Chapter 31: Time to Settle Old Scores
Abyss wasn’t satisfied with the evidence he had gathered so far, but he was determined to get to the bottom of this “Lord of Submergence.” Before that, however, he decided to deal with the Empress immediately.
Nobles usually possessed some magical ability, but it was merely a compulsory subject in their education, a tool for proving their refinement in high society and for occasional self-defense. It was fundamentally different from professional magic. Therefore, their mental fortitude was significantly weaker compared to mages. Abyss could easily dominate them with a single glance using Charm magic. Subduing a seventy-year-old Empress would be a piece of cake.
He just needed to make her order her confidant to cancel the bi-annual inspections of Princess Leona’s tomb and abandon the magic circle there, and the problem would be solved.
As for the rest, it was up to Leona, the victim of the Empress’s scheme, to decide her fate.
Necromancers shouldn’t allow their undead to indiscriminately slaughter the living, but if the deceased had legitimate reasons for revenge, the Creed of Dignity, which prioritized upholding the dignity of both the living and the dead, took precedence over maintaining the balance between life and death. The deceased had the right to decide what to do next.
In other words, necromancers shouldn’t interfere with matters of revenge.
“Wow, it’s already evening! Time flies when you’re drinking. Hey, ABC, your spell is quite handy. If I had drunk this much when I was alive, I’d be stumbling around. But I’m still perfectly sober!” Leona said, walking out of the tavern and attempting to walk in a straight line. She was quite pleased with her success. “And my stomach doesn’t feel bad at all. Being able to enjoy alcohol without any consequences is awesome!”
“Of course, my spell does more than just bring you back to life,” Abyss said to Leona as he led Flora out of the tavern. “You wouldn’t get drunk even if you drank a whole barrel. Your current poison resistance is comparable to an entire nest of two-headed ogres.”
“I’ll rip your head off!” Leona shouted, kicking at him.
Abyss jumped lightly, dodging her attack.
Flora, holding Abyss’s hand, also jumped awkwardly, quickly noticing the difference in his movements.
“Abyss, your steps seem lighter and more powerful than before,” she observed.
“Oh, that’s true,” Abyss said with a smile. “Your powers will gradually be copied to me as your trust in me grows. If you two completely become mine, I’ll gain all of your power. Although we’re equal as individuals, in the system of magic, you’re still considered my followers. This is called a power tribute.”
“So, you’ve obtained that divine power you told me about on the road?” Leona asked curiously, pinching Abyss’s arm, finding it still bony and lacking muscle. “I don’t feel like you’ve gotten much stronger. You’re still so skinny. I could snap your bones with a flick of my wrist.”
“Your goodwill towards me hasn’t reached that level yet, has it?” Abyss said self-deprecatingly. “After all, I keep comparing you to a two-headed ogre.”
“Of course, if you ever make me feel like you’re not worthy of being my companion, I’ll kick you to the curb!” Leona said, brandishing her fist threateningly. Flora remained silent, but her eyes conveyed the same sentiment.
Abyss was still under observation by the two girls. His actions so far hadn’t incurred their displeasure, and he was the one who had awakened them. That’s why these two newly resurrected, helpless girls were willing to follow him. If he did anything to cross their boundaries, he might instantly become a loner—unless he used the necromantic bond to forcefully turn them into his servants.
Of course, that was something Abyss disdained doing, and he wasn’t in a hurry. He knew exactly what caliber of individuals he had resurrected. They were former prodigies, the pride of their respective fields. How could they easily pledge their loyalty to someone they barely knew?
“So, are we going to see the Empress now?” Leona asked, finding the topic uninteresting.
“Yes, we’re going to see the Empress and settle her issue quickly. I have a thousand ways to make her, willingly or otherwise, retract her orders and set the tomb guardians free,” Abyss said confidently.
“Then how do you plan to get into the palace?” Leona asked. “I’m dead now. If I show up at the palace and ask to enter, the Empress will go ballistic and send all her forces to capture us, won’t she?”
“My former status as a Saint won’t be of any use…” Flora said, her head bowed. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Abyss waved his hand. “We’ll just use the Shadow Realm to get there. No one will notice us. We’ll go straight to the Empress and appear before her, giving her a good scare—don’t worry, with Flora here, no one will actually die.”
“That’s so boring!” Leona immediately objected. “I told you I don’t like using the Shadow Realm. It’s too dull!”
“You’re so picky,” Abyss said. “How about this? I have a more fun plan. Want to try it?”
“What is it? Tell me, tell me!”
“I can turn us all into mice,” Abyss said mysteriously, pointing at the ground beneath their feet. “As long as we avoid the cleaning maids, we can approach the Empress silently.”
Flora gasped. “I… I’m terrified of mice.”
“That’s fun!” Leona, predictably, was enthusiastic about the plan. She immediately tried to persuade Flora. “Flora, don’t worry. You’re afraid of mice because they’re small, fast, and can burrow everywhere. But if you become a mouse yourself, it’ll be different. Mice will seem as big as wild boars to you, so you won’t be afraid anymore!”
“Nine Gods above! Mice as big as wild boars!” Flora was even more terrified now.
“ABC! Cast the spell! I want to see what it’s like to have a mouse’s perspective!”
Abyss led the two girls to a secluded corner, chanted some incantations, and their bodies began to transform under a faint green glow.
The powerful control of high-level necromancy manifested. The followers’ forms changed according to Abyss’s will. The two girls quickly transformed into tiny mice, while Abyss used advanced Transformation magic. Although the principle was different, he soon became the same size as Leona and Flora.
Three tiny mice scurried silently out of the shadows, heading towards the palace.
***
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