#37. 10. Night of the Corpses
A dark street two blocks from the Lanfeld mansion.
Two men were running through a narrow alley. They were Baros and Karnak, carrying Serati on their backs.
Hiding in the darkness of the alley, Baros looked across the street.
“You managed to buy enough time to escape. Thank goodness you’re such an innocent gentleman.”
“I said that to make you angry, but it wasn’t just because I was naive.”
Karnack smiled faintly as he looked towards the Lanfeld mansion.
“Who would want to be the one doing the remote control the whole time?”
If the other person had revealed himself, he would not have been able to maintain the illusion no matter what.
However, Straff was hiding somewhere in the mansion and was only using his necromancy indirectly.
“It is difficult to fool the sorcerer himself, but it is not so difficult to create an illusion that fools the distant view spell.”
“If you don’t even know the basics, isn’t that naive?”
“There’s a difference between being naive and being ignorant. Well, that’s only natural since you’re a priest. You don’t even have the bare minimum, tsk tsk.”
Baros asked Karnak, who was clicking his tongue.
“Anyway, what should we do now?”
“Let’s find a place to hide first.”
It’s quiet for now, but the silence won’t last long.
Straf, who lost the Karnak party, would not stay still. He would release the Lanfeld family’s men and scour the entire city.
Before that, we need to find a hiding place.
“I also need to make plans for the future… … .”
Karnak pointed to Baros’ shoulder.
To be exact, Serati was still unconscious and resting on his shoulder.
“I have to take care of this girl too.”
***
It was as Karnak had expected.
An enraged Straf immediately ordered the Lanfeld family to search the entire Trist City.
Lights came on all over the city and people started moving.
“Hey, open the door!”
“Is there any suspicious outsider here?”
The fact that it was late at night and everyone was asleep meant nothing.
Lanfeld’s thugs roamed the inns and alleys they could find, and there were more than a few who suffered unjustly.
“No, we are just ordinary merchants… … .”
“What are you doing?”
No one paid any attention to the vehement protests of the foreign peddlers who were dragged out from their sleep.
Blood flowed and wailing was heard here and there.
“Eww!”
“Oh my, so who are you looking for?”
“Shut up and follow me! I have orders to catch all the suspicious guys!”
Among them, there were quite a few who rebelled violently.
They are outsiders who have come to this notorious crime city on their own. Ordinary citizens would never visit a city like this in the first place.
“Do these people look down on people?”
“Do you think we don’t have any knives?”
Bloody fights break out everywhere and commotion ensues.
It’s been an hour since the once quiet night in Trist was turned upside down.
But no matter how hard they searched, the search party could not find their target.
“Hey, where the hell are these guys hiding?”
“How could an outsider not feel out of place in this city?”
Someone asked a question.
“You didn’t escape from the city, did you?”
And it was immediately refuted.
“How could that be? How many people were released?”
No matter how lawless the city is, it was originally a fortress of a country. If you just deploy a lot of people, you can have an ironclad security.
“But since they are the kind of guys who would directly attack the mansion, they might have forced their way in… … .”
“I have never received such a report.”
When a battle breaks out, there are traces left behind, whether it’s a commotion or a body.
Those stationed at the city border were all holding their positions without incident.
“… … Then where the hell are these guys?”
***
Serati slowly came to her senses.
“Ugh… … .”
A voice is heard from beyond my hazy consciousness.
“Would it be dangerous to return to House Plad, Young Master?”
“That’s right. In this situation, the first place they’ll go is the forces that were against them. They must have sent a lot of people by now.”
“Hey, I left all my stuff there, I’ll have to find it later.”
“By the way, I didn’t know it would turn out like this again. I thought I wouldn’t be chased or have to hide in this life.”
“I guess this is our fate, huh?”
It was the voice of Karnak and Baros. Serati flinched.
‘They!’
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My mind is blown.
I saw it clearly. Dark energy was rising from Karnak’s entire body.
She had to get out of here quickly. She sat up.
“Ugh!”
A sharp pain surged through me for a moment, and a faint groan escaped me.
Karnak, hearing the sound, approached her.
“You’re awake, Miss Serati. How are you feeling?”
“… … You dirty sorcerer, are you worried about my body?”
Karnak scratched his head in embarrassment at her cold response.
“Ah, I guess I can’t help but think that way… … .”
It was unexpected.
I thought he would show his true colors now that his identity was revealed, but he still had a kind face. Who could suspect that he was an evil sorcerer looking at that gentle expression?
‘Come to think of it, why did you keep me alive?’
Although she was puzzled, Serati first looked into the situation.
“Here?”
“In the forest on the southern outskirts of Trist City. It’s probably safer outside the city.”
“How did you manage to escape the security net? They wouldn’t have let you go easily.”
“I mean, I have a lot of experience with this.”
The Lanfeld family has certainly sealed off Trist City. Even the most powerful adventurers and wizards would have a hard time sneaking through that security net.
But the shaman is different.
Necromancy is a type of magic that specializes in mind control, memory distortion, and bewitchment. What is impossible for a wizard is possible for a necromancer.
You’re saying that the security is tight?
It would be a perfect crime if you just knocked them down with one blow and manipulated their memories appropriately. Or you could just hypnotize or brainwash them from the beginning.
This is why necromancers are particularly difficult to catch.
The sorcery itself is a technique that is very advantageous for escape and hiding.
Even Karnak and Baros had experienced this situation dozens of times in their past lives.
Even in the imperial capital, which is said to be the most secure on the continent, they were active for months, so a rural town like this is nothing special.
“I just stepped away for a moment because I needed time to deal with Ms. Serati.”
The tone was calm, but the content was anything but.
‘Processing?’
Her face turned pale. Karnak continued, looking embarrassed.
“Isn’t the expression ‘deal with it’ a bit strange? But you know my secret, so you can’t just leave me alone, right?”
“… … Are you trying to kill me?”
Even as she spoke, Serati thought that it couldn’t be true.
If he had intended to kill me, he wouldn’t have bothered carrying me all the way here.
Indeed, Karnak shook his head.
“I have no intention of doing that. I’m just trying to live my life without committing any sins.”
“Huh, on the topic of necromancers?”
“I somehow learned necromancy, but I don’t really like it. In fact, I tried my best not to learn necromancy, and it’s like this… … .”
Karnak drew up a faint magical power.
“I am just diligently following the path of a magician.”
As an aura user, Serati can perceive the attributes of her opponent’s aura quite accurately.
The magical power that Karnak was currently displaying was definitely mana, not command power.
‘Well, the author used magic several times, but no one knew.’
It is definitely not dark magic, since not only she, but also the wizard Liltane and even the priest Alius did not notice it.
‘Then you’re not lying?’
But there are some things that make it difficult to accept it simply.
“Isn’t it true that necromancy and magic can’t coexist?”
“Usually, yes. This is my own unique method. I really don’t want to learn necromancy.”
If you think about it, Straf, who was a priest, also used necromancy. It doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Serati shook slightly.
Did Karnak really have no choice but to learn necromancy, and now he only walks the path of a wizard?
“Then why don’t you abandon necromancy altogether?”
At that moment, Karnak burst into laughter.
“Miss Serati, let me ask you the opposite. Can you abandon Aura?”
“huh?”
“Can you give up the speculation you have been learning, that power?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? How can I throw away the aura that I’ve already gotten used to… .”
“Yes, that’s why I couldn’t give up my command power.”
Serati was speechless.
She also understood right away, as she was in a position to deal with speculation.
Certainly, once you have mastered any energy, it is impossible to let it go.
“Okay, that aside… … .”
Serati asked with a sigh.
“If you don’t kill me, what do you plan to do with me?”
“I will erase part of your memory. Just the exact moment I used the spell.”
Her expression hardened.
Erasing human memories? Is that something that necromancy can do?
“It’s not that big of a deal. I’m sure Miss Serati has had that experience once or twice.”
“Nonsense! It’s not common for a perfectly good memory to be erased!”
“Have you ever lost your memory after drinking?”
Serati was speechless once again.
Honestly, why wouldn’t there be?
Actually, it wasn’t just once or twice, it was quite a few times. I like drinking.
“There won’t be any problem. You were knocked out during the fight to begin with, right? That would just mean you passed out a few minutes earlier.”
She was confused.
It was a fairly generous offer. Not something an evil sorcerer would do.
“… …Why are you doing that? Are you trying to persuade me?”
Karnak made an ambiguous expression as he looked at her, who had slightly softened.
“I feel a bit awkward saying this, but… … .”
At the same time, he gazes blankly below Serati’s shoulder.
“There’s no need to try to persuade you right now. It won’t be of much help.”
For a moment I didn’t understand.
Auror users are not helpful? Why?
Her gaze involuntarily followed Karnak.
He is looking below his shoulder. Naturally, his elbow is visible.
But I can’t see the arm.
All that is visible is the scar from the cut, starting from the elbow and turning black and charred… … .
A groan escaped, as if the soul was being torn apart.
“ah…….”
***
A fact that I didn’t realize because my senses were numb hits my whole body.
‘That’s right, I lost my arm, I… … .’
I have no arms.
I can’t even hold a sword anymore.
There were no tears. My body just trembled.
Of course, if you recover well, you can use Aura again. However, the swordsmanship that you have honed throughout your life has become useless.
No, the sword isn’t the problem.
Having no arms means you can’t hold anything.
Even the most basic daily life activities are impossible. I can’t even go to the bathroom and wipe myself right away.
A young beauty in the prime of her life has lost even the most basic decency.
“iced coffee…….”
All I could see was darkness.
Serati’s desperate ears heard Karnak’s words of comfort.
“I’m sorry, Miss Serati. You were a truly talented Auror user.”
To her now, it was just an empty echo.
“… … I’d rather kill you.”
She muttered sadly.
“Memories? You don’t need to erase them. Just kill me here and now… … .”
Baros asked cautiously, as if he felt sorry.
“Is there really no way, Young Master? Maybe go to a powerful priest and receive healing magic… .”
“If a limb is cut off, it’s impossible. You know that, right? No matter how powerful the magic or divine spell is, it can’t restore a severed limb. It’s an act that goes against the natural order.”
“Well, it’s different from necromancy.”
It was when Baros let out a deep sigh.
‘It’s different from sorcery?’
Serati, who had been in despair, suddenly raised her head.
“Wait! So with necromancy? You’re saying that with necromancy you can bring my arm back?”
Karnak blinked for a moment and then answered softly.
“That’s true, but… … .”
And then he scratched his cheek as if embarrassed.
“I don’t really recommend it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s possible to make you my subordinate. Surely you don’t want to become a subordinate of an evil necromancer?”
