Suspected Necromancer

Chapter 21 – Grand Return

Luna decided to help out at the orphanage.
The orphanage faced a shortage of young workers since Dorothy and the others were growing older. Additionally, Luna wanted to take care of Molly until her final moments.
At the orphanage, Luna became popular with the children. Having learned from many teachers herself, Luna had a rich teaching experience and a patient and effective teaching method.
For Luna, dealing with the children, who could communicate with words and language, was far easier than dealing with the silent undead.

While working at the orphanage, Luna continued to research magic. Since she had openly proclaimed herself as a mage to Dorothy and the others, no one found it strange.
Having been purchased as a mage’s apprentice and trained under Khan and Logan, Luna intended to live her life as a mage too. She also felt a sense of duty to carry on the both of their legacies, as there were no others who could.

Some time later, Molly passed away.
At her funeral, everyone was in tears. Those who were sold from the mansion like Dorothy and the others, as well as the current orphans, all mourned the loss of Molly.
Luna felt jealous of Molly. This would be how she wanted to die someday.

And time continued to pass.

──

As King Ramunato, renowned as the Martial Lord, grew old and fell ill, the situation around the Rama Kingdom became tumultuous. Due to the rapid expansion of the kingdom’s territory, areas that lacked proper governance emerged. As the influence of the Martial Lord weakened, signs of rebellion began to appear.
The issue of succession for the Rama Kingdom was also problematic. The Martial Lord hadn’t taken a Queen, so he had no direct heirs.
There were various rumors as to why he hadn’t married, but the Martial Lord adopted his sister’s child and named him as his successor.
However, lacking direct lineage, the successor had a weak claim to power. As the Martial Lord’s health declined, the foundation of the kingdom began to crumble rapidly.
Rebellions sprouted up across the land, and they gradually united to form a significant force.
Within the Rama Army, betrayals happened frequently. After being defeated by the rebel forces multiple times, the decline of the Rama Kingdom became evident.
However, the rebel forces received little support from the common people due to their looting and other brutal acts in the cities they occupied. Their invasion was met with fear rather than support.
And now, the rebel army was closing in on the city where Luna’s orphanage was located.

“I think it’s about time for me to go.”

Late at night, Luna was preparing to leave the orphanage.

“Where are you going?”

Dorothy, now the head of the orphanage, asked in a puzzled tone.
Luna had always said she had nowhere else to go.

“Yeah, there’s something I’ve been putting off for a long time.”

“You? Avoiding something?”

Since Luna had always been diligent, it was hard for Dorothy to imagine her avoiding anything.

“Yes. A long time ago, I was forced into doing a certain task. I refused, but the person who tried to make me do it was quite the stubborn guy. It seems he’s been keeping that task reserved for me all this time, despite the fact that it’s been causing trouble for everybody.”

“What kind of task are you talking about?”

“Becoming Queen.”

“Huh?”

Dorothy found Luna’s remarks too absurd. The idea of Luna saying she’d become a Queen was beyond her comprehension.

“So, to make up for all that time I’ve been avoiding it, I’m going to put some effort in now. Well, see you.”

Leaving Dorothy staring dazedly, Luna walked out of the mansion.

──

After leaving the city where the orphanage was located, Luna sprinted through the darkness of the night.
Now capable of skillfully manipulating her magic output, her maximum speed was beyond comparison to any living creature; she was literally as fast as the wind.
In this way, Luna covered a distance that would normally take three days on horseback in just three hours. Finally, she spotted her target.
It was the rebel army. Late at night, with no fear of enemy attacks, their camp was quiet.

Luna snapped her fingers.
The ground stirred, and ghouls and skeletons emerged one after another from the earth.
These were the undead that Luna had gathered for her battle with Logan.
Having completely brought them under her control, Luna was now able to summon an undead army anywhere. This was made possible by her mastery of necromancy. Specifically the spell “Nightmare”, a culmination of 60 years of practice, her Asura heritage, and the power of the Immortal King.
In the present, Luna had reached the pinnacle of necromancy.

“I don’t hold any grudges, though.”

Luna muttered.

“This country was built for me by Rato.”

Luna pointed at the rebel army, guiding the undead towards their target.
The undead slowly approached the rebel camp.
Soon, a sentry noticed something and alerted the others with a shrill scream.
However, they were already completely surrounded by countless undead, and the rebels could do nothing but be swallowed by the horde. It was truly a nightmare.

From that day on, the rebel army was continuously attacked by undead legions.
As the rebels lost their momentum and the Rama Kingdom’s forces regained their strength, the existence of the undead army became a secret hidden by the rebel forces to conceal their defeat. Similarly, the Rama Kingdom didn’t openly acknowledge the aid they received from the undead, as it would tarnish their reputation.

And so, Luna returned to the capital of the Rama Kingdom.

──

For the first time in decades, Luciana visited Khan’s mansion. Rato ordered the mansion to be maintained and cleaned so, although it was somewhat aged, it was still in good shape.
Luciana had come here because a certain bracelet showed a magical reaction within the royal capital.
As the court mage, Luciana was wearing her mage’s robe, carrying her staff, and fully equipped for precautionary measures.

“Long time no see, Luciana.”

Luna was waiting for her. She was sitting on a chair in Khan’s room, looking exactly as she did fifty long years ago.
And on her left arm, she wore a bracelet. The same bracelet that Rato had given Luna fifty years ago.
Luciana’s once beautiful black hair had turned white, and she had aged considerably, yet she exuded a beauty befitting her age.

“It’s been a while, Luna. How have you been?”

By ‘how have you been’, Luciana meant whether Luna had overcome her bloodthirst. If she hadn’t overcome it, and had instead succumbed to it, Luna would pose a threat to the kingdom.

“I’m doing well. It took about thirty years to get better, but now everything is fine.”

“Thirty years… that was quite a long time.”

Luciana closed her eyes, thinking about the time Luna had spent overcoming her bloodthirst.

“Yes, it was long. But life is tough for everyone, no matter who they are. Even if something seems trivial to others, it could be a significant challenge for someone. Everyone is fighting their own battles.”

“…That may be true. But aren’t you actually, literally fighting? Against the rebels?”

Rato, Luciana, and Killian had roughly guessed who was controlling the undead legions.

“Yes, that’s right. Was I meddling too much?”

Luna readily admitted it.

“No, it’s been helpful. His Majesty is quite delighted. He even muttered, ‘the Queen has returned!’ Of course, he only said that to me and Killian.”

“Did you inform them that I’m in the capital?”

“No, not yet. His Majesty is confined to his sickbed. We can’t afford to deliver any overly exciting news.”

Luciana smiled sadly. Her expression indicated that Rato’s condition wasn’t looking good.

“I see… I don’t even know how to face Rato now. I never thought he’d never marry after all these years.”

“I didn’t think so either. I never imagined he was such an innocent person. I thought he’d go after other women sooner or later.”

Luna and Luciana exchanged glances and laughed about Rato for the first time in decades.

“Rato built a country exactly as he had envisioned. So now, it’s my turn to protect it. I’ll crush the rebels. After all, I am the Queen of this Kingdom.”

Luna wanted to respond to Rato’s feelings, even if it was a bit too late.

“Thank you, Luna. It’s not really my place to say, but I appreciate it. However, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

Saying that, Luciana checked the surroundings once again.

“What is it? There’s no one around except for the dead.”

Luna’s undead lurked around Khan’s mansion, watching for any intruders.

“The truth is, there’s a traitor even in the royal capital. Someone keeps leaking information to the rebels. Most likely, this person was the one who organized the rebel army in the first place. Initially, they were an organization advocating conservative ideology against the progressive reforms of the Kingdom. But they gradually gathered supporters and discontent individuals from the Kingdom, expanding their influence throughout the provinces. After His Majesty fell ill, their support surged explosively. Now they’re the ideological backbone of the rebel army. As long as this organization remains, the threat of rebellion persists.”

“That’s unpleasant news. Just when things were getting better.”

Luna frowned.

“Kilian is investigating, but we haven’t narrowed down the suspects yet. However, if word gets out that there’s a necromancer in the capital who controls undead, I think that person will move. Especially if they’re aware that a malevolent necromancer could spell defeat for the rebellion.”

Luciana flashed a defiant smile.

“A malevolent necromancer… I see. Alright, I’m sure that such a necromancer will soon become the talk of the town. The townspeople will hear of a cute mage’s apprentice with an old, reclusive master just like the old days.”

Luna also laughed with amusement.

──

Luna began living at Khan’s mansion just like the past. She arranged the mansion, did household chores, gathered herbs, made potions, went shopping in the town, and then dedicated herself to magical research.
Luciana spread rumors about a suspicious mage living in the Khan’s mansion.

After a while, on her way back from town, Luna was approached by someone.

“Excuse me, young lady, can I talk to you for a moment?”

The person who had called out to her was Conrad, a member of the 8th Knight Order.