'Let's just act natural here.'
The panic was only momentary. I reacted calmly, as if I'd known all along that my master was a black mage. I didn't want to give the other guy any openings.
"Comrade?"
Whether my act had worked or not, the young man ignored me completely and shot the question back at my master. He seemed genuinely confused by the word.
"Exactly what I said. We're in the same group."
My master lifted the necklace he'd had around his neck. A large scythe decoration that summoned Sidra came into view from beneath his clothes. The metal ornament, carved in that shape, dangled in the air, showing itself off.
"Oh, this?"
Spotting my master's necklace, the young man grinned and pulled out an identical one of his own.
So, was the fight off the table after all? Just as I started to relax... He turned to my master and asked,
"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight, right?"
"I can't fathom why you're so insistent on battling. It's so inefficient."
"Just 'cause I don't like you. And..."
The young man paused for a moment. He glanced back and forth between the flesh golem made of meat chunks and my master's golem before continuing.
"I'm curious which is stronger—my baby or your golem. If I win, I'll even carve some flesh off your corpses as a special treat to bulk up my baby."
His words were so repulsive I wanted to wash out my ears. But my master responded nonchalantly.
"And if you lose?"
"That ain't happening!"
With his retort, the flesh golem charged. My master's golem moved to block it.
Boom!
The two giants collided, sending a thunderous roar echoing through the air.
"Hm..."
My master watched the scene with an expressionless face. Even though the fight had kicked off at an unexpected moment, he showed no flicker of emotion. Seeing him like that made me feel secure. With that kind of confidence in his own abilities, he could afford to stay so composed, right?
Digori of the live burial! Today, we'd get to witness that legend in action. My chest thumped with anticipation.
"Heros."
"Yes!"
That's why I'd answered so energetically when he called my name.
"It's rare for mages to fight other mages. So watch everything from here on out. It'll be a valuable lesson for you."
"Is this a class too?"
"A class... Yeah, you could call it that."
Did he like the way I phrased it? A faint smile crossed my master's face. But he quickly reverted to his usual blank expression and continued calmly.
"Battles against necromancers depend on the caliber of undead they control. In a case like this, it's pretty straightforward."
I listened to his explanation while keeping my eyes forward. The golem called "baby" was still locked in a stalemate, unable to break through my master's golem.
"By now, he's probably admitting to himself that his prized flesh golem can't pierce our defense. So, what do you think his next move will be?"
"Call in more undead?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he's a necromancer."
"Excellent."
Right after my master's praise... Undead burst out from various spots in the forest. Moving corpses—zombies. There were over twenty of them, more than the number of missing villagers. This guy was clearly a repeat offender. He must have been wandering from village to village, kidnapping people and turning them into undead.
"The undead's quality is disappointingly low. I thought they'd make good teaching material, but no such luck."
My master sighed deeply at the sight of the zombies. He saw things a bit differently from me.
'Isn't that decent enough?'
The zombies summoned by the young man didn't shamble slowly like the ones I'd seen in modern media. They were closing in at a full sprint, adult speed. And since they were already dead bodies, no vital spots to worry about. Wait, was the head their weak point?
"Master, do zombies stop if you smash their heads?"
"They're dead husks moved by magic. Smashing the head won't do a thing. The surest way is to take out the mage controlling them."
"Oh..."
I'd thought you could drop them like in the movies by crushing the skull, but apparently not. And he called these low-quality undead? I couldn't believe it.
"Is that all?"
At that moment, my master called out to the young man. His face, which had been smirking confidently at us, twisted horribly. But no reply came.
"Looks like that's his full force."
Confirming the opponent's reaction, my master seemed convinced this was everything the guy had.
"Time to wrap this up."
With those words from my master... Suddenly, his golem—which had been in a contest of strength with the flesh golem—crumpled to the ground. More precisely, the earth comprising its body collapsed back into the soil. And in its place stood a single skeleton. The unassuming skull, gripping a single sword, just stood there blankly.
'Why?'
Why dispel the golem now? The moment that question crossed my mind... The flesh golem swung its arm at the skeleton. No way a fragile-looking skull could take that massive, thick fist and stay standing. But what happened next defied my expectations.
Whoosh.
The skeleton dodged with minimal movement. The flesh golem's fist grazed the side of its skull-head. Then it swung its sword sideways. A half-hearted swing, at first glance. But the result was astonishing.
Thud.
The flesh golem's right arm hit the ground. The cut was so clean it felt utterly unreal. But the skeleton wasn't done. While I was still marveling...
Thud.
Now the left arm fell. The skeleton had circled behind and slashed up and down to sever the remaining arm. The real issue was... How swift and fluid the movements were—I couldn't even follow what happened. It blurred by in a flash, and suddenly the left arm was gone.
And while I was reeling from that impossible speed, the skeleton swung again. This time, left to right. The result?
Thud.
The flesh golem's upper and lower halves neatly separated. Three sword strikes. That was all it took to neutralize the flesh golem.
"Whoa...!"
How could a plain old sword do that? Was it the weapon? The skeleton's skill? Or both? I had no idea. But one thing was clear. The feat the skeleton achieved with that sword... felt more like true magic than any spell I'd seen so far.
"Baaaabyyy—!"
If it shocked me that much, imagine the opponent. The young man screamed, eyes bulging wide. Whether in response or not, the flesh golem's severed parts started twitching independently. Still no real threat, though.
'So cool.'
As the young man kept wailing... The skeleton dispatched the approaching zombies. I stared in a daze. The results were just that incredible. Then my master's voice rang out.
"Heros."
"Yes, Master!"
I whipped my head around to face him. He spoke in his usual flat tone.
"Suppose you're fighting a necromancer. How do you gauge their skill level?"
"By the quality of undead they command?"
I glanced at the skeleton as I answered. My master nodded.
"Correct. But there's another way: check the number of undead they summon. It's useful against summoner mages in general, not just necromancers. Commit it to memory."
"The number of undead?"
"The more summons they use, the more mana they burn. So those relying on numbers usually lack mana reserves."
"Ah! So they can't cast powerful spells? If they're maxing out on summons, even basic magic might be beyond them."
"Exactly. In these cases, they're often novice mages who only know a handful of summon-related spells. Like the fool in front of us."
Extremely useful info. Heavy summon reliance eats up a fixed mana pool, leaving no room for other spells.
"That's why skilled mages go for quality over quantity with their summons."
"Like you, Master?"
"Yes."
So that's why he hid the skeleton inside the golem! That skull was his secret weapon and ace in the hole. With a powerhouse undead escort like that, he could openly flaunt his mage status. Another moment where I truly appreciated just how amazing my master was.
'Gotta pat my past self on the back.'
If I'd bailed because necromancy creeped me out? Knowing his personality, he probably wouldn't have killed me. But I'd still be stuck in that dump of a village, getting the short end of the stick. The gamble of a lifetime. And it paid off big time!
"This can't be real! No way!"
While I basked in joy... The young man yelled at us. I turned to look, and there was the skeleton holding its sword to his throat.
'What? He already cleared all the zombies?'
Checking them out, the zombies were dismembered, twitching on the ground amid the flesh golem chunks. Arms, legs, torsos wriggling separately—not a pretty sight.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Ignoring the young man's ravings... My master looked at me and said what he wanted.
"Avoid fighting mages older than you, if possible. Especially old ones."
"Why?"
"They've had more years with magic. If a talented mage survives to old age through training, they'll have massive mana pools and a vast spell repertoire."
"Makes sense."
As I nodded vigorously, my master pondered briefly before adding,
"Actually, you might be fine."
What did that mean? I shot him a questioning look. Our eyes met.
"As long as you keep devouring those grimoires diligently, you'll surpass others in no time. Talent lets you catch up to decades of effort quickly. Yours is exceptional, Heros."
Sincere praise. It made my shoulders lift with pride. Did it show on my face? My master warned sternly.
"Don't get cocky. Keep pushing forward."
"Yes!"
The moment I replied energetically...
Thud.
Something hit the ground. And just like that, the young man's bellowing cut off. The skeleton must have swung.
"It's over."
My master declared the end. A question popped into my head.
"Master, were you a black mage?"
"No."
He denied it flatly. But I still had doubts.
"You said you were in the same group as necromancers. And you called him a comrade."
"I didn't join willingly. He kept following me and begging, so I did it reluctantly. Didn't want the hassle of making enemies."
"So, necromancer yes, black mage no?"
"Exactly. I swear, I've never done anything vile enough to earn the black mage label. Even for bodies, I paid fair prices—no killing or grave-robbing."
Did he think I was scared of him? He placed a hand on my head as he spoke. The warmth of his palm soothed my heart.
"I'll become a great necromancer like you, Master."
"No necromancy for you. Go fire mage instead. Nobles will fight over you."
"Then why take me as your apprentice if you won't make me a necromancer?"
"Hm... I'll tell you later."
He dodged the question. So I switched topics quickly.
"We've caught the culprit. Should we head back to the soldiers now?"
My question earned a firm headshake.
"Heros. Mages are generally wealthy."
"Are you, Master?"
Caught-off guard by my sharp jab? He fell silent for a moment before replying.
"...Exceptions exist everywhere. Anyway. We beat the necromancer, so we claim first dibs on spoils. Got it?"
"Yeah. Grab the unowned loot?"
"Exactly. With luck, we might snag a few grimoires. Mages hoard them—even ones they can't read."
"Why?"
"Grimoires trade best for other grimoires. For swapping with fellow mages."
"Ah."
High odds of grimoires in that hut, then. A new grimoire? My heart raced with excitement.
"Let's go in."
"Yes!"
I headed into the necromancer's hut with my master.
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