickly leapt in front of Simon.
Chwaaaak!
[Kuh!]
It was so powerful that Feer’s plate armor tore like paper. Gritting his teeth, Simon drove more force into the spear.
Amid the tangle of one human and two undead, the corpse spiders were approaching to save their master.
And just then—
Wuuung!
A halo of white light rose above. Feer saw it and shouted.
[Damn it! Get out of the way!]
The halo rapidly expanded and then slammed down to the ground.
A dazzling burst of light scattered, ripping everything around it apart.
Kugugugugugu!
[Tch!]
Feer, who had escaped the blast radius, knelt on one knee and set Simon down.
The spiders caught in the blast were obliterated without a trace. Erzebet, even with one of her remaining legs severed, had somehow avoided the worst and was gasping for breath against the wall.
“What a shame~ That was perfect timing!”
All eyes turned.
Beyond the crumbled wall stood a girl holding a staff.
[A mere priestess!]
Erzebet thrust her hand out violently. Spiders from the ceiling swarmed toward her.
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped~”
With a casual flick of her staff, lances of light flew out and pierced the spiders. The creatures twisted in agony and let out shrill screams.
‘She’s strong, as expected.’
Simon’s expression hardened.
“I will cleanse this place of all ancient spirits and disgusting swarms of spiders!”
She pulled out a gem-like object from her robes, tossed it into the air, and smacked it with her staff as it descended.
The gem shattered, and a massive wave of holiness erupted.
“Farewell!”
Fwaaaaaaaaaaah!
The expanding white halo transformed into countless lances of light, scattering in every direction. Simon and Feer quickly ducked behind a pillar to avoid it.
Heavy spears of light fell indiscriminately to the ground, killing the corpse spiders in showers of blood.
‘......This is difficult.’
Simon bit his lip hard.
Erzebet needed to be captured alive. Handling her alone was already a challenge, and now more spiders were swarming, not to mention a student from Efnelle had shown up.
[Boy! At this point, we must take down the priestess first!]
“Can we win?”
[Hmph, holiness is just a nuisance, one strike is enough to handle someone like her!]
Simon gave a nod.
With her mobility crippled, Erzebet was already as good as caught. Feer moved stealthily behind the pillar.
“Oh my!”
The priestess spun her staff with a smile. Her gaze was locked on Erzebet.
“Your legs seem to be in pain!”
Unable to dodge due to her injuries, Erzebet had several lances of light embedded throughout her body.
The priestess pointed her staff forward, and a pure white magic circle unfolded. Within it, a holy spear began to form.
“Mission complete!”
Fuuuuuuuuung!
The holy spear shot forth at terrifying speed. Erzebet, dazed, stared at it as it closed in.
Puuuuuk!
[Ah……?]
Something that should never have happened occurred.
Simon had stepped in front of her with his arms spread wide. Erzebet’s pupils trembled violently.
“Kuh……!”
The holy spear had pierced straight through Simon’s back and protruded from his chest.
Though there was no physical damage, holiness was deadlier than poison to necromancers or natural-type undead, who housed their Core within their bodies.
[Wh-why would you…?]
Erzebet still looked utterly shocked.
Simon collapsed to his knees.
Intense pain spun his vision into a blur.
As his vision gradually darkened, Simon crumpled to the ground.
* * *
Crackle, crackle.
The sound of a campfire burning gently stirred Simon awake.
‘……?’
The atmosphere was so calm, it felt awkward after the earlier chaos. As he turned his head, a corpse spider with several eyes was staring him right in the face.
Simon jolted upright in surprise.
Kirii. Kiriririi……!
But the spider didn’t attack.
Instead, it rubbed its face against Simon’s arm, then looked up at him, almost as if to ask, “Are you okay?”
[Oh! You’re awake, boy.]
Feer, who was sitting with his greatsword planted in the ground, smiled.
Simon blinked blankly and looked around.
Still inside the ruined castle.
The terrifying spiders were now crawling around calmly on the floor. Feer didn’t seem to be attacking them either.
And then—
‘……Erzebet.’
Having returned to her human form, she turned her head away the instant her eyes met Simon’s.
Simon remembered her being seriously injured, but thankfully, she seemed alright now.
Cough! Cough!
A voice came from above.
Looking up, the priestess was hanging upside down from the ceiling, tightly wrapped in spider silk.
“S-Sir!”
The rising smoke from the campfire below made her eyes and nose run uncontrollably.
“Please, save me! Uwaaaaah! Cough! Cough!”
Simon let out a dry chuckle.
‘……What the hell happened while I was out?’
Superb.