Volume 1, Chapter 3: Undead Knight ③
The armored skeleton, or what used to be known as Lambert, the former general of the Kingdom of Regios was staring dumbfoundedly at the blade of the sword in his hand, and the reflection of his own appearance in it.
The image that was being reflected by his sword was that of skeleton clad in full plate armor. Red flame was set ablaze in his eye sockets adding to the eeriness of the skeleton’s figure.
Despite being turned into an undead, Lambert had retained his ego in perfect condition. His willpower and lingering affection far surpassed Maniga’s expectations.
Maniga had never expected that the armored skeleton he found was the great hero of Eight Countries Unification War who died an unnatural death.
「W-……… What is………… Happening here…」
Lambert was puzzled. He could feel the lump of mana directly from inside his cranium.
「Rather I died and…… R-Regios kingdom is…」
Lambert recalled his battle with Glyph. And following that he recalled the beautiful face of his lord, Aurelia, and the series of betrayal she unleashed upon him.
「… No, I was not betrayed. She did what she had to do…… As a king.」
And yet, that revelation wasn’t even enough to clear away his resentment towards her. That was just how much trust he had placed on Aurelia, his best friend. He knew it better than anyone else that he swung his sword not for the sake of the Kingdom of Regios, but for Aurelia herself. He didn’t regret the fact that he gave his life for her.
However, being assassinated just because she deemed him as a thorn for her reign hurt Lambert’s feelings more than the fact he’s assassinated.
So that lingering feeling was what turned me into an undead. Or rather, how am I so effeminate to become one just because of that?
Lambert was ashamed of himself. But he instinctively knew that the pool of mana that he felt in his cranium combined with his lingering attachment were his driving force. And while he considered suicide, he immediately stopped that train of thought.
I… Wanted to know what became of Regios kingdom after the war…
He thought, so he picked up the helmet that was rolling around on the ground and wore it. As long as he wore this full face helmet, no one should be able to guess that Lambert was an undead.
After all, despite being betrayed and assassinated, it didn’t change his feelings or wishes. He really hoped the best for his motherland and to see his lord unite the western Worimia continent. [ED: My poor MC…]
Nevertheless… Who were those guys anyway.
He suddenly shifted his attention to the corpses that were lying around him. He looked at the lower half of the youth that’s lying on its own pool of blood. He was Maniga, the necromancer that Lambert bisected just a while ago.
Maniga was born in a house that was famous for its white magic. He had learnt white magic since the tender age of 8 years old, and was widely regarded as a genius magician. Later on he dyed his hand with necromancy, a kind of forbidden magic.
And now, despite being only 14 years old, he was well known as one of the 『Devil’s Piper』. For him now, smashing half of a village to turn them into undead just for fun or making mountains of undead was an everyday occurrence.
As such, he was treated as one of the more dangerous members of 『Devil’s Piper』 with a bounty on his head. And by the 5 danger levels used on monster subjugation, Maniga was ranked as four, the same rank that great demon had. A rank which needed more than twenty first-class warriors to subjugate.
Nevertheless, the reason for Maniga’s high danger level was mainly because of his necromancy. However, since he was unprepared, he was taken by a surprise attack this time that caused his death.
It seems they’re talking about destroying Regios kingdom. Are they Makyuras Kingdom’s people? Whilst I am ‘asleep’, what exactly happened? Listening to what they had said, it didn’t look like the war has ended. If I went there to help out now, I wonder what kind of face that bastard Glyph, will make when he sees me…
Looking at the upper half of Maniga’s body that had tumbled far away from his lower half, Lambert heaved a sigh.
Nevertheless, those guys from Makyuras Kingdom were really heartless. Just what in the hell are they thinking in their mind? Sending such an inexperienced kid, who obviously lacked any training, to Ogran Valley right in the middle of war? Seems like they’re lacking capable personnel. Honestly, they should have just surrendered, yet they…
Lambert recalled the dread that filled Maniga’s face right before his body was sliced in two, and thought that the kid was a combat amateur. He was unaware that the ‘kid’ he was talking about was an infamous necromancer who had destroyed many villages just for fun, and in fact not a warrior at all. In fact, Maniga really didn’t have any resolution to fight to the death. Therefore, he had always kept his distance away from his enemies during battle. But, Lambert didn’t know any of this. Not a thing.
And, if one were to compare their magic skill, Bluig has more obvious live combat experience than Maniga. However, his danger rank was the same level as the great demon’s rank, and higher than Bluig’s rank. Because, irrespective of his magic combat abilities or physical combat abilities, as a man who could stay close with an immortal demon who fed on humans was quite exceptional in his own ways.
And amongst the mid-tier magicians, Bluig’s magic skills were frankly unequaled. Rapid firing original magic to gain some time wasn’t something a normal magician could pull off. Furthermore, Bluig’s barrage of magic attacks didn’t look like it recoiled back into his body, and the intensity of it was enough to keep many people away. Anyone else would die after their movement was sealed away by Bluig’s magic manipulation skills.
Bluig was undefeated in ground combat.
He was feared as 『Bluig of The Earth Spider.』
He had never expected that he’d die in one-on-one fight. He never expected that his prided earth magic was shattered through sheer force and he died with his body sliced in half from head to toe.
Lambert was also unaware of this fact, thus acted as if this matter was a trivial thing to him.
Though his invocation was faster than the average magician, it’s too brittle. And despite the fast paced attack, it isn’t that hard to dodge as long as one’s mind stayed clear. Hmm, perhaps…his strength had weakened due to his advanced age.
In the warring era when Lambert lived, strength is justice. Everyone desperately studied magic and swordplay. Every day was a fight against their past self from yesterday. And those who couldn’t get used to that extreme situation most often was dead.
And Lambert was a man who stood on the apex of that time.
However, that practice was already slightly outdated. That was why the people from that era and this era were very different, just like an old man and a kid.
Old man and kid, what a joke. I have to end this war immediately, it’s not just for the people of our kingdom, but also for the citizens of the other kingdom…
And then, Lambert who held misguided sense of justice ran toward the cliff. As he did so, he recalled Aurelia’s face.
A Blonde haired beauty with strong willed eyes.
Her soft and smooth skin along with her stern eyebrows.
And her girlish smile that was slightly different from her normal smile that she showed to Lambert from time to time.
When he recalled those memories, he held onto his chest, feeling a stabbing-like pain in the area where his heart was supposed to be if he was alive. But, what lies behind his metal armor now was nothing but a hollow skeleton. Even if he wanted to cry, no tears could come out. Thus, he could only let out a lonely laugh.