The Necromancer Who Was Despised

The Sleeping Bear Inn was affiliated with our local branch, after all.

However, there was no need to bring it up unnecessarily.

Colmail was showing me kindness, and I had no reason to have a bad relationship with him.

“It’s also a place where we’ll be active for a while.”

It wasn’t bad to get close to someone who had a good relationship with the lord.

My companions also recalled the incident during our conversation, and their expressions changed slightly, but they didn’t push the matter since I didn’t react.

Instead, I briefly praised Sevina and maintained a good atmosphere.

Colmail then brought up the betrayal of the Kereo Party and expressed regret.

“I didn’t expect them to do such a thing. Fortunately, we had Tilde, the priest, with us, or we would have faced a huge crisis.”

“It’s fortunate that we had a faithful person like that.”

“It’s unbelievable that those who were once promising would fall so low…”

Although Tilde and I had a transactional relationship, it was fortunate that he was there, or we would have seen an unpleasant outcome.

Colmail paused for a moment before carefully opening his mouth.

“So, I’d like to discuss Anelis’s punishment.”

I looked at him as if I was willing to listen, and he carefully continued.

“First, if none of the other party members object, we plan to make her a slave and hand her over to Lord Dojin.”

The other party members showed no interest in Colmail’s words, and he continued.

“However… if possible, we don’t want to brand her with a slave mark.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

Artina couldn’t help but speak up at that.

Artina was followed by Kayla, who also opened her mouth.

“Do you mean the Mercenary Guild is going to tolerate betrayal?”

“That’s ridiculous….In my opinion, we should just execute her…”

Colmail’s gaze, which was directed at Anelis, was filled with deep contempt.

Of course, considering his previous actions, it was possible that he was just acting, but his eyes seemed to hold genuine anger.

“Just… there’s pressure, you see.”

“Pressure? Do you mean from the lord?”

“No, Anelis has no relation to the lord. Rather, she’s connected to the Inter-Species Union.”

“She’s a half-elf, a mix of human and dark elf.”

‘…Dark elf? And a half-breed, too?’

“Although she appears fully human, it’s certain. Her physical appearance is indistinguishable from a human’s, but her magical abilities are lacking.”

Honestly, I still can’t believe it. Her skin isn’t dark, she’s not tall, and her ears are human ears.

But a half-breed of a dark elf?

“Honestly… I only found out recently, too. But the information source is too reliable…”

Perhaps the information source didn’t want Anelis to become a slave.

“Where did you hear that?”

“…It’s the royal family.”

I couldn’t help but stiffen my expression at Melis’ words.

“It seems that someone from the royal family informed us. They even prepared her identity, and it’s said they had dealings with the interspecies union.”

“I’m not sure, but the treatment of humans within the interspecies union isn’t very good. Naturally, the treatment of half-breeds with human blood is also poor. Plus, Anelis has a completely human appearance, so they took the initiative to speak with her first.”

“…Dark elves don’t have a good standing within the union either.”

I was pushed by the elves.

The interspecies union officially had four ranks, but dark elves were inherently limited to the third rank.

Incidentally, the highest rank was the first rank, and elves usually reached the second rank.

The interspecies union was a place where one’s status was determined by their species.

“Of course, there are exceptions everywhere.”

In addition, there was an unofficial fifth rank, known as the “unregistered,” but this was an unofficial derogatory term.

As I mentioned earlier, there were only four official ranks.

“You know, right? There are a few families that have managed to survive. She’s a descendant of one of those families.”

Just like humans, the interspecies also had families. To be precise, they were once called tribes, but after gathering under the interspecies union’s flag, they came to be called families.

“I’ve also been ordered not to speak of this to anyone else… including our lord.”

That’s why they called us here.

‘It’s a troublesome story.’

Anelis is also one of my targets for revenge. However, compared to Kereos, her crimes aren’t as severe.

Kereos was the one who directly threw me into the abyss.

Anelis was also an accomplice, but…

‘When the royal family gets involved, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.’

What’s most important to me is survival and freedom.

There’s no point in getting caught up in this. Moreover, I’m aiming to become a publicly recognized dark mage. If I get entangled with the royal family here, it’ll be a headache.

After taking a short breath, I said to Colmail,

“Doesn’t the problem remain even if we don’t stamp her with the slave seal?”

“…That’s true. She’s already betrayed us, and the news will spread regardless.”

Even if I forgive her, Colmail will have to punish her. If not, he’ll receive distrust from many mercenaries. However, the royal family is preventing that from happening…

‘I can’t reveal internal affairs.’

So, even if I forgive her, it won’t resolve the issue.

“So, can’t we just pretend to make her a slave and have her join Lord Dozin’s party…?”

“No way.”

“Absolutely not!”

Before I could respond, Kyala and Atina expressed their opposition.

Colmail’s face showed a troubled expression.

When the party opposes, it’s difficult for the party leader to make a unilateral decision, no matter how powerful.

And considering Kyala and Atina’s values, I could infer that I wouldn’t be able to ignore them.

I responded with a shrug.

‘It’s not like I’m enthusiastic about it either.’

What’s the point? I’m not incredibly skilled, and my feelings towards her aren’t good either.

“You’re a person who’s betrayed once before. You can betray again anytime.”

“That’s just interference. The fact that you’re intervening like this means you want me to die, don’t you? In the end, we’re the ones who have to protect ourselves. We can’t keep someone like that and still be active.”

In reality, our words were no different from being slaves.

Our strong backlash prompted Colmail to speak up.

“Of course, it’s not like we’re just going to accept it.”

He was also in a difficult spot.

Thinking about it, Colmail wouldn’t be happy about this situation either. If we handled it by the book, it would be convenient for him too.

But that was impossible in this situation.

“The royal family will actively support Lord Do-in’s party… In fact, if it weren’t for this incident, the Kereo party would have received that support.”

“Was it that easy for the Kereo party to make a big deal without contacting other forces last time?”

I thought it was proof of their exceptional abilities, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

I was dumbfounded. It was impossible for me to catch up with them on my own. They had been secretly receiving help from the royal family.

I had tried so hard…

It wasn’t that I wanted to say it wasn’t fair to receive support or anything like that.

It was just that I felt frustrated and helpless, remembering how I had struggled blindly in the past.

At the same time, I felt a growing sense of resentment.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.

“Support, huh…”

Even now, I couldn’t handle Anelis. Leaving aside past events, our relationship wasn’t good in this cycle either.

My request had ruined lives, and my colleagues had all died. Of course, there was some coincidence and karma involved, but humans aren’t rational creatures.

However, it was difficult to prioritize emotions in this situation.

“Since they said it’s a dark elf hybrid…”

Dark elf.

My teacher’s race was dark elf.

As someone who remembered my teacher’s goal of rebuilding their family, I didn’t want to get involved with dark elves, my teacher’s kin.

“I’ll deal with it later.”

My teacher was an incredibly helpful being to me.

Their individual abilities, resources, and dungeon, and strong sense of purpose.

“With a dark elf hybrid, it’s not bad, and they even have a bit of divine power.”

I may have been the one to approach my teacher first in the past, but in reality, my teacher was extremely difficult to categorize as a black magician. They had a normal personality.

If I could just release the contract with the demon king, my teacher would become a reliable and powerful ally.

“But that’s the problem.”

The contract with the demon king wasn’t easy to release. The most likely way was to negotiate with the demon king themselves.

“I’ll prepare, but it won’t be easy.”

“So, what’s this support?”

“Usually, it’s money, equipment, or a named request.”

If the opportunity arose, I might be able to acquire a good mana breathing method or aura training method.

“We don’t really need those things.”

“…That’s right. I acknowledge it.”

Everyone was an expert, and I had just reached level 5 in this cycle.

Mana breathing method? Aura cultivation method? Those are just useless things that don’t provide any real help, and I can earn money in any way I want.

Recently, considering my reputation, I don’t think the request for a named mercenary is a huge merit.

At least, the equipment is somewhat decent, but even that can be solved with money.

If that equipment is an artifact, it’s a bit better, but…

“Honestly, from my perspective, it’s not that tempting.”

I have the map I obtained this time, and I have knowledge of the future. I’m not satisfied with just any artifact.

That’s why the support they’re offering isn’t that appealing to me.

Perhaps it’s because of my negative attitude. Colmail, who had been biting his lip, opened his mouth.

“Then… how about this?”

“Material things aren’t much help, so how about this?”

“Something else?”

“We’ll provide a credit guarantee for all party members, including Inha, from our branch.”

A credit guarantee from the Mercenary Guild.

It’s not something you can easily obtain.

“It seems the royal family’s pressure is quite threatening.”

Simply registering with the Mercenary Guild and receiving their guarantee are two different stories.

Of course, by registering with the guild, I can receive basic protection.

However, as a dark mage, I don’t have the trust or credibility that comes with a certain level of experience, so there are many aspects that are lacking. But if I receive the guild’s guarantee, all of that can be resolved at once.

The guild can actively protect me, and at the same time, they have no choice but to do so.

Additionally, my credibility will be resolved.

If a mercenary who received the guild’s guarantee loses credibility, the guild that provided the guarantee will have to compensate, so even as a dark mage, I can naturally gain credibility.

“Receiving the guild’s guarantee will make it much easier for me to become a publicly recognized dark mage.”

So, even if my recent reputation is good, the guarantee isn’t something they can easily provide.

Especially since I’m a dark mage.

My period of activity in the public eye is extremely short. Even if dark mages are said to have a warped personality, it’s possible that I’ve been hiding my true self and acting during this short period.

Especially since my recent achievements have been revealed, and it’s been made clear that I’m not an ordinary dark mage, it’s likely that I have the ability to control myself sufficiently.

Despite all the risks, it seems they’ve decided to take a chance and try to get on the royal family’s good side.

“Of course, you can also receive separate support from the royal family. Let me explain the situation, and you might be able to expect a different kind of support than what I mentioned initially.”

I could sense a strong determination to change my mind.

Is it revenge against Anelis or a shortcut to my plan?

“Well, at this point, the choice is obvious.”

There are a few things that are bothersome, but…

“If I can receive the guarantee, then it’s a different story.”

The benefits I can gain from this are greater than my desire for revenge against Anelis.

If I can sell my revenge and gain benefits, I can do so.

“There are more important things than revenge.”

I don’t have any thoughts of being consumed by revenge.

My benefits come first. And besides, revenge isn’t just about killing someone.

“If you can guarantee just one thing, then I’ll make sure to have Anelis join our party.”

Kaileena Artina didn’t seem too pleased, but she didn’t say anything else.

As Balduer, I didn’t have much leeway to speak out against being treated like an outsider.