Chapter 5: Joining The Cult

"Necromancer, huh."

"Yes. That's what he called himself, Lord Fenrir." Said Captain Gilfried in front of a mirror reflecting not his visage but the visage of a young boy with silver hair whose face is devoid of innocence and radiates authority.

"And you're sure that he's not using any Artifact when he reanimates the corpses?"

"Yes, I'm certain. The magic signature I sensed from him when he flared it is the same one that I felt upstairs when he reanimates the fallen knights. T-Though I couldn't really confirm it because I couldn't see what he might hide under his robes."

"Hmph. Give him the Red Pills and observe his body's reaction to it. If he survives and achieves the Third Awakening, then he shall be named a First Child. If he doesn't, we'll know he's a fraud and we'll make use of his remains for our own research."

"Yes, my lord!"

"You said he took the girl. What is he planning to do with her?"

"I-I don't know, lord. He might be planning on experimenting on her. Just like the monster he unleashed upon Everick."

"Well, it's fine. If anything he might take the blame for your mistake. That way, your position in the Knight Order will not be compromised."

"Y-Yes, my lord. I suppose so…"

"Which means you now owe him a great favor."

"!" Realization struck Gilfried to the fact that the Necromancer just saved his life. He had heard that Claude Normann, the talented first son of the Duke, was extremely furious when his sister was kidnapped. The Cult is wary of him and if he discovered that the Knight Order was involved in her kidnapping, Gilfried will be the first to fall under his blade, if he wasn't disposed of by the Cult first.

"When he proves worthy, I'm placing you under his command. Understand?" Declared Fenrir, not accepting objections or suggestions.

"Y-Yes, my lord."

"Good." With that last word, the mirror Artifact shuts down its communication function, no longer reflecting Fenrir's visage but instead reflecting Gilfried's own visage like a normal mirror would.

"Haahhh…. To think he thought that far ahead. It is good that someone like him is our ally."

...

Tap Tap Tap

The sound of footsteps, of someone running, echoes through the ruined dark streets of Everick. The sound only came from one individual and yet she was not alone. She was being chased by someone who doesn't walk the way people do.

The figure of a little girl with blond hair emerges from the dark, illuminated by moonlight. Said girl is running like her life depends on it. Her face revealed absolute fear. Following behind her is a black robed ghost with shining red eyes and skull-like face who flies in the air instead of running.

"H-Heeelp!" Screamed the girl as her chaser, namely me, gets closer.

This is fun. It's been a while since I last played hide and seek with her. Heh heh heh. By the way, this is totally part of my plan. She definitely didn't wake up before I could decide what to do with her. Not at all.

The noise she made attracted attention and the people who beheld my terrible visage fled in terror following her example.

Even the town guards and the Knight Order fled without trying to fight, though it could be because they were following the example of several knights who I recognized as members of the Cult, who've seen my powers first hand and wouldn't dare fight me even if I'm not on their side.

Oh yes. All this time I've only killed people discretely. This is the first time people see me. Look at the way they screamed. Look at the way they ran. Such power over people. This is what it means to be a villain! Mwa ha ha ha ha!

"Mwa ha ha ha ha!"

"Kyaaaahh! Stay away from meeeee! Big brotheeeer! Help meee!"

I'm so sorry, dear Charlotte. Your brother is currently not here. There is only the Necromancer here now. Mwa ha ha ha!

I had too much fun intentionally chasing her slowly and she soon found the way to reach the gates of our castle.

This is bad. If we get this close it'll be weird if Claude didn't appear. How should I exit the scene? As I was contemplating that, I saw the first light of day shining in the east. Dawn has come. I could certainly use this as my exit.

"Halt! State your name and purpose, ghost!"

My father appeared, armed to the teeth and accompanied by his elite knights. He bravely stood in front of me and pointed his sword at me as he shielded his daughter behind him.

"I am the Necromancer, Ruler of Death and Master of your fates. I am the one you referred to as the Occult Killer."

"So you're the one behind all those murders and that monster's rampage! You even dared kidnap my daughter!"

Yes. Good. Finally getting credit for all my hard work.

"You are completely surrounded! Surrender and face judgment of the law!"

"You fool. Your law has no meaning to me. Though it seems I no longer have reason to stay. We shall meet again."

With those last words, I floated back into the dark shadowy street behind me and disappeared into the shadows, allowing my father, my sister and his knights to breathe sighs of relief.

"Haahh… What a monster. The insane amount of magic power he has…"

"D-Daddy… Is the ghost gone?"

"Yes he's gone, dear. He's gone."

"Where's big brother?"

"He's been missing since tonight. I suspect he's searching for you."

"He's looking for me?"

"Yes. Even though I told him not to. Haahh… Your brother just loved you too much."

"Big brother…. Loved me. " A smile and a blush found its way to the frightened girl's face. And that's when I decided to make my entrance.

"Charlotte!"

"Big brother!"

I emerged from the darkness, no longer in the Necromancer outfit naturally. Seeing me, she immediately left father's side and ran towards me.

"BIG BROTHEEER! I WAS SO SCAREEED!"

She glomped me violently, hugging me tightly as if I would fade away otherwise and cried in my arms. I have to play the good big brother act here and thus I hugged her back and stroked her hair gently.

"I'm glad you're fine, Charl."

"Where have you been, Claude!?" Shouted my father.

"Uhh… I'm sorry father." I gave him an awkward smile.

"Hahh.. It's fine. As long as you're safe. Just don't do it again next time. I can't afford to lose you both."

In his relief that both his children are safe, my father decided not to scold me. We then went back to the castle together and both of us were immediately hugged by a very worried mother.

...

The next night I visited Gilfried again in the Knight Order's headquarters. He said I need to pass a test in order to be accepted as a fully fledged member of the Cult.

"What an interesting pill."

"It's a drug that will enhance your magical powers to inhuman heights. But only if you can control it. Controlling it is part of the test, Mr. Necromancer." Said Gilfried as his knights nervously surrounded me, their hands ready to draw their swords. If I was already intimidating before, how scary would I be if I were to go berserk? Such thoughts filled their heads.

"I see." I lowered the jaw part of my skull mask in order to give an opening to my mouth (A neat design I know) and swallowed several pills. As I felt the effects, I noticed the slight similarities between the pill's content and No. 001's blood through the demonic energy I currently felt. With my mastery over magic control, the chaotic energies immediately calmed down.

"Ahh… So this is why the Cult is interested in the Possessed victims."

"Y-You've controlled it already!? So effortlessly!? A-Ahem! Yes! You are absolutely right, Lord Necromancer. This pill is a product of research on Demonic Possession."

"Lord is it?" Lord Necromancer. I like the sound of that.

"Yes, my lord. You have passed the test and are now one of the First Children of Diablos. Lord Fenrir has instructed me that we be placed under your command in the event that you passed the test." He kneeled before me and his men followed suit. Yes! First minions obtained!

"Good. I look forward to a beneficial working relationship with you, Gilfried."

"A-As do I, lord."

"So tell me, Gilfried. What is our current agenda?"

"The Cult's current agenda is to search for more victims of Possession and collect them for experimentation before the Templars could get them."

"So you're competing with the Church over who gets them?"

"Y-Yes. Despite the Church being part of the Cult, they still officially have Inquisitorial rights over the Possessed and would fanatically hunt them down and destroy them, which often clashed with the Cult's interests."

"Politics."

Of course in such a shady organization there would be internal conflicts. Such is the way of villainy.

"You are exactly right, my lord. Also, the Cult is extremely interested in Possessed humans."

"Humans?"

"Yes. Possession is actually a rarer case among humans compared to elves and beastkins. That's why we monitored noble and royal families, who inherited the blood of Heroes, closely, to see if some of them would suffer from Demonic Possession."

"I see. Then we shall keep doing that. And I want to experiment on the Possession victims you have here."

"Y-Yes, my lord! Please do!"

Heh heh heh.

Finally I joined the shady organization that I always wanted to join.

I shall soon rise to the top.

_______________

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