Weekly chapters (1/2)
Enjoy the chapter~
As soon as I got off the elevator, Roy came over to me.
[I just got here a while ago. I was thinking of calling Fate-san at the reception desk. Did you know I was coming?]
[I just thought it was about time.]
[How perceptive. I appreciate it.]
As Roy led me out of the inn, about 20 soldiers gathered in front of me.
Their demeanor made it clear they were confident of their skill.
[They’re participating in this hunt. Well, they won’t be directly hunting beasts, though.]
[Does that mean they’re necromancers like Roy?]
[Yes, they’ve mastered my teachings. Today will be their practical training.]
[Is Roy in charge?]
[I’d like to watch from afar, but I’m here to test out a special individual. You’ll be amazed when you see it.]
Roy smiled, seemingly looking forward to the unveiling.
I’d already been shown the beastkin zombie. Therefore, it was easy to predict that the special individual he was talking about was no good.
Roy gave a command to his troops. At his command, the soldiers formed up into formation and began marching toward the forest where the beasts were lurking. I was impressed by their flawless movement.
No wonder the result of their hard training.
[Let’s go. They should be ready over there.]
[Is a separate unit taking those beastkin from the laboratory to the forest?]
[Yes. This time it’s a big operation, so we’re planning to send in quite a few.]
It seemed that more high elves soldiers had been mobilized than I had expected.
Whether we could sneak past them and infiltrate the laboratory would depend on Greed’s secret plan.
I’m counting on you, partner!
Thinking to myself, I followed Roy into the forest where we would be hunting.
Clouds were beginning to cover the moon.
The grassland I was walking through now was void of moonlight, making visibility very poor. A night hunt in the forest in this condition would surely be even more difficult.
Roy spoke as if he could see through my thoughts.
[Don’t worry. We’ve trained in night battles. And with the help of the spirits, we can see in the dark to a certain extent.]
[Is it fine telling me all that?]
[It’s fine. It’s just the basics for those who use spirits.]
[Cecilia couldn’t do that, though.]
[That’s because high elves are more skilled at using spirits.]
It seems spirits have a versatility beyond just attack.
It’s annoying to say that, but it’s frustrating because it’s a learning experience.
If I could skillfully use the spirit 【Belial】, perhaps I could see in the dark like Roy says.
I tried calling out to 【Belial】 in my mind. Yeah, no response at all.
I guess it’s not that easy. I can manifest him, though.
The high elves’ current method of gaining the power of night vision without manifesting spirits may be an advanced technique. If that’s even the basics, their spirit arts are unfathomable. 𝐑αɴОBÊṧ
As I watched the soldiers walking ahead of me,
[At this rate, the beast hunt should be over before dawn.]
[Well, I’m not sure. The ones actually hunting are zombies, so I hope they do a good job. I’d be sorry if they made a mistake and attacked Fate.]
[It’s scary to think you’d have to apologize before we even start.]
[Failure is inevitable in experiments. That can be fun, though.]
[Come on, won’t that cause trouble for your subordinates?]
[I’m fully aware of that.]
Roy said calmly. Then, a pleased grin crossed his face.
[When you die, we will make good use of your body.]
[You can’t be… of course you are.]
[We’ll need at least some troops in preparation for war. I’m sure the higher-ups will approve it. You wanted a zombie of your own kind, didn’t you?!]
[Ahhhh…]
My shoulders naturally slumped.
This high elf is totally crazy…
After walking for a while, I arrived at the forest I’d visited today.
As I expected, the forest was very dark and visibility was poor. Despite this, the high elf soldiers were briskly preparing.
Roy, feeling sorry for my poor night vision, offered me some advice.
[You won’t be able to see our precious operational experiment at this rate. It can’t be helped. Keep what I told you a secret. Stop thinking of it as a way to control spirits. You connect with them.]
[Connect?]
[You overlap with the spirits, as if you’re merging with them. If you do it right, you’ll be able to borrow their power.]
It’s easier said than done. When I try it in practice, it always fails.
I wonder if I can really do it.
As Roy watched, I attempted to connect with the spirit 【Belial】.
How exactly do you connect? The only thing I knew similarly was the feeling of Crossing, where my consciousness overlaps with Greed’s.
Okay, let’s give it a try. I’ll try Crossing with Belial.
[I can see! I can see clearly now!]
[Amazing. As expected of Fate-san. Just a little instruction and you’ve done this. You’re a human yet possess a spirit, and you’ve even managed to assimilate with one with ease. I can’t contain my excitement. I want to dissect you right here and discover your secrets.]
[Uh…]
It’s hard to say this, since you’ve just taught me how to use spirits…
But, you’re totally goddamn insane!
As I was taken aback, Roy pointed at me and said.
[Now for today’s main event.]
One after another, beastkin zombies in sturdy cages were carried in. There were well over 50 of them.
[There were so many…]
[As you can see, the ones in my room weren’t all there were. We still have plenty left.]
This is the number for operational testing. There will likely be even more when they’re deployed in practice.
Ghastly yet pitiful-looking zombies were lined up in front of me.
[Good, good, the adjustments are going well. The spirits inside are stable for now.]
Roy was pleased that preparations were progressing smoothly.
[Fate-san, what do you think of the zombies I’ve painstakingly created?]
[I don’t have the heart to feel the joy of seeing them like this.]
[I see, so you’re at a loss for words.]
I held my head in my hands. Well, I couldn’t let myself get caught up in Roy’s lazy approach.
Just as I was regaining my composure, I heard a mysterious scream coming from deep in the forest.
[What’s that… is that voice from an animal?]
[That’s a special specimen I’m very proud of. I’m very confident in my creation! What do you think? Can I say the following?]
A strange zombie slowly appeared.
Its appearance was clearly different from the other zombies. Was it a combination of several beastkin spliced together?
It had three heads, and its jaw had been modified to protrude like a wolf’s.
It was in a large cage, which took several high elves soldiers to barely move. The bizarre creature was kept in check by many chains to prevent it from thrashing about in the cage.
[You’re doing well today. Oh, I thought you were dead.]
[How horrible… What a desecration to the dead.]
[No, this one isn’t.]
[What did you say!?]
[This is a blessing from me. I selected beastkins who, even in death, were still obsessed with life. I combined and strengthened them to create this Cerberus. I’ve tried to imitate as much as possible the monster form in which beastkin are most powerful.]
Cerberus howled at the faint moon peeking through the forest. Then, it howled at me, so loud it scared the forest’s beasts away.
[Fate-san, it seems to like you.]
[Can you control it well?]
[Of course. It worked well in the laboratory.]
There was no trace left of the beastkins it originally were. It had truly been turned into a monster.
But, it seemed as if there were tears in Cerberus’s eyes.