6 In a cemetery...
They were currently in a hill, far away from the town. They picked up a quest that Aqua could use to level up, which was to slaughter undeads with healing magic, so there WAS something that Aqua can do…
Their quest was about killing undeads that were emerging from a nearby cemetery. They set up a tent near the cemetery and started to eat, like before, Alex went for the cabbages for free exp.
They needed to kill a Zombie Maker, a small fry that could be killed from a novice party, it was an evil spirit that controlled zombies.
After they prepared their things and ate their fill, they went in the cemetery, the moon had already risen and it was late night.
Aqua: ...It's getting cold. Hey Alex, our quest is to take down the Zombie Maker, right? I have a feeling it won't be a small fry, but a big shot undead.
Alex: I just hope it won't be too strong, I want to use the Combat Soulreaper of Nulgath to harvest some skill points from a strong monster.
He summoned the mentioned weapon, it was a really creepy weapon that glowed red and was made of strange demon parts and many bones. Just by looking at that, Aqua shivered a bit, it was a soul reaping weapon, it would kill people permanently if they get hit from it, no resurrection.
Suddenly, blue and white light shone from the middle of the cemetery, attracting their attention, they got there and saw that the lights were part of a magic circle, and at the edge of the magic circle was a figure in black robes.
Megumin: ...Hmm? I think… That isn't a zombie maker…
Darkness: Are we going in? Even if that isn't a zombie maker, anyone staying in the cemetery at this hour's probably an undead. If that's the case, then it wouldn't be a problem with Archpriest Aqua around.
And then… Aqua charged at the robed figure… Christ, give me help, I might really use the Soulreaper of Nulgath on her one day…
Alex: Wait! Hey, wait up!
Aqua ignored him and yelled.
Aqua: How dare you show up here, lich! I'll take care of you!
Lich, on par with vampires, they were top-tier among the undead. High-level mages could desert their mortal bodies through magical arts and become the immortal known as the "Overlord of death".
In short, it is 30 points worth.
However, the lich let out a feminine shout and yelled.
?: Stop, stop! Who are you? Where'd you come from and why are you destroying my magic circle? Stop! Please stop!
Aqua: You're noisy, shut up, undead! You must be thinking of using this suspicious magic circle for devious means, I'll stomp it! Stomp!
The powerful monster grabbed onto Aqua's waist in tears, attempting to stop her from stepping on the magic circle. The minions beside the lich didn't move in to stop the two of them wrestling with each other and just blankly stood there, watching them.
?: Stop! Please stop! This magic circle's used to send the wandering spirits to heaven! Look! The spirits are floating from the magic circle towards the sky, right?
Alex looked and she was right, lots of wisp-like, bluish-white objects that came from nowhere drifted into the magic circle and were rising up into the sky along with the light of the magic circle. So he walked towards Aqua.
Aqua: You're acting too arrogant for a lich! An Archpriest like me will perform such benevolent acts, so just scram! You're taking too much time, watch me purify the whole cemetery along with you!
*POW!*
Alex slammed his scythe on Aqua's head, she held her head on pain and turned her teary eyes on Alex.
Aqua: That hurts! Why'd you hit me!?
Darkness and Megimun caught up to them, he used his scythe to move Aqua away and spoke to the lich, who was trembling while curled up in a ball.
Alex: Hey, are you fine? Um… How should I address you?
The lich stood up with teary eyes and spoke.
?: I-I-I'm fine… Thank, thank you for saving me from that crisis…! Um, my name's Wiz.
She took off her hood, and Alex's eyes widened, he thought that liches should be skeletrical, no… They were skeletrical, and yet, a beautiful woman was in front of him.
Wiz was a beautiful and well-endowed woman with fair skin and a curvaceous figure. She has brown eyes and straight brown hair reaching down to the front of her shoulders and further behind her back, slightly curling at the tips. And a fringe covered her right eye.
Alex: Hmm. So, what are you doing in this cemetery? You said you wanted to send the spirits to heaven… That shouldn't be what a lich like you should be doing, right?
Aqua: What are you doing Alex!? Be careful or you'll get contaminated and turn into an undead! Let me cast Turn Undead on her!
Alex: Oh shut up, I literally wield demonic weapons for days!
Wiz: B-Because as you can see… I'm a lich, the overlord of the undying. As the overlord, I can hear the voices of the spirits wandering in the world.
Most of the spirits in this public cemetery don't have money and didn't have a proper burial, so they couldn't move on to the afterlife and haunted the cemetery every night. Since I'm an overlord, I'd visit periodically and send the children on their way.
...What a good person…
Alex: But won't it be better leaving it to the priests?
Wiz: W-Well, the priests in this town are materialistic… Eh, no. I mean… The rites for those without money would be pushed down… Something like that…
It was probably because Aqua was there that she was afraid of saying the reason.
Alex: ...So they ignored the people of this town because they are poor?
Wiz: W-Well, that's how it is…
Everyone gazed at Aqua, she averted her eyes from everyone…
Alex: Well, can you stop animating the zombies? We are here because it was reported that a Zombie Maker was here.
Wiz: Ah, I see. But I didn't animate them, the corpses that are intact would rise automatically due to my magic every time I come. Um, I won't have any reason to visit if the spirits in the cemetery don't wander anymore and return to heaven… So, how should we resolve this?
Alex: ...Aqua, do your job and purify the cemetery!
Aqua: Alright, prepare yourself, undea-
Alex: Except Wiz.
Aqua: Wha-
Darkness/Megumin: What?!
Wiz: Huh?!
Everyone was shocked from what Alex said, while he spoke to Wiz.
Alex: How many humans did you kill?
Wiz: N-None… I never attacked humans unless it's for self-defense…
Megumin and Darkness decided to let her off, and Alex said.
Alex: Alright, Aqua, do your thing.
Aqua: NO! I will not do it!
Alex: ...You know, I wonder how many skill points your soul might give me…
He rotated the scythe on his hand, which started to scare Aqua and attracted Wiz's attention.
Aqua: ...Yes sir…
Wiz: Ummm… Hey…
Alex: I'm Alexander, you can call me Alex.
Wiz: Nn, Alex… What weapon is that?
Alex: This is my Combat Soulreaper of Nulgath, a strong weapon, don't mind with thinking about where I found it, I'm as clueless as you about where it came from…
Wiz nodded and then she took out a paper and gave it to Alex.
Wiz: I own a shop for adventurers, I sell many different things, this is my address, it could be useful for you one day. Bye.
Alex nodded and took it.
Alex: Thanks, and bye.
Then Wiz teleported away, leaving the party alone.
Alex: Alright, Aqua, start with your thing, and remember that you will do it one time for each week.
Aqua: ...Yes sir…
Then she started to purify the cemetery, since there was no Zombie Maker, it was a failed quest. After that, they left the cemetery.
Megumin: We were lucky things turned out so well in the end. Even with Aqua here, the opponent was still a lich. If we really had fought, only Alex could hope to win…
Alex: Eh? Are liches such dangerous monsters?
Megumin: It's much worse than that! Liches have a high magic defense, so nothing can harm her except enchanted weapons like yours.
She can trigger all sorts of abnormal statuses just by touching her enemies, and she can also drain their life and mana; She's a legendary immortal monster.
Alex almost fell on the ground due to his legs turning soft.
Aqua: ...Alex, give me the name card. I want to set up a holy barrier around the home of that woman and make her cry.
Alex: Please let her go...
