Volume 1. Chapter 1 - Preparation for the first adventure Part 1

Days, weeks, months passed, and several years passed. All this time, I've been getting in shape, studying alchemy and magic. Why don't I tell you more about it? And not about what…

The classes only changed one after another, spending most of my day.

As a result, a lot of time has passed since my conscription, as well as the beginning of my training, and now you can say I'm not a hero anymore!

I am a magician of darkness! Unofficially, of course.

Well, almost all these days, I've been studying dark magic hard, albeit in secret. Yes, some classes were difficult, but the teacher is proud of me. Because of my diligence in this case, terrible rumors began to spread about me, frightening the local servants.

Supposedly, another dark god sent me.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to find out where they came from, well, it's not surprising, considering that I often visit the master.

Let them think so! It's easier for me to live without assistants running around on my heels...

In general, my expectations about black magic were fully justified. Strange and unusual spells that use darkness as a basis for almost the most common phenomenon. However, apparently I have no talent for conscription. Of course, I managed to summon one skeleton, but that's all. No one and nothing more, just a lonely skeleton with a broken sword.

It's always the same. Judging by the appearance and precise measurements.

If he falls in battle, then after a while, he will still "rise again". More precisely, I will be able to summon him, but before that there is no way, the spell simply does not form. Also, when I simply dispelled the call, I still have to wait, of course less, but in any case about an hour. After prolonged training, the rollback time decreased, but the number of undead summoned still did not increase.

I was a little... upset.…

Ahem, but the teacher said that unlike summoning, I learn other spells much faster. However, according to him, in theory, I will have a chance to replace this skeleton with another undead. Or subjugate another one, already wandering around the world, though in a different and more inconvenient way. But I probably won't use the first option. If they gave me one, then let it be with me until the end. He is my servant and I will not leave him so easily!

Everything can be used.

And since I'm smart, a hero and just a man who has a head on his shoulders, with his meager experience, I could already use a pretty good package of spells, in the form of poisonous fog and the like. Although many people have been training for years and can only control mana a little.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, I had to study more than just alchemy and necromancy. Also, the basics of other types of magic, for one thing with the ability to control a knife. But we can omit such minor details.

And now that day has come, now I have been entrusted to raise the level of my skills with the help of hunting. Put everything into practice.

Well, I knew it would come sooner or later. Somehow they took a long time.

Of course, I don't mind the time when the master and I, not far from the capital, went into a dungeon where I had to kill minor monsters, as well as conduct a couple of experiments. It was not a Spartan, not the easiest, but an unusual way of learning. Fortunately, even before that, the master and I found out how easily I tolerate the sight and smell of blood.

Today, I was assigned to clean out a small tribe of goblins. Which, so politely agreed not to touch the local soldiers to clean up the outskirts. How the goblins ended up in the forest closest to the capital is not clear. But everyone saw it as a good reason.

And since this is the first time I'm going against a large number of enemies, they decided to allocate me…

Bait?..

A squire?..

Help?

She was a slender girl, about six feet tall. By local standards, she is quite tall, but not up to me, let alone the skeleton, she does not reach.

In general, she looked... probably not bad. If you compare it with the maids, then perhaps at their level. I don't care about that, though. If you look at it that way, she was… In a sense, she looked ridiculous, like a novice adventurer swordsman, with a twinkle in her eyes and faith in the power of friendship.

Haha, a woman swordsman, yes in the Middle Ages. For some reason, it bothers me.

"It's still a bait..." I mumbled softly.

King: - Hero, could you repeat your phrase, because I didn't hear you.

He said politely. Who he's pretending to be. I've seen how you usually grimace like you ate a lemon when you see me with the master…

The Bait paled in appearance, but quickly regained its composure.

It looks like she didn't hear me either, but she felt something.…

The bait has the right skills!

- Thank you for your help! I said loudly. Hiding his slight dislike.

And maybe not even quite "easy".

Dachshund, let's continue with the analysis of the appearance. As far as I remember, she was equipped to match the accompanying hero, but unfortunately, by the standards of a fantasy kingdom. The bait was in white armor, with gold, seemingly cunningly attached decorations, and to top it off, like stars on top of the armor, there were blue shimmering stones that were very likely precious. Her long hair was a pleasant scarlet color, slightly shiny in the light, and her eyes were an unusual honey shade. All I can say about her is that she's the perfect bait! It is visible from afar and shines well! Really dear… Is this so that all the bandits within a kilometer radius will attack me? Of course, any combat experience will do for me, but when I come to the goblins, I will tell them to take off their jewelry, suddenly they will fly apart. And gold is needed not only in jewelry, I tell you.

My teacher was just telling me how to turn gold into a special poisonous cloud that kills quickly. Albeit weak creatures… But after that, it beautifully covers them with a layer of gold, reminding me of the fairy tales of koschei the immortal. Or save them and exchange them for local currency, extra money won't hurt me. For example, I can use them to buy some rare ingredients for poisons. The choice is too difficult…

So, I went in the wrong direction…

How long have I been standing here?..

They look at me strangely. The King seemed to understand something.

King: - TC. Oh, that's right, hero, you can go. I forgot that our butler taught you manners. Again, you don't have to wait for my permission to leave!

Having said that, he clicked his tongue in disgust.

What kind of butler is there? I was thinking about the future development of dark knowledge! Not about your primitive manners…

As I was leaving, I pulled away the nearest maid and asked what kind of "butler" they were talking about, I don't remember anything like that at all.

She replied, something like, "Hero, did you really get so carried away with learning manners from Sir Sebastian that you forgot his real profession?"

It sounds very strange, don't you think? How can you forget about your profession when communicating with a person? Although, if you remember, this world is like fantasy books, and there were such shots, so it's not surprising… But... manners training? Was I supposed to go through this nonsense too? But why don't I remember that?

Thinking about some unknown teacher of "manners" and heading towards the exit, simultaneously passing by the descent to the dungeon, it occurred to me to visit the master. And I went down the stairs, constantly hearing the annoying and annoying sound of footsteps behind me.

Going down, deep underground, along a spiral staircase, into the dark, impenetrable depths, bypassing levels or floors.

There were several corridors on each floor, which was a kind of dungeon. And the lower the floor, the more dangerous the criminal is, as well as the stricter the supervision over him.

But I'm not deep enough yet, the descent has just begun…

On one of the levels, near the steps, there was a small bench, the size for one person, on which I relaxed my legs. Why not?

And now, even lower…