The Necromancer's Servant

Chapter 80: Chapter 51: Your Kindness Is Worthless



"Now, tell me, what did you see in the woods outside the city two days ago?" Claudius commanded, looking down at the cowering woman in front of him with the authority of a lion facing its prey.

A large group of soldiers had caught her while she was sluggishly leaving the royal capital. The ordeal and fear left Selena in a state of utter distress. She trembled as she said, "I didn't see anything. I don't know anything. Why are you arresting me…"

Claudius didn't get angry or issue warnings; he didn't even bother to confirm if she was the person he was looking for. He believed such lowly scum was not worth his words. He reached out and, using two fingers, tugged sharply at a lock of hair on her forehead.

The prostitute let out a scream as the soft, smooth hair she treasured was yanked along with a bloody piece of scalp, blood immediately streaming down her face.

Claudius frowned as his fingers became stained with blood; he flicked away the small piece of flesh like he would a booger, then grabbed Selena by her hair and pulled her up forcefully, commanding succinctly, "Don't waste my time. Speak."

Selena was in too much pain to respond, blood flowing from her hairline and staining half her face. She struggled to stand, covering her head and sobbing, her tears mixing with the blood and vanishing without a trace.

Claudius sighed in deep disgust. He felt utterly repulsed, wondering what the heavens intended by creating such lowly, troublesome individuals, deliberately wasting the precious time of a noble like him. He discarded the woman like garbage and walked toward the door. Since the interrogation details were confidential for now, he couldn't let anyone approach this witness.

Claudius told the commander of the royal guard waiting outside, "Go fetch the interrogator from the cell." He was too lazy to do it himself. Forcing the unwilling to speak was a job for specialists in that line of work, who had long elevated this peculiar trade to an art form. Claudius had confidence in them; he had seen a stubborn spy hold out for two days and nights, breaking down completely after just half of the artists' techniques were applied, rendering him almost unrecognizable.

Suddenly, a guard ran up to him and said, "Lord Duke Murak is looking for you; he has urgent matters to discuss. He's waiting for you at the palace gate."

"Understood." Claudius hesitated for a moment. Going to the palace with the duke must be very important. Since they had already captured the person, it didn't matter to take a bit of time here. He had intended to let the interrogator work while he was away, so that when he returned, everything he wanted would be laid out like dishes on a table. But after a moment's thought, he decided against it. The information extracted would certainly be significant; if the interrogator learned something they shouldn't know and spread it around, it would be counterproductive. It was better to supervise the process himself. So he nodded and decided, "I'll call the interrogator after I return." He shot a menacing look at the officer. "Remember, absolutely no one is to approach this woman, understood?"

"Understood." The royal guard officer nodded vigorously, as if he were using his head to communicate. He knew very well Claudius's temperament; serving these high-ranking figures was unpleasant, but he had to be careful and diligent.

Not long after watching this important figure leave, another important figure arrived. This young man, although also in a high position, felt entirely different; his perpetually gentle face was comfortable to behold for anyone. The royal guard officer quickly saluted, "Good day, sir."

"Hello," the young officer replied with a smile. "Thank you for standing guard here. I heard you caught a strange female criminal, a witness of some sort. May I see her?"

This nobleman, with his kind smile and gentle words, made everyone feel at ease. Moreover, he was certainly not a 'random' person. The officer nodded earnestly, "Of course you can."

Asa had been summoned by Bishop Ronis early that day, who asked him about his ambush situation. He intentionally left out any mention of the prostitute Selena, vaguely explaining that he had been lured into a trap, and then Sandru had arrived and killed the ambushers. Sandru had also informed Asa in advance about the stolen items, instructing him not to mention them to Bishop Ronis.

He was somewhat surprised that Captain Roland had quickly figured out the situation, recognizing that it was a necromancer who had killed the team members. Even more surprising was that even though Captain Roland and the archbishop had a sufficient reason to suspect him of being involved with the necromancer, the bishop casually dismissed it all with a single sentence.

Bishop Ronis seemed unconcerned about whether the matter would be thoroughly investigated, simply saying, "No one saw it with their own eyes; speculation is just speculation, and suspicion can only remain suspicion."

Asa thought about Selena, whom he had let go, and fell silent for a moment. Then he recalled something strange.

After leaving the magic academy, he quickly walked toward the Sandru's big house, needing to ask Sandru for clarification about what had happened.

Just as he was approaching the entrance to the big house, someone called out to him from behind. He turned and saw a remarkable young officer striding toward him. Asa was momentarily stunned, and upon closer inspection, he recognized it was Rodhart.

Having not seen him for some time, Rodhart appeared even more mature, the youthful sharpness in him becoming increasingly subdued, yet he retained an outward radiance. Combined with his handsome and approachable features, and the upright knightly attire he wore, he embodied the very concept of a 'young hero.'

"Good thing you're here; I was just looking for you about something extremely urgent." Though it had been a long time since they last met, Rodhart wasted no time on pleasantries and quickly approached Asa, whispering, "The prostitute you let go has been captured by Claudius."

Asa's face instantly turned pale. First, he was shocked that Rodhart, an outsider, could make such a shocking statement, then he was astonished that Selena had been caught by someone who most wanted to make trouble for him and was likely the one who could create the most chaos. If Rodhart knew about it, had the matter already escalated?

There were no other people around, but Rodhart's voice remained low. "After a team of ten or so members from the Holy Knights was mysteriously killed, the captain seemed oddly uninterested in investigating it. However, squad leader Claudius ordered an emergency mobilization of the royal guard yesterday afternoon to interrogate all the prostitutes in the capital. They captured a lot of people for questioning and dispatched nearly a hundred cavalry outside the city. I inquired and learned that they were after a prostitute who is reportedly a very important witness. This prostitute was captured overnight and escorted back this morning."

Rodhart's expression was serious but showed no signs of panic as he continued in a low voice, "I think there's something suspicious going on here. While I was at the royal guard earlier, I took the opportunity to check on that prostitute. Squad leader Claudius had to leave for the palace due to urgent business with the duke, so I seized the chance to speak with the prostitute. She told me everything that happened that day."

"She told you everything?" Asa gasped. If she could tell Rodhart, she could also tell others.

"Don't worry; she only told me and hasn't informed anyone else. Claudius hasn't had a chance to interrogate her yet," Rodhart said, lowering his voice even further. "Although I know you could never be involved with the necromancer, others won't think so. You shouldn't have let her go. This woman is far too dangerous for you."

"Ha, you might not know, but she was deliberately let go by him," the big house door suddenly swung open, and Sandru stepped out, looking at Asa with a clearly mocking tone. Though Rodhart had tried to keep his voice low, it was not lost on Sandru's ears.

"This esteemed old gentleman is…" Rodhart instinctively took a step back, a look of fear crossing his face as he stared at Sandru. He had already heard Selena's account and recognized this suddenly appearing old man as the necromancer. Although he understood he was supposed to be Asa's companion, the fact that this man had killed over a dozen members of the Holy Knights with such eerie ease was indeed chilling.

"This talkative old man Sandru is actually a secret expert under the bishop; he was the one who saved me that day," Asa hastily concocted a seemingly plausible title for Sandru. "However, since this expert uses necromancy, he could be easily misunderstood, so his identity must remain confidential; leaking it would cause considerable trouble for the bishop…"

Rodhart nodded at Sandru, then turned back to Asa, saying, "In that case, you really should kill her." His voice was soft, devoid of any menace, and his expression was sincere, as if he were merely advising a friend to have another bowl of rice.

Asa felt as though Rodhart's gaze pierced through him, causing a deep pain all over his body. He remained silent for a while, sighed, shook his head slowly, and said, "But now, even if I wanted to kill her, it's too late."

"No." Rodhart smiled slightly, a look of confidence on his face. "I've quietly released her from the royal guard's prison."

"What?" Asa was taken aback. While he knew Rodhart would find a way to help him, he didn't expect that he would have directly brought Selena out.

"Don't worry. No one will know it was me. I just changed the order of the guards a bit, told her how to escape, and then created a few distractions. Everything seemed natural; the prisoner's escape was just an unfortunate accident."

Rodhart's calm smile appeared relaxed. But Asa looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions. He knew this was no easy task.

Rodhart was currently the acting squad leader of the Knights Templar, and his rapid promotion due to deliberate training within the military was well-known, even to Asa, who usually didn't pay much attention to such matters. Now, for Asa's sake, he had privately released an important prisoner designated by the captain of the Knights Templar. This was far beyond mere 'danger'; it was like joking with his promising future and his life.

"She should be waiting for me at the designated place by now. I initially planned to take her out and quietly kill her in a hidden location. But since you've let her go before, I thought I should at least consult you first. So now I've hidden her in an inn to seek your opinion." Rodhart's voice was soft and gentle, as if he were asking his older brother, "Should I kill her?"

"Of course, you should let her go and let her be captured again by the royal guard, who will be searching the entire city for her. Then you, this overly loyal idiot friend of mine, will be exposed too." Sandru looked at Asa, his mocking gaze and words stinging him deeply. "Or you could try secretly escorting her out of the city to escape, haha. I think you should just turn yourselves in; that would save some effort."

For the first time, Asa shot Sandru a furious glare, sighing painfully as he closed his eyes.

If Selena were caught again, the consequences wouldn't just affect Sandru, Bishop Ronis, and Rodhart; it would also lead to dire repercussions for him.

He truly had no other choice left. Asa looked at Rodhart with great difficulty and said word by word, "Fine, you can go ahead and kill her."

"We'll go with you," Sandru suddenly said, grabbing Asa's shoulder.

To avoid drawing attention, Rodhart changed out of his knight's uniform and donned ordinary civilian clothes. He led Asa and Sandru to a remote area of the slums in the royal capital, where a few dilapidated houses stood abandoned.

Rodhart stopped in front of one of the crumbling buildings, signaling for Asa and Sandru to stay quiet by a broken window while he entered.

"You finally made it," Selena's anxious voice came from inside.

"You weren't discovered, were you?" Rodhart's voice was calm.

"No. I followed your instructions and got out quietly. I was very careful on the way, and no one noticed me." Selena's tone didn't sound frantic as one would expect from someone escaping; instead, it resembled the excited breath of a girl secretly meeting her beloved, carrying a hint of flirtation. "I… I'm just so happy. I was so scared before… When I was caught, I almost went insane… but seeing you, I felt fearless immediately…"

Asa understood why Rodhart could extract information from Selena so effortlessly. In a desperate situation, seeing her long-admired idol appearing and asking gently, even a god descending wouldn't have been more inspiring.

"Alright, now that you're here, there's no need to be afraid anymore." Rodhart's voice was steady and gentle, exuding a heroic aura that could provide any woman with a sense of safety.

"Thank you for saving me." Selena's voice trembled with excessive excitement, perhaps shocked that her savior turned out to be the hero she had admired for so long.

"By the way, have you told anyone else about what you saw in the woods that day besides me?"

"No. Don't you remember? You already asked me that."

"Those words are for us to hear, to reassure us," Sandru patted Asa's shoulder, his touch cold like a corpse. "This guy is meticulous and cautious."

"Since that person has told you not to reveal these matters to others, then why did you tell me so easily when I asked?" Rodhart's voice was probing.

"Because… because…" Selena hesitated, as if unsure how to express her feelings. "Because you're a hero. With a hero standing before me, I'm not afraid of anything, so I told you everything." Her voice was filled with trust and infatuation.

Rodhart's voice was gentle, as if one could imagine his hand resting on the girl's head, gently patting her like a kitten. "Are you really certain you haven't told anyone else about this?"

"No, really not. I would never lie to you." Selena's voice was resolute. There was no longer any tremor or hesitation in her words; with a hero who provided such warmth and security before her, what was there to worry about? The prostitute's voice had even taken on a girlish shyness. "You know… actually, I've always…"

A strange sound suddenly interrupted, murky yet clear, cutting off all conversation.

Asa was familiar with that sound; he had heard it often and had even felt it with his hands.

"It's done." Sandru's voice was as crisp and dry as the sound of bones clashing, pulling Asa along. "Let's go see."

Entering the dilapidated house, Asa saw Selena's limp body cradled in Rodhart's arms.

A cloth bandage was wrapped around her forehead, faintly stained with blood, but her face looked clean. The bandage seemed to be arranged as neatly as possible, perhaps because while waiting here, she had remembered to touch up her appearance before meeting her idol, her hero. There were still traces of tenderness on her face, frozen in astonishment. It was unclear whether she was shocked by the sudden actions of her hero or by the sight of her own back, feeling incredulous.

Selena's head was completely twisted backward, resembling a doll that had been broken, her head and body haphazardly joined. Rodhart slowly laid her corpse down on the floor. His demeanor remained composed, his expression still collected.

Rodhart quickly left, needing to return and help the royal guard capture the escaped prisoner he had just killed. Only Asa and Sandru remained in the ruined house.

Suddenly, Sandru spoke up, "This kid is truly meddlesome. Actually, according to my original plan, I would have waited for things to spiral out of control before forcing you to kill this woman with your own hands."

Asa was startled, turning to look at him. "What?"

"Because I wanted you to experience your own mistakes, then correct them with your own hands." Sandru's cold smile sent chills down Asa's spine. "Do you think if you let this woman go, she will truly survive? I told you, the Knights Templar will definitely discover that the person who ambushed you had contact with her, and they will do everything possible to find her. And she, an ordinary woman, cannot escape at all. In any case, she has only one way to go: death. Your mercy is merely a joke. It is worthless."

"So you had this plan all along." Asa sighed deeply. "No wonder I found it strange when Bishop Ronis mentioned the bodies being discovered today. As a rookie, I forgot to destroy the evidence. How could you forget to take care of these things before leaving?"

"I wanted those people to see. They would get anxious, would put all their effort into pursuing her, and would quickly capture that woman."

"Don't you fear the Knights Templar coming after you? Don't you worry about causing trouble for the bishop?"

"I told you, I'm not afraid of trouble. I want you to see that your so-called mercy is worth less than nothing." Sandru's voice carried a hint of malice. "This way, you'll know to think more carefully when you act and make judgments in the future."

"I never intended for it to be worth anything; I just did what I wanted to do at that time…"

"I guarantee that in the end, you will also want to kill that woman with your own hands." Sandru's smile sharpened. "You are simply too weak."

"Weak?"

"I still remember when you first arrived in the royal capital. At that time, I could see determination, wildness, and even a bit of cruelty in your eyes. That was the gaze of a man. But now? You're not even worth a fart."

Asa fell silent, staring at Selena's corpse.

"Let's go. Don't waste time here." Sandru pulled Asa's hand and walked out of the dilapidated house. After turning a corner, he snapped his fingers, and flames burst forth from the broken building. By the time they returned to the big house, the fire had already engulfed half a block.

On the roads in the palace, the Duke and Claudius were just walking out from the palace exit.

"What a surprise, what a surprise…" the duke murmured to himself, his slender brows and eyes curling up. The signature smile he usually wore had widened to an almost uncontrollable extent, excitement overtaking his self-restraint, making him look like a merchant who had just made an enormous deal.

No. He hadn't made a big deal; he had merely picked up an enormous bargain that had fallen from the sky.

This morning, the duke suddenly received a summons from His the King, requiring him to immediately enter the palace to meet him. This was entirely an unexpected event for the duke. He had a keen understanding of the political forces at court and was always prepared for any changes; however, he never anticipated that the King would suddenly summon him.

The duke had never paid much attention to the King's preferences or intentions. To maintain his image of integrity and uprightness, he could not indulge in flattery like others. Moreover, the King was merely a child, easily swayed by sycophants. As long as he managed to deal with those petty schemers were controlled and political dominance was secured, why should he worry about the King?

However, the King was still nominally the ruler of the empire, so he could not afford to be careless. He quickly called back his assistant, Claudius, to prepare for the meeting, and the two of them entered the palace together. The duke was already prepared for anything the King might say, whether it was criticism, praise, or inquiries based on someone else's suggestion. He could take appropriate countermeasures no matter the circumstances.

But when King Griffinhart XVII dismissed all the attendants, even Claudius, and awkwardly expressed his intentions, the duke was completely stunned.

The King expressed his desire to marry his daughter, Christine. This meant the duke would become his father-in-law and gain immense political capital.

Just as someone who can truly make a fortune would never obsess over winning the lottery, people with real strength tend to be grounded, blocking out the temptation of shortcuts. But in doing so, they sometimes could miss out on exceptional opportunities. The duke enjoyed the sense of achievement that came from gradually strengthening his position through his own efforts. He was confident he could reach his ideal height and had never considered such a shortcut to success.

However, when this opportunity suddenly presented itself, asking him to take a big step forward, words like "pleasantly surprised," "excited," or "overjoyed" no longer sufficed to describe his feelings at that moment.

An inexperienced young King could be a formidable trump card in the power struggle. Now, this trump card had conveniently fallen into his hands without conflicting with his image of integrity. What could happen when such a powerful card was in the hands of a skilled player? Just imagining the bright prospects for the future made even a self-controlled duke unable to hide his excitement.

But joy aside, the duke was still a duke. He quickly detected a discordant note amidst this unexpected surprise.

Although he'd never paid much attention to the King's preferences or intentions, and had been busy patching up his earlier plans, the fact that he hadn't even noticed the King's interest in Christine was undoubtedly a lapse on his part.

"What has that Rodhart fellow been up to recently?" As Claudius expected, the duke asked.

"He has been to several places to quell heretical uprisings and seems to be doing quite well. The military officials are very satisfied with his abilities. It seems the bishop is also preparing to send him along with that guy to Airi to suppress the heretics there."

"But he should know about the King's feelings for Christine. How dare he hide that from me? Heh." The Duke's smile remained warm as usual, but the light in his eyes was sharper than ever. "What a clever scheme!"

Claudius felt uncomfortable with this assessment and reminded the duke, "He's good friends with that guy..."

"I know. That's why I called it a clever scheme," the duke nodded.

By the time they left the palace, it was already afternoon. A guard was waiting for Claudius. Upon seeing him come out with the duke, he hurriedly approached to report that the female witness had escaped.

"What did you say? She escaped? How did she escape? You useless fools!" If the duke hadn't been present, Claudius would have torn the officer apart right then and there.

"What female prisoner?" The duke frowned and asked.

After listening to Claudius, the duke thought for a moment and asked the guard, "Tell me how that female prisoner escaped, in detail, from the moment Claudius left."

"After Commander Claudius left, Commander Rodhart came to see her. He asked us to keep a close watch on her when he left. But then there was a fire in the storeroom, and somehow, several other prisoners escaped from different cells... Now Commander Rodhart is helping us search everywhere..."

The duke smiled faintly and waved his hand to the officer. "Then hurry up and search for her."

"Should I go too?" Claudius asked the duke.

"No need." The duke watched the guard's back with an almost mocking smile. "You won't need to find a body."

"A body?" Claudius was surprised.

"They might not even find the body," the duke mused. "Having gained the favor of those military officials, and standing close to the bishop with an old friend... Heh, truly a promising future." He asked Claudius, "We must keep a close eye on such excellent talent. When are they going to Airi?"

"It should be in the next few days."

"I heard the heretics there are rampant. If my family's timber industry suffers any losses, the responsibility will fall on me. Also, this is part of your duty, so you should go to Airi and take care of the timber business there. And keep an eye on their every move. From now on, I want to know all their movements." The duke's voice dragged out. "Let's forget about the necromancer incident this time. The bishop will surely have a way to suppress those religious matters. But politically, I'll see if those two still have such good fortune."


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