Chapter 87: Prison City
Banjou Shinri Flalous and Enma Kuroha Chromium had arrived in a city called Shaelart. This city existed on the mainland of the Holy Grinia but did not belong to the Holy Grinia itself. It was more accurate to consider it an independent city-state.
The city was governed by the Mage Church.
Within the Mage Church, there was a Shaelart Administration Department, and the priests belonging to it were primarily responsible for governing this city.
"This is the famous Prison City. So many large buildings!"
"Don't make a fuss, Enma Kuroha Chromium. We didn't come here to play."
"Don't worry, I'm working properly."
The reason the Awakened Mage Knights secretly sent by the Empire had come to Shaelart was one and only one: to recruit the necromancer imprisoned in this so-called Prison City. Shaelart existed solely to capture dangerous individuals, including heinous criminals, and even those who opposed the Mage Church were locked up here.
Of course, necromancers were also imprisoned here.
Most of the dangerous individuals incarcerated here were awaiting execution. Before sending them to the executioner's block, their unique skills were extracted. It was necessary to thoroughly gather information on these dangerous techniques to formulate countermeasures.
"Did you find them?"
"Yes."
Enma Kuroha Chromium had gained visual access to her servant-type Mage Armor through sensory sharing. Right now, she was using the power of her Mage Armor to search for the necromancer imprisoned in this facility.
"Alright, let's do it. Are you prepared?"
"Anytime is fine."
"I'm looking forward to your performance, Banjou Shinri Flalous."
At first glance, they appeared to be a grandfather and granddaughter duo. However, these two were capable of easily toppling a city like this. The residents of Shaelart, who were unaware of the situation, had yet to realize the impending crisis.
---
Those known as necromancers were all exceptionally skilled individuals. They continued their research even at the risk of breaking taboos, achieving significant results. They managed to make do with limited funding and resources, their struggles beyond measure.
Shelley Crow was one of them.
"Would you mind finally revealing your hidden Solar Magic research materials?"
"..."
"If combined with the Church's magical research materials, we might be able to complete Resurrection Magic, you know?"
Bound to a chair, Shelley remained silent, enduring the persistent questioning from the inquisitor.
"It seems you turned to necromancy because you wanted to resurrect your lover, isn't that right? It seems you were developing Resurrection Magic..."
"..."
"Once, you presented a new concept at the academy, 'Mental Structure,' wasn't it? Innovative, I must say."
Shelley was originally a mage. She conducted research on Solar Magic, supported by the country. She even fell in love with her assistant.
However, when they were engaged, a deadly illness struck him. Despite her efforts with Solar Magic, Shelley had to watch him pass away.
From that moment, she began researching Resurrection Magic.
"Mental Structure is composed of magical power, isn't it?"
"..."
"By repairing the Mental Structure, even the dead can be revived, right?"
Just as one could repair physical structures with Solar Magic, Shelley aimed to repair the Mental Structure. However, repairing the unknown structure of the mind was challenging. Imperfect repairs led to the creation of many moving corpses.
This, in turn, led to her being labeled a taboo necromancer, and she was imprisoned.
She was a legitimate mage affiliated with the academy, and the animated corpses were treated as experimental failures. That was why she hadn't been immediately executed and why they were now attempting to exploit her research data.
"..."
But she remained silent.
In the storage room for research specimens, the body of her beloved former lover was also preserved. If they found and examined it, he would undoubtedly be buried, something Shelley desperately wanted to avoid.
She used magic to protect her former lover's body.
However, the magic required for protection was not eternal. Without a supply of magical energy, the magic's effects would eventually fade, and decay would set in.
(Hurry... I need to escape soon.)
Despite her outwardly stoic demeanor, internally, she was growing increasingly anxious.
Shelley was originally a legitimate mage, so there was no violent interrogation. However, that might change given time. If the inquisitor grew impatient, they might resort to violence.
She had no intention of yielding, but there were also Mage Armor users who could read minds. If she were subjected to the violent methods of Mage Armor, Shelley would be defenseless.
"Well, there's no helping it. Let's call it a day for now."
The inquisitor leaned in close and spoke.
Shelley maintained her composure but felt relief deep inside.
However, the inquisitor didn't break her smile and uttered a parting remark.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow. My superior has granted permission for more aggressive methods... Do you understand what that means?"
Shelley's shoulders trembled.
What she feared had come to pass.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
Leaving with a smile that even evoked disgust, the inquisitor departed.
Left alone, Shelley muttered softly.
"Why does God take him away... twice..."
She had believed in God since she was a child.
Even when her fiancé fell ill, she continued to pray.
She prayed for him.
But her prayers were never answered.
"God does not respond."
"That may be true."
"God is the enemy."
"I don't think that far."
"Prayers do not reach. It is my duty to fulfill wishes."
It was then that Shelley realized there was someone else in the room with her.
The repeated interrogations, binding to the chair, and the wearing down of her mind had caused Shelley to become distracted. Now, she hastily looked around.
Black stains had appeared on the ceiling. Bubbles were oozing out, creating a sinister atmosphere.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Flalous. I am the one who will grant your wishes."
"Wishes...?"
With a dull thud, darkness flowed out from the stain. Inside, there were two red lights.
They felt like they were staring at her, and Shelley trembled.
"Oh, a demon...?"
"Call me what you like. I am the 'Capricious Truth.' You were chosen by my caprice, Necromancer."
"Isn't there someone more suitable than me to be a necromancer? For example... Alter Skuls?"
"Oh!"
Alter Skuls was a well-known necromancer in the Prison City. He had infiltrated as a mage into a noble's family, turning the head of the family and their relatives into undead servants. Then, he efficiently transformed the entire city into a hellish place with an atmosphere of death, using the people of the city. All of this was part of his experiment to efficiently transform more undead servants. It was the ritual of Alter, "Alter's Secret."
By turning humans into monsters, Alter had committed a taboo within the Mage Church.
"I know about him! The boy named Alter."
"Isn't that man more suitable than me?"
It seemed that Flalous was also aware of the infamous Alter Skuls. Shelley was now conversing calmly. Perhaps it was because she could communicate within the scope of her knowledge. Otherwise
, she might have ended up making a wish to Flalous without understanding anything.
"Who are you?"
"I've already told you. I am the 'Capricious Truth.' You were chosen by my caprice. The boy named Alter was not chosen. It's as simple as that. Now, state your wish."
"Wish...?"
The darkness gushed out from the ceiling.
The red eyes lurking within the darkness.
Shelley couldn't believe in such a suspicious entity. Especially when it came to making a wish to resurrect her most beloved fiancé. But Flalous seemed to know Shelley's wish and whispered as if he did.
"You want to resurrect your fiancé, don't you?"
"..."
"The current you is just a helpless girl. But with my help, you can be reborn. You can outwit the priests of the Mage Church and gain the power to resurrect your most precious fiancé."
Shelley's heart wavered.
In reality, tomorrow's interrogation would involve mind-reading by a Mage Armor user. If Shelley couldn't accomplish anything by tomorrow, she would lose what was most important to her. And if she revealed her mission, Shelley would likely be executed.
Sweet words melted Shelley's strong will.
"Accept me. Seek power."
"I..."
"Miss this stroke of luck, and you will lose everything."
"I... Please, give me the power."
The contract was made.
The darkness writhing on the ceiling disappeared, and Flalous left her with some parting words.
"Tonight, you will be reborn."
---
After eliminating the servant, Enma Kuroha Chromium breathed a sigh of relief.
"It went better than I expected!"
"That's right."
By tempting the captured necromancer and granting her power, they could exert substantial pressure without getting their hands dirty on the surface.
However, their original target was not Shelley but Alter.
"I didn't expect such a sudden request from His Majesty."
"They must be having a hard time over there too. Can't we just go back?"
"We have tasks entrusted to us by His Majesty here as well. It's not that simple to return halfway."
"I see."
Emperor Gias had been troubled by the animated corpses appearing in the capital. He had contacted Banjou Shinri Flalous to inquire if it was possible. Flalous's response was affirmative, though he couldn't immediately explain the details. That's why they had set their sights on Shelley, who had brought animated corpses to life. Flalous suspected that there might be hints related to the capital's animated corpses in her magic circles.
"Banjou Shinri Flalous, it's about time to prepare."
"I know. Do you know Shelley's precise location?"
"Yes, I do. What's the plan?"
"We're going to turn this Prison City, Shaelart, into a magical ritual site. Gather power at its center and transmute the woman named Shelley into an undead servant."
Transforming a human into an undead creature was no small feat.
"Should I assist you?"
"You'll help me conceal the magic circles we set up in Shaelart, Enma Kuroha Chromium."
"Understood."
As the two awakened Mage Armor users schemed in the Prison City of Shaelart, in the capital of Ardal, the second meeting of the Black Cat's high-ranking members was about to take place.
Comments
Post a Comment