The Necromancer Commands Slaves, Not Undeads

12 – Manticore, a Lion with a Human Face

Dorothy’s face turned red. She, seeming as if she was running a fever, was fanning herself with a palm. I looked at Dorothy.

“Are you hot?”

I loosened the grip I had around her neck. Then Dorothy, gripping my arm with both hands, shook her head.

“No, it’s not that.”

Anyway, I turned my gaze back to the escaped slaves. And they held their weapons with resolute expressions.

It was strange. It was rare to see these kinds of individuals eager to fight an armed adversary while defenseless.

But that question was short-lived as they charged in, shouting. Along with them, a big bear also rushed towards us.

“I’ll buy some time with the bear. Black Wolf and mercenaries, clean up the people along with the two skeletons!”

I looked at the world through my soul vision. The place was still filled with souls.

“Arise from the underworld!”

The ground shook, making the slaves and the bear come to a halt. Their faces turned terrified as they saw a skeleton arise from the ground for the first time.

“What, what the!”

“A corpse got up from the ground!?”

“A magician!?”

The two skeletons that arose stared at the slaves viciously with their blue glaring eyes.

With a terrible scream, they ran towards them. The slaves, presented with a sight they had never seen before, were all startled and stopped their attack.

“Now’s the time! Strike them!”

The mercenaries set up a line of attack against the demoralized slaves and charged at them.

The slaves, with their clumsy weapons, could never have the upper hand over the mercenaries even under normal circumstances.

Moreover, the appearance of the undead that woke from the death had frozen their foot and hands.

The mercenaries charged forward, cutting through the scattered slaves’ defenses.

With the mercenaries’ onslaught, the slaves were sent flying. Some rolled on the ground, while others coughed up blood after being pierced by swords.

“Gheuk!”

“Argh!! Quickly, fight on!! We have more numbers!!”

“What the hell is the bear doing?!”

Their screams and shouts echoed through the air. One slave’s gaze shifted toward where the bear had been.

Only then did he realize why the bear could not come to their aid.

“——–!!!”

The bear had its attention drawn towards the skeleton clinging on to it, letting out furious roars.

The bear slapped the body of the skeleton who was futilely punching its fur-filled skin with bony, sharp fists.

The skeleton went flying. A loud sound echoed as the skeleton fell, rolled thrice backward before it was able to stand up barely.

The skeleton’s upper body was nearly sliced in half. Fortunately, it was still hanging on. Because it feels no pain or fear of death, it once again started charging at the bear.

“—–!!”

The bear missed the flying one. Another skeleton was biting the bear’s front leg with its teeth.

Roaring, the bear kicked at the skeleton clinging to its leg. The kicked leg of the bear hit a tree with a loud noise, shattering both the tree and the skeleton.

The destroyed skeleton lay scattered, rendering it unable to continue the fight any longer.

However, the previously flying skeleton and two additionally summoned skeletons again began to attack the bear. Altogether three skeletons started to buy time by entangling with the bear.

“It seems six at a time is manageable.”

Last time, while camping when he summoned up to ten skeletons, he was forced to sleep due to the overwhelming fatigue. So, he was careful in summoning undead this time.

“Master.”

Dorothy looked at him, grabbing his wrist which was holding a rapier.

“I want to fight too.”

She said she wanted to fight. He shook his head.

“That’s too dangerous. Over there, they are nearly finished. They will be soon on the bear’s side. So, there’s no need for Dorothy to fight.”

Dorothy nodded gently yet continued to speak.

“Master, if you say don’t, I won’t. But I want to be of some help. That’s my thought.”

“Hmm…”

“I can fight. Trust me.”

Applying what he said earlier, Dorothy advocated.

He closed his eyes briefly. What he hoped and talked about was for her to forge on without swaying.

She still voiced her resolve.

Just like when she said she would learn swordsmanship.

Someday, Dorothy would be liberated from her slave status. He promised her freedom, that if she managed to escape the Froyt territory, he would provide her a safe place. The idea of slave culture contravened his ethical code.

Right now, the situation is dangerous. The opponent could kill both Dorothy and the undead in one strike.

He thought it’s time to let her stand on her own, but there was no more precious experience than this for her to strive for independence.

Fine, let’s see what happens. Let’s see if we can manage with my help.

“Act carefully. It’s dangerous even if you are hit once.”

“Yes.”

“Remember, the enemy can kill both, Dorothy and the undead, in one strike.”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Let’s give it a shot.”

Dorothy tied her long blonde hair and lifted her skirt, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the battleground where the bear and the skeletons were tangled in combat.

He started watching the close fight from a slightly remote distance.

***

While rushing into the battlefield, Dorothy thought about her master, who had always been her savior.

When he said she was “his” this time, she felt a flush of emotion and deep gratitude towards him.

What she said was Dorothy’s…He had not introduced her as his possession, like an ordinary slave.

He made such a statement to protect Dorothy, who he cherished.

The girl was very pleased and at the same time extremely embarrassed. Why would her master be so kind to her?

The reason was explained to Dorothy – she resembled her master.

But the girl wished there were a different reason.

For some reason, she wished there was a bit more reason.

Maybe because she was pretty, or she was cute. Dorothy wished there were reasons like that.

Dorothy dismissed these thoughts while lowering her head. Now, she just had to act for her master.

She learned the art of sword from a skilled teacher named Black Wolf.

At first, she hesitated as she wanted to use a giant sword like the Black Wolf, but he said it would be too hard for her.

So, she unwillingly gripped a rapier, and learned to use it from him in a short time of two weeks.

And his assessment was,

“Dorothy, you are a genius. Right now, I can only teach you self-defense… but when you grow physically and gain strength, you should learn the real sword from a qualified teacher.”

At first, he had a negative view of Dorothy because she was a girl, but that changed as he taught her.

In just two weeks, Dorothy’s skill reached the proficiency of someone who has devoted a year to swordsmanship.

The Black Wolf told her about it.

Although her learning was short, her lack of basic skills was compensated by her inherent athleticism.

‘The skull will soon reach a limit.’

Having worked up the skull to its limits, the bear doesn’t notice the approaching Dorothy. She quickly closed in on the bear.

It managed to shake off the bone clinging to its body with its front paws. It then proceeds to trample on the fallen skull.

Right then, Dorothy spotted a gap in the bear’s defense. Overwhelmed with a sense of victory, the bear was about to roar up in the air.

Dorothy’s body leapt up in the air using a tree toppled by the bear as a stepping stone.

She accurately read the movements of the bear as it ascended, her rapier striking the bear’s most vulnerable area – the eye.

Success! Spraying blood, one eye of the bear completely lost its function.

“—–!!!”

‘Next.’

Dorothy spotted another gap as the bear writhed in pain.

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She displayed remarkable focus, her two legs landing on the bear’s head. Her rapier rushed towards the bear’s other eye like a gust of wind.

Success! Doorthy’s rapier also penetrated the bear’s other eye.

‘Done!’

Dorothy acted quickly, pulling her rapier out of the bear’s eye and tried to flee with a landing on its head.

Then, she had a chilling realization.

Perhaps blinded by the intent to aim for the enemy’s critical point, Dorothy failed to realize the bear’s front paw had already been moved the moment she lunged her sword.

Though she turned her head to look, it was already too late – the bear’s front paw was still coming down at where she had landed and Dorothy shut her eyes tight.

Yet, someone had pushed Dorothy out of the way. Surprised, she looked to see a summoned skeleton had shoved her. The ground shook as it was crushed, bone crunching.

The master shouted out to Dorothy.

“Dorothy! You did well! Now join forces with the mercenaries!”

Dorothy pressed on, and looking at the battleground where the mercenaries were fighting, she could make out the Black Wolf and the other mercenaries striking down enemies without a single injury and rushing towards the bear.

Dorothy heaved a sigh of relief as she dashed on.