Ch.236236. Two Evil Spirits

In the silence, the sound of fluttering leaves could be heard. The rustling echoed like waves through the forest, which would normally bring peace or refreshment to the mind.

But now, it roared fiercely, as if representing my turbulent heart.

The two people stood before me, their mouths shut tight.

I waited quietly as they seemed to search for words to say.

[It’s too, too sudden.]

The Dark Spiritmaster was the one who broke the silence between us. She spoke with a half-sobbing voice.

“Farewells, especially death.”

My decision was irreversible.

“They’re always bound to be sudden. You know that better than anyone.”

Most farewells are abrupt.

No matter how much you prepare, anticipate, or expect it, the pain of parting doesn’t diminish much.

All of us.

It was inevitable that we would part someday, and that time had simply arrived earlier than expected.

“If it’s difficult to answer right now, I can wait.”

Though my words might be misunderstood, I wasn’t asking them to close their eyes right this moment.

“Even if it’s sudden, you’ll have enough time to prepare.”

From now on, I plan to shut myself in the royal palace and focus on creating the afterlife.

I don’t know how long it will take, but as long as I’m researching, they still have time.

“Think about it, consider it carefully.”

After saying this to the two of them, I headed toward the door of the general store.

* * *

Though spring had fully arrived, the Republic of Clark was still gripped by cold and biting winds.

But the people of the republic were experiencing warmer times than ever before.

Not just in temperature, but internally within the republic as well.

After the death of the dictator President Magan, the republic’s citizens had found freedom.

Though this new era still felt unfamiliar, they were gradually adapting.

Of course, this was peace only on the surface.

In reality, starting with the Griffin Kingdom, various countries were desperately holding talks in public while conducting espionage behind the scenes, all to devour the crumbling Republic of Clark.

A shadow war unfolding beneath the facade of peace.

Slipping quietly into this conflict between nations was none other than Dante.

They too were extracting everything they could from the Republic of Clark, which had been ruled by an arch-demon.

“Is this enough?”

In the capital of the Republic of Clark.

A man with short blonde hair entered an alley in downtown Clockwork. At first glance, he looked like a soldier with his build and hair length, but he was actually a rather rare type of mage.

His name was Pelestan.

A blood mage affiliated with Dante.

It had taken quite some time to shake off the pursuers from the Empire, but he had managed to lose them.

“Hah, even if an opportunity has come, is there really a need to push this hard?”

He sighed and leaned against the wall. Putting a lit cigarette in his mouth, he exhaled deeply.

The republic’s products were quite strong, but he liked their rough charm.

Just then, mana resonated within his body.

It was a contact from Dante.

He knew that Luanes, the leader of Dante, could see him since vision was shared among Dante members, but it was a bit strange for them to contact him so suddenly.

-Pelestan.

“What is it?”

Luanes’s voice spread through his mind via the mana connection, like a telephone call.

Though Pelestan asked indifferently, Luanes’s voice was quite serious.

-Assembly.

“Assembly?”

Dante members typically operate individually. For larger operations or tasks that can’t be handled alone, Luanes occasionally pairs them up.

It was extremely unusual for Luanes to use the word “assembly.”

Pelestan immediately realized the reason without much thought.

“Don’t tell me the time has already come?”

The reasons Black Mages are bound to the organization called Dante are varied.

What binds these individuals together is Luanes himself and the cause he holds.

Because of the single purpose of saving this continent.

To Pelestan’s question, Luanes answered without a moment’s hesitation.

-Rometiu Forest in Griffin.

“Hah, fittingly dirty and dangerous location for the finale.”

The Griffin Kingdom, still known as a barren land to Black Mages.

Moreover, the Rometiu Forest was known as a place where spirits dwelled.

Basically, spirits don’t particularly like Black Mages.

No, it would be fair to say that most spiritual beings tend to avoid Black Mages.

In the end, the Rometiu Forest in Griffin meant a place where Black Mages were threatened by both humans and spirits.

“Is everyone gathering? Finally, I can give that bug geezer a piece of my mind.”

Baktrus Nicolai, the summoning master.

A Black Mage affiliated with Dante and the director of the Republic of Clark’s weapons development department.

The main contributor who enabled the republic’s dictatorship to continue by creating the unimaginable item called “defense.”

-Yes, now that the republic has fallen.

With the collapse of the Republic of Clark, Baktrus, who had been straddling both sides, had now fully joined Dante.

Recalling the old man’s cackling laughter, Pelestan exhaled a deep puff of cigarette smoke.

“Even our long journey is coming to an end.”

* * *

About a month had passed since my visit to the Kingdom of Zerman.

Robern Academy had already reopened, and Aria and Elenoa, being students, had returned to the academy, but I, a professor, was still in Greyford.

As a professor, I should have naturally returned to conduct lectures.

But it was possible thanks to my position as a necromancer directly under the king. I suppose Erika and Professor Per were conducting lectures in my place.

I felt sorry for both of them.

If you asked what I was doing in Greyford…

“I asked for electric lights ages ago, but you’re still just sitting here with candles.”

Deia grumbled as she came down the stairs.

This was a place where the demon of Griffin had lived, and where many of his records and knowledge were written.

A secret room hidden behind a statue in the first-floor corridor of the palace.

“Can’t you read outside? Why do you have to read books here?”

She placed a tray with coffee and light snacks on the desk while complaining.

She should have returned to Norsweden, but she insisted on staying here with me.

“Is it going well?”

“…Yes.”

“Your answer is slow. Are you really okay?”

I had already informed King Orpheus and those around me about creating the afterlife.

Creating a place where the dead could rest.

Grand Mage Rockpellican and Saintess Lucia had offered to help, but I declined.

At first, I had a few conversations with them, but the knowledge gap regarding theory and structure was too great, so I decided it was best for me to handle it alone.

“Even if it’s difficult, I’ll succeed.”

If I fail, the continent will eventually perish.

Lucia told me that recently, not just in Griffin but across the continent, the frequency of strange incidents has been increasing.

Probably because souls are starting to awaken, unable to find rest as there’s no place for them to lie down.

There were far more incidents than in the original work.

The flow has accelerated, and I don’t know what butterfly effect caused it.

Recently, I’ve been so immersed in research that I haven’t been properly taking care of meals or sleep.

“You’re ruining your body. You’re not trying to create a resting place because you’re dying from overwork, are you?”

“It’s already a damaged body anyway.”

A body already ruined by drugs and alcohol. Since I started using this body, I’ve completely avoided drugs and only drink alcohol in small amounts, so it’s recovering, but…

Eventually, as I age, the things the original Deus accumulated in this body will start to emerge.

“…”

Displeased with my response, Deia crossed her arms with an annoyed expression.

But I didn’t bother to engage and just focused on my research, so she eventually turned around and left.

Bang.

The door closed, and silence returned.

I infused mana again into the sphere where Learic had imprisoned souls.

‘A huge capacity that held 20,000 souls.’

But it’s not enough.

The place I’m creating needs to accommodate all souls that have ever rested.

It might be tens of billions, or hundreds of billions of souls, so 20,000 is nowhere near enough.

‘To create a larger capacity, a specific power source is needed.’

Is volume important for souls to reside?

As this question arose, my thoughts became more complex. Do beings without physical form need a place of specific size to rest?

I didn’t think so.

‘Then conversely, why is space becoming scarce on the continent?’

I knew this from the setting, but as my research continued, questions piled up.

‘If it’s not simply a volume issue, creating a specific space on the continent to hold souls might not be any different from the current situation.’

After all, that space would still be on a part of the continent.

“Sigh.”

My head started to throb.

Though my knowledge as a necromancer had grown considerably, and I held many of the continent’s secrets in my mind…

I was still an insufficient man.

[Ha! You said you’d do it alone, but look at you now!]

Just then, the Dark Spiritmaster’s voice came from behind. As I turned my head slightly, there stood the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella, whom I hadn’t seen for a while.

The Dark Spiritmaster stood proudly with her shoulders squared, but Stella seemed embarrassed about something, fidgeting with a slightly flushed face.

[How is it? Hard without us, right?]

“…Neither Grand Mage Rockpellican nor Saintess Lucia can help me right now.”

[Hmph.]

This was true even for the Dark Spiritmaster and Stella.

The Dark Spiritmaster was a necromancer but one who only used violent magic, and Stella was ultimately from the same background as Lucia, a saintess.

Even if they had offered to help me, there wouldn’t have been much progress.

They must be keeping quiet because they can’t deny this fact.

This was well-timed.

To clear my head, I turned my chair to face the two of them.

“Your return means you have something to tell me.”

It had been a month since I offered to help them find peace by identifying their lingering attachments.

Enough time for the two of them to reflect on themselves.

As I looked at them stoically, the Dark Spiritmaster cleared her throat and patted Stella’s back.

[Junior, you go first.]

[…You’ll really go right after me, right?]

Stella had been hanging her head low and sighing uncharacteristically, seemingly embarrassed about something.

It was unusual to see this woman, who was always confident and exuded a benevolent aura, behaving this way.

“Speak.”

Stella had originally been resting in peace but had awakened herself to help me.

One might think she had no lingering attachments, but I knew her thoughts had changed as she traveled the world with me as a soul.

The souls searching for their parents in the red-light district.

The appearance of Romuleus, who was on par with the gods she believed in.

I was curious about what attachments Stella had developed while experiencing things with me that she couldn’t during her time as a saintess.

But her essence hadn’t changed.

I thought it might be a request filled with good intentions, but…

[F-fuck you!]

Stella’s pale middle finger awkwardly rose up.

“…What?”

[Fuck you!]

She wasn’t Vellica.

She didn’t have horns.

Her trembling voice and the way she bit her tongue showed she was quite embarrassed about cursing.

As I looked at Stella in confusion, she clung to the Dark Spiritmaster like a child seeking comfort.

[Senior!]

Immediately following Stella, the Dark Spiritmaster, acting like a senior, raised both middle fingers and said:

[Eat shit! You impotent bastard!]

“Jenny.”

[Don’t call me that!]

“…”

[No, ahem. That’s not it.]

The Dark Spiritmaster grabbed Stella’s hand and declared aggressively:

[We are now evil spirits!]

And with that, they fled.