NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38: Representative to the High Seat
"Fortunately, the world ending attack stopped, and Necropolis returned to its usual silence.
Leo cautiously removed his hands from his ears and slowly opened his eyes. The floating spherical barrier also came down, releasing him onto the ground, from where the Skeletons looked even taller than before.
No, it was the floor that was lower now. He was standing in what felt like a giant valley on the floor. However, for the skeletons, it looked like only a slightly thicker than normal scratch on the floor.
"Now, how should we deal with you two?" The Lich Lord placed his chin on the tips of his fingers and pondered.
"Uh, free us? We can find our way back and never mention this incident," Leo suggested. "No, what incident? I just remembered that I'm partially blind, so I couldn't see anything."
"We can't let them leave. Humans are very cunning. I'm sure after leaving, he will share these stories and make everyone know how stupid our servants are. Won't people laugh at us then?" The Skeleton Swordsman intervened.
The Lich Lord didn't say anything, and simply stared at Leo.
"There is no story to share! It was an accident. Accidents happen, and to laugh at someone's accident is to be inhuman. But as you can see, I'm a pureblood human. So I can't physically be inhuman, right?" Leo responded.
The Skeleton Mage tilted his head sideways. "What he says does make sense. But why do I feel like something is wrong with it?"
Before the Skeletons could find anything wrong with his words, Leo continued, "We will not take it to heart. If anything, when I return, I will ask around for your son. I can help you find him."
"Why would we need the help of a weak human for that?" The Skeleton Warrior asked.
"Because we are friends?"
"Friends, when did we become friends?"
This time it was the Skeleton Swordsman's turn to be confused. Leo was spinning his words so fast that the innocent yet scary skeletons of Necropolis were falling into his confusing web.
"What is your name?" Leo asked, instead of answering.
"Uh....Malakor."
"Hey there, I'm Leo. It's nice to meet you, Malakor."
"Uh... It's nice to meet you too?" Malakor's mind felt quite confused as he subconsciously answered.
"So Malakor, can I ask you something?"
"Ask!"
"Do people feel nice to meet their friends or their enemies?"
Even Leo wasn't sure what he was saying, or how he had received the courage to call the skeleton swordsman by his name.
Was he drunk on adrenaline or just trying to survive? He wasn't sure. He just wanted to do everything possible to find his way out of this situation.
The Skeletal Swordsman scratched his bare skull and looked at the Skeleton Mage next to him. He was like a student who had forgotten how to answer in practical exams before a teacher.
"Friend," Skeleton Mage Ossius whispered the answer to Malakor like a child helping his friend cheat.
"F-Friend! The answer is friend!" Malakor proudly stated.
"That's right. You are so smart. I knew it."
"Heh, of course I am." Malakor chuckled, having his ego boosted.
However, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "What do these questions have to do with what we were talking about?"
"You said it's nice to meet me. And you said people feel nice to meet their friends. Doesn't it make us friends? I'm sure Malakor is smart, so he would understand the logic, right?"
Malakor was stumped for words. He truly didn't understand anything, but if he accepted that, wouldn't it be like accepting that he wasn't smart?
He scratched the back of his skull again as he answered, sounding just as confused as ever, "Uh, y-yeah. That makes us friends."
"As I am your friend, isn't it my job to help ease your worries? You are worried about the missing prince! In that case, I can't rest easy until I find the prince!"
Leo picked up Timmy over his shoulder and started walking away while carrying him.
"W-wait..." Malakor called out, but Leo just showed his palm to Malakor without looking back.
"No, my friend, don't try to stop me! I know I'll have to walk through fire and ice to help find the prince, but it's the least I can do for my friend!" Leo said, sounding as dramatic as ever.
His voice made him look like he was on the verge of tears, that's why he wasn't showing his face.
His actions even made Malakor emotional as he mumbled, "My friend is going through such trouble for us..."
Fortunately, he didn't have proper eyes or tear ducts. If he had them, he might have even started sobbing.
Leo had spun such a web that there was one trap after another. No one could think through all his stupid logics, so they had subconsciously started believing him.
"What a righteous young human." Even the Lich Lord had fallen for this act without realizing. "And here I thought all humans were scum. No wonder he can understand our language. It must be a blessing because he was destined to meet and help us."
"Young man, wait. Even if you want to help us, it won't be easy." The Lich Lord reached out his hand to inform Leo. "It took a lot of effort to find his location the first time itself. He already discovered the tracker and destroyed it. It's impossible to find him now."
"Even if he is hiding in the depths of hell, even if I have to grow old while searching for him through every nook and cranny of this universe, I will not stop! I will find the Prince and bring happiness to Your Majesty's face again!"
The Lich Lord brought his robe's corner close to his eye sockets and wiped something even though there were no tears there.
"What a good child. If only my son was as filial as you..." The Lich Lord said, his voice choking.
"Even if I might not be your son, I treat you like my father, Your Majesty. If my life's struggle can bring the prince back, then I'm willing to pay any price!"
With each passing second, Leo was getting more and more dramatic. However, deep down, he just wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible.
There was only one problem. He was small and the palace was huge. Even though he had been walking towards the gate for the last few minutes, from the Lich Lord's perspective, he had only moved a few millimeters.
Any normal person watching this situation would have found it laughable, yet the Lich Lord didn't even consider it.
He placed his hand on his chest, or rather on the ribcage since he was missing a heart.
"Wait. I have a better idea to find the Prince. You don't have to sacrifice your life for it!" The Lich Lord said, making Leo almost fall on the ground.
He wanted to continue pretending to be stubborn, and convince the Lord to let him leave.
Unfortunately, the door became even more distant from him. No, the door wasn't going far from him, but he was moving farther from the door.
He was stepping forward but his body was moving back, like he was performing a moon walk.
The speed of his movement grew faster, as he rose in the air. He was pulled closer by the Lich Lord.
In the end, Leo found himself standing on the Lich Lord's knees, facing him.
From close up, he looked even scarier. Just to look at his skull, Leo had to arch his neck which made it hurt.
"There is one place that can help make the search easier," Necropolis Emperor Voldred said.
"You can't be talking about that place?" Ossius asked. "Even though that place has offered us one of the highest seats, isn't that place still beneath us?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I don't even remember what that place was called. Was it Gala... Galacda... Uniso?" Malakor also chimed in. "Whatever it was called, for us to go there personally, won't it lower your dignity?"
"We still have to worry about 'that place'... So we can't be away for long. Your Majesty, I plead you to reconsider,"
Ossius was pleading, knowing full well what it meant if the Necropolis Lord left this place. There were many enemies waiting for that opportunity after all.
'Galacda Uniso? What are they talking about?' Leo heard the conversation, and felt like something really serious was being discussed.
"Do I have any other choice? I can send them a message for them to find my son, but who knows if they will be seriously looking for my son, or just do it as a formality. Someone needs to keep an eye on them."
The Lich Lord looked really troubled. He lowered his head and looked at Leo before saying, "Don't we have the perfect person to be our representative at the high seat?"