Chapter 50

　　In the end, Count Raymond dismissed his soldiers and prostrated himself at Simon’s feet. He was seething at having to bow before a boy young enough to be his son, but he was helpless against an undead legion.

　　"Even for Kizen, this kind of force is… problematic," he managed, not yet completely broken. Strength still lingered in his eyes. "The Dark Alliance recognizes the autonomy of its member nations and fiefs. This is a domain where Kizen cannot interfere! How do you plan to handle the diplomatic fallout?"

　　Seated on the lord’s throne, Simon offered a faint smile. "Let’s get to the point."

　　He pulled the evidence from his coat and dropped it on the floor: the broker’s contract, the advance payment to Ellen, and the torn remnants of the Efnel uniform.

　　"You were colluding with a priest from Efnel," Simon stated flatly.

　　Raymond felt the blood freeze in his veins.

　　"And you did this while you had an active request with Kizen. This could be interpreted not only as treason but also as inciting a conflict between necromancers and priests. Am I correct?"

　　"N-No, that’s—!"

　　Simon’s eyes glinted coldly. "You mentioned my actions could become a diplomatic issue. By that logic, your actions could ignite a continent-wide war. Am I wrong?"

　　Cold sweat dripped from Raymond’s brow. He had tried to keep Simon in the castle precisely to prevent a clash between Kizen and Efnel. But he had been found out. At this rate, I’ll die. Not just me, but the entire fief will be annihilated.

　　I have to do something. It’s do or die…!

　　Raymond shot to his feet. "Insolence!" he roared. "How dare someone with not an ounce of power besides their Kizen affiliation discuss treason with such flimsy evidence!"

　　Simon let out a short laugh. The man was completely desperate now. But he didn’t mind. Holding all the cards while watching his opponent struggle was a rather enjoyable pastime.

　　[Hehehe! Is his true nature finally showing, boy!]

　　You’re making my head ring, Pier. Be quiet.

　　Simon nodded at Pier, who pulled back the robe that was wrapped around him.

　　"Wh… Wha?"

　　Raymond’s pupils shook violently. This was wrong. This was very, very wrong. Revealed from within Pier’s robe was Ellen, standing blankly with unfocused eyes, her head tilted as drool dripped from her mouth. A magic circle was drawn on her forehead.

　　"We captured a priest from Efnel during the mission," Simon said, his voice like a death sentence. "She’s been cursed and is temporarily unconscious. If we send her to Kizen for interrogation, I’m sure she’ll have all sorts of stories to tell. Don’t you think?"

　　Raymond collapsed to the floor with a thud.

* * *

　　The situation was settled. Raymond confessed everything, begging them to take his life but spare his fief. Surprisingly, Simon learned that Raymond was held in high esteem by his people. He had staked his political career on the fief’s development, personally securing investments and even arranging a visit from the crown prince. But the disappearances had become a stumbling block. If the news got out, all his plans would crumble.

　　So, he had joined forces with Erzebet’s information guild to suppress all leaks, completely unaware that she was the culprit. He had secretly sent requests to mercenaries, knights, and Kizen. But after three months of silence from the academy, a desperate Raymond contacted the priest through a broker. Then Simon had intervened, snatching up the request Kizen was about to discard, and the situation had spiraled.

　　"I have committed a crime worthy of death," Raymond sobbed, his face pressed to the floor. "I never trusted the brokers. I thought no true priest of Efnel would use such channels. I accepted out of desperation, but I never imagined one would actually come… I was too naive."

　　Simon, who had been sitting with a dignified air, flinched. On the sofa, Ellen, pretending to be unconscious, also flinched. The magic circle on her forehead was fake.

　　"This was entirely my own doing! You may take my life! But please, this fief…"

　　A pang of conscience pricked at Simon. He cleared his throat. "Alright. I understand the situation."

　　Raymond remained motionless, ready to accept any punishment.

　　"Lord Raymond. Let’s make a deal."

　　"…Pardon?"

　　"I haven’t been here long, but I’ve grown rather fond of this place. A frontline territory, a strategic location that would be vital in a war with the Holy Federation. I have no desire to see it laid to waste."

　　Raymond lifted his head, his expression dazed.

　　"Of course, if things proceed by the book, Kizen will annihilate everything and everyone in this fief."

　　"Oh…"

　　"However, I don’t believe you acted with malicious intent. I will cover this up on my end, to an extent that no harm will come to your people."

　　"W-Will you really do that?"

　　"I’ll try. However," Simon lowered his voice, "it might cost a little."

　　Raymond quickly pressed his forehead back to the floor. "I will pay it, even if I have to empty my entire fortune!"

　　And so, Simon obtained 500 Gold, ten times the original fee. After placing the hefty pouch into his Subspace, he left the reception room under reverent guidance.

　　[What’s this, boy? After acting so vicious, you took less than I expected.]

　　"It’s fine," Simon shrugged. "I’m satisfied with this much as compensation for the trouble. Besides, this is all the people’s hard-earned tax money. It’s not like we’re robbing a villain."

　　The corners of Pier’s mouth lifted. While he shared many traits with his father, this boy was fundamentally different from Richard.

　　"You did well too, Ellen."

　　Ellen poked her head out from inside Pier’s robe. "Hehe! How was my acting? It was good, right?"

　　"Why don’t you wipe the drool off your mouth before you speak?"

　　"Oh, ah!" Embarrassed, she quickly ducked back inside, and Simon chuckled.

　　Relieved that the matter was resolved, he was casually leaving the castle when a commotion erupted.

　　"Move, move!"

　　"Hurry!"

　　Fully armed soldiers were rushing toward the gate.

　　"What’s going on?"

　　[It seems we have invaders.]

　　"Let’s go."

　　Simon ran after them.

　　Looking down from the second floor, he saw a swarm of countless corpse spiders before the castle gate. And standing before them was a familiar figure.

　　Simon quickly turned and sprinted down the stairs.

　　[Boy! Slow down!]

　　"Aaaah! That hurts!"

　　He outran the other two, arriving just as heavily armed soldiers were preparing for battle.

　　"What’s happening?" he asked.

　　The helmeted guard captain spotted him and saluted. "It’s undead! It seems they’re trying to attack the castle. It’s dangerous, please get inside…!"

　　"Open the gate a little. I’ll go take a look."

　　"S-Sir? But that’s too dangerous!"

　　Simon grinned and placed a hand on his chest. "I’m still learning, but I’m a necromancer. Handling the undead is my job. Trust me."

　　"Hmm…"

　　In the end, the captain opened the gate just enough for Simon to slip through. Pier and Ellen followed. Simon turned and nodded, and the captain nodded back grimly before closing the gate.

　　I didn’t expect her to be this reckless, Simon thought, walking forward.

　　In front of the spider swarm stood a woman in a wine-colored dress. The madam of the Thieves’ Guild. The former commander of the Legion, Erzebet.

　　"What does this mean, Erzebet?"

　　[Simon Polentia, son of the former Legion Commander, Richard Polentia.] She knelt on one knee with sharp, disciplined grace. [I, Erzebet, wish to serve you as my master. Therefore, I implore you for the opportunity to join your Legion and be tested.]

　　Pier chuckled and crossed his arms. Simon straightened his expression and cleared his throat.

　　"Dismiss your subordinates. Let’s talk somewhere quiet."

* * *

　　Before heading to his lodgings, Simon parted ways with Ellen, personally untying the ropes that bound her.

　　"It wouldn’t be good for either of us if today’s events became known, so please keep it a secret."

　　She stared intently at his face.

　　"Hm? What’s wrong?"

　　"Ah, it’s just… you’re a little different from the rumors I heard about necromancers."

　　Pier grinned, raising his greatsword. [If you’re talking about turning people into skeletons to keep secrets, I can make that a reality right now!]

　　"Eek!" Startled, she hid behind Simon. Pier roared with laughter, while Erzebet, watching from a distance, bit her lip and glared fiercely at Ellen.

　　"And this," Simon said, pulling a pouch from his Subspace. "It’s your share of the fee that I took."

　　"Oh…!"

　　"Take good care of your siblings."

　　Clutching the pouch to her chest, her eyes filled with grateful tears. "Really? Thank you so, so much, Simon! I’ll never forget this kindness!"

　　"Where did you say you were headed?"

　　"To a fief called Roharon in the Holy Federation."

　　"I see. I hope you make it back safely."

　　"Yes! Thank you! I’ll never forget this!"

　　As Simon turned to leave, Ellen shouted, "We’ll meet again someday, right?"

　　Simon shrugged. "Who knows. The next time we meet, it might be on a battlefield."

　　"Haha…" Ellen thought he was certainly decisive when it came to drawing a line.

　　"If I ever have a reason to go to the Holy Federation," Simon added, "I’ll ask you to be my guide."

　　"Yes! Of course!" She seemed genuinely moved, waving enthusiastically until his party was out of sight.

　　[Not only did you spare the priest’s life, but you sent her off with a coin as well,] Pier noted.

　　"Yes."

　　[What is your reason?]

　　Simon smiled faintly and crossed his arms. "I figured that when I eventually have to carry out a mission from the Black Casket, having a contact on the priests’ side could be useful. Besides, giving her money makes her a true accomplice. She’ll trust me completely."

　　[Bwahaha! Watching you, it’s impossible to tell if you’re good or evil!]

　　"I wonder," Simon mused, putting his hands in his pockets and tilting his head back. "Does everything really have to be so black and white?"

　　"Half of my blood is from a priest. I have no intention of unconditionally hating people just because they live on the other side, and I have no reason to. That’s why I let Ellen go, and why I only took a bit of money from the fief. There’s no need to go to extremes, is there? I’m fine just taking what benefits me from the middle."

　　The corners of Pier’s mouth lifted into a deep grin. [As I thought, it will take time to fully understand a human like you!]

　　Simon smiled faintly and turned his head. "Erzebet."

　　[Yes.]

　　"You wouldn’t do something like unleashing the Spider Corps to attack Ellen after I let her go safely, would you?"

　　She flinched inwardly but quickly lowered her head.

　　[…O-Of course not.]

　　"As long as you understand."

　　Simon went back to trading jokes with Pier, but Erzebet, trailing behind them, was seized by a peculiar feeling. The image of Simon’s back as he shielded her from the divine spear still flickered at the edge of her vision.

　　After he had first rejected her, she had tried to harden her heart, reminding herself time and again that joining the Legion offered her nothing. It was a troublesome contract that would only tie her down. And yet…

　　So, in the end, I’m walking back into hell of my own accord, she mused. She had never once won a battle against her own heart.

　　"Erzebet?" Simon’s voice cut through her thoughts.

　　[Ah, yes. I follow,] she replied, her voice a low murmur.

　　Even if she came to regret this, even if she could see the future, even if the end was destined to be utterly miserable, she knew she would make the same choice every single time.

　　***