Chapter 9

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“Mmm, it’s delicious, Lucy…”

Her grandfather said as he looked at Lucy.

His voice trembled slightly.

His expression was strange. It was as if he wanted to throw up.

Was it not tasty?

Lucy tilted her head and tried a bite of the mushroom.

Chew chew…

“Ptooey!”

She immediately spat it out.

It wasn’t food fit for humans. Even a demon probably wouldn’t eat it.

To call something like this delicious, she could see just how much her grandfather loved her.

Seeing Lucy spit out the food, her grandfather smiled bitterly and said,

“…Next time, I’ll just cook for you.”

That was the end of it. Grandfather didn’t touch the food anymore.

Lucy was the same. It was a waste, but there was nothing she could do.

It was simply inedible.

How did she end up making something like this? It was just a waste of mushrooms.

Lucy spoke in an embarrassed voice.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’ll do better next time. No one is good at something from the start.”

At Grandfather’s words, Lucy quietly averted her gaze.

‘It’s not my first time…’

Just then.

Knock knock-

There was a knock at the door. Lucy went to open it.

Hailey was standing at the door.

“Ah, um, hey Lucy, I wanted to properly thank your grandfather…”

Hailey stammered.

Lucy stepped aside to let Hailey into the house.

Hailey was holding a large pot.

Steam rose from the pot, and a savory smell wafted out.

“This is… some food I made. I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste, but…”

Whoosh-

Lucy quickly took the pot and placed it on the table, then opened the lid.

Inside the pot were meat and various vegetables submerged in broth.

Lucy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her grandfather.

The old man smiled softly and said to Hailey,

“Thank you, Hailey. We were just about to have a meal, come join us. Let’s enjoy it together.”

“…I can’t guarantee the taste, but I tried my best. Lucy, eat a lot, okay?”

Hailey gently patted Lucy’s head.

Lucy brought a ladle and bowls.

She first served her grandfather, then Hailey, and finally herself.

Slurp-

Grandfather was the first to eat. Lucy watched his reaction.

“Oh…”

Grandfather made a surprised expression.

“It’s really delicious!”

“R-Really?”

Hailey smiled shyly.

“I’m glad. I was a bit worried since it’s my first time cooking…”

“It’s hard to believe it’s your first time. It’s amazing.”

After praising her, Grandfather suddenly looked at Lucy with a guilty expression.

He felt sorry for Lucy.

He hadn’t praised Lucy’s cooking like this.

Honestly, Lucy’s cooking wasn’t praiseworthy. He almost spat it out the moment he put it in his mouth.

Beside him, Lucy also picked up her spoon and tasted the food.

“!”

Lucy’s eyes widened.

“How is it…?”

Hailey asked.

“It’s my first time cooking. Is it edible?”

“…It’s delicious, really.”

Lucy answered honestly. A slow smile spread across Hailey’s lips.

“Eat a lot… okay? But what’s this?”

Hailey noticed the pot sitting in the corner of the kitchen.

It was Lucy’s mushroom dish.

“This looks like something you just cooked. Why aren’t you eating it?”

“…”

Grandfather quietly looked away, out the window.

As if he hadn’t heard Hailey’s words.

Lucy spoke in a firm voice.

“We’re throwing that away.”

Though she didn’t show it outwardly, Lucy was a little hurt.

She had made mushroom dishes a few times before, so she had been somewhat confident…

It seemed like the seasoning was the problem. The strange seasoning had ruined the dish.

“…”

Anyway, thanks to Hailey, breakfast was successfully resolved.

Hailey returned to the village, and Grandfather laid down on the bed and fell asleep.

Sleeping a lot was the best way to recover.

Knowing this, Lucy quietly stepped outside so as not to wake her grandfather.

Soft sunlight filtered through the trees, painting patterns of light on the ground.

The leaves rustled gently in the wind, creating a calm sound, and the chirping of birds could be heard in the distance.

A quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

Lucy was lost in thought.

Grandfather’s body was weak, so it would be difficult for him to work for a while.

What if she helped with Grandfather’s work?

She couldn’t heal his wounds with healing skills, but helping with his tasks was entirely possible.

For example, cutting down trees…

But Lucy shook her head at that thought.

It was impossible for her small body to cut down trees.

‘Summoning undead would make it easy, but Grandfather would surely find it strange.’

He would ask how Lucy had managed to cut down the trees.

Lucy didn’t want to reveal to Grandfather that she was a necromancer.

He would be shocked to learn that his granddaughter was a necromancer who dealt with demons and undead.

Moreover, Mitchell had said something like this last night.

“…Lucy, I’ll keep it a secret that you’re a witch. So you should be careful too. If people find out, you could be in danger. Not just you, but Grandfather too… no, maybe the entire village could be in danger. The Papal Court doesn’t recognize witches.”

If the Papal Court found out about Lucy’s existence, they would come to capture her.

Lucy wasn’t particularly afraid of the Papal Court.

Since she had started as an overpowered necromancer, there were almost no enemies who could stand against her power.

But what if Grandfather or the village were in danger?

Could she protect all of them by herself?

Even Lucy wasn’t confident about that.

So it seemed better to be careful for now.

At least while living in this village, it would be wise to hide the fact that she was a necromancer.

Instead of cutting down trees, Lucy decided to help her grandfather in another way.

She would pick fruits from the forest.

Picking fruits only required gathering them, so there was no risk of ruining them like with cooking.

After grabbing a fruit basket from the storage, Lucy headed straight for the forest.

As far as Lucy knew, fruits grew abundantly deep in the forest.

But the villagers rarely ventured deep into the forest.

Dangerous beasts like bears and wolves roamed the depths, making it hazardous.

That’s why they warned the children to never go deep into the forest.

But Lucy wasn’t a child. Moreover, even if a beast appeared, she had the power to handle it.

‘Skill window.’

Lucy opened her skill window and scanned through it.

She needed a skill to prepare for a beast attack deep in the forest.

Of course, summoning Amon to protect her would be simple, but she also wanted to try out a new skill.

After browsing through her skills for a while, Lucy found a suitable one.

[Undead Summon: Darcan]

According to the skill description, Darcan was a Death Knight.

A Death Knight was a high-ranking undead.

It should be able to easily handle a beast.

Lucy decided to summon Darcan and extended her hand.

Whoosh-

A magic circle appeared on the ground.

A black pentagram glowing ominously.

Whoom!

Black smoke swirled, and Darcan revealed himself.

Darcan looked exactly as Lucy had imagined a Death Knight to be.

An intimidating physique.

Black armor covering its entire body.

No face was visible beneath the helmet, but instead, a pair of blue glowing eyes flickered in the darkness.

A greatsword as tall as Lucy hung at its waist, and a black cloak draped over its shoulders.

“…”

Darcan silently stared at Lucy.

It seemed as if it was thinking about something.

‘Was it going to attack me like Amon did?’

Just as Lucy thought that, Darcan knelt on one knee.

The armor clanked.

“You summoned me, Master.”

Darcan’s voice had a deep resonance.

It felt like it echoed from the depths of a cave.

Lucy nodded.

“That’s right. I’m your master. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“Just give me your orders, Master. My sword is yours.”

Darcan bowed its head. Unlike Amon, it was loyal from the start.

Lucy smiled faintly.

“Your task is to protect me. I’m going to pick some fruits. If any beasts appear, take care of them.”

“Understood, Master.”

Darcan stood up and took its place beside Lucy.

With Darcan’s massive frame standing next to her, Lucy looked like a small shadow.

Lucy picked up the fruit basket and headed deeper into the forest, with Darcan silently following behind.

The sight of a small girl and a towering Death Knight walking together was strange yet oddly fitting.

As the forest grew denser, the surroundings became darker.

But Lucy wasn’t afraid at all. Having Darcan behind her made her feel secure.

“…Darcan, is there anything you want?”

Lucy asked as she walked.

“If there’s anything you want, let me know. If it’s something I can do, I’ll try my best to fulfill it.”

Amon liked chewing on human heads.

And it also liked having its head petted.

Come to think of it, Amon seemed quite fixated on heads. Maybe it was because it was a demon, but its tastes were unique.

What about Darcan, an undead?

Given its loyal demeanor, it might not have any particular desires.

“I…”

Darcan spoke from behind.

“…like cute things.”

“?”

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Names noted.

Oh yeah, you have to be a pro failure to mess up a mushroom dish, our residential Salvatore translator can attest to this.

Well, comparing Lucy to him is an insult under the heavens, so maybe not.