Chapter 8: Deal With The Devil!

3 Years have passed since the Necromancer incident and the Necromancer hasn't made his public appearance… because I've been too busy working on enchanted weapons for the Cult!

Of course the enchanted weapons I sold to other branches of the Cult are not the best enchantments that I got.

I always keep the best ones to myself, which I obviously gave to my growing undead army, whom I kept in several underground lairs that I decorated to be like ancient tombs so they can be my very own undead themed dungeons.

Of course I kept these tombs a secret from the Cult.

My growing necromantic powers allowed me to reanimate even skeletons, which is harder to do than on zombies who still have their magic circuits intact.

I had to create artificial magic circuits and place them into their bones in order to allow my necromantic energy to reanimate them.

I even have to create pseudo-brains inside their skulls made of magic circuits in order to allow them to properly function like the zombies who had actual brains. The same trick is used to create headless undead like Dullahan. I just placed the pseudo brains inside their chest. I even reinforced the bones of the skeletons so they won't be so brittle.

Really, creating undead is much easier if they still got their important parts intact but I'm a sucker for skeletons so I went out my way to create them despite the difficulty. I could always use this experience to get more creative later. Maybe making a giant undead made of many skeletons?

Anyway the lack of action is kinda boring but at least I've made great improvements to my magic through research. I've managed to figure out how to cast flashy spells like in those fantasy anime and games, like casting fireballs, ice spears or lightning bolts. I also created curse spells to give debuffs to my enemies.

My arsenal of spells kept increasing. My style of fighting with spells earned me the name "Living Artifact" among the Cult, a name I received when I was officially acknowledged as a Named Child.

It was all hard work. I'm glad that I was able to invent a spell that reduced my need to rest so I can function for many hours day and night to play the busy roles of both Claude and the Necromancer.

I've also heard news about another secret organization who kept sabotaging the Cult's operations and stole several Possession victims from Cult affiliated bandits and bases mainly in Midgar Kingdom.

The cultists seemed to refer to them as Shadow Garden. Pfft… To think they would buy into my lie so easily. It's hilarious. But I have to thank whoever is running this "Shadow Garden" thingy.

Thanks to them, my words were taken more seriously and I got respected even on other branches of the Cult and I'm excited to eventually meet them in battle. Heh heh heh.

I am 15 years old now and I am currently preparing to enter the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, the most prestigious spellsword academy in Midgar. Attending it is an obligation of every child of aristocrats when they reach 15 years old. I am no exception.

My sister Charlotte, who is less clingy after she began training with me to get stronger, becomes clingy once again because we won't see each other for at least 2 years where she would attend the academy as well.

But before I leave for the academy, I, as the Necromancer, have an appointment with Viscount Grease, who joined the Cult's ranks some time ago after his daughter was afflicted by Demonic Possession.

He seems to insist on meeting me personally, not just to order some new enchanted swords. Let's see what he has to say.

...

I met the Viscount in my main hideout in Everick, which is already expanded to become a proper underground base. He is a gray haired middle aged man wearing green aristocratic clothes.

Due to his hard work after joining the Cult, he has been granted the title of Second Child of Diablos, the same rank my minion Gilfried has. We both sat on a chair facing each other as we begin our conversation.

"So, you are Necromancer."

"Indeed, Viscount Grease. I was told that you wanted to see me. Here I am. Now speak."

"Hmm… I'll be frank, Mr. Necromancer. I want to make a deal with you."

"What sort of deal?"

"I want your help in curing my daughter of the Demonic Possession. I heard that your ability to manipulate the Possession is second to none. Please. She is all that I cared about. I'll pay whatever price you want."

This is it. The moment I've been waiting for. The moment where I can make a a Deal with the Devil sort of scenario.

"Hmm… So you want to save your daughter, Millia, from Demonic Possession. And you're ready to pay whatever price."

"Yes. Name your price, Mr. Necromancer."

"It won't be cheap. I need to use my connections to procure her from Zenon's lab. He won't be giving her up so easily."

"Zenon!? So he's a member too!?"

"And a First Child just like myself. A competitor you could say. Getting him to give her up won't be easy, not to mention you want me to cure her, something only I could do, something that I doubt the Cult would do considering how rare human Compatibles are."

"Tch. I know deep down that the Cult have no intention of releasing my daughter from her pain. Which is why I'm asking you now. Name your price."

"In addition to monetary payment, which we shall decide later, you can provide me with human sacrifices, preferably living and capable fighters."

"H-Human sacrifices!? What do you want to do with them!?"

"That's none of your concern. All you care about is your daughter, no?"

"Y-Yes."

"And you've already captured some innocent girls for the Cult and are about to capture more. What's the harm of sacrificing more innocent souls for the sake of your daughter?"

"….."

I stood up from my chair and walked behind him and whispered to his ears.

"Poor Millia. She is no doubt in perpetual pain right now. In pain and alone."

"…!" That seemed to shake him.

"If you cannot pay the price, the only salvation she could get is death. And I doubt the Cult would allow that."

"Guhh…." He started gritting his teeth and clenching his fist in anger.

"How many souls do you want?"

"Depends on how long I could get Zenon to give her up. Which is another thing I would ask your help with."

He stood up in anger and shouted at me.

"So in addition to all that, you want my help with undermining Marquis Zenon's position in the Cult? You ask too much, Necromancer!"

"You're the one who needed my help. You're the one who asked me to name my price. And I've done so. What is your decision?"

He gritted his teeth again as he begins contemplating whether he would be willing to pay the price I asked or not. In the end, his desperation won over him.

"Very well. I will agree to your terms, Necromancer."

"Good." We shook hands to finalize the deal. I would then supply him and his men with enchanted weapons that would help him in his quest to undermine my competitor, Zenon Griffey.

I would need to cook up some scheme later but for now at least I've secured an ally to use against Zenon, a First Child who is aiming to fill the position of the vacant 12th Seat of the Knights of Rounds, a position I'm aiming for as well.

Shall I pit him against my other competitors such as that former Rounds member, Sir Gaunt, who is aiming to reclaim his position? Or the blind swordsman Gettan? Heh heh heh.

...

I've arrived in the Midgar Royal Capital and have finalized the admission process to attend the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy.

I've invented a teleport spell, which I kept to myself, that would allow me to travel back and forth between the Capital and my base in Everick.

It was tricky figuring out how to make teleportation work but it was made easier by setting up anchors, which acts as magical coordinates to teleport into. Of course I placed the teleportation anchors to all my bases, including my dungeons.

I later received news that Viscount Grease has been eliminated by what the Cultists assumed to be the "Shadow Garden" while on a mission to kidnap another innocent girl for the Cult.

It's a shame that he was killed far too early even after I supplied him with all those enchanted swords and thus our deals are now null and void. But this makes the "Shadow Garden" far more interesting to me.

They are strong enough to defeat a troop of knights wielding my enchanted swords. They are definitely more than a common rabble.

I hope I can encounter them soon.

Heh heh heh.

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