Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Spendthrift Necromancer (87)

Merhen (2)

The manor's training ground was wide and sturdy.

Security was tight too, making it the perfect place to test Merhen. Minwoo headed there while carrying Naye.

On the way, he asked.

“Merhen.”―Yes.

“About your magic. How many kinds can you use?”―I can use most Death-type magic.

“What about the other elements?”―I'm not sure. I don't really know.

“You don't know?”―Yes. This is the first time this has happened. Even after becoming a Banshee, no other kind of magic ever manifested. Only Death Magic.

That Death Lord bastard.

He'd told Merhen her body was a prison and that she'd only manifest after dying.‘Was that a bluff too?’It certainly seemed that way.

Otherwise, there was no reason Merhen, who had aptitude for all four major elements, should have manifested only one kind of magic.

“Even though you practiced?”―……

Yes. And honestly, I didn't try that hard either. It would've only benefited the Death Lord anyway.

“You could've tried becoming stronger so you could break free from his control.”

At that, Merhen stared at Kim Minwoo.―……

Minwoo really is ambitious. You were like that at the Academy too.

She smiled faintly.―……

If I'd truly met Minwoo in the past, maybe I would've tried that hard.

Minwoo nodded.

He felt like he roughly understood her past now. Apparently Merhen hadn't been a servant who actively worked for the Death Lord.

Maybe she'd simply carried out the orders she was given like a machine.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing. We're here. Sit over there.”

After seating Naye in a corner, Minwoo summoned Cedric. Naye's eyes sparkled when she saw him.

“Huh? It's the talking skeleton mister! I saw you! On NewTube!”―……

Good to meet you.

Cedric awkwardly waved. Naye exclaimed in delight and latched onto his leg.

“Hehe. Cold.”

Cedric stared helplessly at Kim Minwoo.―……

Is this the little sister Master mentioned?

“Yeah. Her name's Naye. Youngest in our family.”―A lively child.

Then Cedric's gaze moved toward Merhen.―……

It's been a while.―Yes.

The two Legion Commanders greeted each other. Sensing an inexplicable awkwardness, Kim Minwoo tilted his head and asked.

“You two weren't very close?”―We rarely had reason to meet in the first place. The three Legion Commanders, including myself, each managed our assigned territories. Merhen managed the Spirit Realm.―That's right. Capturing souls and turning them undead. That was my work.―And one more thing…….

Cedric stared at Merhen, shook his head, and continued.―She was hostile toward everyone. To be honest, I didn't particularly want to become close to her either.―That's right. I was like that back then. Sorry. I apologize.―……

There's no need. I understood to some degree. I heard the Lord treated you terribly.―……

Yes.

Listening to them, Kim Minwoo asked Cedric.

“You weren't like that?”―By the time I became the Lord's servant, he already had three Legion Commanders beside him. In other words, half the world had already been turned upside down by then.

“So?”―At that point, the Lord was probably…… more relaxed than he had been before. At least he didn't recruit me as violently as he did Merhen. And besides…… I already had something I needed to accomplish, even if it meant becoming undead.

Minwoo didn't ask what that something was.

That was Cedric's personal history. Since he was a self-aware undead, Minwoo figured it was better to respect his privacy.‘And I got what I needed.’That brief question had revealed several things.‘Looks like the Death Lord was somewhat different early on compared to later.’When he'd obtained the Balrog and turned Merhen into his servant. Back then, his name hadn't yet spread across the continent.

In other words, the continent had still been relatively peaceful.

Minwoo remembered what the Death Lord had said during the first Arrangement.[I pursued revenge. I stained the continent with death. I thought I had achieved my purpose.]

Revenge.

Minwoo didn't know the details, but apparently the Death Lord had moved more aggressively early on for the sake of that revenge.

Merhen's case made that obvious. The moment she refused to become his servant, he casually began killing the students around her.

He had been a textbook example of an evil Lich. Perhaps by the later stages, once most of his revenge was complete, he'd become more relaxed.

Kim Minwoo looked at Merhen.

“Want to try using another elemental magic?”―Which element?

“Anything…….”

Then Naye suddenly interrupted.

“Me! I wanna see water magic! Water!”―……

Water?

“Yeah! Look at this!”

A NewTube video was already playing on the child's smartphone.[Overseas S-rank Mage Angela's Magic Demonstration][120 Million Views]

A blond Mage named Angela chanted a spell.

Then a gigantic dragon made of water flew across the screen.

The crowd cheered at the sight.

Merhen didn't know much about NewTube yet, but she could grasp the important part of the video. A Mage was performing magic for an audience.

“The water changes like this! See? Isn't it cool, Oppa?”

“Pretty cool.”

“Yeah! Unnie Angela is suuuper famous in America! I've hugged her before too! Hehe.”

“Really? Our Naye has connections. You're even friends with an amazing Awakened like her.”

Minwoo suspected Angela had probably become friendly with Naye because she was the youngest daughter of Ilseong Group.

That didn't matter.

What mattered was matching the child's enthusiasm. Saying something like Angela's actually a mediocre Mage here would make him a complete asshole.

“Tell me if you come to America too, Oppa! I have Unnie Angela's number! I'll let you meet her.”

“Really? If Oppa goes, I'll definitely tell you. I'm already looking forward to it.”

Cute kid.

Minwoo smiled and nodded.

It had been nothing more than a casual response.

Then.―……

That's not how you use water magic.

A very sullen voice came from somewhere. Merhen had already approached right beside him and was glaring at Kim Minwoo.

“Huh? Yes it is. Unnie Angela is good at magic! They said she's top ten even in America!”―……

This?

“Yeah!”―She's terrible.

Merhen answered flatly.

She had never once used Water magic herself, but the memories of fighting the Death Lord in the past told her clearly.

That wasn't how Water magic was used.

Water-element magic needed cohesion.

The Mage in the video was merely an amateur imitating its outer appearance.

But why.

Why was her master grinning like an idiot while watching a Mage with such mediocre skill?

For some reason, seeing that made her mood sink sharply.‘Idiot.’He really was an idiot.

So she had to prove it.

That level of magic was nothing at all.

“Then show me your magic, Unnie!”―……

Fine. I'll try.

Merhen closed her eyes in concentration. Mana began circulating through her body.

The bonds between the water needed to be tighter. Yet they also had to connect smoothly. She pictured the dragon from the video.

A blue dragon filled with water, flying through the air.[Merhen visualizes ‘Water’!][Water-element magic is being formed!][Archmage(SS)

activates!][She comprehends the source of Water!][She copies magic seen with her own eyes!][S-rank magic, ‘Water Dragon Strike(S)’ is generated…….][The caster's skill overwhelmingly surpasses the copied version!][A new magic is created!][Merhen uses Water Dragon Tempest(SS)

!]

The water gathered above her hand transformed into a gigantic dragon.

Far larger and more massive than the one in the NewTube video.

“W-Wow……!”

Naye gasped.

Every whisker on the dragon's face was sculpted in intricate detail.

And inside the dragon Merhen created, every single drop of water was violently swirling.

It looked as though a storm were raging inside its body. Blue on the outside, yet white with a raging tempest within.

Naye only knew that magic looked cool, but this was on an entirely different level of cool.

“Th-That's amazing…….”

Naye's eyes sparkled wildly.

When Merhen said Unnie Angela was bad at magic, Naye had thought maybe she was lying.

Angela was an incredible Mage, after all.

But it was really true.―……

Minwoo, what do you think?

Merhen glanced at him as she spoke.

It was written all over her eyes.

Praise.

Me.

Right.

Now.

Obviously, Kim Minwoo responded.

“Wow. You're way better than Angela.”―R-Really?

“It's not even a comparison. Oh, come to think of it, I think there were more videos like this.”

He opened NewTube and played videos of Mages using the four major elements. He had roughly figured out how to get her to activate new magic.

Wind, Earth, Fire.

Whenever Minwoo showed her one of the three and made a huge fuss about how amazing they were, sure enough.―……

I'm better than that.

She immediately produced SS-rank magic.‘Now that's what I'm talking about.’Any other Mage who saw this might cough blood.

They had to struggle endlessly just to obtain Bound Skill Books and learn spells, yet Merhen was copying them merely by watching.

And upgrading them by one rank in the process. Thanks to that, Merhen's list of magic was rapidly expanding.

Naye clapped like a seal too.

How could she not?

Everything was spectacularly flashy.

Thanks to that, child and adult alike spent a wonderfully entertaining time.

After playing for several hours and putting Naye to sleep.

A call came through on his smartphone.

It was the head of security.

“What is it?”―Young Master. Could you come out for a moment? Someone from the government is here.

“……

The government?”―Yes. They say they'd prefer to explain their business after meeting you personally…….

The government wanted him.

He should probably meet them.

After unsummoning Merhen, Minwoo left the training ground. One of the bodyguards approached and whispered.

“Young Master. The government officials are waiting.”

Minwoo nodded.

Before long, he met them.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Han Younggil, Team Leader from the Korea Gate Management Department.”

The Gate Management Department.

A department with real clout.

And a Team Leader there was a Grade 3 official, an elite among elites.

Of course, that didn't mean he ranked above the eldest son of Ilseong Group.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Minwoo. What brings you here?”

“Could you come with us to the Blue House?”

“The Blue House?”

“Yes. The President would like to meet you.”

“Is there a specific reason? Or is it simply a courtesy visit? If it's the latter, I don't think I can head over immediately.”

If they were calling him over just to exchange greetings, he planned to refuse.

He had a mountain of things to do, and it wasn't as though he were some subordinate to be summoned whenever they liked. In that case, the normal procedure would be to schedule an appointment in advance instead of suddenly calling him over.

Then.

Han Younggil shook his head, glanced around, and quietly whispered.

“……

It's not simply that. The ‘System’ issued a message. We're telling you because you may possibly…… fall within its scope.”

The System?

Kim Minwoo's expression turned serious.