The Necromancer's Servant

In a corner of the Magic Academy, there was a small, old chapel, a long-abandoned building that was rarAiri visited.

An old priest hurriedly walked in, peering inside before stepping through the door.

"Your Excellency, isn't this a bit excessive?" The elderly priest, who was well past his sixties, found the person he had been searching for and asked carefully.

"Excessive? I just want a little peace and quiet," Asa sighed, surprised that he could be found here.

"But couldn't you at least choose a different place?" The old man was always quite strict about details and rules.

"No need, the atmosphere here is lovAiri."

"The Assistant Minister of Finance is looking for you…"

"Assistant Minister? I don't know him. What does he want with me? If he wants to see me, he should come himself."

The old priest's white brows and beard furrowed helplessly for a moment as he looked at the young superior before him. He realized that there was no point in arguing and turned to leave, shaking his head.

Asa shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It was not exactly comfortable; after all, the carpenters had designed this space for holding sacred texts, relics, and bishops' hands, not for sitting. The statues depicted in the murals and reliefs around him were all posed differently—some glancing sideways, others glaring, and some gazing tenderly—observing the person who should be serving them lounging on the altar.

Footsteps he recognized approached leisurAiri from the entrance of the cathedral. Asa still didn't turn around but sighed, "So it's you? I thought it might be someone else."

"Although this chapel is no longer in use, but sitting on the altar – don't you think it is way too excessive?" The Assistant Minister's voice was steady and solemn.

Asa chuckled and replied, "How could this be considered too excessive? Just a moment ago, a pious old cleric merAiri said I was only 'a bit excessive.'"

"That old priest initially wouldn't let me in, but I insisted on coming. He then told me to not take offense, because you've always been like this." The Assistant Minister's voice held a hint of amusement. "It seems you often do such things."

"What things? I feel like I haven't done anything at all. Just had a little drink, ate some meat. The last time I finally spotted a one-eyed lizard in the grass outside, I roasted it, but the bishop scolded me for quite a while."

"Oh? Was it the one-eyed lizard called the 'Southern Glass Bead'? I remember you always saying you wanted to know what it tasted like." The Assistant Minister's voice brightened as she reminisced. "Did the bishop reprimand you for killing it without reason?"

Asa scratched his head and sighed, "No, it was raining outside, and I was roasting lizards here, grabbing a book as fuel without knowing it was some rare theological classic."

"Ha, you're still the same, haven't changed at all."

"You've changed. You sound much more stable and experienced than before. Truly worthy of being the Assistant Minister of Finance, the only female minister in the Empire now."

"Is that so? I've noticed a bit too." The Assistant Minister stepped closer, saying with a hint of self-mockery, "Perhaps it's just because I'm getting older."

Asa turned around but still saw the same slightly round and delicate face, with elongated eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. However, the youthful, vibrant aura he remembered had vanished, replaced by maturity and composure. The fitted official attire gave her a blend of beauty and authority.

"You haven't aged. You've just matured and become more beautiful." Asa smiled at her, feeling an unfamiliarity swell in his heart at this new side of her he had never seen. He had felt something similar when he encountered Rodhart. He sighed and said, "I've noticed that once people enter politics or pursue a career, they quickly change, becoming more mature and experienced."

Elaine smiled lightly, "Having seen more of human affairs and gained experience, when you focus your spirit and thoughts on your career, people naturally won't be as frivolous as before."

"But why am I still the same?" Asa sighed.

"It might because your personality doesn't quite fit such matters," Elaine chuckled. "Even I can hardly believe you could become a cleric or a great hero in the future. You… you don't seem like it."

"True. I don't fit. I only realized it yesterday. This place really isn't for me." Asa sighed deeply, pushing out all the air from his lungs along with his frustration and helplessness. "I would rather survive alone in swamps or deserts, facing beasts and monsters, than stay here. I'm too foolish, too naive. I can't see through the people and things around me, can't understand anything. Even if I want to try and do something, I find I have no control over anything. So I'm very troubled and want to be alone in this place for a bit. And then I wanted…" He paused, not finishing his thought.

"Even the strongest eagle can't live in the sea," Elaine said gently. "You're not foolish. Perhaps you just aren't suited to this environment."

That hint of warmth in her tone brought a sense of fulfillment to his empty and helpless heart. Suddenly, the long-silent thoughts he had nearly forgotten resurfaced. Asa fell silent for a moment and asked, "Do you still remember what I told you before? I want to travel around the continent, around the world."

"I remember. You used to mention it often." Hearing about the past softened Elaine's voice.

Asa looked into her delicate eyes, where the vague smile seemed less pure than before, yet the warmth still filled every gap in his heart. He thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I've had a question I wanted to ask you for a long time, but I never did…"

"What question?"

"I want to travel freAiri. Would you like to come with me?" After asking, Asa turned his head, looking at a dusty statue, unable to bear meeting her gaze again.

No answer came, only the sound of their breathing alternating in the old chapel. This dust-covered place was filled with traces of history, as if time could easily be pulled back by memory.

"Are you still thinking about traveling? What about the matters the bishop arranged for you?" Elaine's voice regained its calm maturity. "Although you haven't adjusted to this environment yet, you should face the things that need to be faced, and take on the responsibilities that need to be shouldered. Avoiding it won't help." She paused, her voice steady but tinged with loneliness. "We've both grown up."

Asa managed a bitter smile but remained silent.

They fell into silence once more. After a while, Asa asked, "What brings you here?"

Elaine took out a letter and handed it to him. "This is a letter from my sister, entrusted to me to deliver to you so that you can pass it on to your friend Rodhart."

"Why doesn't she deliver it herself? Why go through you first? Is this some kind of joke?"

"Maybe she's embarrassed. The letter might contain something difficult to say, and having it passed through two people makes it feel less intense." Elaine's tone was surprisingly filled with the wisdom of experience. "Girls' feelings are always like that, hard to grasp."

Asa accepted the letter, shaking his head and sighing, "It really is hard to grasp…"

"Alright. My task is done. I have a lot of official duties waiting for me. You should focus on doing your own thing." The female Assistant Minister turned and walked out.

As she left the Magic Academy, she turned back to glance at the dilapidated chapel, sighing, "Why didn't you ask me back then…" She wiped at the corner of her eyes, slowly climbing into the carriage.

"Do you know what I want to do?" Asa sighed again in the chapel, pulling out the scroll from his arms and looking at it slowly. The tiny skeletons at either end emitted a faint glow. If he pulled on these two little things, all the troubles of the mortal world would no longer concern him.

The feeling of relaxation and liberation was truly delightful, but it was accompanied by a painful sense of loss. Would this moment just now be a final farewell?

The next day, the troops headed to Airi to suppress the heretic rebellion set out.

As Asa watched the vast army, he frowned and asked Rodhart, "Do we really need this many people?"

Rodhart rode a magnificent white horse, clad in shining silver armor with a purple cloak, looking every bit the commander he was meant to be. Striding alongside Asa at the forefront of the troops, he shook his head and replied, "Not too many, just five thousand. I know the situation in Airi very well; we won't be at a disadvantage with the terrain and timing. According to the reports, the heretical group is about five to six thousand as well, but they're just a ragtag bunch without proper equipment. We can handle them without any problems."

Asa pulled the letter from his pocket and handed it to him. "This is from Christine. She asked her sister to pass it to me so I can give it to you."

Rodhart frowned slightly as he took the letter and opened it.

"What does it say?" Asa asked.

"Nothing much. She told me the King has proposed to the Duke," Rodhart replied casually.

"What?" Asa was a bit surprised and glanced at Rodhart's calm expression. "It seems you already knew?"

"Of course." Rodhart nodded. "When I heard Christine mention her relationship with the King, I guessed it would develop to this point before she even realized it. But because of the incident at the last hunt, it came sooner than I expected."

"You and Christine… must have always had a very good relationship," Asa said.

"Of course." Rodhart nodded again. "Duke Murak sometimes intended to arrange it that way."

Asa recalled the keen insights of Lord Borugan. For someone as talented as Rodhart, Christine was a crucial bargaining chip the Duke could count on to bring him under his wing. But now, this bargaining chip had clearly found a more significant use.

"Does the Duke not know the King likes Christine?"

"He doesn't know. This matter is quite secret; it seems that besides me, Christine, and the King himself, no one else is aware. The Duke pays too much attention to significant political matters in the state, so he naturally overlooks such trivial details about his children's affairs."

"Did you not tell the Duke about this?"

"There was no need for him to know," Rodhart said with a smile that seemed a mix of bitterness and coldness, hinting at something deeper.

Asa frowned and asked, "Was that all in the letter?" If that was all, it seemed unnecessary to send two people to relay it.

Rodhart's expression became slightly unnatural as he said, "She also mentioned she was confused and didn't know what to do. She'll be waiting for me at the tavern we often go to at noon today. If I go, we'll leave the capital together." His tone was flat, and his narrative straightforward, as if it wasn't very important.

Asa managed a bitter smile. Yet another such marriage, another elopement that would go nowhere. However, Rodhart seemed quite different from Asa at that moment. He seemed to have decided what to do without much effort. She was waiting for him, yet he was already busy with his tasks and duties, giving up decisively without any hesitation.

Asa looked at Rodhart. His facial features weren't sharply defined, but rather had a soft beauty that blended handsomeness and kindness. It was a quality that had little to do with the ruggedness of a warrior, yet that calm and rational demeanor, unchanged regardless of time or place, had long since replaced the courage typically associated with strength. This was a person who could seamlessly integrate into his environment; he would undoubtedly become a true powerhouse within it.

But that was no longer Asa's concern. He touched the firm scroll at his waist, feeling the flowing magical energy through his clothes; it carried the scent of freedom and abandonment.

Now that he had left the capital, he could quietly slip away at any moment, travel freely and hide until he was cornered by the church, at which point he could simply unroll this scroll. He really didn't want to stay in the capital and got stuck in endless plans and tasks, facing things he didn't wish to confront. Just as Sandru had said, his emotions and efforts would count for nothing there.

Asa glanced at Rodhart. Everyone should live in an environment that suited them. Important matters should be left to those capable of handling them.

"Actually, I'm an orphan," Rodhart suddenly said as they walked in silence. "I don't know who my parents are. I'm just an abandoned baby that my grandfather picked up."

Asa looked at him, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up.

"Even so, my grandfather treated me very well. He devoted all his efforts to my education, hoping that one day I could become the best. He spent all his savings to send me to knight school. The villagers also believed I could become a remarkable knight, a hero. So, from a young age, I was determined not to let them down and to become a hero who upholds light and justice like the protagonists in stories. But later, I realized… I was too naive. I didn't become a hero; I was just a clueless child and the culprit of their demise." Rodhart continued to look ahead, his tone as if he were recounting a long-ago story, his eyes shimmering with a light that seemed both vague and resolute. "Eventually, I finally saw reality for what it was, recognized the world, and seized my opportunity. I wouldn't be naive anymore. I want to be strong, to rise above others through my own efforts…" He glanced at Asa with a bitter smile. This expression shattered his previously calm and composed demeanor, revealing a smile filled with pain and helplessness. "So even though I like her, I have to choose this way."

Seeing that awkward smile, Asa suddenly felt pity for him. He then inexplicably recalled what Duke Murak had once told him in his bedroom.

Those who bravely move forward in this world and strive to reach new heights often draw their powerful motivation from deep-seated pain and helplessness.

"Everything I have now is because of you. You saved me and gave me the chance to come this far. You are the person I am most grateful to in this life." Rodhart looked at Asa, and Asa could see the last remnants of the naive boy he had known in Airi in his expression. "I'll keep moving forward and help you do even better. As long as we successfully complete this mission in Airi, I'll gain further recognition from the church, and my position will be more secure. Then I won't just be the Duke's pawn anymore; I'll be someone who can negotiate terms and cooperate with him. I can definitely go further and higher."

Rodhart's gaze was fixed on the direction of Airi, where both his past and future lay.

Asa made a decision. He would go to Airi, help him complete this mission, and then leave.