Chapter 7

“Excellent!”

Werner clapped his hands together, trying to lighten the mood. He must have realized how it looked—two grown men pressing in on me like that.

“Then, I suppose we should start by explaining the details?”

“Yes, please. When you said earlier that ‘necromancers have started moving again,’ what exactly did you mean?”

This was the part I was most curious about. I needed to know just how much Tristan and Werner had figured out.

“Exactly what I said. We’ve found signs that necromancers are once again active on the continent.”

“But… that’s impossible. After the Holy Crusade three hundred years ago, weren’t all the necromancers sealed away on a remote island?”

‘Well, aside from exceptions like me…’

Tristan frowned slightly and replied.

“That’s how it was. But things have changed, haven’t they?”

The continent had recovered rapidly, and over generations, the sorrows of three centuries ago were slowly forgotten.

The power of the current Holy See was a far cry from what it had been back then.

“Ironic, isn’t it? Without necromancers, the Holy See loses its relevance.”

“To guard against necromancers, the Holy See occupied a portion of land within the Bellond Empire. Every hundred years, they renew that territorial agreement with the Empire. And this fall marks the next renewal.”

As I listened to Werner’s explanation, the bigger picture came into view.

“Which means… the Empire has no intention of renewing the agreement this time.”

“Correct. Spot on.”

“But… that just makes your claim even more confusing. You said you’ve found signs that necromancers are active.”

If necromancers are really back, wouldn’t that force the Empire to renew its deal with the Holy See? At my question, Werner scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly.

“That’s the tricky part… See, necromancers look just like normal humans. And unless you’re a priest, you can’t even feel the remnants of dark magic.”

He pulled a small device from his pocket.

“This meter was made by the Holy See, too. So if they suddenly declare, ‘Necromancers have returned!’ we’ve got no real way of confirming if it’s true.”

Now things were getting complicated.

The Holy See had every reason to fabricate evidence to prove they were still needed. And the Imperial family? They had no means to tell truth from fiction.

That explained why these two were conducting their own investigation into the necromancers’ return.

‘So they’re not acting because they know something. That’s a relief.’

At least they weren’t on to me. If they were simply being cautious in case the Holy See pulled a stunt to secure their contract…

‘Then I just need to play along.’

And this was actually a useful bit of intel.

They didn’t even fully trust the Holy See’s detection devices.

Even if a real trace of necromancy showed up, they’d likely assume it was part of some church-engineered ruse.

They wanted to believe that.

‘This actually works in our favor. As long as we avoid contact with the Holy See, the Empire has no real way of sniffing out necromancers.’

It’s not like anyone in their right mind would use necromancy right in front of a priest. In other words, there’s virtually no risk of getting exposed from traces alone.

I was just about to let my lips curl into a small smile when Tristan casually dropped a bomb.

“The most recent traces were found around the mid-slopes of the Lauden Mountains.”

Hrk!

I immediately choked and broke into a coughing fit. Thank the heavens I managed to cover my mouth with my sleeve—I didn’t want to appear rude.

“Goodness. Are you all right?”

Werner offered me a handkerchief.

“Ah, yes. I was just… a little surprised. The Lauden Mountains aren’t far from here.”

“Exactly. They’re west of the capital. And just beyond those mountains is the Marquessate of Chambell. A lot of people pass through the area. It’s quite serious.”

Right. That very Chambell territory is where Andrea’s national academy is located.

“…My younger brother travels through there often. He commutes to the academy. Are you saying necromantic traces were found near his route?”

“Oh—don’t worry. The Capital Guard is keeping a close eye on that road. The traces we found were some distance away from the usual path.”

‘Because we took the shortcut… and forced the carriage up a mountain trail.’

“Still, it must be stressful for you.”

Everyone in the Empire knew how much we siblings cherished our youngest. They must’ve chalked it up to that, because neither of them looked particularly suspicious.

“But like we said, we’re not sure yet if it really was a trace of necromancy. We need to investigate further.”

‘It really was…’

“When we visited the site, though, the detector lit up bright red and started wailing. Whatever it was, it left behind a powerful trace of dark magic.”

‘Because I raised three zombies there…’

Werner dropped his voice, clearly trying to scare me. But he didn’t need to. I was already terrified.

I could feel cold sweat trickling down my spine.

“That should be enough explanation. Time is of the essence, after all.”

“Yes, you need to complete the investigation before this fall, correct?”

“Exactly. So let’s head back and pack.”

“…Excuse me?”

I thought I misheard him.

“Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Lauden Mountains. I’d like you to visit the site yourself and confirm whether those traces are real.”

“But, Your Highness… tomorrow’s a holiday.”

“Which is why we’re going. If we both leave during a weekday, people might get suspicious.”

And just like that, I was reminded once again: even a kind superior is still a superior.

He truly believed I’d give up my precious day off and follow him to the mountains—all for the sake of his investigation.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

That was the correct answer.

* * *

“We were lucky.”

Werner grinned. Truly, what perfect timing it had been to discover the Walker young lady’s abilities like that.

“Perhaps the gods are favoring Your Highness.”

“The gods, going against the Holy See? If that’s the case, they’re cruel indeed.”

“Your Highness, you mustn’t say things like that out loud.”

The Bellond Empire officially recognized the Helios faith as its state religion. Though political and religious authority were technically separated, the Holy See still had a hand in politics.

If Tristan’s offhand comment reached the ears of the Holy See, they’d pounce on it, eager to use it to question his legitimacy.

“Still, isn’t it surprising? That the ‘blemish of House Walker’ turned out to have such a gift?”

Werner thought back to the young lady who had just been sitting across from them.

“People used to say her lack of grace came from being forsaken by the gods. But it must just be her nature.”

Thanks to her gentle temperament, quite a few of the palace staff quietly admired her. And having seen her up close, he could tell—she truly was a kind soul.

Sometimes, when she rolled her eyes, he’d wonder what sort of thoughts were spinning around in that little head of hers. Like a puppy sneaking glances at a snack, unsure if it was allowed to take it.

Even when faced with Tristan’s overbearing demands, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She fumbled and hesitated… and in the end, agreed.

Werner couldn’t help but chuckle.

“People like that are rare, aren’t they?”

“You never know,” Tristan murmured, leaning against the window frame.

Emily Walker, as he had observed her, was someone who smiled easily and greeted others with warmth in her voice.

As a noble lady, working as a scribe in the imperial palace could have been considered shameful—but she had complied with the rule he implemented, requiring formal address among staff regardless of status.

“There are quite a few good stories about her. I looked into it—she even treats the servants who bring her water with kindness. She’s never done anything to earn hatred. And she doesn’t seem to have any political ambitions either.”

To Werner, that made her an ideal ally. Who would’ve thought that the so-called blemish of the Walker family would turn out to be so… useful?

Tristan, watching Emily from the window as she made her way to the carriage, spoke quietly.

“A friend to everyone… is a friend to no one.”

His eyes turned cold as he said it.

“Someone who’s kind to all rarely gives their heart to anyone.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Your Highness’s trust issues don’t even spare Lady Walker, I see.”

Werner laughed it off lightly.

* * *

“All right, then.”

A calm hush settled over the room, the darkness wrapping gently around the dining table. I looked each of my three siblings in the eye and solemnly declared,

“I hereby call the third emergency strategy meeting to order.”

“I have a question.”

“Questions must be raised by hand, and I’ll grant speaking rights at my discretion.”

Yullia raised her hand with a pouty expression.

“Now, moving on to the first item on the agenda—”

“You told me to raise my hand!”

“Just because you raise your hand doesn’t mean everyone gets to speak.”

At my logical retort, Yullia gave me an exasperated look.

“Seriously though—do we really have to do this in such a dark, creepy room?!”

She gestured toward the curtains drawn over every window. The only light came from a single flickering candle.

“I was going for a secret-dark-society vibe, but I guess it’s not working… I just thought the dark might be more comfortable?”

“What, do you think we’re vampires or something?”

“Sorry. Never been a zombie before either.”

I mean, it just felt right, didn’t it? A necromancer and her undead siblings… a shadowy gathering seemed on-brand.

I thought maybe it’d feel more natural this way—but clearly, Yullia didn’t appreciate the aesthetic.

Swish—she yanked open the curtains, and golden twilight spilled into the room as the sun began to set.

The soft glow brushed across Edmund’s cheek, illuminating the sharp lines of his jaw.

“…I heard about what happened earlier.”

So the news of Isaac’s duel had already reached him.

“And I also heard that you left with the Crown Prince.”

“Ugh. About that… things got a little complicated.”

I quickly summarized what Tristan had told me.

That I’d somehow gotten dragged into the silent power struggle between the Empire and the Holy See… and that now I’d be giving up my day off to serve as a necromancy detector.

“Are you insane?!”

Yullia shot up from her seat.

‘I mean, yeah. I am about to get dragged into enemy territory…’

“Does that Crown Prince brat not have any decency?! Making you do overtime on a weekend?!”

Oh… that’s the part she’s upset about?

Well, fair enough, that was an issue—but wasn’t there something a bit more serious we should be worrying about?

I looked toward Isaac.

He was wearing a rare, entirely serious expression, tapping my shoulder gently with careful movements—no doubt trying to avoid putting stress on his wrist.

“Should we report him to the labor office?”

That’s not the issue here, Isaac. Not even close.