The Necromancer's Servant

Reports came from Airi City that the heretical organization there was becoming increasingly rampant, prompting the church to send someone to deal with it.

In the wake of the vampire incident, these strange occurrences were overshadowed by a sense of horror, as if a legion of skeletons, zombies, and ghosts could emerge at any moment. All officials, especially the King of the King, were on edge. Their nerves taut like a stretched bowstring, ready to respond loudly at the slightest disturbance. In such a situation, anything related to heresy or monsters naturally required the clergy to exorcise evil spirits.

This responsibility fell squarely on Asa's shoulders, thanks to the King's trust and Bishop Ronis's strong recommendation.

Bishop Ronis immediately summoned Asa to the Magic Academy and assigned him a task.

"After your last successful hunt, I hinted to the high priests about my intention to promote you to the position of high priest, but they all disagreed. Kusbert, in particular, was adamantly opposed. It's understandable; they have all worked hard in the Magic Academy for many years, and now they see someone so young and inexperienced being considered for the same rank as them—it's hard for them to accept. I could directly promote you to priest, but elevating you to high priest requires a joint recommendation from me and three other high priests to the Holy See."

"So this is a great opportunity for you. The heretics in Airi are causing quite a stir, seemingly due to something that happened in the Whispering Woods. It would be more appropriate for you to handle this matter. If you can swiftly and efficiently eliminate those heretics, I will recommend you for high priest, and no one will be able to object."

Asa frowned internally; even the thought of becoming a priest seemed incredibly troublesome, let alone adding a 'high' to the title.

"As long as you are a high priest, I can confront the elves."

"What do those guys have to do with it?" Asa had almost forgotten about the elves, the only one still vaguely in his memory was the elven girl he nearly choked to death.

"Right now, Airi is probably the only city in the entire continent that hasn't issued a warrant for you. I've instructed my subordinates to collect your wanted notices from the Adventurers' Guild and the Thieves' Guild, and I've notified them to refrain from accepting any more bounties on you," Bishop Ronis said, pulling out more than ten images of Asa from his drawer.

Asa picked up one of the images, his first time seeing his wanted notice. The elves were skilled artisans, the lines intricate, capturing his likeness quite well. Asa couldn't help but nod in appreciation, "It's a great drawing; it looks better than me."

"As long as your identity can gain the Holy See's recognition, then the elves' wanted notices will be as good as toilet paper."

The influence of the Church of Light dwarfed that of the elven race, like a giant beast compared to a little rabbit. Even if the elves pooled their meager wealth as a bounty to hunt down a high priest of the Church, adventurers and bounty hunters would rather rob them outright.

"At that point, I can propose that the elves join our alliance, which they will have no choice but to accept. By their nature, they originally looked down upon collaborating with humans. However, you are indispensable to them; if they can't capture you, they will have to help you and stand with you. With the elves' participation, our strength will significantly increase, and together with the surrounding nations and empires, we can demand the church's support to deal with the Necromancer Guild, leaving the church with no option but to take action."

"Oh, I see," Asa nodded. Although it was complicated, he finally understood.

"Since this mission is crucial, I plan to send Rodhart with you to assist you in completing this task."

"Oh? Has he returned?" Asa realized it had been quite a while since he had seen him. Although they were indeed friends and had fought alongside each other, Asa always felt a bit out of sync with him.

"He has been dealing with heretics elsewhere and has achieved quite a bit. He is a capable young man and will certainly be a great help to you. By the way, you should also take care of the local officials and the envoy who were killed by the heretics last time in Airi. That would add to your political capital."

Asa glanced at Bishop Ronis without showing any expression, carefully recalling that he had never mentioned the envoy's incident to him. For some reason, the bishop seemed quite certain that he could easily resolve this once notorious unsolved case, as if it were as simple as eating a bun. He cautiously asked, "It's been so long, and there are no clues. The murderer should be hard to find, right?"

"Of course, I know that," Bishop Ronis replied, a mysterious smile creeping onto his face. "It's certainly difficult to find, but you can always create one. After all, there are so many heretics there; just find a few suitable targets and fabricate a fitting story and evidence. That would be a great achievement."

"Oh, I see." Asa nodded.

"You are not really suited for handling these matters. I will talk to Rodhart and let him take care of it," Bishop Ronis said, frowning as he looked at Asa. "What's wrong with you? I feel like you've been a bit distracted."

"Nothing… maybe just a bit tired. Anyway, you can discuss the details with Rodhart. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

After leaving Bishop Ronis, Asa went straight to the library's archives. Compared to Bishop Ronis's plans, he was more interested in finding something here.

However, after searching from noon to the afternoon, his shoulders were sore, and Asa only found the name "Vadenina T. Griffinhart" three times in the thick records.

But this didn't indicate much; all three entries were simply recorded in the roster of students at the Magic Academy. The name stood out no more than countless others, only showing that this person had indeed existed at the academy. Yet, there were no other documents detailing what she had done or her experiences.

No matter how you looked at it, someone who was once a proud student at the Magic Academy but later turned into a lich would not be an unknown figure. It likely meant that most of her records at the academy had been deleted. An alumnus becoming a necromancer is certainly not something worth celebrating.

Asa closed the dusty volume, shaking his sore neck and arms. He had come to the library to find out what kind of person this strange classmate had been, but to his immense disappointment, he had found nothing.

Although twenty years wasn't that long ago, someone should know about it. There were many elderly figures in the Magic Academy who would still salute him respectfully. However, Asa didn't dare to ask around. This might be a taboo topic at the academy, and if he asked carelessly, it could lead to trouble if others reported it to Bishop Ronis. The matter of Vadenina seemed to make the bishop quite sensitive. If he found out that this dangerous classmate had once interacted with him and even invited him to join her, the lightest outcome would be a lengthy lecture and admonition.

But his curiosity clawed at him like a restless cat. Just then, the marquis appeared in the archives. He was there to bid farewell to Bishop Ronis, preparing for another trip in a couple of days and taking the opportunity to inform Asa.

Asa immediately realized that the marquis was a very suitable person to inquire about. Twenty years ago, he was a well-known figure at the Magic Academy, and he didn't seem like someone who would report back to Bishop Ronis.

"How do you know this name?" The marquis appeared surprised after hearing Asa's words.

Asa casually replied, "Um… I just heard it occasionally. I heard she was quite an interesting person, so I came here to check, but I found nothing. Do you know anything about her? Can you help me out?"

The marquis didn't respond right away; he let out a long sigh. This expression was very rare for him, a person full of vitality and spirit. He walked over, searched through the cluttered shelves, and pulled out a book.

From the cover, it appeared to be an ordinary theology book, something most students at the Magic Academy would study. The thick layer of dust on it indicated that it hadn't been opened in many years. The marquis blew off the dust and turned to an illustration within.

The illustration depicted a semi-nude image of the Virgin Mary. The engravers had undoubtedly poured a great deal of effort and skill into this magnificent image, with exquisitely fine lines. Mary had a face full of kindness, and her gentle expression seemed lifelike.

Asa was puzzled about how this image of the Virgin Mary could relate to a lich when he saw the marquis flip the illustration over.

The back of the illustration was originally blank, probably out of respect for the Virgin; no type was stamped on her back. Yet on this once-respectful blank space, there was a drawing. It was a sketch of a woman's profile. It seemed to be drawn casually with pencil or charcoal, the lines not particularly refined, and the paper had yellowed due to age. But upon seeing this drawing, Asa was immediately stunned.

The pure and finely crafted engraving in the front seemed nothing more than a smudge of ink left by wooden or iron objects when compared to this drawing.

The black lines perfectly formed an incredibly beautiful image and charm of the woman, even conveying a sense of grace and ethereality. Every single trace of charcoal on the white paper was filled with the woman's extraordinary elegance.

With proportions as perfect as a classical sculpture, the clear and distinct facial contours exuded a tenderness that was as fluid as water. Her long hair cascaded loosely down her back; though it was sketched with rough charcoal, one could almost feel the softness and smooth luster of her hair. These already beautiful aspects were combined into a broader and deeper sense of harmonious beauty that left anyone who gazed upon it utterly captivated and overwhelmed.

This beauty represented the highest form of allure in the mundane world, capable of making any man fall into reverence and ecstasy, while women would have to suppress their jealousy beneath admiration and respect. The drawing did not depict the woman's face head-on, but even this side profile was enough to leave all observers enchanted.

"This is a drawing I made when I was young, twenty years ago," the marquis said, his eyes shining with youthful light as he reminisced.

"... It's truly beautiful," Asa exclaimed. He was astonished not only by the beauty of the woman but also by the marquis's ability to express such beauty with his hand. Asa had no knowledge of painting or art, but upon seeing this piece, he felt an immediate sense of shock. Yet he felt a bit regretful. "But why didn't you draw her face? It's hard to see her features this way."

"With these clumsy hands, corrupted by the vices of wine and lust, how could I possibly capture her extraordinary beauty?" The marquis gazed at his youthful work, his voice echoing the melodious intoxication of a young man in love.

"Then you must have really liked this woman," Asa nodded, sensing the emotions within every stroke of the marquis's brush. Such an extraordinary beauty certainly deserved the admiration of a romantic talent like the marquis.

"I once proposed to her, using ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine flowers, arranging them in a field outside the capital to spell out 'I love you.'" The marquis's deep, beautiful eyes, framed by two long, black eyebrows, shimmered with the light of reminiscence, enough to intoxicate any woman who dared to look directly at him. Asa imagined that without the slight crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and coupled with the marquis's slightly effeminate beauty, he could very well have captivated many men in his youth.

Asa shook his head in awe. "Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine flowers? Your spirit is truly remarkable."

"I despise my lack of spirit, for I couldn't complete the task myself. I enlisted almost every gardener in the country, taking a month and spending thousands of gold coins. The letters had to be seen clearly from horseback as one rode along the words. But when she saw it, she only smiled. You know, that one smile made everything worthwhile."

Asa was astonished by this tale of romance that could serve as legend or poetry, and he drifted back to twenty years ago, imagining the beauty of that extraordinary woman alongside the marquis's equally extraordinary courtship. After a moment of daze, he finally recalled the question he initially intended to ask. "But what does such a beauty have to do with Vadenina? Could it be..."

Could it be that his classmate was jealous of this beauty, causing her demise or ruining her appearance? Given Vadenina's identity, Asa instinctively jumped to this sinister conclusion.

The marquis spoke gently, "The person in this drawing is her. She is my classmate from twenty years ago at the Magic Academy, the capital's—no, the continent's—most beautiful woman, Vadenina T. Griffinhart."

Asa's jaw dropped, losing control completely. His mouth gaped open, unable to close, his eyes nearly popping out along with his tongue and chin.

Asa felt as if his brain had turned into a stew pot in the city of Orford, boiling and thickening, with strong flavors that were both slippery and incomprehensible, making it difficult to discern the taste. The two extreme impressions couldn't be reconciled, and he found it impossible to connect such a graceful and unparalleled woman to the horrifyingly grotesque lich he had encountered. He had once pierced through her mask in the Whispering Woods and had seen her half-decayed, hideous skeletal face. Yet now, the side profile in this drawing was stunningly beautiful. One side portrayed an angel of the mundane world, while the other was a living demon.

"What's wrong?" the marquis asked, noticing Asa's extreme reaction.

Asa struggled to regain control over his thoughts and words. "What happened to her after that? Why haven't I heard about her, and why is there only a name in the academy's records with no further information?"

The marquis sighed and began recounting the story of his beloved in a deeply affectionate voice. "She was of royal blood. But her identity meant nothing. In terms of magical talent, she was a rare genius, rising from a novice to an intermediate mage in just a month. As for her intellect, she was exceptionally clever. She never participated in theological studies or debates, but this debate champion never won a single argument against her. She claimed to have read all the theological and philosophical works and found them to be nothing but nonsense. However, these talents and insights paled in comparison to her beauty. At that time, all the greatest young heroes in the kingdom fell at her feet, desperate for just a smile from her, unafraid of life and death. But she seemed solely focused on seeking the truth and the path of magic. Because of her unparalleled gifts, even Bishop Ronis accepted her as a disciple, and by the age of twenty, she was on the verge of becoming the royal chief scholar." The marquis's voice suddenly fell silent, the legendary tale cutting off abruptly. "But then, she suddenly died."

"Died? How did she die?" Asa pressed. But he suspected she hadn't truly died; she had likely become a lich and joined the Necromancer Guild.

"It's unclear. I had just returned from the Saundfast Mountains when I heard the news. Bishop Ronis announced that she had violated the Magic Academy's taboos by conducting an experimental forbidden spell on her own, which resulted in a catastrophic failure that caused her death. The consequences of that experiment were dire; I recall the cathedral was completely destroyed, and almost half of the Magic Academy's buildings turned to ruins, with many lives lost. Probably to protect the church and the royal reputation, Bishop Ronis and the King ordered all her records to be destroyed and prohibited any discussion about her."

Asa suddenly recalled Bishop Ronis's past lamentation about someone who had gone astray. So that person had been her. But the reasons and processes behind it remained unknown.

Asa asked, "What were you doing at that time in the Saundfast Mountains?"

"I went to find a flower called the Poison Dragon Flower, which only blooms there. It's said to be the most beautiful flower on the continent; legend has it that any girl would be moved if proposed to with it."

"So you were going to bring it back for her..."

"After she saw the countless flowers I had prepared for her, she said they were all brought from others' hands, and countless people had seen them. She wanted to see the legendary Poison Dragon Flower, so I went to the Saundfast Mountains to find it."

Asa couldn't help but sigh. "To propose to a woman, you ventured all the way there alone. I can only say you've got a screw loose."

The Saundfast Mountains were among the most dangerous areas on the continent. Comparing to there, even the Lizard Swamp which is full of wyverns, minotaur and terrible insects, becomes a pleasant and beautiful landscape. Even the continent's top travelers and adventurers would not dare to venture there lightly.

"It took me almost a year to cross the wilderness to enter the Saundfast Mountains and find the flower. I nearly died several times along the way, but I finally found the flower. I picked it and preserved it with ice magic. But when I returned to the Magic Academy, all I saw were ruins; even her body was not left behind... After I heard she had died, I spent three days in that wreckage, and the flower, losing its icy protection, withered and disappeared in my arms..." The marquis fell silent, lost in his memories.

Asa also fell silent, partly in empathy for the marquis's sorrow and partly because a strong thought now emerged in his mind. The teleportation scroll Vadenina had left him was still in Sandru's mansion. He wanted to go to the Dehya Valley to meet this legendary classmate and ask her what could have made her forsake such unparalleled beauty to choose to become an undead monster unworthy of even being called ugly.

What would the marquis's reaction be if he knew she hadn't died but had become a lich? What would he do? Asa couldn't help but glance at the marquis.

The marquis, immersed in his memories, did not appear sad; his expression transcended sorrow, embodying a kind of deathly emptiness and confusion. After a brief silence, he softly said, "Goodbye, I'm leaving." He turned and walked away.

Watching his retreating figure, Asa suppressed the impulse to call out and reveal the truth to him. Perhaps he didn't know that ignorance was best for him.

Back at the mansion, Asa hesitated for a moment and decided not to retrieve the scroll yet. Instead, he asked Sandru, "Do you know Vadenina before she became a lich?"

"Yes I do." Sandru replied with a lethargic nod.

"Then tell me, why did she join the Necromancer Guild and become a lich..."

Sandru's eyes suddenly lifted to look at Asa. His black-and-white gaze held no captivating brilliance, and though it bore a certain dignified aura, that single glance made Asa instinctively fall silent.

"You're becoming more and more annoying now. Since when you started to care about other people's privacy? " Sandru said, his expression and tone not particularly stern, seemingly the same as usual. Yet Asa felt quite uneasy.

"I'm just curious…"

"Some things are better left unknown," Sandru said lightly, sitting down on his simple wooden bed and closing his eyes.