Ch.4444. The Princess and the Dream

“Hoo.”

I returned to my room, sighed, and slumped down on the hard bed.

The sweet yet bitter tobacco scent unique to Findenai lingered heavily in the room, tickling my nose.

Despite her apparent cleaning efforts, strands of hair and traces of her presence were still visible throughout.

I exhaled, pretending not to notice since I hadn’t expected a perfect cleaning job anyway.

My brow furrowed as Aria’s brightly smiling face as she departed still lingered in my mind.

Normally, it would be right to separate from her. My first-cycle self probably thought the same, but…

‘She was more broken than I expected.’

If I carelessly cut her off now, there’s no telling how she might change.

I need to fix her dependency on me, but I can’t even gauge how damaged she’d become without me.

For now, I decided to let her help me while naturally creating distance between us.

Fortunately, there was a perfect opportunity, so I gave her separate instructions.

Though she was dissatisfied with having to be apart, after hearing my entire plan, she smiled brightly and agreed to follow it, saying “As expected of Professor.”

She seemed to feel pleasure knowing I needed her, even tearing up slightly.

Even if it seems difficult right now.

If we take it step by step, it should be fine.

Yes, I just need to take it slowly.

To save the world, there are things only she can do.

‘I can progress the conquest slowly. We’re just getting started anyway.’

In game terms, we’ve just finished the prologue and entered the first chapter.

Besides, since this is already my second cycle, I’ve developed enough and there’s no need to rush.

‘I just need to take care of Aria’s mental state.’

I’ve suddenly become a babysitter, but there’s no helping it. She’s ultimately the one who must save this continent.

[Excuse me.]

A beige voice reached my ears then. A gentle yet seductive voice reminiscent of a siren, a creature of the sea.

As I slightly raised my head, I saw a black woman standing there, her entire body concealed by a robe and her mouth covered with cloth.

Her appearance was so eerie that anyone who saw her might scream “ghost,” but she actually was a ghost.

Moreover, I had seen her once before.

“Yes, I was going to look for you, but you came first.”

The necromancer who was captured by Setima’s angel and cast a spell that broke the boundary between life and death.

The necromancer who was summoned by Gideon Zeronia only to meet a futile death.

[Where did you get that book?]

As if there was no need for pleasantries between people who already knew everything, the necromancer pointed to an old volume among the pile of books.

It was Findenai’s handiwork—I had clearly told her to put books on the shelves, or if there were no shelves, to leave them alone, but she had gone ahead and built towers with them.

Anyway.

What she pointed to was a book on necromancy that Aria had obtained and I had purchased from a black market merchant.

“I got it from a merchant. I was lucky.”

[That belongs to me.]

“…I see.”

Aria had mentioned stealing it from an outstanding necromancer. It seemed I had unintentionally become entangled with this woman.

[I came out to the world briefly to retrieve that book, and then the Zeronia family contacted me, so I helped them once.]

“So you want it back now?”

[…No, I don’t need it anymore. Because I’m dead.]

The necromancer calmly accepted her own death. Though there might be some injustice, Black Mages are the kind who could die at any moment without it being strange.

Especially necromancers, who are always close to souls, are often composed in the face of death.

“Then why have you come?”

When I asked calmly, the necromancer sighed.

[Originally for revenge. My death was too meaningless. But now that doesn’t matter anymore.]

“…”

[I’m being chased now. When I died, the evil spirits I had tamed were released and are looking for me.]

“…So that’s why there are still quite a few evil spirits in the academy.”

I pressed my fingers against my throbbing temples. The number of evil spirits had certainly decreased after resolving the incident, but there were still surprisingly many.

It made sense if evil spirits bearing grudges against this necromancer had gathered when she died at the academy.

[That’s why I’m hiding here. They can’t easily find me when I’m near you.]

“…”

[I thought you were just some random necromancer hiding their identity… but you can see all the wandering souls on the continent, can’t you?]

“Yes, what about you?”

[I could only see some with strong grudges. Now that I’m dead, I can see how many souls are freely wandering the continent.]

The necromancer expressed regret, saying it would have been good to know sooner.

“Can’t you use magic after death?”

Since souls are made of a type of mana, I thought it might be possible for a mage like her.

But the necromancer shook her head.

[It’s impossible. I would need enough grudge to substitute for a physical body, but I don’t have that much attachment.]

“That’s good.”

[Pardon?]

I stood up abruptly and looked at the necromancer. When I was sitting, I thought she was quite tall, but now that I was standing, she came up to about my shoulder.

She was certainly tall for a woman.

“What’s your name, necromancer?”

[Call me Dark Spiritmaster. That’s how I’m known on the continent.]

Dark Spiritmaster.

A character notorious even in the game. However, she doesn’t actually appear in the game itself.

“From now on, teach me your necromancy.”

[Ha, you want to use me?]

The Dark Spiritmaster crossed her arms with disdain. The corner of her mouth hidden behind the cloth was clearly sneering.

[Do you look down on me because I’ve become a spirit? Necromancy is like my very self. I’d rather be buried than take on a disciple.]

“I’m not simply asking for help. This is a contract.”

[What kind of contract? Don’t tell me you’ll protect me from those evil spirits? I may be avoiding them, but I’m not afraid of them.]

“No, it’s not that.”

This worked out well.

I just received something perfect for persuading her.

I slowly took out the jewel Aria had given me from my pocket.

[Leme, geton?]

The Dark Spiritmaster unfolded her arms and reached out in disbelief. But when I clenched my fist to hide it, she stopped and glared at me.

[Where, where did you get that? The treasure I could never find no matter how hard I looked!]

“You don’t need to know that. Dark Spiritmaster, I’m giving you an opportunity.”

[….]

“The pinnacle of necromancy you couldn’t reach. The man who will overturn the entire concept of necromancy that permeates this continent is right in front of you.”

I possessed the ability to see all the dead—a talent no other necromancer had.

I also had knowledge of the future.

And now the overpowered item called Lemegeton had fallen into my hands.

I was confident that with enough time, I could become a necromancer who would shake the continent.

“You can leave a small footprint in my path. You can push the back of the man who will see the end of necromancy that you so desperately wanted.”

[….]

“It doesn’t matter if you’re not there. It will take a little more time, but eventually I will reach that end.”

The Dark Spiritmaster clenched her fist. She too had noticed the potential I possessed.

“You’re dead, so everything is already over for you. A dream you must give up. But I’ll let you see and help with that dream from the sidelines.”

I slowly extended my hand holding the Lemegeton, offering a handshake.

She took my hand without much deliberation or hesitation.

[Call me Master.]

Along with that nonsense.

“Get out of my room now, Dark Spiritmaster.”

* * *

Warm sunlight gently rested on golden hair. If colors had ranks, her hair color would surely receive the highest praise from experts.

That beautiful golden color was both a characteristic of royalty and a symbol with hundreds of years of history.

“Princess, it’s time to wake up.”

Elenoa Luden Griffin opened her eyes at the careful voice of her maid.

Having fallen asleep hunched over her desk rather than in her familiar bed, Elenoa naturally stretched while leaning back against the chair.

“Was I sleeping?”

She had clearly been previewing the essential subjects before entering the academy, and must have fallen asleep while doing so.

“You’re working too hard, Princess. Please take some rest.”

“Yawn, I can’t afford to be known as stupid at the academy when I’m royalty.”

Even in a place of learning, there was a certain dignity required of royalty.

She needed to rank at least third in the school, if not first.

‘Hmm?’

Feeling something strange, Elenoa got up from her seat while stretching her body.

The maid brought a wet towel to clean her body simply, then removed her pajamas to help her change into different clothes.

“At least you don’t have nightmares when you fall asleep while studying, which is fortunate.”

“…Oh, that’s right.”

Elenoa realized she had woken up without dreaming anything and smiled slightly.

“I should sleep like this more often.”

“My heart has been heavy seeing you wake up urgently, soaked in sweat from nightmares every day.”

“Ah, it can’t be helped. Dreams can be more shocking than you’d think. But I’m fine now.”

“Pardon?”

When the maid asked with curiosity, Elenoa grinned.

“Originally I was scared because I didn’t know it was a dream. But now I’ve found a way to recognize when I’m dreaming.”

“Is there such a thing?”

The maid, kneeling in front of her to help her put on shoes after dressing her in a gown, asked curiously.

“Yes, it’s simpler than you’d think. Dreams have no scent.”

Elenoa giggled and took a deep breath through her nose.

“See, right now in my room there’s…”

“…”

“In my room there’s…”

There was no scent at all.

“Huh?”

A confused Elenoa stepped backward. The half-put-on shoe fell off and rolled across the floor.

The maid slowly stood up.

“Wait? Who… are you?”

Thinking about it, she couldn’t remember this maid’s face.

The maid looked at Elenoa and smiled with satisfaction.

“So it was the scent?”

“Huk! Huk!”

Elenoa woke up violently, drenched in sticky sweat. Information poured into her mind like water flushing down a toilet.

Right, she had already entered the academy, and this was the dormitory.

She had lost the top position, but her grades were still among the highest.

And she still hadn’t escaped from the nightmare she had been having for a very long time.