The Necromancer Who Was Despised

Griyang expressed his gratitude for the information, promising to keep the secret.

I nodded, but I didn’t believe him entirely.

It was inevitable that the royal palace would find out.

Considering Griyang’s loyalty, it was unlikely that he wouldn’t report back.

However, I didn’t worry about it. It was a matter of course.

“It’s amazing I’ve been able to keep it hidden this long.”

By now, I had built up enough power that it wouldn’t matter even if it was revealed. I had reached a position where my value would only increase if it were known.

Still, if I could hide it, I wanted to…

“This isn’t an era for that.”

The power of the royal crest was indeed formidable.

I had a free pass whenever I crossed the border of the territory, and even when I entered villages or castles to rest.

Thanks to that, I was able to speed up my schedule more than expected and arrive at the Hectio Kingdom faster than I thought.

*******

The Hectio Kingdom was a peculiar place.

It shared a border with the Supteran Kingdom, and although the northern castle walls were well-maintained, the overall impression was that they were old.

The Hectio Kingdom seemed to be momentarily puzzled by the fact that we were a support army, but their expression hardened when they heard the term “Necromancer”.

However, they soon withdrew their suspicious gaze upon seeing the royal family’s crest.

It wasn’t hard to understand.

Since they were currently dealing with Dark Mages, it was only natural to be suspicious.

At least I was a certified Dark Mage, representing the Ryneta Viscounty, and had come with the guarantee of the Supteran Kingdom and the Dark Elves, which allowed me to avoid suspicion.

As soon as I arrived at the kingdom, I summoned the two elders and Yeriya outside the fragment.

This was to announce that the Interspecies Alliance officially supported the 6 Kingdoms Alliance.

The situation wasn’t good, after all.

We were quickly guided from the north to the south of Hectio.

As we headed south, the height of the castle walls decreased.

And soon, most of them looked like ordinary villages.

There wasn’t even a trace of castle walls being built.

“The Hectio Kingdom’s top priority is to control the southern great forest.”

Griyang seemed to have noticed my curiosity and opened his mouth.

“If this place falls, the other kingdoms will suffer immense damage. That’s why the Hectio Kingdom doesn’t get attacked by any other kingdoms.”

Moreover, war between the 6 kingdoms was extremely rare.

There were conflicts, but full-scale wars rarely occurred, and since they belonged to the same alliance and had the same enemy, they were like allies.

Unlike usual neighboring countries, which would become sworn enemies, they were different.

In fact, Hectio rarely experienced conflicts with other kingdoms.

They received that much consideration from other kingdoms.

“So, except for the southernmost part, the castle walls… haven’t been used in a long time, I suppose.”

Although it was managed, it felt old because it wasn’t used.

I definitely felt that way.

“Instead, Choi Nam-dan is….”

From that moment on, the walls began to reappear.

They were different from what I saw earlier, larger and more solid.

And finally, we arrived at the capital of the Hectio Kingdom.

The palace of the Hectio Kingdom was unbelievably built right in front of the Great Forest.

◈ Black Star

The Hectio Kingdom was a very unusual place.

Firstly, the location of the palace was unusual, and at the same time, the people’s atmosphere was also very unusual.

Looking at the atmosphere of the capital, it was definitely filled with tension.

It seemed to be a well-known situation that the black magicians’ invasion had begun from the Great Forest.

Naturally, the capital was right in front of the Great Forest.

So, it was impossible not to sense the anomaly.

However, the atmosphere of the capital was not fearful or anxious at all.

No, to be honest, it didn’t seem so at all.

On the contrary, there was a somewhat provocative atmosphere.

“…This is an unusual place?”

Artina also seemed to think so, reacting with surprise, and Kyle told me that the rumors he had heard in the past were true.

“Rumors?”

“I heard that the national character of Hectio is very provocative and aggressive, completely different from other kingdoms….”

It’s said that if they didn’t have such a national character, it would be difficult to survive in this area.

“They’re usually bright and cheerful, but when they go to war, they become like demons, and there’s no limit to their ferocity.”

“Is that a good thing? It’s not like they’re monsters, and they get excited in battle….”

“They’re not possessed by demons. On the contrary, they’re said to be calm during battles. No, they’re said to be ruthless. They have no mercy and can be cruel at times.”

That’s why they’re called demons.

So, it’s said that it’s better to avoid becoming enemies with them.

“But most of it is just rumors. Originally, people from Hectio don’t often go abroad.”

They usually don’t leave their kingdom.

‘National character.’

It seemed that humans had adapted to this environment.

There were several soldiers guarding the forest, and their military discipline seemed very strict.

We were guided directly into the castle and headed towards the palace.

“The king is waiting for you.”

Was it because of the war, or was it a characteristic of the Hectio Kingdom? There was no unnecessary courtesy.

When we arrived at the throne room, the key figures of the kingdom were waiting for us.

“Are these the support troops from Supeltran?”

The king was a middle-aged man.

He seemed to have undergone rigorous training, and because of the war, he was wearing armor.

(Note: I preserved the line breaks and symbols as per your request.)

Because it was within the palace, I had expected the king’s appearance to be refined. However, there were numerous scars scattered all over his body, unhidden by his armor.

‘Even on his face…’

The scars weren’t severe or gruesome, but the fact that they existed on the king’s face was astonishing.

The most surprising aspect was that these scars seemed to have been obtained through actual combat.

‘A royal family member engaging in combat?’

I had thought of the royal family as unusual, but…

‘Even the martial arts-loving Sperto royal family wouldn’t have their royal family members engaging in combat like that.’

How they had managed to achieve this was unclear, but it was certainly unusual.

I exchanged brief greetings with the King of Hectio, Quoitia Hectio, while thinking to myself, and the king seemed to want to get straight to the point.

When they heard the report that I was a black mage, specifically a necromancer, they frowned, but upon learning that the Sperto royal family vouched for me and that I was a black mage from the Rinetta family, one of the founding families, they reluctantly nodded.

When they saw the dark elves from the interspecies alliance, they relaxed their expressions.

“It seems that dark elves also use black magic.”

It was unavoidable to be careless around those from the interspecies alliance. He stopped mentioning black magic altogether.

“We appreciate your help in this time of crisis.”

It was a bit late, but this was still acceptable.

They had heard that I was attacked by a black mage, and yet these people, who had come to help, were also black mages, so this reaction was inevitable.

Of course, if they had dragged it out, it would have been unpleasant, and they would have had to pay the price, but they quickly dispelled their doubts and didn’t make any direct mistakes.

“I’d like to hear about the current situation.”

Griian stepped forward on my behalf.

He was in a position to represent the Sperto royal family.

Therefore, it wasn’t a situation where we could treat the King of Hectio carelessly.

‘It’s an incredible achievement, indeed.’

It was only natural that not just anyone could receive such treatment.

“Currently, our elite hunters are holding back the black mages in the forest. However, they’re being attacked by numerous monsters and chimeras, so we can’t block them all.”

We had detected the black mages’ movements and were interfering, but our limits were clear.

“At first, we prioritized defending the castle, but now we’re focusing on the other side due to the hunters’ interference.”

“…Isn’t this a dangerous situation?”

“Dangerous?”

Quoitia, the King of Hectio, smiled.

“That’s an exaggeration. At the very least, our hunters won’t be caught in the forest, especially not in the nearby Great Forest.”

He said confidently that they wouldn’t retreat or be captured, nor would they be annihilated.

“The only problem is that the situation is stalling, and time is running out. The monsters’ attacks are also continuing intermittently.”

We were managing to hold our ground through the castle, but it was unclear how much resources they had.

“Therefore, I planned to hold out and buy time while waiting for support to arrive and push them back….

The scale of the support was smaller than expected.

Quoitia was saying as much.

“Well, if that’s the case, then it’s true that our arrival was timely.”

As I listened to the story, I thought that our arrival might have been more beneficial.

“If it’s a war of attrition, then that’s my specialty.”

The other party mainly uses monsters and chimeras, they said.

You’d have to see it for yourself, but it seems they control the minds of monsters with low intelligence and use them as soldiers, and some are turned into chimeras to make up for their shortcomings.

“It’s definitely tricky.”

But that’s all there is to it.

I don’t know how possible it is to control minds, and I have no idea how many chimera resources are left.

But one thing is certain: as long as I’m around, my undead can revive almost infinitely.

So, it’s only natural that I have the upper hand in this war of attrition.

“And besides, who else could do it besides me?”

Currently, the Kingdom of Supertran is sending its strongest warriors to foreign lands to rescue others.

Other kingdoms are either sharing a direct border with the 2nd Kingdom or sending troops to support them.

So, it’s impossible to send a large number of troops in a short time.

It’s not like the story wouldn’t reach me anyway.

If we add the support of the wizard, Wonro, and Yeriya…

“Doesn’t seem like we’ll be lacking anything?”

When asked about the types of monsters, the answer was that there are many varieties.

“Goblins, orcs, kobolds, and the like, from low-level to high-level… Ah, and I heard there are also horned orcs.”

“…Horned orcs, you say?”

“They’re a mixed breed that’s recently joined, it seems. They’re dangerous. They completely lost their minds and attacked the castle with the monsters.”

Especially since they use magic, it’s troublesome.

At those words, Dark Elf and I couldn’t hide our astonishment.

“If they’re horned orcs, they should have high intelligence?”

You can’t just brainwash them.

And they’re the descendants of dragons, known as the dragon’s lineage. They wouldn’t easily fall under magic control.

But at the same time, there’s no reason for the king of Hectio to lie to us.

Which means what he said is true….

Ding ding ding!

As I thought something was off, a sudden alarm sounded.

“It seems we’re under attack again.”

Griant glanced at me, and I nodded.

“I’ll support you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You still have your undead, don’t you?”

“I came to help, and… I can’t control my undead.”

Griant’s confident words made me chuckle inwardly.

It’s true, but as a living being, I, or rather, Dark Elf, can’t help but feel uneasy. Of course, it’s possible, so I gave my permission without any complaints.

And although he’s speaking on our behalf, his actions just now seemed like those of a necromancer.

Considering the treatment of black mages, it’s not something a representative of a kingdom’s royal family should do, but at the same time, it’s an indirect display of goodwill towards us, and the king of Hectio seemed to have read Griant’s intentions.

“…I expect nothing.”

“You won’t feel any lack.”

Griant showed an attitude of complete trust in us, and the king of Hectio, although puzzled, eventually nodded.

We followed the king to the castle walls immediately.

‘…Is this really a homecoming?’

The king himself appeared on the front lines, and even climbed up the castle walls.

‘The king is taking a direct stand….’