LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Joyful Necromancy
“Why didn’t you wake me up and take me with you?!!”
It seems that after I returned to the room and recounted the events, Antendeixis, who had finally gotten up, was angrily scolding Zilbagias, the Demon Lord’s Prince.
“What a grave mistake! Weren’t we supposed to stand together in life and death?!!”
Well, you were sleeping so soundly…
“I thought when you woke up, you’d come to wake me! You betrayed that trust! I missed seeing the foolish expression you must have shown when that Enma brought up the topic…!”
Come on, don’t be so prickly! You looked so comfortable sleeping that I thought it might be wrong to wake you up.
But honestly, it felt too quiet and lonely going out without you for the first time in a while.
Next time, even if you’re asleep or lounging around, I’ll drag you along with me, so forgive me this time, alright?
…As I said this, Antendeixis, who had been sulking, seemed to soften a bit.
“Hmm… I’ll let it slide this time. Indulging in a lazy sleep can be quite nice, after all.”
And just like that, the matter was settled.
As for the necromancy, I decided it was only right to report it to Platy as well.
“…If you really insist on doing it, I won’t stop you, but are you really okay? I’ve heard that it can have strange effects on your mind…”
As expected, Platy showed concern.
“My faithful companion Antendeixis will be monitoring my actions, and Sophia will keep watch as well. If even the slightest oddity is detected, we’ll stop immediately.”
Antendeixis added, “Your soul is filled with my power. Peeking into the spirit world—or what Enma calls the mental realm—shouldn’t warp your mind under the world’s pressure.”
With that assurance, I got the green light.
Still, according to Enma, necromancy is not well-received among the demon race. Taking that into account, Platy really does let me do quite a bit, huh?
“Such a broad-minded education mom.”
Hmm, no, that might be a bit misleading… A normal, actively caring mother wouldn’t stab you with a spear while sprouting arms from her back…
Anyway, there was no reason to postpone learning necromancy, so I planned to go the very next day.
“Hey, Zil. I’m glad to see you again.”
Our meeting place was, once again, the sunny courtyard during the day.
Yes, the warm, sunny courtyard. Enma was seated on a shady bench, waving at me.
She looked the same as yesterday, but her hairstyle was a bit different. Yesterday, she just had it tied back, but today it was in braids cascading down her shoulders.
I also felt like her necklace was slightly different. Yesterday it was gold, but today it was silver with a rose-colored crystal attached. To her, it must feel like playing with a doll.
There weren’t any other shadows in the courtyard. It’s midnight in demon terms, after all. Perfect for avoiding attention—it’s a hidden gem.
“Hey. Are you sure this time and place is okay?”
Meeting up with the Undead King in broad daylight—how rare is that?
I never expected to be learning necromancy in a sunlit plant garden. I pictured something much darker, like a creepy space deep within the Demon Lord Castle, surrounded by countless undead while performing dubious rituals.
“We’re just starting with the basics today. Sure, avoiding attention is a factor, but if you feel uneasy or accidentally summon some weird spirit, getting it out in the sunlight should fix things quickly.”
“…So it really is just the basics, right?”
Do we really need such preparations???
“Just to be safe. Even if there’s no sunlight, with my support, we should be fine. However, since this is your first time dealing with dark arts, an open space might help you relax.”
You seem strangely fond of sunlight, Enma chuckled softly.
“Yeah, I guess that makes this a safe and sound place.”
“…I’d love to invite you to my lab.”
Enma pouted in dissatisfaction.
“To be honest, I haven’t had a living guest in a long time. The air might be toxic, and it’ll take a while to ventilate and clean up.”
“Ah, I see…”
“I think next time I can invite you? I’ll prepare some tea and snacks!”
“O-Oh, I look forward to it.”
Honestly, I’m not thrilled about the undead fortress in the Demon Lord Castle…
However, this “doll maker” known as Enma is a tough undead that the Holy Church couldn’t eradicate even in a hundred years. She’s likely just swapping bodies again, but her main body is probably lurking in a high chance within the Demon Lord Castle’s underground.
Someday, when I have to face Enma, that place might hold the key to defeating her. I’d like to check out the undead’s stronghold for that reason.
“Now then, let’s get started right away.”
I sat beside Enma and began my basic lessons in necromancy.
—First, I learned a few spells.
A spell to awaken sleeping souls. A spell to search for the soul I seek. A spell to pierce the boundary between the material and spirit realms.
“[Inirii En’e Uosu Fapanah].”
“Eh…? What was that again?”
There were a lot of strange pronunciations, completely different from the common tongue or ancient languages. It was quite confusing and hard to memorize. I felt like I was learning demon script for the first time.
“Perfect!”
Sophia, who was watching in the background, gave me a thumbs-up, so I had no issues with the recording.
“It’s nothing much. Just reading the prayer in reverse.”
Enma’s words sent a slight chill down my spine. Those were inverted phrases of prayers commonly recited to wish for the peace of souls and the comfort of the deceased within the alliance zone. The intent and prayers woven into the words were twisted into curses—the very opposite…
Moreover, it wasn’t enough just to memorize the incantation; I also had to skillfully manipulate dark magic power.
“[Aorato Teihosu Po Horijii Ton Kozumo, Anikuite—]”
Especially the spell for piercing the boundaries of this world.
“That’s it, good job. As expected from a demon, handling that magic power is like moving your own limbs!”
As I swirled magic power in front of me and tried to imagine piercing a hole in the boundary, Enma clapped her hands in praise.
“Honestly, this is where it gets tricky in necromancy basics. Depending on the schools of thought, it’s sometimes called the ‘spell to open the gate to the spirit world’—treated almost like an advanced technique, even though it’s just the basics. Once you get past this stage, it’s mostly about the strength of your magic power and mental fortitude…”
Yeah, if I were human, I would undoubtedly stumble at this process.
But thanks to my horns, I can perceive magic power as if it’s right in my hands. Watching Enma’s example and copying her was not an issue. The part that took the longest to get right was getting the incantation smooth.
If I were human, it’d be like learning a craftsman’s skill while blindfolded—trying to grasp the image based only on hearsay while hardly seeing how the craftsman works. That would be tough.
Demons have it easy, huh… Well, I guess Forest Elves and Dragons are somewhat similar too.
“Is this magic something that can only be used with dark attributes?”
Sophia asked while fiddling with her magic power.
Demons basically don’t possess magic attributes. An arson demon or a drowning demon seems to acquire fire or water properties when they cross worlds, but other demons, while closest to dark attributes, are said to have properties that are similar but different.
Thus, aside from spells that don’t require attributes like protective spells or soundproof barriers, demons often can’t use magic at all.
That means this “spell to open the gate to the spirit world” is something Sophia can’t use.
“Exactly. Dark attributes are primary. If not, then light attributes will do.”
“Eh, light?”
Isn’t necromancy supposed to be about the dark? Sophia and I exchanged glances.
“This spell to open the gate, while I haven’t seen it directly with my own eyes, it seems it can work even with light attributes. If the material world is the surface, then the mental realm is the opposite. The surface is a realm of light, while the opposite is one of darkness. Since it directly interferes with these realms, theoretically, it should work with either… Well, the compatibility of light attributes with necromancy is the worst, though, so it probably won’t have much use.”
Pulling souls out from the dark realm to do various things is the specialty of dark attributes.
“Alright! I’ve memorized the spells and can handle the magic power perfectly. Let’s give it a try.”
“…Here we go.”
Antendeixis was feeling considerable guilt about the situation, but I was curious about my powers right now.
“It’s gradually increasing… Well, with this being my first use of necromancy, it will likely spike more from here.”
Antendeixis replied with a tone resembling a half-smile.
I’m about to use necromancy… What a fall from grace for a hero…
“With that said, here you go, Prince.”
As I got lost in thought, Enma suddenly produced a paper box.
“…Please tell me it’s not a surprise box?”
“It might be something similar.”
Enma smiled widely. …I can hear a rustling sound.
Cautiously opening it, I found, predictably, a centipede-like poison bug writhing inside.
“…What is this?”
“Right now, we’re going to kill that and then resurrect it.”
“I figured it would go this way… I didn’t know you could undead-fy bugs too.”
“Of course. But, you see, this type of truly lowly creature only has a pathetic soul, so if you resurrect it, it’ll be a fragile, worthless undead that can hardly follow orders.”
Well, it’s good that bugs won’t turn into high-level undead that could follow complex commands. A bee with deadly poison could be a huge threat to the alliance.
“If you kill it, the bond will be stronger, making it easier to find. And since it just died, its pathetic soul shouldn’t have decomposed yet. Open the gate, call it, use magic to grab its withdrawn soul, and put it back into the body. And voilà, you’ve got yourself a low-tier undead.”
…I see, that makes sense.
“If the soul decomposes, you won’t be able to revive it, right?”
“That particular dead one, yes. But if there are strong regrets or some magical influences from the material world, there might be remnants left. Most rituals for summoning ancestors deal with that—essentially the remains of the deceased.”
Enma snorted scornfully, but I couldn’t help but ponder, could that really be true?
If that is indeed the case… doesn’t that mean feelings linger on?
“Alright, then please go ahead.”
Now, focusing back on the task at hand. With the needle Enma handed me, I stabbed the poisonous bug.
I felt a bit guilty about it.
“[Aorato Teihosu Po Horijii Ton Kozumo, Anikuite—]”
I opened the gate with dark magic.
“[Inirii En’e Uosu Fapanah—]”
Reaching my magical hand towards the dark ‘other side’—
I drew out, slickly, a translucent poison bug.
I slipped it into the body.
“Hey, look! It worked!”
With a lighthearted tone, Enma declared.
“…Yeah, it seems so.”
In my hands, the paper box contained a now-revived bug, making a rustling sound.