Ch.BONUSSide Story: The Necromancer

Thud! Thud! Thud!

[Omma? Why are you chopping wood?]

At the Dark Spiritmaster’s question, Findenai, who was splitting firewood, slightly turned his head to answer.

“The master needs- What the?”

Findenai frowned at the sight of the Dark Spiritmaster with a bulging stomach.

Looking at what appeared to be a pregnant figure, Findenai brought the axe down and asked.

“Did you get three red tubes?”

[Are you joking? This is a ball.]

Then he pulled out a ball that had been hidden inside his robe. I didn’t bother asking why he had hidden it there.

It was too obvious that the placement was intentional.

“I thought. You’d been eaten by some bastard evil spirit. You know? Dogs have multiple red tubes.”

[Call them teats. Who calls them red tubes when talking about dogs?]

“Same difference. Why are you suddenly carrying a ball around?”

[Why do you think? That person told me to bring it, so I did. I barely managed to take it from Aria and Elenoa who were playing with it.]

“How old are those girls that they still can’t get over playing with balls?”

[…Didn’t Findenai have a lot of fun playing just the other day?]

“Me, you say.”

Thud!

Findenai responded indifferently while splitting more firewood.

“Maybe it’s because I have a mountain spirit inside me, but whenever I see a ball, I strangely feel energized.”

[A mountain spirit is a tiger, you know?]

“It’s similar to a dog. Don’t tigers get excited when they see balls too?”

[How would I know that?]

If you don’t know, forget it.

Answering as if telling the Dark Spiritmaster not to bother him, Findenai concentrated on chopping firewood again.

Judging by the cigarette butts scattered around, he must have been here for quite some time.

The pile of firewood was equally substantial.

[With this much, we won’t need firewood for five years. But why use firewood when you could just use magic?]

They don’t even need firewood to begin with. With so many mages around, why would they resort to something as archaic as making a bonfire?

[Senior? Senior, where are you? Please help with the food preparation.]

When he heard Stella calling for him from inside the house, the Dark Spiritmaster immediately flew off into the forest.

* * *

“Looks like it’s almost done.”

A large clearing near the house.

Though I had spent many winters here, this was the first time I was seriously clearing away snow.

“Uryaaaaa!”

“Adadadadada!”

Aria and Elenoa were making a fuss, competing to see who could clear more snow.

Thanks to them, the snow was disappearing in an instant.

While Aria’s physical abilities were superior, Elenoa was using magic as well, making it a fairly even match.

“What do you think?”

Erika handed me a warm cup of coffee from beside me. I took a sip while keeping my eyes on the clearing.

“The location is good. Not much time has passed, so they should still be around.”

“Yes, that’s fortunate.”

“The problem will be moving everything we’ve prepared. Setting up the firewood and food will take at least half a day. I’d like to do it today if possible.”

As I looked regretfully at the sunset carefully hiding itself beyond the horizon, Erika smiled and replied.

“I’ll go help. I feel like my mana is going to solidify from not using magic recently.”

“Is it okay for a great mage to use magic so casually?”

“Casually? I’m just helping my husband.”

Erika had become surprisingly comfortable saying such things. Because of that, the embarrassment fell to me instead.

“You’ve changed a lot from the old days.”

“The one who’s changed the most is Deus.”

“It’s Shinwoo Kim now.”

When I answered like that, Erika moved closer until our shoulders touched and whispered.

“Aren’t you Deus today?”

“Yes… today I am Deus.”

That wasn’t wrong.

Today, I felt like I had returned to the days when I was Deus.

“Ugh.”

Just then, an irritated voice came from behind me.

I discreetly put some distance between Erika and myself as I turned around to see Deia carrying a load of items.

“Has the Dark Spiritmaster been here? I heard he ran away.”

“…He’s over there.”

In the center of the cleared space.

The Dark Spiritmaster was there, humming a tune while floating around the spot where the campfire would be lit.

“Gun, where’s my gun?”

Deia rummaged through her belongings and immediately pulled out a magic power gun. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she fired at the Dark Spiritmaster.

Bang!

[Huh?]

Despite the bullet passing through his chest, the Dark Spiritmaster wasn’t particularly surprised and just glanced behind him.

“Go help! Everything’s ready, we just need to bring it over!”

[I was setting up the campfire here.]

“You’re not the one who’s supposed to set it up.”

[I’m a spiritmaster too!]

The Dark Spiritmaster was being strangely stubborn, but after several arguments, he finally returned to the house with Erika.

Now the others would bring the food, firewood, and other items.

‘Time might be a bit tight.’

If that was the case, it might not be a bad idea to light the fire first and then set up everything else.

“Aria, do you know what doesn’t change in this world, even as time passes?”

“What? Your shitty personality? Or your twisted sexual fantasies?”

“The pure white snow and your flat chest.”

“……”

“How is it still the same even after graduation? I think you really are a hero. You even sacrificed your breasts, a symbol of femininity, for nimble movement. The continent should be grateful for your washboard. You’ve purified the dirty continent with it.”

“Are you possessed by an evil spirit or something? If you keep this up, I’ll tell the professor about the ‘My Lord and I’ volume 3 you drew.”

“You enjoyed it too!”

“I asked you to draw ‘The Professor and I’!”

“Why would I draw you and Deus together! That’s disgusting!”

I clearly told her not to draw it.

But Elenoa locked herself in her room and complained that her brush was worn out…

With a sigh, I watched the clearing gradually darkening.

Seeing them slowly gathering as if rumors had spread, I began my preparations.

* * *

[Ignition!]

The high-stacked firewood.

When it was lit, it turned into a brilliant pillar of fire shooting up toward the sky.

The Dark Spiritmaster circled around, cheering as it began.

The once-dark clearing was instantly dyed in bright vermilion light, and the smell of meat being grilled by Findenai mingled with the smoke, spreading gently.

Not only that, but Erika had summoned spirits, and golden butterflies beautifully adorned the night sky.

Deia had prepared warm milk and cool beer kegs to help everyone endure the cold night.

Aria and Elenoa had set up entertainment items like balls, wooden sticks, horseshoes, and board games on the table.

[Everything’s ready.]

Finally, Stella stood by my side, smiling as we looked up at the sky together.

“Everyone worked quickly. That’s good.”

[They wanted to impress you.]

“…Yes, thank you.”

I deliberately respond to words I would have pretended not to hear in the past.

Hearing that, Stella smiled gently and folded her hands neatly.

[It’s a shame. Our guests won’t be able to enjoy everything we’ve prepared.]

The food and drinks were ultimately just meant to set the mood.

But that was important.

There’s a reason why offerings are prepared during exorcism rituals.

“I wanted them to feel like they were spending time as they normally would.”

[You’re so considerate.]

“Maybe I was just nervous about doing this after so long and over-prepared.”

[You?]

“……”

The night sky began to grow hazy, as if covered in fog.

They were cautiously approaching, drawn by the high flames.

[Would you like me to cast a spell to calm your nerves?]

I wasn’t really nervous.

But seeing Stella’s knowing gaze, it was obvious she would do it even if I said no.

When I slightly turned my cheek toward her, she smiled and kissed it.

[Was that too predictable?]

“It works well.”

[You’ve learned to say empty compliments too?]

Stella laughed, covering her mouth, and carefully stepped back.

[I think it’s time now.]

“Yes.”

[Good luck, my moon.]

“……”

[Hehe.]

I scratched my cheek, slightly embarrassed by the nickname I hadn’t heard in a long time, and stepped forward.

Numerous souls gathered around the blazing fire.

[C-cold.]

[What is this place? Where am I?]

[My legs feel frozen. I can’t feel them.]

[Warm up! Warm up!]

[Mommy!]

I call out to all of them with their pale faces.

“The fire cannot solve your coldness.”

A low but resonant voice.

“The village where you all lived was swept away by an avalanche. Sadly, many people died, and…”

Despite it being a while since I’d done this, my skills hadn’t deteriorated, as the gathering souls focused their attention on me.

“That would be all of you.”

[Lies! That’s a lie!]

[I’m dead? No! I was just sleeping…]

[What’s going on?]

[I, I saw it. A massive avalanche… swallowed the village.]

[What about my father? Where is my father?]

[This is all because of those bastards from the upper village! Those sons of bitches!]

When many souls gather, you can see various reactions. But perhaps it’s because of my accumulated experience.

It didn’t feel much different from what I had experienced in the past.

“You must feel wronged. Angry, sad, and full of regrets… I understand well.”

They looked at me with all sorts of expressions.

“The avalanche was literally an unstoppable natural disaster. You are all simply victims, not distinguished by good or evil.”

That’s why I arranged this place.

“Many surrounding villages are afraid every night because of your resentful cries.”

[Are you saying we can’t even cry freely?!]

[I didn’t want to die! I, I didn’t want to die!]

[Are you telling us to shut up? We died unfairly, and we can’t even scream?!]

“That’s why I’ve prepared this place.”

More and more souls were gathering.

I created an environment where they could be most comfortable.

Right after death, when memories of life remain vivid.

In this warm place.

“I will listen to your stories.”

Until they can let go of all their regrets and rest.

The souls were confused.

Nevertheless, they remained by my side, not leaving.

They too knew that nothing had changed despite crying out all night for the past two days.

[Who… who are you to do this?]

Someone among the souls asked me.

There was a time when I was called the destruction of the continent and death itself.

Even earlier, there was a time when I was called a soul comforter.

However, now.

“Just.”

With a gentle smile, I introduced myself to them.

“I am a spiritmaster.”

It will take a long time to resolve their grievances.

But I too.

After overcoming everything and letting it all out, all I had left was time.

“It’s cold tonight, so please come closer. I will listen to your stories.”