Chapter 51
After returning to his quarters, Simon presented several demands before making a contract with Erzebet.
Do not kill humans without permission.
When bodily fluids are needed, hunt monsters instead.
Do not harm those around you in any way.
Obey all orders unconditionally, and so on.
In order to incorporate these clauses into the contract, Simon rejected Erzebet once before.
In Simon’s view, Erzebet was more emotional and impulsive than human. Rather than a reliable mentor like Feer, she had a high potential to become the troublemaker of the Legion. He had to keep her strictly under control.
And now, it wasn’t a matter of “please join the Legion” anymore, she was the one pleading to be allowed in, so Simon had firmly taken the initiative.
“Again, I’m telling you, if you come with me to Roke Mountain, life might feel stifling. Feer’s ruins and the Forbidden Forest will be the full extent of your activity range, and you won’t be as free as you are now.”
[Yes, I understand.]
Erzebet bowed her head as she spoke.
[I am willing to be restrained in any way. I will endure anything, so long as I can be with you.]
“……”
This undead, hasn’t her attitude suddenly become way too obedient? Of course, it made things easier for Simon, but it was a bit bewildering.
[My body and soul are both yours. In return for offering my absolute loyalty, I ask only one thing.]
Her eyes gleamed.
[Your affection.]
“……”
…This is overwhelming.
“I’m a human and you’re an undead. If you’re, uh… if you’re hoping for something physical or anything like that…”
[If you want it, perhaps. But I will never force it upon you.]
She smiled softly.
[Right now, it’s enough for me if you simply treat this girl kindly.]
…Simon felt genuinely overwhelmed.
Asking for affection, saying she wanted to be cherished. Simon had never received such requests from anyone in his entire life.
[Tsk, tsk.]
Feer clicked his tongue.
[She’s completely smitten.]
“What?”
[It’s nothing.]
Though it was burdensome in many ways, Simon thought it was worth accepting if this was the cost of gaining her loyalty. In the end, Simon decided to officially make a contract with Erzebet.
[Then, let’s begin.]
She grabbed the front of her dress with both hands and threw it wide open to the sides.
“…Wah! Uwaah! What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
Caught off guard, Simon panicked and quickly covered his eyes. Seeing his reaction, Erzebet tilted her head.
[Didn’t you say we were making a contract?]
As her chest opened up, a heart-like, pulsating black Core was revealed. Simon peeked through his fingers to glance at the Core.
‘Ah, what a lovely person.’
Even the way she got embarrassed was unbearably cute. Could this really be the same person who, just a few minutes ago, shamelessly pushed for an unfair contract?
Her heart started to flutter with excitement.
[Come, now!]
“…Ugh.”
Simon reluctantly stepped forward.
Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the Core exposed between her breasts. Then, their Darkness burst forth, rampaging madly.
“Grk!”
[Aaahhh!]
It was a painful experience, but unlike the first time he contracted with the Legion, the process passed rather quickly.
As the Darkness stabilized, Simon’s dark blue energy began to flow from her body as well.
[Kuhuhu! Welcome back to the Legion, Erzebet!]
Feer declared.
She slowly stood up.
[It has been a long time since I was an undead bound by contract.]
When Erzebet extended her fingers, spiderwebs shot out and clung to the ceiling.
As her Darkness enveloped the threads, they began to emit a faint, dark blue glow, not grotesque spiderwebs, but beautiful strands of glowing interior décor.
From Simon’s perspective, it was fascinating.
He felt an even stronger sense of closeness, as if she truly belonged to him now.
[How does it feel, Erzebet?]
[Hmm.]
With a gentle smile, she retracted the webs.
[Unbelievably weak. My master truly is a beginner.]
“…Ugh!”
Simon leaned against the wall with a wounded expression.
Feer burst out laughing.
[You’ve joined the Legion, yet you’re weaker than you were as a Natural Undead. Quite the irony, isn’t it?]
Undead in the Legion are connected to the Legion Commander’s Darkness, and as the Commander grows stronger, so too does the Legion. The reverse, of course, also holds true.
Simon’s face turned redder than ever. Feer was doubled over laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.
“S-Sorry for being a beginner! Still, I’m attending Keyzen right now, so give me a month or two, and I’ll definitely…!”
[Still.]
She once again summoned the dark blue Darkness to her fingertips, her face reddening.
[It is a gentle, comforting Darkness.]
“……”
But the blow to the pride of a 17-year-old boy was not something easily recovered from.
Simon stomped over to the bed and yanked the blanket over himself.
“I’m going to sleep.”
[Kahahahaha! He’s sulking! Are you sulking, boy?]
“It’s a fact that I’m weak, so what’s there to sulk about?”
[Oh dear, I’ve wounded my master’s heart. I shall kneel by your bedside to offer my apologies.]
“Both of you, go away!”
Laughter from Feer and Erzebet filled the room.
* * *
A mission worth 50 gold. Even Jane had frowned at it. But Simon had completed it within a single day by teleporting there.
If he returned to Keyzen right away, they might become suspicious, wondering how he cleared the mission in just one day. So, since he was already outside, Simon decided to stay in the territory for a while and freely train his Legion.
Simon, Feer, and Erzebet entered the northern mountain range of the Arnish Fiefdom, known to be a massive habitat for orcs.
[Now then, Master! Let us begin the tutorial for your spider-type undead, the “Corpse Spiders”, which you will now control!]
Erzebet placed her hands on her hips and spoke.
Around her, corpse spiders that had been legionized for Simon’s training were skittering about.
Unlike skeletons, whose Darkness burned in their eye sockets, these had dark blue light flickering from the tips of their eight legs.
At that moment, Simon raised his hand.
[Oh my, Master. We haven’t even started the lesson yet, and you already have a question?]
“No, it’s unrelated to the lesson.”
Simon scratched his head.
“Are you going to keep calling me that weird title, ‘Master’, and so on?”
[Hohoho! Are you embarrassed?]
When she covered her mouth and laughed, Simon turned his head away, blushing.
“No, it’s just kind of…”
[If you say so, then I’ll just call you ‘Commander’. Let’s continue.]
She snapped her fingers to signal. A corpse spider extended a thread of web from its mouth.
[The core ability of the corpse spiders is, of course, the webs, often referred to simply as ‘web’. It serves as both a binding and a movement technique.]
“Mmhmm.”
[Now then, try controlling the two corpse spiders that have approached you, Commander. Have them shoot webs at that tree.]
Simon nodded and connected to the minds of the two corpse spiders. Then he gave the command.
‘Web.’
Chwaak!
Chwak!
The corpse spiders shot webs from their mouths, hitting the tree dead-on. As the webs fired, they spread slightly and wrapped around the tree upon contact.
[Well done! Generally, webs fired from the mouth are used for binding, and those fired from the abdomen are used for movement.]
The two corpse spiders that had demonstrated earlier now fired threads from their abdomens.
The strands launched high and stuck to the top of a tall tree. The spiders walked forward slightly, then lifted their bodies into the air.
Just like riding on a rope, the spiders’ bodies swung in a pendulum arc.
‘Wow! So that’s how it works, much faster than I expected!’
Then they latched onto the designated target tree and sank their venomous fangs into it. The bark caved in, and green fluid began to ooze out.
[That concludes the basic combo technique. Would you like to give it a try?]
“Of course I will!”
[Then, as for the target…]
As she looked around, her gaze fixed in one direction, and she grinned.
[Perfect. Let’s use those orcs.]
From behind a tree, two orcs emerged, making guttural noises as they approached.
Their skin was gray, noses flattened like pigs, and their abnormally large molars jutted out of their mouths.
Gray Orcs, monsters that ruled over the surrounding mountain range.
They were once threatening enough to nearly bring Arnish to the brink of destruction.
‘Suddenly, real combat, huh.’
Still, now that the stage was set, there was no reason not to.
Simon connected to the minds of the two corpse spiders. The two orcs had now spotted Simon and were charging at him.
‘Fire webs from the abdomen.’
The two corpse spiders turned and fired threads toward trees in the direction opposite of the charging orcs.
‘Lift your bodies and dash!’
Tat.
Tat.
The corpse spiders swung forward like pendulums. However, their control slipped slightly, and they just barely missed colliding with the charging orcs.
[Oh my, so close!]
Erzebet stepped in front of Simon and summoned Darkness. But Simon held her shoulder and gently pushed her back.
‘Fire!’
Chwaak! Chwaak!
Cross maneuver. He switched to the other spiders’ minds and shot webs from their mouths, immobilizing the orcs.
Kuruk! Kururuk!
The orcs struggled to break free from the sticky webbing.
At that moment, the spiders that had swung past returned on the backswing and landed on the orcs’ backs.
Their fangs sank into the necks, and the orcs let out strangled screams as they collapsed.
“Got them!”
The orcs twitched and spasmed for a while, then went limp as the poison spread through their systems.
[Excellent! Your control is already quite impressive.]
“This much is basic.”
Kuruk!
Kurururuk!
Then it happened.
As if there was an orc village nearby, more Gray Orcs began emerging from the forest one after another.
“That’s quite a number.”
[This looks like a fine opportunity to demonstrate the strength of your spider legion.]
[Oh! A fight? Bring me out too, boy!]
Feer’s fragment, attached to Simon’s school uniform, spoke up.
When Simon opened the subspace, Feer and the skeleton troops of the Legion burst out.
“Well, since it’s come to this, how about we show them that 500 gold was worth it?”
[What?]
“We’ll sweep through all the orc villages in this mountain range and return to Keyzen.”
As if he had been waiting for those words, Feer grinned.
[And then we’ll bolster the Legion’s forces with their corpses!]
[Sounds fun.]
Training, reinforcement, resource gathering—this was the joy of being a necromancer.
Kurururuk!
The orcs, enraged by the loss of their comrades, charged forward with terrifying momentum.
Feer and Erzebet each assumed combat stances. The skeletons and corpse spiders made threatening sounds, awaiting orders.
“All right, let’s go.”
Simon bared his teeth in a smile.
At last, the stage was set to showcase the true power of his Legion.
Superb.