Chapter IV.III (4.3) - Royal Necromancer

  “What is that?”

  “You’re the jungle boy, you tell me.”

  Kizu stood, fat tome under his arm, and stared at the large furry rodent munching on the tatami floor. The creature didn’t mind the new setting. It barely gave anyone a second glance as it chewed. He almost turned and questioned Mitsuko why she let Ione run off with a capybara from the jungle, but he decided against it. Ione wasn’t her responsibility. He had asked the village girl to escort Ione, not babysit her.

  “Woah! Pa, look at that! It floats!” Shika removed one of her arms to extend her reach as she poked at a lantern that hovered nearby. It wobbled. Then she prodded it harder and it fell to the ground. The capybara glanced over, decided it wasn’t edible, and turned his attention back to the tatami.

  Hone scolded his zombie daughter and reattached her arm. He knelt beside her, stitching the flesh back into place.

  At least Aoi’s family’s golems had enough sense to bring this disheveled party to him and Aoi first. The stone statue, Ishi, bowed to them before it asked for permission to continue on to escort the newcomers to the Royal Family.

  “Yes,” Aoi said. “Sasaki is visiting right now, so we can introduce you and get everything arranged quickly before anyone can protest. The nobility doesn’t expect us to turn up with a necromancer so quickly. Best to act swiftly before any opposition catches wind.”

  “My understanding was that this role was vacant.” Hone frowned and narrowed his eyes.

  “It is. And if some of my family have their way, it will remain that way. Which is why we need to go now.” She held out a hand to the necromancer and beamed at him. “My name is Aoi Kotei. I’m a fellow practitioner of soul magic. I promise no harm will come to you so long as you stand beside me.”

  He took it and shook it weakly. There was still a slight frown on his face, but he said nothing.

  “I promise you the position is totally safe,” Aoi continued quickly. “Again, no harm to you or your family. Assassination an official member of the Emperor’s Retinue is punishable by not just death, but the death of the entire lineage of the culprit and anyone suspected of collaboration with the deed.”

  Kizu’s eye twitched. That was the same law that had been applied to kill all the witch coven apprentices.

  “Don’t leave him behind,” Kizu said to Ione as they left the room.

  “I wasn’t going to.” The capybara reluctantly trotted after them, pulled along by some invisible coercion the summoner knew. “And how do you even know he’s a he? Didn’t see you crouched under him.”

  “The scent gland on his snout. It’s prominent, so while he’s probably not a very dominant male, he is still definitely male.”

  Aoi looked over at the capybara. “I assumed that was a tumor. Is it not sick then?”

  “Of course he’s not sick! I found him frolicking in a pond and he swam right up to me. It was fate. His name is Dog.”

  “He’s a capybara.”

  Ione rolled her eyes. “Clearly.”

  “I, for one, adore Dog,” Aoi proclaimed. She stooped and scratched between his ears. They flicked but his eyes were plastered on the paper door they were currently passing. “He’s perfect. He can live in the cove by Owl’s Respite.”

  Ione grinned. “That was exactly my thought.”

  Kizu sighed. If Ione wanted a new pet, who was he to stop her. And at least…Dog was cheering her up again. She kept reverting to melancholy whenever he looked away. It wasn’t like her.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “How’s your friend doing?” Ione asked.

  “Sophia’s recovering. I’ve pretty much exterminated all traces of the ghoul infection on her.”

  That got Hone’s attention. “You cured a ghoul? Fascinating. I wanted to take a look at specimens but it was my understanding that they were all exterminated.”

  Aoi shook her head. “She wasn’t a ghoul. Not completely. She’s Tainted so it didn’t shatter her soul like it did with the humans the infection came into contact with. Instead it was like expunging a sponge of dirty water. While cycling back in the clean water to keep her soul alive.”

  “Last I saw, she was very pale,” Ione added. “Her scales are washed out.”

  “But she’s walking now.”

  Hone and Aoi started a back and forth conversation about the process of cleaning out Sophia’s soul while Shika started poking at the capybara following along with them. He was utterly nonchalant as they continued walking, though he did try nibbling on the stitches at her wrists.

  The few times others crossed their path, the newcomers quickly rerouted themselves to avoid their party. Aoi’s youngest brother actually collapsed on the floor crying when he saw Shika and Dog. Kizu had to step between them to prevent the boy from seeing the grotesque faces Shika started making in his direction all while giggling.

  When they reached Aoi’s father's study, they could hear the conversation long before entering.

  “Bleh! I don’t want to talk about tariffs again,” Emperor Sasaki complained.

  “That’s great!” Aoi said, strolling into the room. “Because now we can chat about necromancy!”

  The room’s attention turned to her. Her father, Prince Iroi, nodded respectfully at her while Basil, as one of the Emperor’s confidants, waved enthusiastically. The only one to not react was Wan, the Emperor’s companion. He continued scribbling notes, not even glancing up as they entered.

  “Necromancy! Much better!” Emperor Sasaki beamed at them, his gaze locking onto Shika. “The Inari branch is going to be livid when they find out! This is your candidate for Royal Necromancer? Who’ve you brought me?”

  Hone bowed respectfully. “Your Grace, I have that privilege. My name is Zugaikotsu Hone and this is my daughter, Zugaikotsu Shika. Please let us know how we might serve you.” After a second, he grabbed his daughter’s shoulder and pulled her down into a bow as well.

  “Ha! More respect from a necromancer than I get from my advisor. Take notes on that, Wan!”

  Wan’s eyes flicked from his papers up at the Emperor. “Perhaps you would prefer to sort through these documents yourself? The Emperor’s direct attention would be a great honor for these Edgeland refugee support licenses.”

  “Ahh, nope. And you guys can stop bowing. Don’t need to in the future either. I’m Sasaki. Aoi suggested you and you’re pals with Kiz so you’re probably top notch. Consider yourself hired.”

  Hone blinked and glanced over in Kizu’s direction, clearly confused.

  “I trust Kizu. He just saved the Hon Empire. And he helped me find one of my best advisors yet.”

  “Excuse me,” Aoi cut in. “Basil is my boyfriend.”

  “Basil’s great! But I meant Mitsuko.”

  “Really?” Aoi turned to her and the village girl flushed in embarrassment. “No offense, but I don’t see it.”

  “Mitsuko is an ideal advisor because she’s so entirely bereft of any corruption,” Wan explained, his eyes back on the paperwork. “She understands life in a very different way from any other advisor and, like the Emperor, she approaches topics with a fresh set of eyes. While there are still very large gaps in her knowledge, she processes information surprisingly fast. And, of course, there is the fact that she chose to put her life on the line to help save the capital which shows courage and upstanding morals beyond what we have witnessed from the majority of the modern noble families.”

  “Exactly! And she’s cute. Why would anyone in their right mind choose an ugly advisor?”

  “That is not actually a criteria,” Wan said to Hon. “Please do not let his outburst dissuade your decision to join us. You will be well taken care of and your voice will be heard in this position.”

  That was probably good news for the gaunt necromancer. He looked a bit healthier than when Kizu had reunited with him weeks ago, but he was still haggard. But he gave the Emperor a thin smile and then they began discussing possible laws and actions for different degrees of necromancy and strategizing about how to get those necromancers still hiding in the Hon Basin to trust the Empire after centuries of persecution. Wan acted as a means of reigning in the Emperor’s more outlandish ideas. Like sending in members of nobility naked with antimagic collars as emissaries in an act of trust.

  While they chatted, Kizu sat on the couch between Ione and Mitsuko and studied his dimensionalism tome. Mitsuko listened to the conversation and nervously chimed in when Sasaki pressed her for her opinion. Ione dozed off, her head on Kizu’s shoulder. Which was entirely more distracting than it had any right to be.

  Dog, the capybara munched on the couch’s pillows.

  Shika, meanwhile, started messing with the different objects on the shelves. Kizu was a little worried that Aoi’s father might snap at her, but when he checked, he found the man smiling fondly at the girl, probably thinking about his own daughters. Which reminded Kizu that he did not want to be around when Princess Kiiroi met Shika. That was a disaster hurtling toward them that he wanted to be clear of.

  When the conversation came to a natural conclusion, Kizu prepared to slip out the door. But just as he stepped in that direction, Emperor Sasaki called after him.

  “Everyone out except Kizu!”

  Twelve Blood Curse Academia chapters (6 weeks) ahead of Royal Road on Patreon!