SSS-Rank Hunter Reborn: Private Tutor to the Count's Bastard Son

That night.

Ferda opened his mouth with a serious expression.

"Silvan. Let me tell you what your talent is."

Originally, he'd only planned to inform him right before awakening.

But his mind had changed.

Now Silvan wasn't just a tool to achieve his goals—he was his student.

"Uh, I mean I did want to hear about it..."

Silvan trailed off.

After a moment, he asked with a puzzled look.

"...Why in a place like this though?"

They were currently at the cemetery north of the mansion.

And it was the exact spot where Ferda had torn everything up looking for Death Herb.

At Silvan's question, Ferda revealed why he'd dragged him to the cemetery.

"It's better if only the two of us know."

Dark arts that grow in the shadows. That's how necromancy is treated in this world.

Well, of course it would be. It's the power to control rotting corpses and command spirits. You couldn't view it positively even if you tried.

And there was one more thing.

"Plus, this place is connected to your talent."

The moment those words ended, Silvan's eyes went wide.

"Don't tell me my talent is..."

A talent connected to cemeteries. The answer was already obvious.

Silvan's body trembled. Tension filled his eyes.

Yeah, it's exactly what you're thinking. Ferda prepared to nod, waiting for his response.

After a moment, Silvan asked seriously.

"A grave keeper?"

"No."

"Then an undertaker?"

He sighed at the timid answer.

Then Silvan scratched his head and muttered.

"I can't think of anything else besides those two."

Is he being serious right now?

Ferda sighed again. There didn't seem to be any point in waiting for an answer.

"Raising the dead and commanding spirits."

So he just decided to tell him.

What Silvan's talent was.

"Your talent is necromancy."

The moment those words ended, a sudden breeze blew.

The chilly wind swept over both of them before disappearing into the air.

As quiet silence settled over them.

"...Ferda."

Silvan opened his mouth.

"I think you got something wrong..."

An awkward look and voice.

Silvan answered with a subtle expression.

"I don't have talent for necromancy. That's what they said in the forest too."

Oh, right, there was something like that.

A necromancer in the forest who envied Silvan's talent so much that he said Silvan didn't have even a speck of talent for necromancy.

Damn bastard, I'll beat the crap out of him if I ever meet him.

"No, you do have talent."

Ferda shook his head, denying Silvan's words.

Then he whispered with conviction in his voice.

"I guarantee it. You'll become the strongest necromancer in history."

Although he couldn't achieve it in the past eight cycles, this time he would definitely make it happen.

As he was making that internal vow, sudden laughter rang out.

"Haha, that's weird."

"Huh?"

"No, it's just..."

Silvan hesitated for a moment, then scratched his cheek and grinned sheepishly.

"For some reason, when Ferda says it, I feel like it'll really happen."

This wasn't the first time.

There was a strange persuasiveness to his words. And things actually turned out the way he said they would. Didn't he beat a skilled fighter who was just short of Beginner rank recently?

"Got it. I'll trust you this time too."

After experiencing it a few times, he made up his mind quickly.

Silvan grinned. Ferda responded to his decision with a gentle smile.

"So you're going to start teaching me necromancy now?"

"That would be great, but..."

Now it was Ferda's turn to make an awkward expression.

"I don't know how to use necromancy."

"Huh? Then who am I supposed to learn from?"

"Well, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"What?"

Silvan's face was painted with bewilderment.

Ferda patted his shoulder as if to say don't worry.

"It's fine. I'll help you from the side."

"But you just said you don't know necromancy?"

So how are you going to help?

Silvan's eyes seemed to be asking just that.

"I can't think of anything right now."

"..."

"But it'll work out somehow, right?"

Ferda chuckled.

I'm suddenly losing faith here. Silvan looked at Ferda with dubious eyes. Meeting that gaze, Ferda just smiled silently.

***

The next day.

Before dawn had even broken. Ferda left the mansion.

His face was quite anxious, which was unlike him.

There was a reason for all this.

=====

[Mythical Grade Necromancy]: Unlock Conditions

*Achieve nether mana [1,000]

*Current mana: [988 / 1000]

=====

The system window floating before his eyes.

Ferda frowned slightly.

"...This is a bit troublesome."

His magic power had increased on its own without even eating Death Herb.

And by nearly thirty overnight.

Could it be from going to the cemetery? Or from recognizing his talent? All sorts of speculation came to mind, but nothing was certain.

"The Holy Kingdom's delegation should still be in the city."

His magic power had risen that much in just half a day. If this continued, the Holy Kingdom might notice the birth of a mythical-grade necromancer.

"I can't let that happen."

The sprout hadn't even begun to grow yet. He couldn't tolerate interference.

Ferda's eyes gleamed fiercely.

'I'll protect him no matter what.'

His destination was the underground market.

He planned to look for magical tools to avoid the delegation's eyes. The chances of finding any were slim, but it was better than doing nothing.

So he hurried his steps. Just as he was about to pass through the north gate and enter the slums, Ferda encountered a group wearing pure white clothes on the bridge.

"Good morning, brother."

"May you have a peaceful day."

Believers heading out for dawn prayers.

He thought nothing of it and was about to pass by. But the moment he got close to them, Ferda suddenly stopped walking.

Something had caught his eye.

'That's...'

Silver necklaces around the believers' necks.

Emblems symbolizing followers of the moon goddess.

Seeing them, something suddenly came to mind.

'Eyes of the Moon!'

A holy relic that first appeared in the 5th cycle.

This necklace looked exactly like a regular emblem on the outside, but its abilities were completely different.

'It's supposed to suppress negative energy.'

More precisely, it was a tool that temporarily sealed nether mana.

In the 5th cycle, Silvan, who was being chased by inquisitors, had obtained it to shake off their persistent pursuit.

'And as far as I know...'

"This morning, I heard good news from the guild. They say there's a holy relic that can suppress nether mana and erase one's presence. But who would've thought it was in Mullen.

A hollow laugh escaped naturally. You can't see the forest for the trees, and that's exactly what this was. If I'd known earlier, I could've saved so much time..."

That necklace was here, in Mullen.

To be precise, in the northeast, 1st Street of Starlight District.

The temple that worships the moon goddess. The necklace was in the basement there.

"Then let's go get it right now."

Ferda turned around and ran toward the temple.

***

Resoya Temple in northeast Mullen.

The temple worshipping the moon goddess Elun was bustling with crowds from dawn. It was because of believers who had gathered for prayers. But the priests seemed used to this situation and skillfully organized the lines.

"Please enter in order."

"Be careful not to bump into each other."

It was a day no different from usual.

So the priests didn't notice. That someone had torn up the floor of the storage room in the temple's backyard and entered the hidden basement.

Thud thud—

The sound of footsteps going down stairs.

The identity of the strange visitor was none other than Ferda. He had boldly acted while the priests were distracted guiding the believers. His choice turned out to be right.

No one noticed the intruder.

"I can't see anything."

Ferda frowned slightly. But it wasn't so bad that he couldn't go down at all.

While groping his way down, the stairs ended.

"I need to see something to take it."

I should've brought a lantern if I knew this would happen.

He regretted it, but it couldn't be undone now. He had no choice but to search somehow.

But then.

Whoosh!

Suddenly flames blazed up. It was a torch.

Thanks to that, the basement was dimly lit. He'd thought the basement would be small since the temple was small, but it was surprisingly spacious. As he looked around with curiosity, Ferda suddenly felt something was off.

Huh? Flames blazed up? From where?

As such questions arose, a voice suddenly rang out.

<I speak to the intruder.>

A dry voice without any inflection.

The voice echoed softly through the basement.

<This is the holy sanctuary of the moon. I warn you. Leave.>

Whoosh!

At that moment, flames blazed up again.

Not just one this time. The torches that flared up all at once seemed to number about ten.

Then he could finally see what was in front of him.

Silver armor and helmets. And shields and swords.

That was all.

The problem was that they were moving around alive.

"What the hell is that?"

There was no mention of something like this.

Ferda frowned. Then the voice came again.

<If not, there is only death.>

With that final word.

Four swords pointed at Ferda.