Chapter 219: All That Jazz

As the morning wind seeped through the cracked door inside a rundown garage, a necromancer groaned as she worked hard to restore the seven corpses lined up on the garage floor.

Reattaching severed limbs, erasing scars formed during the process, healing broken bones and restoring crushed organs, and tending to other minor injuries…

Her meticulous touch rivaled that of an exceptional mortician.

It wasn’t particularly strange. After all, the most common fake identity used by necromancers was a mortician.

However, no matter how skilled a mortician was, no one would be able to restore seven corpses in a single night.

And perhaps because she had even skipped meals to work on the corpses, she eventually collapsed from exhaustion in front of the fourth body.

– What are you doing?

As if it recognized her exhaustion, the corpse she was working on restoring suddenly raised her head.

The Death Knight, Veladiva.

– If you’re going to faint, at least attach my legs first.

When the largest of the seven Death Knights spoke up, a vein bulged on the forehead of Dilla, the necromancer who had been restoring the corpses.

– What are you staring at?

This bitch, should I just attach her left and right legs backwards?

Swallowing the curses rising to the tip of her tongue, Dilla forced out polite words instead.

“Um, I’ll do it after I recover some of my stamina. This is really delicate work… You wouldn’t like it if I were to make a mistake and restore your body incorrectly, would you, Ms. Veladiva?”

– Nah, I don’t really care. You guys dug this body up from a war grave and revived it as you wished, so do whatever you want.

“…”

– Also, do not utter my name so casually unless you want your skull split open.

Even though it was just a warning from a Death Knight with only one arm restored, Dilla flinched. The hatchet in her palm gleamed sharply.

Then, an old man who had been watching the scene intervened.

– Come on, don’t scare her like that. What if she wets herself?

It was the former head of the Dumea Household.

Being the second to be restored, he was seated leisurely in a chair in the corner of the garage, polishing his sword. Seeing that, Veladiva spoke with disbelief.

– Since when did an old man like you side with the necromancer? Did you become a boomer because you were restored in order of age? Or did you develop affection for her?

– I’m not taking sides. As someone who received the treatment, well, it’s not exactly… more like restoration, let’s just keep things amicable, shall we? I mean, where else are you going to find a cooperative necromancer?

– Cooperative? Do you really think necromancers are puppies or something?

Veladiva glared at Dilla as she spoke. The barbarian’s eyes glinted with murderous intent.

– I’ll bet my two breasts that she’ll stab us in the back the moment that girl, Seti or whatever, disappears.

From Dilla’s perspective, the situation was maddening enough to make her jump out of her skin.

Forget backstabbing. Once you lost control of your body, even living wasn’t really living any longer.

In a way, her situation was similar to that of the Death Knights—no, it was even more pitiful than theirs.

Of course, Veladiva couldn’t care less about her circumstances. The large Death Knight simply swung her hatchet and pressed Dilla again.

– Hey, you bitch, hurry up and attach my legs—

However, before she could finish, the red-haired Death Knight in armor interrupted.

– What do you all plan to do going forward?

It was an abrupt yet important question.

The red-haired woman continued as the gazes of the Death Knights, including the head of the Dumea Household, turned to her.

– Will you do as that young man said? Receive purification from a priest and find peace after a proper funeral?

It was what the unidentified young man, who claimed to be Cheon Yeomyeong, had proposed.

Recalling his words, the Death Knights fell silent, each lost deep in thought.

A heavy silence unique to the dead.

How long did that silence last? By the time sunlight began to peek through the crack in the garage door, the head of the Dumea Household spoke.

– Finding peace is good… but I want to see the faces of my granddaughter and daughter.

Sounding exasperated, Veladiva responded.

– You wish to live longer as a Death Knight? You really can’t wait to go to hell, huh? Don’t you think of the Black God who will personally open the gates for you?

– Well, this body has already been bound as a Death Knight for a long time. I doubt God Mordak will punish me for living as one for an additional month or two.

It was a brutally honest statement, especially coming from an elder.

Perhaps stirred by his honesty, a heat rose in the cold eyes of the Death Knights.

The resentment of having their rest disturbed, their longing for resolving unresolved connections, and the desire for compensation after being used as Death Knights for so long—all of it mixed together, filling the garage.

Then, just as Dilla, who had been recovering her stamina, swallowed nervously…

Creak—

The door connecting the garage to the house opened as two familiar figures stepped inside.

The ones who stepped inside were Cheon Yeomyeong and a cheerful middle-aged Asian woman.

“Good morning, elders.”

Cheon Yeomyeong bowed his head slightly. He looked a bit tired as if he hadn’t slept well at all.

As he stepped into the garage, the head of the Dumea Household chuckled and responded.

– Good morning? I can’t remember the last time I received such a warm greeting.

– What do you mean? Didn’t your daughter ever greet you like that when you were still alive?

– My wife didn’t either. Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly the best family man.

As Veladiva frowned deeply after making a joke and unexpectedly hearing about someone else’s family drama, Yeomyeong positioned himself where all the Death Knights could see him.

Clearing his throat to gather their attention, he then turned to Dilla and asked.

“Necromancer, how far along are you with the restoration?”

“My name isn’t Necromancer. It’s Dilla Katakfoy… Sorry, never mind.”

“…”

“Their injuries were quite severe, so I’ve only managed to restore three so far. However, I’ve prioritized restoring the knight you requested.”

Perhaps because she had seen Seti, who was controlling her body, utterly enamored with him, Dilla responded to Yeomyeong with the utmost respect.

After hearing her answer, Yeomyeong nodded and glanced over to the rest of the Death Knights.

“Elders, have you thought about my proposal?”

– Of course, we’ve thought about it. However, are you really planning to hold a funeral for all of us? Even going as far as to call priests?

“Yes, I meant every word.”

His answer was immediate. The head of the Dumea Household stared straight at Yeomyeong, then turned slightly to call out to an elderly man who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed.

– Holy Knight, sir, how much would it cost to call a priest to purify us, as this young man suggested?

The elderly man opened his eyes slowly, clasped his hands in prayer, and said.

– I’m not sure about the current rates, but based on the prices from when we were alive, it would take a chest of silver coins or four gold bars per person.

A sum that would amount to hundreds of millions in today’s currency.

As if he had found his opening, the head of the Dumea Household looked back at Yeomyeong with an exaggerated expression.

– That’s quite a hefty sum. It seems we’re placing too much of a burden on you.

“No, you don’t need to worry about that—”

– Oho, we haven’t even repaid the debt of you freeing us yet. How can we accept such help without giving something in return? As nobles, there’s no way we can do that.

“…”

What was he getting at? While Yeomyeong tilted his head in confusion, the head of the Dumea Household added.

– So, we’ll help you for a while.

“…Help?”

– Yes, you can keep us in that strange subspace of yours and summon us as and when you need us. We’re quite skilled with swords, so we’ll be of great help.

“…”

– We’ll work as mercenaries to cover the cost for calling the priests… You can think of it that way. And don’t worry. This is the only way we can repay you for your kindness right now.

*And it would also be nice to meet any family we have left in this land while helping you—*the head of the Dumea Household didn’t say the last part out loud.

However, the other Death Knights let out a hollow laugh as if they heard it anyway.

– Damn, these Hilarian nobles.

As Veladiva shook her head in disbelief, Yeomyeong pondered over the head of the Dumea Household’s offer.

It was tempting—having Death Knights that he could summon at any time from his inventory. There would be no better force when fighting the Korean government.

However, just then, the Saintess poked him in the back, interrupting his thoughts.

When Yeomyeong turned to look at her, she shook her head firmly and mouthed.

Her usual air-headed demeanor could no longer be seen.

Seeing that, Yeomyeong recalled the future he had seen in his visions, the nuclear missiles in his inventory, and the foreman.

After a brief but intense moment of contemplation, Yeomyeong made his decision.

“Elder, while I appreciate the offer, I don’t think that will work.”

Before the head of the Dumea Household, who wasn’t expecting a refusal, could respond, Yeomyeong took a step back and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Saintess.

“And most importantly, you don’t need to worry about the priest. I’ve already brought one.”

– A priest…?

The bare-handed elderly man, who had been sitting quietly, glanced at the Saintess looking puzzled. It was understandable. From her attire to her face, there was nothing about her that resembled a priest.

Yeomyeong suppressed a laugh and signaled the Saintess with his eyes. She took out a blindfold obediently and covered her eyes.

Then, she draped an elegant shoulder cape over her neck and dispelled the Blood Tears’ illusion…

“O King of the Undead…”

Dilla was the only one shocked by the Saintess’ true appearance, while the Death Knights merely had question marks floating above their heads.

However, they were perceptive enough to realize that the Saintess was no ordinary priest.

– Are you a famous priest? I’m still a bit worried though.

“…?”

– There are six of us, and if you include the dead knight, that’s seven Death Knights to purify… Won’t that be too much of a burden for such a young priest?

Upon hearing those words, the Saintess smiled gently while Dilla stared at the back of the head of the Dumea Household’s head in disbelief.

Finally sensing something was off, the head of the Dumea Household furrowed his brow as the Saintess knelt before the restored knight’s corpse.

“Wherever you walk in this world, may the light be upon your head.”

Her usual frivolous tone was long gone, replaced by a solemn voice as she clasped her hands together.

“O Black Mordak, we beseech your scythe. Grant your shroud to those who have been unjustly robbed of death, so that they may find peace.”

As it had been quite some time since he had seen her act like a true Saintess, Yeomyeong observed her in silence. The eyes of the Death Knight, who had been a holy knight when alive, widened.

As the other Death Knights were stunned by the divine energy overflowing in the garage, the Saintess offered another prayer.

“O White Ulthvatish, your daughter prays to you. Shine your sun upon those who have been unjustly robbed of death, so that they may walk in your shadow.”

As she finished her prayer, sunlight stretched through the crack in the door.

The unnatural light, which couldn’t have been ordinary sunlight, illuminated the Death Knight’s corpse. The body, steeped in twisted mana, began to get purified.

Even the Death Knights, who didn’t breathe, forgot to exhale as they could only stare blankly at the light for a moment.

In front of the Saintess, who had just finished her prayer, lay not the Death Knight’s corpse tainted by all sorts of twisted magic but the body of a knight resting peacefully with his eyes closed.

A heavy silence ensued.

But before the silence could stretch on, the bare-handed elderly man rose from his seat and knelt before the Saintess.

– I am Bara Kashi, the former Vice Captain of the Holy Knights and the Fist of Redox. I humbly greet the Daughter of Light.

What they could barely dare to hope for had become reality. Without hesitation, the head of the Dumea Household turned to Yeomyeong and said.

– Listen, Cheon Yeomyeong. To be honest, I wasn’t completely sincere with you earlier.

“…?”

– If it’s alright with you, I’d like to have a heartfelt conversation with you now.

What a shameless old man— Ignoring Veladiva’s disapproval from behind, the former head of the Dumea Household wore a pretentious smile.

A short while later, in the living room of the house.

Sitting on a sofa piled high with documents, Seti rubbed her temples and asked.

“…So, you’re planning to carry the Death Knights around in your subspace?”

“Four of them have agreed to come with us for now. The American soldier and the spearman said they’d think about it.”

“…”

Seti’s blue eyes stared intently at Yeomyeong. It was true. This was a really good deal if he could gain control over the Death Knights just by reuniting them with their families.

The only issue was…

“They’re undead. What if a necromancer suddenly tries to control them?”

As if he had already anticipated the question, Yeomyeong answered lightly.

“…I’ve decided to learn corpse-control magic from Dilla. She said as long as I learn it, I won’t lose control unless I die.”

“Dilla?”

“That necromancer.”

“…Ah.”

Had she not remembered her name until now? Seti nodded as if it had just come to her.

With the conversation settled for the moment, the group was about to dive back into the pile of documents when Neti, who had been dozing off, suddenly spoke up.

“…So, do we have to stay here until the Death Knights are restored completely?”

“Probably, yeah.”

When Yeomyeong answered, Neti’s expression turned slightly odd. She glanced at the Saintess, her sister, and her brother-in-law, who were finally back to their original appearances, and said.

“…Then, shouldn’t we call the Academy?”

“Huh?”

“Soe Miri and our sisters don’t know that we’ve returned to Earth yet. And especially the Saintess—didn’t she leave without permission…?”

Neti trailed off as she glanced at the Saintess, and only then did the group finally remember the Academy as they exchanged glances.

They should have thought of it as soon as they arrived on Earth, but they had been so preoccupied with the necromancers and the documents that it had completely slipped their minds.

It had been too long since they last used their phones, having spent over a month beyond the Dimensional Portal without using cell phones…

…That excuse will only work for today.

With that thought, Yeomyeong immediately stood up and grabbed the phone in the living room drawer.

He already knew the Academy’s phone number by heart, so he planned to contact Soe Miri or Baonic right away.

However, just as he began dialing the number—

Ring-ring— The old-fashioned phone’s bell rang.

“…What happened?”

Everyone’s attention was drawn by the suddenly ringing phone. Yeomyeong simply answered it without much thought. This was the house Sancho had prepared, so it was probably Sancho calling.

However, as he held the receiver to his ear, a completely unexpected voice came through.

[Ah, ah, hello?]

It was the voice of a familiar girl.

[Mr. Dung Beetle? I called first as you haven’t been in touch.]

It was the voice of Soe Miri, the elf princess who should have been at the Academy.