episode_0053

After purchasing a lot of items in the Carbone commercial district, I left Carbone feeling satisfied.

Of course, getting out of Carbon took some time. This is because it took dozens of minutes just to load a load of purchased items onto a cart.

In particular, since I was planning on making a skeleton mage along the way, it took quite a bit of time to take out and organize the other cart skeletons for use in the workshop. Since the time needed to move was a little less than ten days, making a Skeleton Mage was a better option than just wasting that time.

The wheels of the cart skeleton were equipped with skeleton arms, which kept it very smoothly level in any situation, so it was not difficult to create a skeleton mage while moving. Since it doesn’t rattle like a carriage, it could be said that there is little difference from working on flat, windy ground.

Anyway, for that reason, I started moving towards the village with a total of two skeleton carts and immediately started making skeleton mage.

This was possible because the materials purchased from Carbon contained all the materials needed to create a Skeleton Mage. Although there were a few tools missing, they could easily be replaced with other tools.

First, the body of the goblin shaman was placed on a temporary workbench made on a cart skeleton, and then the skin and muscle parts that were not needed when making the skeleton were melted with a curse and seeped into the bones. This process had to be done well to make the bones strong, making it possible to easily operate a skeleton with only bones.

“Ugh, it’s really unfortunate that the leg was cut off.”

However, if a corpse with broken bones or a severed body was used, the process was a bit difficult. Skin and muscles that have become mushy like slime contain the energy of a curse and seep into the bones, and this is because it leaks out through cut or broken sections.

If it was simply cracked, there was a way to urgently repair it using black magic, but if it was broken or cut to the point of completely falling off, repairing it was impossible.

Because the bone was not intact, the energy that should have strengthened the bone leaked out like water droplets from the cut cross section of the thigh bone. Thanks to you, I felt that it was such a waste. I couldn’t put it back in if it came out like that, so I couldn’t help but feel like it was a waste because my bones became weak.

But I didn’t pay much attention to it. Since it was the entity that would command the skeletal horse and cart skeletons anyway, there was no need to move it directly. Whether your bones are weak or not, the only thing you can move on a skeletal horse is your hands. Hands located further away from the cut site would not be as weakened. Although it may be weak compared to a healthy entity.

Anyway, after finishing the basic processing with such regret, only the bones of the goblin shaman’s body remained on the workbench.

The body of the goblin shaman, which was on the verge of becoming a skeleton, was processed continuously, with only the bones remaining. I infused him with black magic, planted the blood essence he carried as a spare, and poured various ingredients into him to turn him into a skeleton shaman.

In order to be able to use dark magic more smoothly, I draw a kind of circuit on the bones that can easily handle black magic, and since I basically have to play the role of coordinating other skeletons, I also need to be able to control other skeletons I own. Finished.

Even though it was made on a moving cart skeleton, it was made properly without any flaws. Here, all you had to do was awaken the skeleton by infusing it with black magic, and you would become a skeleton mage.

However, instead of infusing black magic right away, I decided to transform the skeleton’s form first. Since more than half of the thigh was cut off, the plan was to first transform it into the necessary shape and then wake it up.

“Hmm… … . Since there are no legs, I made this part into a shape that could be attached to the skeleton horse later… … .”

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to attach it to a cart skeleton, but considering mobility, etc., it seemed better to attach it to a skeleton horse.

The short remaining thigh bones were made to hold the skeleton horse’s ribs on the skeleton horse’s back, and the pelvic bones were also spread wide so that they could cling tightly to the skeleton horse. If it was placed on the skeletal horse like this, it would look like a new skeleton had suddenly emerged from the skeletal horse’s back.

And, since it was obvious that in that state, the Skeleton Mage’s field of view would be limited to the front and both sides, a slight modification was made to the waist as well. A part of the widely spread pelvic bone was made to surround the spine in a round shape, allowing the spine to rotate 360 degrees. By doing so, it was possible to see all parts of the skeletal horse except the lower part of its belly.

After changing the form of the Skeleton Mage, focusing on the lower body, dark magic was immediately infused into the Skeleton Mage. Sufficient dark magic was absorbed into the Skeleton Mage, and immediately the Skeleton Mage’s body rose, and blue natural fire burned brightly in its eye sockets.

“… … .”

“… … ?”

However, the Skeleton Mage who even stood up from her seat while burning her sword just stared at me blankly, showing a very different reaction from the previous two Skeleton Mages. No, it would be more accurate to say that there was no reaction.

“Uh… … . Did I fail?”

The sight of the Skeleton Mage showing no reaction made me wonder if I had made a failure.

“What failed you?”

“Ayit, Mr.! It’s a surprise!”

But that thought disappeared in a very short moment. It was because the Skeleton Mage spoke before I could speak.

“Did I surprise you? Sorry.”

“Ugh… … . No, it’s okay.”

Like a puppy that had done something wrong, the Skeleton Mage flinched at my reaction and even shrunk to a small size.

Seeing that somehow pitiful appearance, I waved my hands and said it was nothing, and it regained its original appearance. It looked like I had made a skeleton of a dog shaman rather than a goblin shaman. I don’t know if dogs have shamans too.

Anyway, after confirming that it was made in good condition, I immediately fastened the Skeleton Mage to the Skeleton Horse. It was a skeletal horse pulling a skeleton cart with a workbench that had now exhausted its usefulness.

However, the moment the Skeleton Mage was connected to the Skeleton Horse and secured, the Skeleton Mage fluttered its body and began to run away strongly. It looked as if a knight who was not used to riding a rough war horse was refusing to mount it.

But that reaction didn’t last long. As if the Skeleton Mage clinging to the Skeleton Horse had done something, it quickly showed its calm demeanor and returned to its usual routine.

“Can you move the skeleton horse as you wish? This cart skeleton here too.”

“Yes. I can use it instead of my leg.”

The Skeleton Mage climbed on the Skeleton Horse’s back, turned her spine 180 degrees, looked at me, and nodded her gray skull. And, as if to demonstrate that it was possible, he showed himself moving it.

The skeleton horse was moved around and the cart skeleton was also shown to be controlled. Originally, the cart skeleton had to offset the impact with the hand holding the wheel, but because that part was controlled, the unevenness of the floor was felt.

Of course, that only lasted a moment. I frowned because it was quite uncomfortable, and the shock immediately disappeared. No, rather than disappearing, it showed a more effective effect than before.

Even though the cart skeleton was made with a structure to offset the impact, it did not cancel out the impact 100%, but now it was canceling out the impact close to 100%. I used to feel a gentle shock when the speed increased a little, but now I don’t even feel that shock.

“It’s so much more comfortable, right? How did you do it?”

“While running, I predicted the location of the impact in advance and made the movement.”

Now, when the cart skeleton runs over a bumpy place, it dynamically moves the wheels to keep the luggage compartment of the cart from shaking, but now it has gone beyond that level and is expected to anticipate and prepare for shocks even before they are transmitted.

I could already feel the reward of creating a skeleton mage, so I nodded with great satisfaction. This means that more comfortable movement has become possible.

Of course, that wasn’t the only advantage of the Skeleton Mage. This is because I was able to pass on part of my memories to the Skeleton Mage. It was closer to drawing a specific image into the skeleton mage’s mind using dark magic, which made autonomous driving possible. The route to the destination was given in the form of a memory, and the Skeleton Mage could be said to move autonomously based on that memory.

“You can go alone, right?”

“Yes. If there is a problem, I will let you know. Rest in peace”

The Skeleton Mage shouted with confidence and moved the cart skeleton I was riding to the front row, and immediately led the other skeleton horses and cart skeletons and started moving faster.

The skeleton cart loaded with materials and other cargo also moved quickly, but although it may be thanks to the Skeleton Mage managing it, nothing bounced or fell. In addition, the Skeleton Mage easily avoided obstacles that needed to be bypassed.

Avoid puddles of water that are not that big but are difficult to get over, find a detour that takes you on a flat road rather than a rough mountain road even if you have to go back a little, and go back to the small, ruined slash-and-burn village where people used to live but are now nothing more than obstacles. It was bypassed.

“Oh… … .”

Previously, I would have had to change the skeletal horse’s path periodically, but even if I didn’t pay attention, I was able to pass without any problems. In a very comfortable situation, it occurred to me that the Skeleton Mage was the best.

I was at peace with the sight of the Skeleton Mage moving forward on its own without me having to worry about it, and decided to take some time to relax while on the move. Since there was nothing else to do other than making a skeleton mage, I looked into my grandmother’s book that she always carried with her whenever she moved around.

However, as I gradually accumulated more knowledge about black magic, I began to feel drowsy.

As winter approaches, people are wrapped in warm blankets to keep warm, and the cart boasts a very comfortable ride. It felt like I was reading a book on a warm cloud, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

And, after falling asleep like that, it was the next morning that I opened my eyes again. I had slept very soundly without even realizing it.

“Woman, where are you… … Huh?”

“Are you awake? According to the memories you gave me, this place is near the lake on the way to the village.”

When I woke up, I quickly got up and looked around. I did it because I was worried that I might have moved to a strange place while I was sleeping, but that worry was a useless worry.

The Skeleton Mage was moving very hard even while I was sleeping, and was following my path to the village. Originally, it was supposed to arrive around this evening, not in the morning, but it had been working hard all night and arrived in the morning.

It may be a city, but once you leave the city, there is no light at night, so on days when the moonlight is weak, you cannot see anything properly. So, they are usually unable to move at night, but as skeleton mages, they can see ahead even when there is no light. That’s why it moved without stopping even at night when I was asleep.

Simply put, if the Skeleton Mage was in charge of movement, about 8 hours could be saved every day. If the distance originally took about 10 days, it was the same as being able to travel at night and arrive three days earlier.

Anyway, thanks to the activities of the Skeleton Mage, all time except for physiological phenomena and meal times was spent on movement, and movement time was drastically reduced. Even though it had been less than five days since we left Carbon, we had already arrived at the village.

Then, when I arrived at the village, I put down the materials in my blacksmith workshop and moved the Skeleton Mage again. Because of the trust I had gained from what I had shown on the way from Carbon to here, I decided to try moving him alone.

The destination was the royal territory where Goro was located. After taking a large amount of coal and charcoal there, his job was to bring back his share of iron ingots that would have been made there.