Chapter 37
I approached Hamil and the knights, who looked even more dazed than before.
Everyone had thrown aside their blood-stained swords in despair.
When I stood beside Edon in front of Hamil, his face twisted in anguish as he lifted his head.
“What… what have I done…?”
「Commander Hamil.」
“Edon, I’m sorry. I… I killed you…”
Hamil wept bitterly as he looked at Edon’s spirit. It seemed he remembered everything he had done under the illusion’s spell.
It was a cruel tragedy — for both him and Edon.
Watching a man twice my size crumble like that hurt my heart, but there was no time to share in his grief.
“Commander Hamil. I understand how you feel, but you need to pull yourself together. The illusionist might have gone after the Duke and the expedition team too.”
Only then did Hamil’s trembling eyes focus on me.
At the mention of Castian, the despairing man once again became the steadfast Commander of the Bernstein Knights. He stood up.
Recovering his composure with effort, Hamil avoided looking at Edon and asked me,
“What should we do? It’s unthinkable that His Grace would fall to such tricks, but if he did, the expedition could be annihilated.”
“Even if it’s not the Duke, it would still be disastrous if anyone else was caught in the illusion. We should regroup quickly.”
“I’ll send my men to search.”
“No. Acting separately is too dangerous. There could be more black mages nearby.”
“Then we should all move together—”
He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
After the chaos just moments ago, both the knights and imperial soldiers were in total disarray.
Some had already fled beyond the barrier, and the rest were terrified.
It would take quite a while to get them reorganized. And there was no guarantee they’d follow the commands of the Bernstein Knights — the very people who had attacked them just a short while ago.
Even if we regrouped and set out immediately, we could lose each other in the forest.
Seeing the deep frown on Hamil’s forehead, I spoke gently.
“Commander, please handle the situation here. I’ll go find the Duke.”
“You, Lady Lydia?”
“I have people who can help me.”
I glanced toward the death soldiers standing behind me.
Recognizing some familiar faces among them, Hamil’s jaw trembled.
He clenched his teeth, swallowing his emotions, and bowed his head.
“Please… I’m entrusting this to you.”
There was a heavy weight behind those few words.
I nodded in silent reply, then asked about what had happened when they encountered the illusionist.
Even if illusions were a rare branch of black magic, it was strange that the well-prepared Bernstein Knights had fallen so easily.
Hamil explained that when the knights responded to the patrol’s report, they ran into three other black mages.
After barely defeating those who used attack magic, they found themselves trapped inside the illusionist’s magic circle.
So the illusionist had used his three companions as bait… but wasn’t that too steep a price to pay, even if it worked? Why would he go that far?
I walked toward the place where Edon had slain the illusionist.
I planned to summon his spirit and ask directly what his purpose had been.
It was unpleasant to reanimate such a man, but there was no other way to extract information.
“Answer my call.”
I was sure it would work — but there was no response.
I drew upon more mana. When the corpse was completely shrouded in purple smoke, I recited the incantation again.
“Answer my call.”
Still, the illusionist did not rise.
I had managed to summon the late Duke Bernstein, who died over a decade ago — so why couldn’t I summon the soul of someone who had died mere moments ago?
And the feeling was different this time.
It wasn’t that the spirit was refusing to answer — it was as if I were shouting into an empty void.
「Does that wretch dare ignore the call of his master?!」
Edon’s voice rang with fury, ready to storm into hell itself and drag the illusionist out by the collar.
I calmed him down.
“Something’s wrong. It’s like… he doesn’t have a soul.”
「Is that possible?」
“I don’t think so. It shouldn’t be.”
Unless someone had already taken his soul, this shouldn’t have been possible.
I frowned in confusion, but no answers came.
Then I asked twelve of the death soldiers — those who had once been knights — to search for Castian and the expedition.
They vanished instantly into the darkness.
Death soldiers can move through shadows. And now, at night, everything was shadow.
Wherever Castian was, they would find him quickly.
I asked the remaining half to guard the area — to block any other black mages approaching and to round up the imperial soldiers who had fled.
“It’s fine to scare them a little to bring them back, but don’t hurt anyone, okay?”
「As you command!」
All the death soldiers answered in unison — except one.
Edon stepped forward solemnly.
「I will remain by your side, my lady.」
Faithful as ever in life and death, Edon refused to leave me.
I couldn’t help but smile. “As you wish.”
He lifted his chin proudly and glanced at the other death soldiers — who, to my astonishment, looked at him with envy.
How did these men end up like this…?
I pressed a palm to my forehead and shook my head, and soon the others melted into the darkness, leaving only Edon and me.
Together, we went to where the Bernstein Knights had slain the other three black mages.
I tried necromancy on their bodies too — but the result was the same.
No one answered.
It was as if every one of them had already lost their souls.
What in the world is happening here…?
While my soldiers worked, I had nothing to do.
As I wandered around aimlessly, I could feel the surviving imperial soldiers avoiding me.
Thanks to my necromancy, the nightmare had ended, but to them, a necromancer commanding death soldiers was still terrifying.
It’s only natural — seeing one’s fallen comrades walking around as pale spirits would frighten anyone.
I understood how they felt, so I couldn’t hold it against them.
In fact, I was more grateful than upset — grateful they hadn’t fled entirely despite nearly dying at the hands of black mages and witnessing all sorts of horrors.
To avoid adding to their fear, I decided to wait quietly in my carriage.
While sorting through mana potions inside, I heard Ralph arguing outside with Edon.
“Sir Edon, don’t you recognize me? It’s me!”
「No one may enter without my lady’s permission.」
“Good grief, you’ve gotten even more rigid than before.”
“Sir Ralph?”
I poked my head out the carriage window, and he waved cheerfully.
“Lady Lydia, I have something to ask. May I come in for a moment?”
“Of course. Edon, let him through.”
「As you command.」
Only then did Edon step aside, allowing Ralph to enter.
He chuckled awkwardly as he sat across from me.
“Thank you for your help earlier. I came to return what I borrowed.”
I handed him one of the mana potions I had taken out earlier.
But Ralph waved his hands and instead offered me the potion he held.
“No, Lady Lydia. You should keep this one too. Please, take it.”
“Pardon? But you need it more than I do.”
“I have a few extras — all gifts from the Duke. And really, I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life, Lady Lydia.”
He pressed the potion into my hand and bowed deeply.
When I smiled awkwardly, he admitted he had been certain he would die, praising necromancy as an incredible form of magic.
Then, looking slightly embarrassed, he added,
“To be honest, I always thought black magic was purely evil. But thanks to you, I learned it can also save lives. I’m ashamed I ever rejected it so blindly.”
“You’re making me feel embarrassed now.”
I waved my hand.
Among everyone I’d met — besides Castian — Ralph was the only one who treated me without prejudice.
Even when I’d confessed that I’d resurrected Castian, he was the only one who had reached out to shake my hand.
None of the other expedition members would have set foot in the same carriage with me, that’s for sure.
And what we’d just gone through wasn’t something ordinary, either.
We’d nearly died because of that wretched illusionist old man.
That’s why Ralph’s warm smile meant so much to me.
