The Ruined Death Knight

After Shiro entered the house where Alka resided, they began their usual language lessons of the fox people.

Shiro found out that the name of their races varied based on the village where they originated.

They had done many lessons already, most of them while on the move with Rue's quest of searching the other villages to increase his army of undead.

By now, compared to the others, Shiro and Alka were much more comfortable with each other, although the fact that there was always that edge between their relationship always existed.

And the longer she interacted with Alka and heard others in the village, the more it downed to her how the people viewed her as some kind of primordial god.

More specifically, the youngest Primordial God, White Life.

Which was absurd in her opinion.

The fact that she showed her healing magic more than once also didn't help miscalculated the situation but only reinforced their viewpoint.

"Shiro Life, this stands word stands for "Harsch" and this one over there stands for "Death" Alka said while pointing to a few letters carved in a piece of wood.

Making Shiro nod her head.

'Although adding "Life" in my name is awkward, Rue at least managed to make them call me Shiro' Shiro thought internally as she nodded at the letters of their language.

They were several other wooden pieces that were connected with string on the side of the bed where they were taking the lesson.

A Shiro equivalent way of taking notes, as the Vashara village lacked the ways of creating paper, and leather was way too wasteful to create their version of papyrus.

The wooden notes were awkward at first, but Shiro quickly got used to using them.

Picking up a small dagger, she started carving the words of the fox people's language and the translation to the side.

"Your language letters are way too big." Shiro complained as 4 words filled one-third of the wooden notes.

Putting the wooden note to the side, she glanced at all the other notes that have already pilled up on her side.

'Carrying them all back to the mountain looks annoying...maybe I should ask one of Rue's undead to help out.' Though as she was about to pick a blank wooden note, a cry got her attention.

"Waaah~Waaah~"

Hearing the cry of what was obviously coming from a baby, Alka's face went into distress.

"Ah~I apologize primordial for her distraction, but she..." Alka looked towards where the sound was coming from in concern.

"It's alright, I was thinking of calling it quits anyway. Go ahead." Shiro said with a smile, which couldn't be seen thanks to her mask.

Nodding, Alka quickly went to take care of the last survivor except her from her village.

Shiro quickly followed suit to observe the baby in Alka's hand with curiosity.

Alka tried to calm down the baby, but being clueless as to how, she tried gently moving the baby left to right in her embrace, albeit it didn't seem to work out.

Shiro kept watching how Alka's fruitless attempt was stressing her out as she kept switching her gaze towards the baby and her, a sign that she recognize as some sort of fear.

She had seen several others when her grandpa had killed a few bandits and saved the others, despite they were those who held gratitude towards him, most showing the face of fear towards them.

No more smiling anymore, Shiro raised her moon-shaped staff on top of Alka and gathered her mana.

The golden mana crystal in her staff lighten up, as her magic came to be.

"Tent my wounds. Spirit of Home. [Tendering Warm Healing]." With her spell cast, a golden light fell at Alka and the baby that she was holding. Improving the vitality of the two and healing potential wounds while embracing the two with warm light.

The baby stopped crying and instead stared at the golden light in wonder before starting to giggle to itself before finally falling asleep a second later under the embrace of the warm light.

"This light...was that magic?" Alka said as she gazed at Shiro's staff in wonder.

"Yes, a spell of light magic used for healing internal wounds. It can fix bones and organs if cast correctly, though in this case the spell should have washed away the remaining strain on your two muscles and increased once vitality. She must have fallen asleep as the nutrients were spent to fix any sort of strain. But don't worry, the vitality increase should compensate for the loss of nutrients." Shiro explained with bits of pride and excitement talking about her spell.

Putting the baby back to bed, Alka stared at Shiro somewhat confused and overwhelmed by Shiro's explanation.

"Thank you for using your magic on us, Shiro Life."

Scratching her mask with her finger, Shiro turned her head towards the many wooden notes.

"W-Well, since she has fallen asleep, won't you help me carry them up the mountain, Alka?" Shiro said while pointing at the masses of wood on the bed.

"I would be more than happy to help, Shiro Life."

Taking as many wooden notes as they can, the two left the house, making the first thing to see outside a huge shadow waiting for them.

"Hiiek!" Alka jumped back in fright, almost dropping the wooden notes.

Shiro albeit surprised, wasn't t surprised by the tall shadow in front of her.

"Talon, what are you doing here?" She said as she noticed shortly after that the Draugrs that followed her were standing nearby.

"The creator has given his orders to guard you against potential danger." Talon said with his ominous voice.

Despite his head being covered by a good and shrouded in shadows, Alka could have a sweater that he started right towards her.

Making a chill run through her spine.

Seeing her reaction, Shiro grumbled internally.

"Sigh, I shouldn't be surprised, but isn't so many of you a bit too much?" She said in the language of the "main lands".

Talon stayed silent for a moment before turning around and waving his hand at the Draugrs.

Making them leave to continue their duties.

"I can't compromise more of thee's creator's will, mistress." Talon said as he disappeared into the shadow of the house and then traveled in Shiro's own shadow.

For a moment Shiro felt a burning sensation in her eyes, allowing her to briefly see the outline of a skeleton shrouded in most under her very own shadow.

Though such sight w disappeared as fast as the burning sensation did.

"Aghhh~" Shiro groaned as she tried to touch her eyes with her hand, though her mask blocked such a gesture.

"Is something wrong, Shiro Life? Are you feeling unwell?" Alka asked with concern.

"I-It's nothing, don't worry about it. Let's go."

Nodding her head, they made their way toward the mountain. That meant walking through the village.

At first look, everyone seemed to continue their business, but the more Shiro looked around, the more she realized the lack of women and children in the village.

Or rather, all women that Shiro could see were the ones that they rescued from the Ice trolls. And unlike them, Vashara looked dense enough for Shiro to notice.

Few who saw her avoided it like the plague, and few fell to their knees and did what Shiro believe to be praying.

She also saw one who was crying and staring at her with zealous eyes, mumbling something that Shiro couldn't make out.

It was to the point that Shiro turned towards Alka for the question.

"What is wrong with everyone? Why are they acting like this."

Alka frowned upon Shiro's question.

"They...are afraid."

"Most people here still can't accept the idea that the graves of their forefathers had been...used by the eldest primordial god. The idea of them becoming cursed warriors and that walk around, is for few...a bit too much to accept." Alka explained while choosing her words from words that she taught Shiro.

Even now she was unsure if the youngest primordial god, White Life still understood everything that she said.

Alas, Shiro understood everything.

'I see...I thought that those people were acting afraid because I was with Rue and his undead. But for those people, what Rue does is much worse.' Shiro thought as she was reminded of her Grandpa's words about Necromancy and his warning to never try to learn such magic.

She thought that objectively, Necromancy was efficient but disturbing.

After all, offensive spells could inflict death.

Intense flames, burning one's body.

The chilling cold froze her enemies.

To the simplest of a large rock smashing one's head.

In comparison, Necromancy was magic that simply brought death and used the result of that outcome to further one magic.

She always was aware of how unethical such kind of magic really was.

And she knew that her Grandpa was right.

Right but except for one thing.

Shiro firmly believes that magic at its very bases is neither evil nor good.

However, the casters to use the spell decides the nature of the magic caster.

"Then what about the others? That doesn't look that scared but rather, looking odd at me?" Shiro asked as she clenched her staff with a bit more strength.

"Ehm, I am not too sure, but I believe that they are the ones who are thankfull towards you and admire you. Or rather, worship you?"