The Necromancer Who Was Despised

“As I said, it’s not certain yet. However, from the fact that Kuman-nim asked if there was an urgent request that we couldn’t handle and that it should be left to Jimnis-nim…”

So, it meant that although I wasn’t exactly designated, there was a possibility that it would fall to me depending on the circumstances.

I had a good track record of completing previous requests, and I was also appointed as an honorary soldier and settled in Ovalan Barony.

‘Alber is quick-witted. The fact that he’s saying this means that it’s almost like Kuman is indirectly asking.’

To be honest, I’m curious. However, I’m currently busy in many ways.

That’s why I tried to decline Alber’s question by turning it around.

“Well, I have to get along with my newly recruited colleague and I’m trying to settle down here for the time being.”

Alber makes a troubled expression at my words.

“If it’s the lord’s orders, there’s nothing I can do, but honestly, it’s very difficult.”

“…Is that so? Well, I guess so. I heard that you recently released Tia and recruited a colleague.”

It seems he even double-checked Tia’s name.

‘Well, if people talk about Tia being a slave or being sold in front of someone who has become my colleague, it would be quite uncomfortable.’

Perhaps she didn’t make such preparations to be considered of Athina or Tia.

That consideration was likely for me.

Since I had proven my usefulness in various ways, she respected me enough to take care of such trivial preparations.

‘This is also a kind of treatment.’

It could be seen as something that catered to my needs.

“Um… I understand. I’ll make sure to inform Kuman-nim of the situation.”

‘Revealing Athina has been helpful here.’

I had intended to use it for another purpose, but it could be seen as killing two birds with one stone.

“For now, I will do my best to procure the items you ordered for the next transaction.”

“Thank you very much.”

My brief meeting with Albert ended like that.

I didn’t get to see Kuman, but I had turned down the successor’s request, and I didn’t have a reason to meet with Kuman, so it was better for me this way.

When I arrived home, the three who had gone to buy groceries had not returned yet, so it was quiet.

‘Hmm… then….’

Since I had some time, I began to think about the basement.

‘It’s hard to dig it myself.’

I could do anything with the skeletons, but it would take a long time, and most of all, there were safety concerns.

‘Judging by the fact that the side connected to the castle is about to collapse, it could be really dangerous if I made it that way.’

At times like this…

‘Magic would be the easiest…’

There was Dig, an earth-elemental magic among the elemental magics.

It was a magic that created pits and traps, but it could also be used for purposes like this.

However, the problem is that I’m a black magician and not very familiar with elemental magic.

‘There is a way…’

Since it was closer to daily magic, I knew how to arrange mana to some extent.

I didn’t have mana, but I could use it once I created a mana-gathering magic circle and inscribed the Dig spell.

‘This will also take a long time.’

It would be easier if I had a jewel…

‘It’s really too expensive.’

Even a small one costs a lot of gold. In this world, jewels were called the epitome of luxury because pure mana dwelled in each and every jewel.

In very high density, too.

That’s why jewels are mainly used as materials for artifacts. Because of their beautiful appearance and expensive value, accessories made with jewels were bound to be expensive even if they had no function, and they came to be known as the epitome of luxury.

‘Hmm… rather than that, it would be faster to engrave the magic circle where Dig would be used on the floor when mana is charged and ask Kyla and Athina to charge it with mana regularly.’

It’s not permanent, and I have to fix it almost every day, and it’s not practical at all, but it was useful enough in a situation like this.

I immediately started making the magic circle.

It would be much more effective if I used reagents or relatively cheap jewel powder, but I had spent all my money, so that was difficult.

And so, I installed a magic circle for a backdoor on one side of the house.

‘Hmm… I should cover the mana, too.’

This would make it complicated, but it’s not beyond my abilities.

As I was drawing the magic circle, the three women returned home.

“Huh? Jimnis, you’re already here?”

Athena had decided to call me Jimnis in the agency, and now she was calling me that at home too.

“Yeah, it wasn’t that hard.”

“What are you up to?”

“I’m going to make a basement.”

“…Jeez, you’re like a training addict.”

“Well, this time it’s a bit different.”

“Hm?”

“Um… I’ll explain later.”

It was time to tell her. The house was getting a bit cramped, and we’d been living together for a while now. I couldn’t hide it forever.

Of course, I wasn’t planning to tell her everything.

‘I’ll just tell her a bit about the secret passage and why I’m investigating her background.’

That’s when being a warlock comes in handy.

If I said I was preparing for the worst-case scenario, she’d understand why I was investigating her background and installing a backdoor in the secret passage.

I racked my brain and completed the magic circle, and then I couldn’t feel any mana at all.

‘Now, if I just cover the perimeter…’

It got to the point where no one would be able to tell there was a magic circle there.

As I finished my work, the three women who had been wandering around the house, looking at this and that, were suddenly cooking.

‘It’s already that time?’

The sun was almost setting.

Even though it was a low-level spell that was close to household magic, it had been ages since I’d worked with elemental magic, so I must have been concentrating too hard.

‘I didn’t even notice the time passing.’

This wasn’t unusual when I was concentrating on magic.

“Master, the meal is ready.”

Kyla approached me just then, and I said I understood and got up.

Just as I was about to go to the living room.

Boom! Boom!

“Hmm…?”

Someone was knocking on the front door.

“Who could it be at this hour… I’ll go check it out.”

“Let’s go together.”

Kyla and I went outside, and there we found an unexpected guest.

“…Young Lord?”

To my surprise, the person who had come looking for me was Barnis Obalan, the heir to the territory.

There was a man in armor standing next to him, who looked like a squire.

I immediately bowed to Barnis.

“Greetings, heir to the territory.”

“Hm, sorry to come so late.”

He was still young, but he was trying to imitate Baron Obalan’s aristocratic way of speaking.

‘This is going to be annoying.’

“Ahem.”

The squire gave me a subtle hint, and I had no choice but to speak to Barnis.

“Come in for now. It’s rather shabby, but…”

“Very well.”

I couldn’t leave a noble outside, so I had no choice but to invite him inside.

The Athina sisters were surprised to see a guest.

“It’s the baron’s son.”

The two of them didn’t know much about etiquette, so they simply bowed deeply to Barnis, who waved his hand as if it were nothing.

“Hmm, I see you were in the middle of a meal.”

“We were just about to eat.”

“I see. My apologies.”

“No, not at all. Have you eaten, young master?”

“I have.”

‘That’s a relief.’

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have something urgent to discuss with Sir Jimnis.”

“Sir… you are too kind. Um, let us take you to a place where we can talk in peace.”

“My apologies again.”

The squire’s eyes flickered slightly at Barnis calling me ‘Sir’, but he quickly regained his composure when I declined.

With nowhere else to go, I took Barnis and the squire to my room for now, and Kayla quickly brought us something to drink.

Of course, there was no tea in the house, so it was just plain water.

Fortunately, Barnis didn’t seem to mind.

After sitting down and taking a sip of water, Barnis spoke calmly.

“You’ve been busy lately, haven’t you?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve been getting used to my new colleague and helping her settle in here…”

“She’s quite a beauty.”

“Her appearance is less important than her skills.”

“Is that so?”

“Her combat abilities are lacking, but she’s versatile in many other ways.”

“Now that you mention it, I heard from Kuman that you prefer people who are skilled in various things rather than those who excel in one area?”

It seemed he had heard about the incident when I recruited Kayla.

“Yes, that’s true, given the nature of our work.”

Monster subjugation.

The squire’s face contorted slightly as I mentioned my previous occupation. Barnis, on the other hand, showed no emotion.

‘Is he good at controlling his emotions?’

I suddenly recalled how his eyes had lit up when he heard about my exploits during our first meeting.

‘…Perhaps he was simply fascinated by what I had done.’

“I know you’re busy, but I believe you’re essential to my current mission, which is why I came to you.”

I had guessed his purpose the moment he came to me.

‘Refusing him… will be difficult.’

It wasn’t Youngju himself, but his only successor had come to find me in person.

He must have heard all sorts of rumors on his way here…

‘Wasn’t this a confidential request? Is it okay to move like this?’

Or maybe that’s how much he needed my power.

Unfortunately, it seemed difficult to refuse.

‘This is why I need to be strong.’

Without strength, I would have no choice but to be manipulated like this.

Luckily, I’m making contributions to the territory, I’m useful, and it’s difficult to replace me, so they’re using this method. Otherwise, I might have been forcibly taken away and used as a consumable.

“… “I don’t know if I can be of help.”

“You can help.”

“Is it a long-term request?”

“Yes, it is. There may be gaps in between, but it could take more than a month at most.”

‘Ugh.’

I didn’t like it, but I had no choice.

“I understand. I will do my best to help Your Highness, even with my humble body.”

“Thank you for your kind words. “I will pay you handsomely.”

“I am grateful.”

Varnish smiled satisfactorily at my answer.

“Now, about the request… ”

With my permission, he explained the details of the request.

“… “Escort, what do you say?”

“Yes. This time, the Siglen County has accepted the request of our Ovalon Barony and decided to lend us their Dwarf slaves for a certain period of time. Since Dwarf slaves are rare and precious, they must be thoroughly protected, but unfortunately, we are short on manpower.”

‘Is it because of the development?’

Kumaniya must be short on manpower because of their dealings with the Matop Tower, and the Barony must be short on manpower because of the village development. Even the available personnel must be fully utilized for additional development preparations, so it was understandable that they were short on manpower.

That’s why the scouting was passed on to me in the first place.

The information I had recently extracted from Disan came to mind.

‘So this is how it’s all connected.’

In a way, it was my own fault.