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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“This… was unexpected.”
As I stared at the pouch, Pauli gave a knowing smile.
“They’re quite valuable. I hear ‘those above’ took special care in preparing them.”
“You know what these are?”
“Of course. Even if I’m following orders from above, I can’t hire mercenaries without knowing anything about them.”
He knew I was a warlock and a necromancer.
And he seemed to realize I could use these properly.
“These are Soul Shadows extracted from those executed for treason or other crimes against the kingdom. How you use them is up to you.”
“I hear some of them were quite powerful in life.”
He didn’t elaborate further on the Soul Shadows.
After careful consideration, I decided how to use them.
I had heard rumors.
Every kingdom was extremely sensitive to treason.
Therefore, royal families enacted brutal retribution against traitors.
Their families were ruined, anyone even remotely connected was killed, and those who survived were condemned to eternal slavery.
‘And they even sever their lineage.’
Traitorous families were forbidden from having descendants, and there were rumors that the ringleaders were turned into undead, denied even peace in death…
‘But most dismissed that as a rumor.’
It was understandable. Only necromancers could create undead, and royal families avoided association with warlocks, if only for appearances.
‘That’s why I’m so cautious about my relationship with the royal family.’
Therefore, the prevailing theory was that the rumor was fabricated to tarnish the royal family’s image or to emphasize the brutal punishment for treason.
However, it seemed there was some truth to it.
While they didn’t turn the bodies into undead, they had indeed extracted Soul Shadows from traitors, and some of them had ended up in my hands.
‘They don’t mind this being known?’
Indeed, who would believe it?
Even if I told people, they would dismiss it as a rumor, and Pauli wasn’t the type to spread such information.
The reason I thought so was simple.
‘Otherwise, he wouldn’t be involved in this matter.’
This ruin excavation was desired not only by the Septran royal family but by the entire Six-Kingdom Alliance.
Therefore, his involvement in such an important matter at this time indirectly demonstrated the royal family’s trust in him.
He must have already proven his loyalty long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be involved in this.
The Soul Shadows I had obtained were dark and substantial, reflecting their age and the power they held in life.
‘It’s best to use them to strengthen the Specter.’
Frankly, I had little information about who they were in life.
Of course, that didn’t mean I couldn’t use them.
With this many, I could create numerous commander-type undead, and with enough corpses, I could amass an army of over a thousand.
However, I chose a different path.
‘It’s better to improve quality.’
Opportunities like this were rare.
The Specter had played a subtle, yet important role so far.
It wasn’t useless.
Indirect reconnaissance, assisting Kayla and Athena.
It had definitely been helpful.
However, considering the Specter’s true capabilities, its contributions were underwhelming.
A Specter was an undead immune to physical attacks that lacked mana, capable of momentarily solidifying to strike its opponents unilaterally.
And that wasn’t all. Given time, it could drain an opponent’s mental strength, stamina, and life force, feeding on that energy to grow stronger. It was an undead that required a necromancer of at least 5th circle to create.
However, the Specter hadn’t been able to fully utilize its abilities so far.
‘The opponents we’ve faced weren’t weak. Many used mana, and the battles were mostly short and decisive.’
Furthermore, my own lack of skill at the time of its creation was a major factor.
Solidification became possible later, and even then, opportunities for it to shine were limited.
Unlike when we were in the monster forest, I couldn’t freely deploy it after becoming a mercenary, hindering its growth.
Therefore, I intended to use this opportunity to strengthen the Specter and turn it into a true asset.
‘The timing is perfect.’
After this request, I would effectively become a recognized warlock.
While there were still some matters to attend to, my primary goal was within reach.
And as a recognized warlock, I would need spectral undead, not just ordinary ones.
So, preparing in advance was a wise decision.
‘I’ve already replenished my supply of ordinary undead.’
Many of the restrictions had been lifted.
The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that this was the right choice.
After Pauli left, I addressed my companions.
“Three days. We’ll begin the conquest in three days.”
“Hmm, why? Can’t we just finish our preparations and start right away? We’ve got new equipment; there’s no need to delay.”
Athena questioned the need for the delay.
Since we knew about the guardians, she suggested we finish our preparations and rest as planned.
“I want to give Baldur a chance.”
“Ah, to use the potion?”
“It won’t be of much help to you or Kayla.”
He had been feeling down lately. I wanted to give him something, even if it was small.
Baldur seemed slightly flustered at the mention of receiving the potion.
“Oh, no, it’s alright. I’d rather…”
“Just take it. You’ll be leading the vanguard during this conquest, so be prepared. And Annelise.”
“Are those things you received… dark elf secrets?”
“…Yes and no.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Athena snapped.
“Speak clearly. Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Well… they are secrets, I suppose, techniques that all dark elf warriors learn. But I’m a half-blood, and my body is closer to a human’s, so I couldn’t learn most of them. These seem to be modified versions, adapted for me.”
“…Can humans learn them?”
“That would be difficult… They seem to be tailored specifically for me.”
‘So it was the latter.’
They hadn’t given her anything substantial, but something that wouldn’t matter if it was leaked.
This was unexpected.
I hadn’t imagined they would provide customized versions of common techniques.
“They seem to care more than I expected, considering she was sent away.”
“…Yes. I thought so too. I thought I was abandoned.”
“Do you want to go back?”
Annelise shook her head at my question.
“No. That won’t happen.”
There was no hesitation in her answer.
“Then is the potion also for that?”
“Yes. It forcefully awakens mana… or rather, it allows me to use magical power.”
Magical power.
It wasn’t strange. She was a dark elf half-blood, and dark elves primarily used the rare dark magic.
And dark magic was a power that could be learned even without significant talent.
‘Some even summon demons and form contracts to become warlocks.’
Awakening magical power through a potion wasn’t particularly impressive.
However, it wasn’t a good choice.
Considering the tragic fate of most warlocks…
‘Perhaps being a dark elf half-blood will be slightly better?’
I didn’t know for sure. My master hadn’t taught me such details.
She held up one of the two books.
“A minuscule amount of demonic energy is sufficient. This book describes methods to replenish that demonic energy… and this is the modified grimoire I mentioned.”
“Can I see the methods for replenishing demonic energy?”
“Of course.”
She readily handed me the book, and I quickly scanned its contents.
“…Primitive, but with minimal side effects. It seems a truly minuscule amount is enough.”
Still, it wasn’t a good method.
I returned the book to Annelise.
“I’ll provide the demonic energy. Tell me when you need it. No, wait.”
I decided it would be better to be involved from the moment she consumed the potion.
“I’ll observe when you take it.”
“If you would…”
“What? Inha, why?”
“I’ll do it.”
Athena and Kayla tried to stop me.
“Magical power is a warlock’s specialty. Since we’ve decided to give her a chance, we should make her as useful as possible.”
I hadn’t offered to provide demonic energy on a whim.
Frankly, I still lacked trust in Annelise.
Perhaps I would never trust her as much as Athena or Kayla.
Therefore, I intended to make her dependent on me.
Of course, my intention to convince her that staying with us was in her best interest remained unchanged.
However, I wanted additional safeguards, as was my nature.
‘Especially since demonic energy can easily manipulate emotions.’
I wondered if I could subtly influence her.
Moreover, forcefully awakening magical power was quite dangerous and prone to side effects.
I wanted to eliminate that risk if possible.
‘I don’t want her going berserk and becoming uncontrollable.’
However, my actions seemed to make Athena and Kayla uncomfortable.
Even after explaining that it was to minimize the risk, they didn’t give up easily, and neither did I.
Annelise looked bewildered.
“If you’re so worried, you can observe as well. But can you both be there? Baldur will be there too.”
“Take the potion later, Baldur. I’ll help you.”
Kayla easily resolved the issue.
Baldur didn’t seem offended. He seemed to think it was only natural.
In the end, Annelise consumed the potion under the observation of Athena, Kayla, and me.
She seemed quite burdened but seemed to realize she couldn’t refuse.
In the lodging Pauli provided, Annelise consumed the potion from her family.
She immediately furrowed her brow and groaned in pain.
The potion contained a small amount of demonic energy, which triggered the forced awakening.
The surrounding mana was drawn into her body, mixing with the demonic energy to form magical power.
I grabbed Annelise’s head, immediately blocking the demonic energy that was heading towards her brain.
‘I knew this would happen.’
While I could handle it easily, ordinary people couldn’t.
While Annelise was a dark elf half-blood, even dark elves were affected by demonic energy, though to a lesser extent than humans.
Therefore, it was predictable, and I could easily prevent the side effects.
‘Perhaps the dark elves only offered this method now because they didn’t want to risk these side effects.’
It was just a guess, but considering their concern for her, it wasn’t entirely implausible.
While I was briefly lost in thought, Annelise’s body successfully formed a vessel for magical power, completing the awakening.
‘She’s definitely not a mage.’
She was closer to a warrior. If she reached Master level, she might develop a Mana Heart, like Kayla or Athena.
Or rather, a Magical Power Heart, but the chances of her, who couldn’t even awaken naturally, reaching that level were objectively low.
To be honest, Baldur had a higher chance.
Even after the awakening, Annelise stared blankly into space with an unfocused gaze.
Then, her eyes met mine.
Contrary to her expression, her gaze wasn’t empty.
I could sense a strange exhilaration and a hint of pleasure within them.
It was understandable. The first awakening brought a sense of liberation from experiencing a previously unknown sensation.
“Pure demonic energy… A demon lord, no, perhaps…”
Annelise muttered incomprehensible words.
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