ã€ŠKoyuki, the Necromancing Foxkinã€‹


 CHAPTER 1: Awakening

    The day I had been dreading was here. My 16th birthday. Officially I was now an adult in the kingdom of Nethena. Most children were looking forward to it. The day they could finally make their own decisions. But such freedom remained a dream for me. The collar around my neck served as a constant reminder of my status, a slave.

    I never even knew my parents. Nobody told me anything about them. I was simply a possession of the Rossalyn Academy. They specialised in training young girls as maids, and selling them once they reached adulthood. That was my current destination. The auction house. I wore a long black dress, with a hole in the back to fit my tail. The white apron created a nice contrast but I would have preferred some colour.

    Unfortunately my wandering thoughts failed to truly distract me. Too soon we arrived at the stage where my future would be decided. I stood on a small platform, in the centre of a large room. Behind me, near the wall, was the person leading the auction. In a half circle in front of me people were sitting in comfortable chairs, sipping drinks. I was just one of many items that were sold today. I would have liked to run but I knew what kind of pain my collar could inflict.

    ¡°And our next item is a fully trained maid from the famous Rossalyn Academy!¡± The announcer used magic to project his voice into the room. ¡°She is 1,59 metres tall, has beautiful black hair and just look at those fluffy ears! Her skin is naturally pale and the purple eyes are real, not an illusion! She is a rare kind of foxkin and in perfect health!¡±

    I felt a lot of emotions, standing there. Anger was among them. What gave anyone the right to own me? To decide my fate? They tried to make me meek and disciplined me many times. But they failed to break me. Not that it did me any good. Even if I somehow disabled the collar the entrance was guarded.

    A sudden scream interrupted the proceedings. I looked behind me towards the door to the stage. I was led through that earlier. The room on the other side held more items that would be auctioned off later. It was clear that a fight was going on. Would there be a chance to flee? Some of the buyers had their own security with them. Many people in the room drew weapons but nobody moved.

    The announcer backed away from the door, clearly concerned. What he did not expect was the wall exploding right next to him. He disappeared under a pile of rubble. There was my chance! He was the person who currently held the control crystal for my collar. I ran straight through the hole in the wall.

    The room on the other side was unnaturally dark. As a foxkin I could see fine at night but whatever magic was at work here blocked my vision. I stumbled around hoping to get away. The air around me felt cold. I became weaker, sluggish. Something caught my foot and I fell. It was a corpse. I ignored it and tried to stand. But I was too weak. So I started crawling instead. I felt my life slowly drain away. I¡­ I wanted to live¡­ to be free¡­

    The cold reached my heart with an icy grip. Suddenly it did not feel so bad anymore. It was like a hug. When was the last time someone held me? I stopped. Would death really be that bad? Why did I keep fighting? A part of my mind was still screaming to go on. Silly me. Why reject death¡¯s gentle embrace? I closed my eyes and the world went dark.

    I awoke in bed. Did I die? The familiar feeling of the collar around my neck would suggest no. I looked around. I was alone in a room with white walls. My clothing was gone, except for my underwear. But I was covered by a thick blanket. A small nightstand held a cup of water. I grabbed it and drank. How did I survive? I was no expert on magic but that cloud felt like death.

    The door opened and a woman walked in. She was dressed in the white robes of a healer.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You are awake, good.¡± She said,

    ¡°What happened to me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You ran into a death cloud like an idiot. It¡¯s a miracle you survived. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ fine?¡±

    ¡°Great, I will tell your new master. He is eager to talk to you.¡±

    After that she left and I started to worry. Who bought me? Did they really finish the auction after what happened? I tried to remember who showed interest in me but nobody stood out. I did not have to wonder long, soon a man entered the room.

    He was clean shaven with short black hair. There was a scar above his right eye. He had piercing green eyes. He looked middle aged and very fit. But the most interesting part was his uniform. He wore black pants with a dark blue stripe on the side. His jacket had two rows of silver buttons in the front. It was also black. His shoulders held a rank insignia which I could not identify. But he was clearly in the military. Did the army buy me? Or was that a personal purchase?

    ¡°I am Major Arthur, in service of Princess Olivia.¡± He introduced himself.

    ¡°I¡­ I am Koyuki sir.¡±

    ¡°Interesting name. Who are your parents?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nobody ever told me, I can¡¯t remember them.¡±

    ¡°What can you remember?¡±

    ¡°Nothing before the age of six sir. I only ever remember being at the Rossalyn Academy. They discouraged any questions about my past.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Have you received any magical training?¡±

    ¡°No sir. Anyone who displayed magical talent was sent to a different class. We had no contact with them.¡±

    ¡°So your talent never manifested before today?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I am confused sir. What talent? What happened at the auction?¡±

    ¡°An item was stolen. One of the attackers was a necromancer and conjured a death cloud. To survive as long as you did one would normally either need a spell, or a magical item to shield oneself. Nothing was found on your person. The most logical conclusion is a natural resistance. That would mean you have a strong affinity for death magic. Do you know what that means?¡±

    I paled. I never received any training in magic. But the main use of death magic was to kill. That was not something people wanted slaves to possess. He did not seem to expect an answer because Arthur continued: ¡°It means the princess is willing to offer you freedom in exchange for your service.¡±

    What? Freedom? The princess? I stared, dumbfounded.

    ¡°It is quite simple. You will be freed and receive the full rights of a citizen. Your collar will be removed. In return you will have to attend the military academy and sign a contract for 10 years of service, after graduation.¡±

    ¡°Um, why?¡±

    ¡°The princess is buying many slaves with sufficient magical or martial talent and offers them similar deals. During your service, a part of your salary will be used to cover the cost of your education. If you fail you will have to repay all the money the princess invested in you.¡±

    And I would not have that money. People unable to pay their debts were usually enslaved. I would end up where I started. But if I succeeded I would earn my freedom. It was a chance.

    ¡°Sir, what can you tell me about the academy?¡±

    ¡°It is four years where you will be taught magic, fighting, strategy and leadership.¡±

    ¡°Leadership?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after graduation you will be an officer in the royal army. Since Princess Olivia sponsors you she will decide your posting.¡±

    ¡°I would be an officer? Not a common soldier?¡±

    ¡°Of course. You will be a fully trained mage after all. With your affinity for death magic you will become a necromancer. One of the best disciplines for large scale combat. It is also rather rare.¡±

    I still had a lot of questions. My knowledge about politics was rather limited. Princess Olivia was not the first in line for succession, I knew that much. Her brother James was the crown prince and would inherit the throne. Was Olivia simply in charge of the military and recruitment? Did she want loyal soldiers for herself? In the end it did not matter that much to me. Freedom! I could have it.

    ¡°I accept.¡±

    Arthur smiled. ¡°Excellent. You will have today to rest, tomorrow you will be escorted to the academy. I shall arrange the contract and all necessary supplies. You will be a great asset for the kingdom.¡±

    Then he left and I was alone with my thoughts. Magic! Most people discovered their talent before the age of ten. Awakening at 16 was unheard of. What did that mean? Did they make a mistake? Also, death magic. It was a scary thought. A lot of people considered it evil. But was that true or just the fear of its power? I spent the remaining day in bed contemplating my future.

 CHAPTER 2: Journey

    The next day Major Arthur returned. He offered me a contract, which I read. It contained the deal he offered yesterday. I would agree to attend the academy and serve for 10 years in the royal military after graduation. Part of my pay would go towards the cost of my education. If I failed, or got kicked out of the academy, I would have to repay all the money they spent on me. If I ran away it would count as desertion.

    After I signed, Arthur removed my collar and left me some clothes. ¡°You have 15 minutes to get ready. Your escort is waiting in front of the building. Good luck.¡± Then he left to give me some privacy.

    I touched my exposed neck. The collar was gone. I could barely believe it. Tears ran down my face. But I did not have time! I quickly got up and wiped myself with a wet cloth in the attached bathroom. Then I put on my new uniform. Black pants, a black belt, sturdy black boots and a black shirt. A silver wolf was visible on the left sleeve. Thankfully the clothes were designed for a foxkin and there was a hole for my tail.

    After getting dressed I left my room. I was unfamiliar with the building but helpful signs pointed me towards the exit. I realised I had been in a high class hospital. That explained the private room. I could only shudder at the thought of how much that must have cost. Outside four people with five horses were waiting for me. Arthur was not among them. Three of them wore chainmail and an open-faced helmet. The fourth was a human woman, protected by a breastplate and metal bracers. Interestingly her arms were exposed. She wore a circlet instead of a helmet. She had long black hair, blue eyes and bronze skin.

    ¡°I am Koyuki, my lady.¡± I introduced myself with a bow.

    She snorted. ¡°I am no lady. I am Captain Sarah and we are here to escort you to the Wolf¡¯s Den.¡± After seeing my confused face she clarified: ¡°That is the Royal Military Academy. Most soldiers call it Wolf¡¯s Den. Can you ride?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. We have a horse for you. Mount up, any further questions can be answered on the road.¡±

    I climbed on my mount and followed Sarah. The other soldiers formed up around me and we were off. I still had so many questions but I decided to wait for the open road. The soldiers seemed alert. Did they fear an attack? Was that just their normal behaviour? Maybe it was connected to the incident at the auction? But why would anyone target us?

    Whatever they feared, nothing happened and we left the city without trouble. The guards at the gate just waved us through. After a while I finally decided to ask more questions.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Captain Sarah, why am I getting an escort? Why not just send me with a caravan?¡±

    ¡°Girl, you survived a death cloud. Not just survived, I heard you only passed out for a few hours. Your affinity for death magic must be huge. If we can turn you into a proper necromancer you will be a valuable asset.¡±

    Was I that important?

    ¡°You joining the royal army will strengthen the royal family. A few nobles might be very upset about that. Not to mention our neighbours. Ilestria will be really unhappy. They think death magic is evil and such nonsense.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know any magic!¡± I protested.

    ¡°I can feel the magic in you girl. Trust me, it is there. You will learn to use it soon enough.¡±

    ¡°You can feel my magic?¡±

    ¡°I am a spellblade. Any trained magic user will be able to detect your power, until you are trained to stop it from leaking.¡±

    ¡°Leaking? Is that dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no you are not leaking death magic. Despite your affinity your mana is neutral. Most people have very little mana and will never be able to become a mage. Those with the potential can learn any school of magic they wish. Affinity just makes it a lot easier. It also helps to protect you from your magic. If you tried an ice spell, without the affinity for it, the cold might hurt you as well. You can get around that with magic items, or runes to strengthen your body, but there is always a cost.¡±

    ¡°What affinity do you have? And what is a spellblade?¡±

    ¡°Full of questions, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked with a smile. ¡°A spellblade is just a mage focusing on weapons and body improvements. A part of my magic is constantly used to reinforce myself. My arms are not covered so I can access the control runes. At some point I might be able to achieve that with thought alone, but most people need physical contact. I have different configurations that enhance my speed, strength and durability. I can change the ratios based on the situation.¡±

    I listened, fascinated. Magic was not a topic I knew much about. It was not considered important for a maid.

    ¡°Can I become a spellblade? What other types of mage are there?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible but it would be hard. And they will likely try to discourage you from it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of different specialisations for mages. You will learn more about them at the academy. The most relevant for death magic would be a necromancer, someone who controls the dead, or a death knight, which is a version of a spellblade. The reason necromancers are so valuable is their ability to control an army. The dead are cheap and effective troops. You can easily replace them, often with the corpses of your enemies. Also, they won¡¯t run.¡± She paused a bit, thinking, then continued. ¡°It¡¯s not like death knights can¡¯t have their own minions but by focusing some of their magic into their body they will never have a large army. And by fighting at the front they are vulnerable to attacks. Especially since death magic has great offence but very little defence.¡±

    I digested that information. Basically I would be more valuable to the kingdom as a necromancer. Focusing all my power on controlling an army. It would also make me rather vulnerable in close quarters. So I would need guards, who could be used to keep an eye on me.

    ¡°You said it would be hard, why?¡±

    ¡°Any kind of spellblade needs to master a weapon, and their magic. I assume you were never trained to fight. You might already struggle with the basic training for normal mages. You will have a long way to go to catch up to your fellow students. You will be very busy, even before school begins.¡±

 CHAPTER 3: Magic

    We travelled in silence while I digested everything I had learned. It all felt so unbelievable. Me, having magic. I thought back to the death fog. The feeling of dying. The gentle embrace. Was that the moment my power awakened? Could I reach for it now? We were on a straight road currently. I did not need to pay much attention to my horse. So I closed my eyes and focused inward.

    Surprisingly, I found something. It looked like a liquid sphere, shimmering blue, black and purple. It was beautiful. There was some mist rising from it. Was that the magic leaking? I mentally reached out to it. The power responded, coming eagerly. I felt it engulfing my hand¡­

    I opened my eyes and saw my hand, glowing in a pale blue.

    ¡°Ahhhhh.¡± I screamed in shock.

    Captain Sarah looked amused. ¡°Looks like you found your magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do!¡±

    ¡°Clearly.¡±

    ¡°Please, help!¡±

    ¡°Relax, your magic is not going to hurt you. Unless you transform it into an element you don¡¯t have the affinity for. Right now, you called your mana into your hand. But you did not give it any further instructions, so it¡¯s just sitting there. The glow is simply mana leaking into the air. It¡¯s impressive that you have enough of it to be so easily visible. Just try calling it back to your core.¡±

    I calmed down at her words and looked at my glowing hand. Now that I was not panicking it looked rather pretty. I felt a slight tingling, but it did not hurt. Fascinated, I closed my eyes once more. Visualising my inner self I could see the mana sitting in my hand. I tried coaxing it back into my core. It did not want to move at first. It looked fluid so I imagined it as water. How could I make it flow where I wanted?

    Then I had an idea. Blood. A liquid that got pumped around in our body. Thankfully, my education covered quite a bit of biology. So I was aware of all the tiny pipes coming from the heart. I imagined my core to be in the same place. If I could squeeze my magic into the pipes it would flow back to my core.

    I felt rather smug as the magic in my hand started flowing. Then came the horror as I realised my core was now filling my whole body with magic. Every little vessel that contained blood was now used to carry mana as well. I started sweating. No, calm down. Sarah said my magic would not hurt me. And it was no longer concentrated in my hand. There was now an even flow through my veins. The mist surrounding my core was gone. It looked like the magic that used to escape my body was now distributed and¡­ absorbed by my flesh and bones? Merging my magic with my blood made it digestable for my body.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Nicely done.¡± Sarah praised me. ¡°You managed to control your mana and it¡¯s no longer leaking. It takes most people a few weeks to achieve this, even with instructions.¡±

    So what I did was right? Being praised felt good. I smiled.

    We travelled till late in the evening before we made camp. I learned that the three regular soldiers escorting me were called Tim, John and Edith. I did not realise one of them was a woman until she spoke. Her muscular body was not that different from the men and her bust was hidden by the armour. I was told to share a tent with her and she ordered me to set it up with a smirk. It was clear that everyone expected me to fail at this task.

    Unfortunately for them, my training included serving outdoors during trips. While maids were not necessarily the ones setting up tents, Rossalyn Academy prided itself on providing exceptional servants. Imagine a noble having to do anything for themselves? Unthinkable! So yes, even maids were trained to set up a camp. So I smiled as they watched me work.

    Surprisingly I felt really happy. I always loathed my training. But this? This was different. Yes, I had been asked, even ordered, to set up the tent. But not because I was a slave, because I was a recruit. I was ok with that.

    Edith inspected the tent. ¡°Wow. Not just properly set up but so¡­ perfect. You found an even surface, cleared any rocks and twigs¡­ Fuck me, you even aligned the stakes perfectly!¡±

    She shook her head, then grinned. ¡°You will drive your instructors insane. They will have a hard time finding anything to criticise.¡±

    ¡°Why would they look for something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Eh, just part of the military. Everything has to be perfect. Your uniform, your bed, your gear,... Trust me they will always find something wrong. That¡¯s just how instructors work.¡±

    I studied the massive woman. She had taken her helmet off and I could see her short black hair and green eyes. There were several scars on her face.

    ¡°Have you studied at the Royal Military Academy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The Wolf¡¯s Den? Nah. That¡¯s just for officers, like Captain Sarah. Us grunts don¡¯t get fancy schools. Just a lot of shouting, marching and hitting each other with sticks. You know, most future officers would have complained that setting up a tent is beneath them. Or cried. We had a whole bet going¡­ but nobody thought you would actually succeed.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Are officers really that bad?¡±

    ¡°Not all. Sarah is a good one. Most would have smacked me already. But the academy is filled with fancy and rich folk. They probably can¡¯t even wipe their own arse without a servant. I thought you were one of them but you seem ok.¡±

    I frowned. Did nobody tell them my story?

    Captain Sarah sighed and walked over. ¡°Careful Edith, one day you will say that in front of the wrong person. Luckily for you, Koyuki is indeed not part of the fancy folk.¡±

    ¡°Are there no normal people at the academy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Most people there are either part of the nobility, or from rich merchant families. You can only go there with connections or a lot of money.¡± Sarah answered.

    ¡°I thought most nobles are attending the Arcane Institute or the Academy of Neth.¡±

    ¡°True. But anyone who wants to join the military as an officer has to graduate from the Wolf¡¯s Den. It¡¯s rather popular to send a child that won¡¯t inherit to the army. They tend to be entitled brats that see this as a way to gain some power and prestige.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ um¡­ how did you end up at the academy?¡± I was afraid that my question would offend her but in the end my curiosity was just too big.

    ¡°Bastard child of a noble. He paid my mother to keep her mouth shut. I don¡¯t even know who my father is. But mum kept the money and used it to pay for my education.¡±

    From the tone of her voice this was not a topic she liked. So I decided to stop asking any more questions about her past.

 CHAPTER 4: Ambush

    After that I volunteered to cook. It was another thing I was trained at and I wanted to show off my skills. I felt really proud when they complimented me. It was a nice evening and I felt like the soldiers started to accept me. We went to bed early, there was still a long journey ahead. Sarah warded the area so no night watch was needed.

    The next day started uneventfully. We continued our journey and I spent most of my time inward, studying my magic. Sarah told me to get more familiar with it. I experimented with moving more mana to certain body parts, which would be needed for spells.

    ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Sarah said, suddenly.

    I left my trance and looked around. We were on a road through a forest. It was a well maintained one, made of stone. Those were usually patrolled and should be relatively safe. After all, we were travelling between two major cities. My eyes scanned the trees around us but I could not see anything out of the ordinary. But I had no training, my escort did. If Sarah warned us there was a good reason for it. Not that there was much I could do if a fight happened.

    Our horses slowed down and the guards drew their swords. Sarah touched her arms and I saw runes light up. One moment all was calm, then arrows appeared. The empty forest was filled with attackers. I had no idea where they suddenly came from. Shouts and curses erupted all around me. I saw a wall of wind deflecting the incoming projectiles, followed by Sarah jumping off her horse. I could only see a blur as she charged the attackers.

    Something hit my horse, I managed to jump down before it fell. It was chaos. John was fighting on horseback, Edith and Tim had dismounted. They tried to stop any attacker from reaching me. Suddenly Tim burst into flames. I heard his screams as his flesh melted before my eyes. I was scared, I was horrified. My shaking legs gave out and I fell to the floor. A man stepped over Tims corpse. He was wearing a crimson robe and stared at me with cold eyes. As his hand reached out something stirred within me.

    My will to survive. My anger that he killed Tim. I did not know the man well but he died to protect me. This mage wanted me dead. I would show him death. With my newfound resolve I drew upon my magic. I had not learned any spells yet. As mana poured into my hands, I imagined death. I remembered what I had felt in the death cloud. I remembered the cold. I remembered my life draining away. I channelled all the emotion into my mana. Then I stood and grabbed the mage¡¯s hand.

    A symbol blazed inside my mind. I had no idea what it meant. But my magic reacted. Its colour changed. My magic turned dark with specs of purple. As I touched the enemy I shoved my mana into him. There was resistance, at first. Then it burst and I flooded his body. He screamed as he started withering. I joined him as my skin started to burn.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    I was in pain. In so much pain. But I had endured the punishment of a disobedient slave many times. What was fire compared to the hellish collar I wore for so long? Suddenly the fire was gone. The hand I was grasping was black. It withered before me until only bone remained.

    ¡°Koyuki!¡± Someone shouted.

    I could not see very well. Breathing hurt. Everything hurt. I fell to the ground once more. I felt a bottle pushed into my mouth. Liquid poured down my throat. I only tasted ash. Suddenly the pain faded and my skin itched. My vision began to clear. Sarah was standing over me, concern on her face. She was covered in blood.

    Suddenly the smell of the battlefield hit me. The stench of death. I looked at the man I had killed. Nothing but a black skeleton remained. I felt sick.

    Sarah knelt next to me and gave me a hug. She said nothing, just held me. I closed my eyes. I had killed a person. But I had no choice. He attacked us. He killed Tim. It was only right that I ended him. This attacker did not deserve my sympathy. I still did not feel great but I calmed down.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Sarah asked, concern in her voice.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I will be.¡± I answered.

    Sarah stood and helped me up.

    ¡°Was that your first kill?¡± Edith asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good job wasting that fucker. Don¡¯t worry, most puke after the first engagement. You even held it in.¡± She patted me on the shoulder. ¡°It gets easier in time.¡±

    I looked around. John was busy searching the bodies. His armour was damaged but he looked relatively unharmed. I saw Edith limping slightly as she checked on our rides. Only three of our five horses were still alive. When I felt a slight breeze on my body I realised that my clothes were gone. Only ashes remained. I quickly checked my hair and tail. I sighed in relief that everything was intact. I wondered if that was because of the potion.

    Despite my state of undress nobody leered. Nobody cared. I walked over to the bags of my dead horse. Thankfully there was another set of clothing inside. I dressed quickly.

    ¡°What exactly happened? How did they just appear?¡± I asked Sarah, who was studying the mage¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°They were concealed by magic. Even I did not see them. But I noticed the absence of any wildlife. That usually means something scared them away.¡± She paused and looked around the battlefield. ¡°There were two mages, four archers and four swordsmen. The light mage concealed them with an illusion. After I deflected the first arrows I took care of the archers and the light mage. Edith and John handled the swordsmen. And you¡­ you killed a fire mage. I am impressed. How did you do it without knowing a spell?¡±

    ¡°I grabbed my mana and focused on death. After I saw a strange symbol it changed colour and I shoved it into the mage.¡±

    Sarah stared at me. Then she laughed. ¡°You discovered the rune for death magic! You are one lucky genius.¡±

    ¡°The rune for death magic?¡±

    ¡°If you cast a spell you need to transform your neutral mana to the right element. That happens by forming the mental rune for it. The resulting elemental mana is then used to power a spellform. But you just poured death mana directly into the mage. He must have severely underestimated you to let that happen.¡±

 CHAPTER 5: Almost there

    That was enlightening. I could still remember the rune I saw during the fight. I looked at my hands. So I could transform my mana now, if I wanted to?

    ¡°Careful.¡± Sarah warned. ¡°There is a reason why I did not just tell you about runes when you found your magic. Elemental mana can¡¯t be reabsorbed by your core. And without a spell ready it will just sit inside you. You remember our talk about affinities? Without that, the death mana would have killed you as well. You should not play with elemental mana until you have learned a spell to properly dispose of it.¡±

    ¡°But could I not just push the elemental mana into the ground, or something? I managed to push it into the mage¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure. But that takes longer than powering a spell. If you turned your mana into fire, something you might have no affinity for, it would have burned off your hands before you could eject it all. Only a very strong affinity gives you complete immunity. Remember that.¡±

    I took that warning to heart. If my affinity for death magic were lower I would have hurt myself.

    ¡°So recruit, what do you make of this attack?¡± Sarah asked.

    The question surprised me. ¡°I¡­ I am not sure¡­¡±

    ¡°We will use this as an exercise. With everything I have told you so far, what do you make of this?¡±

    My mind was still dealing with everything that had happened. Tim''s death, me killing a mage, the pain I suffered,... But now I was given a task. I tried to focus on that. I tried to make sense of the attack.

    ¡°Normal bandits would not have mages. And they would not attack soldiers. We had nothing visible that was worth stealing. You said mages are rare and yet someone committed two to this ambush. Did they want me?¡±

    ¡°That was pretty good. Yes, two mages is a lot. About one in a hundred has enough mana to use it in some way, one in a thousand has enough to become a real mage. For humans at least. But they were not combat trained. What you saw here is the difference between a normal mage and a military one. The fighters they had were ok. Standard mercs. I suspect this was done by a noble. One without much command experience. A different nation, or anyone with military training, would not have screwed this up.¡±

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I looked around the devastation again. All of this because of me? Because someone did not want me to become a mage?

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± Sarah said. She must have read my expression. ¡°This is because some stuck-up noble fears his faction will lose influence. This is all on them, and not on you.¡±

    She was right. They decided to attack me. All I did was exist. And somebody was not ok with that. I looked at my hands. I had magic now. One day I would show them.

    ¡°Is there a way to find out who sent them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Possibly. Your magic was only just discovered. Whoever leaked that information was either from the hospital, or at the auction. And they managed to organise an ambush rather quickly. But any investigation will be drowned in politics. We will report this attack and their descriptions, but I would not expect much.¡±

    So there was a good chance the investigation would be buried. Or interfered with, at least. It was out of my hands. The only thing I could do was get stronger.

    ¡°Looks like you have calmed down enough. It¡¯s time to help with the cleanup.¡± Sarah said.

    ¡°Yes ma''am.¡±

    Leaving bodies around might attract monsters. So we stripped them of their gear and burned them. Since Edith¡¯s leg was injured, she sorted through the loot and watched over the horses. John searched for the enemy camp, which he found not too far away. The ten horses were a welcome sight and allowed us to transport the loot.

    ¡°Why didn''t you take a healing potion?¡± I asked Edith.

    ¡°Those are expensive. We only use them in emergencies. This injury is not bad enough to justify a potion. I am not even sure if the Captain has another one. We have a healing salve and some bandages. That will prevent an infection.¡±

    ¡°What if we are attacked again?¡±

    ¡°I will make do. Wouldn''t be the first time.¡±

    When we finished with the cleanup we burned Tim¡¯s body in a short ceremony. It was clear that the soldiers had seen a lot of death before. It was not their first comrade they buried. Afterwards we continued our journey. Since my horse died, I was allowed to pick one from the attackers. My choice was a great black one, with white hair around its hooves and a white spot on its forehead.

    Thankfully we were not attacked the following days. Edith¡¯s leg healed nicely and we made good time. On the 4th day of our journey we made camp in the evening, just two hours away from our goal, the city Lupos.

    ¡°Could we not push on and arrive today?¡± I asked Sarah as I was setting up the tent.

    ¡°We could. But there is no reason to push the horses that hard. It would be dark when we arrive as well. Not a great time to get you settled. And I doubt that there will be another attack on the road. You should be more concerned about something happening in the city.¡±

    ¡°Why the city? Wouldn''t that draw attention?

    ¡°Yes, but there are other ways than a direct attack. Like poison. Or bribery. I have no doubt that many will try to sway you at first and only use violence if they fail. The school will start on the 31st Syles. So you have some time to prepare. You will get some private lessons until then, I think. They will tell you more when we arrive.¡±

    Tomorrow would be the 18th Syles. That gave me about two weeks to prepare. I hoped it would be enough to not embarrass myself in front of the other students.

 CHAPTER 6: Royal Academy

    We approached the city early the next day. It was a bit larger than Ronesta, where I had spent all my life. At least all that I could remember. Large walls protected the city. The river Jinso flowed straight through Lupos. It was heavily used for trade and connected the city with the capital. The huge water gates were only closed in emergencies. There was not a solid gate, stopping the river would be problematic, there was a portcullis instead.

    Aside from the river the city had three gates. We approached from the southern one. The amount of horses our small group had attracted some attention. But Captain Sarah got us through the gates rather quickly. I observed the city as we made our way to the academy. It was not much different from Ronesta. The cheaper houses were made of wood and clay, while the more expensive ones used a lot of stone.

    It was Solday, a day of rest. Most shops were closed and people enjoyed their day off. Traffic was light and we made good time to reach the academy. I was amazed when I saw it. The compound was surrounded by a fence. I could see a couple of large buildings. They were made of stone and featured a lot of arches and columns. The gate stood open but it was guarded. Captain Sarah rode forward and had a short conversation with them. Then she approached me.

    ¡°This is it, your new home for the next four years. They are calling for someone to show you around and get you settled. Then we will leave you. Oh, and you can keep the horse. It¡¯s a prize you earned in battle!¡±

    My own horse? And I had earned it myself, in combat. A lot of emotions were going through me. I felt proud, happy and concerned.

    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t have any money to take care of a horse¡­¡±

    Slaves could not own anything. I only had the clothing Major Arthur gave me. And camping supplies, if I was allowed to keep them. Since I lost a uniform in the battle I did not even have a spare set of clothing.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. Looking after a mount is part of the service the academy provides. Unless it¡¯s an extra large creature. Or if it has a special diet. As for money, they will give you a stipend. But I can recommend looking for a part time job. Assuming you have time between studying.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is good.¡± It made me feel better. I was afraid I would have to sell the horse. I did not know if I truly needed it here but hearing that I earned it¡­ I just felt good having it.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Looks like your guide is here. Goodbye Koyuki, I wish you luck at the academy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Captain Sarah. You saved my life, I hope we will meet again.¡±

    I also said my goodbyes to John and Edith. Then I dismounted my horse and approached the guide. It was a human woman who wore the same uniform I did, except for the silver bar on her shoulder. Her clothing was spotless. She had shoulder-length red hair and green eyes. The freckles on her face made her look cute. She studied me with a frown on her face.

    ¡°Hi, I am Koyuki.¡± I introduced myself and offered my hand.

    She looked at it briefly and ignored it.

    ¡°I am Lady Elena. I have been ordered to show you around the academy. Follow me.¡± Her voice was¡­ cold. Emotionless.

    I was not entirely sure what to make of her. What did she know about my circumstances? She did not seem very friendly. Was that because of me, or was she angry that she had to show me around?

    ¡°Sure. Where can I stable my horse?¡±

    ¡°Obviously where I am leading you to.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    I had a lot of questions but my guide seemed rather unwilling to talk. So I followed her in silence. Not too far from the gate where the stables are. They were split in two by the road leading further into the academy. I had to fill in a form to register my horse. It needed a name. Dammit, I should have thought about it sooner. Um¡­ um¡­

    ¡°Your horse is named Coffee?¡± The stable master asked, looking at the form.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We will take care of your horse here. It¡¯s now registered to you. The stables are always open.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    We continued our tour of the facility. A straight road led to the administrative building. We did not enter it yet. We made our way around it on the left, through the parade square, to the massive dormitory. The ground floor held the mess hall, staff and utility rooms. The additional four floors were for the student accommodations. First years were on the first floor, second years were on the 2nd and so on. Each floor was further split, based on gender. Females on the left and males on the right.

    The academy also had a small park, a building with the lecture halls and a practice area. Part of it was indoor and part outdoor. Above the training halls were the alchemy labs. The entire building was heavily warded against damage.

    All buildings were connected by roads to allow supplies to be brought in. And there was some nice landscaping with trees, bushes, flowers and perfectly manicured grass that connected everything.

    Once I had seen all the buildings, at least from the outside we went to the administration.

    ¡°I will now lead you to the principal, as ordered. This concludes the tour.¡± Elena said.

    We ended up in front of an office. The sign on the door said: Principal Hailstorm

    ¡°Have a nice day.¡± Elena said, and just left.

    ¡°Uh, you too!¡± I awkwardly answered. I still did not figure out what her deal was. She was not truly hostile. Just emotionless.

    Well, it was time to meet the principal. I knocked at the door.

 CHAPTER 7: Principal

    ¡°Come in.¡± A voice called.

    I opened the door and entered. The office was rather large, as expected of a principal. It looked a bit chaotic. Books and documents were lying around. A man sat behind a large desk. He was bald and had a long grey beard. His face was wrinkled but his body looked strong. Powerful mages tended to live longer, so it was hard to guess his age. He wore a uniform similar to mine but the wolf was golden instead of silver.

    I bowed. ¡°Greetings sir. My name is Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to bow. You will be expected to salute but nobody has told you that, so it¡¯s fine. I am Erik Hailstorm, the principal.¡± He had a gentle grandfatherly voice. It put me at ease.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now your circumstances are not common but not unique either. Princess Olivia has sent us former slaves in the past. I can tell you already that you won¡¯t have it easy here, but I will ensure you are treated fairly.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    ¡°No need for that. It is my job.¡± He said smiling. ¡°You will get some private lessons to prepare you for classes. Most students are trained in weapons to some degree and know a bit more about magic before they come here. Your tutor will arrive tomorrow, he will meet you at the practice grounds at 7.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I only have the clothes I am currently wearing. Is there some exercise gear available?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Well, the academy will provide you with additional uniforms and suitable clothing for practice. You will also receive a stipend of one gold each month. But Arthur should have handed you two sets of clothing. What happened?¡±

    ¡°They were destroyed in an ambush when I was set on fire, sir.¡±

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°An ambush? Maybe I should invite Sarah and question her¡­ Anyway, what happened?¡±

    ¡°There were four archers and four swordsmen, accompanied by two mages. They used light magic to conceal themselves. Captain Sarah protected us from the first volley of arrows then took care of the archers and the light mage. The fire mage burned one of the guards who tried to protect me¡­¡± It still hurt thinking about it. Seeing Tim die¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s alright dear. I understand that your first combat can leave a mark. Take your time.¡±

    I took a deep breath, calmed myself and continued. ¡°I grabbed his hand and shoved death mana inside him. Somehow during the battle I discovered the rune for it. He tried to burn me but he wasn¡¯t fast enough. It was close though, Captain Sarah saved me with a healing potion.¡±

    ¡°You discovered the rune for death mana yourself? Fascinating! Also, well done. Your affinity must be truly high.¡± He looked excited.

    ¡°Thank you sir.¡±

    Erik was stroking his beard, lost in thought. I waited patiently until he spoke again. ¡°I have to admit, your late awakening made me doubt your powers. But if you can discover a rune yourself, and survive flooding yourself with death mana, there is no denying it. You are a curious foxkin. Did you know that your race is mostly known for its light affinity? And purple eyes are not normal either.¡± His eyes studied me. ¡°You are a mystery! I love it. And you will make a fine addition to the army.¡± He smiled.

    ¡°I will try my best, sir.¡±

    ¡°You will have two weeks before school starts. The new students usually arrive about one week before. But a few are already here. First years have nothing on their shoulders, you will get one silver bar for each year you have completed. Show respect to your seniors but don¡¯t let them harass you. And you can always come to me if someone causes a real problem.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    ¡°Now, I have wasted enough of your time. Spend today familiarising yourself with the academy. Also, I would recommend a change of clothes and a bath.¡± He winked.

    I blushed. My uniform was dirty from the road and I had not washed myself since we left. Was that why Elena was so distant?

    I stood and tried a salute. I watched soldiers do it before. I formed a fist with my right hand and placed it over my left breast.

    ¡°A good try, but you need to work on your posture.¡± Erik commented, clearly amused.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    I left his office. It occurred to me that I did not bring anything from my horse. It only carried a tent, a sleeping bag and some rations. Should I have carried that to my room? Where was my room anyway? With my guide gone I was lost¡­

    I knew where the dorms were and that I would be staying on the first floor. I wondered why we changed the floor every year. Wouldn''t it make sense to keep the same room for the entire duration of your stay? There was probably a reason. I shrugged. Horse first, I decided and walked towards the stables. I would get dirty carrying my tent anyway.

    Finding my things was easy enough. After giving my name, a stable boy directed me to the area where my saddle was stowed. I thanked him, grabbed my gear and walked towards the dorms. I really hoped I could get some fresh clothes there. Since Erik mentioned the state I was in I felt self conscious. Dirty and stinky were not the best conditions for a good first impression.

 CHAPTER 8: Getting Settled

    I entered the dorms, hoping to find someone who could help me. When Elena was showing me around she did not go into much detail about the specific buildings. I was pleasantly surprised that there was a reception area on the first floor. A young woman wearing a maid uniform was smiling at me from behind a counter.

    ¡°Hello. You must be Koyuki, right? We were told to expect a new foxkin student.¡±

    ¡°Um, yes that is me.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! Let me show you to your room!¡±

    The maid seemed rather cheerful as I followed her. It was good to see that the staff enjoyed their job. The room was big, considering what I was used to. It featured two single beds, two wardrobes and two desks. There were no decorations, just plain stone walls. There was a single window offering some natural light.

    ¡°Wow, this is nice!¡± I said. ¡°So, I will only have one roommate?¡±

    The maid regarded me curiously. ¡°Yes, you will have to share. Only fourth years get a guaranteed single room. Before that it depends on the amount of students.¡±

    So either there were more rooms on the top floor or the dropout rate was high enough that the number of students was halved in the end.

    ¡°So, who is my roommate?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lady Helena Frost, she has not arrived yet.¡±

    ¡°Ah. So¡­ I need additional clothing. Sir Hailstorm said the academy would provide it. Where can I pick that up? And where can I wash my clothes? Also, where is the bathroom?¡±

    ¡°We have already stocked your wardrobe. If anything gets damaged during training it will be replaced. If you destroy it in your free time the academy will charge you. Any dirty laundry can be put inside this basket.¡± She opened the wardrobe and indicated a container at the bottom. ¡°We will collect the laundry every morning and return it the next day. The bathroom is down the hall. You do not have a personal one.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Personal bathroom? The way she said it sounded like some accommodations might have those. Maybe on the higher floors? Or did people with more money get better rooms? Not that it mattered. I never had a personal bathroom before. Even warm water would be a luxury. Magic could easily heat water. But it was an expense that was deemed unnecessary for slaves. I was used to cold showers.

    ¡°Nice. I will stow my gear and then get cleaned up! Oh, I lost one of my uniforms on the way here in a fight¡­¡±

    ¡°I will organise a replacement. Students get four sets of the standard uniform so you have two fresh ones currently in your wardrobe. I will inquire with the administration if the new set is covered, or if we have to bill you for it.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! Um, another question. When are meal times? I am afraid my guide only showed me the mess hall with no further info.¡±

    ¡°Breakfast is from 6:00 until 7:00 on work days and until 8:00 on Solday. Lunch is from 11:00 to 13:00 and dinner is from 18:00 to 20:00. If there is special training during a mealtime you will get a boxed lunch. Food is offered outside those times but it will cost you.¡±

    ¡°Great. You have been really helpful! Uh¡­¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Is there a watch somewhere?¡± I did not own one. I also did not have an alarm clock or see one in the room. ¡°And will someone wake us in the morning?¡±

    She regarded me strangely again. ¡°There is a clock in the hallway. Most students have a pocket watch. There is a general wakeup call on work days at 5:00.¡±

    ¡°I guess I will have to save up for a watch then.¡± I said with a smile. Owning a watch? That would be nice.

    ¡°You can buy one from the academy for one silver, if you like.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money. Once I get my first stipend, maybe.¡±

    ¡°You have no money?¡± She asked, confused. ¡°Sorry my lady, I did not want to pry. I overstepped.¡± She suddenly went pale and apologised. Wait¡­ did she think I was some kind of noble? Apparently the staff was not aware of my past. Did I want to tell her? Once more students arrived word would spread anyway.

    ¡°I am no lady. I was a slave until recently. I don¡¯t own anything. Well, I have a horse, a tent and a sleeping bag, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That explains some of your questions. I thought you were sarcastic when you asked about having only one roommate.¡±

    ¡°I am used to less space filled with more people.¡±

    ¡°I see. You might be happy to hear that the academy does not use any slaves. We are all paid workers. And the principal does not tolerate any abuse of the staff.¡±

    ¡°That is good to hear.¡± It was also concerning that it had to be mentioned. ¡°Well, thanks for all the help¡­ I am sorry I never asked your name!¡±

    ¡°Silvia and you are welcome.¡± She answered with a smile.

    After she left I checked the wardrobe. Besides the two sets of my uniform there were five sets of undergarments and two training outfits. They consisted of black shorts and a black t-shirt. There were no additional shoes. My boots had survived the fire somehow, thankfully. But I should probably look into getting another set.

    I stored my tent and sleeping bag, grabbed some fresh clothes and went looking for the bathroom. It was time to get clean. The clock in the hallway told me it was 11:13, so I could take my time and grab food afterwards. The bathroom had a changing area, some toilet stalls and a big shower room with ten showers.

    They all had hot water! There were soap dispensers as well. I enjoyed getting clean. Unfortunately, I did not have a brush. Another thing I had to look into. But there was a device in the wall that blew hot air at you to help dry your hair. How marvellous! Soon I was happy, clean and ready to look for some food.

 CHAPTER 9: Tutor

    The mess hall was relatively empty. Most students went home during the break and had not come back for the new year yet. The hall was filled with tables for ten. Food was offered at a large counter. There was one section for the free stuff and one where you could buy food at any time. I grabbed a tray and went to the free section.

    ¡°Hi. What can I get you?¡± A cheerful servant asked.

    ¡°Hi. I am new, how does this work?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°We have two options, they change each day. The most popular one tends to run out rather quickly. You can come back and have seconds, but you will have to wait in the queue again. Since most students are not back yet we still have both options today. There is a lentil stew with fresh bread, or chicken in mushroom sauce with rice.¡±

    ¡°I would like the stew please. Do you also have drinks?¡±

    ¡°There is a fountain at the wall where you can get water. Cups are there as well.¡± He pointed at it. ¡°In the morning we offer tea and coffee, in the evening you get one free beer or ale. Anything else you will have to buy.¡±

    He placed a large bowl of stew on my tray and a big piece of bread, it was still warm.

    ¡°I will give you a large portion, I know beastkin can eat a lot.¡± He said with a smile.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Once you are done, bring the dishes to this area.¡± He pointed at a different counter, where servants accepted the dirty dishes and began cleaning them.

    I nodded and left. I grabbed a mug of water at the fountain and picked an empty table. The food was decent, for my standards at least. While I had been trained to cook I was usually not allowed to eat it. There were pieces of meat in the stew that I could not identify. But it was meat, something I did not have often.

    While I ate, I looked around and studied the other people. Most were human, as expected. The royal family and most nobles were human. The few beastkin, elves or dwarves who held titles were not very influential. At least that is what I heard.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    After completing my meal I went exploring. I tried to memorise the layout so I would be able to find my classes once they started. I also relaxed a bit in the garden and played around with my magic. There was not much I could do but I moved it around in my body, trying to get a better feel for it. After the evening meal I went to bed early. I was excited about tomorrow. I curled up in my bed, snuggling my tail. Hopefully my tutor would be nice.

    ¡°MORNING! TIME TO RISE!¡±

    I awoke confused and ready to fight. It took my brain a moment to make sense of the shouting. Silvia told me they would wake everyone at 5:00. Apparently that is how they did it. I was convinced they used magic to amplify their shouting.

    My bed was really comfortable. I was sad to leave it but I had an exciting day ahead of me. I put on my uniform and went for breakfast. After some bacon, eggs, bread and coffee I felt ready for the day. Since my tutor would meet me at the practice grounds I switched to my training outfit. It was still a bit chilly in the morning but I did not mind. With my excitement I barely felt it.

    I used the clock in the dorms to time my arrival. Not having my own watch was annoying but at least each building had several. Despite being slightly early the tutor was already there and waiting.

    ¡°Are you Koyuki?¡± The man shouted. He was bald, clean shaven and very muscular. His hard face had multiple scars, telling tales of many battles. His brown eyes studied me. He was dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt. I could see runes covering his arms.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I saluted.

    ¡°Good. I am Major Charles. I have been ordered to whip you into shape and prepare you for the academy. We only have two weeks so let¡¯s not waste any time. Do you have a weapon that you prefer?¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°Hm. We will do some sparring and see what suits you. A lot of necromancers, or other ranged casters, go for a staff. Mostly because they care about the huge gem they put on top, to help with their magic. But at the very least you will want some training with daggers and small blades as well. First, stretch and run a few laps while I get a bunch of practice weapons.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    As a foxkin I was stronger, faster and tougher than the average human. But Charles was far beyond average. And considering the runes he was also a spellblade. The difference between us was vast.

    He made me use a bunch of different weapons and we sparred. I failed horribly and acquired a lot of bruises. After a while he stopped, thinking.

    ¡°Ok. I think I have an idea about your abilities now. First, your body needs training. I will give you a workout routine that you will follow every day. Next, weapons. It¡¯s clear that you have no training, but at least there are some instincts I can work with. Now, do you know why we train mages with weapons?¡±

    ¡°To see if they qualify as spellblades?¡± I guessed.

    ¡°That too. But mostly because you are training for war. Your magic is not limitless. And an opponent could be resistant to your type of magic. Everyone who graduates from the academy is trained in at least two weapons. One of them needs to be a sidearm.¡±

    ¡°A sidearm?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Something you can wear on your belt. It can be an arming sword, a sabre, a hammer, a dagger,... There are lots of options.¡±

    ¡°What would you suggest, sir?¡±

    ¡°Stick with the classics and take a staff and an arming sword as a sidearm. Once you have more experience see if something else interests you.¡±

    I nodded. He knew a lot more about this stuff so I would follow his advice.

    ¡°Good. Now, how much do you know about magic?¡± Charles asked.

 CHAPTER 10: Magic

    ¡°I have a core that is filled with mana. To cast a spell I need to direct it to the part where I want to release it. Often the hand. Once the mana is in position I will change the element by forming the right rune in my head. Then I need to build the spell and feed the mana into it.¡±

    ¡°The order is wrong. You want to construct the spellform earlier. You can position your mana before or after that, but never change the element unless the spellform is ready and the mana is in place. The rule is to never have elemental mana in your body longer than needed.¡± He seemed to think for a bit.

    ¡°I heard you are an unusual case, so maybe I should begin with the basics. As you get older, your body produces more mana. The increase varies from person to person. It¡¯s also not linear. The biggest gains are when your body is still growing. Once you produce enough mana a core forms. This usually happens between the ages of 6 and 12 and we call it awakening. The younger you are when you form your core, the more powerful you become. Usually. The size of the core shows how much mana you produce. A bigger one lets you cast more powerful spells.¡±

    ¡°Should not everyone awaken at some point if their magic increases with time?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. Most people will never produce enough to get over the first threshold. And yes, there are people who awaken late in life. But they will never have enough mana to become a real mage. No academy would accept them. Keep in mind, those ages are for humans and beastkin. Anyway, at first your core is tiny. But once it¡¯s formed you can actually try to control your mana. Stopping it from leaking is the first thing a newly awakened child is taught. I can see that you have mastered that part.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Next, they learn the venting spell. It simply ejects all elemental mana from your body. It¡¯s needed to keep them safe if they turn their mana into an element.¡±

    ¡°Is that not dangerous?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Depends on the amount of mana. Shortly after the awakening a child should not have enough to hurt anyone with venting. The spell also tries to disperse it, instead of focusing it. This further reduces the damage it can do. But if they keep the elemental mana in their body, even small amounts will cause damage over time. In the end, magic is dangerous. It¡¯s one of the reasons why the academy only takes adults. Does not stop nobles from hiring private teachers. More than one child died because they were not ready to wield such power.¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°But I only recently awakened and had enough mana to hurt someone.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Yeah, that should not be possible. That means you have too much mana for being freshly awakened. At some point we need to measure how much, but being able to kill someone is way beyond a tiny core. But I will let other people worry about that. I am here to train you, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°What about affinities?¡±

    ¡°Most people find them by looking at pictures of the elemental runes. Even if you see them, you won¡¯t be able to form them in your mind without a lot of training. But your affinity speaks to you. And it will be a lot easier. That is the next step for a newly awakened. They learn to control the mana, then the venting spellform, then they try to learn an element. That usually keeps them safe and lets them get used to magic in general, until they are old enough to be trusted with real spells. If you don¡¯t teach a child anything, they will often hurt themselves by experimenting. If you teach them too much, they will hurt others, or themselves, because they are not mature enough for such powers.¡±

    ¡°But who teaches those basics to the children?¡±

    ¡°The academies send mages to check the schools regularly. Any awakened gets the basic knowledge for free.¡±

    ¡°How can they learn a venting spell before they can change their mana?¡±

    ¡°Some spells can be cast with neutral mana. Venting is one of them. And I will teach it to you. After some more weapons practice.¡±

    I held back a groan and managed a: ¡°Yes sir.¡± It did not sound very enthusiastic. We continued to spar until lunch. I was surprised that I could still move in the end. He gave me a one hour break after that.

    I dragged my weary body to the bathroom and took a shower. I was covered in dirt and sweat. Sadly, I did not have enough time to truly enjoy the warm water. I wondered how good an actual bath would feel? Maybe I would find out one day.

    After getting clean I put on a fresh uniform and went to the mess hall. Today¡¯s options were grilled pork chops with rice or a beef stew with bread. I tried the pork, it was nice. I would have really enjoyed a nap after the meal but there was no time. And despite my fatigue and aching body I was looking forward to my next lesson. My first spell! Sure, it was mostly a safety tool for children but I was excited anyway.

    I met Charles at the practice grounds again. He led me into the attached building to a training room. It was about twenty metres long and ten metres wide. The walls, the ceiling and the floor were all made of solid stone. There was no window but a crystal on the ceiling provided light.

    ¡°This room is for spell practice. The walls are heavily enchanted to make sure they are not damaged. They are not indestructible but more than sufficient for students. There are also some vents in the back that you might have missed. Any air leaving this room is filtered, in case someone practises with poison clouds, or similar magic.¡±

    ¡°Would it not be rather foolish to cast a poison cloud in the room you are in?¡± I wondered.

    He smirked. ¡°Depends how much control you have. Or if you are wearing gear that protects you. But you have already spotted something important. Magic is dangerous. The room is there to protect others from your magic. Protecting yourself is your responsibility.¡±

 CHAPTER 11: First Spell

    ¡°Now, why are we in here for a simple venting spell?¡± He asked.

    I thought back to the ambush. Even without any training I was able to kill someone. Magic was a dangerous thing and I would not underestimate it.

    ¡°Because I have used death mana in the past. If I accidently used that, when learning the spell, I could harm someone.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Although it¡¯s mostly to teach you proper procedure. In truth, the venting spell is unlikely to hurt someone, unless they are hugging you. Death mana is a lot more lethal if it is inside your body. Simply touching it will hurt but there is enough time to retreat. And it disperses quickly in the air. That is why a real combat spell would bind the mana to something, like the water in the air, or transform the mana into something harmful. If you create a cloud, like mist, people can breathe it in and it gets nasty.¡±

    ¡°How would that work? Do you combine two elements?¡±

    ¡°Good observation. A lot of magic uses multiple elements. Do you know them?¡±

    ¡°Water, earth, fire, wind, life and death.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Death is sometimes called dark and life is called light. The elements are mostly based on the gods and their domains. In reality, there is quite a bit of overlap in their use and some effects can be achieved with different elements. You can burn something with fire, light or lightning. And electricity falls under wind.¡± He explained.

    ¡°If death and darkness are the same, would a spell to hide in the shadows harm people?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No. Mana is the fuel for a spell. You are rarely throwing raw mana at anything. It disperses too quickly. You feed it into the spellform, which then does something, like create water. If you wanted to cover an area in darkness you would use death mana as fuel for your spell. But the result would simply be an area impenetrable by light. There would be no raw mana in the air.¡±

    ¡°So there is neutral mana and there are six elements. Neutral is harmless, the others can be dangerous. Mana does not leave the body for most spells. It just fuels the spellform which creates an effect.¡±

    ¡°Yes, any more questions before you learn your first spell?¡±

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°How does life mana hurt people?¡±

    ¡°It makes parts of your body grow that should not. Really nasty way to go.¡±

    That did sound rather unpleasant. ¡°I am ready sir.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± He handed me a sheet with a rune on it. ¡°This is the venting spell. Forming it in your mind is similar to forming an element. You need to concentrate and imagine it in your mind. You will be able to feel it when it''s right. Then you just pour your mana into it. And do not use death mana.¡±

    I sat down, studied the rune and concentrated. I looked at my inner self. The shiny core pumping mana all through my body. I realised that I did not actually know where I needed to place my mana to vent it. Maybe it did not matter? I tried forming the rune. I had to stop multiple times and check the drawing. Major Charles was sitting a few metres away, reading a book. I guess he did not expect this to be fast.

    Multiple times I thought I had it, but the rune sort of collapsed when I wanted to bring mana close. I was getting really sleepy. When I started, there was simply the physical exhaustion from training, but now I grew mentally tired as well. But I refused to give up. After hours of trying something clicked. The rune in my mind turned solid. Finally!

    With it came a certain understanding. The rune would simply expel all the mana inside me, that was not inside the core. It did not matter where in the body it was. Everything outside the core would be ejected through the skin. I always had some mana circulating but maybe I should try a bit more? I took a chunk from my core. It was hard for me to judge how much. Maybe a third? I shoved everything into the rune. Suddenly the world was white and I screamed.

    I lay panting on the floor. My skin itched. My eyes hurt and my vision was blurry. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. My eyes¡­ I think my vision is coming back. What happened? I thought I had the spell¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you certainly did cast the spell. But with a lot of mana. Your entire skin lit up. You were so bright you blinded yourself. You released more than most graduates have. I am impressed.¡±

    But¡­ that was not even all of my mana? What was I?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You can¡¯t deplete your core, even if you put everything you have in a spell. It constantly produces mana. It simply strains your mind, makes you tired. If you overuse your magic you will fall asleep. Not a great thing on a battlefield but not really dangerous during training.¡±

    Oh. He misinterpreted my shock. He thought I had put all of my mana into it.

    ¡°That¡­ that was not all of my mana.¡± I admitted.

    He looked at me. ¡°Is that so? You certainly are a mystery. Your mana, combined with your affinity for death magic, might allow you to become one of the greatest necromancers that has ever lived. And you learned your first spell in a few hours. That is not normal either.¡±

    Was that bad? Should I have hidden my power?

    Major Charles smiled. ¡°I understand why the princess is sponsoring you. And why I was ordered to prepare you for the academy. You will be a considerable boost to our nation''s strength. I would advise you to hold back a bit, at least until you can defend yourself. Not everyone will be happy about your existence.¡±

    At least he seemed to be on my side. And now I knew my first spell. I was looking forward to learning more.

    He dismissed me afterwards and told me to meet him again at 7:00 tomorrow. When I exited the building I realised it was already evening. The clock said 18:34, so it was a good time to grab dinner. I had spent the entire afternoon learning the spell.

    In the mess hall I got a sausage and potato stew. I also claimed my free ale, something I had skipped the previous day. I had never been allowed alcohol before. It was nice and made me feel slightly warm. It was a shame that I did not have anyone to share it with. I hoped my roommate would be nice, whenever she arrived. After the meal I went to bed. I had to admit, having my own room felt a bit lonely. I did not have any real close friends as a slave, but we had a lot of camaraderie. I snuggled my tail and fell asleep.

 CHAPTER 12: Training

    A strange fog surrounded me. It felt cold and familiar. I looked around. Something was moving¡­ Suddenly a skeletal hand reached for me. A grinning black skull was in front of my face! I woke up with a gasp. It had only been a dream.

    I was sweating and far too awake. What time was it? When I looked out of the window only darkness greeted me. I should go back to sleep. Maybe playing with my magic would calm me down? I focused inward and watched the magic flow. It was pretty. The mana followed the blood and spread out everywhere.

    Wait¡­ were my muscles consuming it? I should be sore from all the training. And I was, to some degree. But it was not nearly as bad as it should be. It almost felt like my magic was helping my body. Strengthening it. I knew spellblades could do such things but they had runes tattooed on their arms. Maybe on other parts too. I should ask Charles about this. I continued watching my magic for a while and drifted back to sleep.

    ¡°MORNING! TIME TO RISE!¡±

    I awoke, startled, until my brain reminded me that this was simply the wakeup call. I hoped I would get used to it over time. After a yawn I got up to start my day. Breakfast included a lot of coffee and soon I was ready for another day of training.

    It started with some running, followed by push ups and then sparring. Yesterday¡¯s bruises were mostly healed, so my body had plenty of space to collect new ones. After we took a break I decided to ask about body reinforcement.

    ¡°Does one need runes to enhance the body with magic? It feels like muscles are being improved and I am not as sore as I should be.¡±

    ¡°Before I answer that, how is your body accessing your magic? It should all be in your core.¡±

    ¡°Um. That is how I deal with the leaking magic. I just circle it around my body. I used the tiny pipes where blood flows and attached my magic to them. I think.¡± I scratched my head.

    Charles stared at me. I was getting a bit uncomfortable.

    ¡°Who told you to do that?¡±

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°No one. Captain Sarah told me about my magic leaking and this is the solution I found.¡±

    ¡°Most people just learn to have it orbiting their core. Usually there isn¡¯t enough leaking to do something useful with it.¡±

    ¡°Why is it leaking anyway?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That we do not know for certain. It might be that this is how the world gets filled with magic. The reason we train to stop mana from escaping is to stop detection. An enemy mage could use it to target you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ does the world not need that magic? Is it harmful for nature to keep it inside?¡±

    ¡°Some claim that. I believe that every living thing creates mana. Plants, animals, monsters,... But not necessarily enough for us to detect it. In the end, the world is still going and mages have been hiding their auras for millenia and the world still works.¡±

    ¡°What is an aura?¡±

    ¡°The mana that leaks can be used by powerful enough creatures and mages. They can let it escape at will and manipulate it for certain effects. They can influence others, like frighten them, with their presence. But that is archmage territory. Now back to your original question: What your mana might be doing is helping your body reach its optimal state. Basically, you are getting muscles faster, healing a bit faster, maybe you will even build muscle memory faster. But it¡¯s all within the normal capabilities of your body. Granted, as beastkin your normal abilities are pretty high. But it will still be within the natural limits of your body.¡±

    ¡°And spellblades go beyond those limits?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You need more than the leaking mana to achieve that. But you will learn about them more in the classes about specialisations.¡±

    ¡°If what I am doing is useful, why isn¡¯t everyone using it while training? Could you not pump your normal mana around your body?¡±

    ¡°Because most people can¡¯t do that subconsciously. This is a higher level technique and requires multitasking, normally. You seem to be manipulating mana a lot easier than anyone I know.¡± He shook his head. ¡°You are not normal.¡±

    I was not sure what to think about that. It was awesome, on one hand. It would allow me to catch up to people who might have been training with weapons for a lot longer. But it would also make me a target.

    Suddenly Charles looked at me and smiled. ¡°You know, that means we can train even harder. This is perfect!¡±

    I paled.

    True to his word, Charles increased my training. Sadly he did not teach me more spells. That would come with the regular classes. I still trained manipulating my mana though. Now that I knew the benefits of pumping mana around I tried to use more than the leaking bits. It needed some concentration, because I had to actively will mana from my core to increase the flow, but I succeeded. Mostly. Maintaining it while running was easy, sparring was more tricky.

    Quickly the first week passed and I saw real improvements. My body was stronger, my reflexes faster and my wild flailing around with a sword¡­ ok that mostly remained the same. While I did learn a few moves I still struggled to really use them and ended up just swinging my weapon randomly. A few more students arrived but most would be coming just a few days before classes started.

    The next week held more of the same. A lot of training. People still ignored me and I did not have enough free time to really look for friends. Things changed on Frigday. Suddenly there were a lot of new faces. With school starting in two days the academy got a lot busier. It was my last day training with Charles. We finished at 17:30 and I made my way back to my room. The door was open, my roommate had arrived. I was in my workout clothes, sweaty from training. Nervously I stared at the door. After a while of awkwardly standing around I entered.

 CHAPTER 13: Roommate

    The woman inside had her back to me as she was unpacking a suitcase. She was humming a tune I did not recognize. Her hair was as white as snow and slightly longer than her shoulders. She was dressed in the school uniform.

    ¡°Hello.¡± I greeted her.

    She turned around and smiled. ¡°Hi! You must be my roommate. I am Helena.¡±

    She offered me her hand and I shook it. I used the opportunity to study Helena. Her eyes were turquoise, her skin was pale and flawless. She had a round and friendly looking face.

    ¡°I am Koyuki, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°You have been here for a bit already, right? Can you show me around? How is the food?¡±

    Her personality caught me off guard. She seemed genuinely very friendly and outgoing.

    ¡°I¡­ I have just returned from training. I need to take a shower then we can go for some food.¡± I was slightly overwhelmed.

    ¡°Sure! I will keep unpacking.¡±

    She went back to her suitcase. I quickly grabbed a fresh uniform and went to the bathroom. While showering I thought about Helena. She seemed really nice, but would that change once she knew my background? So far, very few people seemed aware of my circumstances. Probably to minimise the threat. But I had no illusions that it would stay that way. A former slave with a lot of talent would certainly not sit well with most nobles. Unless they found a way to use me.

    My shower thoughts dampened my mood slightly. But for now I decided to be hopeful about making a friend. Once I was clean, and dressed in a fresh uniform, it was time for dinner. When I returned to our room Helena was lounging on the bed while reading.

    ¡°I can show you the mess hall and we could get some food.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Sure!¡± She closed her book and threw it on the bed. ¡°I am ready.¡±

    We were early, the mess hall had only just opened. Which was good since the academy was a lot busier now, with classes starting soon. I showed Helena around and explained how it worked. Today¡¯s menu was either sausage with bread, or grilled fish with roasted potatoes. Helena looked sceptical. Maybe she was used to finer cuisine? I grabbed the sausage and some mustard, which was offered as condiment. The sourdough bread was freshly baked. I got my free beer as well and sat down at an empty table.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Helena joined me soon afterwards. She chose the fish and some ale. While I started eating she wrinkled her brows while inspecting her meal.

    ¡°Fish¡­ they did not even say what fish! Can you believe it!¡± She poked it with a fork.

    I shrugged. ¡°Try it?¡± I suggested. ¡°So far everything they served was decent.¡±

    She took a bite. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s bland. Where are the herbs? Not even lemon! It¡¯s just salt and pepper on there!¡±

    Personally I thought that did not sound too bad. Salt and pepper was enough in my eyes. ¡°You can always decide to pay for better food.¡± I pointed out.

    She took a sip from her ale. ¡°At least that is alright. A shame they don¡¯t offer wine though¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you normally eat? Do you have a private chef?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡± She said, ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±

    There it was. An innocent question that would lead to my past, my circumstances. There was no point in delaying, she would find out eventually.

    I steeled myself and said: ¡°I used to be a slave. I got my freedom in exchange for serving in the military.¡±

    She stared at me with wide eyes. We sat there, in silence. It was getting uncomfortable. Should I just leave?

    Finally, she spoke. ¡°I¡­ sorry. I¡­ uh¡­ just assumed you were a noble.¡± She blushed, looking embarrassed.

    That was not the reaction I had expected. It was my time to be caught off guard. Thankfully, I recovered somewhat quickly. ¡°No problem! There was no way for you to know¡­ I hope we can still be friends¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course we can be friends! We are both equals here at the academy! If the military is sponsoring you, you must be really talented. How did they recruit you? What affinity do you have?¡± After overcoming her shock, Helena returned to her bubbling personality.

    ¡°There was an attack at an auction. I got caught in a death cloud and survived. I have an affinity for death magic. Afterwards I was offered a deal from Princess Olivia.¡±

    Helena gasped. ¡°You met the princess?¡±

    ¡°Ah no. I was offered the deal by a major on her behalf. I have never seen her but she is my sponsor.¡±

    ¡°That is amazing! Surely you will meet her at some point! My father is only a count. We don¡¯t get invited to events with royalty¡­¡±

    ¡°What is your affinity?¡± I tried to change the subject to something I was more interested in, like magic.

    ¡°Water! My family carries the blood of an elemental. We focus on ice magic. That is how we earned our name and title. My ancestor, Hendrik, was capable of summoning blizzards big enough to hit an entire army! For his service to the crown he was awarded land, a title and the name Frost.¡±

    That sounded impressive. Could I earn myself a title?

    Helena continued: ¡°I have more mana than Derrick, my older brother.¡± Now she looked smug. ¡°Even more than my father! That¡¯s why he sent me to the military academy.¡±

    I was not sure what to say so I just nodded. Would she be jealous if she found out about my huge amount of mana?

    ¡°So, you said your affinity is death magic? Necromancy works great with ice! The undead don¡¯t care about the cold. You can cover a battlefield in snow, to slow the living, while your skeletons are not affected!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you are planning to become a normal mage? Not a spellblade?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am not sure yet what I will specialise in. I am not too bad with a weapon. But magic is cooler, you know.¡± The way she said the last part made it clear the pun was intended.

    It was not a great pun but somehow I chuckled anyway.

 CHAPTER 14: Evening

    Helena reluctantly finished her meal. Despite her dislike for the food, it seemed she did not want to waste it. Afterwards I showed her around the academy. She talked a lot, which suited me just fine. She commented on the landscaping, the architecture and many other things. I just enjoyed her company, it made me feel less lonely.

    Eventually we returned to our room. ¡°Thank you for the tour. That was great!¡± Helena said. ¡°Now, what do you usually do in the evening?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Not much.¡± I admitted, slightly embarrassed. ¡°I just play with my magic a bit and go to sleep¡­¡± I did not own any book I could read. I did not have any friends to hang out with. So far I had only trained, eaten and slept.

    ¡°Really? We need to change that! How about we buy a bottle of wine and go to the park!¡± She suggested. ¡°Oh, and I am buying, don¡¯t worry.¡± She added.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    We went back to the mess hall. Helena approached the counter where you could buy food and returned with a triumphant smile.

    ¡°I got us a Gronberry Red!¡±

    I just nodded. I never had wine before and was looking forward to the experience. As we walked towards the park I wondered if there were any rules regarding the proper behaviour of a student. I was never told to not drink in public. Of course, I did not have the money anyway. We settled down on a bench and Helena filled the two mugs she carried. I had not even noticed them before. Did she also buy them?

    ¡°Here you go!¡± She handed me a mug. ¡°To becoming awesome mages!¡± She raised hers.

    ¡°To magic!¡± I replied.

    I tasted the beverage. It was fruity but not sweet. I contemplated the taste. It was ok but I think I preferred ale or beer.

    As we sat there, I watched other students walk around. Nobody paid us much attention. I guess students drinking was expected? Or at least normal enough.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Do you know anyone in the academy?¡± I asked. Since she was a noble with certain connections I would have expected her to have friends here. Or at least acquaintances.

    Helena grimaced. ¡°Know? Unfortunately, yes. But none of my friends are here¡­¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Most go to a different school. The royal military academy is only there to train officers. People come here because they want to serve, or because they think it makes them look good. Or because their parents force them here. Something like the Arcane Institute is a lot more relaxed. Less discipline. And the Academy of Neth is filled with luxury. Sitting here without a maid and drinking wine from cheap cups? Unthinkable for a lot of them.¡±

    Technically I was trained as a maid. So she did have one with her. But I did not want to bring up my past, so I stopped myself from making a joke. Instead I asked: ¡°Why did your father send you?¡±

    ¡°Our family has a history of fighting. Of serving the kingdom. Our county is in the north, bordering the everfrost peaks. There are always monsters to fend off. We need people with experience. After I graduate I will serve in the royal army to get some command experience. Then I will return home and take command of our forces. My brother will inherit the county and I will be his general.¡±

    ¡°You have your own army?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Most nobles do. There is a limit to how many forces you can have, based on your title. With some special considerations for dangerous borders. Barons are allowed 1000 soldiers, counts 5000 and dukes 50000. Of course, if called upon by their liege lord they will have to supply them with their troops. Those numbers are for their personal army. A duke calling on their counts and barons will have a much larger force in the end.¡±

    ¡°How big is the royal army?¡±

    ¡°About 500000 I think, divided into 5 legions.¡±

    And after graduation we would be part of it. It was hard to imagine. As we sat there and drank more wine my thoughts returned to her earlier remark.

    ¡°You mentioned that you do know someone here.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°My family has a good relationship with Thorus. They are a small dwarven kingdom inside the everfrost peaks. So we are richer than most counts. We are also known for our strength in battle. But we lack the influence, or prestige, of the ancient bloodlines. While my father has been resistant, Duke Harold wants me to marry his son, Leo. He is not our liege lord but we border his territory. He wants us to become part of his duchy. And Leo is here. He is an ass.¡±

    That sounded unfortunate. I hoped that the academy would not allow him to bully her.

    ¡°What about your liege lord? Would he not be opposed to losing territory?¡± I had no idea how that worked.

    ¡°Sure. Harold will need the king''s approval, or bribe Duke Winston. But he seems confident, so he must have a plan.¡±

    ¡°I will help you fend him off!¡± I said. Not that I had any idea how to do that. Getting into a fight with the son of a duke would be bad. I had value to the princess, she was my sponsor after all, but I had no idea about the politics involved. Was she allied with this duke? Did she care?

    Helena smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not like he can do much. But it will be annoying having to interact with him.¡± Despite her words she looked worried. Was there more to this? I did not want to pry.

    We spent some more time drinking and talking about less heavy topics. Eventually we returned to our room and went to bed. It felt nice, not being alone anymore. I went to sleep feeling happy.

 CHAPTER 15: Rest Day

    The next morning was exciting. It was an off day and the last day before classes. I even got my stipend! I actually owned some money now. It was not that much but it was a great feeling. Maybe I could buy that watch now? It might help with being on time. But the best part, I had a friend now!

    We were currently sitting at breakfast. Helena seemed a lot more happy with the food than yesterday.

    ¡°Any plans for today?¡± I asked. Secretly I was hoping she had an idea and would be willing to include me. I really needed some hobbies. Otherwise I would just end up training again.

    ¡°You got your stipend, right? Let¡¯s go shopping!¡± She proposed enthusiastically. ¡°Also, we can explore the city a bit. I don¡¯t know Lupos very well.¡±

    Going on a shopping spree the first day I had money sounded a bit irresponsible. But also fun. And the academy did provide me with food, clothing and a room. So I should be fine, even if I somehow spent the whole one gold I had. Or was there something I needed?

    ¡°Um. Do we need to buy anything for classes? Like books?¡± Nobody said anything. But that could be something teachers would tell us directly.

    ¡°Nah. The academy provides all that you need. There is a library that offers books. Practice weapons are also supplied. You could consider a personal weapon in later years. But first you will need to figure out what you want to use.¡±

    ¡°What exactly are we shopping for?¡±

    ¡°You could use some clothes. You only have your uniforms, right?¡±

    That was true. Maybe a set of normal clothes would not hurt? And maybe I could look for a watch. The academy offered one for one silver. I had one gold, which was the same as ten silver. Maybe the city had cheaper options?

    ¡°Ok. Do we take a horse? I actually have one.¡±

    ¡°You have a horse?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I kind of earned it in battle.¡± I said with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. I did not want to brag.

    ¡°Wow! Tell me everything! Who did you fight?¡±

    ¡°We were ambushed on the trip to the academy. A fire mage attacked me and I grabbed his hand and channelled death mana into him¡­¡±

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°That is sooo cool!¡±

    Not the reaction I had expected¡­ Then again, she was from a family known for combat.

    After the initial excitement Helena calmed down a bit and asked: ¡°But who attacked you? And why? A fire mage does not sound like a normal bandit.¡±

    ¡°I was told that death magic is not the most common affinity. And I seem to have a large one, combined with a lot of mana. Apparently, I am a great asset to the kingdom. I even had soldiers escort me.¡± Was I telling her too much? I did not really know Helena. Would she try to use me? Was she just pretending to be my friend?

    Helena considered my words. ¡°Sounds like politics. There are nobles who would not like the royal family getting stronger. You said the princess sponsored you. Ugh. They are going to drag you into politics.¡±

    ¡°I can understand if that means you don¡¯t want to hang out with me¡­¡±

    ¡°What? No! Screw them! And if they send more people after you I will help you kill them!¡±

    I felt relieved. I realised just how depressing it would have been, if she had abandoned me. I decided I would trust her, for now. She seemed genuine.

    ¡°Thank you. It means a lot.¡± And it really did.

    We finished breakfast and walked into the city. Helena said a horse would be unnecessary, the shopping district was not too far away. On the way I told her my whole story. Starting from the incident at the auction. I even told her about my large mana pool. Maybe it was foolish. But I had decided to put my trust in her. And that meant telling her everything.

    As I kept talking I grew more comfortable. She did not show any signs of envy. She seemed genuinely excited about my powers. I even admitted to using my magic to train my body faster.

    ¡°That is a great ability. It should help you a lot. I have been trained to fight with a weapon since I was eight.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit young?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Some even start with six. Mastering a weapon takes a lot of time. Unless you are very skilled. Of course, if you focus on magic it becomes less relevant. Unless you are a spellblade. But a lot of the nobility thinks a noble needs a sword. Ironically, a lot of them have very little idea how to use it.¡±

    ¡°But if they start training at six¡­¡±

    ¡°There are different ways to train. Some only focus on duels for sport. Very clear rules, no dirty tricks. That is not real fighting. Those people are often rather useless in an actual battle. My father took me hunting when I was young. First to watch, later to participate. I killed my first wolf when I was twelve. My first bandit with thirteen.¡±

    That explained things. Of course she was not disturbed by me killing someone. Or by the fact that I was attacked on the road. Fighting seemed normal to her.

    ¡°Did you fight with magic?¡± I wondered. A noble could easily hire a private tutor and circumvent the age requirements of the academy.

    ¡°No. My father believes that it is important to experience combat like a normal soldier. He also thinks that magic needs some proper training and a more grown up mind. So he is fine with the age requirements of the academy.¡±

    Was magic really that dangerous? Allowing a child to fight a bandit sounded a lot riskier than casting a spell. Then again, you could intervene in a swordfight. And health potions seemed to be rather effective. But would you know if a child used their mana wrong? Could you interfere if they blew themselves up? I guess I just did not know enough to make a judgement.

    ¡°You mention your father a lot, what about your mother?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She died when I was young. I never really knew her.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. She died in combat, defending our border.¡±

    Despite her words she sounded sad. I decided to change the topic.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t most shops closed on Solday? Will we be able to buy clothes?¡±

    ¡°Most shops are closed, but not all. Especially the higher quality ones are open. Nobles love to shop on Solday. They see it as a status symbol. Something to separate them from normal people.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t have a lot of money¡­ Will I be able to afford anything?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± She assured me.

 CHAPTER 16: Trip

    We arrived at the shopping district. It was clearly a place for the upper class. I had a feeling that normal people would shop in a different part of the city. Everyone was well dressed and a lot of the shoppers had servants, some even guards. I also spotted slave collars on a few maids. It left a sour taste in my mouth but there was little I could do.

    The shops had big glass windows where they displayed their goods. The buildings used a lot of marble and had elaborate signs to attract customers. I felt poor just looking at them.

    ¡°I¡­ I doubt I can afford anything here.¡± I said nervously.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I will buy you some clothes!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t accept that!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Hear me out. We will have four years in the academy together. There will be plenty of times when you can help me in turn. The money this will cost is not much for my family. And it allows you to make a better impression on other nobles. While I don¡¯t care about your wardrobe, others will. I don¡¯t like politics, but sometimes it pays off to play the game. At least a little bit.¡±

    It did sound reasonable but I did not want to owe her. It did not feel right. She noticed my hesitation.

    ¡°Look, I am not talking about the latest designer clothes. Just something with good quality that is practical. It really is not that much money for me. You can always pay me back later, if you want.¡±

    I was still torn but I relented. I would find a way to pay her back.

    ¡°Ok¡­ but I will pay you back!¡± I promised.

    Helena smiled triumphantly. ¡°Let¡¯s look for a shop!¡±

    From her stories I knew that she had been in battle. But the next hours showed me what a true monster she was. I was dragged into stores, dressed up in clothes, while she oohed and aahed. There was a dangerous twinkle in her eyes.

    It was early afternoon that we found ourselves in a lovely restaurant for lunch. I was exhausted. And slightly terrified of my companion.

    ¡°That was sooo much fun!¡± She said, I shivered at her words.

    ¡°You looked great in that dress.¡± She added.

    Said piece of clothing was black and knee length. She insisted that one needed a dress. She also bought me two black pants and two white shirts. And underwear. I would rather fight for my life again, than to experience another shopping trip. Ok, maybe it was not quite that bad. But it was close!

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    At least now it was over and I had food. The pasta with a creamy sauce and a lot of cheese on top was nice. We sat outside and enjoyed the meal in the sun.

    ¡°We are finished with shopping, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Unless there is something else you want?¡±

    ¡°NO¡­ I mean, I am fine. I don¡¯t need anything.¡±

    ¡°We could go to a spa.¡± Helena suggested. ¡°There should be a good one in the city. We can relax in a hot bath or get a massage...¡±

    A hot bath? That did sound amazing. But it would cost money, again. So far Helena had paid for everything, even the food. Was I taking advantage of her generosity? Or was that simply friendship?

    ¡°It does sound nice¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided!¡± Helena proclaimed.

    And so we went looking for a spa. After some dessert, of course. I enjoyed a nice slice of apple pie. I could really get used to this kind of life.

    And so I found myself soaking in a large stone tub together with Helena. And some other people I did not know. It was a public bath after all. The whole experience felt really decadent. And sooooo relaxing. If only I could have that every day, especially after workouts. The hot water contained certain minerals that were supposed to improve the skin. I wondered if they would be good for my tail as well? If I ever made a lot of money I would certainly invest in a nice bath. While we relaxed Helena told me a bit about her home. They had natural hot springs in the area which were rather popular in winter. I hoped I would have a chance to visit them in the future.

    In the end, the day was a great success. Despite the terrifying shopping. Once we returned, I even decided to purchase the watch the academy offered. Since I had not spent any of my own money yet, it seemed an acceptable expense. I had to queue at the reception for a while, since a lot of students were looking for their rooms. Dinner would be quite busy.

    Thanks to my new purchase I knew that it was 19:13 when I went to the mess hall with Helena. Most tables were occupied. We both grabbed the beer and a stew with bread. One could never go wrong with stew. With our meals in hand we looked for a place to sit.

    ¡°Over there.¡± Helena called. I nodded and followed.

    The table she was going towards was not empty but the only occupant was a female dwarf with short red hair. Based on her uniform she was also a first year, like us. Her body looked well trained. She studied us with crimson eyes.

    ¡°Can we sit here?¡± Helena asked.

    The dwarf shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Hi, I am Helena Frost and this is Koyuki.¡± I simply nodded.

    ¡°I am Skadi.¡± The dwarf replied.

    ¡°Where are you from?¡± Helena asked.

    Skadi sighed. ¡°Look, let¡¯s get this out of the way. I am not a noble. My parents are merchants.¡±

    ¡°I am not a noble either.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Skadi said, looking surprised.

    ¡°She is a noble though.¡± I pointed at Helena. ¡°But she is alright.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°So, what brings you to the academy? Do you want to join the army?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°My parents think it will be good for business.¡±

    ¡°Business?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Being an officer in the royal army comes with a certain amount of prestige.¡± Helena explained. ¡°Having no title makes it harder to do business. The bigger merchants either have a noble patron, or very good connections.¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I become an officer it will make it harder for a local lord to bully us.¡± Skadi sounded bitter. I decided not to pry.

    ¡°What magic affinity do you have?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Earth and water.¡±

    ¡°A dual affinity?¡± That sounded awesome.

    ¡°That is amazing! You are going to be a blood mage!¡± Helena squealed.

    ¡°Uh, what is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°When you combine water and earth you can control blood. You can either attack the enemy directly, or use it to form weapons and armour. It works really well for spellblades. But very few people have a natural dual affinity. Most people have one and use artefacts to compensate for the other.¡± Helena explained. ¡°We should form a team! Koyuki summons an undead army, I support it with large scale ice magic and Skadi will protect us and tank strong single enemies! We are going to be unstoppable!¡±

    Skadi looked at me. I shrugged. ¡°I have only known her briefly but that is normal.¡±

 CHAPTER 17: First Lesson

    Helena¡¯s excitement lasted a while longer. She fantasised about us crushing enemies and fighting epic battles. I was more focused on tomorrow. In the morning we would all assemble in the parade square. There would be a short introduction and afterwards we would get our class schedule. We finished our meal and said goodbye to Skadi. We went to bed early. Tomorrow would be exciting!

    Breakfast was a blur and soon the time had arrived. I was standing amidst a lot of first years in the morning sun. The headmaster was welcoming us personally.

    ¡°Welcome to the Royal Military Academy! First, let me make some things clear. This is a military school. And I expect you to behave accordingly. I don¡¯t care what title you have, you respect your instructors. You also respect your fellow students. If you have a problem, tell the staff. If you want to fight someone, do it in a proper duel.¡± He observed the crowd. I saw a few people who looked unhappy, but nobody complained, yet. ¡°You will all have the same basic classes. Those are mandatory. You will have a choice for your advanced ones. To complete the first year you will need to pass a test in every basic class and at least one advanced class. Your personal schedules are delivered to your rooms as we speak. Check them and then report to your instructors. Dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Some of the more motivated students shouted, me included. Others just grumbled. I heard a few complaining. Personally, I was glad that we were not subjected to a long speech.

    As I returned to our room with Helena I asked her: ¡°Why didn¡¯t they give us the schedule earlier? Why make everyone go back to their room?¡±

    ¡°Probably to stop people from complaining. There are like 100 first years, but many courses will only have ten to twenty students. So nobles will complain that their friends are not in the same class. Now they won¡¯t have time for that. Not getting their way will be a novel experience for many.¡± She said with a smile.

    Our schedules were the same for now, we were lucky. It started with basic spellcasting. Finally, more magic! We rushed to the lecture hall.

    We were among the first to arrive. There were ten desks for students, each seating two. We picked one in the front, not wanting to miss anything. Skadi was not among the other students, which was a shame. Most were human but I spotted an elf and a catkin. By the time the instructor arrived only sixteen seats were filled. Our teacher was a middle aged woman with long blonde hair. She wore the typical uniform of the academy.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    We all stood as she entered. Her green eyes examined every student. ¡°Be seated.¡± She said and we all complied.

    ¡°I am Victoria, your basic magic instructor. In this class you will learn the fundamentals about spells and mana. First, we will go over the things you should already know. Then you will learn the telekinesis spell. It works with neutral mana and is a rather practical tool.¡± She started levitating her desk. ¡°At first, all you will manage is to move a simple feather, but in time you can lift heavy objects. It is a spell that can be used in combat, but it is not very mana efficient. Most use it to carry things.¡±

    The lesson was interrupted as the door opened and two people entered. They were both human males. Judging by their uniform they were students. They did not look very happy. Neither did the teacher.

    ¡°You are late. Explain yourself.¡± Victoria said.

    I studied the two men. Being first years they were likely 16 years old. Both had rather short hair, one blond and one black. While the darker haired one was more rugged, the other one was¡­ pretty? At least his body, his eyes were filled with contempt and his face looked like he was permanently sneering. Then again, maybe he was.

    ¡°Explain myself? I am Lord Archibald Winston. Your incompetent management has placed my betrothed in a different class. And the principal refused to see me! I will certainly send a complaint to my father. Meanwhile, I expect you to fix this.¡±

    Victoria¡¯s eyes narrowed. She pointed her hand at Archibald. Suddenly he started turning grey.

    ¡°Wha¡­ sto¡­¡± Was all he managed to say before his mouth stopped working. It took only a moment and he was turned to stone. Or covered in stone? I stared in awe at the spell. It was amazing!

    His companion paled at the sight. ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t you know who he is!¡±

    ¡°He was late and rude. He will either learn manners or be removed from the academy. Now apologise.¡±

    ¡°I will nev¡­¡± He started turning grey as well. ¡°Sorry, I am sorry!¡± He fell to his knees and bowed. The spell stopped as soon as he started apologising.

    ¡°Take your seat. Don¡¯t worry, Archibald can hear everything in this state. I will return him to normal afterwards. Let this be a lesson to you all. Your title means nothing here.¡± She had a dangerous smile.

    This was the best class ever! Judging by Helena¡¯s sparkling eyes she enjoyed it as well. Victoria levitated the statue towards the back. The other student took a seat. He looked rather frightened. Overall I saw mixed reactions in the class. But nobody dared complain. Afterwards she repeated what I already knew. How one used mana and spellforms. Despite that I listened attentively to every word.

    ¡°We shall now have a lunch break for one hour. In the afternoon I will show you the telekinesis spellform. Do not be late.¡±

    She stopped the spell keeping Archibald restrained. His skin turned normal again and he fell to his knees. His companion immediately rushed towards him.

 CHAPTER 18: A new Spell

    The instructor did not bother to check on Archibald. Maybe it was not the first time she had to take such measures.

    I whispered to Helena: ¡°Who is Archibald?¡±

    ¡°He is the second son of Duke Francis Winston, our liege lord. I saw him once at an event, I think.¡± She whispered back.

    Archibald was rising to his feet as he noticed me staring. He smiled. It did not look friendly, more predatory. He approached us, his friend followed closely.

    ¡°Hello ladies. I noticed your glances and whispering. You don¡¯t need to be intimidated by me. Or concerned for my well being. I am fine and the instructor will be punished, in due time.¡±

    I was confused. What did he want? Was he trying to save face? Make it look like he had everything under control? I looked at Helena who seemed equally lost.

    ¡°Wait¡­ I recognize you!¡± He said, pointing at Helena. ¡°You are a Frost. Excellent. You can entertain me while we have lunch.¡±

    ¡°I am not interested.¡± Helena answered.

    He frowned. ¡°The Frosts serve the Winstons. You will follow my orders.¡±

    ¡°That is not how it works.¡± Helena said. ¡°I have declined your invitation. I will have lunch with my friend.¡± She stood, grabbed my hand and left, dragging me along. Not that I objected.

    She released me once we left the room. ¡°Sorry for dragging you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Will he be a problem?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. My father has a decent relationship with the duke. We pay our taxes and keep the border safe. I doubt that he would start anything because I rejected his son. But I don¡¯t know him well enough.¡±

    At least he had also picked a fight with the instructors. So he would get no help there.

    ¡°You said Leo is an ass. Is he like Archibald?¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Partly. He thinks very highly of himself. But he is a lot smarter. He would not provoke an instructor. Leo is behaving well in public. Just avoid being alone with him.¡±

    Great. Hopefully not every child of a duke would be bad. Nethena had seven duchies. One of them was controlled by the royals directly. That left six dukes. Did the others have children at the academy as well? I would probably find out at some point. Anyway, food!

    We arrived at the mess hall. It was not quite as full as expected. Maybe the lunch breaks were staggered? It would make sense. We still had to queue for a bit and share our table. Sadly I failed to spot Skadi. Maybe we could meet her in the evening.

    After the break we returned to our class. Archibald¡¯s presence dampened my enthusiasm slightly but I was still looking forward to it. He was already in the room when we arrived. His follower was with him, as were two others. One brown haired man, who looked rather average, and a busty black haired woman. They both looked rather pleased.

    Archibald glanced briefly at us before he returned his focus to the woman in front of him. He was mostly focused on a certain part of her. I felt bad for his betrothed.

    As the break came to an end everyone took their seat and stood once Victoria entered. She was levitating a stack of books behind her.

    ¡°Be seated.¡± She looked at Archibald, who looked angry but remained silent. ¡°I am glad that everyone is here on time. Now let us begin.¡± A book floated to each student.

    ¡°This is the book for our class. You will have to return it at the end of the year. Do not damage it, or there will be a fine. The first spell you find in there is telekinesis.¡± She opened a satchel and pulled out some feathers. Then she floated one to each student. ¡°Memorise the spellform. Once you activate the spell, target the feather. That is the easy part. Then you will have to learn how to control it. Now, why do we start with this spell?¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Because it teaches us a spell that is not simply fire and forget. We can learn how to control an ongoing spell in a safe way.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Does anyone have something to add?¡±

    The catkin raised his hand. Just like me he was mostly human, with animal ears and a tail. He was on the smaller side for a male. While his hair was black, the ears and tail were orange. He looked kinda cute.

    ¡°Shin.¡±

    ¡°It uses neutral mana. That means we can all use it. Otherwise you would need a different training spell for every affinity.¡±

    She nodded again. ¡°You are both correct. This spell can teach you a lot of the basics in a safe way. I do not expect you to manage it any time soon. Now, give it a try.¡±

    My first attempt was a failure, as expected. I had the book open and tried to construct the spellform in my mind. Recreating the rune from the picture was hard. I always missed some details forming it in my mind. But I would not give up!

    I ignored my surroundings. I lost track of time. I only focused on the spell before me. Again and again I tried constructing it in my mind. Until it finally clicked. The spellform held. I took a tiny amount of my mana and fed it into the construct. The spell activated. The feather before me floated, briefly.

    I was so excited that I forgot to keep the spell active. Instead of just pushing mana into it once, I would need to feed it constantly. Hm. I would need something like a pipe from my core to the spellform. Could I do that? I mentally tried to build a connection. But it required too much concentration. I could not keep it active while also forming the runes.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡± Victoria said.

    I blinked. Was it already evening? I looked around. Nobody had a floating feather.

    ¡°Feel free to practise the spell in your off time. Class dismissed.¡±

    ¡°This is hard. But it¡¯s also exciting!¡± I said to Helena. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to practise some more.¡±

    ¡°Not tonight! We need to find Skadi and have a drink!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°That does sound nice.¡± I agreed.

 CHAPTER 19: Weapons Practice

    The mess hall was rather busy. On the bright side, there were not too many dwarves, meaning Skadi stood out. Of course, her size made her harder to spot. Somehow Helena found her at a table near the wall. There were four empty seats.

    ¡°Skadi, how was your day? It¡¯s a shame we are in different classes.¡± Helena said.

    Skadi looked up from her food. She had not noticed our approach. ¡°Helena, Koyuki.¡± She said with a nod. ¡°My day was alright. Mostly weapons practice.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we will have that tomorrow.¡± Helena replied.

    The chairs next to Skadi were empty. The group of five we shared the table with ignored us.

    ¡°Who is your roommate? Don¡¯t you get along?¡± I wondered. I did not see Skadi interact with anyone, besides us. And she was eating alone.

    She shrugged. ¡°Her name is Clara. She is tolerable.¡±

    I had a feeling that Skadi was not the most sociable person.

    ¡°You need to invite her to eat with us!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°No.¡± Skadi answered.

    Helena pouted.

    ¡°Anyway, we had basic magic today.¡± I said. ¡°The instructor turned a student to stone because he was late and rude!¡±

    ¡°Cool. That''s some advanced magic. I wish I could have seen that.¡±

    ¡°It was awesome! And the student totally deserved it. Archibald Winston. Be careful around him.¡± I advised.

    ¡°Thank you for the warning.¡±

    ¡°We should drink to our first day.¡± Helena suggested, raising her mug of ale.

    We raised our drinks as well. ¡°To our first day.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Despite Helena¡¯s enthusiasm we did not stay up late. We had classes tomorrow and could not spend the night partying.

    The next day was less about magic and more about physical training. It started with a lot of running. Thanks to my training in the past two weeks I could more than keep up. My magic had helped with building muscles and it showed. Physically I was among the top in our class. Being a foxkin helped as well.

    Next was weapons training. Our instructor''s name was Peter. He was bald and clean shaven. While he lacked hair he seemed to make up for it with scars. Judging by his runes he was a spellblade.

    ¡°Everyone here should know how to hold a weapon. What many of you don¡¯t know is how to use one in real combat. Or how the army fights. You will be officers. To give proper commands you need to understand formations. You need to experience them. And, depending on your specialisation, you will be right at the front with your soldiers.¡± He looked at each of us. ¡°We will start with something familiar, one on one fights. In the coming weeks we will move to group battles and formations. Later this year we will add monsters. Fighting teeth and claws is entirely different from fighting an armed humanoid.¡±

    We were in the same class as yesterday. So far Archibald had behaved himself. I wondered how long that would last.

    ¡°We have practise weapons here. For now just grab what you are comfortable with. The first fight will be Eva vs Shin. The rules are simple, cause no permanent harm, use no magic. The fight lasts until someone scores a hit that I would consider lethal with a real weapon, someone is knocked out, or I decide to stop it.¡±

    Eva was the busty woman who seemed to enjoy Archibalds company. She chose a longsword. Shin grabbed a spear. Eva was slightly taller than Shin but his weapon gave him a reach advantage.

    As the battle started it became clear that the catkin was a lot more experienced. I now understood Helena¡¯s comments about nobles. Eva had perfect posture, elegant movements and absolutely no answer for a fast fighter with more reach. She was on the defence for the entire duel. Shin kept forcing her back. After a while he found an opening, his practice spear stopped at Eva¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Good match.¡± Peter said. ¡°It showed the importance of reach. Eva would have needed to close the gap to have a chance. How could she have done that?¡±

    ¡°With a shield.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Yes. That would have given her a chance to get closer.¡±

    ¡°What about magic?¡± Someone asked. It was Archibald¡¯s friend.

    ¡°Jack, I hope I do not have to remind you that the rules said no magic.¡± Peter said in a stern voice. ¡°But if you are asking a general question, yes magic can obviously help. Having more reach is meaningless if you are turned to stone.¡±

    Jack paled while Archibald looked angry. The example was a clear reminder to behave.

    ¡°Ok, time for the next battle. Jack vs Koyuki.¡±

    I was nervous. How would my limited training stand up to Jack? I grabbed a staff. It was one of the two weapons I had trained with the most. I figured it would give me more reach than the arming sword. Jack chose a longsword.

    ¡°Begin.¡±

    I grabbed the staff at one end to give myself reach. You could argue it was just an inferior spear. So why a staff? Many mages had a crystal on their sticks instead of a pointy end. So getting used to whacking things, instead of stabbing things, was a good idea.

    I had learned some moves in the last two weeks. But in the end I mostly swung the staff around in front of me. It made it hard for Jack to get close. While Jack was bigger, and had more muscles, that meant little. Foxkin were naturally stronger than humans. Especially after two weeks of magically enhanced training.

    I failed to land a hit but he was getting more and more frustrated. After a while he tried to charge in and got smacked in the chest. The blow knocked him down and might have cracked a rib.

    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± Archibald protested. ¡°She is just an animal swinging a stick! This is not fighting! She should be disqualified.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, this is fighting.¡± Peter replied. ¡°And it shows you how dangerous someone strong with a stick is, if you are unprepared. Good job Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°You did great!¡± Helena cheered.

    I felt proud. My first win!

 Chapter 20: More Lessons

    Peter examined Jack to assess his injuries. ¡°Your rib is cracked but not broken. I will use some healing magic to speed up recovery. Tomorrow you will be fully healed again.¡±

    I watched as a green light enveloped Jack. There was no visible change but he looked more relaxed.

    ¡°Do you know what element is used for healing?¡± I asked Helena.

    ¡°There are a few ways to heal. Light mana is pretty good at it. Earth and water have healing spells too. But I am no expert.¡±

    As the class continued I observed the other students. They all had more training than I did. But not everyone seemed very enthusiastic about weapons. Most would probably become mages and not spellblades. Soon only four students were left.

    ¡°Next we have Helena vs Elandir.¡± Peter announced.

    Elandir was an elf. He was tall, had long black hair, golden eyes and perfect alabaster skin. Both of them picked a spear. And both knew how to use it. But the elf was fast. Helena was driven back. Despite her experience she failed to land a hit. The elf seemed to almost flow around her attacks. Eventually he snuck past her guard and scored a hit.

    ¡°Elandir wins.¡± Peter said.

    Helena did not look disappointed though. She seemed rather happy.

    ¡°That was a great fight! You are really good.¡± She praised her opponent.

    ¡°Thank you. You fought well.¡± Elandir replied.

    ¡°Good. This is what I want to see, respect your opponent.¡± Peter said. ¡°Helena did not get angry, she stayed focused. It was not enough to win but elves are faster than humans. And Elandir has a lot of experience. Now we have one more fight, Archibald vs Simon.¡±

    That would be interesting. Simon was part of Archibalds group. Granted, the year had only just started. But after the incident yesterday I saw Eva and Simon hanging out with Archibald and Jack.

    Both of them were in shape but not overly muscular. Archibald chose a rapier. Simon picked the same weapon.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Their fight was¡­ elegant. They both had one arm behind their back. It looked almost choreographed as they executed precise manoeuvres. It did not take long until Archibald won, his blade was touching Simon¡¯s throat.

    Peter¡¯s face was hard to read. But he did not seem very impressed with the display. ¡°Archibald wins. That concludes the duels for today. You have a long way to go but at least everyone here knows how to hold a weapon. That''s it for today, dismissed.¡±

    ¡°That duel looked more like a sport than a fight.¡± I said to Helena.

    ¡°Because it was. That is how a lot of nobles see fighting. It¡¯s not entirely useless, mind you. They learn speed, reflexes and even some good strikes. They just lack the experience to deal with the unknown, the unexpected. What if someone tried to tackle them? What if the enemy used an exotic weapon? In a fight with rules they might even be masters. But on a battlefield? They would not last long.¡± She explained.

    ¡°By the way, you did great against Elandir. He was so fast! I would have lost before it even started!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he was good. Definitely has some real fighting experience. I hope I can fight him more often! I could learn a lot!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should become a spellblade.¡±

    ¡°Too early to make such a decision. It limits your mana for spells. I would love to be able to freeze a battlefield! It would be cool to be a dragon or something. They can do both, because they have so much mana!¡±

    ¡°Dragons are spellblades?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not in the same way humans are. Part of their mana just naturally enhances them, without any runes. That is how magical beasts work.¡±

    We were on our way back to the dorms. Physical training was over for today but we had a different class in the afternoon. That meant a quick shower, a change of clothes and a fast lunch. Then it was time to learn something new, alchemy!

    My excitement was slightly dampened when I realised there we were in a normal lecture room. I suppose any practical part would come later. Helena was not that interested in the class in general.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in a lab! I want to do magic, hit things, you know.¡± She complained.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There is magic in alchemy. And it is really useful. A health potion saved my life on the way to the academy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, alchemy is useful no doubt. I just don¡¯t want to make the stuff myself.¡±

    We took a place somewhere in the middle of the room. Archibald was in a corner with his friends. They ignored us, which was good. Soon the teacher arrived.

    ¡°Be seated. I am Horas.¡± He was an old man with a grey beard. ¡°I have been teaching this class for a long time. I know that a lot of you won¡¯t be interested. Alchemy is not a common path for a military officer. So why is it mandatory?¡±

    Shin raised his hand.

    ¡°Shin.¡±

    ¡°Because the military makes use of alchemical products?¡±

    Horas smiled. ¡°Exactly. Alchemy can provide similar effects to magic. Potions or bombs can be stored and then used by normal soldiers. If you want to be a good officer you will need to know what is possible. This class will be a theoretical introduction. Actual alchemy is an optional advanced course.¡±

    ¡°Why would an officer make potions themselves?¡± Simon asked.

    ¡°Next time raise your hand when you have a question. But it is a good one so I will not punish you. The answer is simple, it gives you flexibility. Some things can be created in the field. Supply lines could be interrupted. Requisitioning something might take too long.¡± He paused, then added: ¡±And some enhancement potions work better if they were created with your own mana. That can be rather useful for spellblades.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Is there something useful for necromancy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ah. Yes I heard that you have a large affinity for death magic. Alchemy can indeed be useful. It can help to prepare skeletons. There are ways to enhance bones to make your undead stronger.¡±

    That sounded awesome!

 CHAPTER 21: Elemental Magic

    Most students did not seem interested in alchemy. The reveal of my affinity raised a few eyebrows though, and there was a certain amount of staring and whispering. Helena was happy when the lesson was over. She found alchemy rather boring.

    The next day was a lot more to her liking. We had our first lesson in elemental magic. I could only stare as our teacher entered. The woman looked young, like she was in her twenties. Her skin was dark, like obsidian, her long hair was as white as snow and her eyes¡­ One was bright red, the other turquoise.

    She smiled at our reactions. I was not the only one stunned. She had a very curvy figure and a well trained body. ¡°Be seated. I know my looks catch people off guard. And my youthful appearance causes questions about my competence.¡± She paused, maybe waiting for a challenge. Everybody stayed quiet so she continued: ¡°I have served for over twenty years in the army.¡±

    I knew that magic could slow down your ageing. The more powerful a person was, the longer they could live. But just how strong was that woman? And how old? And was she fully human?

    ¡°With that out of the way, let¡¯s start the lesson! My name is Irene and I am here to teach you about elemental magic. As you know, using the wrong mana will hurt you. That can be mitigated, to an extent, with expensive artefacts. But truly powerful magic will always require some affinity. But even if you don¡¯t use a certain element you will need to know how to defend yourself against it. This class is a lot about theory, but you will learn some spells in your chosen element as well. There are advanced classes for each element. I highly recommend picking one.¡±

    She had a pile of books with her and floated one to each student.

    ¡°This is the book for my class. You know the drill by now. Don¡¯t damage it. You have to return it at the end of the year. There is a chapter for each element starting with its rune. If you desire to experiment with elemental magic you need to go to a practice room. Now, let¡¯s go over the six elements¡­¡±

    By now I was used to her striking appearance and focused on the lecture. I loved magic and listened closely to every word.

    ¡°Death magic, also called dark magic, is a rare affinity. Why is that?¡± Irene asked.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Eva raised her hand.

    ¡°Eva.¡±

    ¡°Because we are alive. Death is not compatible with the living.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you explain our Koyuki here?¡± Irene countered. ¡°No, some living things are fully capable of using dark mana. The theory, that all necromancers are partially undead, has been disproven long ago and is mostly propaganda from Ilestria.¡±

    ¡°But all undead have a death affinity and very few living things do!¡± Eva protested.

    ¡°You are looking at it the wrong way. Undead are created by dark magic, so obviously they have an affinity for it. If you summon an earth elemental it will have an earth affinity. The reason few people are capable of it is simple: They were often hunted in the past. Dark magic is called death magic partly to make it sound more sinister. To make mages sound more evil. Of course, it is also an element that is very good at killing.¡±

    She gave everyone a moment to let that sink in. I felt a lot of people staring at me. Was I the only one with death magic in our class?

    ¡°An element, or magic, is neither good nor evil. Each is the domain of a god, or goddess. They can all be used to help. They can all be used to harm. Remember that.¡±

    We got an introduction to all elements but the others were less controversial. Fire could do horrific things as well, but somehow people tended to overlook that. Maybe because it was part of everyday life. Fire was used for cooking, heating and not just killing.

    ¡°That is it for today, Koyuki please stay for a moment.¡± Irene said at the end of the lesson.

    I was surprised by that. Archibald was whispering and I heard someone snicker. Was I in trouble? I had been very attentive. I could not think of anything I did wrong.

    ¡°I will wait for you outside.¡± Helena said.

    I nervously approached the teacher while the other students left.

    ¡°You wanted to speak with me ma¡¯am?¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t look so scared, you are not in trouble.¡± Irene said. ¡°Your affinity was not discovered the usual way, right? You have never looked at the runes of other elements?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Have you never wondered if you have a talent for more elements?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ No?¡±

    Irene smiled. ¡°Your case is a special one and it was handled very quickly. You were seen as an asset and just thrown at the academy. Everyone was excited about your necromancy so they did not bother to look for anything else.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ dual affinities are rare, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Some combinations are more common than others. And it depends on the race as well. I want you to come to a practice room this evening and study the other elemental runes. See if one of them speaks to you and if you can use one.¡±

    ¡°I thought it would take a while to learn a rune.¡±

    ¡°And yet, you learned one on your own, during combat. I know you are talented Koyuki. I suspect you have a lot of mana too. I would not be surprised if you had another affinity as well. Meet me at 20:00 at the practice area. Now go, your friend is waiting.¡±

    I left confused. Why was she expecting me to have more affinities? Did she know why I was special? Hopefully I could get some answers tonight.

 CHAPTER 22: Affinities

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Helena asked after I left the room.

    ¡°She wants me to test for more affinities. I am supposed to meet her tonight in a practice room.¡±

    ¡°She thinks you have another affinity? That would be cool! I don¡¯t know what works well with death magic. Earth enhancement magic maybe?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ I don¡¯t know. I never thought about having even more magic.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°We''re gonna make an awesome team together with Skadi! Hm. Do you think we can form a group with someone in a different class? How big will team exercises be?¡±

    I shrugged. It seemed that Helena managed to distract herself with her thoughts. She always liked to imagine epic fights with us in the centre.

    The remaining day went by quickly. And soon I found myself walking towards the practice area. Irene was already waiting.

    ¡°Good, you are on time. Follow me.¡± She said,

    The room we entered was similar to the one where I had learned venting. As she closed the door some runes flared to life.

    ¡°We should be able to talk freely here. There are enchantments to dampen the sound. In theory we have them because certain spells are quite noisy but they are good if you want some privacy too.¡±

    I was slightly nervous. I knew some people wanted to kill me. But I doubted it would be an instructor. Was I wrong?

    ¡°What do you know about your race?¡± Irene asked.

    Huh? Not a question I had expected. ¡°Um, I am foxkin. Like all beastkin we are physically stronger than humans. And foxes are known for magic.¡±

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°My senses are better, I think. I can see in the dark¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you know that there are different kinds of foxkin?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I mean there are different colours for our furry parts¡­¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°It goes beyond that. Foxes are not native to our continent. Although there are certainly some who have settled here. Most foxes have a light affinity, which makes them popular in Ilestria. Dark foxkin are rare and usually not seen outside of Kitara. Which means there is very little information about them. Many people don¡¯t even know they exist. Well, most people just think all foxkin are the same.¡±

    There was a lot of excitement in her eyes. She looked at me like I was a rare treat. It made me slightly uncomfortable but at least I got a lot of information from her.

    ¡°So, why are we here?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh, I do want to see if you have more affinities. Even my knowledge about your kind is limited. Studying... I mean observing you will be fascinating! While I do not have an affinity for death magic, I have fought with and against necromancers. Do you know what a dual affinity can achieve?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Undead can be empowered. Burning skeletons are a possibility, if the mage creating them has both affinities. Of course there is a drawback¡­¡±

    ¡°Mana?¡± I guessed.

    ¡°Correct! Creating undead is taxing and you need a huge core to create an army. Empowering them further with a second element takes some skill, the right affinity and a lot of mana.¡±

    Now that was something I had. My core was already big and it would grow further over time. She certainly had me excited now. Hopefully I did have a second affinity!

    ¡°Here are the elemental runes.¡± She handed me five sheets of paper. ¡°Sit down, concentrate on them for a bit and see if one of them triggers something.¡±

    I nodded, took the sheets and sat down. First I went with light. Nothing happened. Next, I went for fire. Burning undead would be cool. Unfortunately, the rune refused to form in my mind. Air and earth did not get a reaction either. The last rune was water. As I concentrated on it I felt something¡­

    It all made sense. The rune just flowed into being. Water mana filled my body. I had another affinity! But it was water. The same as Helena. Oh no¡­ would¡­ would she be mad? Would she feel useless if I could do the same as her?

    I stopped the rune and vented the elemental mana I had created. I had mixed feelings about this discovery. Irene had been watching closely.

    ¡°Ah, water! Interesting. Not the most helpful. Undead do not breathe, nor do they freeze to death. Augmenting them with water will not grant them more resistances. Although I suppose some form of water shield would help against fire¡­¡± Irene paused, thinking. ¡°You know, it could lead to aquatic undead. A bit of a niche case. It could also help them move in snowy terrain.¡±

    I perked up at that thought. Could they synergize better with Helena? If I concentrated on making an army I would not be able to cast large scale spells anyway. Maybe she would even be excited about it. It also meant we had something in common and could take water magic together. I started feeling better about the whole situation.

    ¡°Well, it is late. I am happy that my hunch was right. I even teach the advanced water class. I highly recommend you take it.¡±

    ¡°Your affinity is water?¡± I asked.

    ¡°And fire.¡±

    Maybe I imagined it. But her red eye seemed to burn and her turquoise eye showed signs of frost as she answered. A mischievous smile formed on her lips as I stared.

    ¡°Well, off to bed with you!¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma''am!¡±

    I quickly made my way back to the dorms. I was not sure what to think of Irene. Was I a research project? A fascinating specimen? An asset for the military? Or a gifted student she wanted to support?

    The halls were empty as I returned. It was already 22:34. It had taken quite a bit of time to find my second element. Although learning the rune was properly fast by the standards of most mages.

    As I arrived at my room I tried to be silent. I did not want to wake Helena. Which turned out to be a wasted effort. She was still up, reading. As I entered she threw the book away and jumped out of her bed.

    ¡°What did you learn? Do you have another affinity? Tell me everything!¡±

    I recounted tonight¡¯s events. I told her what I had learned about foxes and my second affinity.

    ¡°Water? You will be in the same class as me! This will be great! We will have an undead frost army! We shall become the queens of ice and snow! Muahahah.¡±

    I think my friendship with Helena would be just fine.

 CHAPTER 23: A Day with Friends

    Soon the first week came to an end. It was Solday, our first day off. I had plans to train and work on my telekinesis but Helena objected. She decided we had to do something more fun. Just as I was settling down on the floor to focus on my magic she returned to our room.

    ¡°What am I doing here?¡± Skadi asked while being dragged by Helena.

    ¡°Koyuki wants to work on her magic. It¡¯s our first day off. We should do something together!¡± Helena proclaimed.

    ¡°Training is a good idea.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Nooooo! We should have some fun! Together!¡± Helena protested.

    ¡°We could do some fighting. I heard Koyuki could use the training.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Good idea. I can practise magic later.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°That is not what I meant¡­¡± Helena said. ¡°But I suppose fighting is fun. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t go hunting. We will have drinks in the evening though!¡±

    We went to the practice area where we borrowed some weapons. Students were allowed to use them in their free time. I had not seen Skadi fight yet, so I was curious. She picked a large two handed axe.

    ¡°Why is nobody using a shield?¡± I asked. ¡°Helena, you even suggested using one when Eva was defeated in our first fighting lesson.¡±

    ¡°A shield is great when you are fighting another regular human. It works for some monsters, but not all. And for mages it is a bit more complicated. You really need to specialise in it.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°I can see the monster problem. Something big won¡¯t be stopped by a shield. You either dodge or get squished. But what about mages?¡± I asked.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    It was Skadi that answered: ¡°Same thing, to a degree. A spellblade can increase their strength. They are going to smash right through your block. Sure, you can use the shield to redirect their strike, that can work. But a shield loses a lot of its appeal when the enemy is too strong. You need to be a spellblade yourself and use a magical shield. In that case, you can even block some of the big monsters.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s often used by earth affinities. Sometimes water. Wind and fire mostly go for speed, or just more offensive power.¡± Helena added. ¡°As for a normal mage, having a free hand is often needed to direct your magic. Your weapon is more of a backup anyway. A shield will restrict you and not be of much help.¡±

    ¡°What about light and dark?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°Me neither.¡± Said Skadi. ¡°Not sure how many of them go down the spellblade path.¡±

    Helena grabbed a spear and I took a staff. Then we began with some one on one matches.

    And I lost. Helena was simply too skilled, despite my stronger body. Skadi was skilled and stronger, albeit slightly slower. The two of them were an interesting matchup. It was close but Skadi won most of the time. We practised until noon and stopped to clean up and grab food.

    We all chose sausages with potato salad. We even had a table for ourselves. A lot of the students went into the city on their day off.

    ¡°What advanced classes will you take?¡± I asked my companions.

    ¡°Melee combat, water and earth magic.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I am going to be a spellblade most likely.¡±

    ¡°I am doing melee combat as well. While I will probably focus on large scale magic I want to keep my options open. And I do like stabbing things sometimes. Water magic is obvious.¡±

    ¡°I am going water and darkness. I also want alchemy. I will leave the stabbing to you I think.¡±

    ¡°There will be more options next year.¡± Helena said. ¡°Taming could be interesting. You could try to get a monster as a mount. Or bind a familiar.¡±

    ¡°What is a familiar?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A dangerous thing.¡± Skadi said. ¡°You will get some powers by binding a creature to you but if it dies there is some backlash.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a very common practice.¡± Helena added. ¡°As Skadi said, there are some downsides. And you need a willing creature with moderate intelligence. A water or ice elemental would be cool though.¡±

    ¡°Could you have an undead familiar?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Helena said. Skadi shrugged.

    After we finished eating I managed to practise my magic. Helena grumbled but ultimately agreed that it was a good idea. Skadi joined us in our room and we all worked on the telekinesis spell. I even managed to briefly float a feather. But even a small distraction broke my concentration. It was progress though and it put a smile on my face. I was doing better than my companions. I really had a talent for magic.

    In the evening we sat outside in the park enjoying some drinks. Skadi decided to treat us and bought some ale in the mess hall. My first week had gone pretty well. And nobody had tried to kill me, yet. I wondered how long the peace would last. My abnormalities and my background had not leaked, yet. I suspected that Archibald used his day off to whine to his father though. And I would not be surprised if he acquired some information in the process.

    But for now life was looking good. And next week I would have my first advanced class in death magic. I was really looking forward to it!

 CHAPTER 24: Necromancy

    It was Lunday, the first day of my second week. Today would be my very first advanced death magic class! I was really excited. When my affinity was discovered I was uncertain at first. By now I wanted to fully embrace it. Maybe Helena was rubbing off on me but I liked the idea of having an undead army.

    That was a long way off though. At least the physical training in the morning helped me to calm down. Archibald still sneered at us at every opportunity. Nothing had changed there. But he was whispering to his followers a lot while watching us.

    Finally the afternoon arrived and I was on my way to the death magic lecture. A course that only people with my affinity would take. No one from my regular class was here. Only three students were in the small lecture hall. That included myself. The others were both human males. And they looked the same. The twins had orange hair, a friendly face and waved at me as I entered.

    ¡°Hi. We are Tim and Tom.¡± They said,

    ¡°Hi. I am Koyuki. Do you think someone else will show up?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rare affinity.¡± Tim said, shrugging.

    Just then another person entered. He saw me and approached with a smile. His face was slightly rugged yet handsome. He had black hair and dark brown eyes that almost seemed black. His body was well trained.

    ¡°Hello, I am Leo. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±

    Leo? Was that the guy Helena warned me about?

    ¡°Hello, I am Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°I have heard about you. Helena¡¯s friend, right? And very gifted when it comes to magic.¡±

    I was unsure how to reply. Thankfully the teacher arrived, which put an end to the conversation. But Leo chose the seat next to me.

    For the first time we had an instructor who was clearly not human. A dwarf with grey skin and a long white beard entered. He was bald and looked relatively old. But I had to admit, I was not good at judging the age of a dwarf.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Ah, we have four students this year! Splendid! Sit down, sit down.¡± He sounded rather excited.

    ¡°Death magic is such an interesting field! Many fear it, for good reason. It is very efficient at killing. But you can do so much more! I have a skeleton to clean my room, for example. The undead make for very efficient servants.¡± He smiled, then remembered something.

    ¡°Oh, where are my manners! I have not even introduced myself! I am Gronir. I have been teaching this class for many years now. Since this is your first year you won¡¯t be raising any armies, yet. But you will be required to animate something in this class. Of course, I will teach you direct attack spells as well.¡±

    The door opened and a skeleton emerged, it was carrying books. Unlike the other teachers, who floated them to us with magic, Gronir used an undead to hand out the reading material. It was the first time I saw an animated skeleton up close. It looked surprisingly clean. I tried sniffing it and was surprised, it smelled faintly of flowers.

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°Undead do not have to be dirty. Make no mistake, on the battlefield they will be. But when you have time you can prepare your skeletons appropriately. There is a large variety of alchemical treatments. Some will make the resulting undead stronger, others will simply make them smell nice. Of course, that is mostly for skeletons. Dealing with the stench of a zombie is a bit more complicated. Most just learn a spell to help with the smell.¡±

    He waited until we all had a book in front of us. ¡°Raising an undead can be done quickly on the battlefield. But it is a lot easier, and more efficient, to do it slowly. You can prepare the corpse properly. As I have already said, I expect you to create an undead in this class. It is up to you to choose what kind. My recommendation is to use a small skeleton as a base. It can be a rat, for example. The book does offer further suggestions, so give it a read. And you can always ask me for help. You have one week to decide.¡±

    One of the twins raised his hand.

    ¡°Tom.¡±

    ¡°Once we choose something, where do we get the skeleton from?¡±

    ¡°The school can provide you with some. A rat would be free. Some others can be purchased cheaply. You can always go into town and buy the bones you need. If you have an exciting idea I might be convinced to help you obtain the materials.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Would something bigger be harder to control?¡±

    ¡°No. Control is only an issue if you have an intelligent undead. There are three tiers. One is a mindless undead that follows simple orders. They will offer no mental resistance. A tier two would retain some of their instincts. A cat skeleton might still go and hunt rats, if not commanded otherwise. They are easy to control for anyone with experience. They can follow more complex commands. A tier three would be really intelligent. Unless you know what you are doing they might break free and kill you.¡±

    ¡°Would a tier three undead remember their life?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That depends on how it is created. It can be the actual soul of someone bound to an undead body. That is hard and very illegal. They would remember everything. But more often a new being is created. They would inherit some aspects based on the shell you are using. But they would have our level of intelligence. Raising a tier three is beyond most necromancers. Most undead are tier two. Tier ones are only useful for very simple things.¡±

    ¡°So it makes no difference what sort of skeleton we use?¡± Tom asked. He did not even put up his hand but Gronir did not seem to mind.

    ¡°A bigger skeleton requires more mana. But it can also accomplish more. A tier one undead horse might not be the best battle mount but it is great for carrying supplies.¡±

 CHAPTER 25: Next Day

    After the lesson Leo tried to talk to me again. I politely excused myself and left. While he was rather courteous I did not like the look in his eyes. And there was Helena¡¯s warning. I had no reason to distrust her.

    At dinner I managed to meet with my friends again. I told them about my lesson and the encounter with Leo.

    ¡°It was wise to keep your distance. He is one of those who would like to use you. Just like he wants to use me for his political goals.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°What will you use for your first undead?¡± Skadi asked, changing the topic.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A rat is sort of boring. But I don¡¯t have the money to buy a bigger skeleton. If I had something to carry my things it would be cool.¡±

    ¡°We could go and hunt something on Solday! Maybe a bear?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Um¡­ We would need to leave the city. There is no guarantee we will find anything in one day. And would you even know how to harvest the skeleton properly? I don¡¯t want a zombie. Also, don¡¯t forget that I was attacked on my way to the academy. Someone might be watching, looking for a chance to try again.¡± I pointed out.

    Helena sighed. ¡°You are right¡­ I guess hunting will have to wait.¡±

    ¡°Could you create a frost undead? Instead of going for a big skeleton just make a fancy rat.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be hard to add an element. I have to check the book if it says something about it.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of frost monsters back home. It¡¯s a shame we don¡¯t have a corpse ready. I bet they would work well for you.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°I could ask my teacher. He said he might help if we had an interesting idea¡­ But I am not sure if that would not be too much. It¡¯s my first undead.¡±

    ¡°But you are really talented! Just look how easy you have learned the elemental runes. You even discovered one for yourself! And you are already capable of casting telekinesis. Believe in yourself!¡± Helena encouraged me.

    ¡°Ok. I will talk with Gronir tomorrow.¡±

    Now that we were in our second week we had regular classes in the morning. The afternoons were either for advanced classes we picked, or practice. It was expected that students would work on their skills in their free time. So I had an opportunity to visit Gronir the next day after lunch.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    As I reached his office I was surprised. His door was made of bones. I was not sure if I found it creepy or awesome. As I knocked the door opened, by itself. Had he animated a door?

    ¡°Come in.¡± He said. ¡°Ah Koyuki, what can I do for you?¡±

    The interior of his office was mostly normal. He had a plush couch and a nice desk with two chairs for visitors. There were some bones and skulls lying around, as well as two skeletons standing at the wall. But mostly it looked organised. There were shelves with books, neatly stacked papers and some nice pictures on the wall.

    ¡°Sir, I would like to ask about selecting a skeleton.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Have a seat! It¡¯s good to have a motivated student. And I have heard great things about you from my colleagues! It¡¯s a shame that you did not bring the body of the mage you killed with you. That would have made for a great undead.¡±

    What? I looked at him with wide eyes, my mouth hanging open.

    ¡°Does that surprise you? This is a military academy. Raising your enemies is rather normal in battle. You killed him by flooding his body with death mana. Some of that will have lingered in the bones. Killing something with death magic can help when animating them afterwards. And it would have been a great trophy.¡±

    That was not how I imagined this conversation to go. ¡°I¡­ I will remember that sir.¡±

    ¡°Good. About your first undead. I agree that someone of your talent should aim higher than a rat. And I understand from your background that you do not have the funds to actually buy something. Hm. I am willing to support you, as long as you are dedicated.¡±

    ¡°I promise I will work hard!¡±

    ¡°Good. I think I have an idea. Have you managed the telekinesis spell yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but only briefly.¡±

    ¡°I can work with that. It means you know the basics of a channelled spell. We will do something special for your first undead. Something that can help protect you. Maybe a dire wolf. Are you taking advanced alchemy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I will talk with Horas. He can help you prepare the bones. Come back in two days in the evening. I am looking forward to seeing what you can do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±

    I left his office, pleased with the result. I would get something nice for my first undead! I decided to study the necromancy book for the remaining afternoon. I settled down in the park since the weather was nice. A lot of other students were around, all studying something. After a while I heard a familiar voice.

    ¡°All alone? Have your friends abandoned you already?¡± Archibald said.

    I ignored him and kept studying my book.

    ¡°Listen slave, you will look at me when I talk to you!¡± Archibald¡¯s voice got louder.

    ¡°You should teach her a lesson.¡± Someone else said. I did not recognize the voice. As I looked up I found a woman with blonde hair and cold green eyes. She was accompanying Archibald.

    There were a lot of witnesses. Would they really be stupid enough to attack me here?

    ¡°And who are you?¡± I asked the unknown woman.

    ¡°I am Lady Florence, betrothed to Lord Archibald.¡± Her voice was definitely haughty.

    And to think I had felt bad for her because Archibald stared at Eva so much. Maybe they deserved each other.

    ¡°I am Koyuki. Is there an actual reason why you are bothering me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You should know your place!¡± She hissed. ¡°Animals like you don¡¯t belong here.¡±

    I was not all that bothered by the insult. I liked animals.

    ¡°Are you done? I have some studying to do.¡± I was a bit nervous. This confrontation reminded me that I had to get stronger. But I would not let them push me around. I was no longer a slave. And they were most definitely not my superiors.

    I heard people snickering. Everyone in the vicinity was watching our exchange now. Archibald and Florence seemed to be aware of that as well. They both sneered at me and left.

 CHAPTER 26: Water Magic

    I was wary the remaining day but nothing happened. Helena and Skadi were excited about me getting a better undead. Archibald¡¯s behaviour was not a surprise to anyone. We would simply have to be careful.

    The next day went by swiftly and without incident. And so Venday arrived. I would meet with Gronir tonight and find out what he had planned. But before that I had my advanced water magic class. Finally a lesson with Skadi and Helena! With all three of us together it would certainly be fun!

    The class had fifteen students. Simon was the only one here from Archibald¡¯s group.

    ¡°What element is the most common?¡± I asked Helena. She seemed much more knowledgeable in that regard.

    ¡°In this academy? Fire, followed by air.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They are traditional elements for warfare. Air offers good speed for scouting and has some devastating lightning attacks. Fire¡­ burning things always works.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like the other elements are bad but they have more peaceful uses as well. Earth is used in construction, farming and healing, for example.¡±

    ¡°Water and light can also heal and help when growing food.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°And darkness would fit well but is actually rare.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°Exactly. There are probably two classes for fire magic because it is so popular.¡± Helena said.

    Our teacher Irene entered. ¡°Be seated.¡± She said,

    ¡°You already know me from elemental magic, so I won¡¯t introduce myself again. In this class we will explore water magic! It is a very versatile discipline that is often underestimated. That said, people usually focus on a certain aspect. If you become a healer you don¡¯t need to conjure blizzards.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    As usual she distributed the books with telekinesis. While I had seen that in a few classes by now, I was still fascinated by it.

    ¡°This course will hopefully help you decide what path you want to take. At first you will learn a simple ice dagger spell, a water shield and a small heal. We shall start with the ice dagger. Do you know what the difference between magical and natural ice is?¡±

    Helena raised her hand.

    ¡°Helena.¡±

    ¡°Magical ice is reinforced with mana. It can be harder and colder than frozen water.¡±

    ¡°That is correct. While we call it ice it does have different properties. You can create a weapon with it and block a steel sword. But that takes a lot of mana. The temperature, while always cold, can vary as well.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°What happens when it melts?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Once the mana is used up it becomes regular water. There are two different ways of creating an ice construct.¡± An ice dagger formed in her hand. ¡°The first is to simply put a certain amount of mana into it. Once the spell is complete you are done. It now uses up the mana to keep the water in this form. If you apply some heat¡­¡± She conjured a flame in the other hand. The dagger resisted briefly, then started to melt. Soon there was nothing left but a small puddle on the floor. ¡°You can see the problem. If I had put more mana into it, it would have lasted longer. But any spell like that will be overwhelmed rather quickly in a fight. It is mostly used for single attacks, like throwing the dagger.¡±

    ¡°Then there is the other method, an ongoing spell. You keep pumping mana into it.¡± A new dagger formed in her hand. She conjured another flame but this time the dagger resisted. ¡°The more damage the dagger takes the more mana I have to use to keep it going.¡± She stopped the flame. She showed us the pristine dagger. ¡°This method could make you weapons and armour for a prolonged fight but it would cost you a lot of mana. That is usually not worth it. The real use are shields to block an attack. You keep them going while you defend and then drop them when you counter attack.¡±

    Suddenly the dagger turned to water and splashed on the floor. ¡°Once I stop the spell it becomes water again. Any ice magic needs you to create the water, form it into what you desire and then harden it into ice. The water persists afterwards. Of course you can use water that is already here. A much easier and less mana intensive way. That is how you will do it, for now.¡±

    I raised my hand once more. Irene smiled. ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Do you throw the dagger by hand or is that part of the spell?¡±

    ¡°Ah, now that is an interesting question. There is a spell that forms and launches a projectile. The launching part is neutral and can be used for fireballs, ice daggers, earth spikes and so on. But you also have some control over your element. In time you will be able to direct water and ice around you.¡±

    The more I learned about magic, the more I realised what it meant to have a large mana pool. So often we were told something is not worth it. But I already had more than three times the amount that most graduates had. And it would keep growing, although I had no idea by how much.

    The remaining lesson was about the ice dagger spell. It was described in the book and Irene gave us tips on how to cast it. But it would take everyone some practice to pull it off. She advised us to use a bucket of water. Creating it ourselves would be too advanced.

    Time flew by and soon the lesson was over. But my day was not finished yet. I had a meeting with Gronir again. I would find out what he had chosen for my first undead. Helena and Skadi accompanied me towards his office. Then Skadi dragged Helena away so she would not try to sneak into the meeting. I smiled at her antics and knocked on Gronir¡¯s door.

 CHAPTER 27: Mana Pool

    The door opened by itself. ¡°Ah Koyuki, come in, come in!¡± Gronir said. As I looked around I did not notice any skeleton, aside from his aides.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡±

    I sat down and waited patiently.

    ¡°So, I went into the city yesterday and dropped by the adventurer¡¯s guild. They always have plenty of materials on sale. I found something for you! It¡¯s some sort of large feline, I have to admit I am uncertain what kind. The bone structure looks like a panther but slightly larger. Since you have a lot of mana it should work perfectly. It certainly is an undead you can use for combat.¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to make it a tier two undead? Or to upgrade it later?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh? Ambitious, I like it. As I have said in class, controlling a tier two is not hard. But you need to split your focus slightly while creating them. You need to channel the spell while establishing dominance. So, if you have enough mana, and can levitate something while having a conversation, you should be able to pull this off.¡±

    ¡°I managed to use telekinesis briefly but I don¡¯t think I could keep it up while having a conversation, yet.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Still, that is rather remarkable progress for such a short time.¡± He said. ¡°Nobody expects you to create your first undead today. I have talked with Horas. You have advanced alchemy tomorrow, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°He has the skeleton. He will help you prepare it. I expect everyone to have raised something by the end of the month. If you learn fast enough we shall make it a tier two.¡±

    There were twenty days left till the end of the month. I could do this!

    ¡°I am willing to try, sir!¡±

    ¡°Splendid! I expect great things from you.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Um, would it be possible to use my water affinity as well? I have been told that I have a lot of mana. So that should not be a problem¡­¡± I asked, uncertain.

    ¡°Now that goes a bit beyond simple ambition. Just how much mana do you have?¡± He looked at me.

    He was my necromancy teacher and he was helping me. I decided to trust him. ¡°About three times as much as a graduate.¡± I answered.

    Gronir stared at me. He remained silent and kept staring. Was he deep in thought?

    ¡°Who made that assessment, and how?¡±

    ¡°I was training with Major Charles and I learned venting. I released about a third of my mana. He said that was the amount of a graduate.¡± Technically he said it was more than most graduates had but that was close enough.

    ¡°Major Charles? Good man. I would trust his assessment. That was not the most scientific method but he has a lot of combat experience and should be able to judge a burst like that. Even if we assume some overestimation, that is still quite a lot of mana.¡±

    He seemed to think for a bit while stroking his beard.

    ¡°The increase in a person''s mana is poorly understood. Or let¡¯s just say, it varies greatly between people. You are an unusual case but we often see great gains during a student''s time at the academy. Do you know the rankings of mages?¡±

    ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°During the academy you would be considered an apprentice mage. Once you graduate you are a full mage. Each rank requires a certain amount of mana, combined with the ability to cast a certain complexity of spells. Graduation assures that you fulfil the requirements to become a mage. After that we have senior mage, grand mage and archmage. Mages are the most common, a lot of people never rise from that rank. Those who become senior mages often reach the rank when they are old. In order to teach at the academy, you must be at least a senior mage.¡±

    Gronir opened his desk and pulled out a bottle and a glass. Then he poured himself a drink. I waited patiently while he sipped it.

    ¡°Nethena has about 30000 mages. Most of them are not soldiers, mind you. Maybe 5000 of those are senior mages. About 300 are grand mages. How many archmages do you think we have?¡±

    ¡°I¡­. I do not know. 50?¡± I guessed.

    He chuckled. ¡°Ah, that would be nice. No. We have eight. Our headmaster is one of them. Now for some rough mana estimates. Three times the amount that a normal graduate has would qualify you as a senior mage. You would need about five times the average for a grand mage and ten times for an archmage. Of course, besides mana you still need to be capable of casting certain spells. And the mana is a rough estimate, mind you.¡±

    Gronir took another sip of his drink.

    ¡°Your mana pool expands faster when you are young. That is why a lot of students double theirs while at the academy. It depends how large it was to begin with, when they awakened and so on. The biggest growth is usually till twenty. From twenty to thirty your pool might grow another 50 percent. Afterwards it slows down drastically. Mind you, those are averages and there have been exceptions for every rule. Your awakening itself is an exception.¡±

    That meant I was already at a senior mage level. And I would likely be a grand mage when graduating. I could be an archmage by thirty! No, I should not expect that. My case was unusual. Still, I was already at the level of a senior mage. That was a lot to absorb.

    ¡°I will have to inform Principal Hailstorm. If, when, this gets out you will be in even more danger. I will also talk with Horas. Your first undead needs to become a guardian. You could become an archmage necromancer.¡± He smiled. ¡°It will take a while for your skill to catch up with your mana. For now, do not leave the academy. It is too risky. And train hard.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Good, that is all for now. Have a good night.¡±

 CHAPTER 28: Friends

    I returned to my room deep in thought. How would people react when it became clear that I had so much mana? Archibald was looking down on me already. There was no way he would suddenly try to be friends. He would consider me a threat. He might even panic and try to have me eliminated. Was that something he could do? How much influence did he really have? What would his father think?

    I had successfully avoided Leo so far. From what Helena told me he was one of those who would try to use me. Probably manipulate me in some way. I would need to keep my guard up.

    My thoughts were interrupted as I opened the door to my room. My eyes widened in shock as I saw someone lunge at me. It was an overly excited Helena.

    ¡°What did you get? What did you get?¡± She had grabbed my shoulders and was shaking me.

    Skadi sat on the bed and sighed. ¡°Maybe you should stop shaking her.¡±

    Helena¡¯s antics made me smile. ¡°Calm down, I will tell you everything.¡± And I meant that. There was no point in keeping secrets from my friends. Sure, I had only known them for a brief time. But they were the people I trusted most.

    I made sure the door was closed and we sat down. ¡°Gronir has the skeleton of some large feline for me. Horas will help prepare it and I will try to create a tier two undead with a frost aspect! I have until the end of the month to pull that off.¡±

    ¡°Wow! This is so cool! Do you know what it will be able to do? How strong is it? What sort of feline?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Something similar to a panther. Gronir was not certain, he bought something from the adventurers guild.¡±

    ¡°Strange, you would expect the guild to know what they have.¡± Skadi said.

    I shrugged. ¡°I have no idea how they operate. Just that they are mercenaries and often make money from selling monster parts.¡±

    ¡°I am sure it will be deadly!¡± Helena said.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°But is that not a bit much?¡± Skadi said. ¡°A tier two undead, that is not small, and with an aspect?¡±

    ¡°I told you that I have a lot of mana, right? Well, it looks like I am already at the level of a senior mage¡­¡±

    I looked at their surprised faces.

    ¡°YES!¡± Helena exclaimed. ¡°We are going to have an undead army! I knew it! You will be a grand mage by the time you graduate. We will show every other group in the academy! MUAHAHAHA.¡± Her laugh sounded slightly evil.

    Skadi ignored her and looked at me. ¡°That is rather impressive. But you will need to learn how to use it. Even if you graduate with a grand mage mana pool you will not have the experience to truly be one. Senior mage is realistic, considering how fast you learned telekinesis. It also makes me more confident about becoming a spellblade. I can be your shield. A necromancer needs reliable protection.¡±

    Helena looked slightly disappointed that nobody had joined her laugh. But she recovered quickly. ¡°Hm. I am still torn. I do like to fight with a weapon but I think large scale frost magic will become my focus. We will see how classes go.¡±

    ¡°Gronir also told me to not leave the academy for now.¡±

    ¡°A wise choice.¡± Skadi said. ¡°It¡¯s hard to attack you here. That is probably why someone tried to intercept you on the way here.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they found out who was behind the attack?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°They probably have suspicions.¡± Helena answered. ¡°There can¡¯t be too many people who knew about your existence and could have organised that. But proof will be hard to find. And investigating a noble is difficult.¡±

    ¡°At least your first undead will be able to fight.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Actually, that will draw a lot of attention.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if Princess Olivia will show up.¡± Helena mused.

    I stared at her. ¡°Why would she show up?¡±

    ¡°You are sort of a big deal and she is your sponsor. You were always a valuable asset but with that much potential? She will want to ensure you are on her side. Although she might wait until you have finished the first year.¡± Helena explained.

    I was certainly not ready to meet a princess.

    ¡°We should grab some food before the mess hall closes.¡± Skadi reminded us.

    ¡°And have drinks to celebrate!¡± Helena added.

    ¡°We do have classes tomorrow.¡± I reminded her.

    ¡°Fine, only a few drinks¡­¡±

    We had a pleasant evening and did not stay up too long. It was nice, having friends. I was lucky that I had found them. They were genuinely happy for me. When I curled up in bed that night, I was content.

    The next day greeted me with the usual wakeup call. It was the last school day for this week. Not that I would do much resting on Solday. I had a lot of training to do. Maybe I could even work on my skeleton? Today was my first advanced alchemy class. I could not wait until afternoon!

    The morning classes were interesting but my attention was certainly not a hundred percent. What would the skeleton look like? How much work did it need? Would it be dirty? Instead of being disgusted, I was looking forward to handling some bones. Was I weird? Maybe. But who cares?

    The class was held in a special lecture room that included lab stations. When I arrived I looked around curiously. I was the first one here. There were eight tables for students and one for the teacher. All had some sort of stove and a vent above. I could see a lot of bottles and glassware. Each table had a large preparation area next to the stove. I picked a place in the first row and waited.

 CHAPTER 29: Advanced Alchemy

    Soon another student arrived. The woman had fiery red hair worn in braided pigtails. She looked surprised to see me.

    ¡°Oh. I am not the only one taking this class? Cool! Hi, I am Cassie.¡±

    ¡°Hello. I am Koyuki. Why did you think you were the only one?¡±

    ¡°Advanced alchemy is not popular. Well, not in this academy. Most people who are interested in the topic will go to a civilian school. I think many underestimate the value of a good potion, or bomb.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I am taking it to help with necromancy.¡±

    ¡°Eh, bones are not my thing. I just want explosions!¡± Her blue eyes gleamed with excitement.

    But we were not the only ones taking the class. A third student arrived. He had white hair, glasses and looked more like a scholar than a fighter.

    Cassie waved at him. ¡°Hi. We are just introducing ourselves. I am Cassie.¡±

    He took a moment to consider, then walked towards us. I noticed his golden eyes, not a common colour for a human. But a lot of mages had quirks like that.

    ¡°Hello. I am Finley.¡±

    ¡°I am Koyuki, nice to meet you.¡± I greeted him.

    ¡°So? Why did you take alchemy?¡± Cassie asked. ¡°Is it explosions?¡±

    He frowned. ¡°No. I am aiming for a posting in the logistics division. Alchemy is a good fit for that.¡±

    Our conversation was interrupted as our teacher arrived. ¡°Three students this year, splendid!¡± Horas said.

    ¡°Welcome to advanced alchemy! This class is a bit more personalised than your other subjects. One of the advantages when there are so few students. While you all need to learn the basics of how to brew something, you are allowed to choose between a variety of recipes.¡±

    That sounded nice. So I could just focus on things that helped me with my necromancy.

    ¡°First though, how is alchemy performed? There are two important parts. The first is just like cooking. You have a number of ingredients that you measure and prepare in a certain way. Anyone can do this and many alchemists hire assistants for that. The second part is where you need magic. What truly makes a potion work is the infusion of mana.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He let that sink in for a moment. Or maybe he was waiting if there was a question. When nobody raised their hand he continued.

    ¡°Essentially the recipe creates a spellform. One that uses neutral mana. At least most recipes do. The ingredients themselves provide the element. A basic fire bomb uses parts of a fire affinity monster.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°How does the spellform work? Do we just channel mana into the pot where we mix things?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, it¡¯s not that easy. Otherwise any mage could do it without training. You need to identify the natural spellform that your ingredients created and match that in your mind. Then you channel the energy. Those spellforms change depending on the type of ingredients and the amounts. For common potions those are well documented. As long as you follow the instructions precisely, the spellform you need to use can be looked up.¡±

    Cassie raised her hand.

    ¡°Cassie.¡±

    ¡°But does that not mean every mage can do it? They just follow instructions and use the spellform in the book?¡±

    ¡°To an extent, yes. The problem is that even small changes require you to alter the spellform a little. Is your iron root too dry? Nudge a line here. Is your gronberry too sweet? Change a line there. Ingredients are not always the same. No two apples are really identical. The art of alchemy is to get the spellform just right for your potion.¡±

    I raised my hand again.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°What happens if your spellform is wrong?¡±

    ¡°Now that depends on what you are trying to brew. If it is slightly off it might need more mana, or result in a weaker product. For a simple potion with only a few ingredients you can stick with the base spellform. For more complex things you will need to make modifications for any kind of success. Failures range from nothing happening to explosions. Big explosions.¡±

    I glanced at Cassie who was grinning madly. I made a mental note to keep my distance from her workstation.

    ¡°Now the really important question is: How do you figure out the right spellform? There is a spell called alchemist¡¯s sight. The good news is, it is easy to learn. It allows you to look at a mixture and identify the mana pathways within. The bad news is, interpreting what you see and adjusting a spellform accordingly is hard. It takes a lot of practice. Some really gifted people can even design new potions with it. In the book for this class you will find the spell, I expect you to learn it quickly. Next week you can choose your first project. But for today we have something interesting.¡±

    He looked at me with a smile. Then I noticed a door in the back opening and a skeleton floated inside. The bones were not entirely clean and smelled of rot.

    ¡°Another spell you might want to learn is mute scent. Many things in this class will smell bad. It¡¯s also rather helpful on a battlefield. Anyway, Koyuki here has a high affinity for death magic. Her teacher asked me if I could help prepare her first skeleton. So I will use this as a demonstration.¡±

    He dumped the bones on the floor behind him.

    ¡°Mind you, I will create the alchemical solutions you need but applying them is your job.¡±

    I nodded eagerly.

    ¡°The first thing we do is create a cleaning solution. Now why are we not just using soap and water? Because besides cleaning the bones my creation will increase their ability to absorb mana.¡± While Horas was talking he arranged a number of ingredients on his desk. Then he used the pipe next to the stove to fill a pot with water.

    ¡°There are lines inside the pot for basic measurements. That is usually good enough for water. Part of it will evaporate when you boil it anyway. This can make it tricky to get the right amount of water in your final product.¡± Horas explained. ¡°Now come here to my table and watch.¡±

    He explained his steps as he prepared ingredients and added them. The most interesting part came when he infused the mana. We could not see the spell but the result was visible. The fluid in the pot glowed and turned from brown to light blue.

    ¡°And it is finished! Once it cools down you can use it to clean the bones Koyuki.¡±

    For the first time in my life I was looking forward to cleaning.

 CHAPTER 30: Incident

    The other students left after the lesson was over. I stayed to clean the bones. Horas told me I could use the lab. He also promised me a basic strengthening solution tomorrow, which I could apply after the bones were cleaned. Hopefully I could finish that tonight. I started by submerging the bones in his mixture, then I scrubbed them with a sponge and afterwards rinsed them with water. It was getting late but tomorrow was Solday, that meant no lessons. I could have simply continued tomorrow but I was too excited to stop. I got used to the smell and really enjoyed the process.

    I hummed a happy tune as I progressed. What would I name my minion? Minion? No, it would be more than a simple servant. I wanted a pet. The skeleton was not even raised yet and I was already forming an emotional attachment. I gently stroked one of the bones. Whatever this creature was, it would become my companion. Hopefully for a long time.

    Suddenly the door burst open.

    ¡°HA! I knew we would find her here!¡± Helena exclaimed.

    ¡°Hi Koyuki.¡± I heard Skadi say.

    ¡°Hi. Were you looking for me? I might have lost track of time¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Frigday evening, we should be drinking!¡± Helena declared as she walked closer. ¡°Ohhh, is this your skeleton?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am almost done cleaning it! Horas made an alchemical solution for that.¡±

    Skadi came closer as well. Both girls examined the bones with interest.

    ¡°This should make a fine warrior.¡± Skadi concluded.

    ¡°Tomorrow I can strengthen it. Then it should be ready. Hopefully I can learn the spell to raise it quickly.¡±

    ¡°Can we help?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s alright. I am almost done. You can keep me company though, if you want.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    They stayed and we made small talk while I finished. Afterwards I cleaned up and we got some food. We almost missed dinner time. They were already closing the counter when we arrived. The only option left was roast chicken with garlic mushrooms.

    On the bright side, we found an empty table since it was late. I took a sip from my beer and eyed the dish warily. The chicken smelled heavenly. I liked garlic in general but mushrooms¡­ I poked one with a fork. So squishy. I shuddered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like mushrooms?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Your loss.¡± Skadi said, happily eating hers.

    I shoved those questionable things to the edge of the plate. As far away from my chicken as possible. Then I ignored them. The chicken was good at least. Afterwards Helena bought a bottle of wine and we had a pleasant evening.

    The next day we decided to do some more sparring. While I was slowly improving I was still far behind my friends in skill. But the additional practice would help in time. In the afternoon we split up. Skadi and Helena trained their magic while I returned to the lab. Horas was not there but I found a jug with a note. It told me to apply the liquid within to the the bones.

    A brush was on the table as well, so I used it to coat the skeleton. The bones darkened when I applied the substance. It gave them an even more sinister appearance. I wondered if I could paint them? Could I have a pink undead tearing things apart?

    I kept working while I was fantasising about colour schemes for a future undead army. I needed to discuss this with Helena and Skadi. My thoughts were so distracting that I had not noticed the darkness forming around me. I frowned. Was it that late already? No, this was not normal. This was a strange fog.

    The bones around me rattled. I currently held the skull in my hand. It was the last piece and I had just finished coating it. The empty eye sockets filled with purple light. I felt eyes staring at me. A presence awakened inside the skull.

    Maybe I should have run. But this was my skeleton. And I felt something else. As I watched the creature awaken, runes popped into my head. I had seen something similar before, in the necromancy textbook. It was a spell.

    I kept hold of the skull, even as the other bones aligned themselves around it. I pulled mana from my core to my hands. In my left I turned it to death, in my right I turned it to water. Then I shoved both into the spell that had appeared in my mind.

    I held nothing back. I poured all the mana my core produced into the spell. My consciousness collided with an alien mind. It was wild, feral. I almost lost my concentration. Sweat dropped from my forehead. The presence fought me. It wanted to hunt. It considered me prey. No! I was not prey! I was its master! And it would serve.

    My mana flooded it, drowned it. It yelped in surprise. It fought my magic but I did not relent. I felt my body grow tired but I did not give up. This skeleton was mine. The runes in my mind glared brightly and with a final push I overwhelmed the creature.

    My magic flooded it, claimed it and¡­ it purred. All the fight was gone. The creature now soaked in my mana and I felt it curl up, content. Meanwhile, the actual skeleton had reformed. I held the head of what looked like an undead panther. As the light returned I could see that the bones were now black. They were decorated with light blue lines forming random patterns. The eyes still glowed purple.

    The spell was complete. I still felt a connection to my new companion. A slight amount of mana flowed into it, constantly. I suppose that was the upkeep one had to pay for an undead. It needed a name. ¡°I call you Nyx.¡± The purring intensified.

    Of course, I had no idea why any of that happened. That solution was only meant to strengthen the bones. Why did an undead awaken by itself? And how did I manage that spell? I needed to find a teacher. As I tried to get up I felt dizzy. And tired... so tired. The world turned black.

 CHAPTER 31: Nyx

    I awoke with a headache. ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are awake.¡± I heard someone say.

    I was still on the floor, in the lab. I looked around. Nyx was curled up next to me. One eye was closed, the other was watching me. Besides my companion, two men were in the room. Erik and Horas.

    It was the principal who had spoken. ¡°Sir Hailstorm, I¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened.¡± I said awkwardly.

    ¡°Horas found you on the floor, with your new¡­ pet. He called for me immediately. I have some suspicions about what happened. Why don¡¯t you tell us what occurred from your perspective?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I was still sitting on the floor so I tried to get up quickly. Thankfully, the dizziness was gone and I managed to stand straight.

    ¡°I was preparing the bones for my first undead. Gronir acquired the skeleton for me from the adventurers guild and Horas provided me with the potions. Yesterday I cleaned the bones and today I applied the strengthening mixture. I had just finished with the skull when the undead awakened. I saw some runes in my mind and poured all my mana into it. I had to fight the spirit inside the bones, or something like that. In the end I won, and now Nyx is my companion.¡±

    We all looked at said companion, still curled up on the floor. The second eye opened. They were made from purple¡­ energy? Being a skeleton, she did not have real eyes. Wait.. she? Somehow that felt right. Nyx watched us carefully, and yawned.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Erik said. ¡°Gronir told me you were a prodigy, it seems he was right.¡±

    Meanwhile, Horas examined the potion. ¡°This was tampered with. I will have to spend some time analysing how, but the colour is off.¡±

    ¡°Not surprising. This was likely an attempt to kill her while making it look like an accident. A young student overestimating their capabilities and getting eaten by their creation. Not that it would have fooled many, but with her being dead nobody would have looked too hard. Or so they might have hoped.¡±

    ¡°Sir, how can a potion animate a skeleton?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Ah, it can¡¯t. Not really.¡± Erik said. ¡°I suspect there was an undead sealed within those bones. Somebody knew that Gronir was shopping for a skeleton for you and prepared a trap.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°That would make sense.¡± Horas agreed. ¡°With a proper seal Gronir would not detect anything. Unless he was really looking and he had no reason to. Then they replaced my strengthening mixture with a potion to break the seal. They had the help of a decent alchemist.¡±

    ¡°So what is Nyx? And how did I suddenly know a spell?¡±

    ¡°We will have to ask Gronir to take a look at Nyx. He will be excited.¡± Erik chuckled. ¡°As for learning a spell, that is not unheard of. How do you think people learned magic, before there were schools? Someone had to figure out how spells worked. But do not expect to discover many spells by yourself. Most of them you will have to learn, just like everyone else. There is a chance that you will discover something unique though!¡±

    ¡°He failed to mention a detail.¡± Horas said. ¡°Most people who discover spells become archmages in time.¡±

    ¡°We already suspected that she had the potential for it. It just confirms it.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°Was that why I fainted? Because I discovered a spell?¡±

    ¡°No, that was normal spellcasting fatigue. That topic should be covered in your basic magic class. Now, why don¡¯t you head over to Gronir¡¯s office and show him Nyx? I will look into this incident.¡± While his tone remained relaxed, his eyes were a different story. He was clearly upset about the attempt on my life.

    I was still unsure how I felt. This was a lot to process. Someone tried to kill me, again. But I got Nyx out of it. I looked at my companion. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I said.¡±

    Nyx was not in a hurry. First she stretched, then she looked at me. I had no idea how much control I had. But I did not feel any danger. Suddenly Nyx started to shrink. I watched wide eyed as the panther was reduced to the size of a kitten. Then she jumped on my head and curled up in between my ears.

    Erik watched, stroking his beard. ¡°Very curious.¡±

    Horas just shrugged.

    Having been dismissed, I left. I had a lot of questions for Gronir. While I walked, I tried to pet Nyx. The bones felt surprisingly soft. I was rewarded with a purr. Soon I arrived at Gronir¡¯s office and knocked.

    ¡°Come in.¡± I heard and entered.

    ¡°Koyuki?¡± He frowned. ¡°Why do you have a skeletal cat on your head?¡±

    I told him what happened, including Erik¡¯s theory. Gronir¡¯s eyes hardened.

    ¡°If that is true, I owe you an apology. I endangered you. After we are done here I will talk with Erik. The guild has some questions to answer. But first, let¡¯s have a look at your new undead.¡±

    I picked up Nyx and sat her on the desk. Gronir¡¯s eyes flashed green. He studied the undead for a bit.

    ¡°Interesting. She has a clear frost affinity. And she seems a bit too smart for a tier two undead. That you had to fight her mind would further indicate that she is something more. But tier three does not seem right either.¡± He stood up and walked to a shelf, then retrieved a book. He showed me a spell. ¡°Was that what you used?¡±

    I studied the rune. ¡°It¡¯s similar but not quite right.¡±

    ¡°That would be the normal spell to control an existing undead. It¡¯s possible that you discovered a slightly different version of it. I wonder if you not just controlled, but somehow modified the creature.¡±

    We both looked at Nyx. She started licking her paw. With a tongue made of purple energy.

    ¡°Do I need to feed her? How do I control her?¡± Her ears twitched, when I mentioned feeding. Yes, she had ears. They looked like bone but were soft, somehow.

    ¡°Your connection supplies her with mana. Essentially she is using your core to feed herself. Nyx does not need to eat, but some undead like to devour living things. As for control, you can use your bond to push a mental command. Most undead simply do what you ask. Since she is smart she could resist, you can still force her if you mentally push hard enough though.¡±

    That answered my most important questions. Gronir would have liked to study Nyx some more, but he had to meet Erik and discuss further steps in the investigation. So I left. Nyx decided to ride on my head again. I was looking forward to introducing her to Helena and Skadi.

 CHAPTER 32: Evening

    I got some funny looks on my way back to the dorm. But nobody stopped me, or asked a question. When I returned to my room I found Skadi and Helena there. Both were practising their magic. Helena tried to form an ice knife over a bucket of water and Skadi was using her telekinesis on a pen.

    Both looked at me as I walked through the door.

    ¡°Why are there purple eyes staring at me from your head?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Meet Nyx, my first undead!¡± I announced and lifted her from my head. The undead kitty looked around curiously while I held her. Then she jumped to the floor to explore.

    ¡°Awww, it¡¯s so cute!¡± Helena said.

    Skadi frowned. ¡°How did you manage that? I thought you had not learned the spell for that yet. And your skeleton was a lot larger.¡±

    Helena snatched the pen from Skadi and tried to play with Nyx.

    ¡°Ah, there were some complications¡­ The skeleton was a trap and the strengthening mixture was tampered with. An actual undead creature was sealed in those bones. I got lucky, had an inspiration and managed to cast a spell to control it. Erik Hailstorm is looking into the incident. But now I have Nyx! She can change her size.¡±

    ¡°Wait, someone tried to kill you? Tell us exactly what happened!¡± Skadi demanded.

    So I sat down and started describing the events in more detail. Including my discussion with Erik and Horas, and my visit to Gronir afterwards. Which brought us back to Nyx.

    We all looked at the undead. After watching the pen in front of her for a while she pounced with incredible speed. There was a crunching sound as she started chewing her prize.

    ¡°She also has a frost aspect! But I have not seen her use it yet.¡± I added.

    ¡°Nyx is certainly quick. How good is she in a fight?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± I admitted.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°We need to go hunting!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Uh, I am not supposed to leave the academy, remember?¡±

    ¡°You could ask our combat instructor to fight her.¡± Skadi suggested. ¡°Or any other teacher, I suppose. I bet some of them are curious.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I have advanced death magic tomorrow. I can ask Gronir about it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue this conversation in the mess hall, we have practised enough for today.¡± Helena declared.

    Skadi looked at her destroyed pen and shrugged. ¡°Sure. Looks like I need to find something new to levitate anyway.¡±

    As we started to leave Nyx jumped on my head again. I wondered if I should tell her to walk by herself. But I decided to indulge her, for now.

    Thankfully she did not show any interest in our food. Instead she curled up on the table. I had a beef stew and some fresh bread. ¡°You know, I am getting used to the food here.¡± Helena said. She had gone for the same dish. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as I first thought.¡±

    ¡°You have no taste. In food and in company.¡± Archibald said. We did not notice him until he stood next to our table. He was accompanied by his betrothed Florence and his sycophants Simon, Jack and Eva.

    ¡°A skeleton on the table? Seriously, that is disgusting.¡± Florence said.

    Simon stepped forward and reached for Nyx. My undead had not moved this whole time. So they seemed to think we simply had some bones with us. As the hand closed in, two purple eyes opened.

    Simon froze. His fingers were about 30 centimetres away from Nyx. The undead feline stared at him.

    Archibald had talked rather loudly before, to ensure others heard his insults. He clearly wanted to make a scene. That meant a few other students were watching. Simon was aware of the audience and did not want to look weak.

    ¡°Glowing purple eyes? Really? What a cheap trick.¡± He tried to grab her head. That was a bad move.

    Because she grew. Thankfully the furniture was quite sturdy. So it did not break, even with a full sized panther now sitting on the table. Then again, how much did she weigh anyway? She was only a skeleton after all.

    Simon let go of her head and slowly stepped back. Nyx hopped off the table.

    ¡°She is trying to kill us! This is an attack!¡± Archibald shouted.

    ¡°Nyx has not done anything!¡± I responded. ¡°Just go away and let us eat in peace.¡±

    I was a bit nervous. If my undead harmed anyone it would be my fault. I would be responsible. I had no idea how deadly she was and how quickly I could stop her.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± A deep voice inquired. He was a fourth year student, judging by his uniform. He saw the commotion and approached us.

    ¡°An assassination attempt! This filth dared to attack us!¡± Florence said.

    ¡°Really?¡± The man looked at Nyx. ¡°If that skeleton had been ordered to attack, you would be lying on the floor, screaming. But why does a first year command such an undead?¡±

    ¡°Because she is a genius!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can talk about it. You will have to ask the principal.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Favouritism! This academy is not what it used to be! My father will hear about that!¡± Archibald said. Then he left with his followers.

    ¡°Well, just make sure it does not attack anyone.¡± The fourth year said and left as well.

    Nyx watched them retreat. Satisfied that the threat was gone she shrunk and hopped back on the table.

    ¡°Now I really want to see her in combat.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Helena agreed.

    I was certainly curious as well. Maybe I could ask a teacher tomorrow.

 CHAPTER 33: Practice

    The remaining evening went without incident. As I went to bed Nyx joined me and decided that my tail was a great place to sleep. I did not mind. It even felt comforting having her close.

    The next day we had combat practice in the morning. Sadly, Skadi was not in the same class but at least Helena was with me. Nyx had become somewhat famous overnight. The other students eyed her with interest. Well, mostly. Archibald¡¯s group stared at us with hatred.

    ¡°Morning class.¡± Our instructor Peter said as he arrived.

    ¡°Congratulations Koyuki on raising your first undead. That is quite the achievement! It will also make this class more interesting. Since Nyx is more than a tier one undead she is capable of learning and therefore training herself. Just like one would train an animal for battle.¡±

    ¡°Sir, is that not dangerous?¡± Elandir asked.

    ¡°Yes. Safety is an issue. Especially since Koyuki has no experience controlling an undead. That means two things. First, I will test Nyx to see what she can do and how dangerous it is. Second, Nyx will be fighting Koyuki until we are sure she can pull her punches.¡±

    My eyes widened and I stared at Nyx. She was currently the size of a regular cat and seemed unconcerned.

    ¡°A controlled undead will not kill their master, on purpose at least. Unless they are ordered to do so. And Koyuki can always use her connection to force Nyx to stop. Further, they will be fighting together in the future. Duelling allows them to get used to each other''s powers.¡± Peter explained.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what your little kitty can do. I will make sure not to destroy her. Undead do regenerate over time. They can also be healed with death magic but that is not something Koyuki has learned yet.¡±

    I nervously glanced at Nyx. How much could she understand? ¡°This is training, not a fight to the death. Show him what you can do!¡± I was more concerned for her than Peter to be honest. As a teacher he was at least a senior mage and likely had a lot of combat experience.

    Peter chose a one handed hammer as a weapon. It was made of metal and not a usual practice weapon. For armour he wore chainmail.

    ¡°Blunt weapons are good for fighting skeletons, It allows you to crush bones. Cutting works as well, if your blade is sharp enough. But there is no flesh to stab, that reduces the effectiveness of a spear, for example.¡± Peter picked up a shield. ¡°Defending against a monster can be problematic, especially if the strength is unknown. But I am a spellblade using earth magic. I can block most things.¡± He said with a smile.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Nyx approached the duelling area. She slowly grew to the size of a tiger. The blue lines on her black bones glowed softly. I was amazed just how much she seemed to understand about the situation. How intelligent was she?

    Peter was readying himself as well. I saw the runes on his flesh glow. ¡°Ready.¡± He said.

    ¡°Go Nyx!¡± Helena cheered.

    Nyx charged. She was fast. I had trouble following her movements. Peter simply blocked the skeletal paw coming for him. Then he counter attacked. Nyx jumped back to avoid the swing. But he followed her. The strike connected and Nyx was thrown back a few metres.

    I heard snickering from Archibald¡¯s group but ignored them. My undead kitty seemed fine.

    Nyx shook herself, then she glared at Peter. The blue lines on her bones glowed, she opened her mouth and a white mist appeared. I could no longer see her, or our teacher. But we could hear sounds of fighting. Bones clashing with steel. And the mist changed, it became darker.

    Shin, being curious, approached the cloud.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted. I could feel the death magic inside. I had no idea what it would do to an unprotected person. He froze. Then he slowly stepped back again.

    The cloud dispersed soon after and we could see the combatants again. Both were fine, but Nyx looked a lot more worn than Peter.

    ¡°I guess that is enough.¡± He said. ¡°Your undead is rather strong. She could easily overwhelm regular soldiers, unless they have a lot of magical equipment. She needs more training to fight a proper combat mage though. Tell her to not use any magic when you spar with her. That is something we will train later.¡±

    ¡°Good job Nyx!¡± I told her. The undead feline looked at me sceptically.

    ¡°Yeah. She valiantly hid in a cloud.¡± Simon mocked.

    ¡°Ignore them, you are awesome!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Time for some sparring. Koyuki, you will fight your undead. The others, pick a partner and fight them.¡±

    Helena gave me an encouraging pat on the shoulder, then she left looking for an opponent. I walked to an open spot for my training. Nyx had a playful look. I was not sure if that was a good sign.

    ¡°So, we are training. I am not as strong as Peter.¡± I told her. My weapon was a staff.

    On the bright side, Nyx was actually careful to not harm me¡­ too much. But she was clearly a better fighter. I had no experience in a battle against teeth and claws. I got smacked by her paws a lot. She also tackled me on occasion. After we finished I was bruised everywhere.

    ¡°Getting beaten by your own undead, ridiculous.¡± Archibald commented. ¡°Clearly she can¡¯t handle whatever artefact they gave her. Nobody would ever believe she truly raised that undead thing herself.¡±

    ¡°You should be the one having a minion!¡± Eva said.

    I ignored them. Helena was finished as well and I walked over to her.

    ¡°How was your fight?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Shin is really quick and nimble. It was good training.¡± Helena said. ¡°But I want to fight Nyx too!¡±

    ¡°Are you not concerned?¡±

    ¡°Nah, she is your undead. I trust you.¡±

    That was more trust than I had myself. Meanwhile, the undead in question had shrunk once more. She jumped onto my head and curled up.

    ¡°Maybe you can fight her next time.¡± I said. Morning practice was over. It was time for a shower and some food.

 CHAPTER 34: Skeletons

    In the afternoon I had my advanced death magic class. I was the first to arrive and Nyx decided to curl up on my desk. Her head was facing the door. I had no idea if she could perceive her surroundings without her purple eyes. As a skeleton she did not have organs. Her bones were held together by magic. Maybe I should ask a teacher how undead worked?

    Leo was the second student to arrive. ¡°Greetings Koyuki and congratulations on creating your first undead! That is quite the achievement.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. What have you chosen for your first skeleton?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A kind of wolf. My family has good connections and a lot of resources. The bones received the best alchemical treatments. I would be happy to offer you some help in the future.¡±

    Leo was being nice. But I still remembered Helena¡¯s warnings. One day I had to ask her what the full story was.

    Tim and Tom arrived next. They showed immediate interest in Nyx. ¡°Wow, you already have an undead!¡± One of them said, I had trouble telling them apart.

    ¡°What can it do?¡±

    ¡°Hi. She is called Nyx!¡± The undead in question sat up and curiously examined the twins.

    ¡°What tier is she?¡± One of them asked. ¡°And she can use magic?¡± The other one inquired.

    ¡°Tier two, or maybe even more? She created a fog when duelling our combat instructor. I don¡¯t know what else she can do.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°More than tier two? As your first undead?¡± They looked sceptical.

    ¡°Make her do something!¡± The other demanded.

    I looked at Nyx, she locked back. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Uh, she does not do party tricks.¡±

    ¡°She is a creature of death, not a clown.¡± Leo said. ¡°But remember that you are her master. She is but a tool, an instrument of your will. No matter the tier.¡±

    ¡°She is my companion.¡± I clarified. Sure, low tier undead were simple minions. But she was smarter than that. I was sure. And even if I could force her, that was only for emergencies.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Hello class.¡± Gronir said as he entered the room. ¡°Be seated, you will have enough time to gawk at Koyuki¡¯s undead later.¡±

    The others went to their tables.

    ¡°Now that everyone has chosen their first skeleton, we will talk about the raise undead spell. The tier one version is quite simple. You memorise the rune to get a feel for it. Then select the target and channel your mana until it completes. The hard part is the targeting. You need to mentally select the bones you want to animate. The skeleton from a single creature is easier to raise than mixing parts of different monsters.¡± He explained.

    ¡°The biggest hurdle for most students is concentration and multitasking. It¡¯s needed for a lot of spells and it will become easier in time. When you fumble the runes while trying to select the bones don¡¯t worry, it happens to all of us.¡±

    One of the twins raised his hand.

    ¡°Tim.¡±

    How could he tell them apart? The fact that we all wore a uniform meant I could not even use their clothing to help me.

    ¡°What happens if we target the wrong thing, or only some bones?¡±

    ¡°The spell will fail to complete. A bit of mana will be lost but most of it will just sit in your body. All of you have an affinity for death magic but don¡¯t keep elemental mana in your body too long. Unless you are truly gifted it will start to damage your body after a few hours. So once you are done practising, vent.¡±

    ¡°Tom.¡± The other twin had also raised his hand.

    ¡°Why is her undead black with blue lines? Can we paint the bones?¡±

    ¡°You can paint the bones with non magical dyes if you want. Alchemical substances that improve the skeleton can change the colour as well. Anything magical that you add might increase the mana you need to raise the undead. The colour of Nyx is not a paint, it is a mixture of her nature and alchemy.¡± Gronir explained.

    ¡°How much mana was needed for her creation?¡± Leo asked.

    ¡°That is not something for me to answer.¡± Gronir said. ¡°I know there will be plenty of rumours so let¡¯s make some things clear: The creation of Nyx was a bit unusual. Outside forces have tampered with the skeleton. Something that the principal is investigating. But make no mistake, Nyx is Koyuki¡¯s undead. A feat which she accomplished without the help of a relic, or a fellow mage.¡±

    Leo looked thoughtful, then smiled at me.

    ¡°Now, open your books, get your bones and start practising!¡±

    I was confused, because nobody had carried a skeleton when they came to class. But apparently they were already here.

    ¡°Koyuki, come here.¡± Gronir said.

    I approached the teacher''s table.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°You already have Nyx but you still need to practise the spell. Here is a simple rat skeleton. Just create a normal tier one this time. No dual affinity, just a simple undead.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    I took the bones back to my table. Nyx watched me closely. I felt nervous. My feline companion was an accident and not the normal spell. What would people think if I failed now? I read the instructions in the book three times. I made sure I had the rune in front of me. Then I started the spell. My first try failed, I lost concentration. I took a deep breath and tried again. I was surprised how little mana I needed. And then it clicked in my mind. The spell worked!

    ¡°I did it!¡± I shouted. Maybe a bit too loud. Everyone looked at me.

    The small rat skeleton sat there. It did not have a mind of its own. I commanded it to stand on its hind legs and it did. Then a skeletal mouth engulfed it.

    Nyx had grown to a size where she could swallow the new undead. There was a short crunching sound as she chewed some bones, then they were gone. A bit of dust spilled from her mouth. How? She was a skeleton without a stomach! How did most of the bones disappear? I just stared.

    ¡°Now that is interesting.¡± Gronir said, stroking his beard.

 CHAPTER 35: Companion

    ¡°Nyx! You can¡¯t eat my undead!¡± I complained. ¡°How can you even swallow things? Where did the bones go?¡±

    She looked at me. Her mouth opened and a purple tongue formed. Then she raised her paw and licked it.

    ¡°What we witnessed is a devouring.¡± Gronir explained. ¡°Stronger undead can devour living things. Sometimes they heal themselves that way. A skeleton consuming another skeleton is¡­ not normal. Presumably she ate the magic inside the bones. It¡¯s also possible that she can use some of the material to strengthen her own skeleton, or repair damage.¡±

    ¡°But Koyuki controlled both of them. How can they attack each other?¡± Tom asked. Or was it Tim?

    ¡°You might remember that a tier two undead can act on instinct. Like a cat hunting a rat. Normally those would not apply towards other undead. They only hunt the living. And a simple order prevents such behaviour entirely anyway. The sole thing an undead will absolutely not attack is their master. Unless said master orders it. This is a valuable lesson for all of you. Be careful with your minions and ensure they do not attack your allies. A tier one will do nothing if not ordered to. But if you order it to attack it will attack anything, you need to be more specific. And while a tier two is a bit smarter, don''t expect logical thinking.¡±

    He studied Nyx, who did not even have the decency to fake some shame for her behaviour.

    ¡°Her behaviour is almost tier three like. A lot of independent thought. But usually tier three undead can speak in some form. And I doubt even our little prodigy here could dominate one yet. I must say, Nyx is an incredible specimen and I am looking forward to learning more. Magic is a field of constant study and discovery!¡±

    ¡°How do undead armies work?¡± The other twin asked.

    ¡°Like any other army, with officers! Keep in mind, most necromancers can¡¯t control an entire army. Usually they just have their own squad. If you have a true undead legion you need to assign people to direct them. It is one of the downsides of a rather mindless army. But you can order your undead to follow the directions of someone else. If you had the power to control more tier threes you could use them. In the end, necromancy gives you an army that does not tire, that does not flee and that obeys without question. You can reinforce it with fallen enemies. There are downsides but also significant advantages.¡± Gronir explained.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    While that was interesting, my attention was still on Nyx. ¡°Do not attack my undead!¡± I ordered her. Or maybe I should say, asked of her. I did not use our connection to force her. I might have to eventually, but she seemed smart enough to understand me. I wanted her as a willing companion.

    Nyx stopped licking her paw and locked at me. Her tongue disappeared again. She shrunk to her cat size and curled up on the desk.

    ¡°The show is over. Back to practice! And good work Koyuki. Since you have completed the assignment you can go early.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    I felt proud. While I did like magic class, being rewarded for a job well done was nice. I did manage to raise my first skeleton! Normal skeleton. Nyx was obviously a special case. Said feline was walking behind me. Now, what should I do with my free time?

    My friends were likely busy with their own classes. I could check on my horse. Being stuck inside the academy meant I had no use for him. Thankfully he was treated well by the staff and they took him out regularly for some exercise. Hm, how would Nyx react to my horse? I went to the stables to find out.

    ¡°Good afternoon Koyuki, how is school?¡± The stable master asked. He was an older man named Frank.

    ¡°I have an undead now! This is Nyx.¡± I introduced my feline companion, who was still following me.

    ¡°Oh? That is quick for a new student.¡± He studied the undead. ¡°Animals can get spooked by skeletons. She is small and does not smell of decay, so you are probably fine. But be careful that your horse does not step on it.¡±

    I had a feeling that would end badly for the horse. I went towards the familiar box where Coffee was stabled. I made sure to visit sometimes and feed him some carrots that the academy provided. There was a crate inside the building where you could grab some.

    As I opened the box, Coffee stared at Nyx. Nyx sat there and stared back.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Coffee this is Nyx, Nyx this is Coffee.¡± I introduced them. While my undead might be smart, he was just a regular horse. Thankfully he did not seem to mind her presence and instead focused on me. I offered him the carrot I grabbed on the way to his box.

    As Coffee munched on his snack, Nyx jumped on his back. He did not seem to care. The carrot had his full attention. I was concerned for a moment but she did not attack. Instead she seemed to evaluate if he would make a good bed.

    I stayed a bit longer and we left again. The encounter made me feel better. Nyx had not attacked my horse. She was also getting along with my friends. I could trust her judgement, for the most part. Hopefully she would not eat more of my skeletons in the future. Or maybe I could use some as a treat to reward her? What about living rats? Were there some on the academy grounds? Did they use magic to keep them away? I had to look into that.

 CHAPTER 36: Magic Fatigue

    ¡°She ate your rat skeleton?¡± Skadi asked. It was evening now and we were having dinner. I had just told her and Helena about my day.

    ¡°That must have been funny to watch.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her!¡± I protested. ¡°I told her to not do it again.¡±

    ¡°You told a cat to behave? Uh¡­ sure. That will work. Absolutely.¡± Skadi said.

    I looked at Nyx. She was curled up and ignoring our conversation.

    ¡°Maybe I can let her hunt something. Are there any rats inside the academy?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea. I never saw one.¡± Skadi said, shrugging.

    ¡°Rats are boring, we need to hunt something bigger! It¡¯s such a shame that you can¡¯t leave.¡± Helena sighed. ¡°We need to become stronger to protect you.¡±

    Becoming stronger was certainly a sentiment we shared. I did not want to be weak. One day I would be the predator and not the prey.

    The next day Helena and I had another basic magic class. It was always nice to see Archibald flinch a little when our teacher arrived.

    ¡°Morning class, I see everyone is on time.¡± Victoria said with a smile. ¡°Be seated. Today we will cover magic fatigue.¡±

    That was a lesson I had been waiting for.

    ¡°First, I need to explain a few basics. You all know about your core and that it produces mana. You can imagine it as a water tap. But in order to cast a spell, you first need to draw the mana into your body, imagine it as a mug. If you wanted to drink, you would use the tap to fill the mug and then have a sip. To cast a spell you pull mana into your body, from your core, then you power the spell. All with me so far?¡±

    Shin raised his hand.

    ¡°Shin.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Why does core size matter then? Should it not be about your body size?¡±

    ¡°The amount of mana your body can hold depends on your core size, not your physical size. So a bigger tap means a bigger mug.¡± She explained.

    I put up my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°If our core is a tap, can¡¯t we just cast spells endlessly?¡±

    ¡°This is where magic fatigue comes in. So having a bigger core means you produce more mana, and your body can hold more mana. That means you can cast bigger spells. But using magic makes you tired. Filling your mug to the brim allows for one big spell, but it will exhaust you. Generally speaking, one big spell is more tiring than multiple smaller ones, even if you use the same amount of mana in total. So you can already see one more advantage of having a large core. Not only can you use bigger spells, if needed, but smaller ones will make you less tired.¡±

    Ah. So when I took control of Nyx I used as much mana as I could. So, essentially, I had filled my mug to the brim and then poured it all into the spell. And that was why I had fainted.

    ¡°However, your body can be trained. Just like your endurance can improve for physical exercise. In time you will manage more than one big spell before you collapse.¡±

    Someone else had raised their hand.

    ¡°Eva.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we fill our body with mana all the time? Why wait until we want to cast a spell?¡±

    ¡°Two main reasons. First, you can draw mana quickly. So you won¡¯t have an advantage by having mana already in your body. Second, it makes it a lot harder to use the right amount of mana for your spell. When you cast, it¡¯s easier to use all the mana in your body and not just a portion of it. You have much greater control over how much you take from your core. So you pull just the amount you need.¡±

    I had another question and raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Where does the mana come from? What is the tap connected to?¡±

    ¡°The tap is just an analogy. It is believed that your body produces the mana. So far nobody has ever managed to run dry. Mages don¡¯t run out of mana, they just run out of endurance while casting and have to take a break.¡±

    ¡°Helena.¡±

    ¡°How do spellblades work?¡±

    ¡°A good question! First, let¡¯s cover ongoing spells in general. You would think that keeping a spell active would tire you quickly. But most of the fatigue comes from the initial casting. Or from later modifications. Like changing the size of a shield you summoned.¡±

    Victoria looked at me. ¡°Let¡¯s say you control an undead. Raising it and establishing the connection will tire you. Afterwards you won¡¯t really feel it. But your usable core will be slightly smaller as the undead uses part of your mana. If the undead gets destroyed you will have your full core available again.¡±

    She looked at Helena. ¡°Back to your original question. A spellblade has a permanent spell active that enhances their body. Runes are tattooed into the skin to control the magic. They cannot turn those enhancements off. But the magic is not tiring them either. In a way, a spellblade is an artificial magical creature. The downside is, their usable core is vastly reduced. Most spellsblades use half of their core for their runes. The percentage is decided when you become a spellblade and cannot be changed afterwards. It¡¯s a big commitment and you will learn more about them in a class about specialisations.¡±

    It was certainly an interesting path. But I liked the idea of having an undead army. And I would need my mana for that.

    After the lesson it was lunchtime. I walked towards the mess hall with Helena. Nyx was sleeping on my head.

    ¡°How much mana does it cost you to have Nyx?¡± Helena asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°I am not sure. But it does not feel like a lot. Why?¡±

    ¡°I am just thinking about the size of your future army. Especially since your core will grow even bigger! Hehehe.¡±

    Helena really had a good evil laugh. Maybe I should work on my own?

 CHAPTER 37: Planning

    Life at the academy became a comfortable routine. Sadly, there were no rats for Nyx to hunt. But she participated in combat practice frequently. We all improved our spellcasting and were able to use some magic now. It was five weeks after I had gotten Nyx that I was summoned to the principal¡¯s office.

    My undead companion was following me. While she loved to ride on my head, the lazy thing, I decided that was not appropriate here. We had learned some basic military etiquette by now. That included proper saluting and marching in formation. I made sure my uniform was straight and knocked.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    I stood before Erik and saluted. ¡°Sir, reporting as ordered.¡±

    ¡°At ease. This is not a formal meeting.¡± He leaned back in his chair, looking relaxed. ¡°You are probably wondering why you are here.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°I have spent some considerable time looking into the attempts on your life. The ambush on the road points to one of the dukes, but there is not enough evidence to do anything. The adventurer responsible for the tampered skeleton was identified. Curiously he died on a mission soon afterwards. Eaten by a crimson spider.¡±

    I had no idea what that was. We did not learn a lot about monsters yet. But being eaten by any kind of spider sounded nasty.

    ¡°That brings me to the reason you are here. Soon you will have your first field exercise. And that puts you in danger. Of course, the instructors will do their best to keep you safe. It won¡¯t be easy to get past them. But don¡¯t let your guard down. And if there is a problem, talk to Irene. There is very little that she can¡¯t handle.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

    ¡°Princess Olivia has high hopes for you. And so do I. Don¡¯t disappoint us. Dismissed.¡±

    I saluted and left. It was Solday afternoon. So I did not have anything to do, other than train. Or hang out with my friends. They were both in the park practising their magic, and waiting for me to report about the meeting. Which I did.

    ¡°Yes! Finally, our first field exercise!¡± Helena cheered.

    ¡°Do you know any details?¡± I wondered.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the syllabus?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°There is a syllabus?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yes. You can request it at the dorms. Anyway, it¡¯s a two week trip. It¡¯s about how you set up a camp, hunt and those sorts of things. There are going to be older students as well, to get command experience. The first years will be split into groups of about four and a second year will be assigned to lead them. It¡¯s supposed to teach us about a soldier''s life and help us fight in groups.¡±

    ¡°Can we decide our own groups?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Yes. Students are encouraged to build sensible groups themselves. Anyone left will be assigned.¡±

    ¡°Nice! So, we need a fourth.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Can we pick our commander too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Skadi answered. ¡°The second year who is in charge will be assigned.¡±

    ¡°Girls, focus! Who is our fourth?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No idea. We have Nyx but I doubt that she counts.¡±

    ¡°Animal companions, summons, golems,... all those things count as skills or weapons.¡± Skadi confirmed.

    ¡°Skadi, what about your roommate?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Eh. It¡¯s not that she is bad¡­ but I don¡¯t really know her.¡±

    ¡°How can you still not know your roommate?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t talk with people if I don¡¯t have to.¡± Skaid answered, crossing her arms. ¡°I am still not sure why I am even hanging out with you guys.¡±

    ¡°Because we are awesome! And we are going to be an amazing team! The world will tremble before us. Hehehe.¡±

    Skadi and myself stared at Helena. She seemed disappointed that we did not join her laugh.

    ¡°So, does anyone have a suggestion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hm. We already have a good group. Skadi and Nyx make a decent front line. I am a bit of a skirmisher currently. I can use ice daggers at range or go in close with a spear.¡± Helena said. Then she looked at me. ¡°What are your plans? Are you going to create more skeletons?¡±

    ¡°If we hunt something I could animate it afterwards. I have just recently learned a necrotic dart. I will stay at range and support, probably.¡±

    ¡°I think we have everything covered, except healing.¡± Skadi said. ¡°And no first year can do that yet.¡±

    ¡°There is Cassie from my advanced alchemy class. We haven¡¯t learned healing potions yet but she could be useful. Although, she mostly likes to make bombs. She is really into explosions¡­ Ok, maybe she is a bad idea.¡± Her attitude was a bit concerning at times. She might blow us up.

    ¡°Nothing wrong with a good explosion.¡± Skadi said. Helena nodded.

    ¡°Eh¡­ There is also Finley. He is from alchemy too. He is more interested in logistics. I have no idea if he would be good in a fight.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure if that is what we need.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What about Shin?¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Catkin. Fast, good with a spear and reasonably cute.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°And he has been polite to us so far.¡± I added.

    ¡°What¡¯s his affinity?¡± Skadi asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡± I looked at Helena.

    She scratched her head. ¡°I have never asked. Maybe air?¡±

    ¡°Cassie was the best idea yet.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I think her alchemy would add something. Koyuki has the same class but she is only focusing on improving her undead, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I propose that we ask her.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Let¡¯s see if she is willing.¡±

    I was still a bit concerned but maybe it would not be that bad.

    ¡°Do you know where her room is?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t know much about her.¡±

    ¡°We can ask the staff at the dorms.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Helena said.

 CHAPTER 38: Cassie

    We went towards the reception where a maid directed us to the right room. We knocked, but nobody answered.

    ¡°I suppose it is not surprising that she is not here. Why sit in your room on such a lovely Solday?¡± I said.

    ¡°We could come back in the evening.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Hm.¡± I said, thinking. ¡°She is a bit obsessed with alchemy. We could check the labs. It¡¯s possible for students to get permission to practise.¡±

    ¡°Let''s give it a try.¡± Helena said.

    I took the lead and we walked to the lab building. Since I had advanced alchemy myself I knew my way around.

    ¡°The rooms that are occupied have a blue light.¡± I pointed towards a crystal that was present at every door. ¡°Red means you can¡¯t enter, so likely something dangerous is going on. No light means it¡¯s empty.¡± I explained.

    ¡°If she likes explosions, are we looking for a red one? I don¡¯t see red anywhere.¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°Oh no, a first year student would never be allowed to do something really dangerous unsupervised. A small explosion is considered normal here.¡±

    ¡°How small are we talking about?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Survivable without permanent injuries. The furniture is rather sturdy and the labs are reinforced. The school has healers and emergency potions. But you have to pay if you need them.¡±

    Three rooms were occupied, we chose the first and knocked. I peeked through the door and saw someone I did not recognize.

    ¡°Sorry, looking for a friend!¡± I said and closed the door again.

    We moved to the next one. This time I saw Cassie. She seemed rather focused on something brewing in front of her and did not notice us.

    ¡°Cassie.¡± I called her name. She did not react.

    I looked at my friends and shrugged. We entered and carefully walked closer.

    ¡°Hm. Does this look right? Eh, maybe a nudge¡­ This rune is too sharp. I can bend that. No no no, this is not working. Maybe this edge. Oooooh. There is a glow. Do I want a glow?¡± Cassie was muttering to herself.

    ¡°Hello Cassie.¡± I tried again.

    She looked up and saw us. ¡°Wahhhhh!¡± She jumped back, startled. Whatever she was brewing glowed in a bright orange, then there was a bang. My ears were ringing and a lot of black smoke rose from her cauldron. Nyx, who had been sleeping on my head, jumped to the floor. ¡°Meowr!¡± She complained.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The vents above the workstation did their job. Runes started glowing and the smoke was sucked away.

    ¡°Eh. Where did you guys come from? Oh, did you see the potion? I think it worked! I think I had it! How was the smoke? Did you inhale it? Any noticeable effects?¡±

    ¡°The vents activated in time, we did not breathe anything in. Would it have been dangerous?¡± I asked, slightly concerned.

    ¡°Nah. Maybe some slight convulsions, burning sensation in the lung, itching skin. Nothing lethal.¡± She waved off my concern.

    ¡°That sounds rather unpleasant.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be! Sadly, I can¡¯t explode everything. Takes too much energy. I am trying to modify an existing potion to weaken enemies.¡±

    ¡°That sounds rather advanced.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Well, I do seem to have a gift for alchemy. But what I am doing here is hardly revolutionary. There are far superior potions, but mine would be cheap and not too complicated! Anyway, what are you doing here? Who are your friends Koyuki?¡±

    ¡°These are Skadi and Helena.¡± I pointed at them. ¡°We want to form a group for the upcoming field exercise and need a fourth. We wanted to ask if you are interested.¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s nice to meet you!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Cassie studied us. ¡°My parents always tell me I should socialise more. And I do need a group I suppose¡­¡± She tilted her head upwards and tapped her index finger on her chin. After a bit she reached a conclusion. ¡°Well, Koyuki takes alchemy so you can¡¯t be too bad. Although she is only interested in necro stuff. I hope you like explosions.¡±

    Nyx stared at her with narrowed eyes. She was clearly unhappy about her sleep being disturbed.

    ¡°Explosions can be nice! I have a water affinity though. But you can explode frozen creatures. It¡¯s rather pretty.¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°I am earth and water. I will focus on blood and become a spellblade. Explosions can be rather useful.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am fire.¡± Cassie said. ¡°But my core is not that big. Since I don¡¯t have that much mana I am focusing on alchemy. That way I can prepare my attacks in advance. Oh, and I am Cassie Ashburn, daughter of Countess Ashburn.¡±

    ¡°Helena Frost, daughter of Count Frost.¡±

    ¡°I have no title, my parents are merchants. But I am Skadi Helgurd.¡±

    ¡°Great, welcome to the team, Cassie!¡± I said. She already knew about my past. We had talked a few times in class. Thankfully she did not seem to care.

    ¡°We need to celebrate!¡± Helena suggested. ¡°How about getting a drink?¡±

    Cassie looked at her workstation. ¡°I can help you clean up.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Hm¡­ I suppose I could call it a day. The last try was sort of a success and I need some more ingredients anyway.¡±

    Helena and Skadi were unfamiliar with the lab. Which was a great excuse for them to just watch us work. Soon everything was tidy again and we left. Nyx settled on my head once more.

    Helena organised a bottle of wine and we went back to the park. It was a lovely late afternoon. Cassie was mostly interested in alchemy but she also complained about her parents. They wanted her to socialise more and find someone to marry.

    ¡°They even threatened to cut my alchemy budget!¡± She complained. ¡°We might be related to the Ashfields but nobody cares. We are not really important, no matter what my mother thinks.¡±

    ¡°Ashfield? You are related to the duke?¡± I wondered. Ronesta, where I grew up, was part of his territory.

    ¡°We are a side branch. Our county is rather small and not very important though. And we don¡¯t have any real influence. Just a fancy name. I am not interested in politics, but I have no siblings and will inherit the title from my mother.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Your mother has the title, not your father? That is rather uncommon, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Depends on who has the fancier title when they marry. It¡¯s also more common for the oldest son to inherit, but nobles are allowed to choose their oldest daughter instead.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°Why are you at the Royal Military Academy anyway?¡± Helena asked. ¡°Would not the Arcane Institute be better for alchemy?¡±

    ¡°Sure. But Mother said that the military would teach me responsibility. And she hoped that there would be a lot more men than women. So it would be easier for me to find a husband.¡±

    ¡°And you joined a full female party.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°Yes I did.¡± She said with a grin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink to that!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Cheers!¡± We answered, and our cups clinked.

 CHAPTER 39: Caravan

    The field exercise was officially announced on the next day. It would start at the end of the week, so there was a bit of time to prepare and find teams. A group was supposed to have four people, but five were accepted if the numbers worked out. Or if you had enough influence, I suppose. A few people asked to join us, or tried to recruit me to their party. We declined them all. Our little group was perfect as it was.

    The academy provided supplies, tents and transportation. Sadly, I was not allowed to bring my horse. First year students had to march next to the wagons. It was meant as physical training and to give the future officers an insight into a normal soldier''s life. I was certain we were still treated a lot better than a regular soldier though.

    Early Frigday morning every first year student stood at the parade square. We all had unnecessarily large backpacks which could easily be stored in a wagon. But I was certainly not going to point that out to an instructor. The backpack we carried contained a tent, a sleeping bag, some tools, water and clothes. The food was inside the wagons. So were most of the weapons and armour. We were wearing a normal uniform and a short sword.

    ¡°Morning students!¡± Peter said. ¡°I am in charge of this little exercise. Victoria and Irene will assist me and ensure that nothing goes wrong.¡±

    I knew all three teachers. That was good. None of them had treated me unfairly so far.

    ¡°We also have 24 second year students, who will serve as commanders for your groups. They are your superiors during this exercise and you will treat them as such.¡±

    I could not help but notice that the second years had smaller backpacks. The teachers had none, of course. Their stuff was in a wagon.

    ¡°This exercise will take two weeks. Our destination is the Korrah Forest. We will follow the Jinso north for three days, then go west for another day. Once we arrive you will build a camp. We will stay there for five days and run a bunch of exercises. Then we will take the same route back. On this trip, you won¡¯t have any servants. Any support personnel, like the wagon drivers, are not going to follow your orders. If you try to bully them, there will be a punishment. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡± We all answered.

    ¡°Good. I will assign group leaders now. They will give you further instructions.¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    A short time later a man approached us. He was of medium height with brown hair. Interestingly, he had a beard, not the most common thing among students. Maybe he was part dwarf? He certainly was burly.

    ¡°Students, I am Torben Grant. I will be in charge of this group during this exercise. I expect you to not cause any trouble and follow orders. You will march left of wagon three. There will be further instruction at our first stop. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± He nodded approvingly. ¡°Get into position.¡±

    He left and walked towards a bunch of horses. ¡°Wait, they get to ride?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°Well, they are getting command training. Only regular soldiers march, usually. Depends a bit on the situation and the terrain, but officers are not expected to walk.¡± Helena explained. ¡°If Victoria had not petrified Archibald during our first lesson, he would be complaining a lot right now. You can be sure of that.¡±

    ¡°He is probably informing his sycophants how he will tell his father.¡± I said.

    Helena snickered.

    There were six wagons. We took our position next to wagon three, as ordered. Nyx was not sleeping on my head for a change. She was walking next to us and had chosen the size of a large dog.

    ¡°So, what do you think about our commander?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I am not sure. He seemed rather¡­ professional?¡± I responded.

    ¡°Too early to tell.¡± Skadi said. ¡°The important part will be how he handles combat.¡±

    ¡°He did not leer at us, I call that a win!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Your standards are not very high.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°You should have seen some of the men my mother tried to set me up with¡­¡± She shuddered.

    ¡°How many of them did you poison?¡± Skadi asked.

    I assumed Skadi was joking. Then I saw Cassie¡¯s face.

    ¡°Well¡­ define poison.¡± She said with a grin.

    At this point our journey started. Peter and Irene were at the front, Victoria was at the back. They were riding, of course. The second years were split as well, with the majority being at the front of the caravan. We had six wagons, each with a dedicated driver. There were also four maids to look after the teachers. They were in the first wagon.

    We were rather early so there was not a lot of traffic in the city. Or maybe the road was cleared ahead of us. Either way, we moved rather quickly and soon left through the northern gate.

    ¡°Not a cloud in sight. It will be really hot in the afternoon.¡± Helena complained.

    I looked at the sky. ¡°At least we are not wearing armour. Being covered in metal would be really unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°You all have water affinity. Can¡¯t you create ice?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ yes.¡± Helena admitted. ¡°But none of us knows a spell to keep someone''s body cool. A small bit of ice won¡¯t stop me from sweating¡­ a lot.¡±

    ¡°You are from the north. This is not too bad for me.¡± Cassie said, shrugging.

    ¡°You have a fire affinity, you just like heat!¡± Helena grumbled. ¡°I am not made for this.¡±

    ¡°You will survive. And if not, Koyuki can animate your corpse.¡± Skadi said.

    I nodded and placed my hand on Helena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will use your bones wisely.¡±

    She looked at me. I tried to look serious, but failed. We both laughed.

 CHAPTER 40: Break

    Nyx looked around curiously. It was her first time outside of the academy. At least since she became my companion. I still did not know entirely how she came to be. If she was a sealed undead, she might have had a life before. Regardless, she seemed to enjoy the trip so far. Unlike Helena, who kept glancing at the sun and grimacing.

    ¡°Do you know anything about the Korrah Forest?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°It has trees.¡± Helena said with a straight face.

    ¡°No? Really?¡± I replied, trying to pretend to be shocked.

    ¡°It does have a large timber industry.¡± Skadi explained. ¡°The forest has some magic, the trees grow faster and the wood is of very high quality. It¡¯s also regularly patrolled to keep workers safe.¡±

    ¡°Most likely we will hunt down some weaker monsters. That way we gain real world experience, while being mildly useful.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°What kind of monsters?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Maybe goblins, or forest wolves. They could also pit us against bandits, if some are around.¡±

    ¡°Why would there be bandits in an area with regular patrols?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Because there is money.¡± Skadi explained. ¡°Some of those trees can be really expensive. No matter how many bandits get crushed there is always someone stupid enough to think they will succeed.¡±

    ¡°A bandit camp would be nice, we could burn it down!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I am not sure if fire is a great choice inside a forest¡­¡± I cautioned.

    ¡°You all have a water affinity! You can contain some explosions. I believe in you!¡± Cassie said.

    We all looked mildly concerned.

    ¡°I might be able to create a small ice projectile but putting out a forest fire is beyond me.¡± Helena said. ¡°We have a long way to go for that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Cassie waved off our concerns. ¡°Think about the benefits of fire! Koyuki will have nice clean skeletons to work with!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should try the smoke potions you were working on¡­¡± I suggested.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Oh yeah, it would be good to find a test subject for those.¡± Cassie agreed.

    The caravan travelled until midday. Then it pulled away from the road for a stop. The wagons parked on the grass and we awaited further instructions. Torben approached us.

    ¡°Students, this is our lunch break. You can get food from wagon four. We will rest here for about an hour. You can also refill your water skins at the river.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    The food we got was simple, dried meat and bread. Afterwards we went to the river.

    ¡°We will have to purify the water.¡± Helena said. ¡°The Jinso is not the cleanest river out there.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t kill you but you might get sick if you drink too much.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Why didn''t they tell us this?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably part of the training. If you feel ill for a day, it¡¯s a great lesson about survival in the wilderness.¡± Helena theorised. ¡°Many nobles are only familiar with the water coming from the pipes in their homes. But that has been cleansed.¡±

    ¡°Ok, what is the plan? Use our water affinity to draw out clean water? We can do that, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We can just boil it!¡± Cassie said. ¡°Heat is a great cleanser.¡±

    ¡°What about ice?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No, ice preserves stuff. Fire cleanses it.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°We could draw water from the river, we learned to use existing water for our magic. But I am not sure if that would clean it.¡± Skadi said.

    While we discussed things, Nyx investigated the river. She stood next to it and stared into the water. Suddenly, there was a loud splash. Nyx had moved with incredible speed¡­ and caught a fish. It was dangling from her mouth. Then we heard a squelching sound as she consumed her prize.

    ¡°It just dissolves as she chews it. Seeing a skeleton eat is weird.¡± Cassie said.

    I scratched my head. ¡°It¡¯s called a devouring. But I thought she would only go after magical creatures. She can consume mana, but that was just a normal fish¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, she is a cat¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You have a point.¡± I conceded.

    Nyx ignored us. She was too busy looking smug.

    ¡°Anyway, back to the water.¡± I said.

    ¡°We do have a small pot in our backpacks, right? Let¡¯s use those to boil the water. We will just make a small fire here on the shore.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I have something to help any wood burn quickly!¡± Cassie said with a bit too much enthusiasm.

    ¡°Sure. I will just take a step backwards while you use it.¡± I said.

    Cassie pouted.

    There was enough wood nearby to start a small fire. Some of the other students had similar ideas. Cassie¡¯s mixture allowed us to use wood that was not completely dry. The initial flame, that was about one metre high, quickly shrunk to a reasonable size. There was a lot of smoke though. Regardless, it worked to boil our water. It also drew a lot of attention from other students.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even make a fire properly. What a joke.¡± Archibald said. His team consisted of five people. Florence, Eva, Jack, Simon and himself.

    ¡°How far the Ashburns have fallen.¡± Florence said mockingly. ¡°You are an embarrassment to the family.¡±

    ¡°The family? Are you related to her?¡± I asked Cassie.

    ¡°Well, she is an Ashfield. So sadly, yes. She is the daughter of the duke. But she won¡¯t inherit. Just like Archibald. They are both irrelevant but have delusions of grandeur.¡±

    ¡°You bitch!¡± Florence hissed. ¡°Wait till I tell your mother! She will beat some sense into you.¡±

    Then she stormed off. Archibald sneered at us and they left.

    ¡°Was that wise?¡± Skadi asked. ¡°Can¡¯t she create some problems for you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my mother will be furious. She wants better ties with the Ashfields and increase the influence of our little branch family. And Archibald is still a duke¡¯s son. Our group has Koyuki, who has power, but ultimately she falls into the royal faction because the princess sponsors her. And my mother thinks they are too liberal. But I am an adult and an only child. My mother can¡¯t do anything. Well¡­ she can cut my funding for alchemy.¡± Cassie did sound slightly worried.

 CHAPTER 41: Camping

    I considered the problem. Alchemy was expensive. The school only provided the resources for anything we did in class. If I wanted to make strengthening elixirs for future undead, I would have to get the ingredients myself.

    But alchemy was also a way to make money. A good potion was more valuable than the ingredients. ¡°Maybe we can use alchemy to make money? I don¡¯t have any funds either and could use an income.¡± I suggested. I only had my stipend after all.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Cassie said. ¡°You can sell some things to adventurers. But the biggest market is skin care products for the nobles and such things. And that is¡­ boring. Alchemy should explode!¡±

    ¡°I could live with boring if it makes money.¡± I said, shrugging.

    ¡°Hey, your mother has not cut you off yet. Let¡¯s keep the panicking for later.¡± Helena said. ¡°But it might not be a bad idea to have some income anyway.¡±

    ¡°I could help you sell your products.¡± Skadi offered. Her parents were merchants, so she likely had some experience. Maybe we could start a business?

    ¡°Let¡¯s look into it once we are back. I will talk to Horas and see if he has some suggestions.¡± I said.

    We finished boiling our water, then used magic to cool it again. Soon we had filled our water reserves and returned to the wagons. We had a little bit of time to relax, then the journey continued. We marched until the late afternoon before we stopped for the day. Some students looked mildly ill. Despite our rather visible fire not everyone had realised that the water needed some purification.

    The wagons parked next to each other while we assembled on a patch of grass adjacent to the road. Peter addressed us: ¡°Students, some of you might have already learned the first lesson. Not all water is easily drinkable.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You might have a bad night, come morning we will heal anyone who is still sick. You might think that is unfair.¡± He paused for dramatic effect. ¡°Welcome to the military!¡± He said with a huge grin. ¡°Your group leaders will have further instructions.¡±

    We stood patiently until Torben approached us.

    ¡°Well done team! Next time, try to make a smaller fire.¡± He said with a smile.

    I raised my hand, as we usually do in class.

    ¡°Yes Koyuki?¡±

    ¡°Um sir, you have never asked for our names. Or any sort of introductions.¡± It was something that confused me.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Ah, we have been briefed on our groups. I was not trying to be rude, I simply already knew who you were. We will talk about your individual powers though. But that is for later. Before we go on our first hunt. For now, we need to set up a camp. In the military we tend to do things differently than a lot of civilian caravans. The camp will be around the wagons. They carry our supplies and need to be protected. Never let the enemy reach your food.¡±

    We nodded.

    ¡°There will always be one group on guard duty during the night, starting at 22:00. A shift is one hour. We have been selected to stand watch from midnight to 01:00. You can decide for yourself when to go to bed. The wakeup call is at 05:00 and the responsibility of the last guard shift. You can get your dinner from wagon four. Since we are camped for the night, you can try to cook something with your supplies, if you want. First you need to set up your tents though. Oh, and one lucky party gets to dig a latrine. But that is not us today. Enjoy your evening.¡±

    ¡°Finally!¡± Helena said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the marching, but this heat¡­ Let¡¯s jump into the river! After we set up the tents.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have bathing suits.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Do we need them? What about our underwear? We can quickly jump in, wash a bit, and get out. Nyx can eat anyone who peeks.¡± Cassie suggested.

    Nyx looked at her, approvingly.

    ¡°Then we have wet underwear underneath our uniform.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Jumping into the river sounds heavenly.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We could go in with our uniforms. The fabric dries quickly. Our clothing could use a wash anyway. And the sun is still strong.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Bathing in a uniform sounds uncomfortable.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Wait! Nyx can create mist. We could use that. As long as she does not use death mana.¡± I proposed.

    ¡°That could work. Can she control the density? So that we are obscured but not totally blind inside?¡± Skadi asked.

    We all looked at Nyx. She stared back.

    ¡°Please?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Meow.¡± She answered.

    ¡°I think she agrees.¡± I said. I based that mostly on a feeling. I think she saw this as protecting us.

    With a plan formed we quickly set up our tents and stored our backpacks. Then we went to the river. Nyx stood at the shore. Her mouth glowed and she exhaled. A fine mist settled around us. It restricted our sight to about two metres.

    ¡°Good job, thank you Nyx!¡± I said.

    ¡°Wahhh, this mist is cold!¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s amazing!¡± Helena answered.

    We quickly undressed and went into the water. I was trying to be quick. I had no idea how long Nyx could do this. And we certainly drew some attention.

    ¡°GRRRR¡± That was Nyx. Despite being a feline undead she could produce a variety of sounds. Currently, she was growling.

    ¡°Hey, I was just curious!¡± I heard a male voice.

    Ah. She was keeping unwelcome company away. It made me feel quite a bit safer. Regardless, I tried to hurry.

    ¡°Oh? What an interesting idea.¡± I heard Irene¡¯s voice. ¡°Next time, tell an instructor what you plan before summoning an unnatural mist though.¡± She sounded more amused than angry.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Good, carry on.¡± Irene said.

    After we were done, we found a slight flaw in our plan. Finding our clothes inside the mist was not easy. Thankfully, we managed after a bit of searching.

    ¡°That felt good!¡± Helena said, looking a lot happier.

    ¡°Mhm. Thank you Nyx.¡± Skadi petted the undead.

    ¡°It was so cold¡­ Let¡¯s warm up! We could make stew, or soup.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what the food wagon has on offer.¡± I said and started walking back to the wagons.

 CHAPTER 42: Night

    Our bath inspired a few other students to jump into the river as well. Mostly male students, who did not care about being seen in their underwear. We got a few envious looks from some of the women. But none of them asked for help. I wondered if we would get requests to join us the next time we bathed.

    At the food wagon we were presented with limited options. There was still some sourdough bread. Of course, it was not fresh. But it was still decent, just a little dry. It would go well with a stew or soup. Unfortunately, there were not really any fresh ingredients.

    ¡°When Torben said we could cook, I was hoping for more ingredients¡­¡± Helena admitted. We were back at our tents, looking at our sad haul.

    ¡°We have dried meat, beans, bread and a powder that is supposed to have a stew flavour¡­ What kind of stew? What is stew flavour? ¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°We could try to forage. Maybe there are some mushrooms?¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°NO! No mushrooms.¡± I protested.

    ¡°She really does not like them.¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°Cassie, you are an alchemist. You know poisons. Maybe you could mix something into this. Make our death painless.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that bad! We haven¡¯t even tried that powder. Maybe it will make something good?¡± I said.

    Helena looked sceptical.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been hunting with your dad? What did you eat in the wilderness?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We had a cook¡­¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just throw it all into a pot with water. Boil it and then dip the bread in it. We do have bread, so there is that!¡± I was not as depressed as my companions. For me, even the dried meat alone would be nice.

    Since I was the least depressed I did the cooking. Cassie managed the fire. At least we still got the free beer, which improved the mood. We used our ice magic to keep it cold and refreshing. Sadly, it was gone by the time the meal was ready. And we could not simply buy more on a field trip.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I was the first to try our stew. It did not taste too bad. I happily started eating.

    ¡°Ok, maybe we do not need the poison.¡± Helena admitted.

    While we were unable to identify what the stew flavour was imitating, we all agreed that it was edible. After our meal we washed the dishes in the river. Afterwards we relaxed and went to bed early, the day had been exhausting.

    I was still tired when someone woke me for our guard shift. Nyx was the size of a kitten and used my tail as a bed. After gently removing her, I quickly dressed and crawled out of the tent. Torben was already waiting for us.

    ¡°Students, time for your first guard shift. Since it is summer we don¡¯t need many fires. We have four to provide some light to the camp and keep animals away. One of your jobs is to keep them going. Now, there are generally three ways to keep watch. Stationary guards, patrols or a mix. If the stationary watchers are too far away to see each other, patrols are really important. You can also use magic wards to detect intruders. They are perfect against animals and monsters but can be disabled by an enemy mage.¡±

    We nodded and he continued: ¡°It¡¯s also important to adjust the number of guards based on the danger you are facing. Intelligent opponents can easily target a single soldier. Often you will see groups of two for each post. In our case, it is rather safe, so we don¡¯t need that. I will assign each of you to a fire. Make sure it keeps going and watch that area. I will be on patrol.¡±

    Nyx followed me to my post, after some stretching. Then I stood there, staring into the darkness¡­

    It was boring. I was tempted to train my magic, but that would be unprofessional. I was supposed to keep watch after all. I yawned. The temperature was rather pleasant. The crackling of the fire was soothing.

    I did my best to stay awake and keep watch. Nyx just curled up at the fire. I wondered how aware she was of her surroundings? Being a skeleton, she did not hear or see normally. She had those purple glowing eyes, but how did they work anyway? Did she need them? Normal skeletons did not have them.

    At least those contemplations were a small distraction from the boredom. At one point, I thought I saw something in the bushes. But when I walked closer nothing was there. Maybe it was a small animal. I could not hear anything suspicious either. Torben checked in twice. Mostly making sure that I had not fallen asleep. I told him of the potential encounter.

    ¡°When you stare too long into the darkness, you often start to imagine things. It could also be an animal. If we were in a hostile location it might be worth investigating, but we are not really expecting trouble. Don¡¯t worry about it. But it was right to report it.¡± Torben praised me.

    After our shift was over I crawled back into the tent. Nyx wasted no time and started kneading my tail before curling up in it again. She made a nice purring sound. I fell asleep quickly.

    The next morning I made an amazing discovery. There was coffee! Less exciting was the food. We got cheese and crackers. While the cheese was ok, the crackers were hard and dry. Since they remained edible for a long time they would be a main part of our provisions from now on.

    ¡°Cassie, I think we need to consider the poison plan again.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Do you think crackers could be improved, with alchemy?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Hm. Maybe.¡± Cassie pondered that.

    ¡°You are considering something that does not explode? Are you alright?¡± Skadi asked.

    Cassie looked at a cracker and grimaced. ¡°I am willing to sacrifice some of my precious time for the greater good. There has to be a way to improve them.¡±

    In the end we still ate them. We did not have anything else. Then we packed up our tents and prepared ourselves for another day on the road.

 CHAPTER 43: Camp

    The weather remained good and the second day was uneventful. In the evening we used the mist again for bathing. This time, a few other female students joined us. They were unhappy about the cold, like Cassie, but grateful for a chance to get clean.

    On the fourth day we crossed the Jinso in the morning and headed west. I hoped that our destination would feature another water source. The river had been really convenient.

    We reached our target in the evening. It was a large field of grass next to a massive forest. As the wagons parked, we assembled in front of the teachers.

    ¡°We have arrived at our destination!¡± Peter said. ¡°This means we will build a real camp. You will dig a trench and pile up the dirt to create a small wall with two entrances. You will also construct a simple tower in the middle. The person up there will have a great view of the camp and the other guards. This tower will have an alarm bell.¡±

    We had been marching all day and most students were looking forward to some relaxation. There were multiple groans but nobody dared to object, yet.

    Peter ignored our distress and continued: ¡°You can use magic to speed up the construction, assuming that you have learned a useful spell. Earth magic is commonly used to construct defences. Sometimes moats are created with water magic. Depending on the situation, you can even add traps, spikes and many other surprises. But we will just have a simple trench with a small dirt wall. Your commanders will have further instructions.¡± He smiled. It looked like he was enjoying our misery.

    ¡°So much for a relaxing evening.¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°We could use explosions for the trench.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°That would throw the dirt everywhere and we need it for the wall.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°It would also be rather expensive. How many exploding potions do you even have?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Well¡­ a few.¡± She said, ¡°A girl has to be prepared!¡±

    Just how much money did she get from her family? Those ingredients were not cheap. Also, she must have spent a lot of time in the lab brewing things. Alchemy was clearly her passion.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Ah, I see the same despair I experienced as a first year.¡± Torben said as he approached us. ¡°The good news is, I am allowed to help you. And I do have earth magic. But you will still need to do some digging. We will set up the tents first, then grab some shovels.¡±

    Over the last few days Torben had become friendlier and less cold. We had no problem talking normally around him. Which was good, soon we would be hunting together. Tonight though, we dug. He used his earth magic to loosen the soil and make it easier. Then he hardened the wall we built. To everyone''s surprise, Nyx helped dig. A little. Each group was responsible for a small section. One group was tasked with building the tower. After an hour the camp was finished. The trench was about one metre wide and half a metre deep. The wall was one metre high. Any attacker would be in the trench and you could use a spear to stab down, while standing behind the wall. Further, it would slow down a charge and give the defenders time to assemble.

    ¡°I am exhausted. I wish we had a river to jump in.¡± I said.

    ¡°Is there any water source nearby?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°There is a lake and a small stream in the forest. We will head there tomorrow to replenish our water supplies.¡± Torben answered.

    ¡°Well, at least we can relax now.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Oh, we do have a guard shift again.¡± Torben added.

    We all groaned. ¡°When?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s from 01:00 to 02:00. One of you will be in the tower, one at each entrance and the fourth will patrol.¡±

    The camp was a circle. One entrance faced the forest, the other was on the opposite side. The wagons were in the centre, next to the tower. The teachers and second year tents were in the middle and the first year students'' tents were a ring around it.

    ¡°I think Koyuki should patrol, Cassie takes the tower and Skadi and myself guard the entrances.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Interesting. Your reasoning?¡± Torben asked.

    ¡°Cassie is no close quarters fighter. She would have the hardest time dealing with an ambush. Koyuki and Nyx are a pair and that makes them the strongest. So we have them mobile to react to anything happening. Also, the patrol is the hardest to keep track of from the tower. It¡¯s easy to check if the guards at the entrances are alright. But a patrol disappearing could be missed. That means, having two on patrol adds safety.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°I like it. Well thought through. It¡¯s nice to see that you are taking this seriously. A lot of students slack off because it¡¯s only training. Also, a lot of them think they are too important to be guards.¡±

    ¡°How was your first field exercise?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, I am the son of a minor noble. My team was filled with more important people. They complained a lot and thought it was all beneath them. I¡­ I did a lot of their work for them.¡± He sighed. ¡°It did teach me a few lessons though. I have picked my teams more carefully since then.¡±

    He sounded rather mature and was very knowledgeable. It was easy to forget that he was a student as well.

    We went to bed early, we were all exhausted. Unfortunately, the time of our shift arrived and I had to get up. We carried a sword and wore our uniform during guard duty. Since this was just an exercise, that was considered enough. With the defences we had prepared, not carrying a spear was slightly silly, in my opinion.

    My patrol consisted of walking in a circle along the wall of the camp. Nyx walked on the wall, she enjoyed higher places. It also meant that she was the perfect height to get petted. What a coincidence.

    While we walked I noticed some movement in the forest. Nyx stopped and stared towards the trees. The closest part of our camp, one of the entrances, was about 150 metres from the forest. It was guarded by Skadi. Maybe I should ask her if she saw something as well?

 CHAPTER 44: Shadows in the Dark

    While we walked towards Skadi¡¯s post, Nyx kept glancing towards the forest. Something had clearly caught her attention. All I could see were moving shadows, that might be animals. It could be monsters. I had no idea what actually lived in this forest. But what would attack a camp? Were they just watching? Or was I just seeing things?

    The entrance had two torches. Skadi stood between them and looked towards the trees.

    ¡°Skadi, did you notice anything in the woods?¡± I asked her as I approached.

    ¡°Maybe, I am not sure. Do you think the teachers are testing us?¡± She wondered.

    ¡°You mean, a fake attack to see if we pay attention?¡±

    ¡°It would fit. A day of marching, then have us build camp, and when we finally get some rest stage an emergency.¡±

    She did have a point. I sighed. ¡°It would fit. Hey, at least we are already awake.¡±

    ¡°Assuming they attack now and don¡¯t wait until the next guard shift.¡±

    ¡°I guess I should tell Torben.¡± His role was watch commander. Which meant he sat at a cosy fire drinking some tea.

    I was just about to leave when Nyx grew to her full size. And then she roared. It was loud, deep and certainly woke a few people. It also got Cassie¡¯s attention, who immediately rang the alarm bell.

    I looked at the forest again and froze. A stream of creatures emerged and charged towards us.

    ¡°Spiders!¡± I shouted. They varied in size. Some were as big as a cat, others as large as a pig.

    Skadi grabbed a two handed axe that was leaning against the wall. Wait, why did she have an axe?

    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I requisitioned it. But that is not the point!¡± Skadi answered. ¡°Get behind me and hit them with all you have, we need to buy the camp some time!¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    While we had practised in our free time, I had never seen Skadi in a real battle. And we had never sparred with magic. She confidently took a position in front of me. Nyx stood by her side. I had learned one reasonable offensive spell so far, a necrotic dart. It shot a bolt of energy at a target. The magic should cause living things to wither and die. Well, depending on their strength.

    As the monsters closed in I felt fear. The whole ground was covered in them. I could see eyes glowing in the darkness, as they approached the light. So many eyes¡­ No! This was not the time to panic! I would not fall here! I was a soldier, a mage, a necromancer! I would show them!

    I raised my hand, runes formed in my mind and I unleashed a spell. A bolt of black energy shot into the darkness and it hit one of the smaller spiders. It stopped moving, as its body withered. One down, an endless sea more to go.

    Meanwhile, Nyx exhaled. The area in front of her was coated in mist. Not just the freezing kind, I could feel the death energy inside the cloud. Then she tore into the spiders with her teeth and claws. Skadi swung her axe at anything that came near and I unleashed additional bolts.

    Our wall was meaningless against spiders. They could climb. It was only a matter of time until we would be surrounded. But the camp was stirring. Soon we would have reinforcements. Would it be fast enough?

    There were quite a few corpses by now. I had only ever animated skeletons. And never in combat. Did spiders have bones? They had a hard shell. Could I animate that? Would they be zombies? One way to find out.

    ¡°I will try to animate some corpses, protect me please!¡± I shouted. Trying something new in combat was not the best idea. Being eaten by spiders seemed worse though. So I gave it a shot. I trusted my companions to keep me safe. I concentrated on a corpse. One? No, I needed more. I mentally tried to select everything I saw.

    I did not completely lose track of my surroundings. I noticed an earth spike hit something nearby. An ice dagger buried itself in a spider that wanted to jump me. But I had to focus! I pulled mana from my core and flooded my body. Then I converted it to death mana. Runes formed in my head as I selected targets. I felt sweat on my forehead, as I desperately tried to complete the spell.

    My efforts were rewarded. As I pushed mana through the runes, I felt the connections forming. Not every dead spider rose, but quite a few did. And they were ready to obey. My order was simple: Kill spiders!

    I soon realised my mistake, as they attacked each other as well. It was carnage. I corrected my error, and instructed them to kill living spiders instead. It gave us some time. I felt slightly dizzy from the large amount of mana I had used. But I did not pass out. An explosion in the trench to my left signalled Cassie''s arrival. Whatever she threw in there burned. And it did not stop.

    Helena and Torben were here too. They had protected me while I was concentrating. An alarming amount of fresh corpses was near me. Skadi was breathing heavily, blood trickled from her left arm. Nyx was an embodiment of death, tearing spiders apart left and right. The assault lessened as undead spiders fought living ones. But it was not enough. There were too many. I needed¡­

    The world was bathed in crimson. Suddenly the entire area in front of us turned into a sea of flames. The heat almost gave me blisters. I blinked, trying to regain my vision after the blinding light from the fire.

    ¡°Forest spiders. They are a delicacy if a skilled chef prepares them. What a waste.¡± Irene said.

    I turned my head and stared at our teacher. She was calmly standing there. ¡°Good job surviving and sounding the alarm!¡± She said and smiled at us.

    ¡°Was¡­ was this a test?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh no! Nobody would be insane enough to sic an army of spiders on their students. They could have easily killed you. But that attack was not natural either. Someone disabled the wards we placed.¡±

    I looked around. The camp was fully awake now. A lot of students looked confused, afraid, horrified,...

    The battle was over. The teachers had turned the tide. I saw a few dead spiders lying around, but the majority had been incinerated. The area in front of the camp was scorched. No grass, no corpses, just ash. Only one of my undead spiders remained. I called it to us.

    Nyx watched it crawl past her. Then she struck. Limbs were hanging from her mouth as she started chewing.

 CHAPTER 45: Aftermath

    We all looked at Nyx. She did not care and kept chewing. Oh well, she probably deserved a treat after all the fighting.

    ¡°Good job Nyx, please don¡¯t eat my minion next time.¡±

    I had a feeling she only acknowledged the first half of my sentence.

    ¡°This was our first real battle! We need to celebrate our victory!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°We are still on guard duty.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Afterwards, obviously.¡± She corrected herself. ¡°Maybe we can get some extra beer¡­¡±

    ¡°You should wait for Peter¡¯s announcement before you make any plans.¡± Irene said. ¡°Also, get that arm bandaged.¡± She said to Skadi.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡±

    Irene left towards the forest. Maybe she was making sure that no more spiders approached.

    ¡°Thanks for protecting me.¡± I told my friends.

    ¡°We keep you alive, you raise an army! That is why we are a great team!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I think I have something for your arm, Skadi.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, but thanks.¡±

    ¡°STUDENTS, ASSEMBLE AT THE FOREST SIDE ENTRANCE!¡± Peter shouted.

    We were already at the right place. Skadi¡¯s wound did not require immediate treatment so we just waited here until the other students arrived. Some had minor wounds as well. I spotted Leo, who was accompanied by a skeletal wolf, his first undead. It was only tier two and not as cool as Nyx. Soon, everyone was gathered.

    ¡°Congratulations, you survived your first battle!¡± Peter said. ¡°Now, before the rumour mill gets out of hand, this was not planned. Someone sabotaged the wards we placed around the camp. And lured those spiders here. This was not normal behaviour for them. Those monsters are called forest spiders. They vary in size. Some of them are capable of spitting acid and their bite is venomous. The queen is as big as a wagon but does not normally leave the nest. Irene is investigating the area. If anyone has been bitten, talk to Victoria.¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    A few students started to move. ¡°Talk to her after my speech.¡± The students froze. ¡°The venom is not lethal. Now, first years will clean up the camp. If you find a spider corpse that is not too damaged, you can drop it at the supply wagon. The others will be burned. Take care of your wounds. It is now 01:33. You will all get some extra beer to celebrate and calm down. We will start two hours later tomorrow. Guard shifts are cancelled for tonight. I will take care of our security. Second years assemble around my tent, you will get further instructions. Dismissed.¡±

    ¡°Good job.¡± Torben praised us. Then he left towards Peter''s tent.

    ¡°Yes, more beer!¡± Helena said. ¡°Let¡¯s party!¡±

    ¡°I will grab some bandages, you get the beer.¡± Cassie suggested. ¡°Oh, and I will take care of burning the remaining spider corpses.¡± She said with a grin.

    I nodded and walked towards the supply wagon with Helena. ¡°I saw your undead spiders, so cool! It¡¯s a shame that I don''t have any area attacks yet. I wish I could do the mist thing that Nyx does.¡±

    My undead companion walked next to us. There was still a crunching sound coming from her mouth. She took her time devouring the spider.

    ¡°We have a lot to learn. Irene¡¯s spell was incredible. One moment we faced a horde, then there was only ash.¡±

    ¡°She is really powerful, yes. I think she might be the strongest at the academy, after the headmaster.¡±

    ¡°He told me Irene would handle any problems. Do you think I was the target of the attack?¡±

    ¡°There is a strong possibility. But that move could have killed other nobles. So it¡¯s an odd choice for an assassination. I suppose it could have been a test of the camp¡¯s defences. It could be an attack on the academy itself. It could be another nation trying to weaken us.¡± Helena shrugged. ¡°Let the teachers investigate. We will focus on drinking!¡±

    ¡°A shame that we don¡¯t have some nice food to go with the beer. Do you think there will be any edible spiders left? What does spider taste like?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I never had a forest spider. Frost spiders can be quite nice with the right sauce. It does take a skilled chef to prepare them though.¡± She sighed. ¡°I miss good food. Maybe we will be able to hunt something tomorrow¡­¡±

    The wagon was rather busy and it took us a while to get drinks. Afterwards we met the others at our tents. The spider corpses had been taken care of, in a way. Cassie had used them for our campfire. Skadi had wiped herself to remove the spider bits from her body. Cassie was applying the bandage as we arrived.

    ¡°We got beer!¡± Helena announced.

    ¡°How is the arm?¡± I asked Skadi.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They did not get any venom into the wound, I think. At least I don¡¯t feel anything. If it gets worse I will talk to Victoria.¡±

    Everyone grabbed a mug. ¡°To our first battle, may we achieve many more victories!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°To victory!¡± We clinked our mugs.

    ¡°Ah, beer is great after a fight!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°What is missing is a hot bath.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Mhm. Have you ever been to a hot spring? We have them in the north. It¡¯s nice soaking in hot water, surrounded by ice and snow.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Hot springs are amazing.¡± Skadi agreed.

    ¡°I have never experienced that. It does sound nice.¡± I said.

    ¡°Surrounded by ice? That does not sound too pleasant¡­¡± Cassie worried.

    ¡°Nonsense, that makes it even more relaxing! You are all invited during our next break!¡± Helena offered.

    We spent a bit longer celebrating our victory. It felt good. I had stood my ground and contributed to our success. We had warned the camp and held until reinforcements arrived. Maybe it was the drinking, or Nyx purring softly, but when I crawled into my tent I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 46: Preparation

    The next morning started with a depressing breakfast and some nice coffee. Afterwards we were briefed by Torben.

    ¡°While our first night here was certainly unusual, it''s back to normal field training today. Our group will enter the forest and we will do some hunting. Nothing too dangerous, mind you. We will also replenish our water supplies. There have to be some people present at the camp, which means teams hunt in different time slots. We will start at 11:00 and have up to five hours until we need to return.¡±

    We nodded.

    ¡°Remember, this is training for me too. I am supposed to lead a group and make sure everything goes smoothly. We have health potions but if we need one it counts as a failure. So let¡¯s talk a bit about our abilities. I have an earth affinity. I can create minor walls, holes or shoot rock bolts. I can also strengthen myself for a short time. I will help if needed, but mostly I will try to direct you in combat. Now, let''s start with Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°I have a death and water affinity. I can raise undead and shoot a necrotic dart. I have technically learned a water shield and ice dagger but I am not really good enough with them for combat yet. And there is Nyx.¡± Who was currently cat sized and sitting next to me. As we all looked at her she yawned.

    ¡°Ok, Cassie next.¡± Torben said.

    ¡°Well, I have fire affinity and can produce a small firebolt. But I prefer alchemy. My core is not that large. I do have a lot of potions! I have one that explodes and creates a smoke that hinders enemies. I have one that explodes and then burns for a while. I have one that explodes¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. Do you also have something to protect your team from explosions?¡± Torben asked.

    ¡°Huh? Never thought about something like that. But resistance potions are hard. I can¡¯t do those yet. They are also expensive. Explosions, on the other hand, are sort of cheap and easy¡­¡±

    ¡°Ok. Skadi next.¡±

    ¡°I have earth and water. I mostly focus on defence and I am good with an axe. I can do a water shield for a short time and strengthen myself with earth. Sadly, I am not advanced enough yet for blood magic.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°And Helena.¡±

    ¡°I have water affinity and currently focus on ranged ice attacks. Mostly ice darts or daggers. I can conjure a shield if needed and I am decent with weapons.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We can requisition gear for this trip. That includes armour. Everyone gets chainmail. As for weapons¡­ You know what you are good at. Our goal today is to get water and kill something edible. We will take care of any small monster we come across. The teachers have assured us that they will keep stronger things away. As for tactics, Skadi and Nyx are the frontline. Cassie, throw anything explosive on the flanks or behind the frontline. We can also use it as an opener. Focus on groups. Koyuki, use your dart at range and raise anything that is available. Helena, stick with Cassie and Koyuki and intercept anything that breaks through the front.¡±

    After the conversation we prepared for the hunt. We had our backpacks to carry anything we found and empty containers we could fill with water. I grabbed a staff as a weapon, Helena had a spear, Cassie only had an arming sword. Skadi pondered a shield but decided on the two handed axe instead. Everyone carried a dagger as well.

    ¡°Do you think we will be ambushed during the hunt?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°Doubtful.¡± Helena said. ¡°The teachers are already keeping strong monsters away to make sure we don¡¯t get eaten. They would likely find an assassin. Especially after last night, they will be extra vigilant.¡±

    ¡°Would they find a really good assassin though?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I doubt someone like that would send a bunch of spiders into the camp. It would have been far easier to just wait until the hunt and strike, if that was the plan.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Exactly, now we need to focus on the important things! Not assassinations, food!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena agreed. ¡°This is our chance to escape the crackers. I''m counting on you girls. Failure is not an option.¡±

    We all nodded.

    At 11:00 we met with Torben at the entrance.

    ¡°Ok, I will take the lead.¡± He said. ¡°Skadi behind me, then Cassie, then Koyuki and Helena in the rear. Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious. And do not forget to look up.¡±

    ¡°What kind of monsters can we expect?¡± I asked.

    ¡°More spiders. They are a great enemy for training, in small numbers. I would not be surprised if the teachers left some of them alive. There could be goblins. We could also see normal animals, like wolves. And there are snakes. There is a forest boa, it¡¯s quite big and likes to drop on people from above. They crush their prey and have thick skins. The good news is, they kill somewhat slowly, giving your team time to rescue you.¡±

    ¡°How do they taste?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± He laughed. ¡°Tired of the crackers?¡±

    Helena¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°He has other food. He is not depressed enough.¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s not my first field exercise. All second years have better food.¡±

    ¡°Betrayal!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Hey, blame the teachers, not me! The crackers are part of the soldier experience. In the army, that is what the grunts get. Officers eat better, but during your training you are supposed to experience a soldier¡¯s life. I suffered the same as you, last year. Also, now you have some motivation to catch something edible!¡± He said with a smile.

 CHAPTER 47: Hunt

    We made our way over the burned ground and into the forest. In daylight the destruction was even more impressive. While I could see reasonably well at night, colours were hard to make out in the darkness. Now there was a clear contrast between the green grass and the burned stretch.

    As we went deeper, some of the trees became massive. Surely they were over five metres tall. I kept scanning the branches, looking for threats. Nyx was wolf sized and walked beside me. She looked around but did not seem particularly interested in anything. Probably a good sign, so far her instincts had been great.

    ¡°If Torben had an accident, like tripped and fell into Nyx¡¯ mouth, we could get his food.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I can hear you!¡± Torben said from the front. ¡°That sounds suspiciously like mutiny.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just planning for a contingency.¡± Helena responded. ¡°To make sure no resources are wasted.¡±

    Cassie snickered.

    ¡°So, how well do you know this forest? Is the field training always here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It does change but I was here too. Although, our camp was at a different location. There are certain requirements for what the academy wants to teach. Like enemies at the right strength. They probably get reports from local patrols and then choose a place that fits.¡± Torben explained.

    ¡°Movement!¡± Skadi said pointing in a certain direction.

    We all looked towards a tree. Up there in the branches was¡­ a squirrel. It stared at us.

    ¡°We could eat it.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°It is cute and fluffy¡­¡± I would feel guilty killing it. Then again, it would probably taste a lot better than crackers.

    While we looked at the squirrel a branch moved. No, that was a snake! A mouth opened and the squirrel was gone, swallowed whole.

    ¡°Let¡¯s kill that snake!¡± I suggested.

    Cassie was grabbing a potion from her belt. ¡°Don¡¯t burn the forest!¡± Helena warned. Cassie hesitated. Meanwhile, I was already focusing on my magic. A necrotic dart appeared and hit the monster. It hissed angrily as a black spot formed on its body. The giant snake dropped down onto the ground. It must have been at least five metres long.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Skadi rushed it with her axe. Helena unleashed a bolt of ice. The magic slowed the monster and it failed to dodge the blade coming its way. The snake¡¯s head was cleanly separated from its body with one swing.

    ¡°Good job.¡± Torben said. ¡°But you hit it with death magic, that makes it inedible. Part of the snake has rotted.¡±

    ¡°Um.. sorry.¡± I said, blushing.

    ¡°You should work on your water magic. While death mana is great for killing, it does have its downsides.¡± Torben added.

    Helena patted my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s ok. None of us thought about that. We will catch something else!¡±

    Meanwhile, Nyx was pushing the snake head around with her paw. She had simply watched the combat without interfering. But now she seemed amused by her new toy. Once we moved again she swallowed it, to no one''s surprise.

    We did not encounter anything else and reached the lake. It had gorgeous blue water. Most of the shore was covered in trees but there were some areas with grass and bushes. We picked a small open area and approached the water.

    ¡°The water here is better than in the Jinso. I would still boil it though.¡± Torben said.

    ¡°Are there any monsters in the lake?¡± I asked.

    He scratched his head. ¡°Not that I know of. But there is fish.¡±

    ¡°We could catch that!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Do you know how to fish?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­¡± I said.

    Cassie shook her head. We all looked at Torben.

    ¡°Sorry. Not something I have learned. We don¡¯t have the equipment anyway.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you fish with a spear?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. But that requires a lot of skill.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°What about Nyx?¡± Cassie asked.

    She did eat a fish in the past. We all looked at her. She stared back. Her mouth opened and a purple tongue materialised. Then she licked her paw.

    ¡°Would that even work? Does her bite infuse death mana?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I think she can bite normally. Using death magic as a weapon is not common in skeletons. The mana is contained in their bones. Eating them would be a problem. Of course, Nyx is special and can use magic. But she has control over her powers.¡± I reasoned.

    ¡°Pleeease help us Nyx, you are our only hope!¡± Helena pleaded.

    ¡°You would certainly be worshipped for years to come for such a heroic act.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I¡­ I might even consider helping Koyuki with a salve that is good for your bones.¡± Cassie offered.

    ¡°That is a good idea. You help us Nyx, and we will get you something nice when we are back at the academy! I need a new project anyway, I am sure Horas can recommend something for you.¡± I offered.

    ¡°Um¡­ she is your undead. You can just order her.¡± Torben pointed out.

    ¡°I could.¡± I admitted. ¡°But she is my companion. I won¡¯t force her unless it becomes absolutely necessary.¡±

    ¡°Nyx is a valuable member of the team.¡± Helena agreed.

    My undead companion stared at me, tilting her head. She seemed to think. Then she moved over to the water. Maybe our bribe worked. Nyx was scanning the lake carefully.

    While she was busy we unpacked our water containers and prepared a pot for boiling. Cassie prepared a fire. A large splash drew our attention back to the lake. Nyx had a big fish dangling in her mouth. For a brief moment I feared she would eat it. But she walked over to me and dropped it instead.

    ¡°Great job Nyx, you are the best!¡± I scratched her behind the ears. I did not know why a skeleton liked pats and scratches but she certainly did.

    ¡°Do you know how to prepare a fish?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Oh no, I did not think about that¡­¡± Helena said, looking horrified.

    ¡°No worries, I can do it.¡± I said with a smile. While I was not trained as a cook, dealing with a whole fish was something I had actually learned. Of course, usually they were already dead. Thankfully, killing was easy. I took my knife and cut off its head. I gave it to Nyx.

    ¡°I guess we will take our lunch here.¡± Torben said.

    He was a wise leader. He did not try to get between us and the food.

 CHAPTER 48: Encounter

    I pondered how to cook the fish. We had enough stew recently, maybe I would just grill it over the fire? We did have some salt, so there was that. It was the only seasoning we had. I sprinkled some on the fish, put it on a stick and grilled it.

    I had no idea what kind of fish it was, but it was reasonably large. Sadly we only had one. We shared it between us girls. Torben had his own food. It was heavenly. Probably because we had crackers for so long.

    ¡°Ah, this is great.¡± Helena said. ¡°I never thought plain fish could be this good.¡±

    ¡°Did you not complain about the one in the mess hall when we first met?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ah, how young and naive I was¡­ I had not yet experienced the horror of the cracker.¡± She said solemnly.

    Considering my past, I had eaten worse than military crackers, to be honest. But after my time at the academy, and getting used to its food, they really were rather depressing. Especially the lack of variety.

    ¡°We need to hunt something larger for dinner.¡± Skadi said.

    She had a point. The fish was nice, but we would need more food tonight. It was gone way too quickly.

    ¡°You can take a quick bath if you want, I will keep watch.¡± Torben offered.

    We gratefully accepted. We also had Nyx making sure he did not peek. Trust was good, an undead guardian was better.

    Afterwards, he took a quick bath as well. Meanwhile, we packed up our things and got ready to move. We had refilled our water supplies and were ready to continue the hunt. About half of our time was already gone.

    None of us were good at tracking. But we did get lucky and found an obvious trail of a boar. We followed it eagerly. As we got closer, we dropped our backpacks and tried to sneak, something we failed at. The animal noticed our presence.

    Animal? What we found was the size of a horse. It mostly looked like a boar, except for the horn on its forehead. The creature stood in a small clearing and was studying us as we emerged from the trees.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Torben said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a creature I know. Some sort of dire boar maybe? Definitely a monster and not an animal.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it is capable of magic?¡± Skadi asked.

    Torben eyed the horn. ¡°Maybe. The teachers should have killed anything too dangerous but fighting something unknown is¡­¡± He did not get to finish his sentence. The creature made the decision for us and charged.

    ¡°I will help! Skadi, Nyx we need to stop the charge!¡± Torben shouted.

    Nyx grew to her full size. Torben and Skadi¡¯s skin darkened, they were strengthening themselves. My undead companion took the brunt of the assault and was sent flying into a nearby tree. Thankfully she seemed fine.

    What was I going to do? A necrotic dart would taint the flesh. Of course, survival was more important than food. But the situation was still under control.

    ¡°Cassie, can you weaken it with a potion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s moving too fast, we need to slow it down first!¡± She responded.

    ¡°I will try to hit it with some ice.¡± Helena said.

    Sadly, I had neglected offensive ice spells. My ice dagger was pretty unimpressive. I would not be able to help much there. I grabbed my staff tighter. Maybe I could whack it?

    Helena targeted its legs with ice darts. The creature stopped and looked at us. Then its horn glowed. My eyes widened and I immediately tried to use my water shield. The spell should conjure a barrier to protect me. I tried to pump a lot of mana into it, to compensate for my lack of experience. A shimmering barrier appeared in front of me, just in time. Helena jumped behind me.

    A lance of fire left the horn and hit my barrier. I started sweating, but the wall of water before me held. A potion sailed over my head towards the monster. Apparently, Cassie had taken cover behind me too and was now throwing something. There was a small explosion next to the boar and soon it was swallowed in black smoke.

    Helena and Torben readied their weapons and waited for it to emerge. Nyx, on the other hand, jumped right into the cloud and seemed to land on the monster.

    ¡°Nyx is on top of it, shoot into the cloud close to the ground!¡± I shouted.

    I dropped my shield and we all unleashed magic into the beast. My ice dagger was not as good as Helena¡¯s dart but it was something. Cassie used fire, Torben and Skadi earth. We all fired projectiles into the smoke.

    The beast screamed. As the smoke dispersed we could see the damage. Its lower part was covered in wounds from our magic. Its back was being savaged by Nyx. She had shrunk a bit to better cling to the monster and was using her claws quite effectively. The smoke had slowed its movements and seemed to interfere with its breathing. The boar walked a few steps and collapsed. Skadi quickly hit it¡¯s head with her axe to finish it.

    ¡°Nice work!¡± Torben congratulated us. ¡°Also, a good shield Koyuki, I was worried when I saw that attack. Did you not say your water magic was bad?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Um. I spent a lot more time training my death magic. I¡­ I was not sure I could pull it off in combat.¡± I said blushing.

    ¡°Koyuki always underestimates her abilities.¡± Helena said and placed her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°A fine kill.¡± Skadi said, admiring our victory.

    ¡°And hopefully a tasty one!¡± Cassie added.

    We stared at the monster we had slain. Nyx sat on top of it. She had shrunk to the size of a cat. Then she started kneading the corpse, while purring.

    ¡°Good job Nyx, you did well.¡± I praised her.

    ¡°So¡­ how are we going to carry that back?¡± Helena asked.

 CHAPTER 49: Logistics

    Essentially we had two problems. First, the weight. The thing was rather heavy. Second, it was big and unwieldy. We would need a way to carry it, or simply drag it. But we were in a forest, it would likely get stuck on roots and other vegetation on the ground if we dragged it.

    ¡°Maybe we just take some parts?¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°What if four people carry it, and one keeps watch?¡± I pondered.

    ¡°We would need something easily carryable to put it on. Like a stretcher.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°It would have to be a rather strong one to bear the weight.¡± Torben said.

    ¡°We could place it on two logs, tie it with rope? Do we have enough rope?¡± Helena asked.

    Rope was something we had in our backpacks. I was not entirely sure why, maybe to bind prisoners? Was that what the army used it for? Anyway, we collected our backpacks from where we had dropped them and looked for something useful.

    ¡°Could be enough rope.¡± Skadi said. ¡°We would need two sturdy logs, or thick branches, and then hope our strength is enough.¡±

    All of us were physically trained, thanks to the academy. Cassie was the weakest, so she would be the lookout. Skadi was a dwarf and I was a foxkin, that gave us an advantage. Maybe we could pull it off?

    While our main motivation was food, Torben wanted to show off the kill. So we were all in agreement when it came to taking the thing back. I had no idea what would happen if we came back late but it would be close. The boar would certainly slow us down.

    We found some thick workable branches. Skadi cut them with her axe. Then we bound the giant boar to them. We carried it with four people. It made navigating the forest a bit trickier, but it was worth it. Cassie was not only on watch, she also had most of the other things, like water, in her backpack to lessen the weight of the boar carriers.

    Nyx could have helped. Instead she was sitting on the boar. Thankfully she did not weigh much in her small form. She did have a great view and was certainly keeping watch. But I think she also enjoyed being carried around.

    It was an exhausting trip. We did stop a few times to take breaks. But eventually we left the forest and saw our camp.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I hope this thing tastes good.¡± Helena said. She sounded exhausted. We all were, I suppose.

    ¡°I want to see Archibald¡¯s face when he has crackers and we have a boar.¡± I said.

    ¡°Assuming he did not catch something himself. Or bribe a second year for better food.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°We are not supposed to share our supplies. The crackers are a deliberate part of your training.¡± Torben said. Helena glared at him. ¡°The headmaster thinks a lot of nobles are too spoiled. It¡¯s his idea.¡±

    As we entered the camp we drew a lot of stares. Apparently our hunt went a lot better than most. We carried it to the supply wagon. Then I sat down next to it, exhausted.

    ¡°Next time we should kill something smaller.¡± I said. Nyx was still sitting on the boar. She looked down at me. ¡°You could have helped.¡± I pointed out. Then again, she did get us a fish for lunch. Maybe we should have bribed her to help us carry the boar.

    ¡°That is an impressive catch.¡±

    I looked up and saw Peter. He must have come to investigate the commotion we had caused.

    ¡°A horned boar, they have a nice smokey flavour.¡±

    Helena licked her lips and stared the boar.

    ¡°Sir, are there any useful parts? Like, for alchemy?¡± I asked. The creature was clearly magical.

    Peter smiled. ¡°Indeed! The horn has some uses. Make sure to harvest that. The hide is worth something too.¡± He looked at the shredded part, where Nyx had used her claws. ¡°If it is undamaged that is. And if you find yourself with too much meat you can sell any surplus to the academy. Just speak to one of the maids if you are interested.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ how do we preserve the meat? We can''t use everything today.¡± I asked the others.

    ¡°Maybe we should give some to the maids?¡± Torben suggested.

    ¡°MINE.¡± Helena hugged the boar.

    ¡°Well, it is a lot of meat¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°How much salt can we get from the supply wagon?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°What about freezing it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, it would require us to constantly renew the spell.¡± Helena pointed out. ¡°We would need an enchanter to build us a freezing box to make it viable. Salt is an option.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations on your catch! Would you be willing to sell some of it?¡± It was Leo who asked. I had not noticed him approaching. His skeletal wolf was next to him. Nyx looked at it from the top of the boar.

    ¡°Go away Leo.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I understand that you do not wish to marry me, despite the considerable benefits to both our families, but I am just here to inquire about your catch. I am willing to pay.¡±

    ¡°We neither need your money, nor your company.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I am sorry that you feel that way. Hopefully I can change your mind in the future. The offer for the boar still stands. Find me if any of you are interested.¡±

    He walked away.

    ¡°That was the son of Duke Harold.¡± Torben pointed out.

    ¡°I know.¡± Helena said.

    Torben opened his mouth, then shut it again. I guess he decided to not ask any more questions. Then he shrugged. ¡°Ok, back to the boar. I say we sell some to the academy. Keep enough for a day or two, we might catch something else anyway.¡±

    It was a rather reasonable argument. In the end, we decided to have a feast tonight and keep enough for tomorrow. Helena grumbled a bit but ultimately agreed. We would need to heavily salt the meat to preserve it, which would not make it as tasty. And boar every day might get boring too.

    We built a nice fire pit in front of our tent and prepared to grill some boar. It was a shame that we did not have any bread to go with it. Or maybe some potatoes. As we sat in front of the sizzling meat Cassie asked: ¡°So, what''s the deal with Leo?¡±

 CHAPTER 50: Campfire

    Helena sighed. ¡°I suppose I should tell you about him. Leo is ambitious, his whole family is. He wants our county to become part of his duchy. Part of the plan is to marry me. I would not be surprised if my brother had an accident soon after. There are a surprising amount of deaths that benefit Leo¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°Why does he want your county?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Several reasons. He wants a good connection to Thorus for trade. We also have a border that sees quite a bit of fighting against monsters, so he could petition the king for an increased personal army. Further, we are known for our strong water affinity. It is what makes us rather powerful in the snow. He wants our magic to strengthen his line. Even better, we don¡¯t have that much influence. Most nobles want to increase their prestige with their marriage, he does not. His family is already important enough, he wants more actual strength. And less scrutiny.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Leo is not a good person. He is rather polite in public but he is brutal. When I was twelve, a waiter spilled something on his clothes at a party. He smiled and said it was fine. But later, when I was going to the restroom, I overheard him talking to the guards. He ordered that servant beaten. I have heard a lot of other rumours since then, about how he treats his staff and slaves.¡±

    ¡°Typical noble.¡± Skadi muttered.

    ¡°We are not all that bad.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°A lot are though.¡± Cassie admitted. ¡°That''s why I don¡¯t want to play their game. I just want a nice life, full of explosions!¡±

    Helena continued: ¡°Anyway, I don''t want to marry someone like that. I doubt he would treat his wife well. There are also some rumours about his father and how he treats his concubines...¡±

    ¡°If he tries anything, we will feed him to Nyx.¡± I announced. My undead companion was curled up next to the fire. Her head moved slightly, so she was paying attention.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°And Archibald is the son of Duke Winston, your liege lord. He might try to convince his father to sell your county to Duke Harold. Then Leo could put pressure on your father. Quite the mess.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Leo has offered me resources for necromancy in the past.¡± I mentioned.

    ¡°He wants to use you too. Having an archmage necromancer on his side would give him a lot of power.¡±

    ¡°I would not be surprised if he wants a harem.¡± Skadi said.

    I looked at her, shocked.

    ¡°What? He is a sleazebag. Imagine if he could get Helena and you. You would be his attack dogs, his warrior wives. Generals of his army. As long as you obey him, obviously.¡±

    ¡°Is that a thing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not really. Skadi reads too many stories.¡± Cassie said. ¡°You can only marry one person, legally. But a lot of powerful people have concubines. The reason you can only marry one is due to inheritance. It would get too complicated otherwise.¡±

    ¡°That is also why same sex marriages are frowned upon by nobility. They don¡¯t produce heirs. If you fancy someone of your own gender, you are supposed to have them as a concubine.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°Same sex marriages are not illegal, mind you.¡± Cassie added. ¡°And they happen sometimes, with less important nobles. But it is looked down upon. Like you are admitting that your family name is worthless. It¡¯s really stupid.¡±

    ¡°Nobles are weird.¡± I concluded. Then I checked on the meat. It looked like our boar was done. We had saved our beer ration until the food was ready. I distributed the grilled boar and put more meat on the grill.

    We clinked our mugs. ¡°To a successful hunt!¡±

    The meat was juicy and tender. I didn''t even mind the lack of condiments. We all devoured our portions before the next batch was ready.

    ¡°When we are back we need to have a proper barbecue.¡± Helena said. ¡°With side dishes, various meats and a whole barrel of ale!¡±

    ¡°Can you barbecue inside the academy? Like in the park?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°Maybe we can go outside on a Solday soon. Your shield was pretty good. You have Nyx. It should not be that easy anymore to assassinate you.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A proper mage could easily take us out. Remember when Nyx and Peter sparred?¡±

    ¡°Peter is a senior mage with a lot of combat experience. And an assassin would not want to be spotted. If we stayed in populated areas? Maybe.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°I will ask the headmaster when we are back. Besides, maybe we can just use a grill inside the academy. There should be no reason to forbid that.¡± At least no reason I could think of.

    ¡°How is the meat?¡± Helena asked, licking her lips.

    I poked it with a dagger. ¡°Looks like it''s done.¡±

    We all had seconds, then thirds. When we finished, we were all full and happy. Sadly, the beer ran out quickly and we had to drink water. But it was a rather enjoyable evening. We spent some more time around the fire, then we got ready for bed. Tonight we did not have a guard shift.

    I crawled into my tent. Nyx stretched, then curled up on top of me. I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 51: Flora

    The next morning we were in a good mood. The grilled boar had lifted our spirits and we were motivated to hunt again.

    ¡°What do you think we can catch today?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we can get one of the snakes? Have you ever eaten a snake?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°Me neither.¡± Skadi said.

    Cassie thought for a bit. ¡°Snake? I don¡¯t think I have ever tried it.¡±

    Before we entered the forest we had some camp duties, like replenishing the fire wood. Afterwards we met with Torben and geared up. He was happy with yesterday''s performance, so we did not need to change anything.

    With the amount of students hunting, there was nothing left close to the camp. So we had to push a bit further. After a while we spotted a curious bush. It was huge and really dense, with big red berries on its branches.

    ¡°Do you think they are edible?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I don''t know much about plants.¡± Torben admitted.

    Skadi shrugged.

    ¡°I only know about some alchemy ingredients. But those berries don¡¯t look familiar.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°They look really juicy.¡± I noted.

    ¡°Hm.  Could be poisonous. Maybe we should take some back to camp and ask the teachers?¡± Helena suggested.

    Nyx stared at the bush. I followed her gaze and noticed something.

    ¡°Is that a bone?¡± I pointed at the object in question. It peeked out of the soil at the bottom of the bush.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Could be. Do you think you can use it? Can you animate what died here?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°This could be good training. Try to raise whatever is buried there from here.¡± Torben suggested.

    I could not see the entire skeleton. I didn''t even know if there was more than a single bone. But Torben had a point, it would be good training. Maybe I could just target an area somehow? Try to raise anything in there? Would that be a problem? How many dead tiny things were in an area? Would I raise insects?

    ¡°I will try to just cast a spell for tier two skeletons on the area around the bush. Let¡¯s see what happens.¡± I announced.

    How much mana would that need? If the skeleton was incomplete, could more mana help to make it work anyway? What if I just pushed a large amount into it? Maybe half my mana?

    I formed the spell in my head and mentally targeted the area. It was weird, like the spell wanted clearer instructions. I had a hard time focusing. As I poured the magic into the spell something happened. My eyes widened as connections formed. There were a lot of skeletons!

    ¡°There are a lot of skeletons down there!¡± I shouted in surprise. Not all of them answered my call. About seven undead rose from the earth. A small fox, four goblins and two squirrels.

    But the skeletons were not the only thing that moved. The bush somehow expanded. Vines emerged and grabbed the raising undead. The fox was the first victim. The vines crushed it.

    ¡°That bush is alive!¡± Torben shouted. ¡°There is something beneath us!¡±

    I jumped backwards just in time to dodge a root that shot out from the ground. I heard Cassie scream. When I looked, there was a vine grabbing her foot. It had thorns that pierced her boots. Skadi reacted quickly and hacked it off.

    ¡°DIE YOU STUPID BUSH!¡± Cassie shouted and threw something. The potion hit the plant and exploded. A few leaves burned but the plant seemed oddly resistant to fire.

    I took control of my undead and ordered them to kill the bush. The squirrels were not really equipped to do much. The goblins¡­ they were humanoids, about 1 metre tall and could use their hands to tear the plant apart. But their lack of weapons was a problem.

    Helena tried to hit any moving vines with her ice to slow them down. Torben fought the vines with his sword, trying to reach the centre of the bush. Skadi defended the wounded Cassie from encroaching vines.

    Nyx grew to her full size and jumped into the heart of the plant. Then she exhaled her fog.

    ¡°Torben, stay back!¡± I warned him. Nyx was not just using water, she created a death cloud. I charged into it.

    My staff was not going to be useful here, so I dropped it. Instead I drew my dagger. It was mostly to defend myself against vines. The key to victory would be magic. Nyx had the right idea. Plants were living things. They should not react well to death mana.

    I could not see very well inside the fog but I could follow Nyx. She seemed to open a way for me to reach the centre of the plant. The vines coming for me were slowed due to the icy mist and the death mana rotting them. I ordered my other skeletons to shield me from attacks.

    We managed to pierce the bush and reach the heart of our enemy. It looked like an egg shaped blossom growing from the ground. It was surrounded by countless vines. And they came for me. My undead goblins tried to stop them. Nyx tried to slash them. But there were too many. My dagger was not slicing fast enough and soon some attached themselves to me. They had trouble penetrating my mail but not all of my body was protected. I could feel thorns piercing my legs. And I could feel them draining my blood¡­

    Wait! It wanted to eat me? I flooded my body with mana and I turned it all into death. Silly thing, trying to kill me. I would show it death. When it consumed my blood I fed it my mana. All of it.

    The vines shuddered and started to wilt. It was like a wave of death flowing through them towards the centre. It reached the blossom itself. The plant started decaying in front of my eyes. Nyx stopped her fog and I could see my surroundings more clearly. I was standing in a field of death. Every plant in a 50 metre radius around me had died.

    My knees grew weak. I was exhausted. I hurt in many places. My legs were bleeding. I collapsed to the ground. But I did not pass out, it was progress.

 CHAPTER 52: Debrief

    ¡°Koyuki, are you ok?¡± Helena shouted.

    ¡°I am alive!¡± I answered. I looked up and saw Skadi bandaging Cassie''s wound. Helena was running towards me. Torben was standing there looking concerned.

    ¡°Your legs are bleeding!¡± Helena said. She pulled a salve and some bandages from her backpack.

    ¡°Koyuki, next time do not rush in alone. That death fog even prevented me from helping. This could have ended badly.¡± He said.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± I apologised. He made a good point, we were a team. ¡°I should not have acted alone.¡±

    ¡°You did defeat it but we will need to talk about that fight, after everyone is bandaged.¡± Torben said.

    I winced as Helena was applying the salve. My pants had several holes in them. I would need to replace them back at the camp. Two of my goblins and one squirrel survived the fight. Of course, Nyx was alive too. Alive? Ok, maybe that was the wrong word. Anyway, she seemed fine. Nyx was watching Helena apply the bandages. It almost looked like she was making sure I was taken care of.

    ¡°That was a nasty thing.¡± Helena said as she worked. ¡°I knew there were dangerous plants but I have never heard of that thing.¡±

    ¡°I was not briefed on anything like this.¡± Torben said. ¡°It is strange. The academy does not want their students to die but this could have easily eaten us.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they missed it?¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°It had a lot of bones around it. And it was huge. I doubt that it just grew recently.¡± I said. ¡°Maybe they think this is a threat a student has to be able to deal with?¡±

    ¡°I guess we just have to ask them.¡± Torben said.

    When Helena was done she helped me stand up. My legs hurt but I could move. We all sat down in a nearby patch of grass to have a debriefing and rest.

    ¡°I will come up with a potion that burns those stupid plants. How can this thing resist fire? That is not fair! I will find all those things and find a way to burn every one of them!¡± Cassie ranted.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Resistant does not mean immune. We could have tried more of your potions.¡± Torben said. ¡°Which brings me to the debrief. I will start with myself. I failed to recognize the danger. As the team leader I have put us in a bad situation. I apologise.¡± He even bowed to us.

    ¡°Next, reactions. Skadi, your defence of Cassie was commendable. You saw a teammate in need and acted immediately. Cassie, you should have announced your use of a potion. A plant can¡¯t hear, so we were able to communicate freely without alerting the enemy. You should have warned us in case the plant did catch fire. Also, you should have thrown some more to try to overwhelm its resistance.¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Now, this is also my fault, but we should have retreated. I should have given that command. A plant is stationary. If we had just backed up a bit there would have been no problem and we could have come up with a proper strategy. My instinct was to charge, my mistake.¡±

    He looked at me. ¡°Koyuki, that was your mistake as well. Especially since you are not a front line fighter. We could have used the cloud Nyx created as a distraction to retreat. You charging in there was dangerous. We could not see what was happening, nor could we provide any support.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°So, how did you kill it?¡± Torben asked.

    ¡°It tried drinking my blood. I shoved death mana down its throat¡­ Tendril? Vine? Anyway, it killed it.¡±

    ¡°Good. Overall I am proud of you. Once more we emerged victorious. None of you panicked. Nobody abandoned their comrades.¡±

    A sudden crunching sound made us all look¡­ at Nyx. She was eating the undead squirrel. There was no shame on her face as she kept chewing.

    ¡°At least I still have the goblins¡­ Nyx, don¡¯t eat them! We can use them.¡± They used up very little of my mana and if I could arm them they might come in handy.

    ¡°Goblins are not very strong but I am not sure if that matters for an undead.¡± Torben said.

    I did not really know either. But I only needed them to stab some things with a spear. Maybe I could strengthen the bones even after they were raised?

    ¡°I can sharpen some sticks while we rest.¡± Skadi offered.

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°I will help.¡± Helena volunteered. The two of them went to look for some sticks.

    "I will search the dead plant for anything useful. You two rest.¡± Torben said.

    That left Cassie and myself. And the undead. After Nyx finished her meal she curled up next to us.

    ¡°How is your foot?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hurts. I think they injected something with those thorns. It itches. But I can walk. Might need a new shoe though.¡±

    ¡°I definitely need new pants. Thankfully, my wounds don¡¯t itch. Just¡­ normal pain I guess. Maybe the death mana killed the poison they injected?¡±

    ¡°Could be. A shame there is nothing left to study. Then again, good riddance. We should totally exterminate that plant species.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Hm. Do you think plants can become undead?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Uh¡­ you are the expert.¡± She shrugged.

    There was no skeleton to animate. But maybe there was a spell for zombie plants? I would need to ask Gronir when we were back at the academy.

    Skadi and Helena returned, they sat down again and started sharpening the sticks they found.

    ¡°I found some gems.¡± Torben announced. ¡°Not much else that was useful. There are some rusted and broken blades. I don¡¯t think they are salvageable. But those gems look valuable. Maybe someone carried them who got eaten.¡±

    He walked towards us and showed us the three gems he found. Two were red, one was green. I was no expert but they looked expensive.

    ¡°They look expertly polished. We should be able to sell them.¡± Skadi said.

    Loot! I smiled. If we got some money out of this the pain was a small price to pay.

 CHAPTER 53: Return

    Skadi and Helena finished their makeshift spears, so my undead goblins were now armed. Afterwards we had a quick meal. We still had some boar from yesterday. Once we had eaten, we decided to return to the camp. We did not hunt anything edible yet, but we had two wounded. Torben decided it would be folly to look for another fight in our state.

    Pain was not something new to me. I was able to walk at a normal speed. Cassie, on the other hand, was suffering. She was also sweating a lot. She was poisoned.

    ¡°Should we give Cassie a healing potion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They don¡¯t remove poison. They might heal the damage that a poison has caused though.¡± Torben said.

    ¡°Sadly he is right.¡± Cassie sighed. ¡°The poison would still be there until it leaves the body naturally. Or the body finds a way to destroy it.¡±

    ¡°That is why we only use it if she is in really bad shape.¡± Torben explained.

    ¡°If necessary I could carry you.¡± Skadi offered.

    Cassie blushed. ¡°Thanks but I think I can manage¡­¡±

    ¡°My goblins should be able to carry your backpack at least.¡± I should have thought about that sooner. While we had repacked things to ensure she had the lightest load, it would make more sense to have an undead do the work.

    As I looked at my goblins I noticed Nyx behind one of them. She was in her large form and staring at his head. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Nyx, don¡¯t eat the goblins! They can be useful.¡±

    Nyx looked at me, then the goblin, then back at me. She seemed to think about that. Then she shrunk to her smallest size and jumped on the top of my head.

    ¡°Hey, you are not supposed to do that during a hunt!¡± I complained.

    She did not answer, but instead of curling up she just sat on my head, looking around. I guess she could watch from there¡­

    ¡°How does she not fall off when you move your head?¡± Torben wondered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°She is a cat. They don¡¯t obey the laws of the world like us mortals. Have you ever seen a cat fit into a box half their size? They surely have some form of magic.¡± Helena declared.

    ¡°Well, Nyx can change her size¡­¡± I admitted.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°See! Cat magic.¡± Helena replied.

    ¡°I am pretty sure normal cats can¡¯t become the size of a tiger¡­¡± I countered.

    ¡°That is because Nyx is awesome.¡± Helena stated.

    ¡°True.¡± Skadi admitted.

    I heard purring from my head.

    At least the silly conversation provided a nice distraction. We kept bantering a bit until the camp came into sight. People were gasping and pointing at us.

    ¡°We need to get you to a teacher, Cassie.¡± I said.

    ¡°You too, you look even worse.¡± She replied.

    I looked down. My pants were shredded. You could see the bandages underneath, all soaked red with blood.

    ¡°It looks worse than it is.¡± I assured them.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let a teacher decide how bad it is?¡± Helena proposed.

    We made our way past whispering students until we found Victoria.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we could use some healing. Cassie was likely poisoned.¡± Torben said.

    ¡°Poison? What did you fight? A snake? Hm. No, that would not shred pants. Or were you in multiple fights?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It was a plant ma¡¯am. Vines with thorns got me through my boots. They got Koyuki as well but we suspect her death mana might have killed the poison.¡± Cassie reported.

    She looked slightly alarmed. ¡°What sort of plant was that?¡±

    ¡°It had red berries and looked like a rather large bush.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Inside the bush was a large blossom surrounded by a lot of veins. The bush part seemed like a cover.¡± I added.

    ¡°WHAT? Describe everything.¡± She said,

    We recounted our fight. Everyone explained what had happened from their perspective. Victoria did not seem pleased.

    ¡°That was a vampiric nightshade. They are exterminated anywhere near civilization. They are certainly not tolerated in these parts of the forest. The local patrols should have dealt with that. Now, let me check your wounds.¡±

    ¡°Cassie first.¡± I insisted.

    She sat down while Victoria inspected her foot. ¡°Hm. It¡¯s good that Skadi hacked off the vein quickly. They can paralyse and then drain a victim. However, the poison is not deadly. The small dose it injected is simply weakening you. You all got incredibly lucky that Koyuki raised those skeletons and exposed the plant.¡±

    ¡°Are they that dangerous?¡± Torben asked.

    ¡°The danger is in their cunning. Those plants are not sentient, but their hunting instincts are extraordinary. They cover a large area underground and often create a nice grassy field next to them. Something perfect to camp. Their berries are delicious and make people sleepy. But not too quickly. It feels more like natural tiredness. Once people rest they grab them with their vines. Entire caravans have been killed that way. That is why they are not tolerated near civilization.¡±

    ¡°So, if we had decided to rest near that bush¡­¡± I shuddered.

    ¡°If all of you had sat down you would likely be dead. Unless your undead would have managed to protect you.¡± She looked at my head. Nyx was still sitting there.

    ¡°Anyway, that plant should not have grown there. We teachers only look for monsters. Plants take time to grow, meaning there should not be any surprises. They are the responsibility of local patrols. Either they are incompetent, or have been bribed.¡±

    She finished with Cassie and handed her a potion, then started to examine my legs. Nyx jumped down from my head and sat next to me, watching her work.

    ¡°You have a lot of holes in you. How is the pain?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I have had worse.¡± I shrugged. A slave collar could inflict far worse.

    Victoria stared at me. ¡°I see.¡± She said, ¡°Well, drink a lot of water to help replenish the blood. I will give you a potion too.¡±

    ¡°We also found those gems.¡± Torben said and retrieved the stones.

    Victoria looked at them, then her eyes widened. ¡°The green one is a spell crystal!¡± She grabbed it. She stared at it for a while, I suppose she was using some kind of magic.

    ¡°This crystal was used to hide the plant. That is why the patrols did not find it.¡±

    ¡°Was someone trying to kill Koyuki?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Unlikely. That plant is older than her awakening. No, someone is trying something else. It could be an attack on the lumber operation. We need to find out how many plants are hidden in there. I need to tell Peter immediately.¡±

 CHAPTER 54: Waiting

    We watched Victoria hurry away. Torben looked at the red gems in his hand. ¡°She said nothing about those. Do you think they are special as well?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I guess we will have to ask her again later.¡± I said. Then I drank the potion Victoria had given me. It did not taste too bad.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our tents.¡± Helena suggested.

    As we walked, we heard an announcement. Peter was magically amplifying his voice. ¡°Students, do not go into the forest. An infestation of vampiric nightshades has been discovered.¡±

    ¡°They do take that seriously.¡± I said.

    ¡°Do you think they will cancel the field training?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°Maybe. They could just have us wait a day while they deal with it.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°If more plants have gems to hide them, it would take a while to get rid of them.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Hm, you have a point.¡± Helena admitted. ¡°Hey, maybe we can get more beer if the trip is shorter?¡±

    ¡°I would not say no to a drink.¡± I said, as I sat down. We were back at our tents. Torben had left and walked towards his own. I stretched and then decided to lie down on the grass. Nyx curled up on my stomach.

    ¡°Do you think the spiders and plants are connected?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The spiders seemed like a direct attack on us.¡± I said.

    ¡°It could have been someone trying to mess with the academy.¡± Skadi theorised.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more likely someone wants to mess with Duchess Barkworth. This is her territory and the forest is a major part of her income. If something happened to the students, because her patrols failed¡­¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Does she have any children currently at the academy?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°So, our lives were in danger because someone wants the Duchess to look bad?¡± I asked.

    ¡°And that is why nobles suck.¡± Skadi said.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a theory.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°Hey, that could mean nobody tried to kill me specifically on that trip!¡± I proclaimed.

    ¡°Just for saying that an assassin will crawl into your tent tonight.¡± Skadi said.

    I petted Nyx. ¡°I have a fine guardian eating any unwelcome visitors. I even have my goblins!¡± They were both still around and currently standing in front of my tent. It made me feel like someone important, having my own guards.

    ¡°Nyx will probably eat your goblins during the night.¡± Cassie snickered.

    ¡°No, Nyx is a good undead kitty, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said and kept petting her. She purred. I was always fascinated how soft her bones felt to my touch. Yet they were really hard in combat. Did she change them with magic just to get petted?

    We kept relaxing until we heard a commotion near the entrance. I raised my head and upper body to have a better look. ¡°Meow¡± Nyx complained about the sudden movement.

    ¡°Someone is being carried.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Archibald¡¯s group?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Maybe he got himself eaten.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°We are not that lucky.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Should we check it out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really feel like moving.¡± Cassie answered.

    Helena looked at me. ¡°You should put on some pants before you move anywhere.¡±

    ¡°But I will just dirty them! The bandages are still bloody.¡± I protested. Victoria had checked our wounds and had given us a potion. But she did not really heal us, or provide us with fresh bandages. Maybe because the gem distracted her. Or maybe the wounds were meant to be a lesson.

    ¡°Maybe we should rebandage you girls.¡± Helena suggested.

    I sighed and nodded. While Skadi took care of Cassie, Helena helped me. Soon I had fresh bandages and was wearing new pants.

    Meanwhile, a large cluster formed near Victoria¡¯s tent. A lot of students were curious. Most were in the camp now, only a few teams had not returned from the forest yet. Then the cluster dispersed, likely they were shooed away by the teacher.

    ¡°Hey Shin!¡± Helena called as she saw him. He looked at us and walked closer.

    ¡°Hi.¡± He said.

    ¡°Do you know what that commotion is about?¡± She asked.

    ¡°A plant got Archibald, he barely survived. Victoria saved him just now.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Ha! We only had two wounded and they could get back on their own feet!¡± Helena boasted.

    ¡°You fought one of those as well?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, Koyuki killed it.¡± Helena said with pride.

    I blushed. ¡°We all killed it. I just finished it.¡±

    ¡°Nasty thing, refused to burn.¡± Cassie muttered.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Shin said. ¡°I heard it was really tough. Jack is telling everyone how strong the plant was, Eva is praising Archibald¡¯s courage and Florence is complaining about the academy not doing their job.¡±

    Helena grinned. ¡°Once they are done telling everyone how powerful it was, we have to tell them that Koyuki killed one. I want to see their faces.¡±

    ¡°I would not want to be their group leader. Surely she will get all the blame.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Who is their group leader? Do you know her?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. But I have seen her in camp.¡± Skadi answered.

    ¡°I think her name is Elena.¡± Shin said. ¡°But I have never talked to her.¡±

    Oh. She could be the same woman who showed me around when I arrived at the academy. I had seen her a few times in the mess hall but never spoke with her again.

    ¡°Well, I should return to my team.¡± Shin said.

    We said our goodbyes and he left.

    ¡°Maybe that type of plant has some redeeming qualities.¡± I said.

    ¡°I would not go that far¡­¡± Cassie was still angry that it refused to burn it seemed.

    ¡°That plant might be the only thing that can stomach Archibald.¡± Helena snickered at her own joke.

    ¡°I am sure it would have grown a mouth, just to puke after eating him.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Now that would have been funny.¡± Helena responded.

    While we were lounging around, a few more students returned. None of them were visibly injured, which was good. Irene emerged from the forest as well. Maybe everyone was back now. That meant there should be an announcement soon.

 CHAPTER 55: Announcement

    We did not have to wait long until we heard Peter¡¯s voice: ¡°Students, assemble at the centre of the camp.¡±

    Nyx decided to ride on my head as we walked towards the teachers. It did not take long until everyone was there.

    ¡°As many of you have heard, there was an incident.¡± Peter started. Now that we were close, he did not amplify his voice with magic anymore. ¡°Archibald Winston was severely injured by a vampiric nightshade. He will make a full recovery, thanks to Victoria''s healing talents. Those plants should not have been in the area. They were concealed with magic. At this point, we cannot determine how many there are. Combined with the spiders, it is clear that this area is no longer suitable for a field exercise. Therefore, we shall leave tomorrow. Also, the royal army will start an investigation into those incidents. Be assured that whoever is responsible shall suffer the consequences of their actions. Dismissed.¡±

    As we walked back to our tents, I heard a familiar voice. ¡°I would start the investigation right there.¡± Florence said, pointing at us. ¡°Surely they are involved.¡±

    I would have ignored her but Helena responded: ¡°We were attacked too. But we just killed the plant. Because we can do more than talk.¡±

    ¡°Probably more artefacts. Clearly Nyx is not your creation and you had help. I wonder what you had to do for those favours¡­¡± Jack said while leering at me.

    ¡°You all look remarkably healthy considering Archibald¡¯s condition. Did you deliberately feed him to the plant? Because I could understand that.¡± Helena said while smiling sweetly.

    ¡°What? How dare you!¡± Florence said.

    ¡°Did you even kill the plant? Or just take Archibald and run away?¡± I asked. Their faces turned red.

    ¡°Of course we did not kill it! We had to ensure Archibald got medical care after our useless group leader led us into the ambush!¡± Florence protested.

    ¡°Blaming others for your failure. How sad.¡± Cassie said while shaking her head.

    ¡°You just wait. When the royal investigators arrive, we shall see who laughs!¡± Florence said.

    Then she left with her group.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Royal investigators?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°A subsection of the military. They handle crimes committed by nobles, or look into foreign sabotage.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°Could this be a foreign plot?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Ilestria does like to stir up trouble.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I am not sure why they would go after the Korrah Forest, but who knows? They are a bunch of nutjobs.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Nutjobs?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°They hate death magic.¡± Helena explained. ¡°They think it¡¯s evil.¡±

    ¡°They even think blood magic is evil.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°They are really silly. As if burning someone would be better than withering them with death magic.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Killing is killing and it is rarely painless.¡±

    ¡°Good for us, in a way. Nethena welcomes necromancers who flee from Ilestria. Really pisses them off too.¡± Helena said with a smile.

    It was late afternoon by now and we returned to our tents. There was nothing left to do until tomorrow.

    ¡°I am looking forward to proper food again. And a bath.¡± Helena said as we prepared a campfire.

    ¡°Well, looks like we will have stew for dinner, with the last of our boar. How much did we get for selling the meat?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I got us one gold for the meat and five silver for the hide. We still have the horn.¡± Skadi said. She was handling the finances. ¡°I think we might be able to get up to six gold for the horn back in Lupos.¡±

    ¡°We should have kept more of it. It will take us four days to get back¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think four days of heavily salted boar meat would have been that great.¡± I countered.

    ¡°Crackers. We are facing four days of crackers.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We survived spiders, a horned boar, a vampiric nightshade, we will survive crackers too.¡± I assured her.

    She looked sceptical.

    ¡°Maybe we can convince Nyx to go fishing in the Jinso?¡± Skadi proposed.

    All eyes turned towards my head. Nyx did not react, she was curled up and sleeping.

    ¡°Maybe. We won¡¯t reach the river before tomorrow evening.¡± I said.

    ¡°You should feed her the goblins. Surely that is a fair trade.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°We will see.¡± I liked my goblins. Having undead guards around did appeal to me. I should get more minions.

    ¡°What are we going to do tonight?¡± Helena asked.

    I considered that. ¡°I think I will practise some magic. The water shield was really useful. I need to work on that. And some offensive ice magic.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do much alchemy here. I am looking forward to my lab again.¡± Cassie said.

    Helena sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we did not bring any cards.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any card games.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°We need to change that when we get back!¡± Helena declared.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have much money to play with.¡± I did not want to gamble away what I had.

    ¡°Not all card games are about money.¡± Skadi assured me. ¡°There is a fun one that works with four people. And you can just play for points.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! Jacks is a great game.¡± Cassie said enthusiastically.

    ¡°Jacks?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°It¡¯s called that because the jack is the strongest card. In most games it¡¯s the king. But the jack kind of symbolises an assassin posing as a normal person. Or that is how the story goes. It¡¯s a fun game, that is what matters.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun. I look forward to it.¡± I smiled. Having friends was great. We talked some more, had some food. and afterwards I trained my magic a bit. When it was time for bed I barely felt the wounds in my legs anymore. Nyx settled only my tail and I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 56: Walking in the Rain

    The next morning was busy. We had to pack up the camp and prepare for the journey. We also saw the teachers magic at work, as they removed the defences. The trench that we had dug by hand was filled within minutes with magic. I guess they made sure that the next class had to do all the work again.

    Cassie¡¯s foot was well enough to do some walking. My wounds were healing nicely too. As we began to march I looked at the sky. ¡°Do you think it will rain?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°Maybe. There are some dark clouds in the distance.¡± Skadi said.

    Helena looked at the sky. ¡°I will take rain over the heat.¡±

    ¡°Really? Even if it is a storm?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena replied.

    Cassie shook her head. ¡°You water affinity types are crazy.¡±

    ¡°No, that is just Helena.¡± Skadi said. Helena pouted.

    I nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk in a storm. Also, would that not be a water and air mix? Do we have someone with that combination?¡±

    ¡°Someone with water and air could become a rather powerful storm mage, yes. I don¡¯t think we have someone like that in our year though. Dual affinities are not that common. Especially strong ones.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Could you use the rain to form a water shield? And use it to protect yourself from the rain?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Huh. Interesting idea.¡± I said. ¡°I see no reason why not. But I would need to use mana to keep it running. Might be tiring over time.¡±

    ¡°It would be training! And you could even learn to protect someone else as well!¡± Cassie said.

    She did have a point. And my core was rather large. ¡°Ok. I will give it a try, if it starts raining.¡±

    Cassie grinned victoriously.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    It was after the lunch break that the first drops started to fall. Also the wind picked up. There was even some thunder in the distance. While Helena seemed to welcome the rain, Cassie walked closer to me. I looked at her.

    ¡°Ok, I will give the shield a try.¡± While I focused on my magic I noticed Nyx jumping on my head. She had been walking so far, but I guess she also wanted to avoid getting wet. I tried forming a disk above my head which was large enough that Cassie would be protected as well. There was enough water in the air that I did not need to create more. That saved a lot of mana.

    My first try had a flaw. With the wind the rain did not come directly from above but had a slight angle. With a bit of effort I managed to tilt my shield the right way.

    ¡°Great job!¡± Cassie praised me.

    ¡°Well, I need to keep that up for the duration of the storm¡­¡± That could be exhausting but at least it was practice. Something felt a bit weird with the shield. I frowned. Cassie looked at my head and giggled.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nyx is pawing your shield.¡± Helena said. ¡°No wait¡­ now she has summoned her tongue and is licking it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Nyx¡¯ antics might register as small attacks, which increased the mana consumption slightly. Well, she had not eaten the goblins yet. If she wanted to play on top of my head, so be it.

    Skadi went a different route. She used her earth affinity to strengthen her skin.

    ¡°Does that work?¡± I asked her, while pointing at her skin.

    ¡°Surprisingly, yes. I don¡¯t feel the wind anymore.¡± Skadi replied.

    Helena did nothing. Well, nothing to provide her shelter. She formed a few ice knives as training. Helena just smiled as the rain hit her. Even as it got worse she seemed content. Around us students tried some things of their own. I spotted Shin, who tried to divert the wind in front of him with an air barrier.

    As we marched on we saw lightning in the distance. The rain kept pouring. Thankfully, we were on a cobblestone road. So we did not walk through mud.

    ¡°You know, this is good practice,¡± I had to admit. ¡°Usually when training I focus on summoning the shield quickly. Keeping it going while marching, and making small corrections as the wind shifts, is something different. I am starting to get a better feel for the spell.¡±

    ¡°See! And you are helping a friend. You are even entertaining Nyx.¡± Cassie said.

    I groaned. ¡°What is she doing now? I can feel her roll around or something.¡±

    ¡°She is on her back kicking your shield and trying to claw it. Oh!¡± Just as Cassie stopped speaking I felt Nyx leave. She fell down, turned in the air and landed on her feet.

    ¡°She just rolled off your head¡­¡± Cassie stated the obvious.

    I looked at Nyx. ¡°Have you considered walking?¡± I asked her. She ignored me and jumped on my head again.

    ¡°Hey! Your paws are wet!¡± I complained. She did not care. But this time she actually settled down and curled up. At least my friends were all amused by her antics.

    After a while the storm lessened. There was still rain but the wind was mostly gone. A lot of the students seemed tired. I saw a few drop whatever measures they were using.

    ¡°Are you getting tired?¡± Cassie asked me.

    ¡°Not tired enough to drop the spell. I do feel some strain but it¡¯s workable.¡± I was honestly surprised how well it worked. Then again, my core was pretty large. That helped to compensate for my inexperience.

    ¡°How about you, Skadi?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I feel it. I think I am going to drop the spell. The wind is mostly gone, I can deal with the rain.¡±

    By the time we stopped for the evening some students were breathing hard. I was still doing well. The rain refused to stop though. It looked like a wet night. While the tents were waterproof most students were soaked. And it would be hard to get a fire going.

    Meanwhile, the teachers seemed dry and in good spirits. ¡°Students, welcome to the outdoors!¡± Peter said. ¡°Some of you learned a lot about magic fatigue today. Remember that. Now I would recommend you a hot soup, if you can manage a fire.¡± He was clearly amused.

 CHAPTER 57: Dreams

    ¡°Oh, I will show him a fire!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t blow up our tents.¡± I said, slightly worried.

    ¡°We need a proper place for our tents first anyway. The ground is quite wet.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I haven¡¯t learned any helpful earth magic yet. Should we ask Torben?¡±

    ¡°Nah, we got this!¡± Cassie sounded confident. ¡°Koyuki will shield the campsite for a bit, then I will just burn away the water!¡±

    ¡°You want to set an area big enough for four tents on fire?¡± I asked. ¡°And you think that will get rid of the water and dry out the ground?¡±

    ¡°That would require quite a fire.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We are on our way back anyway. I have potions left.¡± Cassie shrugged.

    ¡°But those are expensive.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Maybe there is a better solution? Can¡¯t we just put the tents on the wet ground? They are supposed to be waterproof anyway. And it keeps raining. It¡¯s not like any dry ground we create will stay dry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being wet but if we camp in the mud, everything will be muddy.¡± Helena complained. ¡°We still have three more days on the road.¡±

    ¡°But we could wash stuff in the river. The remaining journey will be next to the Jinso.¡± I argued. ¡°Would it really be that bad?¡±

    They grumbled a bit but in the end they agreed that setting a large portion of the ground on fire was not an ideal solution. Instead we would go for a normal campfire and deal with a bit of mud.

    We found a reasonable spot for our tents at the edge of the camp. There was a nice patch of grass. As we unpacked our tents, I had an idea. I commanded my goblins to set up mine. They were tier two undead. They should be able to learn a basic task.

    My friends watched me as my goblins got to work. I felt rather smug.

    ¡°Huh. Nice idea.¡± Helena commented.

    Nyx was still on my head and likely watching the goblins work. I could feel her tail swishing around.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°You know, I can have them set up your tents as well.¡± I offered.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± My friends happily agreed.

    Skadi and Cassie left to get some firewood. Helena stayed with me watching the goblins work.

    ¡°Undead are quite useful. You should get more.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I suppose. I have no idea how many I could control until mana becomes a problem. I barely feel the three I have. But what would I really use them for? Carrying my books?¡±

    ¡°Well, guards are helpful. Especially if we want to go into the city.¡±

    ¡°Can you just walk around with a bunch of undead?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°If you wear the academy uniform it should not be a problem. If you are an unknown mage the guards will likely ask some questions. But necromancy is quite legal. There just are not that many with the affinity. And those who exist rarely have a reason to walk around with an army of undead. Oh and shops might require you to have them wait outside. I suppose some restaurants are not keen on having undead nearby¡­¡±

    ¡°I will talk with the headmaster when we return. With my water shield, and Nyx, the threat might not be that bad. And nobody came after me directly on this trip.¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe they decided to recruit you instead. Maybe you will come back to a bunch of marriage offers.¡± Helena teased.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t think I would like to marry someone I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You want romance? Someone you love?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I haven''t thought much about it. I was never in control of my future. Now that I have freedom¡­ Yes, I do want to make a choice that brings me happiness. What about you?¡±

    Helena sighed. ¡°I am not sure. Obviously I don¡¯t want Leo. I would be ok with a political marriage if the man was decent.¡±

    ¡°Why? You are not even the heir, right? Your brother will inherit the county. And you are doing quite well. What would you throw your happiness away for?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. If you don¡¯t have any political connections you can be cornered. There could be new laws that restrict your trade. New obligations, like a quota of monsters you have to slay to protect the border. And maybe penalties if you don¡¯t deliver. If you are not careful, other nobles will try to take your title. Or at least gain control over you. Look at Leo¡¯s manoeuvring. The Harolds are trying to control us. If they can convince the Winstons¡­¡±

    ¡°The answer is simple.¡± I said. ¡°We just become strong enough that we don¡¯t need to play their games. Then we request our own duchy from the king. An undead army is a good argument.¡± I was joking. I did not expect to actually get a duchy, but it was a nice thought.

    Helena smiled. ¡°I knew you would embrace the undead army at some point! You know, if we conquered a part of Ilestria we could get a duchy as a reward!¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°Muahahaha!¡± Helena did have a great evil laugh.

    ¡°What is that about?¡± Skadi asked. She had just returned with Cassie.

    ¡°Helena is planning to invade Ilestria to get a duchy.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Hey, that would solve a lot of our problems.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Imagine the four of us running a duchy. Koyuki has the army, Helena leads the troops, Skadi manages the trade and I support everyone with potions.¡±

    They were taking this way too seriously. ¡°You can¡¯t just invade another country!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Eh, they hate you for your necromancy anyway. I am sure they will give you plenty of reasons in time.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°And there are enough nobles who would welcome an expansion to our kingdom. Obviously they would want the new territory themselves. We would certainly need the king on our side. If he could gain a loyal duchess he might be interested.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°We are only first years! We are not conquering anything soon.¡± I said.

    ¡°True. But it¡¯s nice to have plans. And a goal to work towards.¡± Cassie said.

    That was not a plan!

    Nyx started purring. ¡°See, even Nyx agrees.¡± Helena said.

    Oh well. We were still young. A bit of dreaming did not hurt.

 CHAPTER 58: Training

    Cassie built our campfire. I provided a water shield to block the rain. The wood was wet but it stood no chance against Cassie¡¯s alchemy. Soon, we had an impressive fire. Our dinner would be soup. The powder providing the flavour was not too different from the stew, to be honest. And, of course, we had crackers¡­

    The meal was not great but it was hot. While the temperature did not bother most of us, a hot meal still felt nice. Not that it was really cold. It was still summer. But the rain had lowered the temperature significantly.

    As we sat at the fire I had a thought: ¡°You know, I think we should combine physical exercise with magical training more often. I feel like it really helps.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean.¡± Skadi said. ¡°It really helps to become familiar with spell after you have learned it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could pull that off. I would just collapse.¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°That is why you need more training.¡± Skadi countered.

    ¡°My core is not that big. And I will mostly just use potions anyway.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Alchemy is a great choice for you, and you have talent, but you should not ignore your physical training.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Skadi is right.¡± Helena said. ¡°You will be in combat and you will be forced to use some spells too. It¡¯s good to have a focus, like alchemy, but you can¡¯t neglect everything else.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help you train.¡± Skadi offered. ¡°We regularly spar to make sure Koyuki can do more than swing a stick around.¡±

    Cassie looked panicked. ¡°Koyuki, save me!¡±

    ¡°I do know a technique that helps with training. I figured that out by accident. I was told it¡¯s something for more advanced students but maybe you can all try it.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°That is not the saving I was looking for.¡± Cassie grumbled.

    I explained to them how I was using the mana leaking from my core and pumping it through my body.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°I remember you telling me about that when we went shopping.¡± Helena said. ¡°Maybe we are now advanced enough to give it a try. It will require a lot of concentration. Hey, that could be the perfect thing to try while marching!¡±

    ¡°Will it even make a difference with our smaller cores?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°You can actively use your mana too.¡± I said. ¡°That is how this is supposed to go, I think.¡±

    ¡°And even if it only gives us a small boost it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Maybe it will even help with alchemy?¡± I said.

    Cassie looked sceptical. But she sighed and gave in. ¡°Ok, I will give it a try.¡±

    Skadi padded her on the back. ¡°We will make a strong warrior out of you yet.¡±

    We spent the remaining evening with me trying to describe what I did and walking them through it. While it felt natural for me they all struggled a bit.

    ¡°The mana just does not want to keep doing that. It always returns to orbit my core if I stop focusing.¡± Helena complained.

    I scratched my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It all made sense to me. You have those pipes inside your body where blood flows. And I kind of just imagined mana as a liquid flowing through those too.¡±

    ¡°Those are called blood vessels.¡± Cassie corrected me.

    ¡°Ok. I just imagine them as pipes. The point is, they are a network through your entire body. If you can just attach mana to the same network it will reach everything.¡±

    ¡°But how does the mana know what to do without a spell? How does it help you improve?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Uhm. No idea? Maybe the body can just use it as fuel somehow? My trainer said it would simply help the body train faster and reach its peak condition.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, the body simply knows how to use the mana and does not need more instructions. And only if you want to truly enhance yourself beyond what is natural you need a spell.¡± Helena theorised.

    ¡°And spellblade runes give the body additional instructions on what to do with the mana? And automate the mana circulation process?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°Maybe. When do we have classes on spellblades?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You can specialise starting in the 2nd year. But if you are uncertain, I think you can wait till the 3rd year to choose your path.¡± Skadi answered.

    While my friends were struggling with my technique I pondered ways to help them. What more could I do, other than explain it? Was there a way to show it?

    ¡°What would happen if I pushed mana into you? Could I just show you directly how I do it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You want to push mana into us?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°That¡­ that is how I killed the fire mage during the ambush. I used death mana back then. But neutral mana should not harm you, right?¡±

    ¡°So, you want to use a method that killed someone on us?¡± Helena asked.

    I blushed. ¡°Um. I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°I am just teasing you. I am sure you would not harm us.¡± Helena assured me.

    ¡°Can you actually control mana inside someone else?¡± Skadi asked. ¡°I have never heard of something like that.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°If you could push mana into someone, would that mean you can enhance someone¡¯s spells?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°We learned that the body can only hold a certain amount of mana proportional to your core. So I guess you could not boost someone beyond their natural capacity.¡± I theorised.

    ¡°I suppose we could just vent if something goes wrong.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°I guess the biggest problem would be trust. If you allowed someone to just push mana inside you, they could easily kill you.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°I do trust Koyuki.¡± Helena said while looking at me.

 CHAPTER 59: Experiment

    ¡°So, are we gonna try this?¡± Skadi asked.

    Helena stood up and walked towards me. Then she sat down facing me. ¡°How are we doing this?¡±

    ¡°Are we sure this is safe?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just neutral mana, right? And I will only use a bit. Or, should we ask a teacher?¡± I was getting slightly worried now. From what we had learned so far, I thought it should be fine. But we were only students.

    ¡°I think we want to keep that between us.¡± Helena said. ¡°If you can help us, it would be a nice boost to our team. No reason to advertise it to others. I trust you Koyuki, you can do this!¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡± Nyx seemed to agree. Or at least it sounded like encouragement. She was currently on my head.

    Helena held out her hand. I took it. Then I focused on drawing a small amount of my mana and pushed it towards her hand. There was resistance.

    ¡°Hm. Do you feel the mana? Do you think there is a chance you can accept it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. How did you push your mana into someone last time?¡±

    ¡°Um. Overwhelming force. I just threw everything I had at them.¡±

    ¡°What if both of you pricked your fingers? Maybe you could shove it through the blood.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°You are the only one with the right affinities for blood magic.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about blood magic. But if you have mana in your blood and touch hers with it¡­ And you want it to follow the same path anyway. Also, didn¡¯t you kill the plant with mana in your blood? So you know to mix it in there.¡±

    ¡°You might be right.¡± I conceded.

    Helena pulled her dagger. ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡±

    We both pricked our fingers, then I touched her hand again. The blood of the two wounds mingled. I tried to push my mana through it, there was still some resistance.

    ¡°I can feel something.¡± Helena said. ¡°I am trying to pull on it.¡±

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    It was weird. I could feel her now. I did not fight it as she pulled my mana into her body. It was hard to keep a connection. I dropped the water shield that protected us from the rain. I needed all my concentration.

    ¡°Some lightning and thunder would be nice. This feels like a sort of ritual.¡± Skadi said, sounding excited.

    ¡°You read too many books.¡± Cassie responded.

    I ignored them and focused on my task. I tried to give the mana in Helena¡¯s body directions. It was awkward. There was a natural resistance to everything I wanted to do. Her body tried to fight the intrusion.

    But our persistence paid off. Eventually the mana moved the way I wanted it to. ¡°I think we got it!¡± I said.

    Helena was breathing hard. ¡°Huh. That was exhausting. But you are right. The mana is flowing. What leaks from my core now follows that path. It kind of feels right.¡±

    We all just sat there for a minute. The rain made a nice sound as it hit the unprotected campfire. But it was not strong enough to douse it. Nyx jumped from my head and buried herself in my tail. Helena stretched and moved back to her place.

    ¡°So, any side effects? Any desire to consume the living?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Nope. I am feeling pretty alive actually.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°That is exactly what an undead would say.¡± Cassie said. She also moved a bit closer to the fire. ¡°Can you bring the rain shield back?¡±

    ¡°Not if I do this again. It needs my full concentration.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Sure, I am willing to join your undead army.¡± Skadi said and moved over.

    ¡°You are the potential blood mage. Maybe you will make me your puppet instead?¡± I countered.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about that. Skadi the blood queen. How about it, Nyx? You would support me, right?¡±

    Two purple eyes peeked out of my tail.

    ¡°Is it possible to control people with blood magic?¡± Cassie asked.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°So, I have read this novel about a blood mage¡­¡±

    ¡°Did he build a harem of warrior generals?¡± I asked.

    Skadi blushed. She seemed to like a certain kind of book.

    ¡°Anyway, I am ready.¡± Skadi said and pulled a dagger.

    This time it was easier for me. I had already learned what to do. But it still required Skadi to accept my magic. I was getting tired as well but not as exhausted as my friends. Soon it was done.

    ¡°Puh. I need a nap.¡± Skadi said. ¡°But it does feel right somehow. Like this is how mana is supposed to flow.¡±

    ¡°I think I can manage you as well Cassie, if you want.¡± I offered.

    She looked thoughtful. She had only joined our group recently. We did not know each other that well, I suppose. Then again, we had fought together. The field exercise felt like a great bonding experience.

    ¡°Ok¡­¡± She said in the end.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pressure you.¡± I assured her.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I just hope it does not require water affinity, since it involves blood, which is a liquid¡­¡±

    ¡°But true blood control is a water earth combination.¡± Skadi said. ¡°All Koyuki does is put mana in a part of her body. That part just happens to be blood. And all you have to do is grab that mana and pull.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you got this Cassie!¡± Helena encouraged her.

    Oh. Was she hesitant because she did not trust her ability? I guess her magic was on the weaker side.

    Despite her concerns she did fine. By now I had some experience and could guide her a little better through the process. Soon it was over.

    ¡°It does feel sort of right.¡± Cassie said between heavy breaths. We were all rather tired now.

    ¡°I think I need a nap now too.¡± I said. It was getting late anyway I suppose. ¡°Maybe we should call it a night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good idea.¡± Helena agreed. Cassie and Skadi nodded.

    We all crawled into our tents. As I started moving, I noticed that Nyx was still inside my tail. And she just held onto it. ¡°Really?¡± I asked her.

    She stared at me. Then she let go and stretched. Afterwards she walked into the tent. I followed her inside. The sound of the rain was soothing and I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 60: Marching

    The rain had stopped some time during the night and the sun welcomed us in the morning. I stood in front of my tent and stretched. Nyx was next to me and did the same.

    ¡°Morning.¡± I said to my friends, who were also leaving their tents.

    ¡°Morning.¡± Helena said. ¡°You know, the mana still flows. I had almost expected it to stop during the night.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think it even helped with my foot.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°How is your foot?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Basically healed. I mean, I was able to march yesterday but it was still itching a bit. Now it¡¯s fine. How are your legs?¡±

    ¡°The skin is still a bit red but otherwise they are healed. No more bandages.¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°Hey, since the mana just circulates naturally now, we could train some other spells today, while marching.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Cassie sighed. ¡°I suppose¡­¡±

    After breakfast we washed our gear in the river before packing it up. A wet tent was better than a muddy tent. Soon our journey continued. I even saw Archibald marching again. He had been inside a wagon yesterday. It seemed that he made a complete recovery. Likely they had used healing magic or potions on him. It was amazing what magic could do.

    Soon we were on the road again. Today I was working on ice daggers. While my necrotic dart was powerful, I needed a less toxic way of killing things. Also, it was not a great spell to take something alive, if I ever needed to apprehend someone.

    Cassie was summoning flames in her hand and Skadi was playing with rock darts. Helena was trying to form a water shield above her head.

    ¡°Why are you forming a shield above you?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°To protect me from the sun!¡± She replied.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Um, water is not going to help you much. It¡¯s transparent.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°You might even make a lens and grill yourself.¡±

    ¡°The idea is to turn it into cloudy ice. I am just trying to get used to the water version first. I hope I can get it done by midday.¡± Helena explained.

    An ice shield would take more mana. Especially since the sun would try to melt it, so she would need to reinforce the ice.

    ¡°That is actually a nice way of training. The sun would be like a mild fire attack.¡± I said.

    ¡°You need a Nyx on your head to train against physical attacks as well.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°First I need to create an ice shield. Let¡¯s skip adding even more challenges for now.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You should work on a shower spell, so we don¡¯t need to bathe in the river.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°The problem is the amount of water you need. I think we could use the river water and just move that above our heads as a shower. I am not sure if that would be worth the trouble.¡± I answered.

    Most students looked confused when they saw us training. Only a few others tried something similar. I guess many of them were not at the academy to push themselves. They just wanted the prestige of having attended. Or maybe their parents forced them to be here.

    ¡°Am I imagining things, or are a lot of the students a bit lazy?¡± I asked my friends.

    Cassie looked at me. ¡°We are marching the whole day while carrying an unnecessarily large backpack. Why would any sane person want to do even more? Especially when you see the second years riding.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s good training?¡± I responded.

    ¡°You forget that most students are spoiled nobles.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I am surprised they haven¡¯t rebelled yet.¡±

    ¡°I think Archibald getting turned to stone was a good lesson. I heard something similar happened in another class. A student was frozen for a bit.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Even I heard about the Archibald thing. And I barely talk to people. But there will be plenty of complaints when we return. You can bet that everyone is writing to their parents about the awful treatment here.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Considering the incidents they are going to put a lot of pressure on the academy. Erik Hailstorm is respected, because of his power, but his management style is not well liked among the nobility.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°What do you mean? He seemed rather fair so far.¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nobles don¡¯t want fair.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°Or rather, they see it as only fair that they get better treatment. That the son of a duke could be commanded by a commoner is outrageous for many. But if they want any influence in the army they need to send some of their children. They can¡¯t boycott the academy.¡±

    ¡°And their private armies are limited¡­¡± I added.

    ¡°Exactly. The king says this system is there to ensure that any powerful citizen can become part of the army. But mostly it¡¯s there to make sure that he remains in control.¡± Helena confirmed.

    ¡°Do you think anything will happen that affects us?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Hard to say. They could replace one of the teachers if an investigation manages to blame them.¡± Helena theorised.

    ¡°I think the blame will fall on the duchy. But we will have to deal with royal investigators for a bit. And I will have to deal with my mother. There is no way this does not draw her attention¡­¡± Cassie sighed.

    ¡°Ah. And she will be unhappy about how you treated Florence. And Archibald. And she will be unhappy about your all female team and expect you to find a husband.¡± I said.

    ¡°Exactly¡­¡±

    Skadi patted her on the back. ¡°No worries, we got your back.¡±

    As the day went on Helena managed an ice shield. It was slowly melting though. But she seemed to enjoy the water dripping on her face. We made sure not to exhaust ourselves too much but kept training throughout the day. By the time the caravan stopped for the evening we were tired. But it was worth it.

 CHAPTER 61: Fish

    After setting up our tents we went to the river. Nyx provided us with privacy as we took a quick bath. Sadly she did not fish for us. So we were stuck with our nemesis once more, crackers.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have proper food again.¡± Helena sighed.

    ¡°Only two more days of travelling. I will buy everything the mess hall has when we return. I will just keep eating until I explode.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°That is taking the love for explosion a bit too far.¡± I teased.

    ¡°Nope. Exploding because of food is a worthy way to go.¡± She countered.

    ¡°Hey, what if your goblins fish?¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°How would I instruct them? They don¡¯t understand the command to go and fish.¡± I answered.

    ¡°They are undead, they don¡¯t breathe. You can have them standing underwater and just stab a fish if it comes close.¡± Skadi suggested.

    I thought about that for a bit. ¡°You know, that could actually work. Do you think we can add some bait to them or something?¡±

    ¡°Where would we get bait from? Just look for worms on the ground?¡± Cassie asked.

    I shrugged. We were still at the shore of the river. We had a fire to boil some water and help dry our clothes. Since we did not have towels we put them back on while still being wet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we will have some insects here that we can use. Just send them in and hope for the best.¡± Helena suggested.

    We could always change our strategy later so I followed her advice. The goblins dutifully marched into the river. I ordered them to just stand underwater and stab any fish that came close. Nyx watched them from the shore for a while, then she joined us at the fire.

    ¡°Maybe I am imagining things but Koyuki¡¯s technique did help. Or maybe it¡¯s the training while marching. But I am progressing with my fire magic.¡± Cassie said.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I have never tried learning spells without it. So I would not know how much it changes.¡± I admitted. ¡°Major Charles did not make it sound that amazing. He was mostly excited that it allowed him to intensify my training.¡±

    ¡°It does make my magic feel more natural.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°If it¡¯s that great, why aren''t more people doing it?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°We struggled when you just explained it. We could not do that if you had not guided us through it. I doubt many people would be trusting enough to let someone put mana into their body like that.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°That is one part.¡± Helena said. ¡°But there is more. If this is a significant advantage, a lot of people would not share it. Imagine if you could keep something like that inside your house.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, so we are now the guardians of a secret technique! We should come up with a cool name for it!¡± Skadi sounded rather excited.

    ¡°But¡­ I just did what felt natural. How secret can that be? Major Charles knew about it!¡± I protested. Was this really a big deal?

    ¡°He knew about a similar technique. It¡¯s possible he didn''t quite understand what you did.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Nobles are very interested in the power of their bloodline. That is why they are so concerned about their marriages. They are sometimes keeping certain spells a secret to get an advantage.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Secret spells?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh yeah. The kingdom has come a long way in creating schools and sharing knowledge but not all spells are taught. Of course, eventually people are bribed and the information spreads. How many truly secret spells there are these days is debatable.¡± Helena explained.

    Suddenly I felt something from my undead. ¡°I think a goblin caught something!¡±

    We all looked towards the water. The skeleton emerged with a fish on its spear.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Helena shouted and started dancing. ¡°No crackers for us!¡± She cheered.

    That drew some attention. The other students could not really see the goblin in the river. Or maybe they just ignored them. Actually¡­ ¡°Why is no one else fishing?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Because even if they have fished before, servants organised the bait for them. And I doubt anyone brought a fishing rod.¡± Skadi said.

    A valid point I suppose. Not that it mattered, we had a fish! Helena collected the prize and the goblin returned to the river. I ordered it a bit further away from the other one, hoping it would increase our chances for more fish.

    ¡°Hey, you might have started a trend.¡± Cassie said while pointing towards Leo. Apparently he had observed us and now ordered his skeletal wolf to fish as well. I also saw Tim and Tom watching. They had not animated anything bigger than a rat so far.

    ¡°Well, I will handle the grilling.¡± I got up and took the fish. Then I started preparing it. Helena was already salivating while she watched me work.

    Just as I started grilling, the second goblin caught something. We would have a really nice dinner tonight! I ordered my undead to change their spots every time they caught a fish. And I commanded them to go deeper into the river. As a minion returned with the third fish, Shin approached us.

    ¡°Um, hi! Would you be willing to sell me a fish?¡± He asked, sounding hopeful.

    ¡°Depends on how many we catch.¡± I replied. ¡°I think we might be able to sell one if the goblins keep up that pace. Skadi can handle the finances.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± He said and started negotiating with her. Meanwhile, I prepared the third fish for grilling. I cut off the head and threw it towards Nyx. She had played with the other two before eventually devouring them.

    We ended up selling two fish and eating four ourselves. It was a great success! The goblins performed well. Necromancy was really handy. I should consider animating more creatures. Maybe I could shop for some skeletons in the adventurers guild when we returned?

 CHAPTER 62: Return

    After the meal our spirits were high and we had a pleasant night without rain. The weather held the next day and we continued training on the road. It even got us some approving nods from the teachers.

    There were no incidents on our journey home and we arrived at the academy on the 26th Iles in the evening. The students got visibly excited as we finally returned. Everyone had plans about food, baths and other luxuries we had been missing during the trip.

    ¡°We should do a spa day!¡± Helena proposed.

    ¡°Do you think we will get the remaining week off? I doubt they had lessons prepared.¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°Maybe. They will be busy dealing with the fallout.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We can always train ourselves.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Or, we could reward our hard work with some relaxation.¡± Cassie suggested.

    Soon we were all standing inside the academy, at the same spot where we had left days ago. Peter addressed us: ¡°Students, the field training did not go exactly as planned. Still, I hope you have all learned some valuable lessons. There is a saying in the military, no plan survives contact with the enemy.¡±

    After a short pause he continued: ¡°I know you are wondering what comes next. Tomorrow you will all assemble here at 08:00 for further instructions. The school takes this incident seriously. If there are major developments, you will be informed. Now enjoy some proper food, I know you are all starving. Dismissed.¡± He smiled at his last remark. Clearly he knew how much people were craving decent food.

    ¡°Quick shower, then food!¡± Helena proposed. We all agreed.

    Once we were clean, we all met in the mess hall. I left my goblins in my room. Nyx was sleeping on my head.

    ¡°Tonight we feast from the paid menu, food and drink is on me!¡± Helena declared.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± I said.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    I chose chicken that was breaded and fried. It was served with a bowl of rice. It smelled heavenly. Despite the amount of first years we found a free table. It was already late and most of the older students had already eaten. Helena set down her plate. Whatever she had was covered in mushroom sauce. Ugh. Skadi had a crispy pork knuckle and Cassie chose a chicken curry.

    ¡°I will be right back!¡± She announced. When she returned she was carrying a small keg and four mugs.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They sell small barrels of beer here. So we can refill our mugs at the table!¡±

    ¡°Should we be drinking that much with school tomorrow?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Relax Koyuki, we survived our field trip and now we celebrate!¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°We fought together, bled together and now we have returned together!¡± Helena said. ¡°It¡¯s time for a proper night of celebration!¡±

    She placed the barrel at the edge of the table. The tap was on the bottom. Then she started filling four mugs and handed them to us. Nyx watched her, then she jumped from my head to the keg and sat on top of it.

    ¡°Can Nyx drink beer?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Uh, I have no idea. I don¡¯t think we should try to find out if she can get drunk¡­¡± I cautioned.

    Helena shrugged. Nyx made no move to steal some of the beer. She seemed content to sit on top of the keg.

    ¡°We faced an army of spiders, a horned boar and a vampiric nightshade. We prevailed every time and slew our foes! To our victories, may there be many more!¡± Helena said while raising her mug.

    ¡°To victory!¡± We responded.

    Then we devoured our meals. It tasted sooo good. After our first success with having the goblins fish we had repeated the strategy every night. So we had escaped the crackers, mostly. We still ate them during the day. But having real food again was amazing.

    ¡°So, on our next off day we should visit the spa. It¡¯s not as great as a proper hot spring but soaking in a bath will be nice.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Yes. And with the money we made from the boar and fish sales I can even afford it!¡± I said.

    ¡°Speaking of money, what happened to those red gems from the plant? And we should ask Victoria if we get anything for the green gem with the concealment spell.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I forgot about those gems.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Torben might have forgotten as well. He probably still has them.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°They might keep them as evidence for the investigation.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°They can have them. They should still pay us. We slew the monster, we should get the loot.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I think the army does allow you to keep some things. I got a horse from the ambush on the way here. Actually, I should check on Coffee tomorrow.¡± I said.

    ¡°It is common to give the soldiers a small part of the loot. Depends on the commanding officer though. Some keep everything for themselves. Well, everything that the army itself does not claim.¡± Helena explained. Then she saw that my mug was empty and refilled it. She was sitting next to the keg and kept the beer flowing.

    As I looked around I saw that we were not the only students celebrating. A lot of food and drink was consumed. I did not spot Archibald and his minions though. Maybe he was already somewhere complaining about almost being eaten by a plant.

    Nyx was curled up on top of the keg but opened an eye to stare at everyone who came too close. She was a good deterrent and might have been the reason why we were alone at our table. And why no one dared to ask for some of our beer.

    We kept drinking until midnight and I was very tipsy when we returned to our room. The bed felt incredibly soft. It was good to be back.

 CHAPTER 63: Headmaster

    The next morning we assembled as ordered. While Peter was there, he was not the person who addressed us. Instead it was the headmaster.

    ¡°Students, I want to personally apologise for the incidents during the field exercise. While the military is not a safe place, and there is always some danger, it is still our duty to prevent needless deaths. While a hidden vampiric nightshade infestation was outside of our control, we were not vigilant enough to discover it. As a result a student was critically injured. Thankfully he did not suffer any permanent harm.¡±

    After a short pause he continued: ¡°There won¡¯t be any classes for the remaining week but the royal investigators might need to interview you. This is not optional, you are required to talk to them if they request it. Otherwise I can only encourage you to use the next few days to contemplate what you have learned. Dismissed.¡±

    It was Flamday, which meant we had four days off.

    ¡°Do we need to stay inside the academy? In case the investigators want to question us.¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°They did not say anything. I expect them to tell you in advance when and where you are supposed to be.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°I need to replenish my potions. I think I will go to the city and buy more ingredients, then go to the lab.¡± Cassie said.

    Nyx, who was sitting on my head, started pawing my ear.

    ¡°Oh, we promised Nyx a potion. A reward for the fish she caught. Maybe I should join you.¡± I remembered.

    ¡°So you are fine with leaving the academy? Awesome!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I still have the horn to sell, so the city sounds like a good idea.¡± Skadi said.

    The money I had left from my stipend, combined with the loot we sold on the trip, added up to two gold and eight silver. Not much for a noble but a fortune for my standards. Then again, I had never seen the prices inside of an alchemy shop.

    ¡°Koyuki, follow me to my office.¡± I looked at the headmaster in surprise. I had not noticed him.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± I responded.

    My friends looked surprised. They had not noticed Erik either. ¡°We can meet in the park afterwards.¡± I told them and followed the headmaster.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    We walked in silence until we reached his office. Irene was there, waiting for us. Once inside he took a seat, I remained standing. So did Irene.

    ¡°You are not in trouble, actually you did rather well from what I have heard.¡± Erik said to me.

    ¡°She did indeed. Her group was on guard duty when the spiders attacked. They managed that nicely. And they even took out a vampiric nightshade.¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Do you think someone targeted you, Koyuki?¡± Erik asked.

    ¡°I do not think so, sir. The spiders came at the whole camp and there was no way to know that we would run into a vampiric nightshade. If someone wanted to kill me they could have attacked me when we were inside the forest.¡±

    He looked at Irene. ¡°Someone disabled my wards before the spider attack. I was not able to find them. We did discover pheromones inside the base. They were somewhat near Koyuki¡¯s tent, but it could have simply been a coincidence. It¡¯s hard to say if they tried to kill her specifically. I would have expected an assassin to strike during the battle but we did not find anyone. It¡¯s possible they aborted the plan because the camp reacted too quickly. Also, the spider queen was missing. I tracked down her lair. They could have killed her, or captured her for further use.¡±

    There were pheromones? I did not know that. I wondered if they had searched the students'' tents while we were in the forest.

    ¡°Any connection to the nightshades?¡± Erik asked.

    ¡°Unknown. The academy does not always camp at the same spot. Those plants were there for a while. It could have been a blood crystal farming operation. They were in an area that would not draw too much attention if the occasional person disappeared. Or it could have been an attack on the Barkworths.¡±

    ¡°What is a blood crystal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They are rather useful in alchemy, artificing or enchanting. The vampiric nightshades form them and put their seeds inside. The crystal provides nourishment for a new plant to grow until it can feed itself.¡± Erik explained.

    Oh. Oh! ¡°Sir, I think Torben might have two of those. We found them together with the concealment crystal.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for informing us, I will handle it.¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Hm. This whole situation is troubling. Not many people could bypass your wards. Or escape your wrath.¡± He said, looking at Irene.

    ¡°After I took care of the spiders I went hunting. But there was nothing. Just a few bandits and regular scum. No mage. But I will keep hunting.¡± There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes. Were there flames in her red eye? Was I imagining things?

    ¡°Um, could someone have disabled your wards from inside the camp?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No one there was powerful enough.¡± Irene said with absolute confidence.

    ¡°They would need an artefact¡­¡± Erik mused.

    ¡°That would be rather expensive and we did not find anything.¡± Irene said.

    So they did search the tents.

    ¡°We will see if the investigators uncover something. Meanwhile, how do you evaluate Koyuki?¡± Erik asked.

    ¡°Talented, as expected. She has some reasonable instincts but needs more training and experience. Her team complements her well and will make a reasonable guard in the future. They seem to progress rather nicely. And Nyx is certainly smarter and stronger than we originally believed. What are you, a tier three?¡± She smiled at my undead companion, who was still sitting on my head. There was no response.

    ¡°We will pretend she is a tier two. We want others to underestimate her.¡± Erik said. ¡°So, is Koyuki safe to leave the academy?¡±

    ¡°Probably. She has a decent shield and I think Nyx would spot most ambushes. It¡¯s unlikely someone would cause too much trouble in the city.¡± Irene answered.

    ¡°I trust your judgement.¡± Erik said. Then he looked at me. ¡°Koyuki, you are a valuable asset. Nethena needs strong mages. What I have seen so far gives me a lot of confidence that one day you will be my peer. That is also why you were included in this conversation. Now, enjoy your days off and keep working hard.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!¡±

    As I left the office I pondered the conversation. They told me more than the other students. Were they simply trying to gain my trust? They wanted me to work for the kingdom after all.

 CHAPTER 64: Shopping

    My friends were anxiously waiting in the park. I told them about the conversation.

    ¡°Pheromones? So maybe they were targeting you after all.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°And that means someone from the academy planted them.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Yes. Maybe the same person who sabotaged my raising of Nyx.¡± I theorised.

    ¡°Could be a student, a teacher or one of the servants.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a teacher. So far they have helped a lot. Peter, Victoria and Irene have all treated me fairly.¡± I said.

    ¡°I agree. I think it¡¯s a student.¡± Helena said. ¡°There are plenty of nobles who would not like a commoner with too much power. Or someone supporting the crown.¡±

    ¡°What about Ilestria?¡± Cassie mused. ¡°They would certainly have the resources to bribe someone. And mages good enough to break wards.¡±

    ¡°Could be nobles working with Ilestria.¡± Skadi proposed.

    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Greed.¡± Helena answered. ¡°It¡¯s a powerful motivation. Ilestra would certainly be willing to fund and support people who share their values.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, nothing stops Koyuki from going to the city now.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°True. Shall we go?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You could bring your horse, if you want. Coffee can carry the alchemy supplies Cassie will buy.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I said.

    We went to the stables and got my horse. The saddlebags were not that big but we would be able to tie some bags to the saddle itself. I did not ride, instead I just led the horse by the reins. Nyx decided to ride on Coffee, who did not care.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Our first stop was an alchemy shop. It was in a side alley in the shopping district. There was a convenient hitching post where I could leave my horse. Nyx jumped on my head again. She did not want to wait outside. The shop itself was not too big. Glass windows allowed you to see some of the wares from outside. A bell rang as we entered.

    The store seemed organised and clean. Shelves were neatly stocked and the products were labelled. As I looked around something occurred to me.

    ¡°Um, we did not ask Horas for a recipe.¡± I stated. We wanted a salve for Nyx. Maybe something that enhanced her, or simply made her bones more shiny. I think she would like that. But I did not actually have a recipe.

    ¡°Oh, I do have some ideas.¡± Cassie said. ¡°I checked some recipes this morning. Also, we can get some help here. The owner is an alchemist. She sells ingredients and potions.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Cassie!¡± A woman said. ¡°You are back early. I thought you were still on your field trip.¡± The woman was dressed in a green robe, the same colour as her eyes. She had long brown hair and looked rather young. Then I noticed the pointed ears. She was an elf.

    ¡°Lady Lyra, may I introduce my friends: Koyuki, Helena and Skadi.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°No reason to be so formal. Welcome girls! It¡¯s nice to see more people interested in alchemy.¡± Lyra greeted us. Then she looked at my head. ¡°Oh? You have an undead cat on your head?¡±

    ¡°This is Nyx. We are actually looking for a salve that would benefit her. Either by making her look more majestic or by improving her strength.¡± I said.

    ¡°Hm. Most improvements for skeletons need to be applied before they are raised. Afterwards the improvements are only temporary. That is still an option, but an expensive one. She does not look like she is made for combat though.¡±

    Considering that Nyx looked like a small kitten that was a reasonable assessment, I suppose.

    ¡°Oh, she is quite powerful.¡± I said. ¡°Her looks are a bit deceiving.¡±

    Lyra did not look convinced as she stared at Nyx. Nyx stared back. Then she opened mouth, formed a purple tongue and started licking her paw.

    ¡°Fascinating. She can materialise a tongue? That is not normal for a skeleton. It also means she will lick anything you put on her.¡±

    ¡°She is an undead. Koyuki can stop her from doing that.¡± Helena said before I could comment. Which was probably good. Because I was about to brag about how smart Nyx was. And we wanted to keep that a secret.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Lyra said. ¡°I would recommend a necrotic bone wax. It mildly improves the healing abilities of a skeleton for a short time. And it would give her black bones a nice shine too.¡±

    ¡°Is that something we could make ourselves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am sure Cassie could do it.¡± She answered.

    ¡°How expensive would that be?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hm. Let¡¯s say you want enough for twenty applications. Considering the size of your cat¡­ I would say about 8 silver in total.¡±

    That was a lot of money.

    ¡°We are going to share the cost.¡± Helena reminded me. That meant I only had to pay two silver.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. I would have suggested something similar.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Ok, we will take it.¡± I said.

    ¡°Splendid! I suppose you are also here to restock your supplies Cassie. Do you want the same as last time?¡±

    ¡°I have a list.¡± Cassie said and handed Lyra a piece of paper.

    The shopkeeper disappeared into a back room and returned with a large bag of things. Then she fetched another. Cassie was buying a lot. It was good that we brought a horse. After paying, and saying our goodbyes, we left. Coffee was still patiently waiting for us. We attached our stuff to the saddle.

    ¡°Ok, where to next?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I still have the horn to sell.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡±

 CHAPTER 65: Priestess

    I was not sure what to expect from the guild. They were an organisation that offered a variety of services. Like escorts, monster hunting, or the acquisition of rare resources. There were rumours about more shady offers too.

    ¡°Adventurers don¡¯t have any standards, so be wary.¡± Cassie warned me.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They take anyone who can fight. There are no manners required. And as long as they don¡¯t break any major laws they usually don¡¯t get kicked out of the guild either.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, mostly.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°They have a bad reputation because they don¡¯t fawn over the nobility.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°It¡¯s more than that. They are a large fighting force and therefore they are regulated quite heavily.¡± Helena explained. ¡°Not in regards to who their members are, but there are limitations to the kind of jobs they can take. Or how large their groups are.¡±

    ¡°So the nobles don¡¯t want them too independent. Which creates friction and is the reason a lot of them are rude?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Partially yes. It depends a bit on the noble. Some like to work with the guild. Mostly smaller nobles who do not have a sizable force themselves.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Have you worked with them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My parents hire them to protect caravans. Most of them are good people. You just have to avoid some of the more shady groups.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°My father works with them on occasion. We protect the northern border from monsters and they hunt in the same area.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°My mother avoids them and often told me how vile they are. I have never actually worked with an adventurer myself.¡± Cassie admitted.

    ¡°Are they not responsible for a lot of the alchemy ingredients you use?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Um¡­ maybe?¡± Cassie blushed. ¡°I never thought about that. I guess they are the main suppliers for alchemy shops.¡±

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t people buy from the guild directly?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You can buy and sell at the guild. But some ingredients need to be preserved or further processed and are sold to specialists. And often an alchemy shop will have a deal with the guild so stuff is sold to them first. Further, a lot of shopkeepers hire the guild to bring them supplies.¡± Skadi explained.

    The guild headquarters were a sturdy two story building. It did not look fancy but it was well maintained. There was a hitching post right next to the entrance.

    ¡°Can we leave the supplies here, unguarded?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can wait here.¡± Cassie offered.

    ¡°Sure, I will wait with you.¡± I said.

    ¡°It should not take long.¡± Skadi assured us. Then she entered with Helena.

    ¡°What are we doing afterwards? Food?¡± I asked Cassie.

    Before she could reply we were interrupted.

    ¡°Abomination!¡± Someone shouted.

    We turned towards the speaker. It was a human woman with blond hair and a white robe. She was carrying a long staff with a white crystal at the top. She was accompanied by two men wearing chainmail. They had arming swords at their belt and a shield on their back.

    We carried arming swords as well. There was always a chance of someone coming after me and it was not uncommon for recruits to wear a weapon. But we had no armour, only our uniform.

    ¡°Undead should be eradicated! Not paraded around like a pet!¡± The woman complained while staring at Nyx, who was currently on my head.

    ¡°Undead are perfectly legal.¡± Cassie said. ¡°You are being rude.¡± She pointed out.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked. Also, I started pulling some mana into my body. I could always vent it, if it was not needed.

    ¡°The likes of you do not deserve my name. I will smite this abomination and give you a chance to repent!¡± She raised her arm and pointed towards Nyx.

    My undead companion was not idle. I felt her jump from my head and saw her grow during her flight. At the same time, I used my mana to erect a shield. One of the woman¡¯s companions stepped in front of her and blocked the pounce. He went down hard.

    The woman unleashed her spell. A bright glowing bolt missed Nyx and hit my barrier. The other guard drew his weapon and shield. He was just in time to block a bottle flying his way. Sadly, for him, it exploded and unleashed a black smoke. He began to cough violently.

    The man on the ground screamed as claws and teeth tore into him. The woman looked shocked and hesitated. This was my chance, I dropped the shield and prepared a necrotic bolt. A big one. This was a mage of unknown power. I fired. Just before my dart impacted, she conjured a shimmering barrier. It shattered.

    ¡°STOP!¡± Someone shouted. A squad of soldiers was running our way. ¡°EVERYONE STAND DOWN!¡±

    I kept an eye on the enemy mage but did not cast another spell. Nyx abandoned her prey and moved in front of me. The guard she had mauled looked dead. The other one was on the ground coughing.

    ¡°They attacked me!¡± The mage shouted. ¡°Arrest them!¡±

    The soldiers ignored her. ¡°Recruits, report.¡± The man in charge said.

    We saluted. ¡°Sir, this woman attacked us. She claimed my undead was an abomination.¡± I reported.

    ¡°Sir, we were waiting for our friends who are inside the guild. We did nothing to provoke this lady.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Bloody fools from Ilestria, always making trouble.¡± The man in charge said, while shaking his head.

    ¡°WHAT? ARREST THEM!¡± The woman screamed.

    ¡°Lady, you have attacked recruits of the royal military academy. We will have to arrest you. Men, take her away. And this one too.¡± He pointed at the coughing man. He smiled as his soldiers bound the screaming woman and dragged her away.

    ¡°Ah, you made my day, girls. This lunatic has been preaching for a week. Claims to be some sort of priestess. But she never broke the law, until now.¡± He pulled a notebook from his pocket. ¡°I will need your names for my report.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Cassie Ashburn.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation.¡± He said. ¡°Oh, and you can have the body. Spares us the cleanup.¡± He chuckled.

 CHAPTER 66: Corpse

    The doors to the adventurer¡¯s guild opened and people emerged. They might have heard the sound of combat. The guards just nodded towards them and left with their prisoners. I stood there, staring at the dead body.

    Helena and Skadi ran towards us. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°A so-called priestess attacked Nyx. It escalated.¡± I said.

    They looked at the dead body. ¡°Maybe you could explain a bit more¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°There was a priestess with two guards from Ilestria. She called Nyx an abomination and attacked her, while she was still on Koyuki¡¯s head. So we defended ourselves. The guards stopped us from killing them all, but Nyx finished one. The priestess and her remaining minion got arrested.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°And we can keep the body.¡± I added.

    ¡°Do you think this was a setup? A planned attack?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No. They were too incompetent.¡± I answered.

    ¡°She was just a nutjob. I am not sure why we are allowing them to visit our country.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Closing the border is bad for trade.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°What will happen to that priestess?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Attacking an undead is a bit complicated. They are not people but often they are acting as guards. Taking out someone''s protection can be considered as an attack on that person. In your case, Nyx was on your head. So any attack would endanger you. Which makes it simpler.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°Of course in reality it often comes down to the power and influence of the people involved.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°True. Somebody from Ilestria attacking a student from the Royal Military Academy? She has no chance.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Even if she is a noble?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, if she was an important noble from a house with connections to some of our nobility¡­ maybe.¡± Helena shrugged. ¡°I doubt someone really important would run around preaching though.¡±

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°You know, she might be sentenced to slavery.¡± Cassie said.

    I did not like slavery. But I had a hard time feeling sorry for a person that simply attacked Nyx.

    ¡°So, what are you going to do with the body? Have you looted it yet?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I guess I will create a skeleton.¡± Turning a person into an undead was something new. A person that died in combat against me.

    Helena put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°If you need someone to talk to, we are here for you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said. My feelings were complicated. But ultimately this man stood against us. He paid the price. Now his remains would be serving me. It did feel right, somehow.

    ¡°I will finish the sale quickly. The fight interrupted our negotiations.¡± Skadi said and went back into the guild.

    Helena stayed with Cassie and myself. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if he had anything valuable. Then we can use Coffee to carry the body.¡± She said,

    ¡°Dead bodies stink.¡± Cassie wrinkled her nose.

    ¡°It does need some getting used to.¡± Helena said, then she approached the dead fighter.

    Nyx was sitting next to it. She was still in her big form.

    I followed Helena. We found some coins and collected the weapon and shield. We would likely burn the soiled clothes when we were back at the academy. The chainmail was intact. Nyx had gone for the unprotected face and throat. Once we began our looting my undead companion shrunk again. Then she ¡°helped¡± us search the body¡­ by sticking her nose into everything.

    Once we were done we deposited the corpse on Coffee¡¯s back. The horse did not mind. He was trained for combat, I suppose. A dead body was no concern for him. Nyx sat on top of the corpse. It was her kill, maybe she was proud of it?

    Skadi returned and we made our way back to the academy. Our plans for lunch had to be cancelled. There was no way we could go to a nice restaurant with a dead body on my horse. It was surprisingly easy to enter the academy with a corpse. Although they did write down our short report of the incident.

    ¡°I will have to look for Gornir and ask him how to prepare the body. I don¡¯t want a zombie. I want a skeleton.¡± I said.

    ¡°I will go to the alchemy lab and prepare something to clean the bones.¡± Cassie offered. Skadi helped her with the supplies we bought.

    Meanwhile, Helena and myself carried the corpse towards the necromancy classroom. Nyx was still sitting on it. We were on the way to Gronir¡¯s office when we ran into him.

    ¡°Oh? What is this?¡± He asked.

    ¡°A fanatic attacked Nyx. The guard let me keep the body.¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah. Sadly not everyone understands the necrotic arts.¡± He shook his head. ¡°At least you got something useful out of it! You intend to raise it? A zombie, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°No sir, I would like another skeleton.¡± I said.

    ¡°Most people prefer skeletons. Very well. It will be a good lesson. And I heard you have some free time right now. Follow me, we will take this to a lab. It can be a bit messy.¡±

    I was grateful for Helena¡¯s help. I was strong enough to carry a body but together it was more comfortable. She did not even complain.

    Gronir started explaining as we walked. ¡°First you need to get rid of the flesh. The best way to do that is death magic. You can simply rot it all away. The difficult part is not to damage the bones as well. If done right the bones are exposed to just enough magic to make them easier to animate. I don¡¯t have a book with me but I can draw the rune for the spell for you. When you channel it, try to target everything but the bones.¡±

    ¡°Can I infuse the undead with my water magic as well?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sure, it will make it more expensive to control the skeleton, but mana is not really an issue for you. Are you intending to use some alchemy as well?¡±

    ¡°Cassie is preparing a cleaning solution.¡± I said.

    ¡°Perfect! I am looking forward to your newest undead.¡±

    We ended up in the lab next to Cassie¡¯s. Gronir provided me with a drawing of the spell I needed. ¡°Good luck!¡± he said as he left.

 CHAPTER 67: Undead

    We stripped the body and Helena took the clothing to an incinerator. I was not sure what it was normally used for but it came in handy. Meanwhile, I started with my spell. Thanks to the mana circulating my body I had a decent understanding of humanoid anatomy. Well, I just assumed a human would be similar to a foxkin.

    I needed to target the flesh without harming the bones. Maybe I could pump death mana through the body using the small pipes that usually carried blood? Could I mix death mana into water? I did have a water affinity.

    But that was not how Gronir¡¯s spell was supposed to work. As I studied the corpse, I did my best to ignore the fact that it was a dead human. I tried to treat it as an object. I focused on the problem in front of me.

    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Helena asked. She had taken care of the clothes and was now watching me.

    ¡°I am trying to figure out if I can improve the spell from Gronir. Maybe it¡¯s silly.¡± I was only a student after all.

    ¡°Well, you do have a dual affinity. That changes things compared to a normal student. It allows you to do things differently. Since there are not that many necromancers, it makes sense that they do not have specialised spells for your situation.¡± Helena said. Then she looked at Nyx, who was curled up on the floor next to me. ¡°So far, your instincts have worked out.¡±

    ¡°I was considering infusing death mana into water and using that to get rid of the flesh¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Sounds cool. Can I help?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Hm. What if you take care of circulating water through the body? Then I try to infuse it with death mana.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Sure. You want me to base the flow on your mana circulating technique?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes, that is the idea.¡± I confirmed.

    Helena got a bucket of water and then manipulated it into the body. She used a simple spell which made water flow in a way you wanted it to. Normally, it¡¯s main use was for things like showers. Enchanters used the spell to direct water through pipes.

    ¡°Can I even add death mana mana to a spell you control?¡± I wondered as I watched Helena work.

    ¡°Well, you manipulated mana inside my body. Maybe this is similar?¡± She suggested.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I touched the body. I could feel Helena¡¯s spell. I recognized her mana somehow. Maybe teaching her the circulation technique had side effects? I pulled mana into my body and turned it into death mana. Then I tried shoving it into the water. It did not work well. The water did not want to hold the mana.

    ¡°Ugh. That feels nauseating.¡± Helena complained. She made sure not to touch the water directly. But apparently there were some mental side effects.

    ¡°You felt that? I tried to push death mana into your spell.¡±

    ¡°It feels¡­ rancid. It makes it harder to keep the flow going. I instinctively want to reject it.¡±

    ¡°Can you¡­ not reject it?¡±

    She sighed. ¡°I will try. If I barf all over your corpse, it¡¯s your fault.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would matter. It already smells pretty bad.¡± The stench of the corpse itself was not helpful.

    ¡°Why are we doing this again?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Science! And you volunteered.¡± I answered. I had to admit that it seemed like an overly complicated way to get rid of the flesh. But now I was just curious.

    Helena managed to allow me to push some death mana into the water. Slowly I could see a change. The flesh began to turn darker. Suddenly, I felt something on my head¡­

    Oh. It was just Nyx. She had relocated herself. But the sensation made me lose focus. As I tried to concentrate on the flow of mana again, I paused. I looked at the corpse. I stared at the head. Why was I going for a skeleton? Some part of me told me to try something else. I prepared the spell to raise an undead. And I channelled my water and death mana into it. Helena noticed something.

    ¡°What are you doing? Please don¡¯t make it worse.¡± She looked rather pale.

    I did not answer. Instead, I completed my spell. Mana poured into the rune in my mind. The body changed. The black flesh stopped decaying. I could feel the corpse awaken. The wounds Nyx had inflicted when she had killed the man disappeared. Its head turned and it looked at me.

    ¡°Maaaaaster¡­¡± A deep voice said.

    ¡°Wahhh!¡± Helena jumped backwards and put her hand on the hilt of her sword. ¡°What did you do?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ I changed the plan and animated the corpse. It sort of felt right¡­¡± I said while feeling slightly embarrassed.

    Helena calmed down and took some deep breaths. ¡°Is it¡­ is it intelligent?¡±

    I looked at the undead. ¡°No. Just a tier two. It can follow simple orders but not really think for itself.¡±

    ¡°Why did it speak?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don''t know.¡± I admitted. ¡°Maybe zombies can speak? That is not a topic we discussed in class.¡±

    ¡°So, we did all that water stuff for nothing? I almost vomited and you decided to just go for a zombie?¡± Helena said, not looking too happy.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that! When Nyx jumped on my head, I briefly lost focus and had an idea. It kind of felt like animating the body was a good idea. Look at the flesh. Our experiment did make a difference. I¡­ I think the water is still circulating. I am sure this is not a normal zombie.¡±

    We examined my creation. The undead looked still like a person. The short hair used to be brown, now it was grey. He had a full grey beard. The skin used to be bronze, now it was black. The eyes¡­ I did not check them before but they were white.

    ¡°He needs clothes.¡± Helena concluded.

    ¡°Um, yes. Maybe armour too. We can use the stuff we looted I guess. If he could wield it alive maybe he can still use it while undead.¡± I suggested.

    I commanded my new minion to stand. How could I figure out his abilities? Could he do magic?

    The black skin suddenly looked wet. Then a layer of frost formed on top of it. Soon the undead was covered in an armour of ice.

    ¡°Ok, that is cool.¡± Helena said. ¡°Did he use the magic water we put into him for that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. But look, you helped me create him!¡± I said.

    Helena smiled. ¡°True. We are awesome.¡±

 CHAPTER 68: Showing Off

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx agreed.

    ¡°You know, she helped too.¡± Helena said. ¡°If Nyx hadn¡¯t interrupted you, you would have gone for a skeleton.¡±

    ¡°Nyx is smart, but I doubt that she did it on purpose.¡± I argued.

    ¡°Well, you can¡¯t see her smug face right now. Also, she is eying your ear. You might want to praise her a bit, so she does not start chewing.¡± Helena said.

    I reached on top of my head and petted Nyx a bit.

    ¡°Anyway, we should inform Gronir about our new undead. I wonder what he can tell us.¡± I said.

    Helena grinned. ¡°No, first we need to show off! Skadi and Cassie are next door.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she is still making that potion to clean bones! We won¡¯t even need it.¡± I said.

    Helena shrugged. ¡°You will need it in the future.¡±

    My undead kept his ice armour. Since he did not have any clothes, magic had to suffice, for now. I had no idea if he would be running out of mana at some point. Was he pulling the mana from my core through our connection? I mean, that was how he stayed alive. But could he use the same mana for spells? Could he suffer magic fatigue? Another thing I had to ask Gronir.

    Helena entered the lab first. ¡°We have a surprise!¡± She announced.

    Cassie was standing next to a cauldron. A liquid was bubbling inside. She had been talking with Skadi. Their conversation stopped when we entered.

    ¡°Surprise?¡± Cassie asked.

    My newest undead was still outside. We stepped away from the door and he walked inside.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°We made it!¡± Helena said. ¡°It can even do magic!¡±

    ¡°Both of you? Did you discover an affinity for death magic?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Eh no, but Koyuki wanted to try something different. I circulated water through it, which she infused with death mana. Then she animated it after the body started changing.¡± Helena explained.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I am not sure what he is. But he can summon ice armour!¡± I said.

    ¡°Is it an it, or a he?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°He is only a tier two. So it does not really matter what you call him.¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°Ah, so he is not really intelligent.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I have a question: Why did you circulate water through a dead body?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°I thought about how to get rid of the flesh. The normal spell can damage the bones, if not used correctly. My theory was, we could use death mana infused water. Helena did the circulating and I added the mana.¡± I explained.

    ¡°And I used our mana circulation as a blueprint.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Does this mean that the necrotic water is his version of blood?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t really know what blood does¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°I think it feeds different parts of the body, like the flesh.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Oh. I have no idea if the necrotic water does that. But it seems that he can use ice magic.¡± I said.

    We all looked at the undead, covered in ice armour.

    ¡°The ice magic is a bit obvious, yes.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Maybe he can manipulate the water inside him. Did he use that for his shield, or did he summon water?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I have no idea. He is not intelligent enough to answer that.¡± I replied. ¡°But he is capable of talking! Well, I can tell him to say things.¡±

    ¡°Make him say something cool!¡± Cassie said.

    Um. Hm. What should I make him say?

    ¡°Darkness shall consume you.¡±

    ¡°Acceptable. Nice deep voice, but a bit monotone.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Uhm, is this potion supposed to smoke like that?¡± Helena asked, while pointing at the cauldron.

    ¡°Wahhh.¡± Cassie screamed and began stirring. Then she threw some stuff into it. ¡°I got this, I got this!¡±

    Skadi was slowly stepping backwards.

    The smoke stopped. The liquid bubbled gently.

    ¡°No worries.¡± Cassie assured us. ¡°This is the cleaning solution, by the way. Not that you need it right now. But you can store it, it won¡¯t go bad.¡±

    ¡°Are you giving your undead a name?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it. I did not expect him to be something special.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°We should name him!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Any suggestions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Something intimidating. Maybe¡­ Doombringer!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ silly?¡± I said. ¡°Also, we don¡¯t know how strong he is.¡±

    ¡°You could go for something normal. Make sure people underestimate him.¡± Cassie proposed.

    ¡°Give him a really long name and then shorten it.¡± Skadi said. ¡°It could be something intimidating with a normal sounding acronym.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should sleep on it¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s take some time to find a suitable name.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°Different topic: You need clothes for him.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°I know. That is why he is using the ice armour. Do you think the academy can help? Or do we need to go to the city and find a tailor?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am not sure if the academy has a tailor. But they have to get the uniforms from somewhere. At least they might be able to recommend someone. You need something durable.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you don¡¯t have a family crest. But you could at least pick colours you like.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We could use your crest. You helped create him.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°If your undead wore her family''s crest, it would suggest an official alliance.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I mean, we are friends. We are allies.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°That is nice of you, but it would mean something more to nobles. They would likely think you are engaged to my family.¡± She explained.

    I blushed. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°There would be a lot of rumours. Especially since you share a room.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°So, no crest. Normal clothes.¡± I said. ¡°We should look for Gronir.¡± I tried to change the topic.

    ¡°We should also get food.¡± Helena said. ¡°We skipped lunch. It¡¯s already past 14:00!¡±

    Cassie looked at the cauldron. ¡°Sure, give me 15 minutes and I am ready. We can meet in the mess hall.¡±

 CHAPTER 69: Draugr

    ¡°15 minutes might be enough to find some temporary clothes for him.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We could just leave him in our room while we eat.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Yes, but wouldn¡¯t it be fun to show him off to the other students?¡± Helena responded.

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Do they allow zombie-like undead in the mess hall?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You know, I have no idea.¡± She replied.

    Nyx was a rather clean skeleton. And most of the time she was small. A human zombie might be different.

    ¡°You know, he does not smell that rotten anymore. If you tell him to take a proper shower, with soap, he is going to be presentable.¡± Helena said.

    We returned to the dorms and I ordered my new undead to shower. Thankfully, the women¡¯s bathroom was empty. He was a mindless undead but he looked male. A tier two was intelligent enough to comprehend the order to clean himself. So I waited outside. Meanwhile, Helena organised clothes.

    ¡°I got some old pants for him!¡± She announced.

    ¡°Where did you get those?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I asked the receptionist. She was kind enough to find some old discarded ones from the male dorms. I think they will fit.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    The pants were black with a few small holes but they would suffice, for now. My undead minion emerged clean and smelling like soap. The pants were slightly too short but they worked.

    ¡°You know, if you don¡¯t look too closely you could think he was alive.¡± Helena said.

    I studied the undead. He was not using his ice armour anymore. She was right. He had sunken cheeks and hollowed eyes. His face and skin looked like they were from an old person, which did not match his stance or movement. Of course, he did not breathe. But looking at him from a distance¡­

    ¡°Yeah. If we keep him away from the food counter and just have him guard our table it should be fine.¡± I said.

    We made our way to the mess hall. Cassie and Skadi were already waiting for us.

    ¡°Sorry, it took us a bit longer.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Cassie said. ¡°We are too late for the free meal anyway.¡±

    Sadly, that was true. We were too late for the regular meal hours. But we could just buy something. Not too many students were around. Nobody took an interest in our new minion. Helena seemed disappointed.

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am sure he will draw a crowd at dinner.¡± I said.

    ¡°Or if we spar with him.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I want to see what he can do.¡±

    ¡°He could fight Nyx.¡± Cassie suggested.

    Because we were eating, Nyx was not on my head. She sat on the table and watched us. She looked interested.

    ¡°I hope she won¡¯t destroy him.¡± I was worried. I had a feeling that Nyx was stronger. She was certainly more intelligent.

    ¡°Do you have a spell to heal undead?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I think I have a book with one. I haven¡¯t learned it yet.¡± So far, Nyx was doing well regenerating on her own. ¡°Speaking of healing, we still have to make that salve for Nyx.¡±

    ¡°I can do that. Meanwhile, you talk with Gronir. Afterwards we meet at the training area.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Sure.¡± We agreed. I considered bringing the goblins as well. But I had a feeling Nyx would eat them, if they sparred.

    We found Gronir in his office. He was going over some documents as we entered.

    ¡°Ah, Koyuki and Helena. Did you have some success?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I said and commanded my undead to enter. ¡°Helena helped! We created a zombie-like undead.¡±

    ¡°Helena helped? How? She does not have a death affinity.¡± He said.

    I explained what we did, without mentioning our mana circulation technique. I simply explained that we modelled the water flow after blood.

    ¡°Fascinating. I wonder if that could be used to create a water attuned undead for someone without a water affinity. Adding an element to the creation of an undead is an advanced technique, but not something new. Usually it is simply one mage who does all the work. I have no idea if circulating the water had an additional effect.¡±

    He stood up and approached our undead. His eyes flashed green. ¡°Hm. I think this might be a draugr.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I think I have heard that term before.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Unsurprising. I am sure your father has fought some of them. They are a type of frost attuned undead. Much stronger than a normal zombie. Although they vary in power. The most common draugr is a tier two who empowers his attacks with frost magic. But there are some tier three who remember their past lives. If they take control of other undead, they can become a serious threat. They are one of the many dangers lurking in the northern mountains. We did not have a serious undead problem in recent years though.¡±

    He walked around the draugr. ¡°You said he can summon armour?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I commanded my minion to do that.

    Gronir watched it form. Then he poked it. ¡°Quite a bit of mana in there. How much does it cost you to control this undead?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure. I would say about ten times as much as a goblin. Maybe half as much as Nyx.¡± I answered.

    ¡°And how much of your core is that?¡± He asked.

    Now that was a much harder question. How much mana did it cost me to keep Nyx alive? I focused inward to examine our connection.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to judge. Maybe it costs me like 0,1% to feed Nyx?¡± It was my best guess.

    Helena gasped. ¡°So you could have 1000 Nyx!¡±

    ¡°There is only one Nyx.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but that would be quite the army. It also means you could have 2000 draugr or 20 000 goblins!¡± She sounded excited.

    ¡°No mage would ever use all their mana to control an army.¡± Gronir said. ¡°You need some to defend yourself and support your troops. Also, the initial cost to create an undead is higher than the upkeep. You need to have some mana left to actually create more undead. My advice would be not to use more than half. But there is a reason why necromancers are feared. And Koyuki¡¯s mana is likely to grow even more.¡±

    ¡°How does an undead use magic? Are they using my mana? Are they limited by that connection?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ah, a good question. I think I will answer that in class though. Bring your draugr for our next lesson.¡± He said.

    ¡°You know, being able to create an advanced undead, combined with your mana pool, might actually qualify you as a senior mage.¡± Gronir chuckled. ¡°Although it¡¯s usually expected that you know a larger variety of spells.¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to measure the size of one¡¯s core?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Well, there is an orb. They are quite expensive, so they are only used when you graduate and afterwards for promotions. Keep in mind that efficiency with your spells and resistance to fatigue are also quite important. It¡¯s believed that if we focus too much on core size, the more talented students might get lazy. And since there is a lot of growth when you are young there is no point in constantly measuring anyway.¡± Gronir explained. ¡°Also, those devices are not that precise. Anyway, you are progressing more quickly than I anticipated! Keep up the good work!¡±

    We left Gronir¡¯s office and headed to the training area. As we walked I noticed a certain glee in Helena¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You are imagining an undead army, aren¡¯t you?¡± I teased.

    ¡°Yes, yes I am.¡± She said with a smile.

 CHAPTER 70: Sparring

    We changed into our workout clothes and I grabbed my book with the healing spell for undead. Maybe I could practise it after the sparring. Hopefully it would not be needed. We arrived before Skadi and Cassie at the training area.

    ¡°I guess we will have Nyx and the draugr spar as a start. And later we can try fighting it ourselves.¡± I suggested.

    Nyx grew to her full size and started stretching. A few other students were in the area. They ignored us, for now. My draugr was equipped with a training sword and shield. They were metal but with a dull edge. He used his ice armour as defence.

    I commanded the draugr to fight without inflicting serious injury. I was not sure how well a tier two undead could judge that. But Nyx was a tough kitty. She circled the draugr. Then she pounced. Her opponent raised his shield to bash her away.

    He was strong enough to deflect the feline but Nyx landed gracefully and charged once more. She avoided the draugr¡¯s sword masterfully and managed a hit with her claws. They did not penetrate the ice.

    ¡°He is kind of slow.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°Slow? He blocked the pounce.¡± I said.

    ¡°His first reaction was good, yes. The problem with a pounce is, you can¡¯t change your direction while you are in the air. Now that Nyx is staying on the ground, she is too quick for him. Look, he has just fallen for her feint to the left and got hit from the right.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Sure. But being slower than Nyx does not make you slow. None of us is as fast as she is.¡± It was something we had learned in the past, while sparring.

    ¡°I suppose. But we are only students. His armour seems to hold up well though. I wonder how hard Nyx is attacking.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We could test the armour separately. Just try to stab it outside of a battle.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Ohhh, they are already fighting!¡± Cassie said. I turned around and saw her walking towards us, together with Skadi.

    Nyx was currently circling the draugr again. To some degree it looked like she was playing. Then her claws started to glow blue. A thin sheet of ice covered them.

    ¡°This is new.¡± I said.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    She charged once more. This time her attack shattered a large chunk of the draugr¡¯s armour. He managed a glancing blow on her front leg but Nyx did not seem to care.

    ¡°What did we miss?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Nyx is a lot faster. The draugr seemes durable and has decent reflexes but he can¡¯t keep up with her.¡±

    ¡°Has he used any magic, other than the ice armour?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°No. I did tell him not to harm her, I suppose. He is only tier two so I am not sure how complex my instructions can be. Or if he can evaluate how strong Nyx is and what might be too powerful.¡±

    ¡°You would need an actual opponent to truly test him.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°We should go on a hunt!¡± Helena declared.

    ¡°But we just returned from the field exercise!¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, we would bring real food, of course. No crackers.¡± She quickly added. ¡°It would be more fun!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just spar, for now.¡± I said.

    The battle was over. With Nyx penetrating the armour, she won. We did not want her to maul the draugr.

    Afterwards we sparred as well. We took turns fighting the draugr, and Nyx. The feline was the clear winner.

    ¡°Is Nyx getting faster?¡± Skadi asked, while breathing heavily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have to ask Gronir if undead grow stronger over time.¡± I said.

    ¡°I hate melee combat.¡± Cassie said. She was lying on the ground.

    ¡°You are improving.¡± Skadi said. ¡°You just have to train more.¡±

    Cassie groaned.

    ¡°Koyuki is improving too.¡± Helena said. ¡°You could almost think she knows which end of a spear is the pointy one!¡± She teased. I was getting better. But my fighting still involved a lot of¡­ improvised stabbing.

    ¡°Well, I can just outsource the stabbing! How would you rate the draugr?¡± I asked.

    ¡°About as skilled as an average soldier, when it comes to weapons. But he is a lot stronger. The ice seems rather durable.¡± Skadi summarised.

    ¡°I agree. I would guess he could take a small group of normal people. A lot depends on his armour. I am not sure how well he would do against a mage.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°He fights better than me.¡± Cassie grumbled. ¡°But I would just explode him in a real fight!¡±

    I fought him to a draw myself. But I had no idea how much he hesitated, because I was his master. Also, we did not use magic. After the duels we ran some tests on the ice armour. It was possible to damage it with normal steel weapons but he could regenerate it.

    ¡°This thing would be a nightmare to kill, if you are a normal soldier without magical gear.¡± Helena concluded.

    ¡°How long can he keep regenerating the armour?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°No idea. I should have a lesson soon, about undead and their use of magic.¡±

    A few other students approached us and asked if they could spar with my undead. They were in their second years. Since we were taking a break, I agreed.

    Nyx defeated them all. The draugr held his own, but some of them used magic to pierce his armour. One guy heated his sword, which was rather effective against ice armour. He managed to cut into my draugr¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± He apologised upon seeing the damage. ¡°Um¡­ does it heal?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I think he will regenerate.¡± I assured the man. He seemed relieved.

    We took a break after that. Cassie pulled out the salve she had created. Nyx sniffed it, then sat before her, waiting. She was in her smallest form.

    ¡°What happens if she grows with a salve on her?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I think it will reduce the effectiveness.¡± Cassie said. Then she began applying the salve. Nyx purred.

    Meanwhile, I grabbed my book. It was time to learn a spell to heal an undead. He would likely regenerate in time but it was a great opportunity to practise a new spell.

 CHAPTER 71: Old Grievance

    It turned out that healing was complicated. The runes for the spell were complex and I had trouble forming them in my mind. I would need a lot more practice to pull it off. Oh well, I suppose my draugr had to regenerate by himself.

    ¡°I never realised how complex healing an undead is¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°If every spell was easy to learn, we would have already graduated.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I suppose.¡± I had to admit, my success at raising undead might have gone to my head. I needed to keep working hard on my magic!

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    I looked at Nyx, who was sitting in front of me. The salve made her bones really shiny. She looked good. I picked her up and started petting her.

    ¡°Sorry, for ignoring you. I should have helped with your salve. It was a reward after all.¡± Then I addressed Cassie. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We all love Nyx.¡± She said.

    ¡°That is true.¡± Helena confirmed. Skadi nodded.

    ¡°So, I think it¡¯s time to call it a day. Shower, then food?¡± Cassie suggested.

    We all agreed. It had been a long day.

    My draugr accompanied us to dinner. He was reasonably useful at reserving a table, while we grabbed food. I just instructed him to tell everyone that this table was taken. While he was not able to respond, that should not be needed. Nyx waited on his head.

    When we returned I realised that I might have been a bit naive.

    ¡°What do you mean, this table is reserved?¡± I heard Archibald say. He had his whole group with him.

    ¡°This table is reserved, please move along.¡± The draugr responded.

    ¡°Outrageous!¡± Florence protested.

    ¡°There are other free tables, you know.¡± I said, as we arrived.

    ¡°You, of course it¡¯s you.¡± Florence said.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°One would think that was clear, considering that the draugr has Nyx on his head.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Your servant has insulted me! Why are there even servants here? I don¡¯t think that is allowed!¡± Archibald protested.

    ¡°This is an undead minion. Was that not obvious?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°He can only repeat the one line I ordered him to. So he can¡¯t have insulted you.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°This is an undead?¡± Eva asked.

    ¡°Of course. No living thing would serve this animal.¡± Florence said while pointing at me.

    ¡°GRRRRR¡± Nyx was not amused by her comment. I wondered just how smart she was. Was she understanding the words, or simply interpreting the tone?

    ¡°Is your cat threatening us?¡± Simon asked.

    ¡°No. I think she is just offended by your smell.¡± I said.

    The look on Florence¡¯s face was priceless. ¡°You dare?!?¡±

    Huh? I would not have rated that insult so high. Helena was sniggering.

    ¡°Clearly she prefers the smell of rotten things. She has no taste.¡± Jack tried to console Florence.

    ¡°She has no class. That 2nd undead just gave her a boost in confidence. I wonder what she had to do for it?¡± Simon said.

    ¡°Magic. Maybe you have heard of it?¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I would offer a demonstration, but it seems that you are all alive.¡± I smiled.

    Eva¡¯s eyes widened. She glanced at the draugr.

    ¡°Just wait. You will regret ever defying me.¡± Archibald said. Then he left with his friends.

    ¡°I am proud of you!¡± Helena announced, while smiling at me.

    I looked at her. ¡°Huh?¡± Was my coherent response.

    ¡°You are getting better at putting them in their place. You might not have a title, yet. But in the long run you are going to be far more important and powerful than they are.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Do you think he has something planned? His last statement sounded like a threat.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Eh. He probably wrote a letter to his father. He still does not understand how powerful Koyuki is.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I am not sure if that would stop him. He is a typical noble. He thinks there are no consequences for mistreating commoners.¡± Skadi said.

    We all sat down at the table. ¡°You never told us why you dislike nobles so much.¡± I said.

    Skadi sighed. ¡°You are right.¡± She took a sip from her ale. ¡°You know that my parents are merchants. If you want to trade inside Nethena, you need a licence. Those are often granted by the local lord.¡±

    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t they granted by the kingdom?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Depends. In a city, you often need a local licence for a shop. That is handled by the city administration. If you want to trade inside Nethena, or across the border, that is handled by the kingdom, in theory.¡± She took another sip.

    ¡°My parents worked at an auction house. They saved up some money and wanted to start a trade caravan. But they needed a licence. We were in a small barony and the local lord handled those personally. The cost should be one gold but he charged five platinum.¡±

    Helena gasped.

    ¡°My parents refused and decided to move to the next city. They could simply get it there. But when they tried to leave town, the guards stopped them. They accused them of trading without a licence and confiscated everything they had. Luckily, my parents managed to hide some money under their clothes. They reported this incident in the next city. Nobody cared. It took them years to recover from that loss.¡±

    ¡°Who was that baron?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Bruno Lewis, that was before I was born, about 20 years ago. They had more bad experiences with nobles since then. Now they are running a successful business though. But my point is, when a noble breaks the law, or hurts a commoner, there are often no consequences.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Lewis¡­ Their barony is part of the Duke Harold¡¯s duchy.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I do know some poisons¡­¡± Cassie mused.

    I was not sure if she was serious.

    ¡°Um. That is not why I told you this¡­¡± Skadi blushed.

    ¡°I know. Thanks for sharing.¡± I said. ¡°But maybe, one day, an undead horde finds itself in this barony¡­¡±

    Helena slapped me on the back. ¡°That is my girl! Now you need to follow that with a laugh! Muahaha¡­¡±

    While we did not join her laugh, we all smiled.

 CHAPTER 72: Royal Investigator

    The next morning I inspected the wound on my draugr. He had received a three centimetre deep cut during the spar. He did not bleed any of the water we infused him with though. It was hard to tell if there was any impact on his effectiveness.

    Today the wound was a lot smaller. I would say about two thirds of it had healed already. That was nice. Still, I would need to learn a heal to mend any damage during a battle. While the regeneration seemed fast, compared to a human, it was too slow for combat.

    After breakfast I got a note that a royal investigator would interview me later today. Since we had no classes today, I decided to train until then. I focused on my magic and made some progress towards learning the healing spell. It was early afternoon when I went towards the meeting? Interrogation? Whatever it would turn out to be. My friends told me not to worry about it.

    The investigator was using an office inside the administration building of the academy. I knocked. I told my draugr and Nyx to wait outside. Bringing an undead might be frowned upon.

    ¡°Enter.¡± A firm voice told me.

    Inside the room were three people. Two men were sitting on a couch. They glanced at me briefly, then continued reading the papers they were holding. The third person was behind a desk. He wore a military uniform with gold trims. I stood in front of him and saluted. He nodded.

    ¡°Take a seat.¡±

    I sat down and faced the man. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He looked like he was in his fifties. He had a goatee, not the most common beard style.

    ¡°I am Colonel Duncan, a royal investigator. Do you know what that means?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No, sir.¡± I responded.

    He chuckled. ¡°Honest. That is a good trait. It means that I have the authority to order arrests. Even if the suspect is part of the nobility, or the military.¡±

    I nodded. That might sound scary to a noble. For me? I had always believed that a city guard would be enough to arrest me. Did I have some protection as a student?

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see.¡± He grabbed a sheet of paper from his desk and studied it. ¡°Koyuki, age 16, parents unknown, former slave trained at Rossalyn, sponsored by princess Olivia.¡±

    I had no doubt that he knew all that before reading it. Maybe this was just protocol?

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°You are quite interesting.¡± Duncan said. ¡°You awakened very late with a powerful affinity. How strong do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°I have been told that my core is at the level of senior mage and that I have the potential to become an archmage, sir.¡± I decided that honesty was probably the way to go here.

    He did not look surprised.

    ¡°You are an interesting find, Koyuki. Not what I had expected when I was sent to investigate an incident on a field exercise. Which brings us to the reason why I am here. Tell me about the trip.¡± He ordered.

    I did my best to describe the entire trip. The only thing I kept hidden was our mana circulation method. I heard scribbling behind me, the other people took notes. Duncan just sat there and listened.

    ¡°That matches what we have heard so far.¡± He said. ¡°Now, something else that was brought to my attention. You had a run in with a priestess from Ilestria?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°And you turned the bodyguard you slew into an undead?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Summon it.¡±

    I nodded. Then I commanded the draugr to enter. Nyx was sitting on his head.

    Duncan stood and examined my creation. ¡°I can¡¯t see any sign of one of their soldiers. Looks like that man was just a regular mercenary.¡±

    ¡°What sign would there be, sir?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ilestria likes to have tattoos on their troops. They claim it¡¯s a show of patriotism. Mostly it¡¯s used to make sure deserters can¡¯t hide.¡± He explained.

    ¡°What if someone retires, sir?¡±

    ¡°They add something to the tattoo, if they are legitimately discharged. The whole process involves magic to make it harder to fake. I was hoping we could tie the priestess to something official. Anyway, I would like to borrow your undead.¡±

    ¡°Why, sir?¡±

    ¡°Interrogation. That woman is a true believer. It¡¯s hard to get any information out of them. But there is something that just might make her talk.¡± He smiled.

    Duncan saw my confusion and explained: ¡°You see, he still looks like a person. She will recognize him. She might not fear death, but she will fear eternal servitude as an undead.¡±

    ¡°But, this is not a tier three¡­¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°She does not know that.¡±

    ¡°I can make the draugr talk, sir. That could help.¡± I said.

    ¡°Excellent! You will join us for this interrogation. While it is unlikely that she was an actual agent, she might still have some connections. Ilestria often sponsors priests to spread their nonsense. She might have a contact inside Lupos.¡±

    ¡°Sir, do you think this is connected to the field exercise?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not directly. Ilestria itself is a suspect. They could be targeting you and they could be targeting the kingdom. Those vampiric nightshades might just be the kind of plot they support.¡± He said. ¡°I will arrange the interrogation for tomorrow. Meet us at the gate at 08:00. We will head to the prison together.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Dismissed.¡±

    I left, the draugr followed me. Nyx was still on his head. Duncan had ignored her. Likely he had been briefed about Nyx. I went to the park where my friends were training their magic. Then I told them about the interview. They had not been called yet. Maybe their turn would be tomorrow.

    ¡°Oh, you are going to be part of an interrogation! Do you think we can join?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Interrogation is a third year class, I think.¡± Skadi said. ¡°But it is something the academy teaches.¡±

    ¡°And I was part of the fight.¡± Cassie said. ¡°That gives me an excuse to be there!¡±

    ¡°We should ask them. If they say no, we can still follow them to the city and meet Koyuki afterwards. Maybe this time we can go to a restaurant!¡± Helena suggested.

    While I was a bit nervous about the interrogation, my friends seemed quite enthusiastic.

 CHAPTER 73: Interrogation

    The next day we walked to the gate together. Nyx was on my head and the draugr was following us. Helena approached Colonel Duncan and saluted.

    ¡°Sir, asking for permission to accompany you to the interrogation.¡±

    He looked at her. ¡°We haven¡¯t interviewed you yet. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Helena Frost, sir. With me are Cassie Ashburn and Skadi.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki¡¯s team. And you were in the city together, when she was attacked. Hm.¡± He looked at his two companions. One of them shrugged.

    ¡°Granted, follow us.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yes! I mean¡­ thank you, sir.¡±

    Helena grinned victoriously.

    Soon afterwards we started walking towards the prison. Actually, how did you imprison a mage?

    ¡°Sir, how do you stop a captive from casting?¡± I asked Duncan.

    ¡°There are special collars, they detect when someone pulls mana into their body. Then they vent the mana and shock the prisoner.¡± He explained.

    ¡°But even venting could hurt someone, if they are really close. Especially if the mage is powerful.¡± I said.

    ¡°True. It¡¯s not a foolproof method. But it does not allow them to form an actual spell. Keeping a mage imprisoned always comes with a certain risk. The collars usually work fine for regular mages.¡±

    ¡°Are they similar to slave collars?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°The same, actually. Just a more advanced version. They are often used for slaves capable of magic.¡±

    I shuddered, thinking about the collar. My hand instinctively reached for my neck. Helena saw it and put her hand on my shoulder. I smiled. It was good to have friends.

    The prison was a part of the city garrison. It did not seem that big, considering the size of the city. Then again, I had no idea how many crimes were committed and what the usual punishment was. My education had only covered punishment for slaves. Which usually involved pain.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    We did not go into an actual cell. Instead we went to an interrogation room. It had solid stone walls. The light came from a crystal on the ceiling. In the centre was a table, with chairs on both sides. My friends stood near the wall. Duncan took a seat while his companions fetched the prisoner.

    ¡°Have your draugr stand in the corner. The light only shines at the table making everyone near the wall hard to see.¡± Duncan commanded. Then he looked at me, or more precisely, at my head.

    ¡°You undead cat is still a bit of a mystery. I have ignored her so far, since she does a good job of protecting you. If you think you can use her to make the prisoner talk¡­ I will trust your judgement.¡± He said.

    The door opened and the prisoner was brought in. Duncan¡¯s companions were escorting her. They stood near the door afterwards. The woman looked determined as she sat down on the opposite side of the table. Her clothes were slightly dirty, she wore a collar but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

    Duncan pulled a few sheets of paper from his pocket. ¡°Elise, no last name. Age 27. You are a commoner raised by the temple and came here to spread your religion.¡±

    ¡°Ilar will bring the light! He will burn your wicked nation!¡± She said while glaring at Nyx.

    ¡°The gods don¡¯t really care. But we do, your actions have violated the law. You have attacked a student of the Royal Military Academy. This is a serious crime. But we can be lenient, as long as you cooperate.¡± Duncan said.

    ¡°Never! Do your worst, my faith is strong!¡± Elise said.

    ¡°I expected such an answer. Very well, Koyuki.¡± He nodded at me.

    I commanded the draugr to step forward. Elise¡¯s eyes grew wide as she recognized the undead. ¡°Frank? No¡­ it¡­¡±

    ¡°Hello Elise.¡± The draugr said. Duncan did not give me precise instructions. He left me a lot of leeway on how I handled the situation.

    ¡°We did have a nice chat with your bodyguard. Surprising how talkative people become once they are dead.¡± Duncan lied.

    ¡°I will free you!¡± Elise shouted, then she screamed as the collar activated. She fell to the floor.

    ¡°I would advise against the use of magic.¡± Duncan said. ¡°Now, I have brought Koyuki here. She is a capable necromancer, as you can see. It would be a shame if she had to use her talents¡­ on you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t do that! I did nothing wrong! I demand a trial!¡±

    Duncan chuckled. ¡°You attacked someone in broad daylight. Your trial is already over. The only thing missing is the sentence.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you monsters! Frank¡­¡± Tears were running down her eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! Ilar will protect me.¡±

    ¡°Really? He is doing a pretty bad job right now.¡± Duncan said.

    Nyx jumped from my head and approached the woman. ¡°No! Stay away from me!¡± She shrieked.

    ¡°Frank, hold her.¡± I said. Which I did not have to, all commands were mental. But I thought it helped sell the scene.

    ¡°Yes, mistress.¡± I made him answer.

    Elise tried to crawl away but the draugr held her in place. Then Nyx hopped onto her body. She sat on the woman¡¯s chest, staring straight into her eyes. Nyx opened her mouth, purple light appeared and formed a tongue. Then she started licking the woman.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh! Get it off me!¡± Elise shrieked.

    ¡°Can you feel the necrotic mana entering your body? It is a fascinating process.¡± Duncan said. Of course, Nyx did not actually push mana into her. Or at least, I did not think so. ¡°If it keeps going it will soon start rotting you from the inside. I heard it¡¯s uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°No! My body will only hold the light! Ahhhhhhhh.¡± It looked like she tried to cast a spell again. I had mixed feelings. Part of me felt sorry for Elise. I had experienced the pain of the collar myself. But then again, she tried to kill Nyx. Her nation executed people like me, simply for existing.

    ¡°All we need is a bit of information. This could all go away¡­¡± Duncan said.

    ¡°I will talk, I will talk! Just make it stop!¡± She sobbed.

    Nyx stopped. Then she turned around, her tail held high as she walked back to me. My draugr released the woman and stood behind me.

    One of Duncan¡¯s companions picked the woman up from the floor and helped her back to the chair.

    ¡°Good. Now, I have some questions.¡± Duncan said.

 CHAPTER 74: Beer Garden

    The remaining interrogation focused on Elise¡¯s history and contacts. How she came to the city and who supported her. How she was financed. Duncan asked a lot of questions and took notes. Apparently, there was a local merchant who funded Elise¡¯s preaching. It took almost an hour until the investigator was finished.

    Elise sat there, looking defeated. ¡°What¡­ what happens to me now?¡± She asked.

    ¡°You are a light mage. You will serve as a slave for five years in the local hospital. They can always use healers. Afterwards you will be free again.¡±

    Elise nodded. She almost looked relieved. Duncan¡¯s companions escorted the woman back to her cell.

    ¡°Sir, would it not be dangerous to have her heal people?¡± I asked. A healer could easily damage their patient.

    ¡°She won¡¯t work on important people. It¡¯s unlikely that she would harm a commoner. And I doubt that she would risk further punishment.¡± Duncan said.

    ¡°Sir, what happened to the other fighter she had with her?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Ah, the one you hit with your alchemy. Quite a nasty thing you brewed there. He did not know much but cooperated fully. He will work in a mine for a year.¡± Duncan looked at me. ¡°Good job Koyuki. I like how you used your undead. I will certainly inform the academy about your service.¡±

    He gathered his papers and stood. ¡°Now, excuse my quick exit but I have a lot of work to do, have a nice day students.¡± Then he left.

    ¡°That was interesting to watch.¡± Helena said. ¡°He focused a lot on how she came here. I wouldn¡¯t have expected questions about her time in Ilestria.¡±

    ¡°I am certain we have spies there. Maybe they can use the info.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Oh, you are right!¡± Helena agreed. ¡°He was not just looking for targets here.¡±

    ¡°A year in the mines sounds pretty harsh for that fighter. If they were just hired help¡­¡± I said.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°If you want a light sentence you need to be a noble.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°That is sadly true. Although, having the protection of someone influential can be enough as well. There is also a chance that he was offered a fine and could not pay it.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Oh, and great job Nyx!¡± I praised her. Once again she had proven her intelligence. I wondered if there was a way to truly talk to her.

    Nyx stretched, then jumped on my head again.

    ¡°What now?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°I think I saw a nice place for lunch.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even 11:00 yet.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can have beer until then. They call the place a beer garden! I have never been there, but it looks nice.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit early?¡± Although I had to admit the idea did appeal to me. Seeing the collar trigger on Elise¡­ Beer would certainly help with some memories.

    ¡°It¡¯s never too early for beer.¡± Skadi said.

    Cassie shrugged. ¡°Some nobles have wine for breakfast. And we don¡¯t have classes today.¡±

    Since there was no real objection Helena led us there. The beer garden was an open area with wooden chairs and round tables. There were trees in between to provide some shade. Which was good, since it was a rather hot day.

    A waiter welcomed us at the entrance. ¡°Greetings! Table for¡­ four? Your servant will have to wait outside.¡± He looked at the draugr.

    ¡°Um, sure. Can I bring Nyx?¡± I asked while pointing at my head.

    He studied our uniform. ¡°A small undead pet is fine.¡±

    We were shown to a table and he handed us the menu. This is when I noticed that there was a tap built into the centre of the table. ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°The tap built inside the table tracks how much you consume. There is a counter here.¡± He pointed at a small dial. ¡°We brew the beer ourselves. One mug costs 5 copper. If you want to drink something else you can order it from the menu.¡±

    ¡°This is genius!¡± Helena said.

    The waiter smiled. ¡°This establishment was founded by a dwarf and he is currently opening multiple restaurants around the country. We have only been in business for a year but it is quite popular.¡± Then he briefly left and returned with four mugs.

    ¡°Dwarfs have great ideas.¡± Skadi said while starting to fill the mugs.

    ¡°How did you find this place, Helena?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I just saw it from a distance. I liked the name. Beer garden. I did not know it was this cool!¡± She responded.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Cassie said. ¡°We are sort of in a garden,¡± she pointed at the trees, ¡°and they focus on beer.¡±

    It was not the most creative name but it fit. And it did have a nice ring to it. The beer was cold and refreshing. It had a nice bitter taste I enjoyed.

    ¡°Are you alright, Koyuki?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Sure, why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±

    ¡°Because you saw someone get punished by a collar.¡± Helena said. She was very perceptive. ¡°You have never told us much but I do know that your life was¡­ hard.¡±

    ¡°It was rather unpleasant.¡± I confirmed. ¡°Mostly it was just a strict school and a lot of chores. But the punishment for disobedience was... painful.¡±

    ¡°If you ever need to talk, we are here for you.¡± Helena said. Cassie and Skadi nodded.

    Nyx jumped from my head into my lap. Then she looked at me.

    I smiled at them and started petting Nyx. ¡°You being here is enough for now. Let¡¯s enjoy some beer together.¡±

 CHAPTER 75: Drunken Ideas

    After the first round of drinks we decided to order some food. The menu had a lot of meat.

    ¡°You can order an entire grilled chicken? Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You can also order half of a chicken. And some people are hungry.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I am gonna go for a crispy pork knuckle.¡± Helena decided.

    ¡°Oh, they have some spicy sausages. I am gonna try those.¡± Cassie said.

    Should I try the chicken? Hm. They had some boar ribs. Maybe I would go for those. The only boar I ever had was the horned one we killed. And it was nice.

    We signalled the waiter and ordered our food. Skadi actually went for a whole chicken.

    ¡°What would you like as side dishes?¡± The waiter asked.

    ¡°What do you recommend?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°We do have various forms of potatoes. A salad, mashed, fried, baked,... Or, we do have some very nice bread. You could have a basket to share with some variety.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for the bread,¡± Skadi suggested. We nodded.

    We had another round of beers until the food arrived. I was starting to feel a bit tipsy. Having a tap right in front of you was devious. I loved it.

    My ribs were glazed with a slightly sweet and smoky sauce. They were delicious. The bread we got was a mixture of pretzels, slices of sourdough and some other pieces with seeds on them. It was warm, fresh and went well with the meat.

    As I finished my first rib and tried to place the bone back on the plate a head appeared. Nyx, who was still on my lap, bit into the bone.

    ¡°You want that?¡± I asked her.

    A chewing noise was the reply. Nyx devoured the bone rather quickly.

    ¡°She has never done that before.¡± Helena noted. ¡°It¡¯s not the first time we eat something with bones.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there is something special about the boar?¡± I said.

    Skadi took a bone from the chicken she was eating and held it in front of Nyx. It was devoured as well.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Nope. Looks like she wants all sorts of bones. Maybe she is growing? I mean, besides her shapeshifting. Do you think her biggest form can grow bigger?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°I have no idea. Maybe she can use it to strengthen her bones? Or help them repair?¡± It was an interesting development. There should not be any magic in our food. Undead essentially survived on magic, as far as I knew.

    ¡°Or she is just turning into a glutton.¡± Helena suggested. Nyx ignored her and stared at the ribs.

    I ate the next one and fed the bone to Nyx. At least she patiently waited for me to finish the meat on it first.

    Being a smart feline, she quickly realised that my lap was not the most efficient place to get fed. So she moved to the centre of the table. Helena and Skadi had bones as well, after all. Cassie started stealing small bones from Skadi¡¯s chicken to feed Nyx as well.

    When we were done, all the food was gone. And all the bones had been devoured. I felt rather full. Nyx returned to my lap. The waiter was a bit surprised as he collected the dishes.

    ¡°What happened to the bones?¡± He asked.

    ¡°My pet ate them.¡± I responded.

    ¡°How can a skeleton eat things? It does not have a stomach.¡±

    ¡°Magic.¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s called devouring.¡±

    ¡°Huh. You learn something new every day.¡± The waiter said. ¡°We just throw them away usually.¡±

    ¡°That seems like a waste.¡± Helena said. ¡°Can¡¯t they be used for necromancy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I suspect most necromancers don¡¯t need chickens. But if you want them¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°You would have to talk to the manager.¡± He finished collecting the plates and left.

    I noticed that my mug was empty and refilled it at the tap. The beer was really nice.

    ¡°Maybe you could get free bones from all the restaurants!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°What would I do with them?¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    ¡°Besides feeding Nyx.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you combine them into some super undead?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Combining them would be possible but complicated and not worth the effort. Besides the difficulty of the spell you would also need to make sure the creature functions. It would need to be able to walk without falling over. The other problem would be its behaviour. An undead wolf still has the fighting instincts of a wolf. It knows how its body works. It knows how to use its teeth.¡± I explained.

    ¡°But you could animate a boar. That might be useful.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they have a full boar skeleton. They don¡¯t serve all parts of it. The most complete skeleton would be a chicken.¡± I said.

    ¡°You could still have an army of undead chickens¡­¡± Helena sounded slightly disappointed. ¡°Wait, what if they could change size? Become giant chickens?¡± Some of her enthusiasm returned.

    ¡°I can¡¯t replicate Nyx. Changing her size is her power. Not something I added. I think¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°But you could give them frost power.¡± Skadi said while refilling her mug.

    ¡°I am not sure how powerful a chicken would be, even with that¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be missing the heads anyway? It¡¯s not like they are served as food.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°True.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Maybe you could get them from a butcher¡­¡± Helena pondered.

    ¡°Or, there might be a reason why necromancers are not working with restaurants.¡± I said.

    ¡°Pff, others just lack vision! I think we are onto something here!¡± Helena refilled her mug.

    I had another sip of beer. Was there really something we were missing? Could I find a use for a bunch of animal bones? A chicken was lacking a strong natural attack, or the ability to use weapons. Frost powers could help but how much magic could you stuff into a chicken? It might just be a waste of mana to animate them.

    ¡°Explosions!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need the chicken to do anything, just strap bombs to them!¡± She suggested. Then she tried to have a sip and noticed her mug was empty. She quickly refilled it.

    ¡°YES!¡± Helena exclaimed. ¡°An army of exploding skeleton chickens!¡±

    I scratched my head. Was there something wrong with the idea? I mean, it could work¡­ ¡°Might be expensive to create a lot of bombs¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides bombs you could add other things. Like the smoke stuff. People wouldn¡¯t see chicken as a threat. They are small. If you can make them fast¡­¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°We need to do this!¡± Helena said.

    I took another sip of my beer. Maybe it was worth a try.

 CHAPTER 76: The Morning After

    We continued drinking and discussing the plan. Skadi volunteered to negotiate for the bones. Not now, of course. She would try it another day. We were all a bit tipsy but the plan seemed better by the minute.

    Skadi would organise the materials, Cassie would make the bombs and Helena would help where she could. With a skeleton we could not do the same water trick, sadly. Then again, we were not going for fancy undead anyway. All they needed to do was run. Draugr chickens would have been overkill.

    We left the beer garden sometime in the afternoon and made our way back to the academy. Somehow we ended up drinking more in the evening. The next morning I had a slight headache.

    ¡°Ugh. Is this what they call a hangover?¡± I asked my friends at breakfast.

    ¡°Probably. Dwarves are a lot more resilient.¡± Skadi said. She was the only one without any signs of discomfort.

    ¡°I wish I were a dwarf¡­¡± Helena groaned.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°We are awesome.¡±

    ¡°I need to create a potion against this¡­¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Healing does help. Also, hydration. Next time, drink more water.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°You could have told us that yesterday.¡± I complained.

    ¡°True. I always forget that not everyone is a dwarf when it comes to drinking.¡±

    ¡°Healing potions are expensive, I need to find a cheaper solution.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Or Skadi needs to learn healing! I am sure blood magic could help.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I won¡¯t learn that this year though.¡± She responded.

    ¡°Anyway, we are sticking with the chicken plan, right?¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I will use today to negotiate some deals. Tomorrow we will have classes again. I want it done before that. Maybe we can arrange a collection every Solday.¡± Skadi proposed.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx was sitting on the table and looking at Skadi.

    ¡°I will try to get some bones for you as well.¡± She said,

    Nyx curled up, looking satisfied.

    ¡°We still need a way for the undead to trigger the bombs.¡± Helena said. It was an interesting problem. ¡°We can¡¯t strap them to their heads and have them run into things. That would make the explosives too vulnerable.¡±

    ¡°Will they even have heads? Wait, will they have feet? The feet are not served in a restaurant.¡± That was not something we had considered yesterday.

    ¡°I am sure I can get them from a butcher.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Otherwise we will have to strap something to their legs. We have those.¡±

    Was our idea really that great? Yesterday it sounded a lot better. Oh well, at least it would be good training to animate all those skeletons.

    ¡°I think once Koyuki animates the first chickens we have to try a few different designs and see what works.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Ideally, we place something inside the rib cage to keep it protected. Then we just need a way to trigger it. Will the chickens be able to use mana?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡± A normal skeleton did not have magic. There was a way to create a true skeletal mage, but I did not know how. And it would be more expensive. Certainly a waste for a minion carrying a bomb. A natural ability, like the draugr¡¯s frost armour, was more feasible. It would be magic but in a limited way. And I only had a water affinity. Not the most explosive element.

    ¡°Could water trigger an explosion, somehow?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Water does not generally explode.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°There are things that explode with water.¡± Cassie corrected her.

    ¡°There are?¡± Helena sounded surprised.

    ¡°Yes, but they are not very popular. Most alchemical bombs are based on fire and air. Actually, you are probably not familiar with basic designs, right? Do you know why I throw potions and they trigger on impact?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°Ok. There are several ways to design that. First, a potion you have to prime. You need to insert mana, then it triggers a few seconds later. Not a popular version because it can only be used by a mage. You can also use a fuse. Everyone can ignite that, in theory, but it can be tricky in a battle, unless you are a fire mage. What is more common is an impact trigger. There are a few different ways you can achieve that.¡±

    Cassie took a sip of water, then continued: ¡°First, contact with the air. This means you need an airtight container to store it. They can be a bit tricky to manufacture without blowing yourself up but they work very well. Another method would be two substances that trigger when mixed. So your bomb has two compartments, on impact they blend and¡­ boom!¡±

    She mimicked an explosion with her hands.

    ¡°There are also more complex triggers. Some that need a certain force to go off. Or they need to come in contact with something specific. There are monsters that emit a gas cloud and potions that trigger inside it to combat them, for example.¡±

    ¡°So, if you trip, what are the odds of you exploding?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I know how to store my potions. Alchemists have proper pouches with cushioning. But I would not recommend stuffing one in your back pocket, or something like that. Also, I use a mixture or bombs that need mana infusions and air triggers. The really nasty stuff requires infusions. Since I make them for myself it¡¯s not a problem.¡±

    ¡°So, what determines which bones a skeleton can move? Just instinct? It¡¯s not like they have muscles.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You are the necromancer.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°True. I am just wondering. Could I train the chickens to squeeze their ribs? We put the bomb there and they crush it?¡±

    ¡°That could work!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Certainly worth a try.¡± Skadi agreed.

    Maybe we could make the idea work. For now we had to wait until Skadi organised some bones. Also, my headache was getting better. The food seemed to help.

 CHAPTER 77: Undead and Magic

    I used the last day before classes returned for training. There was not much else to do. My friends had their interviews with the royal investigator today. They were brief and uneventful. Skadi went to the city afterwards and returned triumphant. She told us she had a deal for some bones. We could collect them in a week.

    Cassie was busy brewing potions and improving her alchemy. Cost would certainly be a problem if we wanted to create an exploding chicken army. My friends had money, I did not. And their resources were not endless either. Coming up with a way to make money would be helpful. Maybe we could set up an alchemy business, somehow.

    On Lunday classes resumed and I was rather happy about it. Learning magic was exciting. Checking today¡¯s schedule, I was really looking forward to advanced death magic. Undead were fascinating. Besides the draugr, I even brought my goblins along. Obviously Nyx was always with me.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Tim asked, while pointing at the draugr, as I entered the classroom. He and his brother Tom were already here. They only had rat skeletons so far. I wondered if they had actually used them in combat during the field trip.

    ¡°It¡¯s a draugr. A sort of frost zombie.¡± I explained. Although it was much cooler than a normal zombie, pun intended. My internal joke made me smile.

    ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°I was in the city with friends, and got attacked by an Ilestrian priestess. Nyx killed her bodyguard and I made him an undead.¡± I said, proudly.

    ¡°Ilestrians, bunch of fanatics. We should really remind them of their place.¡± Tim said.

    ¡°Oh, a new undead?¡± I heard Leo say. He must have entered just behind me. ¡°You keep impressing me. My offer of support still stands.¡±

    I turned around and looked into his smiling face. ¡°Thank you for the offer but I will have to decline.¡± I said with a polite smile. That guy was persistent.

    Gronir¡¯s arrival saved me from more conversation. ¡°Hello students! We have an exciting lesson today! As you have likely noticed, Koyuki created a new undead. This is a draugr and it has certain ice powers. So today we are going over undead and their use of mana.¡±

    Tom raised his hand.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Tom.¡±

    ¡°Can we create a draugr without having a water affinity?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Ah, good question! The answer is yes, but not easily. There are artefacts that allow you to channel enough water mana to add some to your undead. But those are rare and expensive. They are also limited in the power they can produce. The other method would be to animate a creature that has a water affinity.¡±

    He paused, considered for a moment, then clarified his answer: ¡°To be more precise, you need a corpse containing that affinity. Not every creature retains it after death. It also depends on the freshness of the corpse and the specific spell used. Another way would be to raise a tier three undead. A tier three is capable of possessing their own affinity. If you made a water mage into a tier three undead they could retain their power.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°Which brings us nicely to the topic of undead using magic. The link you have to your minions supplies them with mana. It feeds them and can be used to control them. A stronger undead needs more mana and therefore costs more to keep around. But a bond provides a bit more than they need to survive. The excess is stored in their body. Once that is full it either bleeds off or strengthens the undead over time. Having the same minion for longer can pay off.¡±

    Tim raised his hand.

    ¡°Tim.¡±

    ¡°So we always supply the same amount, no matter if they currently need it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°But how can my draugr create such a sturdy ice armour with the little amount of mana I give him? It would cost me so much more!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Two things. First, the undead stores the mana you send. Meaning he is using more than the bond provides and would eventually run out of mana. Then he would need time to replenish it. Second, undead are incredibly efficient when it comes to their casting. Their abilities are not spells, they are more like a dragon¡¯s breath. A natural ability.¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo¡±

    ¡°Is there another way for undead to gain mana?¡±

    ¡°Yes! If you remember Nyx eating the newly animated rat skeleton.¡± Nyx did not react to her name. She was curled up on my desk. ¡°That was a devouring. Undead, at least some of them, can devour other creatures with mana. Usually the living. It¡¯s used by natural undead to feed. It is not a common ability for skeletons. Another way to gain mana is to absorb it from the surroundings. That would require death mana to be in the air.¡±

    ¡°What about a tier three undead mage?¡± I forgot to raise my hand but he did not mind.

    ¡°Ah, tier three are truly special. They are not just intelligent, they can have a core. That is why a natural tier three can command other undead. When you have a tier three minion, the bond is not about feeding them, but to keep them controlled and bound to your will.¡± Gronir explained.

    ¡°So you could have an infinite army if you controlled tier threes and they controlled other undead.¡± Leo mused.

    ¡°Not quite. There would be a limit on how many tier threes you can bind. And there would be a chance of them growing powerful enough to challenge the bond.¡±

    ¡°You said undead can use the mana they get through the bond to grow stronger over time. How does that work?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not all undead can do that. It really helps if they are properly raised and enhanced with alchemy. Also, they won¡¯t suddenly go up a tier. But a skeleton would get harder bones and more strength. It¡¯s most notable with something like your draugr. It¡¯s also not a fast process. But if you keep it for 10 years you will likely see some improvement.¡±

    10 years? That was not quite as amazing as I had hoped. More importantly, would Nyx grow stronger? And did Nyx have a core? She was too intelligent for a tier two. But she also did not speak. I stared at the little mystery on my desk. Purple eyes stared back.

 CHAPTER 78: Bones

    After the lesson I approached Gronir. ¡°Sir, is there a place where I could store my undead? I am working on something with my friends. I might have a few more minions soon. They would be small animals.¡±

    I did not want to admit that we were planning to strap bombs to undead chickens.

    ¡°Small animals? Hm. That should be fine and good training. If you raise an actual army you need approval, by the way. Maybe I should have told you this sooner but having more than 50 undead soldiers requires registration and a permit.¡±

    ¡°Oh. What is considered a soldier?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Now that is debatable. Usually anything that can fight on the level of a person with a simple weapon. As part of the army, you are getting a permit automatically when you graduate. A student already raising an army is not a normal circumstance.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I will talk with the headmaster and see if you can get one sooner. Until then, don¡¯t raise more than 50 soldiers. And I approve of your small animal plan. You can use them to learn how to coordinate troops.¡±

    ¡°Where could I keep them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, right. I can give you access to one of our underground storage areas. There is an empty one that is currently not needed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±

    Mission accomplished! The remaining week passed swiftly and Solday arrived. Skadi and Helena grabbed my horse and went out to collect the first batch of bones. Meanwhile, Cassie and myself readied the lab. We prepared a cleaning solution and set up two baths. My goblins and draugr would help with the cleaning. Nyx¡­ Well, she was watching.

    My friends arrived carrying big bags. ¡°Next time we will use our undead to carry!¡± Helena said. ¡°Although, I guess it counts as training.¡±

    ¡°Are all of those chicken bones?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, we have some others as well to feed Nyx.¡± Skadi said.

    The feline in question was already approaching one of the bags. Skaid threw her a bone, which she caught with her mouth.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Ok, we have set up stations!¡± Cassie explained. ¡°First the bones go into this bath.¡± She pointed at it with her finger. ¡±It will be handled by Koyuki and her minions. It¡¯s mostly about stripping any remaining flesh, sauce and other things off the bones. The second bath is a proper wash. Afterwards, we will have to assemble chickens out of the piles we have. Make sure the bones fit and that you don¡¯t pick two legs with different lengths.¡±

    ¡°Anything left over we can feed to Nyx, or keep for next week. Once we have a bunch of complete skeletons I will raise them.¡± I added.

    Helena volunteered for the second cleaning station. Skadi and Cassie would be assembling the skeletons.

    Food waste did not smell particularly good but I was used to some bad smells by now. Necromancy was not a clean profession. I tried to use a little bit of necrotic mana to help clean the bones. With only myself and undead working on this station I considered it safe.

    Nyx realised that her bones were in a different bag than the chicken remains. Instead of waiting for people to throw her something she took matters into her own paws. Nyx simply approached the bag and crawled into it.

    ¡°Um. Should we¡­ stop her?¡± Cassie asked.

    We all looked at the bag. The tip of her tail still poked out and we could hear crunching noises.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°They were meant for her anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she can get fat. I think.¡± I added. ¡°As long as she does not eat the assembled chickens it¡¯s fine.¡±

    We left Nyx to her feast and continued our work. At some point the crunching stopped but she did not emerge. It looked like Nyx decided to sleep inside the empty bag.

    ¡°Some of those bones are chipped or broken. I wonder how well they will work.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Undead can heal, right?¡± Helena said. ¡°Should they not mend themselves once they are animated?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure. I think they will only heal to the state they were in when the undead was created. Although, I learned that they can grow stronger over time. So perhaps they would fix any defects over the years.¡± I speculated.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, as long as they can run.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°And trigger the bombs. We still have to work out a proper system. I might have to order special flasks that fit into the ribcage. Hey, if you deliberately break a bone before raising them, does this create an artificial joint?¡± Cassie asked.

    I scratched my head. ¡°Maybe? I think the problem is that an undead that does not follow an existing creature¡¯s design will be lacking the instincts to use their abilities. It¡¯s a bit weird, since draugrs seem to know how to use ice powers¡­ But they do exist naturally.¡±

    Then I realised I had just scratched my head with my hand. A hand that was covered in the filth of the cleaning bath. Which was now in my hair. I blushed and quickly went to the tap to get some clean water. My friends were clearly amused by my predicament.

    Thankfully a distraction emerged. Nyx crawled out of her bag and stretched.

    ¡°When you are done washing your hair you should wash Nyx. There is sauce sticking to her bones.¡± Helena teased.

    She could manifest a magical tongue and lick things. But apparently she was not in a mood to clean herself. I sighed, picked up the feline and started washing her in the sink. She purred.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting that she tolerates the water.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°Maybe because she has a water affinity and frost powers? Also, some bigger cats like water.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t know what she was while alive. Or what sort of undead was inside those bones¡­¡± Nyx was my loyal companion but there were still a lot of unanswered questions. Once she was clean she sat on the edge of the counter. And began licking the water from her bones.

    ¡°We do have the first skeletons assembled.¡± Cassie said. ¡°You can start raising your first chicken!¡±

 CHAPTER 79: Design

    My friends all watched as I used my magic. Raising a chicken skeleton was not really that difficult. I briefly debated making it only tier one but decided I had enough capacity for a tier two. It might need the slight boost to properly understand its orders, depending on how we made the bombs.

    ¡°Whooooo!¡± Helena cheered as the chicken stood up.

    ¡°Now we can design the bombs!¡± Cassie said. She approached the skeleton and lifted it on a workbench. Then she began studying it. We all stood around her and watched.

    ¡°Hm. We might have to order something with the right size and form to hold the potion.¡± Cassie said as she poked the skeleton.

    ¡°Could we use something softer? Like a waterskin?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Technically yes. But we could not shatter that. So we would need a different way of triggering the bomb.¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°If you use something that explodes in contact with air you would only need to open it.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°A waterskin might not be airtight. That would be rather dangerous. No, with that we would need something different to trigger it. Like two compartments.¡±

    ¡°Maybe a hard bottle is the way to go after all.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°Probably the easiest way to do it.¡± Cassie confirmed.

    I observed the skeleton. Skadi had done a great job and even got some heads from a butcher. So it was mostly complete. I think the neck locked a bit too short. It was clear that not all bones came from the same chicken but it was functional. I gave it a command.

    ¡°What is it doing?¡± Helena asked.

    The chicken was moving its head downwards towards its ribcage. It tried to shove its beak between its ribs.

    ¡°I thought maybe it could just peck the bomb to trigger it.¡± I explained.

    We all watched. It looked awkward but kind of worked. Having only bones gave the creature a certain mobility.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Hm. That could work but how fast can it do that?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°What if we attach something to the beak? Like a needle.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°It would make it look like the chicken is armed. It might even distract from the bomb.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°I am gonna go to the city next week and order special bottles. Then we can run some experiments.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°What about the wings?¡± Helena asked. ¡°It can move those.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it could crush something with them. Hold on.¡± Cassie grabbed a bunch of glass tubes. ¡°Ok, have it try to break one of those with a wing. Try the beak as well.¡±

    Skadi held the tube between the chicken¡¯s body and wing. The undead tried to crush it. Some cracks appeared but it did not shatter.

    ¡°Maybe I can make the wing stronger?¡± I wondered. Crushing glass did take a certain amount of strength. Especially since we needed it thick enough to not break by accident.

    ¡°What if it just pulled something? Like opening the vial and letting air in?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°You mean attach a rope, or something? Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°Might work. We would need to experiment with the design. Let¡¯s see how well it can peck first.¡± Cassie said.

    We tried the beak next. It needed a couple of hits to break the glass.

    ¡°We would need a needle or something. That takes too long.¡± I reasoned.

    ¡°What about a small armoured helmet for the chicken with a spike at the beak?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Sounds cool but also expensive. We are going for a cheap bomb delivery.¡± I reminded her.

    ¡°It needs to be better than a needle, we are revolutionising warfare here!¡± Helena proclaimed.

    ¡°Um¡­ What are we going to use those for anyway? It¡¯s not like there is a war currently.¡± I asked. It was a topic we had not actually discussed. What would we do once we had our chicken army?

    ¡°We can use them at the next field exercise!¡± Helena said. ¡°Just imagine if we had them against the spiders.¡±

    I imagined the scene in my mind. A sea of spiders moving towards us. And an army of undead chickens charging them. I imagined a dark night illuminated by exploding chickens. Parts of spiders flying around, flames swallowing our enemies¡­ Ok, I was sold.

    ¡°Maybe we can dip the beaks in metal, or something.¡± Skadi suggested. ¡°We would need a forge but it should not require much smithing. We just pour some metal over the bones.¡±

    ¡°Can bones withstand the heat?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Just animate them first and learn the healing spell. I am sure you can keep it whole while the metal cools.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Is there a forge nearby that we can rent?¡± I asked. ¡°How much would that cost, or the metal?¡±

    ¡°The academy has one actually. The metal¡­ we would not need that much. Especially since we don¡¯t need the best quality. All we need is a sharper pointy end on their beak. I think we could learn to do that ourselves without a smith.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Maybe we could just file the bone first. Then we would not need metal. Wait, is a beak even made from bone?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Who cares, let¡¯s go for the metal!¡± Helena exclaimed. We all looked at her. ¡°We can even use it in the name! The order of the iron beaks! That is a great name for our army!¡± She was getting really enthusiastic.

    ¡°You want to name our exploding undead chicken army the order of iron beaks?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She responded.

    ¡°It does have a nice ring to it.¡± Cassie said. Skadi nodded.

    ¡°See! We need to rent a forge and try this.¡± Helena said.

    It was hard to disagree with her enthusiasm. And hey, the idea might be worth a try. Maybe we could even use the metal to create sparks or something and ignite the bombs that way.

 CHAPTER 80: Iron Beak

    There was no way to get a forge, and some metal, today. So we simply continued with the creation of more undead chickens. Despite the amount of bones we had, we only managed to get nine full chicken skeletons out of the first haul. But it was a start.

    It took us another two weeks to rent the academy forge. At least it gave me time to learn the heal undead spell. Skadi had organised some metal and Cassie had bought containers that would fit into the ribcage of our undead. As we all met to continue our experiments Cassie looked gloomy.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked her.

    She sighed. ¡°I got a letter from my mom this morning. She heard concerning news about my behaviour, apparently.¡±

    ¡°Was it Florence complaining about you?¡± Helena asked.

    Cassie shrugged. ¡°No idea. But the letter also said she might consider lowering my allowance. She thinks I am spending too much on alchemy and not enough time looking for a husband. She even hinted that she might come to visit!¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it easier to explain things to her?¡± I asked.

    Cassie looked at me. ¡°No, no it wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°At least she cares enough about you to visit.¡± Skadi said. ¡°That has to count for something.¡±

    Cassie considered that. ¡°You know, she would never just visit to check on me. It makes no sense. There must be something else. Did you get a letter, Helena?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    ¡°I am thinking more nobles might show up and my mother is using me as an excuse to meet them!¡±  Cassie concluded.

    ¡°Are you sure she is not just concerned?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am at the Royal Military Academy. My mother knew it would be dangerous. Fighting is to be expected. It¡¯s not like I was majorly wounded or anything.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°You did get wounded by the vampiric nightshade.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°It was just my foot and it was completely healed before we even got back to the academy. I am not even sure if she knows about it.¡± Cassie said.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Whatever happens, we got your back.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Thanks. I guess it''s time to make the iron beaks a reality. We might need them in the dark days ahead!¡± Cassie sounded more enthusiastic again. That was good. I just hoped she did not really think she needed an army to face her mother.

    ¡°That is the spirit!¡± Helena exclaimed. ¡°A proper show of force always helps in negotiations!¡±

    Last Solday we had added another seven skeletons, now we had 16 undead chickens in total. We had even managed to hide them from the other students. No one knew what our plans were. Today we brought four chickens to the forge for experimentation.

    ¡°How does this work?¡± I asked my friends. I had no idea about forging.

    ¡°This is the smelter.¡± Skadi said while pointing at a stone cylinder. ¡°We can melt the iron in there. Then we will dip the beak into it. I will quickly move it over to the forge and make sure the tip is sharp. Afterwards we cool it with water. My earth magic will help me shape it. I have actually practised for this during the last two weeks.¡±

    ¡°You visited the forge during the last weeks?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Um no, I practised the relevant magic.¡± Skadi admitted. Well, she did sound confident.

    ¡°I can provide the cooling.¡± Helena said. ¡°Koyuki, you heal the skeleton so the beak won¡¯t be damaged.¡±

    Nyx was watching from my head. She had not eaten any of the finished skeletons so far but some of the leftover bones had mysteriously vanished when no one was looking.

    We all watched as Cassie used her fire magic to power the smelter. It could be operated with normal fire but it was primarily designed for a mage. Unsurprising, at an academy that taught mages, I suppose.

    ¡°Ok, I will start the first try.¡± Skadi announced. She picked up the undead and moved it to the molten metal. ¡°Ready?¡±

    I focused on my magic and readied the healing spell. I was not very good at it but I could compensate by using a lot of mana. ¡°Ready.¡± I announced.

    As soon as the beak made contact with the metal it began to smoke. I immediately unleashed my spell. So far it seemed to be working. Skadi quickly carried the chicken to the forge, then she used magic to ensure a sharp tip.

    ¡°Now!¡± Skadi said. Helena conjured water to cool the metal. Half of it drenched Skadi but it seemed to work. A few drops of iron had landed on the floor, Skadi was wet, but the operation seemed to be a success. We all examined the result.

    Helena touched the beak. ¡°It¡¯s sharp!¡± She announced.

    Cassie grabbed one of her bomb containers. ¡°Ok, this thing will hold the potions. The beak needs to hit this area here in the centre.¡± She pointed at a small section. ¡°We will go for a two compartment system. I think that is the best method and it works for the kind of bombs I have in mind.¡±

    She placed the container within the rib cage. The vulnerable section was exactly between two ribs. For now, we used a rope to ensure the bomb stayed in place.

    ¡°Wait, is this actually going to explode?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°Really?¡± Skadi asked, again.

    Cassie blushed. ¡°Maybe a little bit¡­ But it¡¯s not going to harm the skeleton! It is a celebratory explosion!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it!¡± Helena suggested. But she did take a step back. I did so as well.

    At first the skeleton failed to hit the mark. It actually hit its own rib. I winced and used the undead heal. The third try was successful. We heard the glass shatter, then a short sizzling¡­

    And it exploded. It was big enough to catch me by surprise and I stumbled backwards.

    ¡°A small explosion, you said!¡± Skadi complained.

    ¡°THIS WAS AWESOME!¡± Helena cheered.

    ¡°See, it was so cool! Totally worth it!¡± Cassie added.

    I had lost my concentration so the healing spell was not working anymore. The chicken skeleton lost one of its legs and fell over.

    ¡°Eh, you can fix that.¡± Cassie said. Nyx jumped from my head next to the chicken. She poked it with a paw. Then she began to grow¡­

    Before I could open my mouth to protest she started chewing the undead.

    ¡°Ok, maybe you can¡¯t fix that. But it¡¯s not my fault!¡± Cassie said. At least she was not gloomy anymore. And I had to admit, it was kind of cool.

 CHAPTER 81: Meeting

    Nyx spit out the metal. Apparently it was not tasty. Or maybe she was unable to devour it. She did not have a stomach to digest things after all. Interestingly, the metal was clearly chewed. It was not particularly thick but it showed how strong Nyx¡¯ teeth were. After she was done, she looked at me. Then she materialised her tongue and started licking her paw.

    ¡°Oh well, we do have more chickens¡­.¡± I said.

    Skadi tried to look grumpy but there was a slight smile she could not hide. She loved the explosion as well.

    We had three more test chickens with us so we continued our work. There were no more explosions though. Cassie had proven the concept. The only thing that might need improvement was the way we secured the bomb inside the ribcage. It needed to be a rather precise placement to ensure that the beak hit the right spot. Rope worked for now, but would it hold up in combat situations? Maybe we would find a better solution in time.

    The following weeks we kept working hard to increase our army. Cassie experimented with different potions we could attach to the chickens. She also said she worked on a sort of glue that would help secure the bombs. Of course, we did not neglect our studies and steadily improved our magic as well.

    It was Solday, the 6th Inares, when I got a message to report to the headmasters office. We were having breakfast when the message was delivered by a maid.

    ¡°Do you think this is about the iron beaks?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°I am not sure. We do have 54 right now and I still don¡¯t have a licence for an army¡­¡± Oh no, did the chickens count as soldiers? They were not strong by themselves¡­

    ¡°I am sure you will be fine.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Worst case the evidence just¡­ explodes.¡±

    While my friends seemed unconcerned I was slightly worried on the way to the headmaster¡¯s office. Then again, there were a lot of possible reasons for this conversation. Maybe it had to do with the assassination attempts. I knocked at the door.

    ¡°Enter.¡±

    Interestingly Erik was not alone. Irene was there as well.

    I saluted. ¡°Reporting as order, sir.¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°At ease. Now, I am sure you are wondering why you are here.¡± He said.

    I nodded.

    ¡°First, I do have a licence for you to summon more undead in the service of the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Sir, what does this mean?¡±

    ¡°Mostly it means that your undead can be drafted. It¡¯s a normal provision to ensure a civilian necromancer, like an adventurer, has a certain obligation to the kingdom if they decide to create a small force. For you, it is meaningless, since you are going to be part of the army anyway.¡± Erik explained.

    ¡°But this is not the true reason we called you here.¡± Irene said. ¡°There are two interesting pieces of information for you.¡± She smiled cryptically.

    ¡°First, Princess Olivia is coming to meet you.¡± Erik said.

    I just stared, my mouth hanging open.

    Erik ignored my expression. ¡°She has been informed of your potential and accomplishments. It has made her curious. Just be honest and polite with her and you will be fine. She might ask for a demonstration of your power, but that should not be a problem for you. Also, her arrival will likely attract a lot of other nobles. I expect it will lead to at least one ball, or other sort of event.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I will do my best, sir.¡± I was still overwhelmed with the information. Meeting the princess? My sponsor? I would need some time to digest that information.

    ¡°Now, Irene has some information as well.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°Indeed. Nyx is accompanying you most of the time, isn¡¯t she?¡± Irene said, while staring at my head. I wondered if Nyx was staring back.

    ¡°Is that a problem ma¡¯am? I am not always sure if it is appropriate to bring her.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, she is your guardian, after all.¡± The way Irene emphasised the word guardian was weird. Also, there was some stirring on my head.

    ¡°I have done some digging. Our information about Kitara is not the best. But I have found an interesting story. It was about a dark foxkin and mentioned a protector. A divine guardian. Now, I don¡¯t believe that the gods would care enough about anyone to grant them protection. That part is likely superstition. But it talked about a mighty beast of unquestionable loyalty. A beast which defied death.¡±

    Not exactly the words I would have used to describe Nyx.

    Irene continued: ¡°You did bind your undead with a special spell, did you not? Something you discovered in the moment, not something you have been taught? It was¡­ instinct.¡±

    ¡°Yes. But I thought discovering a spell by myself was not that uncommon for someone with a lot of potential.¡± I said.

    ¡°For someone who becomes an archmage, you mean. You don¡¯t have to be modest.¡± Erik said. ¡°And yes, I did discover a spell or two myself.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°Maybe it''s a coincidence. But my inquiries have found numerous mentions of dark foxkin and guardians. Only one story had some details, unfortunately. It is possible that you have discovered a spell that is more widely used by your people. It might even be more than a spell and something of a racial ability. The power to bind a true undead beast to your will. Of course, we don¡¯t have any real useful information. How many could you bind? Are there some special powers bestowed onto your guardian? Or are they just normal undead?¡± Irene said.

    ¡°But, can¡¯t all necromancers control wild undead?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yes, to a degree. Subjugating a true undead beast takes a lot of power. And usually they don¡¯t serve willingly and will fight the bond. The unquestionable loyalty was the curious part. Of course, it might be fiction. But it is at least enough to investigate further. Please let me know if Nyx does anything unusual.¡± Irene said.

    Unusual? She was a cat. Felines defied logic anyway.

    ¡°We have no formal relationship with Kitara and a treacherous ocean between us. But there have been some recent advancements in shipbuilding, which would make a trade deal a lot more interesting. Hopefully it will allow us to gather more information on the subject.¡± Erik added. ¡°For now though, focus on the meeting with the princess. The date has not been finalised yet but it will be soon. And with it will come a lot of politics. Keep your guardian close, you might need her.¡±

 CHAPTER 82: Plan

    I met with my friends afterwards and told them about the conversation. It was a nice morning, so we were sitting in the park. I even got myself some additional coffee from the mess hall.

    ¡°I knew it! My mother is only coming to meet the princess!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t received anything from my father. He has never been that interested in politics. He could also be busy at the border. Although, there are usually less monsters in the summer.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°How did your mother even know about it?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°There is a lot of gossip. Nobles like to talk.¡± Cassie shrugged.

    ¡°And they like to spy on each other.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°I have never met royalty before¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°None of us have. Not personally.¡± Helena said.

    Cassie nodded. ¡°We might be nobles, but we are not important enough to actually meet the royals.¡±

    ¡°You have never seen them?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°We have seen them.¡± Helena clarified. ¡°But not talked to them. This is a great opportunity for you, Koyuki! It will increase your status. It might even get Archibald to shut up. Ok, probably not.¡±

    ¡°Or you could end up with more enemies. It will certainly put you in the spotlight. So far, a lot of students did not pay you too much attention. It¡¯s mostly Archibald¡¯s group, and Leo.¡± Cassie said. ¡°If the princess is coming just to talk to you, it will certainly create a lot of rumours. Keep in mind, almost no one knows about your archmage potential. They simply know that you are a talented necromancer.¡±

    ¡°And yet, someone has tried to kill me. Even on my way here, before I knew about my potential.¡± I wondered.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Might have been the Ilestrians. Just being a potentially powerful necromancer could get them to act.¡± Skadi theorised.

    ¡°Your circumstances were a bit special. That you got a private escort might have been enough for them to see you as a threat.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Not that we know if it was them anyway.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard anything from the royal investigator. I wonder if he has made any progress. Do you think he caught a spy after the interrogation?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I think the teachers will tell me if there are any discoveries about the attacks.¡± So far they had been really helpful.

    ¡°So, what about this guardian business? Do you think Nyx is something special?¡± After a pause Skadi added: ¡°I mean, more special.¡±

    I grabbed my undead companion from my head and sat her in my lap. She yawned and curled up.

    ¡°No idea. But I am wondering about her diet. She has consumed a lot of bones. Maybe she will be able to grow bigger? I haven¡¯t noticed any change in the amount of mana the link consumes. I am not even sure if that can change. What happens if an undead evolves that is bound to a necromancer?¡± Another question I should ask Gronir at some point.

    ¡°Hm, evolve¡­¡± Helena mused. ¡°Have you considered that Nyx might need something else? She is feasting on bones. Maybe she needs magic? Or something connected to her water affinity?¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°Gronir taught us that an undead can grow in strength by absorbing the mana from the bond. But it should take a long time. I have never heard about an undead consuming special things to evolve.¡±

    ¡°So, in some of the stories I have read people get power by consuming beasts. Like a dragon¡¯s heart¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Is that real?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um. Not that I know.¡± Skadi admitted. ¡°But there are always rumours about such rituals¡­¡±

    ¡°I am afraid we don¡¯t have a dragon we could feed to Nyx.¡± I said.

    ¡°An undead dragon would be cool! We need to slay one, one day!¡± Helena proposed.

    ¡°What if we head to the adventures guild and see what monster parts they sell? We bring Nyx, show them to her and see if she wants to devour them.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°But what if Nyx is just a glutton and wants to devour everything? I don¡¯t really have much money. I probably could not afford anything there.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have to buy everything, or anything. But it would be interesting to see if something interests Nyx, right? Also, maybe you could get Irene to pay for it. You know, as an experiment. She seemed interested in Nyx.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I think I would need more to convince her than: My undead cat really wanted to eat this monster part¡­¡± I paused, thinking. ¡°Maybe if we had some actual results. But we would need to buy something first. And then hope Nyx is not just fooling us.¡±

    ¡°It is worth a visit at least. Why don¡¯t we go now? I am going to the city anyway to collect this week''s supply of bones. We could swing by the adventurers guild.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°We could visit the beer garden again, afterwards!¡± Helena suggested.

    It was a nice place. While I did not have the money for monster parts there was enough for a beer, or two.

    ¡°Sounds like a plan. We have been working hard recently. Maybe today we can visit the guild, then relax a bit.¡± I suggested.

    We all agreed. I decided to bring the draugr as well. He was wearing simple black clothes, an arming sword and chain mail. I still remembered our last visit to the guild. We carried arming swords ourselves and wore the school uniform. We also brought my horse.

 CHAPTER 83: Guild

    The last time we were here I didn''t even enter the guild. This time, we had the draugr to watch the horse. On the inside the building featured a reception area where you could hand in requests. There was also a small bar with a few tables nearby. Presumably so groups could meet and plan their next job.

    There were not too many people around. Two humans were having breakfast. Skadi went straight to one of the receptionists and explained our request.

    ¡°Greetings, we are interested in monster parts. We are looking for anything from water affinity monsters and nothing that costs more than 10 gold.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Certainly.¡± The receptionist was a young human man. He smiled at us as he pulled a ledger from a drawer. ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    He led us to a room in the back with a large table on it. ¡°Please wait here while I collect the parts.¡±

    Once he left I addressed Skadi: ¡°Um, 10 gold is a bit too much for me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You don¡¯t have to buy anything. But that should give us a reasonable selection. And I am willing to help. Nyx is part of the team, after all.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Helena added. ¡°I am willing to spend some money on Nyx as well. We are a team, we help each other. And once we can confirm that Nyx actually wants those parts we can plan a hunting trip in the north. During the next holidays. We might even be able to make some money that way.¡±

    Nyx jumped on the table and waited for her treats. She had absolutely no shame and would eagerly devour everything my friends bought. I picked her up to ensure she would not just consume things we had not purchased.

    After a while the man returned with a box. He placed it on the table, together with the ledger. He picked up an item, then looked at the ledger.

    ¡°We have the meat of an ice boar. It¡¯s one gold per kilogram. Then we have the horn of a frost fang. Eight gold. Poison glands of an ice viper, two gold.¡± He placed the items on the table.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What is an ice viper?¡± I asked, while pointing at the gland. Was it a dual affinity creature?

    ¡°Ah. Nasty things. They are not strong in a straight up fight but they have an interesting poison. It causes the body to freeze from the inside out. Unless you have a high water affinity, or a proper cure, it is lethal.¡±

    ¡°I have heard of them. My family is rather resistant so they were never a big deal.¡± Helena said. ¡°I was not aware that they have useful parts.¡±

    ¡°They are a lot cheaper in the north. Also, a lot less useful. I hear they can be turned into cooling potions. They are popular near the desert. Are you interested? We have three glands currently. I could also take a request if you want to order more.¡±

    Nyx was staring at them. But Nyx had also been looking curiously at the other things.

    ¡°What else do you have?¡± I asked.

    ¡°One more thing, the heart of a frost wolf. Nine gold.¡±

    ¡°I think I would like one of the frost glands myself.¡± Cassie said.

    I looked at her. ¡°Are you trying to make a frost explosion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Huh? Cool idea, but no. I have a different plan!¡± She smiled.

    ¡°What kind of plan?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I will tell you later. So, what do you want, Koyuki?¡± Cassie asked.

    Of course the question was what Nyx wanted. But it made sense not to say that out loud.

    ¡°Maybe also one of the glands.¡± They were not that expensive. And Nyx did seem interested. It was hard to tell. I had a feeling she would have eaten everything, if she could.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± The receptionist said. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°No, that would be all.¡± Skadi said.

    We decided that everyone would pay one gold and we would share the cost for the two glands. While Cassie had not told us about her plan, her alchemy had benefited us so far.

    After we paid we made our way to the beer garden. Nyx devoured her new snack rather quickly. Now we would have to wait and see if anything came of it. Then again, it was only one frost gland. At least we had confirmed that Nyx wanted to devour monster parts.

    ¡°So, what is your plan?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Self cooling drinks!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He said they are used for cooling potions. Those are for rather hot climates, to keep people cool for some time. Mostly used by rich people. But what if we could just add the effect to drinks? Like beer? Imagine if we could bottle it, and it would always be cool to drink!¡±

    We all stared at her.

    ¡°If that is possible, why has not anyone done it yet?¡± I asked.

    Cassie shrugged. ¡°Who knows? But I intend to make it happen!¡±

    We arrived at the beer garden and kept discussing her plan while having some drinks. Maybe it was the cool beer but her idea did seem reasonable. I could even help her. I had advanced alchemy as well, after all. I only took it to enhance my undead but why not branch out? Maybe my water affinity could help.

    We spent the remaining day eating, drinking and relaxing. Our studies were going well, the iron beaks were growing in numbers and things looked good. We had earned ourselves a small break. Despite the lazy day, I was exhausted in the evening. I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 84: Preparations

    The information about the princess coming to Lupos spread rather quickly. Over the next week, it became the number one topic everyone talked about. I did not get any additional attention though, meaning the reason for her visit might still be a secret.

    I also learned that there would be a ball.

    ¡°I have no idea how to dance.¡± I told my friends. It was Venday and we were currently having lunch.

    ¡°Me neither¡­¡± Skadi admitted.

    ¡°Oh, we can teach you!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Yes. Dancing can be fun.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Sadly, at most balls you are expected to dance with people you might dislike. Because politics.¡±

    Helena nodded. ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°So, if I don¡¯t learn how to dance I can escape that unpleasantness.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°No, people will just think you are rude if you decline.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I can live with that.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Or, you could learn how to dance and then dance with us!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Is that a thing? Women dancing with each other at a ball?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Partially. It¡¯s ok for close friends and family members. But you are mostly expected to dance with the opposite gender.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°So, you want us to be rude. Just in a different way. By dancing with each other instead of not dancing at all.¡± Skadi observed.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cassie admitted with a big smile.

    While Skadi pondered that, Helena asked me: ¡°Koyuki, did you have any training concerning balls? I am curious.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have learned how to serve at such events. It¡¯s mostly about making sure people have food and drink. Smile at them, be polite and make sure you are there if a glass is empty. Otherwise make sure you are not seen.¡± I explained.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°So, be invisible, until you are needed. Then appear out of nowhere. Like an assassin.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Um. Assassination was not part of the training, no.¡± I said.

    ¡°While I assume Skadi is thinking about the books she loves to read, it¡¯s not entirely unheard of to use staff for murder attempts. Also, you can hide security among the servants. Mostly though, you want them to spy for you. Maids hear many things.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I have been trained as a maid but never really worked as one. We were told to not spill any secrets and forget everything we heard though.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. A good maid would not spy on their master. You want your own servants loyal but you want to bribe the ones of others. It would be a bad look for Rossalyn Academy to have their maids betray their owners.¡± Cassie reasoned.

    ¡°Anyway, how does that ball even work? There are quite a few students here. And some parents are showing up too¡­ Won¡¯t that be too big?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not really.¡± Helena said. ¡°First, I doubt every student will be there. This is not a school event. I suspect only the higher nobility, or those with connections, are invited. Second, big events do happen. Usually you only engage with people in your social circle. Like, if I am at an event where royalty is present I am expected to stay away from them. As the daughter of a count, I am too low to engage with them. Especially since I am not even the heir.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Normally you engage up and down one rank. More or less. It changes a bit depending on your liege lord. And how important your territory or family is. There are counts who serve the king directly, for example. Most are pledged to a duke.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°So, me meeting the princess is a really big deal.¡± I concluded. Great. I was already nervous about that meeting.

    ¡°It kind of puts you on the level of the dukes, yes. Of course, that is only if you look at it in terms of nobility. In the end royals talk to their advisors, accountants, ministers, generals,... If you have an actual function your title is meaningless.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Well, your title might get you the fancy job but otherwise she is right.¡± Cassie added.

    That was a bit of a relief. ¡°So she is just going to talk to a future officer.¡± I said.

    ¡°Future archmage officer. You are likely going to become a general in time. Or maybe get a special title. They will want to keep you happy and loyal.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Yeah. Especially as a necromancer they will keep a close eye on you.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°A necromancer¡¯s biggest weakness is assassination.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°So, you think they will provide bodyguards that are loyal to them? To protect me as long as I am on their side but get rid of me if I were to betray the kingdom?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Cassie said.

    I shrugged. ¡°I have Nyx. And I have you. I doubt I need more protection. We are a team, after all.¡±

    ¡°And we have the Order of the Iron Beaks!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Psst! They are a secret!¡± Cassie pointed out.

    Helena only grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone would figure out what they are by hearing the name. One day people will tremble when they hear it. But for now¡­ they will just have their imagination.¡±

    ¡°Ok, back to the original topic. I think I would like to learn how to dance.¡± I said. Maybe it would be fun?

    ¡°Perfect! It¡¯s a bit like fighting. I am sure you can use the footwork you have learned.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Yes, that also means it counts as training! You always tell me it¡¯s important to train, Skadi.¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi sighed. ¡°Ok. You did train hard since the field trip. It¡¯s only fair that I do this for you.¡±

    Our new training started on the same day. We decided that Helena and Cassie would teach us how to dance every evening, from now on. We learned surprisingly quickly. Maybe all the weapon training had helped. Or maybe the mana circulation technique was responsible. But it seemed like we would be good enough to not embarrass ourselves at the ball.

 CHAPTER 85: Surprise Meeting

    It was just two days later that I was invited to the headmasters office. This time, I was rather relaxed. Likely he just wanted to give me more information about the visit. To my surprise, he was not alone.

    There was a woman I had never seen before. She was dressed casually and looked like she was in her mid twenties. She had long black hair and studied me with her green eyes.

    ¡°Sir, reporting as ordered.¡± I said and saluted.

    ¡°At ease, Koyuki.¡± The headmaster said. He seemed amused. ¡°May I introduce my guest: Princess Olivia, second in line to the throne of Nethena.¡±

    What? The princess was already here? How? Why didn''t anyone know? At least some of my training kicked in. I curtsied.

    ¡°Your highness, it is an honour.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°It is nice to finally meet you. I have heard a lot of things about you.¡±

    I just stood there silently as she examined me. ¡°So it is true that you like to carry an undead cat on your head.¡± Olivia said.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You know that we are talking about you? Aren¡¯t you a smart kitty.¡± She retrieved something from her bag. Then she threw it towards my head. It was a small bone.

    I could feel movement on my head. Followed my crunching noises.

    ¡°So, you still look confused about my presence. You were informed that I was coming, right?¡± Olivia asked.

    ¡°Yes, your highness. But I expected to meet you at the ball, or afterwards. And I did not see an escort. There were no royal guards at the door. Nobody seemed to know that you are here. It took me by surprise.¡± I explained.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t worry. I have not officially arrived. I can assure you there is a fancy carriage on the way, guarded by shining knights. And my security might not be so visible, but it¡¯s there.¡±

    I suppressed the urge to look around for some hidden guards. Then again, she was likely safe in this office. Erik was an archmage, after all.

    ¡°Anyway, the reason I am here now is because a ball is not a great place to speak privately. It is a place where the nobility plots. You will get a lot of offers there. Your magical potential is still a secret, officially, but I have no doubt that people are figuring it out already.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°So I plan to properly introduce you at the event. You will be my guest and we will tell the kingdom about you. Our new rising star who will bolster our forces.¡±

    She wanted to simply tell everyone? Weren¡¯t we trying to keep my powers a secret? I was confused, but it was not my place to question her.

    ¡°You see, Ilestria is making noises. We suspect that they are meddling in our affairs. What happened during your field exercise was not the only suspicious thing. Likely they have some help from within the kingdom. Your existence will reassure people about our military strength. And it will help to keep the dukes in line.¡± She explained.

    ¡°You are strong enough to defend yourself.¡± Erik added. ¡°You have proven yourself in a few dangerous situations. The princess has decided that your time of hiding is over.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You are only in your first year but you can already be an asset. Just by existing. Now, I can offer you some additional protection, if it is needed.¡± Olivia offered.

    ¡°Your highness, I have a team of loyal friends and my undead. I am also progressing in my magic. I am confident that I can defend myself.¡± I did not want any additional guards.

    ¡°Very well. Your friends are Skadi, daughter of merchants, Helena Frost and Cassie Ashburn. I don¡¯t know Helena, or Cassie, personally but Count Frost is loyal, not too interested in politics. I approve. Countess Ashburn likes to meddle. Be wary of her. Now, have you considered marriage?¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°No, your highness. I¡­ I am not really interested in that.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± She contemplated that. ¡°Maybe that is for the best, for now. We can give you your own title, in time. After you graduate. I have no doubt that there will be plenty of opportunities for you to shine. Oh, do you know how to dance?¡±

    ¡°My friends are teaching me, your highness.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± She smiled. ¡°By the way, at such an event you can show up in uniform. Most young women wear a gown. But a more military look could be appropriate for you. We want you to project strength. Of course, you will bring Nyx. And your draugr. I will have a proper uniform made for him. Maybe a suit? Hm. Do you have any other undead you want to bring?¡±

    ¡°I do not have any suitable for such an event, your highness.¡± I had the goblins, who did not look that impressive. And the Iron Beaks. They were not suitable for a ball.

    ¡°Actually, we might make a bit of a show. A suitable demonstration, after your introduction. I think I can arrange something.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°The ball will be a week from now.¡± Erik said. ¡°And your friends are invited as well. It will be held in the city.¡±

    ¡°I have arranged for your transportation.¡± Olivia said. ¡°After this event you will be firmly associated with the crown. I expect great things from you!¡±

    No pressure.

    After that I was dismissed. The whole conversation had caught me off guard. I was not just going to a ball, I was going to be introduced by the princess! I would have to deal with a lot more nobles. Archibald and Leo were more than enough. At least my friends would be there as well.

 CHAPTER 86: Discussion

    I met with my friends in the lab. We had plans to work on more Iron Beaks today.

    ¡°So, what was the meeting with the headmaster about?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I met the princess.¡± I answered.

    My friends stared at my face. Probably waiting for a sign that I was joking. But I just stared back.

    ¡°Wait¡­ You are serious?!?¡± Helena exclaimed.

    ¡°Yes. She was in Erik¡¯s office.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Tell us everything!¡± Cassei said.

    I told them about the whole conversation. They all listened intently.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Skadi said. ¡°That is a lot to take in. We are all going to meet the princess¡­¡±

    ¡°This is amazing! This ball will be great!¡± Helena cheered.

    ¡°Oh no! If mom finds out she will be insufferable. She will give me a list of things I should talk about, or something stupid like that.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°At least she will be happier with us being your teammates, right?¡± I said.

    ¡°Hm. Hard to say. She will enjoy the prestige but she does not exactly agree with the royals. She wants closer ties to the Ashfields. Then again, who knows?¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°I guess I am going to have to deal with a lot more politics¡­¡± My ears drooped as I came to that realisation. If I was formally introduced to the nobility by the princess¡­

    I felt something lick my left ear. I guess Nyx was trying to cheer me up. Or she was hungry and wondered how my ear tasted. You never knew with cats.

    ¡°Oh yeah, I guess we all are going to be dragged deeper into politics.¡± Helena said. ¡°This will get the attention of all ducal families.¡±

    ¡°But are they even going to be there? Florence is an Ashfield, Leo is a Harold and Archibald is a Winston. Do the other ducal families have someone at the academy?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not as a first year, at least.¡± Helena said.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°The Barkworths should have no one. I don¡¯t think the Paytons have one either. Coltons? Maybe.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Would that stop them from showing up anyway?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Now that is a good question.¡± Helena said. ¡°If Princess Olivia is here, you could argue they would feel slighted if they are not invited to such an event. And if she wants to introduce Koyuki¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think there will be news on the field trip incident?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh. You think they will use this event for more announcements? Maybe.¡± Helena shrugged. ¡°It would depend on what they have discovered.¡±

    ¡°I could see her mentioning Ilestria. Talk about a common enemy to reduce the infighting of the dukes.¡± Cassie mused.

    Something occurred to me. ¡°Wait! Will announcing me not provoke Ilestria? How will they handle a necromancer with the potential to become an archmage?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t they already know anyway?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°Well, if they are behind the attacks, sure.¡± Helena said. ¡°But that has never been proven. At least as far as we know. It could be that the investigator found new information. Maybe that is why she wants you in the public eye. If Ilestria already knows, let our people know too.¡±

    ¡°It could still provoke an attack. It would be official confirmation and would make it a lot easier to rally their troops.¡± Cassie said. ¡°What are the odds that she wants to provoke a war?¡±

    ¡°Um. Surely she would not do that, right?¡± I asked.

    Cassie shrugged. ¡°Who knows?¡±

    ¡°I would not go that far.¡± Helena said. ¡°I would expect Ilestria to try more subtle means first. Like assassins. Maybe we should bring the Iron Beaks to the ball!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are good at fighting assassins. It¡¯s not like they are intelligent enough to spot them.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°It would be cool though. Imagine they are waiting for you to use the bathroom. Then they follow you, blade in hand. They open the door¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°And all they see is an undead chicken. Boom!¡± Cassie finished the thought. She even mimicked an explosion with her hands. They both grinned at each other.

    ¡°That is not a realistic scenario. Why would an Iron Beak be waiting in the bathroom? And how would I escape the explosion?¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Details.¡± Cassie waved off my concerns.

    ¡°It would be cool though.¡± Skadi said.

    Helena nodded.

    ¡°I think Nyx will be my guardian. And possibly the draugr. We still have not named him.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, we know his name used to be Frank.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Hm. Yeah, we focused really hard on the Iron Beaks.¡± Helena admitted. ¡°Something cooler than Frank would be nice. Especially if he accompanies us to the ball.¡±

    ¡°I still think we should bring some Iron Beaks.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Maybe we can put some into the carriage!¡±

    ¡°Would it not look like we are planning something bad? You know, because of the explosives¡­¡± I worried.

    ¡°Nah. You got a licence for your undead. And there will be a lot of mages who could create far bigger explosions. Remember Irene against the spiders?¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Maybe I should train my defensive spells some more¡­¡± I mused.

    ¡°Never a bad idea. But you are getting pretty good at the water shield. Have you experimented with turning it into ice?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Ice makes it easier to block solid things, like swords. But my main version still uses water.¡± I said. I was currently washing some chicken bones. But I formed an ice shield above my head. It would be good training. Nyx started licking it.

    ¡°I have learned the first water based heal!¡± Skadi said. ¡°But it¡¯s only good enough for minor scratches¡­¡±

    ¡°Nice! I am struggling with that one. Can you help me with it?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I am sure Nyx wants to help too.¡± I said.

    ¡°How would that work?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Well, she can provide the scratches so you have something to heal¡­¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    Helena looked thoughtful. ¡°Sure.¡± She took a step away from the chicken bones she had been cleaning. Then she sat down and held out her arm.

    Nyx stopped fooling around with the ice shield above my head. Then she jumped to the floor and walked towards Helena and scratched her, slightly. Skadi started explaining the heal and demonstrated it. Nyx watched, ready to help some more.

 CHAPTER 87: Politics

    The date of the ball was officially announced the next day and everyone was talking about it. A lot of students hoped they could get an invite. There was also the official arrival of the princess. Apparently it would be a great deal and some wanted to watch it.

    I enjoyed my last days of relative anonymity. Obviously students knew me. But for most people, I was just a weird necromancer with an undead cat on her head. Even Archibald was focused on the ball and did not pick a fight with us.

    The princess sent me a gift, equipment for my draugr and myself. It was delivered to our room. I showed it to Helena.

    ¡°That is really high quality fabric.¡± She said, as she inspected the black suit made for the draugr.

    ¡°It came with a fancy belt and sword.¡± I added and showed her the items in question.

    Helena inspected the blade. ¡°Looks like high quality steel. It¡¯s not magical but that would have likely been too much.¡±

    ¡°That is not all. She also sent me a second sword, for myself!¡± While the draugr got a longsword, she sent me an arming sword. ¡°Am I supposed to wear this to the ball?¡±

    ¡°Men often wear swords to a ball. Especially if they are from the military. Women¡­ It depends. If you wear a gown it would be out of place, but it works with the uniform.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°What are you going to wear?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was thinking about a nice dress, but maybe I will go with a uniform as well.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I think you would have looked great in a dress! But it would not fit the message of you being a military asset. It will look best if we all appear with a uniform and a weapon.¡±

    I just shrugged. I didn''t care that much what my friends wore to the event. But my draugr, who still did not have a name, looked good in a suit.

    The day of the ball arrived. Our carriage picked us up in the late afternoon. I managed to convince Cassie that the Iron Beaks had to stay at the academy. Nyx and the draugr were the only undead accompanying us.

    A well dressed driver greeted us. ¡°My ladies, I am here to drive you to the ball and back. Your undead can sit outside, next to me.¡± He was referring to the draugr. Nyx stayed with me.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Also, it was weird being addressed so formally. My friends were likely used to such things. He even opened the door for us! Inside was more than enough room for the four of us. I sat next to Helena on a comfy bench, while facing Skadi and Cassie. I was quite nervous, so I distracted myself by starting a conversation.

    ¡°Cassie, you haven¡¯t said anything more about your mom coming here. She is at the ball, right?¡±

    Cassie sighed. ¡°Yes, yes she is. Of course she did not have time to come and see me before the event. But she was certainly pleased that I got myself invited. Her letter was very curious how I had managed that.¡±

    ¡°What did you tell her?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Cassie looked smug.

    ¡°So, she is going to be really surprised to see you near the princess.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s going to be great! I hope she is standing near Duke Ashfield when she spots me.¡±

    ¡°I take it Duke Ashfield is not fond of the king?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Cassie confirmed.

    ¡°Who is on the side of the royals?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That is a complicated question.¡± Helena said. ¡°Because in a way all dukes want more power. I would say Duke Colton is the closest ally of the king. Duke Winston is mostly aligned with the royals. He has to deal with the monsters coming from the everfrost peaks and has Ilestria to worry about. He receives special provisions because of that. Duke Harold¡­ It¡¯s complicated. He is mostly on his own side but sides with the royals at times.¡±

    ¡°Duke Ashfield and Duke Payton are the main opposition to the king.¡± Cassie said. ¡°They are advocating for more aggressive moves against the tribes in the desert. Mainly they would like to capture more slaves. They also firmly believe in the importance of your bloodline. That the princess is essentially freeing slaves, and putting them in the military is something they strongly disagree with.¡±

    ¡°Which leaves Duchess Barkworth, the only female in charge of a duchy.¡± Helena said. ¡°She controls the largest part of our border with Ilestria. I think she is mostly about making money. But I have to admit I don¡¯t know that much about her.¡±

    ¡°Keep in mind that neither Helena, nor I, are that deep into politics.¡± Cassie clarified. ¡°We certainly are not in the inner circle of any ducal family.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Thank you for the information. But it does make me question Archibald. Why is he so mean, if his family is more on the side of the royals?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Because he is a dick.¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°Well, she is not wrong.¡± Helena admitted. ¡°But keep in mind that he is not the heir and likely just wants to be important. I have no idea how much he cares about politics. And he is betrothed to an Ashfield. She might have influenced him.¡±

    ¡°He is a noble. And you said no to him. That is all.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I really doubt that Archibald is smart enough to understand politics.¡±

    I guess I should not overthink the actions of a 16 year old man.

    ¡°Are any of the dukes going to be there? Personally? Or just members of their family?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No idea, I haven¡¯t seen a guest list.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°I am more worried about men my age. My mother surely has something planned. I should have brought more poison.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Wait! More poison? You are carrying poison?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing deadly¡­¡± She said. ¡°Look, you would not let me bring an Iron Beak. A girl has to be prepared.¡±

    ¡°You know magic, and carry a sword.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°You can never be prepared enough!¡± Cassie countered.

 CHAPTER 88: Ball, Part 1

    We arrived at a large building. In front of it was a big square where carriages parked. I could see plenty of people in exquisite gowns and expensive suits. Some were chatting, others walked towards the entrance. Two marble columns supported the roof which covered the area in front of the door.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the palace the royals use if they visit Lupos.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You can also rent parts of it for events.¡± Cassie added.

    As I looked around, I spotted very few people in a student uniform. We certainly stood out. Surely that was the reason why we got some glances. And not Nyx sitting on my head.

    We made our way to the door where we showed our invitations. The guards were unconcerned about Nyx, or the draugr who was following me. Then again, Princess Olivia told me to bring them.

    Once inside we went to the main room. It was large and open. I could see some musicians checking their instruments. The centre was clearly meant for dancing. The outer area was filled with small tables where you could place your drinks. Servants were expertly navigating the crowd while carrying trays. I also saw people with food in an adjacent room.

    ¡°I think I have spotted the buffet.¡± I announced.

    ¡°They always have some nice things at such events.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Yes. We should go there before the best stuff is gone.¡± Helena confirmed.

    So far we got some curious glances but nobody tried to talk with us. A bunch of students were not considered that important I suppose.

    The buffet was filled with delicacies I had never tried before. Small slices of bread with various toppings seemed popular. A lot of effort had gone into making the food pretty. I filled a small plate with a selection of things and walked to an empty table. My friends were still filling their plates.

    ¡°Can I interest you in some sparkling wine ma¡¯am?¡±

    Stolen story; please report.

    I stared at the maid, who was smiling at me. She had a tray with glasses and was offering me one. I looked at her neck. There was no collar. Good.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said and took a glass. I sipped the drink and watched the maid move on.

    ¡°You got yourself a drink, excellent!¡± Helena said as she joined me. ¡°That is the most important part. Always have a drink. Otherwise you risk not surviving such an event.¡±

    I looked at her. She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s the number one survival lesson for young nobles, trust me!¡±

    ¡°I would have expected it to be the other way around. Don¡¯t drink anything, it might have poison.¡± I said.

    ¡°Depends on the ball. But at some events you would welcome getting poisoned.¡± She responded.

    I bit into my first treat. The bread was slightly toasted and topped with a sour white cream that included herbs and pieces of salmon. I liked it.

    Cassie returned next. I frowned at her plate. ¡°You made a terrible mistake!¡± I pointed at the filled mushroom on her plate. While I could see that it was covered in cheese and bacon, which I approved of, the mushroom gave me shivers.

    ¡°Mushrooms are delicious.¡± She said.

    I shook my head. ¡°I would prefer stale crackers.¡±

    Helena and Cassie looked at me as if I had gone mad. ¡°I know you dislike mushrooms, but surely there are limits¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°No. They are the worst.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Why are you looking at Koyuki like that?¡± Skadi asked, as she arrived.

    ¡°She claimed mushrooms are worse than stale crackers.¡± Cassie answered.

    Skadi shook her head. ¡°That is just wrong.¡±

    ¡°So, how long do we have until the princess arrives?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I expect an hour or so. She will likely call us before that and go over the way she wants to introduce you. Then she will likely start the ball with the first dance. After that you will get mobbed by nobility.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Who let you in here?¡± I looked around and saw Archibald. He did not have all of his usual followers with him. Only Florence was there. She wore a lovely green gown. It matched her eyes. So did the emerald necklace she wore.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Helena said with a smile.

    ¡°Was it Countess Ashburn? She will be so disappointed in your company, Cassie.¡± Florence said.

    Cassie snorted. ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t need my parents to get invited to such an event. Mom is around, sure. But she is not why I am here.¡±

    ¡°I think Koyuki wore the wrong uniform. Are you sure you are not supposed to be a maid?¡± Florence said, while smiling maliciously.

    ¡°No, I am here as a necromancer. Don¡¯t worry, I am sure I can demonstrate that before the night is over.¡± I smiled back. Princess Olivia did say something about a demonstration after all.

    ¡°Oh honey, do try. Show the people here how uncivilised you are.¡± Florence answered. ¡°You are pretending to be a soldier. You could not even afford a proper dress, could you? No jewellery? Oh, did you not have a collar, once?¡±

    I think she wanted to provoke me. Maybe she hoped I would make a scene at the ball and embarrass myself in front of the nobility.

    ¡°You might be pretending to be a soldier at the academy, but we are soldiers. Unlike you, we actually defeated the vampiric nightshade. I might be a student but I have already earned the uniform I am wearing. Did you earn your gown?¡± I responded.

    My response had caught her off guard. She did not seem to have a response to that. I simply ignored her and returned to my food.

 CHAPTER 89: Ball, Part 2

    Archibald and Florence moved on, for now. I saw them talking to some other people and pointing our way. Likely they were starting some rumours, or just insulting us. Their faces would be interesting once they saw us with the princess.

    We stayed near the buffet until someone came to fetch us. One of the servants led us further into the mansion. Princess Oliva was waiting for us. She wore a black gown with golden trims. On her head was a silver circlet. It had one big emerald in the centre which was flanked by two smaller emeralds.

    ¡°Koyuki! It¡¯s nice to see you again. And you must be Helena, Cassie and Skadi.¡± She greeted us.

    ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± My friends answered at the same time.

    ¡°I am honoured to meet you again, your highness.¡± I replied.

    We curtsied.

    ¡°There is no reason for too much formality, only loyal people are around.¡± Olivia said. ¡°Now, we need to go over the plan.¡±

    We nodded.

    ¡°I will officially welcome everyone in the great hall. Koyuki will be behind me, you three will be behind her. Then I will introduce Koyuki and her talents. I do have some bodies for you, you can raise them fairly quickly, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that should be no problem.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Can you make them dance?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Um, I think so? My friends taught me how to dance, I should be able to use that to properly instruct my undead. But I have never tried that.¡±

    ¡°Perfect! It will be a nice little show. Afterwards the ball is open. You will be swarmed with people but try to endure for at least two hours. After that, feel free to leave the ball.¡±

    We discussed a few more details, then we followed Olivia to the great hall. We were flanked by guards in ceremonial plate, carrying halberds. The crowd parted as Olivia moved towards the centre. The guards slammed the butt of their weapon on the floor to signal for silence.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    The people stopped talking and focused on the princess. They looked surprised to see the four of us standing behind her.

    ¡°Princess Olivia Wright, second in line to the throne of Nethena!¡± One of the guards announced her. The audience bowed, to varying degrees.

    ¡°Good evening. It is lovely to see that so many of you have come to my ball! There has been plenty of speculation why I am here, in Lupos. The answer is simple: Koyuki.¡± She pointed at me.

    People began to murmur. Some pointed at me, others looked confused. The soldiers slammed the butt of their halberds again, to call for silence.

    ¡°You see, some years ago I started a project. I offered talented young individuals a chance to serve in the army! It included slaves. Many have called me foolish for it. And yet, we had great success. Our nation is stronger for it! And now? We have Koyuki! She is only in her first year at the academy, but she has already proven her strength. Her team found the vampiric nightshades, they even slew one! She has raised powerful undead with ease, and her core suggests that she might become one of the greatest necromancers! She might become our ninth archmage one day!¡±

    Servants brought four large bags. They placed them on the floor. Inside were skeletons. Two male ones in a suit and two female ones in a gown. She nodded at me.

    I was nervous. I took a deep breath, then focused inward. The spell was easy. I simply animated the bodies as tier two undead. The skeletons stood up and bowed to the crowd.

    ¡°Some call necromancy evil.¡± She snorted. ¡°We are not so ignorant! Magic is a tool and our kingdom knows the power of death magic. We shall wield it against those who oppose us. Our enemies would be wise to remember that.¡±

    She paused while her gaze swept over the crowd. Then she continued: ¡°Koyuki is still a student. Some might feel it unwise to reveal her. But we do not cower in the dark! We are proud of the next generation who will bolster our forces! We are NETHENA.¡±

    Some people in the crowd stood taller. Military people saluted.

    ¡°Now, enjoy the ball!¡± Olivia said with a smile. The music started playing and my skeletons started dancing. I was not entirely sure why the princess wanted them. It was not really a demonstration of power. At least it did not feel like one.

    The princess herself was dancing with a man I did not know. I tried to keep my skeletons on her flanks. Maybe it would give her some breathing room. There were already a lot of people gathering to talk to her.

    I tried to walk over to my friends, who were already discussing things. But before I could take a step towards them I was approached.

    ¡°May I have this dance?¡± Leo asked. His appearance was not that surprising. But he must have moved fast to be in front of me already. There was not a good excuse to say no, sadly.

    ¡°Fine.¡± I accepted, reluctantly.

    My friends looked at me with sympathy. Then their faces filled with horror, as the realised people were approaching them too.

    ¡°Your talents keep surprising me.¡± Leo said, after we started dancing. ¡°Raising skeletons this quickly and having them casually dancing is not something a normal first year could do. I have to admit I would have struggled.¡±

    I shrugged. Compared to Nyx, or my draugr, it just was not really impressive. In my opinion. I was not certain how good Leo was. He definitely had more skill than Tim and Tom. His undead wolf could fight. But it lacked any special abilities.

    ¡°I know that Helena does not like me. And your friendship might have influenced your opinion. But I would ask you to give me a chance. Imagine what we could achieve together! My family is powerful. And with Princess Olivia standing behind you, I am sure my father would welcome you into the family.¡±

    Wait? Was he trying to propose?

    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I am not interested. I will focus on my studies, and my career in the military, after graduation.¡±

    He nodded. He did not seem surprised.

    ¡°A shame. Maybe you will reconsider. Thank you for the dance.¡± Leo smiled but his eyes looked cold.

 CHAPTER 90: Ball, Part 3

    Some other people were nearby, watching me. Before anyone could approach I was saved by Cassie.

    ¡°Quickly, dance with me!¡±

    I obliged.

    ¡°Puh, that was close.¡± She said. ¡°I saw people closing in.¡±

    ¡°What about Helena and Skadi?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We will have to try and save them. See, we should have brought the Iron Beaks! A few explosions could get us out of here.¡±

    ¡°I do not think that would be helpful.¡± I replied.

    Suddenly Cassie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I am so sorry!¡±

    ¡°Cassie!¡± A woman said, rather loudly. She wore a red dress and had the same red hair as my friend. Her face looked similar, but older. She had a warm smile.

    ¡°Finally, I have found you! You have never told me about your interesting friend. Why don¡¯t you introduce me to her?¡±

    Cassie sighed. ¡°This is my mother, Countess Brittany Ashburn. Mom, this is my friend, Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you!¡± Brittany said.

    ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡± I responded, smiling at the woman.

    ¡°I have heard you are from the south, right? You were at Rossalyn Academy?¡± She inquired.

    ¡°Mom, she was a slave there.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, but look at her now! A student at the Royal Military Academy and even being praised by Princess Olivia. What an inspiring tale!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­ dislike royalty?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°What? Of course not! I admit that I do not agree with all their decisions, but I am a loyal supporter of our king!¡±

    Brittany looked at me. ¡°You see what I have to put up with? My own daughter is trying to embarrass me in front of her friend! Cassie, you will never find a husband like this.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Maybe she does not want a husband?¡± I countered.

    ¡°We all go through that phase, dear. But in time she will realise the upsides. And the longer she waits, the worse her options are going to be.¡± Brittany said.

    ¡°Nope, no husband for me.¡± Cassie insisted.

    ¡°As an adult it is clearly her choice. You should respect that.¡± I added.

    Brittany studied me. ¡°I see. You are both young. But I admire you standing up for my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Now, where are your other friends? You need to introduce me!¡± Brittany said.

    ¡°We need to rescue them!¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°Oh dear, always so dramatic. Here, let me help you shoo those people away.¡±

    She was surprisingly effective. I have no idea what she said to the men dancing with Helena and Skadi but she somehow got them to leave with a smile.

    ¡°There, now you can properly introduce us!¡± Brittany said as she returned triumphantly.

    Cassie sighed. ¡°These are Helena Frost and Skadi, my friends. This is my mother, Countess Brittany Ashburn.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡± My friends said.

    ¡°Likewise! It is so nice to see my daughter making friends. She has always been a bit of a recluse. I have to admit, I have no knowledge of your family, Skadi but I do know Count Frost. Lovely man, but a bit too focused on combat, I think.¡±

    ¡°That is because our part of the border is dangerous.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Oh, certainly! He is doing a good job. But he should spend more time representing his interests, I think. He really should be at an event like this! Anyway, I see you are an all female party. I do know some lovely young man I can introduce you¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Not interested.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°I have to decline.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Our party is perfect the way it is.¡± I added.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Came from my head.

    ¡°Oh, what do we have here? I thought the skeleton on your head was just fashion. Is it a pet?¡± Brittany looked disappointed at our refusal but seamlessly changed the topic.

    ¡°This is Nyx, she is my companion and my first undead.¡± I explained.

    ¡°She can grow in size and has fought by our side.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Brittany said. ¡°She is still a fashion statement. Combined with the dancing skeletons, I think it might set a bit of a trend. The princess has certainly reminded people that our acceptance of necromancy sets us apart from Ilestria. It will resonate with some of the more patriotic nobility. You know, you could probably make some money by animating skeletons for events.¡±

    That would be a decent way of earning money, if she was right. But I was not sure if I wanted to run a skeletal entertainment business. Then again, maybe I could do mock fights? It might help train my undead by having them battle each other. Could I turn something like that into a show? Charge money for people watching my minions train?

    ¡°Ah, Countess Ashburn! How are you?¡± I heard Princess Olivia¡¯s voice. She had escaped the crowd and joined our little group.

    ¡°Your majesty, it is an honour!¡± Brittany said.

    ¡°You must be pleased with your daughter''s success. I heard she is a gifted alchemist.¡± The princess said.

    ¡°Of course! She is an Ashburn and she is a credit to our family. I am sure she will do great things.¡±

    Helena grabbed my hand. ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s start dancing. It¡¯s our chance to escape.¡± She whispered. I nodded.

    Cassie was dancing with Skadi. We tried to move more towards the side of the hall and I had my skeletons flanking our group to give us some room.

    ¡°I have barely talked with anyone and I am already exhausted.¡± I said.

    ¡°That is normal. Such events involve way too much smiling. And a lot of talking without saying anything. You are surprised how much time you can waste with pleasantries.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°How did you get through parties at home?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Oh, I had a few friends. We tried similar things, just sticking together in a group. I also had the advantage of not being the heir. There was less attention on me. It allowed me to escape some of the politics too.¡± She said.

    ¡°Maybe we can escape to the buffet?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Hm. It could be worth a try. I definitely could use a drink.¡± Helena answered.

 CHAPTER 91: Surprise

    Our retreat towards the buffet was a success. It stopped people from asking us to dance. Unfortunately, it did not mean that nobody approached us. There were a few curious people. Instead of enjoying the food I was busy having small talk with nobles whose names I immediately forgot.

    There were not any notable people around. The higher nobility seemed to watch from a distance. I did spot Archibald, he seemed quite furious. But he kept his distance.

    I sighed in relief as the time we were supposed to stay came to an end. My dancing skeletons remained at the ball. I told them to follow the princess orders. The carriage we had arrived with was waiting outside. We greeted the driver and got in. The draugr sat outside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this again.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Yeah, this was not fun.¡± I agreed. ¡°Although I enjoyed the dancing, with friends.¡±

    ¡°I did not poison anyone. So it went well.¡± Cassie stated.

    ¡°Nobody challenged anyone to a duel. It was quite civilised.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Are duels common?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Depends. Nobles use them to bolster their ego. Most are simply a sword fight with fancy rules and nobody gets seriously hurt. I call them a show. It¡¯s not true fighting.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°A young man tried to impress me once by challenging someone to a duel.¡± Cassie recounted. ¡°Thing is, the person he challenged was not my friend. It was an annoying man I could not get rid off. So while they fought to impress me, I was not even watching. I enjoyed the buffet instead.¡±

    ¡°I was challenged to a duel once.¡± Helena said. ¡°A boy wanted to put me in my place. He cried in the end. Although, I might have broken the rules. Apparently punching was not allowed.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Duelling rules are silly.¡±

    Our carriage stopped.

    ¡°Are we already at the academy?¡± I wondered.

    Then I heard a short cry and a thump. I opened the door and saw my draugr. His sword was bloody and the dead driver was at his feet. A dagger was stuck inside my draugr''s chest.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    I looked around. We were in a warehouse and surrounded by armed people. Nyx growled and jumped from my head.

    ¡°I think we have a problem¡­¡± I said.

    Helena drew her sword. ¡°I think they have a problem.¡±

    All of us left the carriage and looked around. I was already casting a water shield to protect myself. If they were clever, they would have someone with a ranged weapon.

    ¡°Next time, I am bringing the Iron Beaks.¡± Cassie said.

    Nyx grew in size and stood in front of us. My draugr covered himself in ice armour.

    ¡°Lay down your weapons and come quietly.¡± A man said.

    I could see around twenty people. They were armed with a variety of weapons and mostly cheap armour. I could see a bit of mail but no plate. Mostly they used leather. If they did not have a mage, they would not stand a chance. Of course there might be some more, hidden. The carriage behind us provided cover but also blocked part of our view.

    The warehouse we were in was large. Most of it was empty, but there were some crates. I spotted two people with crossbows next to them.

    ¡°Nyx will give us some cover with her fog. It won¡¯t have any necrotic magic in it, but it will be cold. Sorry Cassie.¡± I said.

    ¡°I will live.¡± She replied. ¡°Remind me to bring more bombs to the next ball.¡±

    We talked quietly, so the attackers would not hear us. They seemed nervous since we did not comply with their demands.

    ¡°We have you surrounded. Don¡¯t make this difficult.¡± The man said.

    We did not have time to truly strategize but it was not our first battle. Nyx exhaled and covered us in her fog. I heard arrows being fired but my shield was up. Cassie was taking cover behind me. Skadi and Helena had their own shields.

    While the fog impeded our own vision, we were facing a large group. And I had a lot of mana. So I started firing necrotic darts. My friends attacked as well.

    The screaming indicated that we hit something.

    ¡°Stop shooting! Get in there and capture them!¡± I heard someone shout.

    Meanwhile, I remembered the dead driver. I wasted no time and animated him. I was certainly getting faster at this. I heard a lot of fighting around me. I could feel more corpses as my friends felled the attackers. And I animated them all.

    Nyx dropped the fog to give us better vision. Now that we were in close combat, the archers were less of a concern. And thanks to my minions the odds were looking better and better.

    As the vision cleared I could see the horror in our enemies eyes. By now I had animated five corpses. And one of them was in the back, near the enemies with crossbows. He had a rock bolt from Skadi stuck in his head. It almost looked like he had a horn.

    While Cassie did not have any bombs, she was still a mage. She threw small bolts of fire and someone''s clothes ignited. Skadi and Helena were in the midst of things with their swords. Helena protected herself with ice while Skadi had hardened her skin with earth magic.

    Cassie and myself were at the back. I threw some necrotic bolts but focused on animating anyone that fell. Keeping an eye on my undead, and commanding them, took a lot of concentration. Instead of simply telling them to attack I was coordinating them to go after important targets, like enemies with ranged weapons.

    I had expected a mage to make an entrance. But we only faced normal enemies. It was a slaughter. The last three tried to run. Cassie set one on fire while Nyx chased down the other two.

    ¡°Is everyone alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just some scratches.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°A small cut in my shoulder, nothing bad.¡± Helena reported.

    ¡°I am fine.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if anyone is still alive, so we can question them.¡± Helena suggested.

 CHAPTER 92: Preparation

    I looked around the battlefield but I did not see anyone who was still alive. My undead had been thorough with enemies who were down. I looked at the first undead I had summoned in the battle, the driver.

    ¡°You know, I think the driver attacked my draugr. It looked like he tried to stab my undead and was killed in retaliation.¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Helena asked. ¡°It could have been the ambushers who threw a knife.¡±

    ¡°But we are in a warehouse. The driver must have been in on it.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°He drove us into this ambush.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°Was it the same driver who brought us to the ball?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I admitted. ¡°I did not pay enough attention¡­¡±

    We failed to find a survivor so we all stared at the driver, who was now a zombie. He had the sword wound from the draugr, and additional cuts on his face from the battle.

    ¡°Can you question him, somehow?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°No. He would need to be tier three. They are all tier two. They only have some instincts left, but no actual memories.¡± I answered.

    ¡°So either someone bribed the driver, or replaced him.¡± Helena concluded.

    ¡°Looks that way.¡± I agreed.

    ¡°That ambush was kind of weak. Did they really think they could defeat us?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°You are right. Also, they wanted to capture us. That is new.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Can you raise a defeated undead again?¡± Helena asked. ¡°Or simply stop animating them and reuse the corpse?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± One of my zombies had fallen in the fight. I tried raising the corpse again. ¡°Does not seem to work. I will have to ask Gronir about this. Also, I can¡¯t do tier three undead yet. There is no way I could reraise the driver and ask him things.¡±

    Currently I had 11 zombies from the fight. There were 12 more corpses but only 10 were usable. My initial guess of twenty attackers was pretty close.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°How did they even know we were at the ball?¡± Skadi asked. ¡°It was a secret.¡±

    ¡°Um. I told my mom. I just withheld how I was invited. But she would never sell me out like that!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Could she have told others?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Cassie admitted.

    ¡°What are we going to do next?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I could raise the remaining corpses. They would be zombies. I kind of like skeletons more but I doubt I could quickly remove all the flesh.¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s still possible that this trap is not over. Maybe there are more outside. We don¡¯t even know where exactly we are.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You are right. Army of zombies it is. Also, I should heal the draugr.¡±

    Nyx was still in her largest form. She kept watch as I got to work. Meanwhile, my friends searched the corpses for anything useful.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s interesting that the horses did not run away. They must have been trained for battle.¡± Skadi mentioned.

    I interrupted my necromancy to look at them. They were surprisingly calm surrounded by undead.

    ¡°The princess knew about Nyx and Frank. She likely picked horses who are comfortable around undead.¡± Cassie theorised.

    ¡°So he is Frank now?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Nobody came up with a better name.¡± Cassie shrugged.

    ¡°Do undead spook normal horses?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Probably.¡± Cassie said. ¡°I assume your family has horses trained for battle. Have you ever ridden a normal horse?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Helena pondered that.

    While my friends chatted I finished my zombie army. ¡°I am ready. Did you find anything?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We found some gold. That is all.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Ok. We need to make a plan to get home. The doors have been open the whole time but we did not see anyone. We haven¡¯t gone outside because there could be another ambush. How do we handle that? Send the zombies out first?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Nyx is the only smart undead I have. How about I send a few zombies, if nothing happens Nyx checks. She can signal us if we are good.¡± I proposed.

    ¡°Can she do that?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°She does seem to understand us pretty well.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°I am not sure if she can understand words so easily or if it is because of our connection. It could be that she just understands what I feel through the bond.¡± I said.

    ¡°Assuming everything is clear, do we just walk down the street?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°We could use the carriage. I think the driver might have enough instincts to drive.¡± I proposed.

    ¡°But he would not remember the layout of the city, right?¡± Helena asked.

    That is true.¡± I confirmed. ¡°We would have to give him directions at every crossing.¡±

    ¡°We need to go slow anyway, if we bring the zombies.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You still control the dancing skeletons, right?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yes, why?¡±

    ¡°What if you released them? It would send a message, in a way. Wait! Can you make them talk?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°No. My normal skeletons can¡¯t talk. And they are too far away for orders, I am afraid. While they keep the commands they have, even if they are farther away, giving new ones is not so simple. I think there is a spell for it but I don¡¯t know it. I can release them though.¡±

    ¡°Hard to say how the princess would react if the skeletons suddenly crumble.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Or, how others would react. Maybe whoever betrayed us is close to them.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°Drop the dancers.¡± Skadi suggested. ¡°We still don¡¯t know if this is over. Getting some attention is likely good for us.¡±

    ¡°You are right.¡± I agreed. ¡°I can only sever the connection if I am conscious. Better to do it now.¡±

    I severed the connection. Then I ordered 10 zombies to go outside. We waited but nothing happened. Nyx followed them. After a few minutes she returned, unharmed.

    ¡°Looks good.¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 CHAPTER 93: Stranger

    The carriage slowly rolled forward. My zombies stayed close to the carriage to offer protection. Cassie was inside, she did not have a defensive spell, yet. Helena, Skadi and myself remained outside to look for enemies.

    The outside of the warehouse was calm. It was dark by now and nobody was working anymore. The whole area looked deserted. Other warehouses surrounded us.

    ¡°Does anyone know where we are?¡± I asked.

    Cassie peeked out of the carriage. ¡°I can¡¯t see much in this darkness but I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    The only light we had was the lantern on the carriage. Inside the warehouse were magical lamps. Now that we had left, the darkness could become a problem. While Skadi and myself had reasonable eyesight at night, Helena and Cassie were human.

    ¡°Me neither.¡± Helena said. ¡°Could be close to the docks.¡±

    I had never been at the docks. But I knew that the river was heavily used for shipping. It would make sense to have a lot of warehouses nearby.

    ¡°Why are there no lights outside?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Good question. You would expect some if the area is used in the dark. And if it isn¡¯t, then why have lights inside the warehouse?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°Maybe they have secret meetings inside and need lights? But they don¡¯t want to be spotted on the road?¡± Cassie theorised.

    ¡°Have you been reading those novels Skadi is so fond of? What is next, are you suggesting someone wanted to purchase us for a slave warrior harem?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°So, I might have borrowed a book¡­¡± Cassie admitted.

    ¡°Um girls, I don¡¯t think this is the right time to discuss novels.¡± I said. ¡°Does anyone have an idea where we should go?¡±

    ¡°Just follow the biggest road. I suspect we are close to the docks. Surely there will be someone we can ask for directions. At least there should be patrols at night.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    As we moved, we stopped our chatter and focused on our surroundings. We passed two more warehouses until Nyx got anxious. She stared at the door of the building we were about to pass.

    ¡°There could be another ambush.¡± I quietly warned my friends.

    ¡°We could try to take them by surprise. Burst through the doors with your zombie horde.¡± Helena suggested.

    I eyed the gate. Wood looked reasonably sturdy but it was not reinforced. The hinges had some rust on them.

    ¡°Nyx could break it, I think. I could have her open the door, then let the zombies charge. Maybe keep 5 in the back with us as protection. Once they create an opening we charge.¡±

    Cassie left the wagon and took her position besides us. I mentally commanded, or maybe asked, Nyx to kick the door in. The zombies had their weapons drawn and were ready.

    Before we could enact our plan the door opened. What emerged used to be a man. His face was partially rotten. It was an interesting contrast to the suit he wore. It looked new. This was an undead. Certainly some type of zombie.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± It said with a raspy voice.

    We all stared at it. Nyx growled. She did not like the new undead it seemed.

    ¡°I am here to make you an offer. My organisation is very interested in you.¡± A male voice said.

    ¡°Is this a tier three undead?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No. It does not feel right. I think the necromancer controlling it is nearby.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Ah, such great instincts! Yes, this is merely a tool.¡± The undead confirmed. ¡°Quite the sophisticated tool though. Necromancy offers so many advantages! It should be embraced, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, I am embracing it just fine.¡± I answered while pointing at my small zombie horde.

    ¡°Yes! You are learning quickly. I am part of the Brotherhood. We are a group of citizens who are supporting a more widespread use of necromancy!¡±

    ¡°Really? But necromancy is already legal.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Legal? Ha! This kingdom only sees us as a tool. Another useful thing. We should rule! We should be royalty! This kingdom enslaved you! We should take our rightful place! Join us! We have support from the nobility. Together we can change Nethena!¡±

    ¡°I am not sure I like the way you want to change the country. None of my friends are necromancers. It does not make them inferior.¡± I answered. ¡°Besides, didnt you organise this ambush? Why should we ever trust you?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Technically this was not our work but we might have¡­ encouraged it. You got some free undead and we have a chance to speak. Win win. Those thugs were hardly a threat to someone like you. As for your friends, we have no problem with them. Every necromancer needs loyal guards.¡±

    ¡°They are my friends, not just tools.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You hide behind your minion. You had some part in the ambush. I might have been a slave but the princess freed me and showed me kindness. I have no reason to betray Nethena.¡±

    ¡°A shame. But you are young. You will see the truth in time. And we will keep watching.¡± The undead smiled creepily. Until it¡¯s head disappeared.

    Nyx had enough it seemed. She pounced on the intruder and bit of the head. The body fell down as my companion started chewing.

    ¡°There goes that creep. Do you think we will be attacked? Should we look for him?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°He might be nearby but that does not tell us much. And he could just leave. We don¡¯t really have anything to track him.¡± I said.

    ¡°There is a chance he is still listening. We need to get back to the academy and report this.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Yes. We should also search that undead. Well, what is left of it.¡± Nyx had finished the head and was currently chewing a leg. Maybe we could find something in the zombie''s pocket before the clothes were devoured.

 CHAPTER 94: Report

    The zombie did not have anything on him, sadly. But we salvaged part of the clothing. Maybe someone could get a clue from it. Then we kept going. We arrived at the docks shortly after and found a patrol.

    Helena approached them. ¡°I am lady Helena Frost. We had a certain incident we need to report. We also require directions to the academy.¡±

    The guards eyed my horde of zombies. Then they looked at our uniforms. ¡°Are you the ones who were involved in the Ilestrian priestess incident?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°Those were my friends over there. Koyuki and Cassie.¡± Helena confirmed.

    ¡°Sure, we shall escort you to our commanding officer. You can report this incident and we shall show you how to return to the academy.¡±

    As we followed them we started to relax a bit.

    ¡°Are you keeping those zombies?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°They do stink.¡± Helena confirmed. ¡°You can¡¯t have them near our room. Why does the draugr smell ok?¡±

    ¡°The draugr is a higher class of undead. He won¡¯t rot in the normal sense. His flesh is¡­ sort of dead. In some way it is preserved, like if you salt meat a lot. I admit that I don¡¯t understand the entire process but higher undead do not decay further. A normal zombie, especially one raised on short notice, is flawed. I think parts of the dead flesh are not entirely soaked in magic.¡±

    ¡°So you are saying that death magic also kills the things that normally cause decay. A perfect zombie has his flesh infused by magic, which wilts it somewhat, but then stops any further rotting.¡± Cassie summarised.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Could you get rid of the imperfect parts? Like, upgrade your zombie? Or clean it?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°What if we dissolved the flesh, could we turn them into skeletons?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have to ask my teacher.¡± I admitted. ¡°Undead can evolve over time. But I do not know if you can transform the type of undead they are.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    We arrived at the guard station and made a full report. The only thing we did not mention was the Brotherhood. It was something I wanted to report to the headmaster instead. The guards dispatched someone to the ambush site and escorted us back to the academy. There, we explained the situation once more, to the headmaster.

    The four of us were standing in his office. Nyx was on my head again. He listened to our story calmly.

    ¡°Hm. I was curious when the Brotherhood would make a move.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°You know of them, sir?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°Of course. They would have never revealed themselves otherwise.¡± He chuckled. ¡°They are terrorists. A cult that we can¡¯t get rid of, because they have some ties to the nobility. We don¡¯t know who exactly backs them but I have my theories. The Brotherhood operates in Ilestria as well. Also, they are the prime suspects for the attack on the auction house where you had your awakening.¡±

    ¡°Why did you never tell me, sir?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You would not be the first to be tempted by power. I wanted to see how you would react to their offer. You know, not every slave who gets the same opportunity is loyal to the kingdom. The teachers have been watching you. Not just because of your potential. We have been evaluating your character, your choice of friends,...¡± He looked at my friends, who were standing next to me.

    Erik continued: ¡°Koyuki, you are a pleasant surprise in many ways. It¡¯s not just your talent. That you are standing here, telling me about this offer, proves that we were right. That I was right.¡±

    I pondered that. It made sense. It would have been foolish for them to just assume I was loyal.

    ¡°Now, there is something that you girls seem unaware of. The carriage has a small hidden compartment. The guards found a pouch of coins in there, when they searched the carriage. This happened while you gave your report to the officer.¡±

    He showed us a pouch. It had a crest on it. It was half blue, half white, with a grey tower in the centre.

    ¡°This is the Winston crest!¡± Helena exclaimed.

    ¡°It is indeed. Now that could mean the driver was bribed by the Winstons. It could also mean someone is trying to frame them. Considering their past actions, I am inclined to believe what the Brotherhood¡¯s necromancer told you. They likely encouraged someone to set up the attack. The Brotherhood probably saw it as a gift. Free zombies for you.¡±

    ¡°They manipulated someone to set up the attack? You mean someone dumb. Someone who underestimates us. Someone who thinks a few normal thugs could actually defeat us.¡± I said.

    ¡°Someone who dislikes us and might want to own us. Humiliate us.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°You think Archibald is that dumb?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Skadi answered.

    ¡°While it is plausible, there is no real proof.¡± Erik cautioned us. ¡°It is entirely possible that he was framed. Or someone stole the money from him. But there is something else¡­¡± He looked at us. It felt almost like an exam.

    Then it hit me. ¡°If he was manipulated by the brotherhood, it would mean one of his friends is likely a part of them!¡±

    ¡°But he is not friends with a necromancer.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°It is possible that a student is hiding an affinity. Keep in mind, most are tested when young and we have no reason to question the outcome.¡± Erik said. ¡°But the Brotherhood certainly has people who do not know death magic. While their leader is a powerful necromancer, they have plenty of officers who control other elements. They consider death magic the highest form of magic but they are using other elements too.¡±

    ¡°Having said that, all we have is a theory. There is no proof, yet. I am trusting you to behave appropriately. Observe. And tell me if you find out anything more. Also, you can store your zombies with your exploding chickens.¡± Erik said.

    I blushed. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°Did you really think we would not check what sort of undead you created? I have to admit, I am unsure how useful they are but it is an interesting idea. I encourage experimentation!¡±

 CHAPTER 95: Reflection

    After that we were dismissed. It was late and we had classes tomorrow but we decided to discuss what had happened. So we all gathered in the room Helena and I shared.

    ¡°Do you really think it was Archibald who hired those thugs?¡± Cassie asked. ¡°He is in the same class as Koyuki and Helena. He sees them during practice. And he saw all of us during the field exercise. He can¡¯t truly believe a few thugs could overwhelm us.¡±

    ¡°You underestimate the delusions of nobles.¡± Skadi answered. Then she looked at Cassie and Helena. ¡°I mean, some of the nobles. They are used to getting their way. Many think they are superior and would rather believe Koyuki¡¯s success is luck, or favouritism, than skill. Archibald might just be really that dumb.¡±

    ¡°Could he organise something like that quickly? He should not have known that we were there.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe he had already hired someone? And they were waiting for an opportunity? The ball was long enough to set something up in that case.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°How would he hire someone anyway? How does one hire a bunch of thugs?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°There are some adventurers with no morals who can be bought. Other than that? You would need connections to the underworld, probably. I know there are some shady slavers in the south. It¡¯s not always clear where they get the people from.¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°You mean, they might capture citizens and sell them?¡± I asked. ¡°That is illegal, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure it is. But if you have the backing of a duke¡­¡± Cassie shrugged.

    ¡°Commoners can be sentenced to slavery. All you need is a supposed crime and you can put them in chains, legally. Or you capture someone and have a judge provide the paperwork to justify it afterwards.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°True. Sad, but true. Although it¡¯s considered a serious crime. So it does not happen that often. Most slaves come from outside the kingdom. They are captured from the desert tribes.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember anything before I was six. I do wonder how I was enslaved. Did someone kill my parents and sell me?¡± I wondered.

    Helena put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Maybe you will find out someday. There must be records, right?¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°If your power and influence keep growing you can demand some answers.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°The kingdom is probably looking in your past anyway, considering your power. You could ask the headmaster.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Maybe I will bring it up when we meet again.¡± I was curious but also nervous.

    We all sat in silence for a bit. Then Helena changed the topic: ¡°What do you think about this brotherhood? Why would they think Koyuki wants to join them after an ambush?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they wanted to test you? And you passed so they provided an offer?¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Cults are not sane. Maybe they just thought you liked killing and wanted to gift you some undead?¡± Skadi theorised.

    ¡°Really? Are you getting those ideas from the books you read?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They are good books.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°And this brotherhood guy sounded like he was supporting the idea of you forming a warrior harem to protect you.¡± Cassie added. ¡°He might be reading the same books.¡±

    ¡°Harem? When did he say that? What harem?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, he said a necromancer needs loyal guards.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Having a relationship with them would help ensure loyalty.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Weird fantasies aside, what do you think about Archibald being manipulated?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Helena answered. ¡°He is the type who would fall for flattery. Someone telling him how great he is and how weak you are. That he deserves more attention. Maybe one of his sycophants.¡±

    ¡°Could they be responsible for Nyx?¡± Cassie asked.

    We all looked at the undead feline. We were sitting on the floor and Nyx was curled up in my lap. I started petting her and was rewarded with a purring sound.

    ¡°Why would they do that? Nyx was an attempt to kill me.¡± I said.

    ¡°Was it? Maybe they wanted to test your necromancy.¡± Cassie suggested.

    I frowned. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. I accidentally discovered the spell to bind Nyx. They could not have expected that outcome.¡±

    ¡°So we have the brotherhood trying to recruit you and some unknown faction wanting to kill you. And Archibald as a puppet of the brotherhood.¡± Helena summarised.

    ¡°We don¡¯t actually know if Archibald is a puppet.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°True, but we should keep an eye on his friends.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°And there is Ilestria. Surely they would not have tried to kill me with necromancy, so they are not the ones behind Nyx.¡± I said.

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe they find it fitting for a necromancer to be devoured by an undead?¡± Skadi proposed.

    ¡°Politics give me a headache.¡± I said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you ask Nyx who is responsible for her?¡± Cassie asked.

    I frowned. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like she is really talking. And I have no idea if she was this smart before my spell.¡± I lifted her up and looked into her eyes. ¡°Can you tell us anything?¡±

    Purple eyes looked at me. She moved her head closer, her mouth opened¡­ Nyx materialised her tongue and started licking my nose.

    ¡°I guess that is a no.¡± Helena said.

    I put Nyx back into my lap.

    ¡°You know, besides all the people who want to kill or recruit you, there will be a lot of nobles who want to marry you. Or otherwise influence you.¡± Skadi said.

    I groaned. ¡°Someone just kill me.¡±

    ¡°No. You kill them. And add them to your army. Muahahahaha.¡±

    Helena did have a pretty good evil laugh. We did not join but we all smiled.

 CHAPTER 96: Zombies and Skeletons

    It was two days after the ball and I had an advanced death magic class. While I loved magic in general this was my favourite subject.

    Tim and Tom glared at me with a mixture of awe and envy when I entered the room. I was getting slightly better at keeping the twins apart.

    ¡°Is it true? Are you really such a powerful necromancer?¡± Tom asked.

    The academy was currently drowning in gossip. Yesterday there were constantly people looking at me, pointing and talking. Nobody had truly approached me yet, but it was just a matter of time.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I answered. ¡°I have a rather large core and high affinity for death magic. But I have still a lot to learn before I become truly powerful. I am still a student.¡±

    The last part was not only true but I wanted to remind them that I was still learning, just like they were.

    ¡°But you managed to create Nyx. And you have a draugr¡­¡± Tim said.

    ¡°There was some luck involved but I worked hard and experimented. It paid off.¡± I answered.

    ¡°We have been a bit lazy¡­¡± Tom murmured.

    The door opened and Leo entered. He had three skeleton wolves with him. Maybe he was trying to impress me. But I had a lot more undead than that. Also, Nyx was much cooler than any wolf.

    ¡°Hello Koyuki.¡± He said with a smile. Then he nodded at the others. ¡°Tim, Tom.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Leo.¡± The twins responded.

    ¡°I have decided to invest more time into my undead.¡± Leo said. ¡°I intend to have a powerful pack by the end of the year.¡±

    I studied his undead. The bones were clearly treated with alchemy. I wondered if he prepared them himself, or had servants do it. Actually, I had never really seen him with servants, or friends. He seemed like a loner. Hm. Could he be part of the brotherhood? Maybe I was just thinking that because Helena disliked him.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Gronir entered and started the lesson.

    ¡°Hello everyone! Be seated.¡± He had a large smile. ¡°It¡¯s a good time to be a necromancer! Now that Koyuki¡¯s potential is public knowledge you will see the interest in our craft rise. I already had four people ask me for an undead cat.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°Which brings us to today¡¯s lesson. We are going to talk more about different types of undead.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Can you transform a zombie into a skeleton?¡±

    ¡°Ah. You are unhappy with your recent minions, I take it? A lot of people prefer skeletons because they are cleaner. But as your draugr has shown you, a proper zombie does not have to smell. Of course, we are talking about advanced zombies here. The more basic ones can be a bit disgusting. Before I answer your question, let¡¯s talk a bit about undead types.¡±

    ¡°There are incorporeal undead. I won¡¯t spend much time on them. They are hard to control, hard to raise and are generally an advanced topic. Most normal undead are either skeletons or zombies. Those are relatively broad categories. A basic zombie is something far different than a draugr. Essentially, a skeleton is an undead who is primarily made of bone. A zombie is an undead who possesses undead flesh.¡±

    ¡°The basic magic animating them is the same. But the spell is spread out through their entire body. To destroy an undead, you have to damage the body enough to disrupt the spell. Bones are hard and easy to fortify. That is an advantage of skeletons. Undead flesh is simpler to regrow. Also, a zombie has more mass. The spell is spread out and not so easy to disrupt. Shattering a bone from a skeleton might be enough to end it, cutting some flesh from a zombie will not have a large effect.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the quality of the undead matters too. Some can function with a lot of damage, others crumble rather quickly.¡± He looked at me. ¡°Now to your question. Can you turn a skeleton into a zombie? What do you think, based on what I have told you?¡±

    I took a moment to think about that. Then I answered: ¡°If the flesh is part of the zombie you can''t get rid of it. It would damage the undead.¡±

    ¡°Partially correct!¡± He chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t just cut the flesh away and hope to get a skeleton. But there is something you can do.¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo.¡±

    ¡°Could you dismiss the undead and then simply use the bones?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sadly that does not work.¡± Gronir replied. ¡°You cannot raise an undead again. Some think this is simply the will of Necari. That may be true, but how did the goddess of darkness achieve that? It is believed that some of the magic lingers in a destroyed undead. And it cannot be raised again until it dissipates. Something that takes a long time. Research in this matter is sadly lacking. Mostly because fresh corpses are easy to come by.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Can you modify the spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That is possible. But it''s not easy. You see, you have to condense the spell, in a way. You have to push the magic from the flesh into the bones. Changing an existing spell is hard. People rarely bother. They usually just get new corpses and dismiss their unwanted zombies.¡±

    I raised my hand again.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°If you can modify an existing spell, could you change other things? Like adding an element?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Turning a zombie into a draugr, for example, is really hard. Not impossible, but usually not worth the trouble either. You see, turning the zombie into a skeleton does not fundamentally change the magic animating them. You simply push the spell out of the flesh and into the bones. Adding a power to your undead would require you to infuse an element into an existing spell.¡±

    ¡°The reality is, if you are unhappy with an undead you just dismiss it and get a new corpse. Even if you are talented enough to make changes it is not worth the effort. It can be an interesting training though. Experimenting and trying new things can be fun!¡±

 CHAPTER 97: Plans

    In the evening I met with my friends for dinner in the mess hall. A lot of students stared at me. So far, Archibald had held his distance. Even in the classes we shared he had ignored me. I wondered how long that would last.

    I got some grilled chicken with baked potatoes as a side and looked for a table. I spotted an empty one and sat down. My friends joined me shortly afterwards.

    ¡°The ball really reminded me how great the food of a real chef is.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it was tasty, sure. But I am fine with this.¡± I said, pointing at my chicken.

    ¡°The stew is decent. The bread is fresh.¡± Skaadi said, clearly happy with her selection.

    ¡°We need to go to the beer garden again. Now that is great food! And drink¡­¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°True.¡± Helena agreed. ¡°Have you made any progress with your self-cooling drinks?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I did not have enough time yet but I have a plan.¡± Cassie replied.

    ¡°Speaking of plans. I had advanced death magic today and asked about the zombies. Sadly it won¡¯t be easy to turn them into skeletons. But it is possible.¡± I said.

    ¡°You should try it. Those zombies stink.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Could you turn them into draugrs?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°That is even harder. Gronir said it¡¯s not impossible but it likely is beyond my current skill.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Even though we had a novel way of raising one? Can¡¯t we replicate that somehow? Throw them into a water bath and push it inside them?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°A water bath is a great idea anyway.¡± Skadi added. ¡°It will help with the smell.¡±

    ¡°I could burn all their flesh off.¡± Cassie offered.

    ¡°No, that would simply damage them.¡± I explained.

    ¡°So we are going to do some experimenting next Solday?¡± Helena asked.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I think so. We do have enough Iron Beaks for now. And with the increased attention it might be weird if we are seen with a lot of chicken bones¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°There is the mid-year exam in a few weeks. Then we can finally use them!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°An exam?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You still did not read the syllabus.¡± Skadi stated.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± I blushed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Cassie did not read it either.¡± Skadi added. ¡°Because it¡¯s not a real combat exam. You will need to demonstrate some spells and spar with a teacher.¡±

    ¡°We could explode a teacher, surely they would survive¡­¡± Cassie mumbled.

    ¡°The mid-year exam is no big deal. If you fail you get extra classes, or homework, to catch up.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I see.¡± I was doing pretty well with my magic. Weapons were trickier but I was doing ok. Maybe I could even use my undead.

    ¡°When can we explode some monsters again?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Well, we should start learning more about monsters soon. There will be a hunt in the second half of the first year.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I guess we should train hard for now, if there is an exam. Should we delay the experimentation?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? No!¡± Cassie said. ¡°We are already training more than most students!¡±

    Skadi patted her on the shoulder. ¡°And it¡¯s helping. Your combat skills have increased since the field exercise. So have Koyuki¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I think experimenting next Solday is fine.¡± Helena said. ¡°There are still a few weeks till the exam.¡±

    I had to admit I was looking forward to that. The remaining week was uneventful. A few students asked me about necromancy but that was it. Archibald returned to his sneering self but did not pick a fight.

    On Solday we carried a big tub into the lab. I brought one of the zombies. By now the guards had inspected them all and made sketches. They were no longer considered evidence so we did not have to worry about destroying them.

    ¡°What are we going to try first?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I wanna try a potion on them! But I will have to brew it first.¡± Cassie announced.

    ¡°Let¡¯s throw the first one into a tub and infuse the water with magic.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I have read about condensing the spell. Should I just try that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What if you do it in infused water?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like water can enter an existing spell.¡± I said. ¡°The magic water we used for the draugr is part of him. It¡¯s part of the magic animating him.¡±

    ¡°What about a second spell? Could you enchant the bones?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I have no idea how enchanting works.¡± I admitted. ¡°But generally you want to do any modifications to the corpse before you raise it.¡±

    ¡°Hehehehe.¡±

    We looked at the source of the laughter, Cassie, who was busy at a cauldron. She did not pay us any attention as she brewed something.

    ¡°Should we be worried?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably going to explode.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We already have exploding chickens. Why would she want to explode zombies?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am not saying that this is her plan. I am just saying whatever she does will end in some form of explosion.¡± Skadi clarified.

    ¡°Anyway, how about we add some mana to the water and push it into the zombie. Koyuki, see if you feel anything.¡± Helena said.

    I shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±

    I tried to focus on the connection to the zombie while Helena and Skadi worked. I did not get a lot of information over it. But I started to feel something.

    ¡°Hm. Clearly there is¡­¡± Then the link disappeared. I looked at my friends.

    ¡°Um. I think we broke it.¡± Helena admitted.

    I looked at the tub. Parts of the undead flesh were floating within.

    ¡°I think we sort of sliced it apart with water.¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°I will get more zombies.¡± I said.

 CHAPTER 98: Experiments

    I returned with 10 more undead. I had a feeling we would need a lot of research subjects. As I entered the lab I saw that Nyx had grown in size and was sitting next to the tub. She used her paw to fish for bones from the destroyed zombie.

    ¡°I think I am just trying to condense the spell in one of them.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sure. Just tell them to follow our orders. We will try something more with water.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Are you going to reuse that tub?¡± I asked. The whole thing was filled with destroyed zombie parts. Although Nyx was at least eating some of the bones.

    ¡°Sure. Maybe it helps? Maybe some death mana remains inside?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°If so, be careful. None of you are immune to that.¡± I cautioned.

    ¡°An undead dying in water is not going to turn it into something harmful. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Helena reassured me.

    While they did their thing I concentrated on a zombie. I could feel the spell animating it. Compressing it into the bones though? It was hard. I tried to imagine the spell as a physical thing I could squeeze. I could feel sweat on my forehead as I tried to compress the magic.

    Then the spell shattered. The zombie collapsed. I had destroyed the magic animating it.

    ¡°Well, that did not work.¡± I said, staring at the remains.

    Nyx appeared surprisingly quickly and started munching on the remains.

    ¡°At least Nyx seems happy with our efforts.¡± Skadi observed.

    ¡°Have you managed anything with the water?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Helena replied. ¡°It seems that a zombie does not have functioning blood vessels anymore. We can¡¯t circulate water through it like we could with a fresh corpse.¡±

    ¡°If we force water into it, we end up doing damage.¡± Skadi added. ¡°Best we can do is soak it. But I doubt that does anything.¡±

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Yeah. I think circulating the magic water based on our technique is what made the draugr. We can¡¯t replicate that here.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We did destroy another zombie though¡­¡± Skadi admitted.

    I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want them anyway. Let¡¯s see if I can manage to turn one into a skeleton.¡±

    My next two tries had the same result. I destroyed the zombie instead of changing it. The third one showed a little promise. I could feel the spell move slightly, then it shattered as well.

    I sighed and wiped the sweat from my forehead. ¡°I can understand why most necromancers just get new corpses. This is hard.¡±

    ¡°HA!¡± We heard Cassie shout. ¡°I got it!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Skadi asked.

    Cassie grinned. ¡°I have an idea! You know that self cooling drink thing? I made a potion that you can inject into the zombie! It will add water magic from the inside.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just going to freeze the zombie? And maybe destroy it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have combined it with some of the mixtures to strengthen undead.¡± She said.

    ¡°But¡­ you need to use them before you raise them.¡± I countered.

    ¡°Eh. Let¡¯s try it anyway! It¡¯s my own creation!¡±

    She sounded very excited. And she was gifted when it came to alchemy.

    ¡°Ok, how does this work?¡± I asked.

    Cassie grabbed a syringe and filled it with her potion. ¡°You just inject that into the torso.¡± She offered me the syringe.

    ¡°You are not doing it yourself?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You are the necromancer. Maybe you can get some information on what happens. Or play with your spell.¡± She shrugged.

    Skadi was slowly moving away from the test subject.

    ¡°You do have a water shield. Cassie lacks defences.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to explode! Probably¡­¡± Cassie said.

    Oh well. I took the syringe and approached the test subject. Then I injected the potion. Something clearly happened. I could see frost spreading all over the zombie. I tried to figure out what was happening over my link.

    ¡°Hm. I think you did something.¡± The zombie formed an ice armour around it. ¡°It does not feel permanent though. I think you created a potion to temporarily give a zombie some ice powers.¡± I concluded.

    Then my eyes widened. I quickly formed a shield in front of myself. The zombie exploded, violently. Shards of frozen undead flesh filled the area. The bones crumbled.

    ¡°I told you it would explode.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°In my defence, it did work, for a bit. I might need to tweak the formula.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Yes. My shield was in time. But the room is a mess¡­¡± There were now parts of undead flesh scattered around.

    Nyx sniffed one of the pieces, then she ate it.

    ¡°Huh. Normally she is more into bones. Maybe she likes your potion.¡± I said.

    ¡°Nyx has great taste.¡± Cassie stated.

    After that I continued my efforts to compress the spell on the remaining zombies. I made some progress but failed in the end. All the zombies I had brought were destroyed. I still had ten left in storage though.

    ¡°I think that is enough for today.¡± I said after my latest failure. ¡°I am getting exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s clean up and get some food.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°At least Cassie¡¯s potion was a partial success.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Partial success? It was a great success! With some minor side effects.¡± Cassie stated.

    ¡°And Nyx consumed a lot of undead. I think she was the one who truly profited.¡± I pointed out.

    Nyx stretched, then jumped on my head and curled up. We cleaned the lab, then we left to get some food.

 CHAPTER 99: Corpse Logistics

    Before we went to the mess hall we took a shower. While I was getting used to the smell I did prefer to be clean, especially while eating. Sadly we were too late for regular meal hours, it was already afternoon. We did spend quite a bit of time in the lab.

    ¡°We could go to the beer garden.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Great idea!¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°True. I don¡¯t think we will do any further experimentation today.¡± I said.

    ¡°We would have to pay in the mess hall, might as well pay for something better in the beer garden.¡± Skadi said.

    It was about 16:00 when we arrived. I was getting really hungry. I ordered half a chicken and started filling my mug with delicious beer.

    ¡°Ah. This is really refreshing.¡± Helena said after taking a large sip from her mug.

    ¡°Indeed. Totally worth the money.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Speaking of money, are we allowed to keep the bribe that was discovered on the driver? What happened to that?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I think they still have it as evidence. But in the end coins are coins. We should get it. We earned it in combat. It¡¯s no different than what we took from the corpses.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°If we are lucky there is a bounty on the people we killed.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°I doubt it. They are probably just part of a slave hunter group.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Do you think they are part of a bigger organisation? Will there be someone plotting revenge?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Eh. If they are, you get more corpses.¡± Cassie said and took a sip from her mug.

    ¡°More corpses would be nice, but ideally without getting ambushed.¡± I said.

    ¡°If we had more free time we could go bounty hunting.¡± Helena suggested.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°You would need a lot of bounties to build an army.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°How do most necromancers get corpses?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°You can always buy dead monsters from the adventurers guild. Or hunt them yourself.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°You can buy humanoid corpses.¡± Cassie said. ¡°While it¡¯s not legal to raid a graveyard you can make a deal and offer people the option to buy their dead.¡±

    ¡°What? Would people really do that?¡± I asked. ¡°Who would want their loved ones walking around as zombies?¡±

    ¡°Plenty of people want the money. And they could not afford to pay for a proper burial anyway.¡± Cassie said.

    Helena refilled her mug. ¡°What you truly need is a war!¡± She declared after taking a sip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want a war.¡± I responded.

    ¡°I am not saying a war would be good in general, but it would offer a lot of corpses.¡± Helena clarified.

    ¡°I suppose.¡± I took a sip of my beer. ¡°What happens to the dead of previous wars?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Depends. Often earth mages just bury them in the field.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°So there are potentially areas with a lot of corpses?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There should be.¡± Cassie said. ¡°But you are certainly not the first necromancer thinking about that. And I am not sure if there are any laws regarding old battlefields.¡±

    ¡°Another thing I should ask Gronir.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°I am sure the army could supply some corpses. They take care of bandits.¡± Skadi suggested while refilling her mug.

    ¡°Sure. But I am not the only necromancer. I am just a student, surely they give them to their officers first.¡± I said.

    ¡°You do have the support of the princess.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°I would rather not use too many favours.¡± I said.

    ¡°A wise choice.¡± Skadi nodded, then took a sip from her mug.

    ¡°And we do have the Iron Beaks anyway. Clearly they are the best undead.¡± Cassie took a sip from her mug.

    ¡°You know, an advantage of non-humanoid undead is that they don¡¯t need weapons. Makes them cheaper. Maybe you should look more into monster corpses.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°We do spend money on the explosives for the Iron Beaks.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Sure. But I am talking about monsters. Creatures with claws, teeth,...¡± Skadi said. ¡°They would not need bombs.¡±

    ¡°Everything needs bombs.¡± Cassie mumbled.

    ¡°Monster corpses themselves are not going to be cheap. Unless we hunt them ourselves. And we don¡¯t have time for that.¡± I said.

    ¡°We just need a few fresh corpses. Then we could make more draugr. Why go for an army of weak skeletons? You should build elites! Backed up by the Iron Beaks to soften enemy ranks!¡± Helena announced.

    ¡°Can you make elite skeletons?¡± Cassie asked. ¡°Is there a skeleton version of a draugr?¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± Then I felt a tongue on my hand, which was still on my head. ¡°Oh. Nyx is a magical skeleton with ice powers. But she is special¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should try creating something similar to her?¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°We were able to make the draugr by simulating blood with the infused water. There is no blood in a skeleton. How would we do that?¡± I wondered. ¡°I can use some water magic in the creation of a skeleton and give them some powers. But it would not be like the draugr.¡±

    ¡°What if you pumped mana through the bones, not water?¡± Helena suggested. ¡°Can you make mana flow through them before you animate them?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure. We have modelled the flow based on blood. How would the mana flow through the bones?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°What would happen if you compressed the spell from a draugr and turned it into a skeleton?¡± Skadi asked while taking a sip.

    ¡°Huh. That is an interesting question. But I have not even managed it on a normal zombie yet. I think a draugr would be a lot harder.¡± I mused.

    ¡°What we really need is more experimentation!¡± Cassie said. ¡°And more beer¡­¡± Then she refilled her mug.

 CHAPTER 100: Transfer Student

    We spent the remaining afternoon eating and drinking. By the time we returned to the academy it was evening and we were slightly tipsy.

    ¡°I am going to drink plenty of water before bed. I don¡¯t want a hangover.¡± I said as we returned. ¡°I am going to the mess hall to fill a bottle. Should I get some for you as well?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°I am good.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Sure, bring me some too please.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°You know, we could just summon water.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°True, but the tap water tastes better.¡± I argued.

    The academy provided bottles you could take to your room and refill in the mess hall. It was really convenient. While I was getting the water someone approached me.

    ¡°Good evening!¡±

    I turned around and saw a woman smiling at me. She wore the uniform of a first year student but I had not seen her before. Her skin was smooth and pale, she had long brown hair and green eyes.

    ¡°Hi. I don¡¯t think I have seen you before¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Of course! I am Valeria Barkworth and I just joined the academy!¡± She explained.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± I asked, then I noticed I was being rude by not introducing myself. ¡°Oh, and I am Koyuki. A pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise! I have just switched schools. It¡¯s not a common thing but my mother decided that a more military education is warranted. I was already in my second year at the Academy of Neth.¡± She responded.

    ¡°Why would you need a more military education?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°There has been some trouble in our duchy lately. Also, Ilestria is getting bolder. My mother thinks it would be beneficial for me to learn more about warfare.¡±

    Was she the daughter of Duchess Barkworth? I suppose the field trip had been in their territory. And their duchy was on the border. Maybe she was right to be concerned.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°How can you switch during the year? And why are you a first year student again?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Ah. The Wolf¡¯s Den does have a different curriculum.¡±

    It was interesting that she did not call it the Royal Military Academy. Only the regular soldiers tended to call it the Wolf¡¯s Den. Did she think it made her sound less like a noble?

    While I contemplated that she continued: ¡°So it was decided that I would be a first year again. Actually, the headmaster even insisted I would need to pass the half year exam! Can you believe it? It was really fortunate that a student dropped out. Otherwise they might have claimed there was no room.¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°A student dropped out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. A certain Clara Evans. Do you know her?¡± Valeria asked.

    ¡°Not really. But she is, well was, the roommate of my friend.¡± I replied.

    Skadi had not told us that her roommate dropped out. Why would you drop out in the middle of the year anyway?

    ¡°So, are you familiar with my new roommate? Splendid! Maybe you can introduce me?¡± She asked.

    The whole scenario was slightly suspicious. But introducing her to Skadi would not hurt.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I replied.

    ¡°By the way, why do you have an undead cat on your head? Is this a local fashion trend? She is so cute!¡± Valeria asked. Nyx did not respond.

    ¡°This is Nyx. She is my undead companion.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Ah, you are a necromancer! I think I have heard about you!¡± Her surprise seemed a bit fake. I had a feeling she knew all along who I was. Did she change schools because of me? Surely I was not that important.

    ¡°I suppose word about me has spread since the ball. Excuse my question but you are the daughter of Duchess Barkworth?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Indeed I am! My mother is the only woman who controls a duchy.¡± She sounded very proud.

    I led her back to Helena¡¯s and my room. Skadi and Cassie should have been there as well but I did not see them.

    ¡°Where did Skadi and Cassie go?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A maid came by and told them that Skadi¡¯s roommate dropped out! Cassie is now moving into Skadi¡¯s room.¡± Helena said, then she spotted Valeria. ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°This is Valeria Barkworth. She just joined the academy. Valeria, this is Helena Frost.¡± I introduced them.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± Helena said. ¡°Why did you change schools?¡±

    ¡°My mother decided a more military education would be beneficial. I am actually replacing Clara Evans. So you are saying I will not be staying in her old room?¡± She sounded disappointed.

    ¡°Yes. When the spot became free Cassie asked if she could have it and the staff agreed. Apparently this all happened today. But we never knew Clara that well. Do you know why she dropped out?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Sadly I do not. If you will excuse me, I will need to inquire about my room.¡± She politely excused herself and left.

    ¡°That was weird.¡± I said after she was gone.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Helena asked.

    I recounted the brief conversation I had while getting water.

    ¡°She is so responsible for Clara leaving. I bet she bribed her.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You think so?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. She wanted Skadi¡¯s room to get closer to us.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be that important!¡± I argued.

    ¡°Potential archmages are really important. I bet there is pressure on her mother because of the Korrah Forest incident too. Transferring her child to the academy is to show her support for it. I suspect there is more than one reason why she is here but you are one of those reasons.¡± Helena theorised.

    ¡°Do you think there will be more transfer students?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Who knows? You certainly need some connections to simply join during the year. I would guess a lot of people will simply enrol their children next year.¡± Helena said.

    I sighed. ¡°Politics give me a headache.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that is not the beer?¡± Helena teased.

    ¡°No. The beer is fine if I stay hydrated.¡± I said while taking a sip of my water.

 CHAPTER 101: Dinner Conversation

    The next week was interesting. Valeria spent a lot of time socialising with other students. What I did not see her do was train. Magically she might have been ahead of us but combat wise? I had my doubts. She was not in the same class as Helena and myself. So I did not see her fight. She did not share an advanced magic class with me either.

    ¡°Valeria is annoying.¡± Skadi said. It was Venday evening and we were in the mess hall. We had just sat down.

    ¡°What did she do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She spends too much time trying to talk to me.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°You share a class? You did not mention that.¡± Helena said.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that interesting in general. But she is just so¡­ exhausting. She should spend her time with weapons practice. She is almost as bad as you were at the start of the year.¡±

    ¡°Huh. You know, she mentioned that she needs to pass the mid-year exam. It¡¯s part of the deal for joining now.¡± I said.

    ¡°I doubt that the academy would let her fail.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°I am not sure.¡± Helena said. ¡°The headmaster is not someone who is easily pushed around.¡±

    ¡°They did let her join mid year.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    ¡°At least you two are now roommates. So there is something positive about her showing up. Assuming she is responsible for Clara leaving.¡± I said.

    ¡°True.¡± Skadi agreed.

    ¡°Valeria is a typical noble. She spends most of her time forming connections. The Royal Military Academy has a lot of nobles who don¡¯t inherit. Or are not that important. Or their parents want them to learn some discipline. Politics are not a big focus here.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°You would think your mother would prefer the Academy of Neth.¡± I mused.

    ¡°If I had been a typical noble, yes. But I would not go out and socialise anyway. Mom hoped I would find a husband here because the school tends to have more men.¡± Cassie said.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°You are not actually that good at combat. Or were, at first. Maybe she hoped you would fail.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Cassie looked at her. ¡°I¡­ I have never really considered that.¡±

    ¡°Why would she want you to fail?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It would make Cassie less independent. Her mother might see Cassie as rebellious and wanted her to learn discipline and duty. Either she succeeds here, in which case the military might change her, or she fails and her mother can use it to guilt her into changing.¡±

    ¡°Well, you are not going to fail. And I''m glad that you are here.¡± I told Cassie.

    She smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°You have made a lot of progress since we started training. Shows you how much hard work can do!¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°That and Koyuki¡¯s technique. I think it really helped.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°We all seem to be improving a bit faster since then.¡± Helena remarked.

    ¡°You are right. It does feel like I am learning spells faster now.¡± Skadi agreed. Then she frowned and seemed to stare at something. I turned around and saw Valeria approaching. She was not alone.

    ¡°Hi! Can we sit with you?¡± She asked with a smile.

    ¡°You want to sit with them?¡± I heard a familiar voice. It was Florence.

    ¡°Why not? They are hard working and talented students!¡± Valeria replied.

    ¡°They are nobodies. Someone is clearly helping them and the poor princess fell for their farce. It¡¯s all Hailstorm¡¯s work. He should not be the headmaster.¡± Florence sneered.

    While they were talking Archibald arrived with his sycophants.

    ¡°What is this? Surely we can find another table. One with¡­a  better smell.¡± He looked at me while he was saying that. Nyx was curled up in the middle of the table. One of her eyes opened and stared at Archibald.

    ¡°I am sure Nyx is a wonderful and clean undead. But maybe it would be a bit crowded with all of us here. We can eat together another time!¡± Valeria clearly tried to defuse the situation. I was sure that Archibald was implying that I smelled, not Nyx. ¡°I think I see an empty table!¡± Valeria said and left. The others followed her.

    ¡°Valeria is friends with Archibald¡¯s group?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°He might not be the heir but he is still the son of a duke. And Florence is the daughter of a duke. Those are precisely the kind of people she is used to hanging out with.¡± Cassie said. ¡°They probably knew each other before she came here. I am surprised I haven¡¯t seen her with Leo yet.¡±

    ¡°Archibald was wounded in the Korrah Forest. That is her family¡¯s territory. I bet she is trying hard to smooth things over.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°This is a momentous occasion.¡± Skadi said.

    I frowned. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°For the first time ever, Archibald was useful. He saved us from having to talk with Valeria.¡± Skadi replied.

    Helena and I laughed, Cassie snickered.

    ¡°You know, talking with people is not that bad.¡± Helena said after she finished laughing.

    ¡°As the daughter of merchants, shouldn¡¯t you like talking?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Business is different. I can haggle, or negotiate. But small talk just for the sake of talking? With strangers? No, just no. Our group is ok. Everyone else can go away.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°She has a point. Most people are just not fun. They get all weird when you want to explode things. Or talk about poisoning your suitors.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind people that much. But most would not understand the beauty of an undead army wading through a blizzard.¡± Helena added.

    I looked at my friends. Then shrugged. ¡°Clearly we are the best team.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    Nyx agreed.

 CHAPTER 102: Training

    The mid-year exam was getting closer so we decided to focus more on our training and delay any experimentation we had planned. On Solday we met early in the practice area to do some sparring. I was using a staff and fighting against Nyx.

    While I protected myself with an ice shield I did not use any offensive magic. I was mostly trying to practise fighting with a weapon. Unfortunately, Nyx was too fast and strong for me. She feinted left, then pounced from the right. I ended up lying on the ground with her sitting on top. She was currently as big as a wolf.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you are on our side.¡± I told her. She started licking my face.

    ¡°I think Nyx is getting stronger.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have ever truly beaten her.¡± I replied.

    ¡°True. But we are improving ourselves and we are not getting any closer to beating her. So she is either growing with us, or she held back in the beginning.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°I wonder how much it would help if we used attack spells. But that would be a bad idea for sparring.¡± I said.

    ¡°Training with magic is always risky. Hey, we could use the remaining zombies for target practice.¡± Helen suggested.

    ¡°I am not sure how much we would learn from that¡­¡± I said. The zombies were not that bright. They had no defence against magic projectiles. Just blasting them might not be that useful.

    ¡°I could try some bombs on them!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Now that would be a waste.¡± I said, while standing up. ¡°How is Skadi¡¯s fight with the draugr going?¡±

    ¡°She is doing ok. He is a good opponent. It allows us to fight someone with a weapon who is not a student. And since you can heal him now we can hit harder.¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi took a break and walked over to us. ¡°This is great. You know, you could make money by lending your undead to others for training. Or just create undead for sparring. You did lend Frank to some students in the past. Why not charge for it?¡±

    ¡°I would need more corpses for that. I am not lending Frank to people who might destroy him. Once they pay for it they might believe they can hit harder. Especially if I am not watching.¡± I said. ¡°You know some of them would try.¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Maybe you can ask the academy for more corpses. Make a deal that they can use them to train the students.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Well, they already have Gronir. The academy does not really need me if they want undead. I might have more potential but there is no way I can compete with a teacher right now.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Actually, do you think they use undead for training? Maybe for the older students?¡± Cassie wondered.

    I shrugged. ¡°I can ask Gronir during the next lesson. So, who wants to beat me next?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t lose every fight. You might even be slightly better than Cassie.¡± Helena said. ¡°But you do learn more against a stronger opponent. So grab your staff.¡±

    We sparred until lunch. After a shower and some food we switched to practising magic. Helena pulled out an advanced water magic book.

    ¡°I am going to learn ice armour!¡± She announced. ¡°I have learned all the required spells from the class. I was considering a better attack spell but Irene recommended something more defensive. After watching Frank and his armour I decided I want a similar spell.¡±

    ¡°Cool. How does it work? Is it a one time cost or an upkeep spell?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, both are possible. I am going for a one time cost version, for now. It is easier. The armour holds until all the magic is depleted. I will have to conjure water all around me, then shape it and freeze it. I do have some experience with armour, that should help.¡± She explained.

    ¡°If you do it wrong, are you going to be trapped?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ it depends. I will start with a simple bracer. But if you try to replicate plate armour and fail at the joints you might trap yourself in ice, yes.¡±

    ¡°I do have a potion to melt the ice¡­¡± Cassie said with a grin.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I do not think that would be necessary.¡± Helena said, looking concerned.

    ¡°I said melt, not explode.¡± She pouted.

    ¡°Have you found a defensive spell? You could use one.¡± I asked Cassie.

    She grimaced. ¡°Fire is not the best at defending. There is a fire shield. It can burn certain incoming attacks and stop some spells. But you can certainly stab through it. It won¡¯t be as good as a water shield, or an ice shield.¡±

    ¡°It is better than nothing. You could also create some defensive potions.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°I have considered it. There is a potion that hardens the skin. Similar to what Skadi can do with earth magic. I just haven¡¯t bought the ingredients for them.¡± She answered.

    ¡°Why? You frequently buy alchemy supplies. You bought a lot for the Iron Beaks.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I¡­ I might have spent all my money on explody things.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°Has your mother limited your allowance?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Not yet. My association with Koyuki did help, I think. For now.¡± She responded.

    ¡°Why did you not say something? We can help cover the cost. We still have some money from the ambush. Actually, we should demand the money they got from the dead driver.¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, it was not all for the Iron Beaks. A girl needs her own explosives, you know. And some experimentation. And I might have exploded a pot¡­ or two.¡± She blushed.

    ¡°You never said anything about that! Were you hurt?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Oh. No, I am fine. But I had to replace some things in the lab.¡± She said.

    Skadi sighed, then put her hand on Cassie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please be more careful. I will ask about the money from the driver tomorrow. You should get some defensive potions.¡±

    ¡°Skadi is right. We don¡¯t want to see you hurt. Think about the plant and how that potion would have protected your foot.¡± Helena said.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Fine. I will make a defensive potion.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Do you think it would be possible to have armour that explodes towards the enemy who strikes you?¡± She mused.

    Skadi sighed.

 CHAPTER 103: Enhanced Undead

    We spent the remaining day practising our magic. No one exploded. The next day Skadi managed to collect the money from the driver who had betrayed us, they only kept the pouch as evidence. It was two platinum! That was twenty gold! That meant five for everyone, but I only took four and gave one to Cassie. She had spent a lot on the Iron Beaks after all.

    On Terday I had advanced necromancy again, my favourite class. As usual I was rather excited. I was the first in the room. Soon afterwards Tom and Tim entered. Both had an undead cat with them.

    ¡°Hello Koyuki.¡± They said.

    ¡°Hi.¡± I greeted them.

    ¡°I have a question, how do you keep Nyx on your head?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°Well, she just manages to stay up there. I am not sure if she uses any magic. It helps that she can shrink to the size of a kitten.¡± I explained. Nyx worked in mysterious ways.

    ¡°Ah. Well we got our skeletons from old cats that died. Sadly they can¡¯t change their size. But they are a bit big for our heads and have trouble staying on¡­¡± Tim said.

    ¡°Why do you want them on your head anyway?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°So¡­ some women like it.¡± Tom said, while blushing.

    ¡°Necromancers are getting more popular. Having an undead cat is an easy way to show off.¡± Tim added.

    Nyx jumped from my head and stretched. Then she approached the other undead cats. They were simple tier two skeletons and just sitting on the floor. She walked around them and sniffed. Then she poked one with a paw. There was no reaction. Nyx turned around and jumped on my desk, then curled up.

    Tim and Tom looked disappointed. Maybe they had hoped for some interaction.

    Leo entered the room with one of his wolves. He saw the undead cats and snorted.

    ¡°What a waste of mana. You should focus on creatures that can fight.¡± He said.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Cats can fight!¡± Tom protested.

    ¡°Fight? What? A child?¡± Leo asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate their claws. I mean, the bones might need some reinforcing but a cat is agile and a small target.¡± I pointed out.

    Leo shook his head. ¡°Your Nyx is impressive but a normal cat? Not so much. Reinforcing the bones would be a waste. Go for something bigger. Like a panther. Even better if you can get a magical one.¡±

    ¡°Ah! What a great discussion.¡± Gronir said as he entered the room. ¡°Take your seats everyone. Today we will discuss enhanced undead.¡±

    He waited until everyone sat down, then continued: ¡°There are a lot of different undead. Creating most of them is beyond you, for now. But it ties nicely into your discussion. Is a regular cat skeleton usable for combat?¡±

    Tim and Tom looked hopeful. Nyx opened an eye and watched Gronir.

    ¡°The nature of the corpse influences quite a bit. A magical creature will create a stronger undead than a normal creature. A bigger animal will be stronger than a small animal, usually. But as you have seen with the draugr, there are different kinds of zombies, there are also different kinds of skeletons.¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo.¡±

    ¡°Is a draugr not simply a zombie with an added water affinity?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No. Adding an element can be done in multiple ways. Honestly, there is not really a name or classification for every undead. You can have a normal zombie and add a bit of water magic to it. It will still be a normal zombie, just more effective in water or snow. While undead can¡¯t drown, or freeze, they might still be slowed by the elements. An addition of water mana during their creation can offer them some resistance to that element.¡±

    ¡°You could also make more specific changes. You could give an animal a venomous attack with earth mana. It would be a normal skeleton, except for its bite. That would be a way to turn a small creature, like a cat, into something deadly. Such a creature would be called an earth infused skeleton.¡±

    He paused, then he continued with excitement: ¡°Necromancy has a lot of room for experimentation! How you prepare a corpse, what corpse you use, how you raise it,...¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo.¡±

    ¡°But we can¡¯t add an element if we do not have the right affinity.¡± He complained.

    ¡°Ah. You do not have to add an element. You can do similar things with death mana. You could change the bite to be necrotic.¡± Gronir said with a smile. ¡°Every undead is infused with death mana, obviously. But you can add additional properties. By forcing extra mana into the teeth, or claws, you can enhance their attacks.¡°

    ¡°The spell you use to create an undead limits the amount of modifications you can make. A more powerful spell is needed for stronger enhancements and eventually you will end up creating a different kind of undead. Besides the spell you will also need a corpse that can hold the required amount of mana. So you could turn a cat into a suitable combat undead, within reason. But you would want to reinforce the bones and specifically enhance the attacks.¡± He explained.

    Tom raised his hand.

    ¡°Tom.¡±

    ¡°Would that be worth it?¡± He wondered.

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°Worth is not universal. For some people? Yes. A cat could make a reasonable assassin. As a soldier for an army? No. An army of undead cats would be a waste of resources. It would be far simpler to animate bigger creatures. Or humanoids. Instead of making stronger undead you can simply give them weapons and armour.¡±

    ¡°Keep in mind that more complex undead take more mana to maintain. That is why most necromancers use simple undead for an army. Throw a horde of zombies and skeletons at the enemy and replenish them with the fallen.¡±

    Gronir smiled at us. ¡°But while overwhelming the enemy with numbers is effective, I do encourage you to experiment! In a small scale engagement enhanced undead can be rather valuable. Or as bodyguards. So I want you to try and enhance some part of your next undead. It does not have to be anything drastic. I am looking forward to your creations!"

 CHAPTER 104: Ideas

    The idea of enhancing an undead fascinated me. What sort of creature could I create? I spent a lot of time thinking about it. When I met my friends later I asked them for opinions.

    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t enhance an existing undead? You would need to raise a new one?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Yes. Changing an existing spell is hard.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°So, you need a new corpse.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°What are you considering? Something small? Something big? You could create a rat assassin!¡± Cassie suggested.

    Nyx looked approvingly at Cassie.

    ¡°My last rat skeletons were eaten¡­¡± I pointed out.

    Nyx looked at me, then licked her paw.

    ¡°We could check out the adventurers guild. You got some money to spend on a corpse.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°True.¡± Then I looked at Nyx and narrowed my eyes. ¡°This won¡¯t be food for you. This is my homework.¡±

    She ignored me and kept licking her paw.

    ¡°I am sure she won¡¯t eat anything that is really useful. She does seem to understand that you need undead to fight for you.¡± Helena said.

    There was some truth to her words. But we were talking about a cat.

    ¡°So, if you are going for a corpse from the guild, any ideas? Are you going to enhance your skeleton with water or death mana?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°I am not sure. Do you think I could do both? I am also concerned about the quality of the corpse. If I try too much it might be destroyed. Gronir told us that there is a limit of how much mana a corpse can tolerate.¡± I said.

    ¡°So a bigger creature can hold more mana?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Bigger helps but it¡¯s also about quality. Bones that are damaged can hold less. And if you reinforce them with alchemy they can hold more. The corpse of a magical creature in good condition would be best¡­¡± I replied

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°...but also expensive.¡± Skadi finished my thoughts.

    I nodded.

    ¡°It does not hurt to check what they have.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Have you considered a mount?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I do have my horse¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°Sure. Coffee is a great horse. But you are a necromancer! You could have an undead horse! Or a bear, or a dragon!¡± Helena suggested.

    An undead dragon would be awesome. Sadly it would also be far beyond my current ability. I would need to defeat a dragon first. Then raise it as a tier three undead. Anything else would be a waste. But the more realistic option, like a horse, sounded tempting.

    ¡°How easy would it be to get a dead horse? I am not going to kill mine.¡± I said.

    ¡°A horse is boring. Go for something stronger!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°How comfortable would it be to ride a skeleton? Are there saddles for that?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°Uh, maybe? I am sure you could order a custom one.¡± I replied.

    ¡°A draugr horse! Go for a draugr horse!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°This is about enhancing an undead. Maybe I should start by enhancing a normal skeleton first¡­¡± I was not sure if I could enhance a draugr. Or if we could create one from a dead horse in the first place. Would that water circulation technique work on a horse? We modelled it after the blood flow inside a humanoid¡­

    ¡°You could reinforce the head, for ramming.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°How often do you ram things with your mount?¡± I asked.

    Skadi shrugged.

    ¡°Actually, what would I reinforce for a mount? Could I make it faster? Maybe something along the joints?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Why fast? Make it strong! A combat mount! Uh! Could you create a death aura?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Death aura? You want a fire breath!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°She does not have fire mana.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Death aura?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°Even if something like that were possible, it would be impractical. It would hurt other mounts nearby. It would hurt you!¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Fair point¡­¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°You could do a frost breath. Or maybe a necrotic breath.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Sure, they would be great. But I have no idea how to give an undead a specific power! This is about some simple enhancement. Like, more durable hooves or a better bite.¡± I pointed out. They had interesting ideas but sadly they might be beyond my abilities.

    ¡°Well, what power does an undead horse get if you raise it with a mixture of water and death mana?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I am not sure. Probably just some resistance to water magic. Might depend on how much mana is used, the quality of the corpse¡­¡±

    ¡°This calls for experimentation!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Sure, but I need corpses.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You could experiment on chickens until you find something that works for your mount. We do have a bunch of chicken bones. Instead of making more Iron Beaks you can experiment on some of them. We have enough Iron Beaks anyway.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°There are never enough Iron Beaks¡­¡± Cassie mumbled.

    ¡°I doubt those skeletons can hold a lot of mana. So anything I try there might just destroy them. Still, it could be worth a try. We do have those bones anyway.¡± I mused.

    ¡°You still need a proper corpse for a mount. We could check the adventurers guild. Maybe they have something interesting.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What if we hunt a bear?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You know, there is some time off after the mid-year exam. We have two weeks actually.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°We do?¡± I asked.

    Skadi sighed. ¡°Yes, we do.¡±

    ¡°Hm. I could just enhance a chicken as homework. Then go for a mount after the exam, when we have more time to experiment.¡±  I concluded.

 CHAPTER 105: Homework

    While I had decided to enhance a simple chicken skeleton I still invested a few resources to create a bone enhancement potion. I could brew it myself, which would save some money. I could even get some credit for it in my alchemy class. Did I need to enhance all bones? Maybe it would be enough to strengthen the part I wanted to reinforce.

    The next day I was in the lab in the evening, creating the potion. Cassie was here as well working on her own project. I could hear the occasional laughter from her. But so far nothing had exploded.

    ¡°So, what are you going to enhance?¡± I heard a voice right behind me. I almost dropped the flask in my hand. I turned around, Cassie had left her station and was peeking at my work. I had not noticed her coming over.

    ¡°You surprised me, I almost dropped that flask!¡± Then I noticed the bubbling cauldron which produced a lot of fumes. I pointed at her station. ¡°Uhm, is it fine to leave your experiment like that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, the mixture is supposed to do that! And the vents will take care of the fumes.¡± She said.

    I shrugged. ¡°You are the expert. So, I was thinking of improving the beak and just adding some death mana to it. Keep it simple, do my homework and then experiment on something bigger when I have the time.¡±

    ¡°You are not going to add water mana?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Maybe I will do a bit of experimenting¡­¡± I admitted.

    I heard a crunching sound. I looked towards the bones I had brought. Nyx had her head inside the sack.

    ¡°Nyx! Stop it, I need them for my homework!¡± I shouted.

    She did leave the sack but there was still a bone sticking from her mouth. She looked at me while she chewed.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t behave you can¡¯t come to the lab with me.¡± I told her. She looked at the sack, then at me. It looked like she decided to behave, for now. Nyx stretched and walked over to my station, then jumped on it and examined my work.

    Suddenly I heard sizzling.

    ¡°Oh crap!¡± Cassie shouted and ran towards her station. She started dumping things into her potion while furiously stirring. ¡°No problem, I got this!¡± She said.

    My own project was far less volatile. Basic enhancements for undead were not that difficult to create. They just took some time. Cassie found them boring but she did have a talent for alchemy and loved experimenting. And exploding things.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Nyx ¡®helped¡¯ by sleeping on the ingredients I needed and shoving things around with her paw. She did not throw anything off the table, which was good. After a while I had my potion and could start my actual homework, enhancing a skeleton.

    I stayed in the same lab. The bones were already cleaned. For my first skeleton I applied the potion to the beak. Hm. Was that enough? I decided to go for the entire head. Chickens were small so I did not need much.

    I had my necromancy textbook with me and rechecked the instructions. When I cast the spell to animate the skeleton I pushed some additional mana into it while mentally focusing on the part where I wanted it to go. Targeting only the beak was hard. The mana flooded the entire head. I tried pushing in more towards the beak.

    The head exploded. Small shards of bone flew everywhere. I was a bit scratched but not really hurt. I guess I could use this to practice the water heal¡­

    ¡°You go girl! I always thought necromancy was boring but you are making it fun. Is it not more exciting if things explode?¡± Cassie cheered.

    ¡°I could do without bone splinters in my face and hair¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Pfft! That is just the sign of fun experimentation!¡± Cassie insisted. She gave me a thumbs up and focused on her potion again.

    Nyx was already chewing on the remains of the failed experiment. At least I did not have to worry about disposing of the remains.

    For my next try I used less mana. I was unable to focus it truly into the beak but I did get more mana into the head. The result was an undead chicken skeleton with a darker head that emitted some black smoke.

    ¡°Hm.¡± I studied my creation.

    Cassie walked over to inspect it as well. ¡°Looks¡­ sinister. Can you do that to the Iron Beaks? What does it do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sort of a small necrotic aura, I think. Anything inside the smoke will wilt¡­ slowly.¡± I explained.

    ¡°How slowly? Can I put my finger in there?¡± She asked.

    ¡°It should be fine.¡± I answered.

    Cassie poked the skeleton. Then she frowned. ¡°It¡¯s itching slightly, that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°So it is mostly a visual change.¡± I concluded. ¡°It might be enough for my homework but it is disappointing¡­¡±

    ¡°You still have more skeletons. Uh, can I borrow one? I have a potion to test! Well, once it¡¯s finished. I have a good feeling about this!¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Sure.¡± I said. Cassie was already rushing back to her cauldron.

    I tried a few more things. Once I succeeded in enhancing only the beak¡­ It exploded. I tried enhancing the feet as well. My best try resulted in some tiny ice claws. I even managed to combine the ice claws with the smoking head. It had to do, for now.

    Nyx was happily eating all the failed experiments. Even some successful ones. Of course my final creation was spared. So was my first, the smoking head chicken. I kept it for Cassie¡¯s potion.

    She completed her experiment without any explosions and poured her creation into small bottles. Then she walked towards me with one.

    ¡°Can I try it?¡± She asked.

    I cleared the area around the test chicken. I made sure my homework was further away, and safe. Even Nyx took a few steps back.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± I said.

    Cassie threw the bottle next to the undead chicken. There was a small explosion and a cloud of red mist formed. The bones inside the cloud began to smoke.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Incendiary cloud!¡± Cassie said. ¡°It briefly creates a small cloud that burns anything within. It¡¯s cool, right?¡±

    I looked back at the chicken. The bones caught fire and the undead collapsed.

    ¡°It looks pretty strong¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°You could stop it with a water shield. But it is great against most living things! The biggest downside is the small size. And it¡¯s stationary. You could just run out before you catch fire.¡± Cassie explained.

    The cloud did not last long. A pile of charred bones remained. Nyx sniffed them, then walked away. It looked like we had to clean this up ourselves.

 CHAPTER 106: Mid-Year Exam

    The next few weeks we focused on training and studying. While the mid-year exam was apparently not a big deal we still wanted to do well.

    On the 53rd of Inares we had the physical exam. It was a sparring match with Peter, our teacher. I chose the staff as my weapon. At first he only defended to test my ability to attack.  After a while he started fighting back. Slow at first but he gradually increased his speed. Soon I had to stop counter attacking and focused only on my defence.

    After a while he stopped. ¡°You pass. You are not a great fighter but it is more than acceptable. You have come a long way since the beginning of the year.¡±

    I smiled, proudly. My hard work had paid off.

    The next day we had a written exam. Afterwards we had to demonstrate a few spells. Telekinesis, water shield, ice knife, minor water heal, necrotic bolt¡­ I even animated a small rat. Which Nyx ate after the exam. Overall the magical part was rather easy. Only a few students struggled. They would have to do better at the end of the year to avoid failing.

    ¡°Did you hear? Valeria got additional homework for the remaining year because she did so poorly in the physical exam.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Apparently she did well enough that she can stay though.¡± Cassie added. Passing the exam was part of her special deal about joining mid-year.

    ¡°She is the daughter of a duchess. There is no way they would have kicked her out.¡± Skadi said.

    I shrugged. ¡°The important thing is, all of us did well! We didn¡¯t get extra homework. I am surprised how relaxed it was.¡±

    ¡°I told you the mid-year is no big deal. It¡¯s just to show people who have fallen behind that they need to work harder, if they want to pass at the end of the year.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Anyway, we need to celebrate this! Beer garden?¡± Helena suggested.

    We all agreed. It was early afternoon but we had some celebrating to do.

    ¡°So, we have two weeks off now?¡± I said as we sat down. The server brought us the mugs and the menu.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Yes! I have planned a hunt for us.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You mentioned something like that. Wait! You planned that when you said you were studying, didn''t you?¡± I said.

    Helena blushed. ¡°I mean¡­ The exam was easy anyway! Back to the hunt. There is a nice forest nearby. It¡¯s pretty safe. Being a noble I got a hunting licence for us. We can camp there for a few days and get some corpses for Koyuki! Maybe you can make mounts for all of us.¡± She suggested.

    ¡°No crackers. We bring real food.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Actually, I have worked on some flavouring potions¡­¡±

    ¡°What about the self cooling beverages?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There was a flaw in my plan¡­¡± She admitted. ¡°Making them is expensive. People who could afford them could just hire a water mage to cool their beverages. Or buy a fancy ice box. And if you make a mistake it could be... dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Did you explode someone?¡± I asked while filling my mug.

    ¡°No no, those drinks would simply cool someone a bit too much. Just mild hypothermia. Totally curable with some fire magic.¡± She said.

    ¡°Did you try this on yourself?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Cassie blushed.

    Skadi sighed. ¡°You need to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°I am! I promise! Nothing exploded recently! Well, except for the things that were supposed to explode¡­¡± She mumbled the last part.

    ¡°Back to the trip, I have organised some decent provisions. No crackers.¡± Helena said. ¡°It will only take a day to get there. I have got a map and a good camping place. It¡¯s next to a small stream so we have water.¡±

    ¡°Should we be concerned about attacks? Have you considered security?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We have your undead. Frank, the two goblins, Nyx and we could bring the remaining zombies¡­¡± She grimaced. ¡°Do you think you can turn them into skeletons by now?¡±

    ¡°I can try.¡± I said. While I had not trained that particular spell for the exam my control over magic had improved.

    ¡°We should bring the Iron Beaks.¡± Cassie said, then took a sip of her beer.

    Helena nodded. ¡°We should certainly bring some. They could be a powerful weapon. Maybe ten or so.¡±

    ¡°They are small. We could bring all of them!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°We have 87 now, I think. That is a bit much.¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe we bring twenty?¡± Skadi proposed while refilling her mug.

    ¡°I think we could do twenty.¡± Helena agreed. ¡°And Koyuki could raise more skeletons as we hunt, for added protection. I think you should bring materials to enhance the bones. Oh, I have cleared it with the headmaster as well. He approved of our trip.¡±

    ¡°If they use us as bait to catch someone we should demand payment.¡± Skadi said.

    I stared at her.

    ¡°What? You think they are not considering that? If they believe someone will come for you they are going to use this.¡± She pointed out.

    ¡°You have a point.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°If someone attacks we should get their corpses!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Maybe we could even make more draugrs.¡± Helena mused.

    I shrugged. ¡°So, what are we going to hunt?¡±

    ¡°Since the forest is near the city it is well patrolled. There should not be any dangerous monsters. We are going for some animals. Maybe a pack of wolves, a bear, some deer,...¡± Helena said.

    It sounded like a fun trip. Hopefully I could get some nice skeletons.

 CHAPTER 107: Camping

    The next day we started packing. Helena organised a wagon and we used my horse to pull it. We were fine with walking but we needed a place for our supplies. This time we would bring better food.

    I had ten zombies remaining. There was no time to try and change them into skeletons so they joined us like that. We also had Frank, the draugr, and my two goblins from the field exercise. We settled for twenty Iron Beaks which joined us as well. They stayed in the wagon while the other undead marched.

    Summer was slowly coming to an end. The weather was quite nice, hopefully it would stay that way.  It took us until midday to get ready but we would still arrive before dark.

    A lot of students were leaving during the break. Most used fancy carriages. We had a supply wagon and a small group of undead. It did get us some weird looks but I was well known by now.

    Nyx was not sitting on my head, instead she was sitting next to the driver on the wagon. The undead driver was one of the remaining zombies so he was taking care of the wagon. I just ordered him to follow Helena¡¯s lead. She knew where we were going.

    ¡°How long until we are ambushed? Anyone wants to bet?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I say they attack during the second night. They will try to observe during the first one.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°First night. They will hope we are tired and unprepared.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I think they will ambush us on the way back. It gives them time to prepare.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Are you that sure we are getting attacked? I think a lot of nobles are trying to court or bribe me. I have gotten some invitations recently¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Really? You never said anything.¡± Helena replied.

    ¡°I declined them all. I have no plans to attend a fancy dinner. Also, I had to prepare for the exam. Sadly that excuse is now gone.¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Ilestria. They have even more reason to go after you now.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Sure. But they would need competent agents here. We haven¡¯t heard from the royal investigator, but I would assume Ilestria¡¯s spies did not have an easy time since that priestess talked.¡± I said.

    ¡°They could hire mercenaries.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°True. But most of them are not going to be strong mages. And we can deal with normal thugs.¡± I said.

    ¡°Normal thugs are just free undead.¡± Helena said with a smile. ¡°We could use more undead! You need an army.¡±

    ¡°Well, I am going to get some undead animals. And maybe we will get some mounts.¡± I said.

    Nobody attacked us on the way to our camping spot. It was about 150 metres away from the forest. That would allow us to spot anything that emerged and give us a little time to react. We arrived late in the evening. There was a nice grassy area next to the road, ideal for camping. A stream was about 100 metres away. It ran parallel to the road and entered the forest. It was big enough to supply water and allow us to wash.

    We brought two tents. I would share one with Helena and Skadi would share the other with Cassie. Setting them up was easy. We gathered some stones and built a small fire pit for cooking.

    ¡°What are we having for dinner?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We still have some fresh bread. I am thinking a stew would go nice with it. I got sausage, potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°NOOOO!¡± I shouted.

    Helen snickered. ¡°Ok, no mushrooms. I just wanted to see your face when I mentioned them.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I have no problem feeding you to Nyx.¡±

    ¡°That is why I regularly bribe Nyx with bones.¡± Helena countered. ¡°Who is a good kitty!¡± She pulled a small piece of bone from her pocket and threw it towards Nyx.

    ¡°Traitor.¡± I said while my feline companion ate her treat.

    ¡°We also have some ale!¡± Skadi announced while carrying a small barrel. ¡°This is a vacation after all.¡±

    ¡°I will get the mugs.¡± Cassie said.

    I grabbed a pot. ¡°I will help Helena cook. And make sure she does not use mushrooms¡­¡± I mumbled.

    Helena grinned.

    It was already getting dark when we started eating. It was a nice meal. Having decent ingredients and some spices made a big difference.

    ¡°Camping is so much better without crackers.¡± I stated.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°How are we going to handle tonight¡¯s security?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°My zombies are forming a circle around the camp. They are not very intelligent though. But they have orders to restrain anyone who enters the camp and make noise if they detect something. Frank will stand guard in front of the tents directly with the goblins.¡± I said.

    ¡°What about the Iron Beaks?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°They are waiting for orders. Since they explode I don¡¯t want them to engage without orders. All of my undead will listen to your commands, by the way.¡± I told them.

    ¡°As further precaution we will have one person awake keeping watch.¡± Helena added.  ¡°Cassie gets first watch, followed by Skadi, myself and Koyuki. We can rotate the watch order during our stay.¡±

    We nodded.

    Afterwards we talked some more and enjoyed our ale by the fire. We made sure to not get too drunk. We had some hunting to do tomorrow. It was an hour before midnight when we went to bed. Nyx did not join me in our tent, instead she sat at the fire. Maybe she wanted to keep watch. Or she was hoping for treats from Cassie. Despite the potential of an attack I quickly fell asleep.

 CHAPTER 108: Hunt

    Helena woke me up for my guard shift and I crawled out of the tent. It was still dark and I yawned. I would not have minded more sleep but having the last shift was nice. Nyx was curled up at the fire. One eye briefly opened as I left the tent. Then it closed again.

    I stretched, then threw some more wood into the fire. We had collected quite a bit yesterday. It was important to have enough for the night. While it was not that cold the fire provided illumination and kept most animals away.

    My undead were still alive. Ok, alive was the wrong word, they still existed. I checked all my links. Then I walked the perimeter of the camp and checked on all my undead in person. Soon I was back at the fire with nothing to do.

    The real problem of guard duty was boredom. Technically I should have been scanning the area, watching for something. But how long could you reasonably do that without going insane? I could train my magic but it would mean paying less attention. I did have my undead keeping watch as well though¡­

    In the end I decided to train my water shield. I created various forms of shielding, covering my body and even a small dome. The last one was relatively exhausting. It would have been much easier if I had used the water from the river.

    As the sun began to rise I stopped training and decided to brew some coffee. Maybe I should prepare breakfast¡­

    I looked into the supply wagon and debated what to do. I grabbed some bacon, eggs and leftover bread from yesterday. I fried the bacon in a pan, then used the fat to toast the bread and fry the eggs. Once the food and coffee were ready I woke my friends.

    ¡°No attack, damn. I really thought something would happen during the first night.¡± Cassie said while rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you made food! I love you!¡± Helena said while grabbing some bacon.

    ¡°And coffee.¡± Skadi added while pouring some into a mug.

    ¡°So, what is today¡¯s plan?¡± Cassie asked while filling her plate.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Scout the local area. The map I have is not very detailed inside the forest. It was mostly about the camping spot. We want to look for tracks, find something to hunt. Maybe lay a few traps¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Do you know how to use traps?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know how to create them but I can deploy one. I actually brought four. You place them on the floor, hide them with leaves and they snap shut around someone¡¯s foot if they step into them.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°We need to make sure we don¡¯t step into them.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, and would we not need something to attract an animal too? Like bait?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°If we catch something we can use the meat as bait.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We could also use them to defend the camp. Let¡¯s put them in the forest close to our base.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I like the way you think. We could put them in the spots someone would use to watch us. Like near that bush.¡± I pointed at a bush at the edge of the forest.

    ¡°Hm. Ok, let¡¯s use my traps for defence.¡± Helena agreed.

    After breakfast we washed the dishes in the river and got ready for the day. We wore chainmail and arming swords. Additionally Skadi had a two handed axe and Helena used a spear. I debated grabbing one too but decided I would focus on magic. Cassie said she wanted her hands free to throw potions. She carried quite a few in various pouches and around her belt.

    We also had backpacks with useful tools, like rope and snacks. Before we left though we placed Helena¡¯s traps. There were no signs of someone watching us.

    ¡°Did they not even spy on us? Lazy ambushers.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Maybe nobody is going to attack us.¡± I said.

    They all stared at me.

    ¡°Hey, there is a chance!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Keep telling yourself that.¡± Helena patted me on the head.

    Nyx was sniffing around the bushes. It did not look like she was finding something interesting. She had mildly grown in size and was currently as big as a fox. Besides her, we had Frank with us. The zombies and the two goblins were at the camp keeping watch.

    After we were done with the traps we made our way into the forest. Helena took the lead. She had the map and a compass. Although we did not need them for now as we followed the river. A source of water would likely attract animals and therefore help us find something to hunt.

    ¡°Should we have hired a tracker?¡± Cassie asked as we walked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Helena looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Maybe. I did not want a random person in our group though. I thought it would be fine. We did find the boar during the field training. And I did read a bit about tracking since then¡­¡±

    ¡°It is certainly more fun with only the four of us.¡± I said.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°The five of us.¡± I corrected my statement.

    ¡°I am sure we will find something.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Hey, I think something moved over there!¡± I pointed at a bush in the distance.

    ¡°Ok, Skadi and myself will take the lead. Have Frank cover the rear. Keep your spells ready. Oh, and remember to not kill anything we want to eat with death magic. It¡¯s not that important since we have enough food but it might be tasty¡­¡± Helena said. Then she looked at Cassie. ¡°Please don¡¯t burn down the forest.¡±

    Cassie smiled. ¡°You are all a lot better at water magic now. And there is a river. It will be fine.¡±

 CHAPTER 109: Hunter

    We carefully advanced towards the bush. Skadi used her earth magic to harden her skin, Helena reinforced her mail with ice. I focused on an ice dart spell. I would start with water magic and switch to death magic if needed. Cassie was holding a vial containing¡­ something.

    The movement in the bush had stopped. But we did not hear anything running away. We were not the best at sneaking, so it was reasonable to assume that the creature knew we were coming.

    ¡°The last suspicious bush we approached attacked us. Do we know that this is not a vampiric nightshade?¡± Cassie whispered.

    Helena stopped. ¡°There should not be any in this area. Then again, there should not have been any in the Korrah Forest either. Koyuki, do you sense some bones? Anything there you could animate?¡±

    I shook my head.

    ¡°I could just burn the bush.¡± Cassie offered while playing with her vial.

    Helena pondered that briefly. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s do it your way.¡±

    Cassie looked surprised, then she grinned. The vial flew towards the bush.

    I saw a brief flash, followed by an explosion. Dirt and burning pieces of wood flew everywhere. We readied ourselves for a fight but nothing emerged. After a moment Helena said: ¡°Let¡¯s stop the fire from spreading! We need to take care of the burning wood.¡±

    The three of us who had water magic went to work. Thankfully the forest was not too dry and we were able to stop any bigger parts from catching fire. Soon everything was under control. It was time to investigate the remains of the bush.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Skadi said while looking at the remains. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense anything I could animate.¡± I said.

    Helena poked the area with her spear. Nothing happened.

    ¡°Maybe it was just the wind?¡± Cassie wondered. ¡°How sure are we that a creature was inside?¡±

    ¡°It could have burrowed.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Do you know of any burrowing creature that would fit into that bush?¡± I asked.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°No.¡± She admitted. ¡°That does not mean they don¡¯t exist.¡±

    Nyx sniffed the area. Then she poked it with a paw.

    ¡°Maybe it was something small and you blew it up.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. If the corpse is too damaged, I would not be able to raise it.¡±

    ¡°The important part is, it was a great explosion! And the forest is totally fine.¡± Cassie said with a grin.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just continue.¡± Helena suggested.

    We moved further into the forest. The explosion was loud so most animals had fled the area. It would take a bit of marching until we would have another chance to hunt anything.

    We stopped at midday to have lunch. We had brought a selection of smoked sausages and some cheese. We sat near the river while we enjoyed our meal. Suddenly Nyx started growling and growing to the size of a tiger.

    We immediately grabbed our weapons.

    ¡°Well met fellow hunters!¡± We heard a voice. A man emerged from a denser part of the forest. He wore leather armour and had a bow slung over his shoulder. There was a quiver on his back and a dagger at his belt.

    I studied the man. He was middle aged and clearly in good physical shape. His hair and beard were not well trimmed. There was also some dirt on his face and clothing.

    ¡°Have you been spying on us?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°What? No! I am a hunter. I heard some noise and investigated. That is an interesting undead creature you have with you.¡± He said while looking at Nyx. He might not have noticed that Frank was undead too. He looked rather human from afar.

    ¡°Hunting, huh? So you have a licence?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Of course! It is in my camp though. You are welcome to join me!¡± The man said.

    ¡°He looks like a creep.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Hey! I assure you I am just a hunter, miss. It¡¯s not the cleanest job but it pays the bills.¡± He was watching the draugr while he walked closer. Maybe he thought Frank was our guard.

    ¡°Stop.¡± Helena said, pointing her spear at him.

    ¡°I think Frank can handle this.¡± I said. I mentally commanded my draugr to get closer to the man.

    Meanwhile, I was already forming a water shield close to my skin. I wanted to be prepared for an ambush. The man smiled at Frank, then he threw something. A vial shattered in the draugr¡¯s face. Smoke emerged. The undead did not care. It reacted to the attack by drawing his sword and deploying his ice armour. Then he stabbed the surprised man.

    Nyx charged. Not at the hunter, but at a tree. A panicked arrow flew towards her but missed. The undead feline was a quick climber and soon we heard a scream. A headless body fell from the branches.

    Then there was silence. The hunter was dead. Frank had killed him. The headless body of the archer was on the ground, a smug Nyx sitting on top. Nobody else attacked.

    ¡°Was that it?¡± Skadi wondered. ¡°What kind of crappy ambush was that?¡±

    ¡°I think those were just scouts. Nyx spotted them so they improvised.¡± I mused.

    ¡°So, you think there is a camp somewhere? With more of them?¡± Helena looked thoughtful.

    ¡°This guy had a few more vials.¡± Cassie said. She was currently searching the corpse of the hunter. ¡°I am not sure what is in there.¡±

    ¡°Clearly it did not work on an undead.¡± I pointed out. Frank was just fine.

    ¡°Could have also been the frost affinity.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Most undead are pretty resistant to cold anyway.¡± I said. ¡°Could you find out what those do?¡± I asked Cassie.

    ¡°In a lab? Maybe. Here? All I could do is test it on things.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Girls, what do you say about going on the offence?¡± Helena asked. ¡°We look for their camp and attack. Those scouts might have left a trail.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Skadi pondered that. ¡°It could work. Would be nice to be the attacker for once.¡±

    ¡°They are going to miss those scouts. If they don¡¯t return they will be on alert.¡± I said.

    Cassie ginned. ¡°They might expect us. But will they expect the Iron Beaks?¡±

 CHAPTER 110: Camp

    First we searched the bodies. The archer did not carry any vials. His arrows were normal too, as far as we could tell. They had a little money, which was nice.

    Now, what would I do with the corpses? Animating them made sense. But I did not have the time to turn them into proper skeletons. More zombies then¡­ Wait, could I animate a headless corpse? How much of the body needed to be intact?

    While my friends looked for tracks I focused on the bodies. The one who got stabbed was easy. The headless archer¡­ less so. The fall further damaged the corpse. I needed a lot more magic to make it rise. Once it did there were some problems. The headless zombie had trouble orienting itself.

    ¡°You would think a head is not necessary for an undead. It¡¯s not like they use normal senses.¡± Cassie commented, as she watched my creation stumble around.

    ¡°I think the problem is the spell. You can craft an undead from different body parts but you need to change the magic. I think the basic raise undead spell is designed to make use of the head.¡± I theorised.

    ¡°We found a trail.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Can you call your zombies and the Iron Beaks from the camp?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No. They are too far away for some direct orders.¡±

    ¡°So, if we follow the trail we might get into a fight without your undead. If we go back and get them we might lose the element of surprise.¡± Helena summarised.

    ¡°Yes. I do think we are better off with my undead though.¡± I said.

    ¡°I agree. We should totally get the Iron Beaks!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Skadi agreed. Helena nodded.

    ¡°I will drop the headless zombie¡­¡± I just finished the sentence when we heard a crunching sound. Nyx was eating the failed undead. ¡°Nevermind. I will bring the working zombie with us. Nyx is disposing of the evidence.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t follow the river we can get back to the camp faster. There is a more direct route.¡± Helena said while studying her map. ¡°Should still take us over an hour though, even if we move fast.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Skadi said.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    We walked at a reasonable pace. While speed was important we still had a battle ahead of us. There was no point rushing in and then collapsing from exhaustion. Back at the camp we quickly gathered the Iron Beaks and zombies. I only left the two goblins behind. They could keep watch and protect our supplies from the wildlife. Then we returned using the same path.

    ¡°Do you think they are already missing their scouts? What are the odds that they have sent new ones?¡± Cassie asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°No idea. We haven¡¯t really been trained in running such operations yet. What are good practices for scouts?¡±

    ¡°Depends.¡± Helena said. ¡°If you send your scouts further ahead it usually increases the time between checks. We don¡¯t know how close their base is.¡±

    ¡°If you are observing someone closely you would not want to risk discovery by switching your scouts too often. You would probably want them to stay in place.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°But if we are moving the scouts watching us have to move anyway.¡± I pointed out.

    Skadi pondered that. ¡°Fair enough.¡±

    ¡°It might also depend on how likely they think they are discovered. And how many good scouts they have. You can¡¯t rotate shifts without having additional people.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°So basically we have no idea.¡± I summarised.

    ¡°By the way, did those scouts count as ambush? Nobody bet on us ambushing someone.¡± Cassie said.

    I shrugged. ¡°Nobody bet on being ambushed while hunting anyway.¡±

    ¡°Also, there could be more attacks. Even if we deal with this group.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We can all agree that Koyuki lost since she suggested we might not get attacked at all.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Hey, I never said that was a bet!¡± I protested.

    ¡°No, Helena has a point. Clearly you lost.¡± Skadi said.

    Cassie nodded.

    I pouted. ¡°You are mean.¡±

    We stopped our banter once we reached the site of the previous encounter. There was no disturbance. The tracks from earlier were still there. We carefully followed them. The zombies formed a ring around us. Frank was with us in the centre. The Iron Beaks followed slightly behind. We did not want to walk right next to the bombs. Nyx was outside looking for hidden enemies. Or at least I thought she was doing that. One never knew with cats.

    While we did our best to be silent we were not trained to sneak. And the zombies did not help either. There was a good chance we would be spotted at some point. Hopefully we would be close enough by then to stop them from preparing.

    One member of our team was actually stealthy. Nyx. So stealthy that we did not even notice her killing someone. She had gone slightly ahead and eliminated a lookout hiding in a bush. Now she was smugly sitting on his corpse.

    ¡°Good kitty!¡± I praised her.

    ¡°We must be getting close.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I think there is a clearing up ahead, behind those bushes.¡± Skadi said while squinting.

    The forest was relatively thick here. They found a well concealed location. Of course, it meant their camp did not have a good view of their surroundings. The lookout would have certainly fixed that problem if he had not become cat food.

    We felt relatively smug as we closed in on our enemies. Until we heard a cry.

    ¡°ALARM! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!¡±

    ¡°Well, so much for that.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Time to go loud.¡± Cassie said holding a vial.

    We could see the camp now. They had no defences, like walls or a moat. But they were a rather large group. I could see a lot of tents and many armed people running around. Also¡­ Were those cages? That was a problem for later though.

    My zombies formed a battle line in front of us. The Iron Beaks waited behind for their orders. It was time to show those thugs that they had messed with the wrong necromancer.

 CHAPTER 111: Battle

    Sadly I had no training in battle tactics, yet. Then again, I did not have enough experience to properly manage my undead in the heat of battle anyway. So I just ordered my zombies to charge. Giving the enemy time to form up and prepare seemed like a bad idea.

    Helena had covered her armour in ice and started shooting her ice knives at the enemy. Skadi was taking a defensive position in front of us, together with Frank. Cassie threw a vial which resulted in an explosion, followed by screams.

    While most of the enemies were in front of us, a few emerged from the woods. Skadi was ready for them with her axe. I also saw Nyx in the trees hunting for archers. Maybe they were lookouts from the other side of the camp trying to flank us.

    While I did not know who exactly our opponents were, it became clear that they had some fighting experience. They mostly wore chain mail and used a variety of weapons. Spears, swords, axes, maces,...

    They did have some archers too. I saw them forming up in the rear. Once they started shooting I had to use my water shield. Helena was switching to more defensive magic as well.

    ¡°Can you do something about those archers?¡± She asked.

    So far the Iron Beaks had not engaged but I directed five of them to go for the archers. The great thing about chickens was, they were small and did not look threatening. So they were not seen as an important target. Also, they were surprisingly fast. The undead chickens raced through the field, their beaks shining in the setting sun.

    A series of explosions followed. The Iron Beaks were a great success. They caused quite a bit of panic in the enemy ranks. Which was good, since my zombies were struggling. They were outnumbered and faced people who knew how to use a weapon. I sent five Iron Beaks into the melee during the confusion.

    My own troops took a hit but the result was worth it. Since the battle had started we must have taken out about thirty enemies already. But there were quite a few left. And they started advancing. So far they had failed to take down Frank but he was getting surrounded. A lot of the corpses were too damaged, because of the explosions, but I started raising the viable ones.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    While I concentrated on my necromancy I relied on my team to keep me safe. And so far they were doing an excellent job. I was feeling pretty confident until I heard Skadi shout: ¡°Mage!¡±

    It was followed by a bolt of lightning coming straight at me. I still had a water shield up but it was not enough. I screamed as electricity coursed through my body. I fell to the ground.

    ¡°Koyuki!¡± Someone shouted.

    Pain. I knew pain. My mind went back to my childhood. The cursed collar I wore. The shocks I had received for disobedience. But that part of my life was over. I was free. And I would not fall here. I gathered my magic and called the dead. I called for anything to rise and fight. I called for the Iron Beaks to kill.

    Explosions filled the area as the remaining chickens charged into the fray. Undead rose as enemies fell. Some of them were missing pieces. But they still heeded my call.

    The enemy mage tried another bolt of lightning but it was intercepted by Nyx. She roared and unleashed a stream of black smoke from her mouth. It hit one of the fighters who screamed as his hand turned black. The mage summoned wind and blew away the smoke.

    Ice started to cover Nyx¡¯ bones and she charged. Her claws hit a barrier. But while the mage was fighting her, he could not attack us. Helena had given up on her bolts and was using her spear. She was right next to Frank decimating the enemy. All they slayed rose again, on our side.

    Meanwhile a group of three enemies were on fire. They desperately tried to stop it, rolling in the dirt. They failed. Whatever Cassie threw on them kept burning.

    Skadi was backing up Nyx. She had broken through the enemy line and was attacking the mage. The enemy was now fully focused on defence. But he made a mistake. He ignored the ground.

    An earth spike formed under his feet, inside his barrier. And it pierced his foot. Skadi was breathing heavily, the magic must have taken a lot out of her. But Nyx seized the opportunity. While the mage screamed his shield weakened. The strike of a claw shattered it.

    A smaller shield formed in the mage¡¯s hand. It blocked the next claw coming for his face. But it did not block Nyx¡¯ breath. A stream of black smoke was directly blown into his face. He did not even have time to scream as his body started to rot.

    With the fall of the enemy mage the battle was decided. The enemy''s morale broke. All who were left tried to flee. I was not sure if any of them made it but my undead horde was growing. I was exhausted. Somehow I had managed to animate even severed limbs. Not as permanent undead but they briefly became active, trying to grab the living.

    I was still on the floor. It felt like my whole body had suffered cramps. I winced as I stood up. Helena was running towards me.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked. She was covered in blood herself. I suspected most of it was not hers though. It actually looked beautiful on the white ice still covering her armour. What a weird thought. She also looked really concerned. I should probably say something.

    ¡°Ow.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You had me worried when you went down!¡± She said, then she hugged me.

    ¡°Water does not seem like the best defence against electricity.¡± I commented. ¡°Also, electrocution sucks. I think I prefer getting burned.¡±

    ¡°Have you considered not getting hurt?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I will take it under advisement.¡± I assured her.

 CHAPTER 112: Questions

    Skadi and Cassie joined us to check on me.

    ¡°Did anyone else get hurt?¡± I asked them.

    ¡°Just scratches.¡± Skadi answered.

    Helena nodded. ¡°Same for me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing got too close, I am fine.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°We need to check on those cages. There are people inside.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I think we got all of those thugs but you should command your undead to secure the area. One archer could ruin our day if they get a good shot.¡± Helena pointed out.

    I focused on my undead. I currently had 32 zombies. About 5 of them were not in a great state. I dismissed them. Then I ordered the remaining 27 to guard the area.

    ¡°I really need to learn how to turn them into skeletons.¡± I muttered, then louder I said: ¡°Done.¡±

    Next I spent some mana to heal Frank. He had taken some damage but it was repairable. Nyx joined me. ¡°You did well fighting the mage!¡± I praised her. She purred.

    While I was busy with my undead, my friends released the prisoners. I winced as I walked over to them. My muscles still hurt.

    I could see a small group of people. One middle aged man and two boys, not quite old enough to be men. I suspect he was their father. The boys were standing next to two women, probably their mother and sister. The man was talking to my friends.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± I said, as I approached.

    ¡°This is Koyuki, the final member of our team.¡± Helena introduced me.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± The older man said and bowed.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°I was just telling your friends. My name is Greg and I am a hunter. My family lives in a small house near the edge of the forest. I do have a royal hunting licence.¡± He quickly pointed out. ¡°I was tracking a deer with my boys when they caught us.¡±

    He paused for a moment, gathering his strength. ¡°They interrogated us¡­ I told them where we lived. They went there and captured my wife and daughter too.¡±

    ¡°What did they want? Slaves?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Would your family not be missed?¡± I asked.

    He shrugged. ¡°We visit the village once a week. They would report us missing. But being a hunter is a dangerous job. I am not sure if the guard would care¡­¡±

    ¡°Your family were the only prisoners?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I never saw any others. But they only had us for two days.¡± He said.

    ¡°Two days? I wonder why they did not hit the village in that time.¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe slaves were not their main goal. Just a bonus. We are not that far from Lupos. The army would definitely go hunting if a village disappeared. Or if too many people got robbed.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°I am sorry. I do not know what they wanted.¡± The man said.

    ¡°It is fine.¡± Helena assured him.

    ¡°We should search the tents.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Are¡­ are those undead safe?¡± The man asked. Nyx stared at him, then she materialised a tongue and licked her lips.

    ¡°Nyx! Bad kitty!¡± I told her. ¡°They won¡¯t attack you.¡± I assured the man. He did not look entirely convinced but he nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s search together. We don¡¯t know if there are any surprises left.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s start with that fancy tent, it¡¯s probably from the mage.¡± Skadi said while pointing at a big ornate tent.

    We agreed and started our search. The tent was fairly large. The man had a small desk inside! The sleeping area looked comfy, for a tent. He had furs and fluffy pillows. Most importantly, there was a heavy wooden chest. And it was locked.

    ¡°Damn.¡± I said. ¡°Do you think we can break the lock?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with the chest of a mage. It might explode.¡± Helena said. Cassie grinned. Skadi pulled a key from her pocket. ¡°I took that from the mage we killed. Most of his stuff, like the clothes, were destroyed by Nyx. But I found this key.¡±

    I took it and placed it in the lock. It fit! The chest unlocked with a satisfying click. I opened it¡­

    ¡°Are those gems?¡± Skadi asked.

    We stared at a chest full of red crystals. I took one and examined it. ¡°You know, they remind me of something¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Those are vampiric nightshade seeds!¡± Helena exclaimed.

    ¡°Were they harvesting those, or planting them?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°I have a feeling they were not here to hunt us. We were simply witnesses, just like that family. Maybe we came too close to their operation.¡± Helena theorised.

    ¡°If they were harvesting and this is the result, the whole forest could be filled with those plants!¡± I said.

    Skadi took one of the seeds and studied it. ¡°Surely someone would have noticed them by now. I think it is more likely that they were planting them to cause damage. If they wanted to set up a farm they would find a more remote location.¡±

    ¡°You think this was meant to cause a disturbance? Maybe have one of the nobles who hunt here eaten by a plant?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°How fast do they grow anyway?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°No idea. We should just report this and let the army handle it.¡± I said.

    ¡°And we should ask for payment.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Speaking of payment, how are we going to loot that camp? It¡¯s getting late and there is a lot of stuff to carry. Did anyone see horses? Carts?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Well, I do have some zombies¡­¡± I said.

 CHAPTER 113: Looting

    We did not find any horses, or carts. Which was not too surprising, there was no proper road. It would have been hard to get a wagon to their camp. What we did find were five pack mules though.

    ¡°Do you think they had wagons elsewhere? Maybe a second camp at the edge of the forest?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, I suppose.¡± I said.

    ¡°Two camps would increase their risk of being discovered.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Well, if there are more, the army can go look for them.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Technically, we are the army.¡± I countered.

    ¡°We are only students.¡± Skadi responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. We should return to our camp soon.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I will order my zombies to pack up the camp. The mules can¡¯t carry everything.¡±

    The family we had rescued watched the undead warily. Helena tried to calm and reassure them. We would take them with us to our camp. Tomorrow they could return home.

    We did not have time to search everything. I just hoped the zombies managed to grab the important things. What I did collect personally was the skeleton of the dead mage. Nyx¡¯ attack had destroyed all the flesh, leaving some interesting blackened bones behind. I made sure they were secured on one of the mules. I also watched Nyx carefully. She eyed those bones hungrily.

    ¡°Do you think you can turn that mage into something good?¡± Helena asked as I attached the bag with the skeleton to the mule.

    ¡°Hopefully. I might have to look into a better spell to raise skeletons. I am not sure if I just want to animate him normally and add a water element.¡±

    ¡°An undead mage would be cool.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Sadly you can¡¯t make them throw fireballs. Hm. You should work on ice explosions.¡±

    ¡°Ice explosions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Anything can explode if you try hard enough!¡± She said with a grin.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Sure. Anyway, creating a true mage would require a tier three undead.¡± I said.

    ¡°So? Surely you have enough mana for that.¡± Skadi said as she joined us.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the mana. The spell is complex. Further, a tier three is sentient. They would fight me. And I would be enslaving them¡­¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Hm. Would it be the same mage? He did try to kill you. It would be a fitting punishment.¡± Helena argued.

    ¡°Well, it depends. You can bring back someone who died as an undead. But that topic has not been covered much, yet. So I don¡¯t know all the specifics. You can also create a new creature, based on the corpse you use.¡± I explained. Also, I was still conflicted about controlling a sentient undead. Technically I could control Nyx. I just had not really used that power. And she could not talk, despite being intelligent. Or she refused to talk.

    ¡°If you create a new sentient creature you would be a mom!¡± Cassie noted.

    ¡°Uhm, I suppose¡­¡± That was not the most appealing thought.

    ¡°You know, Frank can use some magic and he is not sentient.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Well, he is not a true mage. You can create a tier two undead with magical abilities. But their power will be limited. A true mage could learn additional spells and would have a core. I suppose I could create a skeleton that can use one or two spells, or something.¡± I scratched my head.

    ¡°An army of skeletons who can throw an ice knife would be impressive. You should work on a ranged division.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Ranged division? I don¡¯t have an army! Well, I have some zombies. I really need to learn how to turn them into skeletons¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have an army¡­ yet. Muahahaha¡± Helena laughed.

    The family we had rescued looked at us.

    ¡°You are scaring them.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°It just means her evil laugh is working.¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°You have to admit she is quite good at it.¡±

    After everything was packed up we started our return trip. The light was dwindling, thankfully we had found some torches. The family was using one, as were Helena and Cassie. Skadi and myself had better eyesight, we were fine, for now.

    There was something comforting about walking through the night, surrounded by undead. Maybe it was a necromancer thing. The rescued family certainly seemed less pleased. They jumped at every strange noise and kept looking over their shoulders.

    Regardless, we arrived at our camp without incident. We offered the family a tent we had looted, which they gratefully accepted. We also shared our supplies. While it was late, they were clearly hungry and needed food. So did we. We could have all shared a meal but they seemed uncomfortable in our presence.

    ¡°Did we find their food stores? Did they have anything good?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°They had crackers.¡± Skadi said.

    We looked at her in horror.

    ¡°And some fancy meat. Probably for the mage.¡± She said with a smile. ¡°I loaded it on one of the mules.¡±

    ¡°It is late, we should cook something quickly. And get some ale.¡± I added.

    ¡°We certainly deserve a drink. How are you feeling, Koyuki?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Still a bit sore. It should be fine by morning.¡± I replied.

    ¡°That mana circulation technique sure helps with recovery.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It is a great thing.¡± Skadi agreed.

    ¡°Back to the food, any suggestions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We could just have some sausages and maybe cobs of corn as a side. We can grill those quickly over a fire. Goes well with beer.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Sounds great, I will get the food.¡± Helena offered.

    Despite it being dark already we spent some time drinking and celebrating our victory. We had defeated a mage supported by a lot of fighters. We had discovered a lot of seeds. Which was important, probably. We had even freed some people. I was certainly tipsy by the time I crawled into my tent. Nyx buried herself in my tail. I listened to her purr as I fell asleep.

 CHAPTER 114: Night

    I awoke suddenly. Something was wrong¡­

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx complained from inside my tail. Apparently I jerked too much and disturbed her rest. But that was not important now.

    Why did I wake up? I was still a bit groggy. I suppose we did drink quite a bit before bed. No. Stop getting sidetracked! Focus!

    Then I noticed it. One of my zombies was damaged. Something had happened. Oh no! We forgot to post any guards! All of us just went to sleep.

    I grabbed my sword and woke Helena.

    ¡°Hm? Is it still night?¡± She asked sleepily.

    ¡°One of my undead was damaged.¡± I told her.

    She blinked, then nodded and grabbed her spear. We left the tent together. Nyx seemed surprisingly unconcerned. Usually she was good at detecting threats. But she did follow us.

    The fire had burned out. With nobody being awake that was not too surprising. At least the sky was clear and the moon provided some illumination. That should help Helena. She woke Cassie and Skadi while I kept watch.

    So far there was no sign of an attacker. But the damaged undead came from the direction of a bush. Interestingly, it was not entirely destroyed, just damaged. Maybe they fled? Maybe it was simply an animal?

    ¡°If there is a fight, Cassie will provide the light.¡± Skadi said.

    I could see Cassie grin as she grabbed a vial.

    ¡°My undead was damaged over there.¡± I pointed towards a bush at the edge of the forest.

    ¡°That is a good position for a scout. Maybe you scared them off.¡± Skadi observed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s approach it carefully. Where are your other undead?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°The goblins are next to the supply wagon. Frank is here. The zombies are patrolling in a wide circle.¡± You could see them shuffling around. I kept them a bit farther away because of the smell. Also they would provide an early warning system, in theory.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Let Frank check the bush first.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Good idea. I will pull 5 more zombies towards us. They can be the vanguard.¡± I said.

    Together we approached the bush. I prepared a water shield. There could be someone waiting. And we did not have time to put on our armour.

    Frank charged in¡­

    Nothing happened. We followed and I could finally get a good look at the damaged zombie. His foot was caught in a trap¡­

    ¡°This is our trap.¡± Skadi observed.

    The zombie¡¯s foot had been crushed by the metal arms. He was stuck.

    ¡°That trap is scary. It really crushed the foot when it closed.¡± Cassie noted.

    ¡°So¡­ I might have woken you up for nothing.¡± I said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It could have been an enemy.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Yes. I will gladly accept a few false alarms if it stops us from being ambushed at night.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°And we forgot to post a guard.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°One question though, why was the zombie in this bush?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ I don¡¯t know. They are supposed to walk around a bit and patrol. I did not order them specifically to check a bush.¡± I said. ¡°Do you think it caught something here?¡±

    ¡°It is a possibility.¡± Helena said. ¡°Can you see any tracks? It¡¯s too dark for me.¡±

    ¡°I see prints but I think they are ours.¡± Skadi said.

    While we were busy observing the area Nyx was sniffing the zombie. Then she bit into the trapped foot. The zombie collapsed as his leg was severed. Nyx started chewing the leg, which was still stuck in the trap.

    ¡°I think she would be more agitated if there was an enemy nearby.¡± I said while watching Nyx chew.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and get the fire started again. We should still have some wood.¡± Skadi suggested.

    We went back and settled down around the fire. Cassie ignited it with her magic.

    ¡°So, what time is it?¡± Helena asked, while yawning.

    ¡°About four.¡± Skadi answered after checking her watch.

    ¡°Are we going to post a guard now?¡± I asked. ¡°Or are we all staying awake?¡±

    ¡°Would be unfair if only one person stays awake. And maybe the zombie did scare someone off. It might be better for all of us to keep watch.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can keep watch. I woke all of you up.¡± I offered.

    ¡°You did the right thing.¡± Helena assured me.

    In the end we all sat around the fire. It was nice and cosy. We talked some more at first, then fell into a comfortable silence.

    I awoke, again. Damn, I had fallen asleep by the fire. It was mostly gone by now but the sun was already rising. I yawned. My friends were all here. It looked like we all slept by the fire. Having a hard day, followed by staying up late drinking, did make you sleepy. Certainly not an ideal condition for guard duty.

    I stretched and looked around. It was peaceful. I had no further trouble with my zombies. The family we had rescued was still in their tent. Time to get cleaned up and make some coffee. The others began to stir as I moved around.

    ¡°Did you keep watch?¡± Helena asked as she got up.

    ¡°No¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°We all fell asleep again.¡± Skadi stated.

    ¡°What we need is an energy potion for guard duty. Something like coffee, but better.¡± Cassie mused as she rubbed her eyes.

    ¡°There is nothing better than coffee.¡± I said.

    ¡°But if there were? Imagine a magical coffee! Or something like that.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Hm.¡± I pondered that. ¡°I suppose magical coffee does sound interesting. But for now the regular will do.¡± Then I sniffed myself. ¡°And a bath.¡±

 CHAPTER 115: Morning

    We started the day by washing ourselves in the river. Then I made coffee while Skadi prepared breakfast. She made scrambled eggs with pieces of meat. I had no idea what exactly it was.

    ¡°This is delicious, what is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No idea. I got it from those bandits. It looked good so I decided to cook it.¡± She replied.

    ¡°A shame that it was not labelled. Reminds me a bit of pork, but spicier and more tender.¡± Cassie mused.

    While we were eating the family left their tent and Greg approached us.

    ¡°Good morning. I would like to thank you again for your help. Is it ok if we leave after breakfast?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Sure. Could you go to your village and report this incident to the guard? And tell them where we are camped.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Of course.¡± He said and went back to his family.

    ¡°Are we not going to report this ourselves?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, they are going to send someone to investigate anyway. Saves us the trip. And it gives us more time for hunting!¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°Are we just gonna continue to hunt? Like nothing happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Surely there are no more bandits around.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is how it works. Besides, this group was not after us. We are still expecting an ambush.¡± Skadi countered.

    ¡°So, nothing changed! We are in no more danger than before. No reason to leave. Let¡¯s use the time before an investigator arrives and we get dragged into this mess.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Can we trust Greg?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They were in a cage. And they do have children. They look like a family. I see no reason to doubt them.¡± Skadi said. ¡°The only problem is if the guard does not believe them.¡±

    ¡°I could send a zombie with them. That should get some attention. And it would protect them. I can dismiss it in a day or so.¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°Good idea.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We should go through our loot before the investigators arrive. Maybe there is some useful stuff in there!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°True. If they confiscate anything we need to bill them. So we need to know what we have.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Might be better to wait in camp until they arrive anyway. Otherwise they could think we were abducted or something.¡± I added.

    ¡°Ok¡­ I guess there is no hunting for us today.¡± Helena sounded disappointed. I patted her on the shoulder.

    ¡°I know you invested a lot of time preparing that trip. I am sure we will have some more time to hunt something.¡± I said.

    Helen sighed. ¡°You are right. I know it would be smarter to wait here until an investigator arrives. I just wanted to hunt something. We did not really find anything yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Except bandits. We found a lot of those.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°They don¡¯t count. Actually, we could go on a bounty hunting trip at some point¡­¡± Helena pondered that. But she seemed in a better mood now.

    ¡°I think I will try to transform those zombies into skeletons while you go through the loot. I really want more skeletons.¡± I said.

    Nyx raised her head and licked lips.

    Cassie snickered. ¡°I think she expects you to fail.¡±

    ¡°She will have to live with disappointment.¡± I declared with far more certainty than I actually had.

    The family left rather quickly after a short meal. They really did not want to stick around. Maybe it was because of the zombies.

    We finished our own meal and Helena volunteered to do the dishes. Cassie and Skadi started going through our loot. I summoned one of my zombies.

    In my previous tries I had destroyed the spell when trying to compress it. This time I decided to do things differently. I could not just put pressure on it. I had to guide the magic too. To help with that I studied my goblins. Finally those skeletons were useful again.

    After studying the magic inside their bones I imagined something similar in the human zombie. Then I tried to push the magic into the same form. Gently but firmly.

    It was hard. I needed to concentrate on every bone in the undead¡¯s body. I had to push the spell from all directions simultaneously. I started sweating. But I did not give up. This time I would succeed!

    I had no idea how much time had passed. My vision was getting blurry. Then it finally happened. The spell was condensed into the skeleton!

    Flesh fell from the undead. Only bones remained.

    ¡°Yes, I did it!¡± I exclaimed while breathing heavily.

    My friends walked over. They had been busy examining our spoils.

    ¡°Good job! But you look really exhausted.¡± Cassie noted.

    ¡°Yeah. That was not easy.¡± I admitted.

    While my friends congratulated me, Nyx looked rather disappointed. For once I was the smug one.

    ¡°It still needs a wash.¡± Helena commented. ¡°But I like it. Can you transform your other zombies too?¡±

    ¡°I need a break, then I will try the next one. How long was I concentrating?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Took you about half an hour, I think.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Have you girls found anything useful while I was busy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I found alchemy supplies. Might help to find out what they threw at Frank. I suspect it was meant to incapacitate him. They probably wanted to capture and question us.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Sadly they did not have a letter containing their evil ploy.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Why would anyone have such a thing?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Because they were in contact with their noble backer.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°And then it turns out the letter was a trap! It accused an innocent.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°The true culprit was the investigator all along!¡± Cassie finished.

    I looked at them. ¡°You read too many stories¡­¡± I said.

    Both of them grinned.

 CHAPTER 116: Soldiers

    I took a small break, then I started working on the next zombie. I began to understand why most people would not bother. I mostly did it because I preferred skeletons, not because it gave me an advantage.

    My friends resumed their search for the loot. There was a large amount of things to go through. And the zombies had just picked everything up and thrown it on a pile when we returned to the camp, which did not help.

    After my first success at turning a zombie into a skeleton I was more confident. I knew how to do it now. But it did not make the process less exhausting. At least not by much. Hopefully with enough training that would change in the future.

    Sadly, creating skeletons this way did not give me a chance to prepare the bones before. Which meant they were normal skeletons. At least I still had the bones from the mage. I was really looking forward to experimenting with them. But I would wait until I was back at the academy. Those bones deserved some alchemical treatments.

    Once my friends finished their looting they started training themselves. It was already afternoon when a group of five soldiers arrived on horseback. Surprisingly I knew some of them.

    ¡°That is Captain Sarah, she escorted me to the academy.¡± I told my friends as we gathered to greet the soldiers.

    ¡°Huh. I would not have expected an officer here so fast.¡± Helena remarked.

    ¡°Koyuki? I had a feeling it would be you when I heard about a foxkin necromancer.¡± Sarah said with a smile. Then she dismounted.

    John and Edith were here too, I did not know the other soldiers.

    ¡°So, what do you have for me? Bunch of bandits?¡± She looked around and studied the zombies. By now I had turned 8 of them into skeletons.

    We told her what happened. About the hunter who approached us and our assault on the camp.

    ¡°You had exploding chickens?¡± She looked at us in disbelief.

    ¡°Iron Beaks, ma¡¯am,¡± Cassie corrected her.

    ¡°Whatever. So you took down a mage and what, 50? 60 soldiers? Certainly a large group of bandits. Impressive. I knew you had potential!¡± Sarah praised me. ¡°And it seems you found a strong team.¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Captain Sarah, if you don''t mind me asking, what are you doing here? This does not seem like a place where an officer would be stationed. I expected maybe a local sergeant.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You are not wrong. We were in the area on a mission. There was a commotion as the local guard tried to arrest a man because he had a zombie. They did not really believe his story. After hearing it I decided to intervene.¡±

    I paled. I had not considered that my zombie escort would cause a problem. Necromancy was legal after all.

    ¡°But necromancy is legal!¡± I protested.

    ¡°It sure is. But the local guard might be a bit lazy. They decided instead of investigating they could just arrest the man and be done with it. Or they are corrupt. I will certainly recommend an investigation.¡±

    ¡°Idiots like that give the army a bad rep.¡± Edith commented.

    ¡°Anyway, please continue your story.¡± Sarah said. We had gotten sidetracked after we mentioned the Iron Beaks.

    We finished our tale of the battle.

    ¡°And then we found a chest full of vampiric nightshade seeds.¡± I said.

    Sarah blinked. ¡°You¡­ WHAT?¡±

    We showed her the chest. She kept staring at it.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Edith commented.

    ¡°Yeah. You know what this means?¡± Sarah asked us.

    ¡°Uh... That there is an organisation behind this?¡± I guessed.

    ¡°It means politics! Ugh.¡± She complained. ¡°Even worse, that might be connected to why I am here.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here, ma¡¯am?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°There have been some concerning reports. Missing people, monsters that should not be here¡­ Someone is stirring up trouble.¡± She sighed. ¡°So, you have gone through their stuff? Anything of note?¡±

    ¡°We have not found anything relevant. I have made a list of our loot.¡± Skadi said, pulling out a piece of paper.

    ¡°A shame but not unexpected. Oscar, Theo you secure the camp. Search the loot and confirm what the girls have found in our official report. Edith, John, with me. We are going to check the scene of the battle. Could you show us the way?¡± She asked.

    I nodded. ¡°I will leave the zombies here and bring my skeletons, Frank and Nyx.¡±

    ¡°Frank was you draugr? And Nyx your cat?¡± Sarah asked. We had mentioned them when we described the battle.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°You know, a draugr is rather impressive for a first year. As is your kitty, if she took down a mage.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx confirmed the statement and jumped on my head.

    Sarah studied the undead feline. ¡°Being able to look small and adorable is a great camouflage. You would never suspect her to be a powerful undead. She reminds me a bit of a shadow stalker.¡±

    ¡°What is a shadow stalker?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A type of feline monster. You can find them in the south of Payton. They are a bit larger than a normal cat and don¡¯t look that dangerous, at first. But they use death mana. Once their claws get you, you are done. Unless you have countermeasures.¡±

    ¡°Are they undead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. They are not the most popular thing to turn into undead either. They are loners and good at hiding. Acquiring a lot of them is tedious. And the way I understand it a skilled necromancer could just take a different skeleton and give them necrotic claws or something. But I am no expert.¡± Sarah explained.

    I pondered that. She was right that an undead could be enhanced with death mana. The original creature already having that affinity should make it stronger. But it did not add any utility. The real question was, could they become natural undead? How did natural undead raise anyway? Not every undead was created by a necromancer after all. I should ask Gronir about that.

 CHAPTER 117: Catching Up

    While we walked back to the bandit¡¯s camp I told Sarah about my time at the academy. We didn''t know each other that well but we had fought together. And she seemed genuinely interested.

    ¡°Ah, the field trip. Your discovery of the vampiric nightshades has certainly made some waves.¡± Sarah said, as I told her about that part of our adventures.

    ¡°What do people say about it?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°There are a lot of rumours. Some even think Duchess Valeria planted those seeds herself.¡± Sarah responded.

    ¡°That makes no sense. The lumber industry is important to her and those plants would have hurt it.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I agree. A more credible theory is that Ilestria is stirring up trouble. Or that another duke is trying to hurt Duchess Valeria. It could also be an independent organisation. That you have found more seeds here makes me believe someone is targeting the kingdom itself.¡± Sarah theorised.

    ¡°Clearly Ilestria. We should burn some of the border forts. Show them not to mess with us.¡± Edith commented.

    Sarah sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t just attack a nation on a hunch. You know, it could be someone trying to provoke a war.¡±

    ¡°Eh. You can never go wrong with thrashing some lunatics.¡± Edith responded.

    ¡°I take it you are not very fond of Ilestria?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Nope. They are just a crazy cult pretending to be a nation.¡± Edith said.

    ¡°What would a vampiric nightshade infestation even do? Why would someone want that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, in Korrah it would hurt the industry. And it would politically weaken the duchess, since she would have failed to protect her subjects. Here? This forest is mostly a hunting ground for nobles. They come here for entertainment. And it¡¯s controlled by the king himself. It would hurt the royal family if visiting nobles got attacked. It would also draw a lot of soldiers here. Generally, if someone were to create a lot of problems the army would be busy.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t our army quite large anyway?¡± I wondered.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°True. But we also have a large border. The north is constantly fighting against monsters and we need to keep our roads and villages protected. While the nobles can have private armies, it is the responsibility of the king to ensure that monsters are kept under control.¡± Sarah said.

    ¡°Wait, aren''t local nobles in charge of keeping their territory safe? You said it would look bad for the duchess if stuff happened in her forest.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Here is where it gets complicated.¡± Sarah said. ¡°The royal army has bases and troops in every duchy. They have their own command structure and are responsible for keeping the villages, cities and roads safe. They protect trading routes and ensure that our food supply is not compromised. But they do not cover private industries. So the duchess has to protect her lumber with her own troops. There is often a bit of a fight over who is responsible for what. Anything the royal military protects is taxed higher. Often there are local deals on what falls under royal protection.¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°Do nobles have any power over the royal army?¡±

    ¡°Kind of.¡± Sarah said. ¡°Ultimately the royal army serves the king. But local troops are supposed to follow the local nobles, as long as it does not contradict their orders. That is especially true for the 5th legion who is responsible for internal security.¡±

    ¡°So you are part of the 5th legion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I am part of the 1st. Do you know about our legions?¡± She asked.

    ¡°No.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Ok. So the 1st legion is sometimes called the royal legion. The royal guard is a part of them. They handle a lot of the investigations, protect the palace and handle a lot of direct requests from the royals. We are their errand boys and girls. We are also the smallest.¡±

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t every legion the same size?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. The biggest is the 5th legion. They are mostly a peacekeeping and monster suppression force. Then we have the 2nd and 3rd legions. They are our main offensive force. They also protect the borders. If there were too many internal problems, like a monster surge, they would help the 5th legion. The 4th legion is handling our navy and protects our ports.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I did not know any of that.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°You will learn more about the military structure next year. The first year at the academy focuses a lot on personal progress. They want to make sure you can fight. Afterwards they teach you more about giving orders, logistics and other boring things.¡± She explained.

    ¡°So, why are you here? If you are from the 1st legion.¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Because we are investigating disturbances on behalf of the king.¡± She answered.

    ¡°So they don¡¯t trust the 5th to handle it? Or suspect they could be involved?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Now that is a dangerous line of thought.¡± Sarah said with a smile.

    ¡°The 5th would probably think those seeds are candy and eat them.¡± Edith commented.

    Sarah looked at her.

    ¡°What? You know I am right. I used to serve in the 5th.¡± Edith added.

    Sarah sighed. ¡°Who knows what the royals think. But we tend to get all the investigation stuff.¡±

    ¡°So you are really good at investigations?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°No. I am really good at stabbing things. That would have been too useful for the 5th so they gave me this job instead.¡± Edith complained.

    Sarah sighed but she had a smile on her face. The fact that Edith spoke so freely indicated that they had a good relationship. Most commanders wouldn¡¯t have tolerated her behaviour.

    After some time we arrived at our destination. We had looted most of the stuff but you could still see some things lying around. Like broken weapons and parts of corpses. I had animated all viable ones but some had been too damaged. Or belonged to undead that I could not reanimate.

    Sarah looked around the area. ¡°That must have been quite the battle. Now let¡¯s see if you girls missed anything.¡±

 CHAPTER 118: Looting, again

    Sarah and her team started searching the area. A lot had been looted by the zombies, who were not intelligent. Meaning, they might have missed something useful and looted a rock instead. My orders had not been the most specific.

    My friends and I joined the search since we had been pressed for time after the battle. We found some smaller trinkets and a few weapons that were still usable. Skadi pulled out a bag.

    ¡°You brought a bag?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course. This is still our loot.¡± She pointed out. ¡°You skeletons can carry those weapons, maybe even use them.¡±

    She had a point. Some of my skeletons carried weapons but not all of them. After the fight I had not specifically ordered them to arm themselves. And they had mostly carried supplies, bags, tents,...

    I would have to inspect the weapons we had at some point to figure out which were in decent shape. I would also have to experiment what worked best. Should I go for a formation? Like a spear wall? Or have them simply charge mindlessly. They did not tire, having them charge in aggressively might work better. It would require less coordination and control. And I could replenish the fallen. On the other hand, an elite unit working together would be very effective. I should work on archers.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Helena asked me.

    ¡°Hm? Nothing, why?¡± I replied.

    ¡°You have just been standing there.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Oh. I was lost in thought. What sort of skeleton army would make more sense, an organised elite army or a mindless horde?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Both, of course! You soften them with expendable troops and then crush them with elites!¡± Helena said enthusiastically.

    ¡°That is what Lord Aizo did.¡± Sarah commented.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? He tried to conquer this region about 400 years ago. He was an archmage necromancer. Some say he turned himself into an undead but the stories don¡¯t agree on that. He is the main reason Ilestria hates death magic. Well, or he was the original reason. They have gone a bit looney since then.¡± Sarah explained.

    ¡°How was he defeated?¡± I asked.

    Sarah smirked. ¡°Why? Planning to try to conquer the region yourself? In the end he fell to a direct strike while his army was engaged. The true weakness of a necromancer is always assassination.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    Sarah looked at Nyx. ¡°Clearly he was missing a fearsome bodyguard like you have. He did have some impressive generals though. Some think a lich who served him still lives in the northern mountains, that is why the region has so many undead.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Helena commented. ¡°The undead incursions are not coordinated enough.¡±

    Sarah shrugged. ¡°Maybe he does not want to pick a fight? Just keep people from finding him? Or it could all be a myth. Who knows?¡±

    ¡°You should go there when you are stronger. Subjugate the lich and take over his army.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°You could create your own ice palace filled with undead.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°That does not sound pleasant. She needs a few hot springs at least.¡± Cassie commented. ¡°And a heated lab where I can work.¡±

    ¡°Planning to expand the kingdom towards the north? That is ambitious.¡± Thankfully Sarah did not seem to take our banter too seriously. She was mostly amused by it.

    ¡°I think I found something.¡± John said. He picked something up from the ground and walked towards us, then he handed it to Sarah.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    Sarah had some kind of small metal shield in her hand.

    ¡°This is an identification for a licensed mercenary group. You can¡¯t just travel around with a large armed force. You have to register as mercenaries or an adventurer. Just like you need a licence for an undead army. While this group was hiding in the woods they had to travel here somehow. The chances that they never encountered a patrol were slim. Of course, they could have split up and travelled in smaller groups.¡±  She explained.

    ¡°Can you use this to track their movements?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Maybe. We need to check if they are truly a registered group, or if this is forged, or stolen. They could have killed a legit group and taken their place. Or copied their identification. Or have someone wipe their records. If they have someone backing them they might have covered their tracks. Still, it is a clue and might help. Good work John.¡± She said.

    We continued our search but did not find anything else. At least Skadi managed to gather some more loot. Nothing too noteworthy. Mostly some gear that the zombies had missed and might still be usable.

    Once Captain Sarah was satisfied we returned to our camp. Since it was getting late she decided to join us for the evening. Even better, her team provided the security for the night. That meant we did not have to worry about staying awake.

    We ate, drank and told stories around the campfire. The soldiers certainly had a few tales about their experiences. And they shared our hate for crackers. It was something they had to endure on longer missions. Only the officers got good food. Cassie vowed to devote her life to search for a better recipe. Of course, she was slightly drunk at that point.

    Eventually we went to bed. I dreamt of my own ice castle filled with undead. Maybe I should look into all those stories Skadi loved to read.

 CHAPTER 119: Return

    I had a good night¡¯s sleep without any interruptions. Having the soldiers provide security was very convenient. After a nice breakfast the soldiers left. Unlike us they were not on vacation and had a job to do. I said goodbye to Sarah and invited her to drop by the academy if she was in town.

    After the soldiers were gone we continued our hunt. We spent a few hours inside the forest until we found a boar and took it down. We spent the evening celebrating our victory and eating our kill. Sadly, our success was not repeated the following day. We found nothing.

    In the evening we were slightly disappointed as we prepared our dinner. It was going to be boar stew.

    ¡°I think we might need more training when it comes to hunting.¡± I said.

    Helena sighed. ¡°Yes. I should have hired a tracker.¡± She admitted. ¡°I suppose we won¡¯t get any mounts out of this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we really need them right now. I am sure Koyuki will find some suitable fearsome creatures for us in the future.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Yeah. Dragon mounts would be cool. Undead dragons.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°That sounds really unlikely.¡± I said.

    ¡°But it would be cool.¡± Skadi said.

    I had to agree there.

    ¡°We are going back to the academy tomorrow. And no real ambushes yet.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Maybe our fight with those bandits scared them away?¡± I suggested. By now I had turned all my zombies into skeletons. I had also released the one I had sent with Greg¡¯s family. So I had an army of 25 human skeletons, armed with the weapons from the bandits. Additionally I had the two goblin skeletons, my draugr and Nyx. It was quite the impressive sight, in my opinion.

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe we will get ambushed tomorrow.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Or tonight.¡± Cassie proposed.

    ¡°We need guards again. Skadi first, then Koyuki, myself and Cassie last.¡± Helena suggested. We all nodded. This time we would not get drunk before.

    Despite our concerns the night was peaceful. The next morning we broke camp. We even remembered the traps we had placed and took them with us. Our cart was filled with loot and we had the pack mules as well. Overall it was a fun and productive trip.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°You know, we might not have gotten any mounts or undead animals but we certainly made some money. And you have a few skeletons.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°Yeah. It was a great trip, thank you for organising it!¡± I said.

    ¡°And we should still get a bounty, or compensation, for those seeds. I have a list of everything Captain Sarah took as evidence.¡± Skadi mentioned.

    ¡°I even got some alchemy supplies. I am looking forward to studying the potions they had.¡± Cassie said with a smile. ¡°You know, I need to get a mobile lab. I could have done some research here.¡± She added.

    ¡°A mobile alchemy lab?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The military has some. They are pretty cool. It allows you to brew potions in the field. It can help with restocking supplies, or preparing something special.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Would it not be easier to brew them somewhere else and then ship the finished potions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That is how it is done most of the time.¡± Cassie admitted. ¡°But some things can be unstable and you would not want to ship them long distance.¡±

    ¡°I am going to spend some money on bone enhancements for the mage skeleton. I am really looking forward to experimenting with it.¡± I said.

    While we talked we started our journey back to the academy. The sky was cloudy but it had not rained yet. In the worst case I could just train my water shield some more.

    After about half an hour of walking it was beginning to rain. Soon afterwards we saw something on the road. A wagon was overturned and a bunch of people were moving around. They also had a surprising number of horses.

    ¡°What is going on there? Do you think it¡¯s an ambush?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Clearly the ambush we have been waiting for!¡± Cassie said while grabbing a potion.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Skadi said. ¡°It is a weird ambush. Usually you have someone harmless looking outside the wagon asking for help. And once you get close the actual bandits emerge. There are way too many people in the open.¡±

    ¡°Wait, are those soldiers?¡± Helena asked.

    I squinted. We were still a bit far away. The rain certainly did not help with the visibility. Skadi, Helena and myself were now using a water shield to keep us dry. Cassie had an umbrella.

    Nyx was stirring on my head. She had been lazily sleeping up there. But she did not jump down or grow, yet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a great hiding spot, other than the wagon. Of course, they could be using magic.¡± I said.

    ¡°For now keep a ring of skeletons around us with Frank in the front. We can change the plan once we get closer.¡± Helena suggested.

    We all readied ourselves for combat and started moving again. The closer we came the more questions I had.

    ¡°Those are definitely soldiers. And I think they have prisoners.¡± I observed.

    ¡°Someone could have stolen the uniforms.¡± Cassie cautioned.

    ¡°True. But why would they have prisoners?¡± Helena wondered.

    The soldiers clearly noticed the approach of our group. They were surprisingly calm, considering the amount of undead we had. But the reason soon became clear as a woman approached us. She was using a water shield against the rain as well.

    ¡°Hello students.¡± Irene said. ¡°Did you have a nice trip?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. But¡­ What happened here?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Oh? This? Some people wanted to ambush you. Took them long enough. I have been waiting this entire week.¡± She responded. I think I saw some flames in her red eye¡­

    ¡°Ha! I said they would ambush us on the way back! That counts!¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Who were they?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, we are still working on that. Most likely Ilestrians.¡± Irene responded.

    ¡°Did you watch us during our trip?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Not directly. We monitored movements of certain groups. Looked who left the city after you, the usual things. We did not want to intrude too much, but we could not let this opportunity pass.¡±

    ¡°We were totally bait.¡± Cassie concluded.

    Irene just smiled.

 CHAPTER 120: Home

    ¡°While you took care of those guys,¡± Helena pointed at the people getting arrested, ¡°we caught ourselves some bandits.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± Irene asked, looking surprised for once.

    ¡°We found a lot of vampiric nightshade seeds. I am sure the military can compensate us for them.¡± Skadi added.

    Irene¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    So we stood there in the rain, recounting our short little trip. Irene actually took notes while we talked.

    ¡°Disturbing.¡± She said, as we finished our story. ¡°It¡¯s good that you reported it quickly. I don¡¯t know Captain Sarah that well myself, but she should be trustworthy. Otherwise she would not have been your escort.¡±

    ¡°Why would anyone spread vampiric nightshades?¡± I asked.

    ¡°An infestation of them would be a real problem. They can be hard to detect and are rather lethal. You can¡¯t just burn down entire forests, that would hurt our economy and create other problems. Sending in troops to root them out takes time and manpower. They are hard to fight with weapons so you would need some mages. If this became a problem in multiple forests we would have to pull some troops from the border.¡± Irene explained.

    Then after some thought she continued: ¡°There is another thing to consider. If this problem remained undetected and a war broke out, it could cause problems for our supply chains. If the nightshades grow too close to roads they would attack convoys. It would also force armies to avoid forests, or take the time to fight through them. Not an ideal situation.¡±

    ¡°So, you think Ilestria has caused this?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Their involvement seems likely. Of course, it does not always mean war. They could simply try to harm our economy. It would not be the first time they try to harm us that way. There was a suspicious plague targeting our grain a few years ago. But our mages handled that rather well. If we had reacted slower, it could have led to a famine.¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I heard about that, I thought it was natural.¡± I commented.

    ¡°Of course the kingdom is not advertising such information. And it was never fully proven.¡± Irene replied.

    ¡°What are we doing in their territory?¡± Helena asked.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Irene smiled. ¡°That information is not for first year students.¡±

    While we were talking, the wagon was removed from the road by the soldiers. We said goodbye to Irene and continued our journey back to the academy. I tried to get a good look at the people who were arrested but I could not see anything noteworthy.

    ¡°I won the bet, that would have been an ambush on the way back.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°No. They were stopped, so it does not count.¡± Cassie insisted.

    ¡°Technically the first ambush was the hunter in the forest. I think only the first should count anyway.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Hey, I would say nobody really ambushed us! The hunter approached us openly. I think I win.¡± I said smugly.

    ¡°No.¡± They all replied.

    I pouted.

    The rain continued and Cassie summoned a small flame in her hand.

    ¡°What is up with the fire?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold!¡± She complained. ¡°Stupid weather. At least I brought an umbrella. I should have packed warmer clothing.¡±

    ¡°We are almost back anyway. And this is nothing. You need to experience a northern winter.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I will pass on that.¡± Cassie responded.

    ¡°There are hot springs in the mountains, it¡¯s not all cold! Although, it is very cold most of the time.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I have never been to the north. I want to see the mountains.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Bah, all you water affinity types like cold. Warmth is so much better!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I do like a warm fire. But I don¡¯t mind the current temperature. Less rain would be nice though. At least the water makes water and ice magic simpler.¡± I said.

    ¡°We could take a hot bath when we are back in the city.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°A visit to the spa sounds nice. And afterwards we can go to a restaurant in the city.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cassie agreed enthusiastically. I nodded. It did sound nice.

    After arriving at the academy we stored our loot and the skeletons. Then we put on some clean clothes and went into the city. Soon we are relaxing in a nice stone tub. We even had it for ourselves.

    ¡°Camping was fun but I do love civilization.¡± Cassie said with a sigh.

    ¡°There are natural hot springs. They are even better than this!¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe. But I would have to endure the colder weather to reach them.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All you need is proper clothing.¡± Skadi reassured her.

    ¡°Or the right potion¡­¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t explode yourself!¡± I warned her.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± She replied. ¡°At most I will singe my eyebrows or something.¡±

    ¡°I think we need someone to watch her whenever she goes to the lab.¡± Skadi proposed.

    ¡°I am not that bad!¡± Cassie protested.

    All of us just stared at her. Even Nyx, who was curled up next to the bath and enjoying the steam rising from the water.

    Cassie blushed but she quickly recovered. ¡°Fine. I will be more careful. I just need to find a better way to test things¡­ Hey, can you create a test zombie? One who can drink potions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they would work the same way on an undead.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Well, it depends. Of course undead are effected differently by certain things. But if something is exploding it will explode in a zombie just fine.¡± Cassie countered.

    ¡°You should try stuff on Archibald. He would make a great test subject. And if he explodes Koyuki has a new corpse.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I think the academy would notice his disappearance. Or if he was zombified.¡± I said.

    ¡°Pft, details.¡± Helena responded. We all laughed.

 CHAPTER 121: Magical Skeletons

    We still had one week left until classes resumed. That left me with a nice amount of time to work on my newest skeleton. The next day I went into the alchemy shop to buy some ingredients. With the loot we got from those bandits I had some money to splurge.

    First, I wanted a proper cleaning solution to ensure they were pristine. Then, I needed to strengthen them. I had talked with Cassie about it and looked into the alchemy book. I could do a strengthening bath and soak them overnight. It should even help with the water affinity I wanted to add. The mage had used wind against us. I was not sure if that affinity would remain. After reading through my necromancy books I decided to ask a teacher.

    I found Gronir in his office and he greeted me with a smile.

    ¡°Ah, Koyuki! Working hard during your days off I see. I have heard about your new skeletons. And it seems you have mastered transforming zombies.¡±

    ¡°Yes! But it is rather hard. I can see why most people won¡¯t bother.¡± I replied.

    ¡°True, true. Zombies are not that bad anyway, for a battlefield. So, what brings you to me?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I have a skeleton from the mage who attacked us. It seems like a waste to make a regular undead out of it. I am hoping I can create an undead mage, or something like that.¡±

    ¡°Undead mage? A true mage is something I would not recommend. A tier three with their own core is dangerous. A lot of things could go wrong during their creation, assuming you would manage it. Your Nyx is a bit of a special case.¡± He added.

    ¡°But I could create a skeleton than can use a few spells, right? Something like the draugr but as a skeleton.¡± I asked.

    ¡°Now that is a lot more sensible.¡± He chuckled. ¡°For you at least, most first year students would not be able to do something like that. What affinity did this mage have?¡±

    ¡°Air.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Not ideal. It is uncertain how much of that remains and you can¡¯t strengthen it with your own magic. You can use your water affinity, of course. The fact that the body had mana will make a difference. The bones are going to be more receptive, even if you use the wrong affinity.¡±

    He paused and went towards a shelf, then he retrieved a book.

    ¡°There are essentially two ways to create a magical skeleton. One is to use the affinity to create a stronger fighter. The magic will be focused on enhancing the creature and will likely result in powers like the ice armour your draugr can use.¡±

    I interrupted him. ¡°Sir, is there no way to give them specific powers?¡±

    ¡°Some people claim they can do that but nobody has ever published their method.¡± He shrugged. ¡°In the end, it is not that important. Where was I? Ah yes, types of magical skeletons. The other way to raise one is to focus more on offence. You will have a skeleton with about one to three basic magical attacks. Like an ice dagger. It could include a defensive spell, if you are lucky.¡±

    ¡°What determines their spells?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A fascinating question that nobody has been able to answer. Having a better corpse will usually result in more abilities of the undead. Your own raw power will help too. But sometimes the resulting creature has just one very strong attack instead of multiple.¡±

    ¡°What type of magical skeleton would you recommend?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, you do have a draugr and normal skeletons for close combat. As well as Nyx. Having a magical skeleton with ranged attacks would be helpful. On the other hand, their mana is limited. Not having a core means they rely on stored mana. In a longer fight that can be a problem.¡± He explained.

    ¡°I could still order them to stab something, if their mana is gone.¡± I pointed out.

    He chuckled. ¡°True. But it would be a normal skeleton at that point until it recharges through your link. There is also the air affinity to consider. It could manifest in some benefits. Or not at all. Depends on how strong that mage was and how he was killed. At least the corpse is recent, that helps.¡±

    ¡°Nyx used a death magic breath on him.¡± I said.

    ¡°Truly? Show me the skeleton.¡±

    I did not have it with me. Currently it was in a lab.

    ¡°I have already cleaned the bones but I have not applied anything else.¡± I said as we walked towards the lab. ¡°I wanted to talk to you before I did more. I was planning on soaking it in a strengthening bath.¡±

    ¡°Not a bad choice. Soaking helps with water affinities too.¡± He replied.

    Once we arrived he studied the corpse.

    ¡°Fascinating. Those bones have definitely absorbed some death mana.¡± He picked up a bone and studied it. Then he knocked on it with his fist. ¡°This is going to make a great magical skeleton. It should be able to hold quite a bit of mana. It might even have a dual affinity attack.¡±

    ¡°A dual affinity attack?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You could raise a magical skeleton by only using death mana. It¡¯s not even a bad option, generally. The advantage of adding an element is versatility. Death magic is bad at defence, for example. And anyone prepared to fight undead will be ready for it. But an additional affinity truly shines if the resulting undead can use both elements. Like an ice shield as defence and a necrotic bolt to attack. Even better if it can combine things. Necrotic ice is possible. Or adding death mana to a frozen mist. But you need a good corpse for that.¡±

    Then he looked at me and smiled. ¡°I think you have a good corpse.¡±

 CHAPTER 122: More Experiments

    After Gronir left, I prepared the strengthening bath. Then I placed the bones inside. They should soak in there for a day. I was slightly concerned about sabotage, or someone stealing my bones. So I placed two skeletons and Frank there to protect them.

    Despite my precautions I was nervous. While Nyx turned out wonderfully, they did try to kill me when I raised her.

    ¡°We can accompany you tomorrow, when you raise your skeleton.¡± Skadi offered at dinner.

    ¡°Yeah, I want to see your newest creation anyway!¡± Helena added.

    ¡°You could still use my frost infusion potion before you raise it¡­¡± Cassie suggested.

    I looked at her. ¡°You mean the one that exploded my zombie when you tried it?¡±

    ¡°I have improved on it! I am confident it will help your skeleton.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that supposed to only grant a temporary boost?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Sure, for an existing undead. But what if you used it before the bones are animated? Maybe some of the benefits will stick!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a valuable skeleton is the best way to test such things. Maybe I could try it on a chicken¡­¡± I mused.

    Cassie grinned. ¡°I will bring something tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to explode.¡± Skadi predicted. Cassie pouted.

    The next day, all of us went to the lab. It looked undisturbed. Of course, a lot of students were not even at the academy right now. Classes had not resumed yet. Archibald and his friends were certainly gone, which reduced the risk of someone messing with my stuff.

    ¡°I have two chicken corpses that look reasonably intact. If your potion works on them I will use it for my mage.¡± I announced.

    ¡°Sure. Just pour it over the bones, then do your thing.¡± Cassie said.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Helena and Skadi wisely stood back. I looked more closely at Skadi. ¡°Have you used earth magic to harden your skin?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She replied.

    ¡°I am not that bad.¡± Cassie mumbled, while handing me a potion.

    I did as instructed and poured it over the corpse. I was reasonably far away from the mage skeleton, which was still soaking in the strengthening bath.

    Nyx looked at the potion in my hand, then jumped from my head and walked over to Skadi and Helena. Cassie stayed close and watched with excitement.

    I could see a slight blue tint on the bones. Something was happening. I began my spell to raise the skeleton. Before I could finish there was a crack. I stopped my magic and poked the bones. They splintered. Cassie¡¯s potion had made them really fragile and brittle.

    ¡°Huh. It did not explode.¡± Skadi sounded surprised.

    Nyx came over and sniffed the bones. Then she started licking up the shards.

    ¡°At least you did not destroy the taste.¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°You need to animate it faster!¡± Cassie suggested and handed me another potion.

    I grabbed the second skeleton I had prepared. ¡°I will already prepare the spell in my mind. Can you pour it over the skeleton? Then I can animate it really quickly.¡±

    Cassie nodded and took her potion back. This time everyone was standing close. Except Nyx, who was still consuming the failed experiment.

    I readied my spell, then signalled Cassie. She poured the potion on the bones and I animated them. The undead chicken rose.

    We all peered closely at the result. The bones had turned slightly blue. Skadi poked it.

    ¡°So, it worked?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cassie cheered.

    ¡°What can it do?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No idea. Let¡¯s see.¡± I said and commanded the chicken to move around. So far it was nothing special. I still had my skeletons protecting the mage corpse. I ordered my new chicken to attack them.

    It charged¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s trying to stab them with its beak.¡± Helena observed.

    ¡°And it¡¯s not using any magic.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Maybe it helped its defence? Clearly it did something, the bones look different.¡± Cassie said.

    The chicken¡¯s attack did something. Sadly, that something was not good. The chicken¡¯s beak cracked.

    ¡°Hm. That is not supposed to happen.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I am not using that on the mage skeleton.¡± I announced.

    ¡°It might need more work.¡± Cassie admitted. ¡°Can you dismiss the chicken? Maybe I can find something when I look closer at those bones. Maybe I need a way to inject something into the bones¡­¡±

    While she was contemplating things, Nyx approached the second failed experiment. ¡°Nyx, stop! Cassie wants those bones.¡± Nyx glared at me, I glared back. Then she walked away.

    ¡°Thank you, Nyx.¡± Cassie said and collected her research material.

    While Cassie¡¯s potion might have failed, I still had a great mage skeleton. And it was time to raise it. I collected the bones from their bath and arranged them on the floor. I was debating if I should dry them but I was going for a water affinity anyway.

    I had brought the book Gronir gave me and rechecked the spell. I had memorised it yesterday evening but wanted to double check. The runes were not that simple and I needed to get the mana ratio right. I decided to go for a ranged, spell based, magical skeleton. I would use roughly 60% death mana and 40% water mana. I did not have an internal way of measuring that so I had to eyeball it.

    I was slightly nervous. I took a deep breath and started forming the runes in my mind. I pulled mana from my core and converted it. Did the ratio look right? I added a bit more death mana. Then I poured it into the spell.

    The darkened bones became even more black. Light blue runes appeared on them. It looked similar to Nyx¡¯ bones. There were no glowing eyes though as the skeleton rose. It worked! Time to figure out what I had created.

 CHAPTER 123: Testing

    The skeleton just stood there, waiting for orders. I could feel the link.

    ¡°What can it do? What can it do?¡± Helena asked, excitedly.

    ¡°We need to find out!¡± I replied, then added: ¡°Probably not in here though. If it can use a magic attack that would destroy some equipment.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the training room then.¡± Skadi suggested.

    I left my normal skeletons in the lab. We still needed to clean up but we were too excited right now. There was a new undead to figure out.

    As a tier two undead, the skeleton should be able to instinctively use its powers. The problem is, I did not know what sort of powers it had. Sadly it did not come with a manual. So we had to see what it did when ordered to attack, or defend itself.

    We found an empty training room and went inside. Then I simply ordered the skeleton to attack the reinforced wall.

    The undead lifted its bony hand. A small shard of ice formed and flew towards the wall. It shattered on impact.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Hard to say how powerful it is. But a ranged attacker will be useful.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°We need a better target.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Well, I brought Frank. Since he is an undead with a frost affinity, and can conjure armour, he should be able to take a hit.¡± I concluded.

    ¡°That won¡¯t tell us how effective he is against the living.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a living target. Well, I suppose I could have it attack my water shield. I am not sure how much information I could get from that.¡± I mused.

    And so our testing began. The skeleton shot ice bolts at Frank. Then It shot ice bolts against my water shield. Afterwards, I had my friends attack the shield and I tried to compare the strain on my mana from the different attacks.

    ¡°I think it is weaker than Helena¡¯s ice daggers. But not by that much.¡± I concluded.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°So it¡¯s going to be weak against people with shields. Those bolts won¡¯t fully penetrate. And against armour a lot depends on its aim.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Is it a normal ice attack?¡± Cassie asked.

    I scratched my head. ¡°Good question. It could have necrotic properties. That would help.¡±

    ¡°The cold itself will also slow people down and eventually harm them, if you hit them enough.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Let¡¯s test its defence.¡± I suggested.

    I ordered Frank to take a light swing at it. The skeleton conjured a shield made of ice to block the attack. I ordered the skeleton to keep the shield while we examined it.

    ¡°Not very thick, but it does look solid.¡± Skadi said, knocking on the shield. ¡°Ouch.¡± She looked at her hand. ¡°It stings. I think there is some necrotic mana in there.¡±

    ¡°Gronir said necrotic ice was possible.¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°It''s a shame that we don¡¯t have a living target.¡± Helena commented.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°Someone will try to kill Koyuki sooner or later.¡±

    ¡°How much mana does it have? It is fueled by your core, right?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°It does not have a core but it can store some mana. My bond replenishes the mana. It could absorb some from its surroundings. But you would need a source of necrotic mana nearby.¡± I explained.

    ¡°We should test its capacity.¡± Helena suggested.

    I nodded.

    We had the skeleton fire ice bolts at the wall until it ran out of mana. It could fire about 25 bolts before it had to stop. Afterwards it was able to fire about one bolt per minute. We did not know if they all had the same strength but it gave us some idea about its capabilities.

    ¡°Should we test the shield too?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°That would be hard. The mana it needs likely depends on the strength of the attack.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°We don¡¯t have a standardised attack to run tests.¡±

    ¡°Ideally it does not need the shield anyway. It¡¯s supposed to be a ranged attacker. Draugrs in the front, magical skeletons in the back¡­ That would be a fearsome army.¡± Helena said with sparkling eyes.

    It was certainly an interesting thought. An army like that would be rather intimidating. And sort of cool¡­

    ¡°You need more corpses. Have you tried to attract more assassins? Go for a walk, alone, at night?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°What if we dressed up reasonably well and walked through the seedier parts of town, at night? Could we bait some robbers?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°That sounds like a horrible idea.¡± I said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be you. We are not hunted by assassins. And we can take care of normal robbers.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You are crazy!¡± I replied. ¡°Have you been reading Skadi¡¯s books too?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Helena replied.

    ¡°You know, there is a book where the heroine baits a lot of robbers¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°And you could always have your undead close, to help if needed. Uh, you need to make another draugr, one that looks more¡­ fragile. We could use an undead as bait!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°And where would we get that corpse?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We have some money. We could ask at the cemetery. Maybe someone is willing to sell us one.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°What if we dressed up Frank?¡± Cassie proposed.

    ¡°Dress up Frank?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, we are talking about baiting robbers at night. He looks human enough. Have him wear a wig, maybe a dress. A bra with some apples in it¡­¡± Cassie explained.

    I groaned. Then I thought about it some more. Was it really a terrible idea? Getting rid of some bandits might even be helpful.

    ¡°Would that even be legal? Also, is killing people for robbery not a bit harsh?¡± I did not want to kill anyone without a good reason.

    ¡°Depends if they just want money, or more.¡± Helena said. ¡°But if they attack, you can defend yourself. Give them a chance to surrender. If they don¡¯t, they suffer the consequences. We can give the ones who come peacefully to the guard.¡±

    ¡°A lot of robbers would not stop at taking your purse. It¡¯s those that I would be ok with killing.¡± Skadi said.

    I was not convinced but the idea did have some appeal¡­

 CHAPTER 124: Gossip

    The remaining week my friends discussed the idea some more. I was still reluctant. Maybe if I needed another corpse for my necromancy class I would agree to it.

    With the vacation coming to an end the academy was getting busy again. Students returned and immediately started gossiping about other people and their vacations.

    ¡°I have heard that Leo returned with five skeletons, human skeletons.¡± Helena said as we were having dinner.

    ¡°Did he kill people?¡± Skadi asked.

    I frowned. ¡°His plan was to get a pack of wolves. I wonder why he switched. Or maybe he wants both?¡±

    ¡°He could give the skeletons bows. Maybe he wanted a ranged option? Actually, you should consider bows too.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Koyuki can make skeleton mages! She has something better than bows.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°True. But I don''t have enough corpses to make more.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Only because you resist the plan to lure in some bandits.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I can borrow you a book. I am sure you will like it. It has a great scene where the heroine baits a bunch of men, then kills them all.¡±

    ¡°It''s a book.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°A good book.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Ok, ok¡­ I will read your book if I have time.¡± I relented, I was actually a bit curious.

    While we were talking, Leo approached our table. ¡°Good evening, ladies.¡±

    ¡°Hi.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Is there something you need?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I wanted to make Koyuki an offer.¡± Leo replied, then he looked at me. ¡°I could provide you with some corpses.¡±

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I heard you have some new skeletons. Where did you get the corpses?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Since necromancy is on the rise, my father has decided to gift me some prisoners. Our duchy is big, there are always some criminals. Why not have them be useful? My father has ordered all of his counts to send their prisoners to him.¡± Leo explained.

    ¡°But you were going for wolves. Why are you using humans now? Your father always knew you were a necromancer.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I was considering becoming a death knight. I am not certain anymore. But the real change was because of you.¡± Leo smiled. ¡°Necromancy is legal, it¡¯s useful but many shun it anyway. Now that the royal family has embraced it so openly and endorsed you things are changing. Having skeletons around is now seen as fashionable at the courts.¡±

    ¡°And what would you want from her, for this?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I know you do not like me but our marriage would be helpful, for both of our families.¡± He said to Helena. Then he looked at me again. ¡°But now, there is an even better option. Koyuki, I would like to court you. I can offer you corpses as a gift. Or prisoners. You can slay them with your own magic, if you want. Imagine what we could achieve together! We could start a new line of necromancers.¡±

    What? ¡°Uh¡­ No, thanks.¡± I replied.

    ¡°I was not expecting you to be immediately convinced. Just know that the offer is there. And all I ask in exchange for some corpses is the chance to court you.¡± Leo said. ¡°Have a nice evening.¡± He bowed and left.

    ¡°He is creepy but the deal is good.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°There is no way a guy like that does not expect anything in return. If you ever go on a date with him, bring poison.¡± Cassie advised me.

    ¡°I am not really interested in him.¡± I said.

    ¡°Good.¡± Helena said. ¡°The Harolds are not known for respecting women.¡±

    ¡°You should have told him about your skeletons! You have more and better ones.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°He will find out during death magic class, probably. I might bring my magical skeleton.¡± I mused. Gronir had been busy. I did not have a chance to show him my latest creations yet.

    ¡°Hey, is that Archibald over there? He looks like he ate a lemon.¡± Skadi said, suddenly. We all looked in the direction she pointed.

    Archibald spotted us, then he had the most awkward smile while looking in our direction. Florence was with him and did not look very happy either. Although she just looked angry, it was pretty normal for her.

    ¡°Maybe his father was angry with him after the ball.¡± Helena said. ¡°He did insult Koyuki before she was endorsed by the princess.¡±

    ¡°Maybe his father told him to be nice to you. Maybe he will court you too now.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°What? No, never.¡± I protested.

    ¡°It would be awkward since he has a betrothed. But it¡¯s not uncommon for nobles to change their arrangements if they get a better opportunity.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Duke Winston would not break that arrangement unless he was certain Koyuki would say yes. It¡¯s more likely Archibald was ordered to mend the relationship and stop embarrassing his family.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°You should ask him for free corpses.¡± Skadi suggested.

    I shook my head. ¡°I want nothing from him. If he stays away and starts being polite, that is fine by me.¡±

    ¡°Lure him into a false sense of security. Make everyone think you have no grudge against him, then turn him into an undead. Afterwards pretend to be upset and offer to help in the investigation as a necromancy expert.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°And bring his corpse to the investigation as your servant. Change the skeleton just enough that nobody recognizes him. Smile cryptically when people inquire about your new minion.¡± Cassie added.

    I looked at Helena. ¡°We need to stage an intervention. Those books are clearly making them go insane.¡±

    ¡°You have already agreed to borrow one, remember.¡± Helena replied.

    Skadi smiled.

 CHAPTER 125: Back to School

    Over the next two weeks I noticed a change in people''s behaviour. I looked like my fame had spread during the vacation. Archibald had ceased his open hostility but it was clear he was rather unhappy about it. I wondered if he would eventually explode and try something.

    My classes progressed nicely and I was enjoying learning magic. I tried to stay out of any politics and declined every invite from students I did not know. I was happy staying with my small group of friends.

    When I was called into the headmasters office again, I was in a good mood. I had no idea why, but I doubted that I was in trouble. Once I entered the room I saw Colonel Duncan, the royal investigator. Irene was here as well, as was Erik, the headmaster.

    ¡°Sir.¡± I saluted.

    ¡°Ah, Koyuki. It looks like there is an update concerning the investigations Colonel Duncan is conducting.¡± Erik said.

    Duncan nodded. ¡°Yes, Irene¡¯s capture of several agents has helped. As you know, we were hoping to draw out some assassins when you took your little trip. It worked. The information we were able to get was limited but it seems like Ilestria is stepping up its efforts. They are somewhat spooked by your existence.¡±

    ¡°They are certainly aware of your potential. And your recent actions will certainly make them even more concerned.¡± Erik added. ¡°Taking out a large group of enemies, as a first year, is not an easy feat. Magic is a great advantage but you did take down an enemy mage as well.¡±

    ¡°Sir, do you think they will try again? Do you know about an attack?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They will certainly try again but we do not know of a specific attack.¡± Duncan answered.

    ¡°But it is getting more political. Ilestra has sent an official request to have you turned over to them. They have branded you a criminal for your actions against the priestess. They have also sent a few more soldiers to the border.¡± Erik added.

    ¡°And we will respond in kind.¡± Irene smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the kingdom is not going to abandon you.¡±

    ¡°Do you think there will be a war?¡± I asked. Was my existence really that scary? Or was it just an excuse?

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Hard to say.¡± Erik answered. ¡°You see, an archmage necromancer is a terrifying thing. Far from unstoppable but certainly a noticeable threat. Some of our nobles are already considering an expansion of our borders. Others are more concerned with keeping you leashed.¡±

    ¡°There has been a recent incident where a necromancer went too far in acquiring corpses. Your popularity among the royal family has made some of them a bit too bold.¡± Duncan mentioned.

    My thought went towards the lure scheme my friends had proposed. Maybe we should not be luring in bandits. Or at least, not without asking for permission first.

    ¡°Sir, my friends had an idea¡­¡± So I told them about it.

    Irene chuckled. ¡°Ah, what an amusing plan.¡±

    Erik looked more serious. ¡°It would be legal for you to defend yourself. But that is a slippery slope. How far would you go to provoke someone to attack? What about a group? If one attacks, would you consider them all hostile? Also, you are underestimating criminals.¡±

    ¡°Once you take down some belonging to a larger organisation you would be picking a fight with organised crime.¡± Duncan added. ¡°The reality is, some criminal organisations have ties to the nobility. I would love to give some of them a bloody nose but it would complicate your life. And it would not work for long. They would catch on and be prepared. If you decide to try something like that please coordinate it with me first. Better yet, I can contact you if we think there is a reasonable way of doing something like that.¡±

    ¡°If you need corpses, I would suggest you buy some from the adventurers guild. Experiment with some animal or monster bones.¡± Erik suggested. ¡°I have heard you got quite a bit of loot from the bandits you killed.¡±

    Colonel Duncan looked thoughtful. ¡°Maybe we could include you in some of our operations, if your schedule allows. The military does take care of bandits regularly.¡±

    Erik shook his head. ¡°She is a first year, her focus should be studying and training.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should give her some advanced classes. Start training her in small unit tactics to command her horde. And if she does well, she gets to join a mission to get more undead.¡± Irene suggested, with a smile. ¡°Koyuki does seem to enjoy training. Maybe we should just give her more of it.¡±

    Erik stroked his beard. ¡°Hm. I like the idea. We can include her whole team. They get extra lessons in teamwork and unit tactics. They all did well enough in the mid-year exam.¡± Then he looked at me. ¡°Instead of focusing on a large army you should learn how to properly utilise the resources you have. If you can convince your teacher, we might allow you to join some appropriate operations.¡±

    Ooops. I did not necessarily mind the extra classes but I hoped my friends would see it the same way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the original topic.¡± Duncan said. ¡°While we have no information about a specific attack, we expect Ilestria to send someone more competent next time. They are taking the situation seriously.¡± He pulled out a vial. ¡°This is a common antidote. It¡¯s not a cheap potion but it will help against a lot of poisons. Don¡¯t waste it. Be suspicious of strangers and make sure to have backup if you go somewhere.¡±

    ¡°You think they will poison me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a distinct possibility. Actually, since we were talking about extra classes, maybe Skadi can get some lessons in blood magic?¡± Duncan suggested.

    ¡°Hm. It might be a bit advanced but we can give it a try. If she is willing. Your friends would not mind some extra classes, right? Maybe we can find something for Cassie and Helena as well¡­¡± Erik mused.

    I started sweating. Maybe I needed to apologise to my friends. Then again, it was their idea that sparked this conversation. In any case, our lives were going to be a lot busier soon.

 CHAPTER 126: Group Training

    After the meeting my friend eagerly awaited my report. They were curious why I had been called to the headmaster''s office.

    ¡°So, what was it about?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why is your tail swishing nervously?¡± Skadi asked.

    Maybe I should have brought cookies, or something like that. Not that I had time to buy anything. Well, maybe I could frame it the right way¡­

    ¡°We, eh, we are getting special training! Because we are doing so well!¡± I tried.

    ¡°Special training?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Like hunting monsters?¡± Helena asked, sounding excited.

    ¡°No. More like extra classes¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Skadi asked.

    I sighed, then I sat down and told them about the conversation.

    ¡°Are those classes on our day off?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Uh, maybe? Or in the evening.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Ugh, that is not fair!¡± Helena complained.

    ¡°Maybe I can have more alchemy classes¡­¡± Cassie mused. ¡°Oh, but then I would have supervision while experimenting. That might limit my options.¡± She muttered.

    ¡°Maybe things will explode less often.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Why are you saying that like it¡¯s a good thing?¡± Cassie replied.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Did they say how long those classes will last?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Not really. But if we are doing well we might be allowed to go on missions with the army!¡± I said.

    ¡°I suppose that is something.¡± Helena said, sounding rather unconvinced.

    Our mood was not the best but maybe the classes could be fun. I did enjoy learning magic.

    Two days later we had our first extra lesson. I brought ten skeletons, Frank, my mage and Nyx. It was late afternoon when we met our trainer. The man was bald and clean shaven. He had a tattoo of a wolf on his forehead. I wondered if it was magical or simply decorative. He studied us with his brown eyes.

    ¡°Hello students. I am Alwin and I will handle your group training. Some of my lessons will be for Koyuki only, others will include your whole group. The goal is to improve your coordination in combat.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± We replied.

    ¡°We are here inside a training room, so you can throw around some spells. Your opponents will be training golems under my control.¡± He explained.

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°We are a small group, you don¡¯t have to raise your hand. Go ahead.¡± He said.

    ¡°Sir, what are training golems?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Since you are first years you might not have encountered them yet. Essentially they are a mixture of craftsmanship and magic. Their body is a mixture of metal and stone. They are enchanted with runes and controlled by a mage. Their main downside is, they are unable to act without orders.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there golems who are fully autonomous?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°You can bind something to a golem body to achieve that effect, like an elemental. But that comes with its own problems and challenges. Actually, you could bind an incorporeal undead to an object.¡± He said while looking at me.

    My ears perked up. The idea sounded interesting. Could I animate a suit of armour? How did one create an incorporeal undead?

    ¡°But we are not here to discuss necromancy, I am the wrong teacher for that.¡± He said, to my disappointment.

    ¡°What magic is used to control a golem?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°It depends on the golem and what runes are used. Mostly earth or air. If you chain an elemental to it it complicates things. Then you are more focused on controlling the elemental than the body. You can use neutral mana to control golems as well but it tends to be more mana intensive.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Are there golem squads in the army?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°There are, but not many. A good golem costs a lot of resources to make. And you need to be very good at multitasking to get the most out of them. Now, enough talking. It¡¯s time to start with the training.¡±

    The statues at the wall started moving. I had falsely assumed they were targets for spell practice. Now I realised they were golems! They looked like people formed of stone with metal joints. They carried wooden spears and shields.

    ¡°We will use training weapons. We don¡¯t want to destroy your undead, or my golems. In this class we will simulate various scenarios. The first will be a straight up fight between Koyuki¡¯s undead and my golems. Position your undead as you think makes sense. You are facing a standard spear wall.¡±

    My first lesson was very informative. Alwin was rather competent at managing his golems and they were a lot tougher than a human. They covered each other with their shields and exploited openings in my own skeletons. The only thing stopping my line from collapsing was Nyx. She seemed to enjoy tossing some golems around and was too fast to get cornered.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Alwin observed. ¡°Your cat seems to be really powerful. We might have to change the scenario.¡±

    Then another golem entered the room. This one was probably about two metres tall. And covered in a lot more metal. The new arrival was certainly Heavy and Nyx was unable to toss him around. With her tied down my skeletons failed. Frank got surrounded and it was over.

    After that, my friends joined the fight. With them backing up the skeletons we could hold the line easily.

    ¡°Good, there is some potential in you.¡± Alwin said. ¡°Now let¡¯s add some ranged attackers¡­¡±

 CHAPTER 127: New Ideas

    While I did enjoy the training, it was exhausting. And it was not the only extra class we had from now on. Skadi got blood magic training, Helena had a special course in ice spells that affected an entire area and Cassie, to her disappointment, had to learn more fire magic. Although there were benefits to her alchemy. Fire magic could be used to empower certain potions.

    Myself? I had more necromancy lessons focused on controlling my undead. Knowing battle tactics was one thing, but I had to make sure my undead actually did what I wanted. Visualisation was important when ordering your undead. Instead of just sending a mental command it helped if I had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted them to do.

    While it was hard work it certainly showed results. Over the next few weeks, I could see clear improvements in my abilities to control undead. While my friends were still unhappy about the additional work, they were quite pleased with the results as well.

    ¡°I have started getting control over blood.¡± Skadi announced at dinner. ¡°It made me think about the mana circulation technique. We observed the flow of blood and now we pump our mana the same way. Maybe we can actually infuse our blood with mana?¡±

    ¡°You are the only one who has the right elements for blood magic.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Sure, but maybe we can use the way you taught us how to circulate in the first place. It¡¯s not like your blood should be infused with my elements. It¡¯s more about the idea of bonding neutral mana to the blood.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Bonding magic to a liquid is part of alchemy.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Wait, you want to turn our blood into a potion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Ohhh, that is a great idea!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°No, it is not!¡± Helena protested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to turn blood into a potion.¡± Skadi clarified. ¡°Right now, mana is simply flowing parallel to our blood and is somehow enhancing our bodies, right? That means our body is absorbing the mana and improving us. What if we helped that absorption along? What if we improved the natural process that is already happening?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°When you put it like that, it does sound like an interesting idea¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what spellblades do? They use mana to enhance their bodies.¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Sort of. I talked with one of them. They use runes to permanently put a spell on their body. That spell uses part of their mana to enhance them. But our technique does not rely on an active spell. If we can teach our body to have mana circulate, maybe we can teach it to use it better.¡± Skadi theorised.

    ¡°You should come to the lab with me, I can teach you how to better infuse mana! We could try to make a blood potion, or something.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°What is a blood potion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Alchemy has many ingredients, blood is one of them. As you should know, you have advanced alchemy too!¡± Cassie pointed out.

    I blushed. ¡°I uhhh¡­ I haven¡¯t done much besides necromancy related enhancements.¡± I admitted. The class was pretty free and allowed you to pursue the alchemical topics you wanted.

    ¡°Could you make a blood draugr?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°A what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What if we copied the technique we used to make Frank? But instead of water we use blood.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Hm. I have never heard of such a creature. Blood magic is usually earth and water and I don¡¯t have earth. I am not sure if I could create something like that. You might need three affinities.¡±

    ¡°What if Skadi controls the blood? Creating Frank was teamwork.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°It might be a good trial run for my idea.¡± Skadi mused. ¡°I could try to put magic into the blood of a corpse. Actually, we would likely need to collect fresh blood. Maybe from a butcher.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a fun experiment! We get some blood and I will help you infuse mana into it in the lab. Once you get the hang of it we try creating an undead. And if that works, maybe you can enhance Koyuki¡¯s technique!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°It does sound like a fun experiment. We have been rather busy lately. Maybe we can do it on Solday? I think we have the day off.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Hm. I was hoping for some relaxation but I like the idea.¡± Helena said. ¡°But I do have one question, where are we getting a corpse from?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah, that seems to be an issue.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be human, right? Why don¡¯t we visit the adventurers guild?¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I got a note that we have a bounty waiting for us at the guard station. We were just too busy with training lately. It is for the seeds we found from the bandits. Well, and the bandits themselves.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Cool, how much?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It did not specify but it should be enough for a corpse or two, I think.¡± Skadi responded.

    ¡°Hopefully they have a fresh one. We need more than just bones.¡± I said.

    ¡°If not we can commission them to get us one. It might increase the price but we could specify what we want.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Or we could leave them a note with our criteria and tell them to inform us when they have something suitable. Might take longer but it would be cheaper.¡± Skadi said.

    I shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they have, maybe we get lucky.¡±

    ¡°If we are lucky someone tries to assassinate you and we get a fresh corpse.¡± Cassie joked.

    ¡°I do prefer not getting assassinated.¡± I said.

    ¡°They would fail, obviously. You are protected by Nyx after all.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

 CHAPTER 128: Corpse Shopping

    The next Solday we got up early and headed into town. The last time I visited the adventurers guild I did not have a lot of money. This time it was different. I was not rich by a noble¡¯s standard but after we collected our bounty I had over ten platinum!

    I could buy more monster parts, if I wanted to. But Nyx had not evolved, or changed really, from her last treat. I suppose her necrotic breath, which killed the mage, was sort of new. But it might just have been a modification of her normal fog. Maybe she was just a glutton and ate things as a hobby.

    Only Helena joined me as I visited the guild. Cassie and Skadi were buying more alchemical ingredients and blood. As we reached the guild, we were recognized by the receptionist.

    ¡°Ah, welcome back! Would you like to buy more monster parts?¡±

    ¡°Greetings, this time I would be interested in entire monster corpses.¡± I replied.

    I had Frank and my skeletal mage with me. Of course, Nyx was here as well. The man looked at our group and nodded.

    ¡°I see. So you are interested in something suitable for necromancy.¡± He stated.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Do you have any special requirements? Size, affinity, monster type?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Uh, it should be reasonable for combat. And I would like an entire corpse, not just bones.¡±

    ¡°Hm. That will complicate things. Let me see what we have in store.¡±

    He led us to the same room we were in last time. Then he disappeared for a while. I wondered if he would drag full corpses into the room. When he returned he only carried a piece of paper.

    ¡°I have a list of what we can offer you. I can also answer any questions. If there is a body that interests you, you may inspect it before purchasing it. Luckily for you, full corpses are less popular than skeletons.¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    I thanked the man and took the list. Helena peeked over my shoulder to read it.

    ¡°They have a bear. Maybe that would be suitable.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Says it¡¯s left front foot is damaged though. Do you think you could repair that?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I am not sure. It could be a problem.¡±

    ¡°A lot of those corpses seem to have a damaged head, why is that?¡± I asked the receptionist.

    ¡°Ah. Because the body often holds the valuable resources. You can sell a pelt, hide, meat¡­ There usually isn¡¯t much use for a head. Necromancers looking for a complete corpse are not that common. And¡­ is a head actually required for an undead? I am no expert but I would have assumed a head is optional.¡±

    ¡°Sort of. You can get away with some parts missing or being damaged, but generally undead function better if the corpse is whole. It also depends on the type of undead.¡± I explained. I knew you could mix body parts and create more complex undead but we had not learned that yet.

    ¡°So you would be ok with a slightly charred corpse? Or a somewhat sliced up body, as long as the major parts are still there?¡± He inquired.

    ¡°Well, it has to be a full corpse. Bones should not be crushed and their flesh should be mostly intact. Slashed is fine. Charred depends on how deep the damage goes.¡± I said.

    ¡°I see. I should have asked for more details earlier, my apologies. I shall bring you a new list.¡± He left once more.

    He returned shortly but without a list. ¡°I think I found something! Please, follow me.¡±

    He led us to a large storage area. It was rather cold inside, possibly to preserve the corpses. What he showed us was a creature I did not recognize. It was the size of a wolf but with shorter legs. The body and head were covered in a bone like armour, as was its tail. Most of it was cracked. There was also a few centimetres wide hole in its side.

    ¡°This is a spiked rock armadillo.¡± He said. ¡°The body underneath the armour should be mostly intact. I know the hole looks bad but they simply stabbed through it with a spear. All the spikes were removed. They are the most interesting part of the creature.¡±

    ¡°What sort of monster is this? I have never heard of them.¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°They mostly live in the south. They have an earth affinity which they use to strengthen their armour. As you can see here, it was covered in spikes.¡± He pointed at parts of the armour. ¡°Those make great spear heads, especially if you enchant them with earth magic. The remaining corpse is not that useful, especially since the armour is cracked in so many places.¡±

    Earth affinity? That could help with our blood experiments.

    ¡°How much?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Well, the most valuable parts of the corpse have been salvaged. So I could sell it to you for five gold.¡± He offered.

    ¡°Five gold? That is a bit much, is it not? Who are you going to sell it to? What is even left that someone would want, other than a necromancer.¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°True, but necromancy is on the rise. Those creatures are not common around here which makes them more valuable.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°You said yourself most are looking for skeletons. We are doing you a favour by taking that corpse. It¡¯s only going to spoil and lose more in value over time. How about three gold?¡± Helena argued.

    ¡°Oh please, we both know it¡¯s worth more than that. Corpses are valuable to necromancers. She can likely make far more than five gold if she uses it to hunt other monsters.¡± He pointed out.

    ¡°I will give you four.¡± I offered.

    The man looked at me, thinking. Then he smiled. ¡°Ok, four it is!¡±

    I commanded Frank and my skeleton to carry the corpse. It was good to have minions. Then we made our way back to the academy. It was time for another experiment!

 CHAPTER 129: A new Creation

    We met back at our usual lab. Skadi carried big bottles of blood, it seemed their trip was successful.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Cassie asked, pointing at the corpse.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rock armadillo. We will see if it makes a good undead.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Looks a bit cracked.¡± Skadi remarked. ¡°I hope you got a discount.¡±

    ¡°I haggled a bit but I have no idea what this thing is actually worth.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°The body underneath seems well enough. Being an undead the armour should not be that important. Maybe it can use ice to fix the cracks, or something. The draugr does have a decent ice armour.¡± I said.

    ¡°Ok. We got a lot of pig''s blood from a butcher. But we won¡¯t be able to submerge the entire corpse like you did with Frank.¡± Skadi said while placing down the bottles.

    ¡°I think I can slightly improve the blood.¡± Cassie added while placing down some ingredients. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be a real potion but I can help Skadi to infuse the blood.¡±

    ¡°What if we place it into a water bath and use the hole it has to pour the blood inside it?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°We would risk the blood and the water mixing. We could end up with rather diluted blood.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Not if I use my magic to keep the water at bay. Actually, what if I freeze it? We could keep the corpse in a block of ice. That would prevent any blood from leaking.¡± Helena proposed.

    I pondered that. ¡°We could try that. You manage the ice. I link with Skadi, who manages the blood and then I raise the corpse. Cassie helps Skadi with preparing the blood.¡±

    We started our plan. We placed the corpse in a tub and filled it with water. Then Helena froze it. The entire corpse was covered in ice, except for the hole in his armour, where it was stabbed. Helena made sure to keep the water out of the corpse itself.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Skadi and Cassie returned with a cauldron containing the blood they had prepared. Then they poured it into the corpse.

    Now came the difficult part. Skadi took control of the blood and started circulating it through the body. Next, I needed to connect to it and insert some necrotic mana. Then I would have to raise the corpse quickly.

    We had mingled our mana when I taught my friends the circulation technique. But I had trouble connecting to the blood. Then I had an idea. I held up my finger to Nyx and mentally asked her to prick it. She complied.

    Now I had a small bleeding wound. I put my hand into the corpse to touch the blood. This was better. My own blood helped me to form a connection.

    ¡°Ugh. Yeah, this feels weird.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I almost puked when we made Frank.¡± Helena said.

    I was getting nauseous. The earth mana inside the blood was not agreeing with me. I had to be quick. I pushed some necrotic mana into the flow. The blood¡­ It reacted. It began to darken. I had a feeling we did not have much time before it would be destroyed.

    I was fighting some dizziness. I could hear Skadi groan. I tried to focus harder. I tried to raise the corpse while I still pushed mana into it. Somehow, I managed to complete the spell. I fell to the floor, breathing heavily and tried to keep my food down. Next to me, Skadi vomited.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I will get something to clean.¡± Helena offered.

    Cassie knelt next to Skadi. ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°I will be fine in a minute.¡± Skadi reassured her. ¡°The necrotic mana was hard to handle. And once the corpse rose I was hit with a big chunk.¡±

    ¡°You should both vent. Just in case you somehow got foreign mana into you.¡± Cassie suggested.

    We both complied. I started feeling better soon. Helena did not just bring something to clean, she also had some fresh water for us.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I said and accepted the drink.

    ¡°So, did it work?¡± Helena asked.

    The ice covering the corpse turned back into water. I could see some blood in it. Apparently a part of it was leaking from the undead.

    I focused on my new creation. It seemed a bit damaged. I quickly applied a necrotic heal to it.

    ¡°I think we did not manage to use all the blood in its creation and the remaining blood did some damage. But it is recovering.¡± I reported.

    While we recovered ourselves I could see some slow changes in the undead. I could see the fur and skin underneath the armour turn grey. The armour itself turned from a dark brown more into a black. The creature''s eyes were red with a slight glow.

    ¡°It does look cool.¡± Skadi said, she sounded better already.

    ¡°I do have a link, feels like another tier two, as expected. The link needs about the same amount of mana as Frank, maybe slightly more.¡± It was hard to judge the exact amount.

    ¡°What can it do?¡± Helena asked. ¡°Any ideas? Can it use blood? Can it use ice?¡±

    ¡°I think it needs a bit more time to recover. Let¡¯s clean the lab and move to the training area.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Skadi sit down and let us clean.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Yes, you girls recover. You did well!¡± Cassie said, while patting Skadi on the back.

 CHAPTER 130: Blood and Undead

    While my new undead was recovering, Nyx was sniffing it. Then she licked it. I narrowed my eyes. Thankfully, it was too big to simply get swallowed by a gluttonous cat. I was prepared to stop her, if she started chewing it, but instead she just hopped onto the back and sat there, like she owned it. That was fine.

    After Cassie and Helena finished cleaning, we went to the training area. Now came the interesting part, more testing!

    As we arrived at the practice room I decided on the first test: ¡°Let¡¯s see how fast it can move!¡± It looked rather heavy and its legs were not that long. Hopefully it would not be too slow.

    ¡°Is Nyx going to stay on its back?¡± Helena asked.

    The feline in question did not seem willing to move, so I just shrugged.

    ¡°That thing is faster than I would have thought.¡± Skadi commented as my creature began to run.

    ¡°It won¡¯t keep up with a horse but I think it could match a normal carriage.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Good enough for a charge. Especially with the armour on its head. Hopefully it can reinforce it.¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s try.¡± I said and commanded my undead to stop. Then I ordered it to protect itself.

    A dark red liquid emerged from the cracks in its armour and formed a thin layer on top. Nyx jumped to the floor before her feet got wet. Then the liquid froze.

    ¡°Is that a frozen blood armour? Does that exist?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°You are the blood mage. Blood is a water earth mix, why not freeze it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hm. I need to ask my teacher. I did not have that many lessons yet.¡± Skadi retrieved a little book and started taking notes. Maybe I should do that too. I wondered how many possible questions for my teachers I had already forgotten.

    ¡°It can use blood magic! This is awesome!¡± Helena cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s have it fight Frank!¡±

    I nodded. That was a great idea. Although, I did instruct them to not destroy each other. I would not want to lose a powerful undead.

    We were all excited as my two undead faced off. Frank was covered in ice armour and using a practice sword. The armadillo expended its blood armour to form a blade on its tail.

    It was an interesting fight. Tail blade vs sword, with neither being able to penetrate the other¡¯s armour. Of course, they were supposed to hold back.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.¡°We should ask a teacher to fight it.¡± Cassie suggested. ¡°They are strong enough so you won''t have to worry and we can truly find out what it can do.¡±

    ¡°We could wait for our group training and surprise Alwin.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I have advanced necromancy before that. I want to bring it to my class.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Hey, do you think it eats blood?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Undead generally don¡¯t eat. They only need mana.¡± I said.

    My friends looked at Nyx. Nyx stared back. Then she licked her paw.

    ¡°I said generally. Some can devour things and absorb the mana in it. And Nyx is special anyway.¡±

    ¡°There is some blood left in the alchemy lab. It¡¯s an ingredient. I could get it real quick.¡± Cassie offered.

    ¡°Is it expensive magical blood?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nah, not that expensive. I will only use a bit.¡± She said, as she was already leaving.

    When she returned she brought a small vial. I had stopped the duel since it did not go anywhere. The armadillo had stopped its armour and the blood returned inside its body.

    Cassie opened the vial and poured the blood on the floor. The armadillo stared at it.

    ¡°I think it wants it. But I have ordered it to just stand there. Let¡¯s see what it does if I allow it to move.¡± I explained, then I mentally rescinded my order.

    The undead started walking towards the blood and licked it.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a tier two, right?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Yes. A tier two has instincts, which it might follow if there are no commands stopping it.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Now I really want to see it fight someone who has blood.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Maybe we can arrange something after my next necromancy class. I want to see what Gronir has to say first.¡± I responded.

    ¡°I want to see it trash Alwin¡¯s golems! He won¡¯t expect that!¡± Helena said.

    We concluded our testing soon afterwards. We were in a great mood. I could not wait to find out what we had actually created.

    I had a big smile on my face as I walked into my advanced death magic class.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s my newest undead, a spiked rock armadillo!¡± I announced.

    ¡°Looks a bit cracked.¡± Tim observed.

    Leo entered the room, followed by a tall humanoid skeleton. It looked new. He even put some chainmail on it and had it carry a halberd. He noticed my new minion.

    ¡°Really? Now you are raising damaged corpses? My offer still stands, you know.¡± He said.

    I just grinned. ¡°I am very happy with my damaged corpse.¡±

    ¡°Hello students!¡± Gronir entered the room. ¡°I see we have some new undead¡­¡±

    He stopped talking and stared at my creation. Then he cast a spell and his eyes glowed green. ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    The other students looked confused by Gronir¡¯s reaction. My smile grew only bigger. My tail swished around excitedly.

    ¡°Do you know what you have created?¡± Gronir asked. He sounded a bit shocked.

    ¡°Some sort of blood magic undead.¡± I replied, feeling smug.

    ¡°Blood magic undead¡­ This is a lesser vampire!¡± He said.

    ¡°It¡¯s only tier two¡­¡± I replied, defensively.

    ¡°Well, obviously. It¡¯s a lesser vampire, not a true vampire.¡± He replied. Gronir had regained his composure and was back in teacher mode.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t vampires humanoid?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°Not necessarily. But a true vampire is a sentient tier three undead. They are rather dangerous, because they have at least three affinities. Death, water and earth. A lesser vampire is a tier two undead with some control over blood. More importantly, they can heal themselves with it. And replenish their own mana. Do you know what that means?¡± He asked.

    ¡°As long as it keeps killing creatures with blood, and eating them, it won¡¯t run out of mana?¡± I responded, uncertain.

    ¡°Yes!¡± He confirmed.

    ¡°That seems rather powerful.¡± Tom said, with wide eyes.

    ¡°It is, it is. Such creatures are best fought by mages. They are rather problematic for normal soldiers, because your numbers might work against you, if it starts killing. What sort of powers has it shown so far?¡± Gronir asked, now sounding more curious.

    ¡°It can make blood armour and form a blade on its tail. We were careful with testing so far.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Gronir stroked his beard. ¡±We need a proper test¡­¡±

 CHAPTER 131: Vampiric Undead

    As Gronir was contemplating the situation, Tom raised his hand.

    ¡°Tom.¡± Gronir said, nodding at Tom.

    ¡°How does one make a lesser vampire?¡±

    ¡°A good question! Most vampiric undead are raised by true vampires. They possess an inherent ability to turn the living into walking dead. Their teeth are magical. Vampire teeth are rather valuable, actually. They contain a lot of magic. Of course, they are not that easy to collect.¡± He chuckled, then continued: ¡°When they bite someone, they can trigger a blood paralysis spell, which holds the target, assuming it has blood. Then they start injecting necrotic mana into it and consume it. The process prepares the victim for undeath.¡±

    Tom looked rather shocked and glanced at my armadillo. Gronir noticed that.

    ¡°Only true vampires can do that. And like any necromancer, there is a limit on how many undead they can control. If they completely drain a target it becomes a flesh eating ghoul. It is, in some ways, an improved zombie. If the vampire leaves enough blood behind, the target can become a lesser vampire. The powers of such a creature vary, but they can all heal themselves with blood and replenish their mana. Which makes any active powers they possess rather dangerous. A protective shield, for example, can usually be worn down. But if they can replenish their mana, attrition is no longer an option. What they can¡¯t do is manipulate an enemy''s blood directly, only a true mage can do that.¡± Gronir explained.

    ¡°You can attack the blood inside someone?¡± That sounded horrifying.

    ¡°Yes. Masters of blood magic can do that. But, I should add, it does not work well on mages. Defending against a spell forming inside your body is relatively easy, compared to an outside spell. It is not the most efficient way to use blood magic.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Does this mean Koyuki is a vampire? Since she made a lesser vampire.¡± Tim asked.

    ¡°Oh no, necromancers can do that too. Of course, you would need a creature with blood for a lesser vampire. And you would need to raise it with water and earth affinity. Now if you do not have them yourself, you can use a creature with the right affinity. Which can be tricky, you would need a powerful monster, and a fresh one, to use that method. Turning a living creature into an undead is very advanced magic. A spiked rock armadillo does have an earth affinity, and Koyuki does have a water affinity.¡± Gronir explained, but his eyes did not quite match his voice. I had a feeling he suspected that something was off.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Where did you get such a creature?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°I bought it from the adventurers guild.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you open your books and read chapter five. Koyuki, follow me. We have to discuss how we are going to test your undead.¡± Gronir said.

    Leo had been surprisingly quiet so far. I had to suppress my desire to stick out my tongue. My undead was awesome! Nobody cared about his skeleton.

    While the others opened their books, I followed Gronir to an adjacent room. He closed the door, then looked at me.

    ¡°How did you create a lesser vampire? Those armadillos are normally not strong enough to retain their earth affinity after death. You would need a living one, that is not something you can simply buy. You would need to order it. And I saw that hole. You animated a corpse.¡± He said.

    ¡°I did, but I had help.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°I was afraid of that. Who approached you? What did they offer?¡± He asked.

    ¡°What? No, my friends helped! Skadi has water and earth, she handled the blood.¡± I explained.

    ¡°You are saying you did a joint casting? As first year students?¡± He looked unconvinced.

    ¡°Helena froze the outside so blood could not leak, Skadi circled blood through the body, which Cassie helped prepare and I animated the corpse. We used pig''s blood from a butcher, since the corpse did not have any.¡± I explained. ¡°It was hard and uh¡­ It made us rather nauseous.¡±

    ¡°Of course it did! Mixing affinities and mixing your mana for a joint casting is an advanced class for a reason!¡± He sounded slightly upset. ¡°At least it shows that you trust each other a lot. You cannot mix mana otherwise. The body tends to reject any foreign mana.¡± He shook his head. ¡°What gave you the idea in the first place?¡±

    ¡°Skadi started learning blood magic, and we did something similar with water when I raised the draugr. We simply wondered what would happen with blood¡­¡± I replied.

    He sighed. ¡°You do have a very curious mind. I like that. And you have been honest with us so far. You told us when the brotherhood approached you, so I will keep trusting you. There is no way this does not get their attention.¡±

    ¡°What should I tell people? It¡¯s easy to find out that I bought a corpse, not a living creature.¡± I asked.

    ¡°Hm. Just tell them you had help from friends preparing the corpse. A lot of mages have their secrets. Usually, they aren¡¯t students though. Prepare for a lot of rumours. I suspect a lot of people will assume the royal family helped you.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Sorry if I was a bit harsh, you did a great job with your undead.¡± He praised me. ¡°Now, let us figure out what it can do!¡± He sounded excited.

 CHAPTER 132: Armadillo

    I returned to the classroom while Gronir prepared a proper test for my new undead.

    ¡°So, what is going to happen?¡± Tom asked, as I returned.

    ¡°Gronir is looking for a proper opponent to duel my armadillo. He needs someone strong so my pet can go all out. And someone with enough control not to destroy my armadillo.¡± I responded.

    ¡°He could fight it himself.¡± Tim mused.

    ¡°He is a necromancer. Fighting it with his own undead would not be ideal. They don¡¯t have enough control to go all out, without destroying each other. And with the blood powers it will be more interesting to see a fight against a living target.¡± I said.

    ¡°Can we watch the fight?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°Uh, Probably? I don¡¯t think Gronir would object.¡± It was not my decision to make but I had no problem with an audience. Actually, I would not mind showing off my creation.

    Gronir returned with a big smile. ¡°I have found the perfect opponent! We can test your creation right now. Follow me, students!¡±

    Leo seemed unhappy that nobody cared about his skeleton. Tim and Tom were excited as we followed Gronir. He led us to the practice area outside, where Irene was waiting.

    ¡°You do keep things interesting, Koyuki. Let¡¯s see what you have created.¡± Her smile looked dangerous.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t destroy my armadillo!¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry.¡± She reassured me.

    Irene was wearing a robe and carried a staff. She stretched as my armadillo entered the fighting area.

    ¡°I expect it to go all out. Tell it to kill me.¡± Irene instructed.

    ¡°Uh¡­ ok, ma¡¯am.¡± I responded. Irene was a veteran and a grand mage. I suppose that is why she was chosen. There was no way my minion could actually win.

    The armadillo deployed its frozen blood armour and formed a tail blade. Then it charged.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Irene was not a spellblade. Yet she seemed rather capable with her staff, as she parried the blade. I did notice her skin changing. Was there a very thin layer of ice on it?

    After the first exchange of blows, Irene went on the offensive. She unleashed a cone of fire from her hand. The blood armour began to melt. I was getting worried, but she stopped before my undead¡¯s defence broke. Then Irene threw a vial on the ground. It looked like blood. The armadillo pounced at it.

    ¡°It used its mana on defence, the blood will help it recover so we can continue testing.¡± Irene explained. ¡°Also, I am not sure what specific order you gave it, but note that it stopped attacking to consume the blood. That means it could get distracted in battle.¡±

    I looked at Gronir. ¡°I sort of just told it to try and kill Irene.¡±

    Gronir nodded. ¡°A tier one undead would simply attack the target no matter what. A tier two will act according to its combat instinct. Essentially, the creature has concluded it needed the blood to continue fighting. Their instincts are not always perfect. You could have ordered your undead to keep attacking until the target is dead. Then it would ignore the blood. Understanding your undead and giving the correct orders is very important.¡±

    Meanwhile, the armadillo was back in the fight. And its armour changed. It formed spikes on its back. Which was curious. Next, it raised its tail, like a scorpion. Then it shot its tail blade at Irene.

    She used her staff to parry the projectile. But the blade was just the beginning. Next, the armadillo shot all of its spikes. My eyes widened as the spikes, which were ejected in all directions, changed course mid flight and homed in on Irene.

    My eyes widened. How did it do that?

    A shield of fire formed around Irene and burned all incoming projectiles. Meanwhile, the armadillo charged once more. But its mana was severely depleted. It sacrificed its remaining armour for a larger blade.

    ¡°What just happened? Tom asked with wide eyes.

    Gronir looked at us. ¡°The first blade it shot at Irene, it was formed with frozen blood. Some of the blood remained on her staff when she parried. The spikes homed in on the blood. Essentially, the armadillo marked its target for a follow up strike. A good instinct, but flawed because it marked her staff. She could have easily avoided the attack by dropping it. That is one of the limitations of a tier two. They do have instincts, they are capable of using certain tactics, but they lack the intelligence to truly evaluate the situation. Still, that was really remarkable. A rather powerful ability. I think we can call it here.¡±

    I ordered my armadillo to stand down.

    Irene walked over to us with a grin. ¡°This was fun! You have created a nice little monster there. If you put it against a group of regular soldiers it will absolutely destroy them. Its defence is really solid. The attack is impressive, but it needs to recharge soon afterwards. Unless it kills something it will quickly weaken. Against a mage you should order it to stay defensive and use its attack only on command.¡±

    I nodded. It would be great against a group of weak enemies but mostly useful as a tank against strong enemies. It needed support against mages.

    ¡°Can you teach us how to make an elemental undead?¡± Tom asked. ¡°I want something like that too!¡±

    Gronir stroked his beard. ¡°That is usually not something for a first year. Especially since you lack a dual affinity. I know, Koyuki made something with earth, which she does not have. But she is not the norm. Focus on enhancing for now. You can create a nice undead with death mana alone.¡±

    Tom and Tim looked disappointed. Leo was still staring at the armadillo. His face was unreadable. I wondered if he would try to get an elemental corpse. Well, it was none of my business.

    The class was over. I inspected my armadillo. It seemed fine. I used a necrotic healing spell on it, just to be sure. Interestingly, it seemed to recover some mana with it. Did the spell help it replenish its blood? Gronir had already left, maybe I should ask him next time.

    While I was busy inspecting my armadillo, Nyx jumped on its back. Suddenly, her eyes glowed. Blood seeped through the cracks in the armadillo¡¯s armour. It formed a box, which was open at the top. Then it froze the blood.

    I stared in disbelief as Nyx stepped into the box, then curled up. Did she just command my undead? Command it, to make her a bed on its back?

 CHAPTER 133: Nyx

    My thoughts raced. How long had she been able to do that? Did she give my other undead any commands? I was still in the training area, so I hurried back to my room.

    Once I had privacy I stared at Nyx, curled up in her box.

    ¡°Nyx, we have to talk.¡± I said.

    One eye lazily opened and stared at me. I picked her up and held her in front of my face. ¡°This is serious!¡± I insisted.

    The second eye opened.

    ¡°Can you talk?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Meow.¡± She replied.

    ¡°I meant with words! Can you speak our language?¡± I inquired.

    Silence was my answer. I stared at her. She stared at me. Then she yawned.

    The door opened. Both of us looked and saw Helena enter. ¡°Huh? What are you doing?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Nyx commanded my undead!¡± I replied.

    ¡°What? This is great! She can command the frontlines! This will improve your army!¡± Helena sounded excited.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure. But that is not the important part! It means she is more than a tier two!¡± I replied.

    ¡°I mean, wasn¡¯t that obvious?¡± Helena replied.

    ¡°Yes. But she was not really a tier three either. She does not talk.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°She does not talk in our language.¡± I corrected myself.

    ¡°Maybe she only speaks a foreign language? Does being a tier three come with the power to speak all tongues?¡± Helena inquired.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°But she understands us.¡± I protested.

    ¡°Hm. You have a point.¡± We both stared at Nyx. ¡°Maybe she just understands enough from our tone and gestures? Or maybe she understands things through your bond? Maybe she has not figured out the magic to form words?¡± Helena theorised.

    ¡°Maybe. She hasn¡¯t used the bond to communicate but I am not sure if necromancers can use their link to talk to a sentient undead.¡±

    ¡°Does she have a core?¡± Helena asked, suddenly.

    ¡°Hm.¡± I focused on Nyx, who was still in my hands. I focused on the link I had to her. I tried to follow the mana that was flowing towards her. My eyes widened.

    ¡°I feel a core! A small one, but a core!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t think that was there before¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe she is evolving. Do you think killing that mage triggered something? She did dissolve his flesh. Maybe she absorbed some of his magic?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± I responded.

    ¡°So, what did she command your undead to do?¡± Helena asked.

    I placed Nyx down and pointed at the box. ¡°She ordered the armadillo to make a box.¡±

    Nyx jumped back inside the box. She stretched and cured up again.

    Helena sniggered. I looked at her.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s funny.¡± She replied.

    I sighed. ¡°If Nyx has a core, she is definitely a tier three. But is she evolving into one, or was she always one? She was an existing undead sealed in those bones. Was she just weakened before? Is she recovering, or evolving?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That is an interesting question. But in the end, she is bound to you. And she has been doing a good job of protecting you. Either way, seems like a win if it means she is getting more powerful.¡± Helena pointed out.

    She was very pragmatic about that, but I was still curious. I thought about my lessons on undead. They could evolve over time but Gronir made it sound like that was a thing over decades. It would help if I knew what type of undead Nyx was. Clearly some sort of skeleton. And she had a water affinity. Was that purely my doing, or did she have it before? Did I simply bind an existing undead, or did I change her as well? Could my binding have started the evolution of an existing undead? Was the undead naturally close to evolving before I bound it? Was¡­

    ¡°Hey, are you still there?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought.¡± I must have blankly stared ahead as my mind was racing.

    ¡°Nyx does seem rather tired, even for a cat. I think her ability is likely new. And maybe it took a lot out of her.¡± Helena observed.

    I stared at the sleeping undead. ¡°You have a point.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about your class? And our armadillo.¡± Helena suggested.

    I told her about the lesson and the duel.

    ¡°We made a lesser vampire? Awesome!¡± Helena cheered. ¡°We should make more! Get more corpses, build an army! Hey, could you make a true vampire, to lead a vampire army?¡±

    ¡°Nyx aside, I have no idea how to make a tier three and it would be a big risk. What if I fail to control it? It could kill me, you know.¡± I said.

    Helen pondered that. ¡°I suppose you would need protection while doing it. Have you asked Gronir about it?¡±

    ¡°No. I have a feeling he wants me to try less advanced magic. Maybe I should focus more on the basics.¡±

    ¡°You are going to be an archmage, think big!¡± Helena insisted.

    ¡°You know, we might get even more extra classes if we keep this up.¡± I said.

    Helena hesitated. ¡°But¡­ but we already know how to do a lesser vampire! Nothing would stop us from doing that again, right? And there would be no reason for more lessons. Making more undead could be the lesson! We should get more corpses!¡±

    ¡°First, I want to figure out Nyx.¡± I said, looking at the sleeping undead.

    Helena snorted. ¡°Figure out a cat? Creating a vampire army would be easier.¡±

 CHAPTER 134: Tier Three

    At dinner I told Cassie and Skadi about my day. They were excited about our armadillo''s success and intrigued with Nyx¡¯ ability to control undead. We all fantasised about an army made from draugrs and lesser vampires. We needed more good corpses.

    The next day, I went to see Gronir after my lessons. I wanted some help figuring out Nyx. My armadillo was with me. Nyx was sitting inside her box, enjoying the ride.

    ¡°Ah, Koyuki, you wanted to see me?¡± Gronir inquired. Then he looked at Nyx, riding in a box on top of the armadillo. He chuckled. ¡°Were you tired of Nyx riding on your head and made her a box instead? You know, you can command your undead. You don¡¯t have to bribe them.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I, eh, did not make that box. Nyx ordered the armadillo to do that.¡± I said.

    He blinked, processing my words. ¡°You are saying, your undead cat gave orders to another undead? That would only be possible if Nyx was a tier three¡­¡±

    ¡°I noticed that she does have a core now. But it is a small one.¡± I added.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± He stroked his beard. Then he pulled a bottle from his desk and poured himself a drink. ¡°Irene has been looking into your protector. We have suspected that there was something special about her. Normally a tier two could not evolve into a tier three like that. The process would take a lot of mana and a long time.¡±

    ¡°Could she have been a tier three all this time, just suppressed?¡± I asked.

    ¡°While possible, that would have required a very strong and skilled necromancer. At that time, there was not much information about you. Nothing to justify that investment. Unless they somehow knew more about you than we did. We still have no clue who was behind it. No, I suspect there was something special about the way you bound her. Likely combined with a rather old tier two undead. It is an interesting development I would love to study, but we have more practical concerns. Is your link solid?¡± He asked.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I mentally checked my connection to Nyx. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. ¡°Yes.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Good. A tier two evolving to a tier three can use its new power to try and break free. Has she talked to you yet?¡±

    ¡°She does not seem to be able to do that.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Really? I suppose the evolution of a tier two is not that well documented. It is something that happens very rarely.¡± He stood up and walked towards Nyx. His eyes glowed green as he studied her. ¡°There is indeed a small core. Remarkable.¡± He sipped his drink.

    Gronir looked at me. ¡°Technically, a tier three requires a permit and a registration. It also requires you to be at least a senior mage. Of course, very few senior mages have tier three undead. That is usually the territory of grand mages and archmages.¡±

    Oh no! Was I not allowed to keep Nyx? Surely they would not try to take her?

    ¡°I see your concern. Don¡¯t worry. I will talk with the headmaster. With the royal family backing you, it should not be a problem to give you a special permit, and you do have a large enough core for a senior mage. Considering your accomplishments, we might be able to officially make you one too.¡±

    I was relieved. I had no idea what I would have done if someone tried to take Nyx. ¡°Why are normal mages not allowed to have a tier three?¡± I asked. I could see why they needed a registration. They were rather powerful.

    ¡°Because it is not something that is realistically possible. To subdue an actual tier three you need a strong mind but also a lot of mana. If you do not have enough to qualify as a senior mage, the undead will break free. While maintaining the link is not that expensive, establishing one is. In the worst case, it might take control of the necromancer.¡±

    ¡°That is possible?¡± I asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°Yes. It does require a skilled undead, but it is possible. The creation of tier three undead is a special course only available to senior mages. And it is not something that most do. I do not control a tier three undead myself. Having their own mind means they can try to find ways around your orders. A tier three would be ideal to command some of your troops, or serve as a bodyguard, if they serve willingly. I would not trust a bodyguard that is forced to obey but wants me dead.¡±

    I looked at Nyx. ¡°I trust her.¡±

    ¡°Well, she did defend you so far. I trust your judgement in this case. Of course, if Nyx is a tier three, that means she can learn.¡±

    Nyx blinked and stared at Gronir, who smiled.

    ¡°Is¡­ is she getting lessons?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We do not have specific lessons for undead. But she can use water magic so she should be paying attention in your classes. I would also encourage you to train her yourself. And since she has some necrotic powers, I could give her some homework myself.¡±

    Nyx stared at us. Then she hid in her box, which seemed to grow larger walls.

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°She certainly understands us. And look, she is already training! I am looking forward to watching her progress.¡±

 CHAPTER 135: Teaching a Cat

    Later that evening, I told my friends about my meeting. Nyx was still hiding in her box. She had made a small window and was watching us through it.

    ¡°You are going to train a cat? That is going to be interesting.¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°Technically, you can command her.¡± Cassie pointed out. ¡°You could force her to obey.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go that far. I think we can reach some sort of agreement.¡± I responded.

    ¡°So you are going to bribe her. You will need a lot of treats.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Bribery could work.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°I am not just gonna give her an insane amount of treats. A few, sure, but I think I will need to convince her it''s in her best interest.¡± I said.

    My friends stared at me.

    ¡°Reason? You think reason is going to convince a cat?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°A very smart cat.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Surely she wants more power.¡±

    ¡°She probably wants more minions. Hey, can she raise her own undead?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I have no idea.¡± I admitted. A tier three could learn magic and she had a death magic affinity. What would stop her from raising her own undead? Could a necromancer have an army of tier three undead, who all had their own army?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she more like a spellblade? Using her mana for enhancements? Would she have enough to control other undead?¡± Skadi asked.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Her core is certainly very small, for now. Until it grows a bit larger she won¡¯t be able to control much.¡± I said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she also getting mana from you?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yes. That is how normal undead feed and how you control them. For a tier three, it is mostly the control aspect that matters. The mana they are getting is not enough for proper spells. The abilities, like the blood control of our armadillo, are very cost efficient. But they are natural abilities. The spells she can learn will need her core.¡± I explained.

    ¡°So, what are you going to teach her first?¡± Cassie asked, then she looked at the box. ¡°Or trying to teach her.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure. Maybe I should start with telekinesis, like we did? It is a spell that teaches you some good basics. Or I could focus more on the death magic side. I wonder if she can use a spell to enhance her natural abilities, like the frost breath? We could do a lot of experimenting!¡± I was getting somewhat excited, now that I started to think about the possibilities.

    Nyx seemed a lot less excited as she glared at me from her box. I smiled at her, then I ordered the armadillo to retract its blood. It was my undead after all. The frozen blood liquified and was absorbed by the armadillo. Nyx was left sitting in the open. She did not look amused. Blood appeared once more as she commanded the undead to restore her box.

    So we spent a few minutes with me dismantling the box and Nyx restoring it. My friends watched the spectacle with amusement. Eventually we stopped. Nyx looked exhausted but smug, as she was currently inside a box.

    ¡°You tricked her into training.¡± Helena sounded impressed.

    Nyx looked horrified, as the truth set in. I could have simply commanded the armadillo to not obey her. Instead I had let her undo my orders on purpose.

    I was slightly concerned that Nyx would hold a grudge, but when I awoke the next morning she was in my bed. I would need to get her some treats. I was serious about training her but I also wanted to reward her. And maybe it did help her grow, which would be nice.

    The following days were interesting. Nyx had always joined me in class, but now I tried to get her to pay more attention. Meanwhile, she tried to look as uninterested as possible. But I had a feeling she did want to learn at least some things. Magic appealed to her. Working for it did not.

    I made some progress in my evenings, trying to teach her. I did start with telekinesis. My plan was simple. I hid some bones for her to eat, at difficult to reach places. She could jump rather high but she had limits. And while she could sort of jump on a door handle, she could not really turn a key. So I could hide things in a locked chest, with the key inside the lock. With telekinesis she could open it and get a treat. Bribery did go a long way.

    Our antics were not entirely unnoticed by other students. That Nyx was a tier three was still a secret. But they did see her ride my armadillo, inside a box of frozen blood, a lot. While she was on my head occasionally, the idea of a personal mount seemed to appeal to her. Especially, since she could shape the box in any way she wanted. And she did get creative. One day, she even added some towers to the corners, making it look like a castle.

    Two weeks later, Gronir approached me after a lesson.

    ¡°Koyuki, the word of your tier three undead has reached Princess Olivia. She has decided to visit and personally have a look at Nyx. Afterwards you will get your permit. I would not be surprised if she wants to make the information public. You are going to be even more popular soon.¡±

 CHAPTER 136: Meeting

    A week later, I was called to the headmaster¡¯s office. Surprisingly, so were my friends. Nyx joined us, riding my armadillo.

    Inside the room were Erik, Irene and Princess Olivia. I immediately curtsied, as did my friends.

    ¡°Your highness.¡± We greeted her.

    She smiled at us. ¡°At ease. I am happy to see you again! When your undead dancers suddenly collapsed at the ball, it caused a bit of a stir. Some even thought you were weak. Of course, those people looked a bit silly when it was revealed that you defeated an ambush. Not to mention your more recent exploits in the forest.¡°

    ¡°Thank you, your highness.¡± I replied.

    ¡°You can call me Olivia, we are all friends here. Anyway, I heard of your most recent accomplishment. Nyx is a tier three undead.¡± She looked at the feline in question.

    Nyx sat up straighter. ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I heard she does not speak our language. How curious. Would you give me a demonstration of your powers?¡± She asked Nyx.

    Surprisingly, Nyx looked at me. I nodded towards her. Then, a pen on the headmaster¡¯s desk started to float. It floated towards Nyx, who caught it with her mouth.

    ¡°You are teaching her the basics, I approve.¡± The princess looked pleased.

    ¡°We have decided that Koyuki will get a provisional permit to have a tier three undead.¡± Erik said. ¡°Further, we cannot overlook the magical accomplishments of your group. A joint casting is not something first year students should be capable of. While Koyuki¡¯s potential has been obvious for a while now, you three have surprised me. At the end of the year, we shall conduct a proper assessment of your cores.¡±

    That would be interesting. I had no idea how much mana my friends really had.

    Erik continued: ¡°That is not all. Besides your normal exam, we shall test some of your advanced techniques. You will have to perform a joint casting.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    My eyes widened. Did they want us to create another vampiric undead?

    ¡°This is where I come in.¡± Irene said. ¡°I will help you prepare for the exam. I volunteered after hearing about your accomplishments. If you pass the advanced test, it would be enough to become an actual senior mage, for those with a big enough core.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let this go to your head. You are still expected to attend your normal lessons.¡± Erik cautioned.

    ¡°Sir, may I ask a question?¡± I inquired.

    Erik chuckled. ¡°Yes, Koyuki. Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Can you become a senior mage and still be a student?¡±

    ¡°Of course. To be a senior mage, you need to be capable of advanced magic and have a big enough core. You do not need to graduate from an academy. In theory, you could achieve this with private tutoring. Most senior mages do have a bit more experience though.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°While this is uncommon, it would not be a first. I seem to recall another mage who achieved that¡­¡± Olivia said, while looking at Erik.

    ¡°I caused my teachers quite a few headaches, back in the day.¡± Erik admitted with a smile.

    I had to admit, I knew very little about our headmaster. I knew that he was an archmage. And I was pretty sure he had served in the military. Maybe I should try to find out more.

    Erik offered me a card. ¡°Here is the permit for your tier three, don¡¯t lose it. The document has a magical seal. It also includes your permission to have a larger number of combat capable undead.¡±

    I took the card. My eyes widened, there was a picture of me on it! It listed me as a student and an authorised necromancer in service of the kingdom. The card was made of metal and had a small green gem on the top right corner.

    ¡°The card can be magically updated. It is a very useful tool for identification. Sadly, it''s too expensive for widespread use.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± I said.

    ¡°I also want to remind you, that you are fully responsible for your undead''s actions. A tier three might be intelligent, but as their master you are accountable. The law does not care if your undead has misinterpreted your orders. Do you know what that means?¡± Erik stared at me.

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Good, you owe me one pen.¡± He said.

    I was confused at first. Then I looked at Nyx. She was currently chewing the pen she had levitated earlier. I felt so embarrassed! My face grew red. ¡°Nyx!¡± I shouted.

    She looked at me, while still chewing.

    ¡°I am so sorry!¡± I apologised to Erik, and bowed.

    Erik stopped glaring and laughed. Olivia chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am not actually mad. But you might want to teach her proper behaviour.¡± He said.

    I was still mortified. And it happened in front of the princess! Nyx did not seem to feel any kind of shame. She happily chewed the pen.

    ¡°You are dismissed.¡± Erik said. We saluted and left.

    ¡°Somehow, we got even more homework now.¡± Helena sighed.

    ¡°Making more vampiric undead does not sound too bad.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°I think they want us to cast a joint spell where we all mix our magic. That will require training. And hopefully less puking¡­¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What sort of spell could the four of us cast together?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°Maybe we could create a super potion?¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I need a drink.¡± I announced. I was still feeling embarrassed.

    ¡°Now that sounds like a good plan.¡±  Skadi agreed.

 CHAPTER 137: Joint Casting

    The next day we had a meeting with Irene, to discuss the joint casting. While we had speculated a bit about potential spells, we needed more information to actually prepare.

    We met in a small classroom in the evening. Irene greeted us with a smile. ¡°Good evening students! I have enjoyed watching your progress so far. Joint casting at your age is quite impressive. But what do you actually know about it?¡±

    ¡°Um, not much.¡± Cassie admitted.

    ¡°I thought so. You know how to cast spells. You form the runes in your mind, you turn your mana into the right affinity and you feed the spell. It is relatively straightforward, once you get used to it. The problem is keeping a clear picture of the runes in your head, especially while in battle. The more complex runes take a lot of practice. But a joint casting complicates this even further.¡±

    We all nodded. We had experienced the problems of mixing our mana.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s start with reasons for a joint casting. You can achieve something more complex with it. It allows you to combine certain spells and mix elements. It allows you to cast a bigger spell. A joint casting is often used in large conflicts. You can try to shield your forces, or call a storm to hurt the enemy. Joint casting allows a group of senior mages to almost reach archmage levels of spells. But there is a downside.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°You said senior mages. Can¡¯t normal mages perform a joint casting? What about grand mages?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Ah. A proper joint casting division requires a lot of training. You have to remember, we are the military. We are not sitting in a comfortable room. Our mages need to perform on the battlefield. That means there will be distractions, there might be assassins, or incoming enemy spells. While we teach the theory of joint casting to regular mages, only senior mages qualify for the specialist unit. Grand mages are not common enough to fill a special unit. Neither are archmages.¡± Irene explained.

    ¡°See, proper joint casting requires trust. Mixing mana makes you vulnerable. It would be very easy, even for a weaker mage, to kill you in the process. It¡¯s also horribly inefficient, if the people don¡¯t work well together. Further, there is a limit on how much mana you can use, because the body can¡¯t handle it.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Skadi raised her hand.

    ¡°Skadi.¡±

    ¡°Why did we get sick during the joint casting?¡± She asked.

    ¡°There are two reasons for that. One, the difference in affinities. As you know, having the wrong mana in your body hurts you. The transformation of the mana has to be handled very carefully during a joint spell. You can damage your ally otherwise. The second reason is that your body rejects foreign mana. It sees it as an attack. A proper joint casting division spends a lot of time exchanging small amounts of mana and training their bodies to accept it. I should also add, that every person''s mana is unique. So you have to train specifically with the people you want to cast a spell with.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Our spells were combined inside the undead, not my body. Was that wrong?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°There are two ways of joint casting. One is with a lead mage as the focal point. In that case, everyone feeds mana into the body of the lead mage. It¡¯s a bad idea to use the wrong affinities like that. The other is combining spells, like you did. You mixed your magic inside your target, the armadillo. Essentially, you cast an ongoing spell that you feed with mana, and then combine the mana for the actual spell you want to cast. It means that the mana, which is still a part of you, mingles with the other mana. There is some strain on your body from the wrong element that way, but it is tolerable.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Skadi said. ¡°So it¡¯s like when you power a spell with a spell.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Skadi is right.¡± Irene said. ¡°Advanced magic is usually the combination of simpler spells. Normally, you fuel your spell runes with the right mana. But you can fuel a more complex spell rune with spells. Essentially, you need to simultaneously cast different spells in your mind and then combine them by using an advanced spell rune. In a joint casting everyone provides their spell and then someone combines them.¡±

    Huh. I suppose the draugr and lesser vampire were both advanced spells. I had used my mana, but also my friends spells as fuel. In both situations they had been circulating the water or blood. I guess circulating a liquid in a corpse counted as a spell, even if we modelled it after my technique.

    ¡°Does this mean we can start learning other advanced spells too?¡± Helena asked.

    At this point we did not even raise our hands anymore. Irene did not seem to care.

    ¡°Joint casting is a form of advanced magic. It is simpler because you only need to concentrate on your part, and not form multiple spells in our own mind simultaneously. But it is harder because you need to learn how to accept foreign mana. If you manage a joint casting, it does not mean you will be able to perform all advanced magic. Different spells have different challenges.¡± Irene explained.

    ¡°Are we supposed to cast a spell with the four of us? Or just with two people?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°That is up to you. You can form two pairs or do something with the whole group. Or each of you can create an undead with Koyuki, if you want to. I will give you a book with some ideas for simple joint castings.¡±

    That would certainly be helpful. There were a lot of possibilities. Actually, could I cast a joint spell with Nyx?

    ¡°In theory, could I cast a joint spell with a tier three undead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. Of course, there are issues.¡± Irene pointed out. ¡°A bound undead cannot kill you, so at least you are safe there. But unless there is trust, the spell will likely be rather inefficient. You can command your undead to obey but you cannot command them to truly like or trust you.¡±

    I looked at Nyx, who watched us from her box. I was still unhappy about her eating the headmaster¡¯s pen, but I did trust her. At least when it came to actual combat. Of course, her core was far too small for now. But one day, she might be able to perform a joint casting with me, or even my friends.

 CHAPTER 138: Group Project

    Our first lesson with Irene gave us a lot to think about. We decided to discuss our options during dinner in the mess hall. I chose fried chicken wings with fried potatoes. Interestingly, the meal was mostly picked by men.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t more women going for the chicken?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°You eat them with your hands and get dirty. A lot of nobles don¡¯t like that. They think it¡¯s not ladylike.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°The alternative is not bad.¡± Helena said. She had chosen the rice with chicken and a creamy mushroom sauce. All of my friends went for the mushrooms. I shuddered. Mushrooms.

    ¡°Do you think we should do a joint spell with all four of us?¡± Cassie wondered, as we sat down. ¡°I am sure we could create something amazing!¡±

    ¡°Could be rather hard. It¡¯s probably easier if we do it in pairs. Doing something with all four of us would be fun though.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Could we create an undead with fire, water, earth and death?¡± Helena wondered. ¡°Imagine the possibilities! We could have a fire breathing vampiric undead!¡±

    ¡°I am not sure if you can combine four affinities. Actually, how many affinities can people have? Or monsters?¡± I wondered. It had never come up in any class.

    ¡°I have never heard of a limit.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Let me guess, you have a book about someone with all six affinities?¡± I teased.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°You know, most famous people have one or two affinities. It is curious.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°That you know of.¡± Cassie added. ¡°They could always hide something.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Are there magic types that combine three elements? I know that blood magic requires water and earth. Or water and air allows you to use electrified water. Could you have electrified blood?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I am not sure.¡± Skadi admitted. ¡°But changing blood makes it lose some of its properties.¡±

    ¡°What about frozen blood then?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have asked my teacher about that. Freezing blood makes it closer to normal ice and you lose some of the blood benefits. A blood shield is less resilient than a frozen blood shield, but if a creature touches the liquid blood you can use that to attack. You could try to infect it. Or you could pull on a wound. Never touch an enemy''s blood shield if you are bleeding yourself.¡± Skadi explained. ¡°Also, freezing comes from the water affinity, which is part of blood. So it is likely even more compatible than adding an element.¡±

    ¡°We are getting a bit sidetracked here. I was hoping we could do something explosive for our group project!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°You want to do alchemy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, we can do a spell! Spells explode too.¡± She clarified.

    ¡°Do you have a more specific idea?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°What if we stuff necrotic water into a rock sphere, heat it up and have it explode!¡± Cassie suggested with a grin.

    Skadi looked thoughtful. ¡°Hm. I am not sure about all the parts but if you explode rock you would launch shards everywhere. It could be a way to get more power out of rock darts. I don¡¯t see how water or death would help much.¡±

    ¡°If you heat up the water in there, it would trigger an explosion.¡± Helena added. ¡°But the death part would be useless.¡±

    I considered that. ¡°Would it not be easier to just detonate it with fire magic alone?¡±

    ¡°But the death magic and water might leave a death fog behind!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the explosion take care of the enemies anyway?¡± Skadi asked. ¡°But it could work with just fire and earth. I am sure there are a lot of existing spells for that too.¡±

    ¡°If you want to work together, I can team up with Helena.¡± I suggested. ¡°Working in pairs will be easier. We can create a bigger joint casting once we have more experience.¡±

    ¡°I would be ok with that.¡± Helena said. ¡°Should we do another undead? We could do another draugr. Maybe we can make an even better one!¡±

    ¡°We could do that. I am sure there are ways to improve our technique. We would need more corpses though.¡± I said.

    ¡°You could ask Irene. If the school wanted us to do extra work they might as well provide the resources.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I am not sure if they will see it that way¡­¡± I responded.

    ¡°Does not hurt to ask.¡± Cassie said.

    Suddenly, the bones from my chicken wings started to levitate. I looked at Nyx. She was on her armadillo, inside a box that had four castle-like towers. The bones floated towards her waiting mouth.

    Cassie giggled.

    I looked at Nyx. ¡°You can have those, but don¡¯t take any from other people.¡± I was slightly worried she would try to get bones from other students.

    ¡°So her punishment for the pen is over?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°She did not get any treats this morning for her levitation exercise. Hopefully, I made my point. Now we will see if she behaves.¡±

    Maybe I imagined it but I saw a slight nod. Then Nyx disappeared into her box and we heard a crunching sound.

 CHAPTER 139: Annoyance

    ¡°Ah Koyuki, how are you this evening?¡±

    I turned around and saw Valeria standing there with a smile.

    ¡°Hello Valeria. I am tired, it has been a busy day.¡± I hoped that would end this conversation.

    ¡°You have been really busy lately! Your work ethics are admirable. I was hoping to invite you to my birthday party next Solday!¡± I saw her glancing at my hands. They were dirty from eating the wings.

    ¡°Sorry, I will be busy. We have a new group project we need to work on.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Group project? From which class?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just some extra credit. After we raised the armadillo we got more work as a reward.¡± I answered.

    ¡°Good.¡± Florence said, who had walked up behind Valeria. ¡°You don¡¯t need someone who is incapable of using cutlery. I bet she would just use her hands to eat cake. Or lick the wine.¡±

    Oh joy. With Florence here, Archibald was likely not far away. And we had such a few pleasant weeks with him avoiding us. I looked around¡­ Yes, he was coming this way.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡± He greeted me.

    Nyx sat up and looked out of her box fortress.

    ¡°Ah. What a nice bed you made for your cat!¡± Valeria said.

    Florence snorted. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just a dumb undead.¡±

    ¡°She is smarter than you.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you Nyx?¡±

    Nyx nodded.

    ¡°Oh please, Koyuki ordered her to do that. You can play pretend all you want, it does not make her intelligent.¡± Florence countered.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°She is a tier three, actually.¡± Helena said, smugly.

    Valeria¡¯s eyes widened, Florence looked unconvinced.

    Archibald suddenly smiled. ¡°Is that so? That would mean she is illegal. You need a permit for that. I might have to inform the principal.¡±

    I considered grabbing my permit but my hands were dirty. So I just shrugged. ¡°You do that. I have a permit.¡±

    ¡°A tier three undead? Did I hear correctly?¡± Leo said.

    Great, now he was here too.

    ¡°Hi Leo, yes Nyx is a tier three now.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Now? You are claiming she has evolved? How? What did you do?¡± He asked.

    ¡°She is just that amazing.¡± I replied.

    Nyx nodded.

    ¡°Oh come on, this is just a trick.¡± Valeria insisted.

    I did not particularly care if they believed us.

    ¡°Anyway, thank you for the invitation Valeria, but I have to decline, I am too busy.¡± I said, hoping for all of them to go away.

    ¡°Are you sure? Your friends are invited too!¡± Valeria tried again.

    ¡°What? The dwarf is not even a noble!¡± Florence complained.

    Valeria¡¯s smile looked strained. ¡°Princess Olivia believes in them, is that not enough for you?¡±

    ¡°I am sure she has been fooled.¡± Florence said, then looked at Archibald for support.

    ¡°I agree that the princess might be mistaken, however she is currently supporting Koyuki¡­¡± It was rather clear from his voice what he thought about that. Yet he held back on the insults. His father must have talked to him over the break. Maybe his allowance was threatened.

    ¡°It would be nice if you joined the party.¡± Leo said, suddenly. ¡°We could spend some time and talk about necromancy.¡±

    Of course, he was invited too. Valeria was using her birthday to connect with the other children from the dukes. I suspected she only invited people who were powerful, or useful.

    ¡°Look, your invite was declined. Now you are just interrupting us while eating. Where I come from, that is rude.¡± Skadi said.

    That struck a nerve, because it was true, and they knew it.

    ¡°My apologies, please take some time to reconsider. The invite stands.¡± Valeria said, and walked away.

    ¡°Maybe we can talk more in our next class.¡± Leo said. ¡°Have a nice evening.¡± He seemed reluctant to leave and kept glancing at Nyx. Not knowing more about her was clearly upsetting him.

    ¡°We should leave too, my dear.¡± Archibald said.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Florence said and turned around. Then she kept talking, making sure I heard her. ¡°Have you considered buying a new slave? My father¡¯s hunters acquired a new batch just recently. They are still a bit feisty but it¡¯s nothing a whip can¡¯t solve.¡±

    Helena was about to say something to Florence, but I put my hand on her shoulder, to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± I said. ¡°Florence can talk all she wants. In the end, she is just a tool for her family. She is not very talented, she won¡¯t inherit. She is just there for breeding.¡±

    Then I noticed that my hands were still dirty from the chicken wings. Both of us stared at Helena¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Ooops, sorry!¡± I apologized.

    She giggled. ¡°It''s ok. The academy can wash this. It''s just a bit of chicken.¡±

    ¡°I should probably go and wash my hands though.¡± I said. I had finished my meal and it was rather inconvenient to have greasy hands.

    ¡°Ok, we are all finished here anyway.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°It has been a long day.¡± Skadi yawned.

    ¡°Yeah. Those extra classes can be exhausting.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Hopefully we can explode something with our joint spell. That would make it worth it.¡±

    I did not hear Skadi¡¯s reply as I was already walking towards the bathroom. Nyx followed on the armadillo. She got quite a few stares. The rumours about her tier were likely spreading. Especially, since she was now waving at people who pointed at her.

 CHAPTER 140: Corpses

    Nyx¡¯ fame had certainly grown. Over the next few days people started approaching me, and her. I got a lot of questions about tier three undead. Nyx mostly preened, and showed off a bit of telekinesis. Or her control of the armadillo. It was annoying, but I tried to be polite, smile and just excuse myself after a bit.

    On Solday we decided to visit the adventurers guild again. I still had no intention to go to Valeria¡¯s party. While forming connections might be helpful, I just did not like politics. And I had the support of Princess Olivia. So I decided it would be fine.

    When we arrived the receptionist recognized us.

    ¡°Welcome back! Are you here for more corpses?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Sadly, we do not have any suitable ones for necromancy. But we can take a special order. It might take a few weeks to complete, though.¡± He said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any corpses?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°They seem to be in high demand recently. All were sold. We even have a few orders for specific ones queued up.¡± He explained.

    ¡°Oh. Well, thank you for your help. I will consider it and return if I want to order something.¡± I replied.

    Then we left, disappointed.

    ¡°That is really unusual.¡± Skadi said. ¡°Is necromancy that popular suddenly? You still need to find someone with the affinity.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it makes no sense. Even if people are more willing to use undead suddenly, it won¡¯t increase the number of actual necromancers.¡± Cassie added.

    I scratched my head. ¡°I mean, one necromancer could animate quite a few undead and sell them. It¡¯s an odd business. Because you have a link to the undead. So you would have to use up more and more of your core. Unless it is a timed contract?¡±

    ¡°What if someone did not need the corpses, they just wanted you to not have them?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I suppose I could see someone like Archibald doing that.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Or Leo. He is trying to bribe you with corpses. That works a lot better if you can¡¯t get any yourself.¡± Helena pointed out.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°It would certainly have to be someone with money.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What about the brotherhood? Aren¡¯t they a secret necromancy cult? They could use corpses and might want to bribe Koyuki.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t really heard anything from them. Unless Leo is a part of them.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°The news that you have a tier three just became public. It makes you a lot more interesting.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Actually, what if someone is afraid of you?¡± Cassie wondered. ¡°It could just be someone denying you the ability to create more undead, to limit your power.¡±

    ¡°It sucks for our joint casting. We can¡¯t make another draugr like this.¡± Helena complained.

    ¡°We might have to ask Irene for a corpse, since we need it for an exam. But we should definitely consider alternatives.¡± I said.

    ¡°Hm. I only have my water affinity. Maybe we could cast a big ice spell together?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Maybe we could try a spell that empowers my undead. I know something like that can be done through the link. Maybe we could do a joint casting, that provides them with frost armour?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Hm. Frank, Nyx and the armadillo can already do things like that. But it would help your regular skeletons.¡± Helena pondered.

    ¡°We should name the armadillo.¡± Cassie suggested. ¡°It deserves a name.¡±

    ¡°Chariot.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is Nyx¡¯ chariot.¡± Skadi said, while pointing at Nyx.

    The feline was in her box, as usual.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hate the name¡­¡± I admitted. But it might go to Nyx¡¯ head. I was not sure if we needed to encourage her.

    ¡°Hm. I was thinking about something more sinister. It is a vampiric undead after all.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Blood Chariot?¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I think Chariot is enough. No reason to make the name longer.¡± I said.

    ¡°Blood and Death Chariot of Nyx.¡± Helena said, with a grin.

    I groaned. ¡°Let¡¯s just stick with Chariot.¡±

    Nyx nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Hey, that reminds me, we never got mounts ourselves. Undead mounts, I mean.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°True. But we have no corpses.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Do you think we could get some dead horses? What if we visit the local stables? They put down lame horses, or old ones. Maybe we can buy those.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°In the military they have a lot of horses. We could try the garrison too.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°But they do have their own necromancers.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°If someone really bought all the corpses to stop Koyuki, surely they would have checked the stables.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Helena suggested.

    We spent a few hours in the city, visiting stables and even the cemetery. Some people sold the corpses of deceased relatives after all. Yet nobody had any corpse left for sale.

    ¡°Ok, someone is clearly buying every corpse they can find.¡± I said.

    ¡°And the assassins are lazy. If they would attack again, we might get another corpse.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I still prefer not getting assassinated.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°The military knows Ilestria is targeting you. I suspect they have intercepted a few who tried.¡± Cassie theorised.

    I shrugged. ¡°I am not complaining if they keep them away.¡±

    Since we were not able to buy anything we returned to the academy. Once we arrived Cassie was handed a letter by one of the maids. She took it and began to read. Her expression soured.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°My mother wants me to meet some suitors. Apparently with my connection to Koyuki I am now more desirable. She even threatened my alchemy budget if I am not going!¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°Poison them and give me their corpses.¡± I said, as a joke.

    ¡°Huh. There is an idea¡­¡± Cassie looked thoughtful.

    ¡°I was joking!¡± I protested.

 CHAPTER 141: Plans

    After the initial reaction we settled down in Cassie¡¯s and Skadi¡¯s room, to discuss the situation.

    ¡°So, who are you supposed to meet?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Apparently one of the sons from Duke Payton. His name is Derrick and he is like 25. Ugh. There are some other nobles as well, who have expressed their interest. But he is the most important one.¡±

    ¡°He is not married yet, at that age? I thought most nobles got married rather quickly.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°He is the 3rd son, actually. So marriage is less important, since he won¡¯t inherit a lot. I don¡¯t know that much about him. But the Ashfields would like better relations with the Paytons. Florence is already engaged to Archibald and she is the only daughter of Duke Reynold. We are a branch family, but I am the heir. I bet Duke Reynold suggested this to my mother.¡± Cassie explained.

    I scratched my head. ¡°Ok, let me see if I understand this. So, you are related to Duke Reynold Ashfield, but you are from a branch family, the Ashburns. Your mother would like to be more important, so she wants to do a favour for Duke Reynold. Since Duke Reynold wants better relations with Duke Colton, you are supposed to marry Derrick Colton.¡±

    Cassie nodded.

    ¡°Thanks to your fame, Koyuki, Cassie has become more important too.¡± Helena added. ¡°That is a valuable connection. Cassie¡¯s mother is trying to use that opportunity to get her married into a duke¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I am not gonna marry any of them!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°What if they are actually nice?¡± I asked.

    Skadi snorted.

    ¡°I have no interest in any men.¡± Cassie stated.

    ¡°Fair enough. What if you just decline? We are really busy with our group project, after all.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my mother will accept that. She will certainly reduce my alchemy budget.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Do you need that money?¡± Skadi asked. ¡°You could scale back the alchemy. And we did make some money from those bandits. Maybe we can do more next year. We could go bounty hunting during the break, before the 2nd year starts.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Great idea! We should go hunting! I could take you north to my father¡¯s county.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°North? It¡¯s cold enough here and winter has only just begun!¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°The break is in early spring, it¡¯s not that bad¡­¡± Helena said.

    ¡°With all the monsters coming from the mountains, we could earn some money there. I think the idea has merit. And there are hot springs too.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Have you considered a warming spell? I am sure there is one.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Cassie pondered that.

    ¡°What is a bit of cold if you can dodge your mother¡¯s matchmaking!¡± Helena said, cheerfully.

    Cassie sighed. ¡°I doubt mum will give up that easily. She never does.¡±

    ¡°If we pull off the advanced magic, we will be even more famous.¡± I noted.

    ¡°Sadly, that will make her even more desirable as a wife.¡± Helena added. ¡°Nobles are very interested in strong children to carry their bloodline.¡±

    ¡°When is this meeting supposed to happen?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°In three weeks. Apparently he is in town at that time and my mother has suggested I should accompany him to dinner.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Whatever you do, we support you.¡± I said. I was pretty sure we all agreed on that.

    ¡°Yes. We could accompany you as well, if you want.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I was surprised by that offer. ¡°Would he not object to that?¡±

    ¡°He might not be travelling alone, so he could bring friends as well. And while it would clearly be less romantic, he might be curious about meeting you, Koyuki.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°I hate politics, but I would accompany you, if you want.¡± I told Cassie.

    ¡°I would endure the company of nobles for you.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°You¡­ you would do that?¡± Cassie looked at us.

    I gave her a hug. ¡°Yes.¡± Skadi and Helena joined in and it became a group hug.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx jumped on our heads. I suppose she wanted to offer her support too.

    ¡°See, even Nyx is willing. Or maybe she just hopes you feed her their corpses.¡± I said.

    Cassie chuckled. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, then she added: ¡°I am going to think about it. There is still some time. But I would not mind going, if you accompany me.¡±

    ¡°Now that we solved one issue, we still lack corpses.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°What about Leo? We could go out with him, as a group, in exchange for corpses.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Helena grimaced. ¡°I suppose¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think he would do that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, he would probably expect something in return, even if he says he does not. But you would not be obligated to do anything. I guess if we accompany Cassie, we might as well endure Leo for a bit.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be weird if we insisted on going out together every time?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Most men would probably fantasize about getting all four of us. They might even be flattered.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°It would not be unheard of, for a lady of a certain standing, to bring other ladies for a first meeting.¡± Helena explained. ¡°He would expect further meetings to be more private though.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Valeria¡¯s party is tonight, right? We could still go there.¡± I suggested. ¡°If we have to mingle with others, we might as well get it over with.¡± I didn''t really want to go, but maybe some connections would be helpful to get corpses after all.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have a present.¡± Helena pointed out. ¡°But you are right. If we engage with other nobles, shortly after rejecting her party, it would look bad.¡±

    ¡°We could gift her an Iron Beak!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should gift her something that explodes¡­¡± I said. Then again, what else did we have? A normal skeleton? And the Iron Beaks were at least something we all had worked on.

    Cassie just looked at us with a growing smile, as we struggled to suggest alternatives.

 CHAPTER 142: Party, Part 1

    The party was held in some mansion that Valeria had rented for the occasion. While most guests arrived in a carriage, we just walked. Part of it was our lack of preparation, but it was also rather close. We could reach it from the academy in 30 minutes, on foot.

    Sadly, none of us could come up with a better gift, so an Iron Beak it was. I had mixed feelings about gifting someone an undead. I still had to keep the link to empower it. Technically, it would always be under my control. I could simply order it to follow Valeria¡¯s command.

    I also had Frank with me, dressed up like he was for the ball. Nyx here as well, riding Chariot. There was always the possibility of an assassination, after all.

    We decided to dress in our uniforms. While Cassie and Helena had fancy dresses, Skadi and myself had nothing that impressive. The uniform was socially acceptable, since attended the Royal Military Academy.

    The guards at the entrance took a look at our undead, but did let us pass after confirming our identities. Valeria likely told them what to expect.

    Inside we found a large room with a few small tables. Servants were walking around and offering refreshments. There were not too many people here and I only recognized Valeria. She smiled as she saw us and hurried over.

    ¡°Koyuki! It¡¯s so nice that you made it!¡± Then she addressed my friends: ¡°Helena, Cassie, Skadi, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you.¡±

    ¡°Happy birthday, Valeria!¡± We congratulated her.

    ¡°Thank you! Let me introduce you to my friends.¡± She led us over to the two women she had been talking to. ¡°This is Bridget Lupenia, daughter of Count Lupenia.¡± She pointed at a young woman with long silver hair and brown eyes. ¡°And this is Melina Wyn, she is the daughter of Count Wyn.¡± The second woman was an elf. She had bronze skin, green eyes and long blond hair.

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you.¡± They said.

    ¡°Likewise.¡± We responded.

    A server appeared offering refreshments, I took a glass of sparkling wine.

    ¡°Wyn? Your lands are near the Korrah Forrest, right?¡± Cassie asked.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Indeed, they even extend into the forest. My family helps to manage it.¡± Melina responded.

    Ah, so Valeria¡¯s mother was the liege lord of Melina¡¯s mother. And Melina¡¯s family might have caught some blame for the incident during our hunting trip. I wondered if they were actually friends, or if she was just here for politics.

    ¡°Excuse me for a minute.¡± Valeria said, as new guests arrived.

    ¡°How do you enjoy our fine city?¡± Bridget asked me.

    Her city? Oh, she must be the daughter of the local count. ¡°It is a nice city, I especially love the beer garden.¡± I told her.

    ¡°Oh? I have never been.¡± She responded.

    ¡°They have a beer tap mounted on the tables. It is really great on a hot summer day. During winter they can be a bit crowded. Their space inside is not that large.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°I see.¡± Bridget said. I had a feeling this was not her kind of establishment. Maybe she did not like beer. A lot of nobles seemed to be into wine, or sparkling wine.

    ¡°I really love your dress!¡± I heard Florence¡¯s voice. She was complimenting Valeria as both of them walked towards us. ¡°The green really compliments your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Valeria responded.

    Then Florence looked at me. ¡°You should try a dress, Koyuki. I think something black might suit you, with a white apron.¡±

    ¡°If I did that, I might feel compelled to remove the dirt from this room.¡± I said, while smiling at her.

    Helena snickered.

    ¡°Please, there is no need for that. We can all be civilized here.¡± Valeria said, before Florence was able to answer.

    I was still amazed that Valeria tried so hard to befriend everyone. It made me wonder how much pressure her mother¡¯s duchy faced.

    Florence ignored me, for now, and more people kept arriving. Of course, Leo was one of them. After he finished exchanging pleasantries with the host and approached me with a smile. ¡°Ah, Koyuki! It is a pleasure to see you here.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Leo.¡± I said.

    ¡°I am glad that you changed your mind, there are so few opportunities to talk with a fellow necromancer.¡± He said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any in your family?¡± I wondered. A lot of magic was inherited. What affinity did his parents have?

    ¡°My mother, but she has passed away.¡± He answered.

    ¡°Oh, I am sorry.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Thank you, it happened a long time ago. My father hired a tutor but good necromancers are hard to come by.¡± He said.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°They have power and a lot of people fear that.¡± He said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that true for all mages?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It is, but controlling an entire army is more visible. Most people would not know what a powerful fire mage can unleash. But an undead army? Everyone can envision that. Not to mention, that an army is a powerful tool. And if you can control tier three undead, you can have an army of mages.¡± He looked at Nyx, who was sitting on Chariot. My undead were close to the wall and observed the party.

    ¡°You know, my father hoped I would be like you.¡± Leo said. ¡°A dual affinity with water and death. It is one of the reasons I was courting Helena. But you? You are magnificent. Imagine what we could achieve together. My family could give you easy access to a lot of corpses. Our children would have your magical might, and my name and resources. You have the support of the Princess, but in the end you will only be a soldier for her. I can offer you more than that.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I have no interest in marrying, or children. Besides, I am obligated to attend the academy and serve in the military, I signed a contract.¡± The whole conversation was uncomfortable for me. I was hoping he would take the hint.

    Leo nodded. ¡°It is unlikely they would sell your contract. But I am sure something could be arranged. Or you could be posted in our duchy.¡±

    ¡°I am not interested, Leo.¡± I said, firmly. Then I left.

 CHAPTER 143: Party, Part 2

    I had come to this party to form connections and hopefully get access to some corpses. I now questioned the wisdom of that decision. Nobles were exhausting. I had no interest in fashion, or gossip. And my knowledge of politics was limited. I had no opinion on trade laws. I was interested in Ilestria¡¯s movements, but most people had no information, just speculation.

    As the party progressed, it became time to hand over the presents. Most people brought jewellery, dresses or pieces of art. Eventually it was our turn.

    We had wrapped the Iron Beak. I handed it to Valeria. ¡°Happy birthday! This present is from the four of us.¡±

    Florence started whispering. I didn''t quite hear what she was saying but she was probably criticising the fact that we only had one present.

    ¡°Thank you¡± Valeria said, and opened her present. Then she blinked as she stared at an Iron Beak.

    ¡°This is one of our Iron Beaks!¡± Cassie said, proudly. ¡°They are undead chickens that can explode your enemies!¡±

    ¡°It¡­ it explodes?¡± Valeria asked.

    ¡°Only when ordered to. There is a small bomb inside.¡± I pointed at the bomb inside the ribcage. ¡°I have commanded this Iron Beak to follow your orders.¡±

    ¡°We had great success with them during our camping trip.¡± Helena added.

    The whispering had stopped by now. Everyone was just staring at our undead.

    ¡°You could remove the bomb, if you want to, but it should be quite secure. We never had an accidental explosion.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You are gifting her a bomb! That is outrageous!¡± Florence shouted.

    ¡°We are gifting her a weapon. Not an uncommon gift for someone attending the Royal Military Academy.¡± Helena said.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°And our gift is personally crafted.¡± I added.

    ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± Valeria said. She seemed unsure what to do with the chicken in her hand. She put it down, then she tried a command. ¡°Hop.¡±

    The chicken hopped.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    The chicken stopped.

    ¡°It is certainly unique, thank you again.¡± Valeria said, now looking slightly more pleased.

    Florence was still fuming but she realised that shouting did nothing. She was back to whispering.

    The gift giving continued, then the servants brought in a giant cake and started serving slices of it. I regrouped with my friends as we ate some cake.

    I noticed that a lot of people were interested in the Iron Beak. Valeria seemed rather happy showing it off.

    ¡°I told you an Iron Beak was a good idea.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how I feel about gifting undead. Let¡¯s not make it a habit.¡± I said.

    ¡°You have enough mana. With your core you won¡¯t even notice a few chickens.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°You should gift a lot of people Iron Beaks. Then tell them all at once to explode. After that, you invade with your undead army and seize power.¡± Skadi said, with a straight face.

    ¡°You should gift some to the Ilestrian nobles.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± I started to realize something. ¡°Do you think she will see it as a threat? I had not really thought about the implications. Since I do have control, I could use it to attack her¡­¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of ways how she could interpret it. She seems happy, so we should not worry too much. She could see it as a gesture to show that we stand behind her. I would not be surprised if she shows it off, pretending you are close now.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°At least she is a lot more pleasant than Leo. Ugh. I don¡¯t think I could stand to go out with him, even for corpses. He is just so pushy¡­¡± I complained.

    ¡°He is even worse in private. He is used to getting his way and his family does not respect women a lot.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Since I am not a noble, most people here are not interested in me. I just stayed near the buffet and enjoyed the food and drinks.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°She was hiding.¡± Cassie accused her.

    ¡°And you are jealous, because she succeeded?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Cassie confirmed. ¡°I thought I had escaped such parties when I joined the academy.¡±

    ¡°At least now you can tell your mother that you attended the birthday party of Valeria Barkworth.¡± I said.

    Cassie groaned. ¡°She would immediately ask if I met any men.¡±

    ¡°GRRRRRRR¡±

    I immediately started to form a water shield as I heard the growling. It came from Nyx but I could not see a threat.

    As I looked around, I saw that some people had tensed, preparing for an attack, while others just looked confused.

    I approached Nyx, who was sitting inside her box, and staring at something inside her box.

    ¡°What is wrong with your pet? Lost control?¡± Florence mocked me. I ignored her.

    Once I was there, I saw the problem. Nyx was growling at a piece of food. Food that somehow ended up in her box. The snack consisted of some toasted bread with smoked fish and a creamy sauce. The problem was the fish. It touched the box, which was made of frozen blood. And the blood was turning green.

 CHAPTER 144: Poison

    ¡°This food was poisoned.¡± I said. I heard some gasps and Valeria rushed over to have a look.

    ¡°It¡­ it might indeed be poison.¡± She admitted, then she frowned. ¡°But, we have already moved on to the cake. If the fish was poisoned, someone should have felt it.¡±

    My friends had walked over and were staring at the poisoned snack.

    ¡°I did eat one of those and feel fine.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Maybe only one was poisoned?¡± I wondered. I had not tried this type of snack myself.

    ¡°How did Nyx get this treat? Do undead even eat?¡± Valeria wondered.

    ¡°Clearly Koyuki is trying to get attention! I bet she set it up!¡± Florence shouted.

    ¡°Nyx mostly eats bones. She is attracted to things containing mana. Maybe there was mana inside the poison? She probably levitated the treat from a table, when no one was looking.¡± I theorised.

    ¡°Guards, detain all servants!¡± Valeria shouted. ¡°Make sure everyone is accounted for. Then inform the city guards.¡±

    Armed men and women entered the room and took the servants away. Then Valeria addressed her guests: ¡°My dear guests, I would like to apologize for this. While it seems that no one was harmed, this needs to be investigated. I shall do all in my power to find and punish the culprit.¡±

    Valeria sounded shaken. This might reflect badly on her family, especially if the culprit was not found.

    ¡°Poisoning only one snack seems weird¡­¡± Cassie mumbled. Then she looked for another snack of the same type.

    ¡°Cassie, don¡¯t do anything foolish!¡± Skadi warned.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Cassie said, while she returned with the food. Then she placed the fish on the frozen blood. It turned green as well. Cassie gathered more and repeated the process. Every time the fish turned the blood green.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not poison? Just some seasoning, or something?¡± Skadi wondered.

    ¡°I have never seen seasoning change your blood.¡± Helena said.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I shook my head. ¡°There is some damage to the undead. It¡¯s not that bad, I can heal it. Maybe it would be worse on a living target. Or it was just meant to cause discomfort.¡±

    ¡°You mean, someone wanted to make me look bad? But why is everyone feeling fine?¡± Valeria wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s Koyuki! She is just trying to get attention. She should be arrested!¡± Florence said.

    Archibald put his hand on Florence¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am sure the guards will handle it.¡±

    ¡°That is a rather serious accusation.¡± Bridget said. ¡°My family will certainly investigate this matter. I have already sent someone to inform my father. This case will get the priority it deserves.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki, I need your blood!¡± Cassie said, interrupting the conversation.

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at her.

    ¡°Just a bit of blood, I have a theory!¡± She announced.

    I shrugged and held out my hand.

    ¡°Nyx, please help.¡± Cassie said, pointing at my hand.

    Nyx poked me with a claw. Cassie held a piece of fish beneath my hand and let some blood drip on it. Nothing happened.

    Cassie nodded. ¡°Now put some death mana into your blood. Wait, you haven''t eaten any fish, right?¡±

    ¡°I have not.¡± I confirmed. Then I followed her orders and pulled on my core. I turned the mana into death mana and dripped blood on the fish. It turned green.

    Cassie looked smug. ¡°Basic alchemy. You mix things, you get a reaction. You see, this poison only works when it comes into contact with death mana.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like from that book, where they poisoned the princess!¡± Skadi said.

    Cassie blushed, slightly, then continued. ¡°Ah, yes. Anyway the poison would have probably lingered in the blood for a bit and as soon as she would have used death magic it would have triggered.¡±

    ¡°How do we know it needs death mana and not just any mana?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Um. I guess we don¡¯t know for certain. It just seemed likely¡­¡± Cassie said. ¡°Anyone wants to try? Anyone who has not eaten the fish.¡±

    ¡°I can do it.¡± Melina said, stepping forward. ¡°I have an earth affinity.¡±

    We repeated the experiment. Her blood stayed red.

    ¡°So we know it does not target everyone.¡± Valeria said, looking thoughtful now.

    ¡°Koyuki is not the only one with death mana, try mine.¡± Leo said, stepping forward.

    ¡°You did not have the fish?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I did not.¡± He confirmed.

    We all watched as his drop of blood turned green.

    ¡°So it was not just Koyuki. It reacts to all death mana. I think your theory might be right, Cassie.¡± Leo said, giving her a nod.

    ¡°An attack against necromancers? Might be Ilestria.¡± I mused.

    ¡°If they did it, they will pay. I do not take an attack against me lightly.¡± Leo announced.

    Soon guards arrived and started interviewing the guests. They also collected evidence. It would take time for an expert to analyse the poison.

    ¡°Getting interviewed by the guards is a lot more pleasant than talking with nobles.¡± I said to my friends, as we were walking home.

    ¡°True.¡± Skadi agreed.

    ¡°I want to see the face of the assassin, when they realise their plan failed because Nyx tried to steal a snack!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Well, I did not eat the fish. So Their plan had failed anyway.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe someone would have offered you one before you left? Would you have turned it down if a servant brought it to you before leaving?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Hm, maybe not¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°If the poisoner was still there, they could have put it into another food after the first failed.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    That got me thinking. ¡°If they had put poison in more things, using my mana could have triggered it¡­¡±

    Cassie paled at that thought. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I¡­ I did not think about that.¡±

 CHAPTER 145: Names

    The news about the poisoning spread quickly. The next day everyone at the academy was talking about it. The students were wildly speculating who was responsible. The most prominent theory was that Ilestria tried to kill necromancers. And with that theory came a lot of talk about war.

    During lunch I asked my friends: ¡°What do you think will happen? Could this lead to a war?¡±

    ¡°Anything can lead to war.¡± Helena answered. ¡°It depends if the dukes, or the crown, feel strongly enough about it.¡±

    ¡°The only one who would feel personally attacked is Duke Harold. The others could use the incident as an excuse, if they thought war was profitable.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I suspect it depends how much they make through trade and if they think they can gain territory.¡± Skadi mused.

    Helena nodded. ¡°Duchess Barkworth has the largest border. I think she will want peace. War could hurt her territory, if there is a lot of fighting in it, and she does trade a lot with Ilestria.¡±

    ¡°But she could expand her duchy, right? If she conquered parts of Ilestria. How would new territory be divided anyway?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That depends.¡± Helena said. ¡°The main army is led by the crown. The king would decide what happens. If the area is large enough there might even be a new duchy. Especially if there is someone who greatly contributes, like a general. Making one of the archmages a duke would add a powerful bloodline to the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the existing dukes would not like that.¡± Cassie added. ¡°None of them is an archmage. They would not like the competition, unless they could marry into the family and form an alliance.¡±

    ¡°How powerful are the dukes? And who are our archmages? We have eight, right?¡± I wondered.

    Helena nodded. ¡°Yes. So you know Erik Hailstorm, our headmaster. Then there is our king, William Wright.¡±

    ¡°King William is an archmage?¡± I interrupted her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She answered with a smile. ¡°Then we have Ernest Earthshaker¡­.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a famous architect?¡±

    ¡°Did you think all archmages were soldiers?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I admitted.

    ¡°They certainly know a few powerful spells and might fight if there was a true threat, but a lot of mages prefer a peaceful life.¡± Cassie said. ¡°Amelia Artley is an alchemist!¡±

    ¡°I did not know she was an archmage.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°She is! She is amazing!¡± Cassie responded.

    ¡°I do know that Gale Moss is one, he is a smith.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Kyra Noyce is also an archmage and she is one of our generals.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Is she the only one in the army? Who are the last two?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Helena admitted.

    ¡°I think the headmaster of the Arcane Institute is an archmage, but I don¡¯t know their name.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°What about the Academy of Neth? Do they have an archmage?¡± I asked.

    Helena shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. Could be.¡±

    ¡°What about Ilestria?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°They have a high priest who is an archmage, I think.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that we know everything they have. Well, hopefully our army knows but they would not just tell everyone.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°I suppose. What about adventurers? Are there any archmages?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Possibly. Actually, the two we are missing could be adventurers.¡± Skadi answered.

    ¡°And the ninth one will be Koyuki¡­¡± Helena paused, then continued: ¡°You need a last name.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can just make one up.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Well, you can, if you get a title. If a commoner is elevated to the nobility they can name their house, since a lot of commoners have no last name. Often they pick something, like their element. Or their nickname, if they are famous.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Oh. Is that why Hailstorm is called Hailstorm?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes. He is known for a rather devastating large storm he can conjure.¡± Helena confirmed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that awkward for the descendants, if they don¡¯t inherit the magic? If you are named after an element you do not have?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Some might be embarrassed, others might just be proud of their ancestors.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Nobles try very hard to make sure their heirs marry powerful mages. And weaker parts often become branch families with a slightly different name.¡± Cassie explained.

    Cassie was of such a branch family. While her mother tried hard to improve their status, Cassie seemed completely fine with it.

    ¡°So, how would Koyuki be called? Deathbringer?¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°Probably something death magic related. Maybe a death and frost combination?¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°She needs to invent a big spell!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Since I don¡¯t know my parents, I could already have a name.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°True. But we have no way of finding that out. And you could just make your own name, even if you had a different one in the past.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We are not good at naming things, we haven¡¯t even found a proper name for Frank!¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Hey, we named the Iron Beaks! That is a great name.¡± Cassie protested.

    ¡°And Chariot.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Hey, we should have a team name!¡± Helena suggested.

    I groaned.

 CHAPTER 146: Picking a Name

    ¡°We need a powerful name! Something that makes our enemies tremble in fear!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think what we call ourselves will matter to Ilestria.¡± I argued.

    ¡°It should be an epic name. Something worthy of a group with an archmage.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Yeah. It should be focused on Koyuki. She is going to be the most notable.¡± Skadi agreed.

    ¡°We are a group. It should be named after all of us.¡± I argued.

    ¡°Of course we are a group. We work well together. But you provide an army, it¡¯s the most visible thing. And you are the most powerful. It is only natural that we lean into that.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Koyuki¡¯s Dread Archons!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°What? What is a dread archon?¡± I asked.

    ¡°So in this book¡­¡± Cassie started. I groaned but she continued: ¡°As I was saying, in this book there are powerful undead mages, called dread archons¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not undead!¡± I protested.

    ¡°That is because you have not turned us into the dread archons yet.¡± Skadi teased.

    ¡°Archons are not a real thing, right?¡± I said.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s just an old name for a powerful mage. Or was it archmage in a different language?¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°How about we don¡¯t choose a name that suggests I turned all of you into my minions?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Exactly. They should think we are your lovers instead. Koyuki¡¯s battle harem.¡± Cassie said with a big grin.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    My eyes widened. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°And when the next man wants to marry me, I just tell them I can¡¯t. My mistress would not allow it.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Your mistress is going to hit you, if you keep suggesting such names.¡± I responded.

    ¡°That is exactly how a mistress would react.¡± Skadi added.

    Helena giggled.

    I burrowed my head in my hands. ¡°If there is a mistress it¡¯s Nyx, clearly. Go serve her.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx¡¯s head emerged from her box on the back of Chariot. She suddenly seemed very interested in this discussion.

    ¡°The eternal servants of Nyx, queen of the dead.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°You are not even trying to find a name. You just want to torture me with bad suggestions.¡± I accused them.

    ¡°You do have great reactions, because of your ears and tail. They can be very expressive at times.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What?¡± I looked at my tail. It was swishing around a bit, I suppose. I had been trained to keep it as still and pristine as possible, as a maid. And to always keep my ears stiff. Not showing any emotion with any part of your body, or face, was expected of a high class maid. But I did feel rather comfortable around my friends. So I had been more relaxed and behaved more naturally, I suppose. And all that teasing? That was what friends did, wasn¡¯t it? Suddenly I felt rather happy and smiled.

    ¡°Ok, I am ready for more bad suggestions.¡± I announced.

    ¡°We should have done this at the beer garden. Why does it have to be winter?¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°Beer could be part of the team name.¡± I suggested. They were not the only ones who could have bad ideas.

    ¡°Huh? Hm. Can you combine beer with something death related?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°Too much beer can kill you, I suppose.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Not sure if beer is strong enough to kill a dwarf.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°I feel like we are getting sidetracked again.¡± I said.

    ¡°True. Back to Nyx, our glorious leader. She could be in the name.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°She makes a good mascot.¡± Skadi agreed.

    Nyx jumped on the desk. Then she stretched and sat down in the middle of it.

    ¡°Treat suppliers of Nyx.¡± Cassie suggested, while offering a bone to the feline.

    ¡°Why do you have a bone? That was not part of our lunch.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I just have some from our Iron Beak supplies that were unusable. I wash them and carry them around.¡± She responded, while Nyx consumed her treat.

    ¡°We need a short name. Something actually usable to identify us and something where we don¡¯t die of embarrassment.¡± I said.

    ¡°So, what is your suggestion?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Um¡­ Claws of Death?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Hm. Not terrible, lacks Nyx though.¡± Cassie said. Nyx nodded.

    ¡°The claws are a Nyx reference.¡± Skadi pointed out. ¡°She is the only one with claws.¡±

    ¡°Claws of Nyx?¡± I suggested. ¡°Or Nyx¡¯ Claws?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Could use more death, dread,... things like that.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Dread Claws of Nyx? The name is getting a bit long, isn¡¯t it?¡± I said.

    ¡°I like Dread Claws of Nyx.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We can always sleep on it. Or not pick a name¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°No, a name is cool. We deserve a name. I think Dread Claws of Nyx is acceptable.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°Our leader has spoken. Dread Claws of Nyx it is.¡± Cassie proclaimed.

 CHAPTER 147: Investigation

    Having named our team did not change anything, yet somehow it put a smile on my face. The next two days passed quickly, then I was called to the headmaster''s office, again.

    I had plenty of surprises there so far, but this time I already expected the topic: The poisoning at the party. Inside the office were Erik, Irene and Duncan. The presence of the royal investigator confirmed my suspicions.

    ¡°Koyuki, you remember Duncan, right?¡± Erik asked.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Good. He is looking into the poisoning.¡± Erik nodded towards Duncan.

    ¡°Indeed. Nyx did well spotting it.¡± Duncan said. ¡°And I must commend your friend for identifying how it worked. Our alchemists have confirmed her theory, the poison was only triggered by death mana. Not a cheap thing to manufacture and unsurprisingly something that is produced in Ilestria.¡±

    I nodded. It did not sound too surprising. But I wondered why my friends had not been invited to the meeting. Maybe because they were not the target?

    Duncan continued: ¡°We assume you were the primary target, although Duke Harold will likely consider it an attack on his family. Something that complicates matters. There will be a special meeting between the king and the dukes to discuss this situation.¡±

    I frowned. This was interesting, I suppose, but nothing that really concerned me.

    ¡°You have a question?¡± Duncan inquired.

    ¡°Yes, sir. What does this have to do with me? Besides the attack, I suppose.¡± I asked.

    ¡°There is a chance that you will be called to speak before the court. Mind you, it will take at least a month until there is a meeting. Such things take time. Ideally we will have more evidence by then. One of the servants might have been responsible but the suspect died during questioning.¡± He said.

    ¡°Died? How?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Poison.¡± He replied. ¡°We still do not know how it was ingested. Sadly, we do not even know if the servant was guilty. He could have been an agent taking his own life, because he was captured, or an innocent who was poisoned to create a false trail. I assume you are not capable of raising the servant as a tier three and force him to answer?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°I do not think I am ready for that.¡± I replied. It was an interesting idea though.

    Duncan nodded. ¡°Your necromancy teacher said the same. Sadly, even if you manage to use the soul of the victim, and do not create a new one, there is never a guarantee that they remember everything.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki, what do you think about the poisoning?¡± Erik asked, suddenly.

    ¡°Uh. I am not sure. Why did they only poison the fish? Why did they not try harder to serve me one? And what would have happened if the poison had hit Leo first? Also, you gave me an antidote, would that have worked?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not against this specific poison, no.¡± Duncan answered. ¡°Which makes me wonder if they knew about the antidote.¡±

    ¡°Also, I was not planning on attending the party at first. It was a last minute decision.¡± I added.

    ¡°Curious. What made you change your mind?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°We were trying to buy some corpses but they were all sold out. Leo tried to bribe me with corpses lately, so we decided a bit of mingling might not hurt. There were a lot of people with connections at the party.¡± I explained.

    Erik raised an eyebrow. ¡°There is a corpse shortage? You think someone is stopping you from raising more undead?¡±

    ¡°It seems plausible¡­¡± I said. Was it wrong to assume it was because of me?

    ¡°It does stink of normal politics, yes.¡± Irene said.

    Erik stroked his beard. ¡°So nobody really knew you would go to the party. You even went on foot, right? You did not call a carriage?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    Duncan pondered that. ¡°Even if someone bought the corpses to pressure you into a deal, they could not have known you would show up at the party. Unless Leo was the target, it must have been organised quickly. They thought they had an opportunity and acted without proper preparation.¡±

    ¡°So the servant was either a plant all along, replaced at the last minute, or framed.¡± Irene concluded.

    ¡°If it was not the servant, it would have to be a guest.¡± I mused.

    ¡°It could have been one of the guards, or someone could have broken in. A highly trained operative could infiltrate a party like that. There were no mages on guard duty to stop illusions.¡± Duncan pointed out. ¡°The most troubling theory is a guest though. All of them are important people.¡±

    ¡°So, is there a way to defend myself against this poison?¡± I wondered. ¡°If someone here at the academy used it, they could do it again.¡±

    ¡°The academy has a lot of wards and specialists. Poisoning you here would be difficult and we would have the staff to treat you. The poison they used would linger in your blood for a few hours, depending on the amount consumed. It would also take somewhere between half an hour to an hour to kill you, once activated.¡± Duncan explained.

    ¡°The poison could be countered by blood magic. So your best defence will be Skadi, once she learns more. There is no true antidote in potion form but healing can help you stay alive until you reach a specialist. You need a blood mage.¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I would recommend you test for this particular poison with your vampiric armadillo.¡± Erik pointed out.

    ¡°Investigating nobles is complicated, especially if they are related to a duke.¡± Duncan said. ¡°Keep your eyes open. If you find anything that could be helpful, let us know.¡±

    I nodded. Then I was dismissed.

    I thought about Duncan¡¯s words on my way to my room. Did his words mean they had a suspicion? Could Archibald have tried to poison me? Could he be working with Ilestria? Was Ilestria even involved? I had a lot of questions and no answers. At least I did not get more homework, this time. The thought made me giggle.

 CHAPTER 148: A Plan

    Back at my room I told my friends about the conversation.

    ¡°We need to go on the offensive!¡± Cassie declared.

    ¡°Um, how? We don¡¯t know who is responsible for the poison.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°We could try to find some evidence.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°How?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Undead spies! You should get some undead rats and send them snooping!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Hm. Skeletons are sort of obvious though.¡± Cassie argued.

    ¡°And a tier two is not that intelligent. They would not be able to properly report what they saw.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Nyx could do it, but she is famous. And I am more comfortable with her guarding me. Also, she is not the best at communicating either.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx commented.

    Helena looked at me. ¡°Koyuki, I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± I responded.

    ¡°You can order an undead to obey someone else, right?¡± Helena asked.

    I nodded.

    Helena continued: ¡°But the other person does not have a link. So the undead follows the spoken words¡­¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°I see your point. They have to understand words, otherwise this would not work. Hm. I admit, I have never considered that. You think I could order them to listen to a conversation and repeat it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Skadi said.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    We used Frank for an experiment. He listened to Skadi and Cassie¡¯s conversation, then was ordered to repeat it.

    ¡°This book is great. Yeah, you should read it. I really like¡­¡± Frank said with a monotone voice.

    It worked but we quickly figured out a flaw, the undead could not tell us who the speaker was. Frank simply repeated each word he heard.

    ¡°Hey, you can command an undead who it has to obey, so they need to be able to distinguish between different people, right?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°I am not sure how it works. Do they use their voice? Looks? Actually, could you fool an undead by imitating a person?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Regardless, you could order an undead to only repeat Archibald¡¯s words, right? We would only have half of a conversation but it would work.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°Hm. Maybe we could assign a primary target and have the undead distinguish between it and someone else. We would not know who Archibald is talking to, but we would have the whole conversation.¡± I mused.

    We tried the new theory. I ordered Frank to hold up his hand when he repeated Cassie¡¯s words. It worked!

    ¡°Could we have a gesture for all suspects? One for Archibald, one for Florence,...¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I think, at some point it will be too complicated for a tier two. I am not sure how much or how long he will remember either. We should try to keep it simple.¡± I replied.

    ¡°What about writing it down?¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a small animal could write.¡± I said. ¡°Actually, I am not sure if a rat skeleton could talk¡­¡±

    ¡°We should make them better undead anyway. What about draugr? An army of rat draugr spies!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Actually, that would not be a bad idea.¡± I agreed. ¡°A draugr rat might look like a normal rat, from farther away. And a draugr would be more capable than a simple skeleton.¡±

    ¡°There are not that many rats inside the academy. I think people would notice. And what about the teachers? They will be able to spot an undead.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe we could just hide one in some of the students¡¯ rooms? Hey, could you do an undead spider?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Well, I did raise the spiders during the field trip. But a small one? Smaller bodies can often hold less magic. Is there a tiny magical spider?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Or we could use something that can camouflage itself on the ceiling. Maybe some sort of salamander.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°What we need is a rat sized spider, so it can climb on walls, which is able to camouflage itself.¡± Helena announced.

    ¡°And such a thing exists?¡± I asked.

    Helena shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡±

    Cassie tapped a finger on her lip, as she was thinking. ¡°Maybe a camouflage potion¡­¡±

    I pondered our plan. ¡°You know, I think we could try a rat. That should be an obtainable corpse. We could go into the city and Nyx could hunt us some. Then we can see just how capable a draugr rat is. Frank was a human once. I think he might have an easier time with language than a rat, even if both are tier two. We need to find out if a draugr rat could listen to a conversation and repeat it, like Frank.¡±

    ¡°Good idea. I will work on a potion and see what I can come up with. The best stealth potions are too complicated for me but I think there are some simpler ones which could help.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I will look into earth spells.¡± Skadi said. ¡°There might be something to help blend into the stone wall. Maybe we can put a spell on the undead. It would be for a limited time but we could listen to some conversations that way.¡±

    ¡°I will look around the Academy and find out where good hiding spots for an undead spy would be.¡± Helena suggested.

    I was not certain how feasible our plan would be, but it was a plan. And it would feel good to finally do something other than wait for assassins to strike.

 CHAPTER 149: Hunting Rats

    Having a plan did not make us any less busy. We still had extra classes and a group project to prepare for. Of course I could send Nyx to the city, alone, to hunt rats. But I was concerned. Partly for her, partly because she might cause mischief. And she was my best defence as well. I wanted her close.

    Over a week later, on Frigday, we found some time to go hunting. The idea was simple: Go to the warehouses near the docks and look for rats. We brought Frank, Chariot, Nyx and even my magical skeleton, who did not have a name. Cassie wanted some Iron Beaks too, but we pointed out that explosions did not leave a usable corpse.

    ¡°Maybe we will get mugged. We could get some bigger corpses that way.¡± Skadi mused as we walked down the street.

    ¡°Mugged? We are wearing the academy uniform, we have arming swords, a skeleton is clearly following us, and even if Frank is not an obvious undead from further away, he looks like a fighter.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Nobody messes with the Dread Claws of Nyx.¡± Helena said.

    It did make us sound like a street gang.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    Well, Nyx seemed to approve.

    ¡°There could always be an assassin!¡± Cassie said, sounding excited.

    ¡°That is why all of us are here. We might only be students but taking us down should not be easy.¡± I replied.

    ¡°I bet Ilestria has mages who could easily take us out.¡± Skadi mused.

    ¡°True. But sneaking them into the country might be hard. I am sure our spies know most of their powerful mages. And if they started trouble in the city they would have a hard time escaping.¡± Helena pointed out.

    Plenty of people watched our group as we passed them but nobody tried anything. Eventually we reached our destination. The docks were not the nicest area, there were some taverns for the workers and a lot of food was stored in warehouses. It should be an ideal place to find rats. Of course, there were cats around to deal with the problem. But I expected Nyx to be a much better hunter.

    ¡°Ok, here looks like a decent spot to start.¡± I pointed at an empty street corner next to a warehouse.

    The idea was that Nyx and Chariot would hunt. Meanwhile, we would wait for them and only intervene if something went wrong. Frank was carrying a chest to store the corpses. We even put ice in there. Although, it was cold enough that I was unsure if it was needed.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Nyx stretched, then she walked off. Chariot followed her.

    Skadi opened the ice box and I blinked. ¡°You put beer in there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She grinned.

    ¡°Nice, gimme one.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We should have done this during summer.¡± Cassie remarked but still motioned for Skadi to give her a beer.

    Skadi handed out beers as we waited. Cassie held the beer in one hand and summoned a small flame in the other, to keep herself warm. Our uniform did include a winter jacket but Cassie was still sensitive to the cold.

    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± I wondered as she handed me a drink.  Bottled beer was not that common.

    ¡°This is from Thorus. Recently my parents have started trading with beer. It sells rather well. This is from one of their caravans.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°Your parents were here?¡± I asked.

    She shook her head. ¡°No, just a caravan that belongs to them. I haven¡¯t seen my parents since the academy started. I am gonna visit them during the break.¡±

    ¡°This is really nice.¡± Helena commented.

    Skadi looked smug. ¡°We dwarves know our spirits.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, ladies.¡± We heard a voice. A group of guards was approaching us.

    ¡°Good evening.¡± I responded.

    ¡°What brings a group like yours to the docks, at such a late time?¡± The lead guard inquired.

    ¡°We are hunting rats.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°Rats?¡± The guard asked.

    ¡°For necromancy.¡± I clarified.

    The guards eyed my magical skeleton, then our uniform. ¡°I see. You are from the academy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are the Dread Caws of Nyx!¡± Helena announced.

    ¡°Never heard that name.¡± The guard responded, while shaking his head.

    ¡°We are Koyuki, Helena Frost, Cassie Ashburn and Skadi Helgurd.¡± I introduced ourselves. Then I handed him my necromancy permit.

    He took it and studied the card. ¡°Permit for a tier three undead? Oh, I heard about you! Well, everything seems to be in order, have a pleasant evening. And good luck with your¡­ rats.¡±

    He handed me the card and the guards left.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he understood that we are hunting actual rats.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Yeah! He probably thinks we are conducting a secret operation, awesome!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Well, we are taking the first step to establish our spy network.¡± Skadi commented.

    A short time later Nyx and Chariot returned. The box on the back of the armadillo had grown and contained corpses.

    ¡°Cats? You brought dead cats?¡± I wondered. There were two bodies in there. Cassie examined them.

    ¡°They have no external wounds.¡± She said. ¡°They might have been poisoned.¡±

    ¡°Who poisons cats?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Sometimes people use poison against rats. If a cat eats a poisoned rat¡­¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°Oh. So you think one group of merchants uses poison to protect their wares and another uses cats?¡± It did make sense, I suppose.

    ¡°Yes. That, or someone transported poison.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°Well, we will make them into fierce undead warriors!¡± I declared. Nyx nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Hey, there is blood left in those bodies. We could try to make them vampiric undead.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s freeze the corpses and see what we can do. We can combine the blood and make one vampiric and one draugr.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Fresh corpses are better, so we are doing this tonight?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°The vampiric, yes. I think we can do the draugr tomorrow. We will see. Maybe we should go back and look for rats another time.¡± I concluded.

 CHAPTER 150: New Minions

    It was already past ten in the evening when we returned to the academy. Thankfully, the labs were open during the night and we did not have classes tomorrow. We immediately started preparing to create a new undead.

    Cassie and Skadi handled the blood. They collected it from both corpses and transported it to the alchemy station. Actually, I was not sure what Cassie did to the blood but it involved some alchemy. Maybe I should ask her at some point. Anyway, Helena prepared the corpse and froze the area around it.

    We had an orange and a black cat. We decided to make the orange one a vampiric undead. With all preparations handled we began the process. Nyx was a lot more excited this time. She eagerly pricked my finger. Skadi was already circulating the blood.

    I still felt nauseous but at least I knew what I was doing this time. Well, until Nyx jumped onto the corpse. I suddenly felt her pushing a tiny bit of mana into the blood as well.

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Skadi said. ¡°What is Nyx doing? I am getting dizzy.¡±

    ¡°She is¡­ helping.¡± At least I thought she was trying to help.

    Fortunately, Nyx¡¯ antics did not cause any discomfort to myself. Likely because she was my undead.

    Overall, creating a new vampiric undead was easier than the first time. We knew what we were doing, sort of. I completed the spell and our new undead rose. I immediately applied some healing to it. Our process was clearly not perfect and did some minor damage to the creature.

    As the undead rose I inspected it. The orange fur had become a bit darker and had a hint of red. I touched it, the fur felt strange but it was still soft.

    Skadi was breathing heavily but she did not vomit. ¡°It was not quite as bad as last time¡­¡±

    ¡°It was a lot better for me, strangely.¡± I replied. ¡°I did not feel great but it was not nearly as bad as last time.¡±

    ¡°What did Nyx do?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°She added some of her mana to the spell. Maybe it gives her better control of the undead?¡± I wondered.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°But it¡¯s still your undead, right?¡± Cassie asked, while she was offering Skadi some water.

    I checked my links. ¡°Yes, the new cat is connected to me and I can order it around. It¡¯s also a tier two.¡±

    Meanwhile, Nyx was inspecting the new creation. The cat just stood there, awaiting orders, while Nyx sniffed it.

    ¡°It almost looks like a real cat.¡± Skadi said, after taking a sip of water. She was a bit pale but seemed to recover quickly.

    Helena touched the fur. ¡°Huh. You can tell it¡¯s not normal fur but I couldn¡¯t tell you why.¡±

    Nyx stared at the hand. Then she tilted her head.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Helena said while pulling back her hand.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The fur stung me!¡± She complained.

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Nyx, what did you tell the new cat to do?¡±

    Nyx, of course, feigned innocence.

    Helena looked closer at the fur and touched it more carefully. ¡°I think the vampiric cat can turn its hair into needles.¡±

    ¡°I think she coated it in blood.¡± Skadi observed.

    ¡°Interesting. But I doubt it will be a powerful weapon against a large creature. The hairs are simply too small.¡± I mused.

    ¡°But it¡¯s blood magic. If she can connect to a victim''s blood¡­¡± Cassie pointed out.

    My eyes widened. ¡°She is the perfect trap! If someone tries to pet her, she can pierce the hand! Who knows what she can do once the blood connects.¡±

    ¡°We have a cat assassin! She needs to learn a spell to make blood explode!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°She can¡¯t learn spells, she is a tier two. Actually, is she a she? Anyway, she is stuck with whatever abilities she got during her creation.¡± I explained.

    ¡°The orange cat was female. The black cat was male. Not that it matters for a tier two undead. We could just name them anyway we want.¡± Skadi said. ¡°And exploding blood would probably need fire, that means three elements. Four in an undead. I don¡¯t think you will see any exploding blood Cassie.¡±

    ¡°One day¡­¡± Cassie mumbled.

    ¡°You could freeze the blood.¡± Helena suggested. ¡°That would be devastating inside a living creature.¡±

    ¡°True. So we got a possible cat assassin.¡± I mused.

    ¡°What about the black one? Should we create the draugr now too?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Hm. It¡¯s getting late but I think I could do it.¡± I replied.

    ¡°No point in waiting then, the corpse is fresh and we have everything here.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Skadi said, while making herself comfortable on the floor.

    Cassie started cleaning up the alchemy station while Helena and myself got to work. This time we only needed water. Nyx was sitting in the tub with the corpse, intending to help once more.

    Creating the draugr was easier for me. It did not involve any earth mana. Helena was getting slightly pale, due to the necrotic mana involved, but overall it worked well. Maybe it was our increased trust, or we were simply getting better with magic. Nyx provided some of her mana as well. Afterwards she seemed really exhausted.

    ¡°Our second draugr!¡± Helena cheered, despite being a bit dizzy. Then she hugged the new undead.

    ¡°The fur is a bit rougher and colder.¡± She remarked.

    I studied our new creation. The cat was a bit slimmer now, the black fur had turned into a blue-grey color. But it was not immediately obvious that the cat was an undead. I was not sure if the new minions would be great spies but they could be a nasty surprise for anyone expecting a normal cat.

 CHAPTER 151: Morning

    Since it was late we did not do any testing with the new minions. We simply cleaned the lab and went to bed.

    As I woke up the next morning, I realised something was pinning down my tail. Nyx often crawled into my bed and buried herself in it, but she was not that heavy. I looked underneath the blanket¡­

    All three cats were there. Nyx was inside my tail, sandwiched between the new cats, who were on the edges of my tail. Nyx must have ordered the other cats to be here.

    ¡°Really?¡± I asked.

    Two purple eyes stared back.

    I ordered the new minions to leave the bed. Then I extracted Nyx and got up. I must have been really tired to not notice her antics. I stretched and looked at my watch: 8:33.

    Damn. Too late for the free breakfast. At least I could buy food at the mess hall. Helena was still sleeping so I quietly dressed and left. Nyx followed on Chariot while the New cats stayed inside the room. I had no idea what we would actually do with them.

    I bought a breakfast sandwich. Sausage, fried egg and cheese between two fluffy pieces of bread. I also got coffee. While I started to eat I contemplated my new minions. A cat assassin sounded cool, but how useful would that be? If they ran around the academy, people would know about them. Maybe I could at least hide their abilities.

    Hm. Could we use them as spies? In the open? They were kind of cute. And most people had limited knowledge about the abilities of undead. What if I told everyone they were just cute tier twos? Would anyone expect them to be able to spy on them? Would they be able to spy?

    ¡°Morning.¡±

    I looked up from my food and found Valeria standing there, with a tray of food. It looked like she bought herself some pancakes.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Do you mind if I join you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Thank you! It¡¯s rare to see you sleep in. Did you have a late night?¡± She asked.

    ¡°We were doing some experiments.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh? You do work hard. Is there no hobby that you are interested in?¡± Valeria asked.

    Actually, that was an interesting question. I took a moment to ponder that.

    ¡°I do enjoy magic, especially necromancy. I think it is a hobby even.¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°You should find something to relax though! The brain needs to rest at times.¡± Valeria replied.

    ¡°What are your hobbies?¡± I asked.

    Valeria smiled. ¡°I do enjoy riding!¡±

    I grew suspicious. Did she know I had a horse? Probably. Then again, maybe she genuinely liked riding. She certainly looked happy talking about it. I settled for just nodding and took another bite of my sandwich.

    ¡°So, have you heard anything about the poisoning?¡± Valeria asked, changing the topic.

    ¡°Since it happened at your party, would you not be informed of all developments?¡± I asked.

    ¡°All I was told, was that one of the servants was likely responsible and poisoned himself. But they do not know who hired him. I now have to decide what to do with my remaining servants. My personal guards are advocating for replacing them with slaves instead.¡± Valeria admitted.

    I almost choked on my food. ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They think well trained slaves are obedient and pose a lower risk. They also have less opportunity to interact with someone from the outside. I disagree. If you want loyalty, you treat your subjects well. You do not force them. Reward success and punish failure appropriately.¡± Valeria said.

    ¡°You know what might inspire loyalty? Freeing slaves. And since the guards are responsible for security, they are the ones who failed.¡± I pointed out.

    She nodded. ¡°You are right. Thank you for your advice.¡±

    We finished our breakfast and she left. I scratched my head. The conversation seemed weird. I shrugged, oh well, no point in dwelling on it. I had new minions to test.

    As I returned to my room, Helena was just getting up.

    ¡°Morning.¡± I said.

    ¡°Morning.¡± She said, then she blinked. ¡°What¡¯s that in your hair?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I touched my hair¡­ and found a piece of egg. That was embarrassing. ¡°Um¡­ I should really stop scratching my head with dirty hands.¡± I mumbled. ¡°I will take a shower.¡± I said louder and fled into the bathroom while Helena giggled.

    When I returned she was gone, likely to get food. I turned my attention to the new cats, they were still sitting next to the bed. Time for some testing. I ordered them to listen to me, then repeat the word they heard.

    ¡°Cat.¡± I said.

    ¡°Meow.¡± They responded.

    Uh¡­ ¡°Spear!¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    I stared at the cats. They could only meow? If they could not form a sentence, we could not use them as spies¡­

 CHAPTER 152: More Training

    I sat on the floor, staring at the cats. Was there a way for them to talk? Maybe I should ask Gronir about this. I looked at Nyx. She was intelligent and only meowed as well. Was it something specific to felines? Was it Nyx¡¯ fault? She did add her magic to the spell. I figured she just wanted to be a part of it, maybe have more control over the new minions, but what if she did change the spell?

    Maybe we needed rats after all. It would allow me to confirm that the lacking speech was a cat problem. Or caused by Nyx. I stared at her.

    She stared back. Then she licked her paw.

    The door opened and Helena entered. ¡°Oh, you are experimenting with the new cats? What can they do?¡± She asked enthusiastically.

    ¡°Meow.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I explained the situation to her. She pondered that. ¡°I suppose they are not going to be spies then. Well, they can still be assassins!¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°I think we can use them to train Nyx. Give her some command experience.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I met Skadi and Cassie at breakfast. They want to work on their joint casting today. I thought we could do the same.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Sure. Do you have an idea for a spell?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s, uh, it¡¯s a spell I know from my father but I can¡¯t manage it alone.¡±

    ¡°Your father taught you magic? Aren¡¯t you supposed to only know venting before you join the academy?¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°True. He did not really teach me the spell. More like showed it to me. And I might have, uh, copied the runes needed from a book.¡± She admitted.

    ¡°Ok, I am curious, what does the spell do?¡±

    ¡°We call it: field of ice. It reduces the temperature in a large area and creates a field of ice and snow. It hinders the movement of enemies, and over time the cold will hurt them. But it also allows you to use the area for follow up spells. You can then create ice spikes from the ground, for example.¡±

    I nodded, it did sound like a good spell. ¡°So what is the problem? Does it cost too much mana? Also, is it a sustained spell?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°It is not a sustained spell. The amount of mana you need depends on the area you want to affect. Also, with more mana it will last longer and it will be harder to melt. The problem is, it has multiple components. You have to create water, infuse the water, then freeze it and lower the temperature in the area.¡±

    ¡°Actually, how can we make the air cold with water magic? We can create ice by manipulating water, but how can we make the air cold?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Water magic allows you to lower the temperature of many things, actually. Just like you can heat things with fire. Those powers are just part of the element. Did you know that not all water mages have the same talent for ice? While everyone can use it, and it is the same affinity, ice comes easier to some!¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°Is it because of the extra step? Ice starts by creating water, unless you already have it available. I suppose it requires more concentration to use ice?¡± I theorized. In our water magic classes we had started with water and then transitioned to ice. I never thought much about it. But ice magic was a bit harder than water. Then again, water had healing, which was rather complex as well.

    Helena shrugged. ¡°Could be. My father never told me why that is. But my family is really proud of our ice magic.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s try your spell.¡± I suggested.

    We went to a training room. Nyx followed us on Chariot. She also took the new cats with her. Maybe she could train too.

    I ignored the felines, who went into a corner to do something, and addressed Helena: ¡°How does this work?¡±

    Helena offered me a piece of paper. ¡°So, you will need this rune. You need to form it in your mind, power it, without giving it a target. I will combine it with my part in my head, then unleash it. We need to form a connection first though.¡±

    ¡°Hm. When I taught you circling we both pricked our fingers. Should we do that again?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I think we should try it without sharing blood. If we want this to be useful it needs to be simpler. Maybe we can connect through water?¡± She mused.

    ¡°Oh! That is a great idea. We can connect our mana through water.¡± I agreed.

    Conjuring some water in our hands was simple. Then she took my hand and we both tried to infuse the water with our mana.

    There was a certain instinct in me to refuse, or outright fight, foreign mana. But Helena felt familiar. She was my friend, maybe the first true friend I ever had. Our mana connected. I could feel it circling inside her body.

    We were both smiling, the first step was complete.

 CHAPTER 153: Spell Practice

    The next part was forming the runes. I had the piece of paper in front of me and tried to replicate the runes in my mind. I failed the first few times. Getting the lines right was tough. Helena had chosen a difficult spell.

    Once I was satisfied, I powered the runes, without a target. Now it was Helena¡¯s turn. Through our link she should be aware of my progress. I patiently waited while I held the spell. Then I felt a pull. She was doing something.

    It was an interesting feeling, not being in control. And I started to understand the importance of trust some more. Helena could choose the target of the spell, for example. I was simply offering my part of the spell to her.

    I was focusing hard on holding my spell, until it suddenly completed. Helena had finished her part.

    My eyes widened as a blob of water formed right in front of us, then it burst. We were drenched in cold water.

    ¡°I, uh, I think I made a mistake.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Oh no, the runes!¡± I exclaimed. The piece of paper in front of me was drenched.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a copy.¡± Helena said. ¡°But we might need another one, and some towels. I will be right back!¡±

    While I waited, I contemplated my part. She had said that she had made a mistake, but I might have gotten my runes wrong as well. I looked at the wet piece of paper. The lines were now blurry. I tried to remember how they had looked in my mind. Maybe I got the centre part wrong?

    Helena returned and handed me a towel, she also had a new piece of paper with the runes I needed.

    ¡°You had a backup prepared?¡± I asked, as I started drying myself.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°I had another copy, in case Skadi wanted to learn the spell too.¡± She replied.

    My uniform was still wet but I decided there was no reason to change it. There was a good chance I would get drenched again.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how we can protect the paper? I don¡¯t have those runes memorized yet.¡± I said.

    ¡°Hm. You could place it on the floor and protect it with ice, maybe? Form a protective box on top of it?" She suggested.

    It was a good idea. I placed the paper on the floor, then raised four walls of ice around it. I carefully enclosed the box with more ice, making sure to use a bit more mana to prevent it from melting easily. I did not need any water dripping on it.

    I stared at my construction. ¡°Hm. The ice does distort the picture somewhat.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again!¡± Helena suggested.

    I nodded and she grabbed my hand. Our next effort created a bit of snow, this time slightly further away. The third one drenched us again, with half melted snow. Helena was breathing heavily now.

    We took a small break and I retrieved the piece of paper from its box. I studied it some more. Maybe I made the centre rune to round?

    We tried one more time. It was the best attempt yet. Helena managed to target an area farther away. The floor was frozen and covered with a bit of snow. It was a small area but it was something.

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Helena cheered, then she stumbled.

    I grabbed her shoulders to steady her. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just a bit woozy. I used a lot of mana. We need to work on our efficiency.¡± She said, then she sat down on the wet floor.

    ¡°Maybe we need a longer break. We should get some food.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Sure, in a few minutes. I will just lie here for a bit.¡± Helena was now lying on her back.

    I shook my head. ¡°I know the water affinity makes us more resistant to cold but you should not sleep on a wet stone floor.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could hand me a towel.¡± She responded.

    I grabbed the towels. ¡°The towels are pretty wet too¡­¡±

    Then I saw the vampiric cat walk over. We both watched as the undead feline stepped on Helena¡¯s stomach, then she curled up.

    ¡°See, Nyx is concerned too and is sending you a blanket!¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, now I can¡¯t get up and will have to remain here.¡± She replied, smugly.

    I threw a wet towel in her face. She laughed.

    Then I looked around to see what Nyx was doing. She had left Chariot and was inside a water puddle we had created with our magic practice. The draugr cat was with her. The draugr¡¯s tail rose and it exhaled. A small amount of snow formed in front of it. Nyx started growing until she was as big as a tiger. Then she exhaled as well.

    She was copying the draugr and creating more snow. I watched, fascinated. Then Nyx shrunk and jumped right into the pile. Soon the only visible part of her was the tip of her tail. I smiled. Nyx was clearly doing this for fun, but she was training in the process.

 CHAPTER 154: Abilities and Spellblades

    Eventually we left the training area and had a hot shower. We spent the remaining day studying. I was trying to memorise the runes, so I would not need to have a piece of paper with me, next time.

    In the evening we met with Cassie and Skadi for dinner.

    ¡°How was your practice? What spell are you using for your joint casting?¡± I asked them.

    ¡°Hehe, that is a secret!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Really?¡± I tried pouting.

    ¡°We will show you, if we manage it.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°But we have great plans!¡± Cassie added.

    We could grab them and tickle the truth out of them!¡± Helena suggested.

    Cassie tried changing the topic: ¡°Anyway, how are the cats doing?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t talk, only meow.¡± I told them.

    ¡°Really?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but Nyx might be learning something to improve her breath attack from the draugr.¡± I said.

    ¡°How? They are only tier tier, right?¡± Skadi asked.

    I nodded. ¡°The draugr can¡¯t learn spells but Nyx might be able to replicate their abilities with a spell. Or maybe she can change her own breath attack. Actually, maybe we should ask a teacher more about magical abilities.¡±

    Besides the new undead, we talked about our own joint casting efforts. Neither Helena, nor myself, considered our spell a secret. We had a relaxing evening.

    The next day I decided to find out more about abilities. It was during our basic magic class, where I asked our teacher, Victoria.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°How do magical abilities work, compared to spells?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is a great question! The topic is still being studied and has led to the discovery of spellblades. Essentially, an ability is like a spell, it does use mana but you do not have to form a rune, or even change your mana¡¯s affinity. It is widely believed that the body of a magical monster serves as the spell rune, somehow.¡± Valeria explained.

    ¡°Would that not mean we could find the runes on the body of a monster?¡± Shin asked.

    Valeria nodded. ¡°That is the problem, in a way. Such runes have not been found.¡±

    ¡°Then how do we know they are not using normal spells?¡± Shin asked.

    ¡°An excellent question! There are sentient creatures who have abilities. A tier three undead, for example.¡± She looked at Nyx, who was likely not the best example, since she did not talk. ¡°Some vampires have studied magic and their own abilities. But there are also dragons, elementals and some animal shifters. Even some humans have abilities from birth. They can produce a certain effect using their instincts, and their mana.¡±

    ¡°So they do not form runes in their head?¡± I asked.

    Victoria nodded. ¡°Indeed, they do not need runes. But how they trigger their abilities varies. There have been some who described it as simply thinking about breathing fire, and it happens. Others have said it is more like a muscle. Something they are aware of and can control. But no one knows the exact process of what is happening inside their body.¡±

    ¡°Then how were spellblades discovered? And do spellblades even have abilities?¡± Jack asked.

    ¡°They were born from the desire to replicate magical monsters. Inborn abilities have one thing in common, they are incredibly efficient. No mage has ever been able to form their runes perfectly enough to copy that. Which brings us to augmentations. Inborn abilities are not always active, they can be passive. Every magical monster has their body reinforced, like with a spell. But active spells consume a lot of mana.¡± Victoria explained.

    Eva raised her hand.

    ¡°Yes, Eva.¡±

    ¡°I thought monsters simply had mana infused in their body.¡±

    ¡°In a way, that is true. But simply pulling mana into your body will not do anything, mana needs to be given a purpose. Mages can cast spells that harden their skin. But the spell consumes mana. Once that runs out their skin becomes normal. A magical monster has mana flowing to their skin. But it does not temporarily enhance it, it changes it. Mutates it. A spellblade is not just a mage who has a spell running. Their runes will change their body. That is why becoming a spellblade is a decision for life.¡±

    ¡°It mutates your body?¡± Jack asked, sounding surprised.

    Valeria nodded. ¡°You are now close to the second year, so I might as well tell you more. Becoming a spellblade starts with runes being added to your body. Those runes control the spell that empowers you. You lose access to part of your mana, that mana reinforces you. But it is not just an active spell. It changes you. It changes your skin, it changes your body. Once the transformation is complete, you will not be able to reverse it.¡±

    ¡°But spellblades can change how their body is enhanced, right?¡± I asked. I remembered Captain Sarah saying something about that.

    ¡°Yes. The mana that a spellblades loses access to, is not really powering a spell, it is more like feeding your body. As I said, the runes change you. Your skin might be harder, but your skin needs to be fed magic. The spellblade runes can determine how much mana is fed to which body part. You can not go below a certain minimum, but you have some flexibility between speed, strength and durability.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you use your spell mana to further enhance yourself?¡± Shin asked.

    Victoria shook her head. ¡°No. The spellblade part is separate. Once you become a spellblade, you dedicate a certain percentage of your core to it. That amount is final and cannot be changed. The percentage is final, mind you. If your core grows larger, the spellblade part profits from that too.¡±

    ¡°Does it change how you look?¡± Eva asked.

    ¡°It can, actually.¡± Valeria replied. ¡°But mostly in cases of very strong mages. Usually it is just the hair or eye color, though.

 CHAPTER 155: Musings

    Learning about spellblades had been interesting. But I was still thinking about natural magical abilities.

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Yes, Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°How can a magical ability evolve, or change? Some magical creatures grow stronger, right?¡± I asked.

    Victoria nodded. ¡°The most common way for a creature to grow stronger is an increase in their mana. Their core grows over time, just like ours. But you are right that some monsters can get new abilities, or improve existing ones. But it is uncertain how exactly that happens. A newborn basilisk will not have any power in their eyes. It takes about ten years until they become dangerous. The question is, are they missing the ability when young, or are they lacking the mana to power it?¡±

    ¡°But can they change them? Like, learn to add a new element?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They cannot change the power itself. They can develop new ones in time, like when growing up, or find a different use for existing ones. Think about it like punching. Every person is aware that they can punch someone. But with training your punches will become a lot stronger. You can improve your ability with hard work. The same can be true for an inborn power. As for adding a new element, that is only possible if they have the right affinity. And it would require more mana, so it is something that can happen if their core grows.¡±

    Valeria glanced at Nyx, before she continued: ¡°Keep in mind that inborn powers are hard to study. Creatures who have them and are intelligent enough to communicate with us are rare, and often powerful. Getting a dragon to cooperate with your research is hard.¡±

    ¡°But necromancers can create and control such creatures.¡± Archibald said.

    ¡°True.¡± Valeria said. ¡°Necromancy has advanced our understanding of magical abilities quite a bit. But tier three are rare and highly regulated. People are more interested in using them for war, than science. Further, they are created, not born. You can¡¯t watch their development as they grow up.¡±

    Nyx was growing, in a way. Or evolving? I was not certain. Sadly, I could not really talk to her. But it seemed that magical abilities were not fully understood. But I did learn that Nyx should keep training, something she was likely not too happy about.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    I was distracted most of the day, contemplating what I had learned. In the evening I talked with my friends about it. They were more interested in the revelations about spellblades though.

    ¡°Spellblades are even cooler than I thought.¡± Skadi said. ¡°I wonder if blood magic will make them even better?¡±

    I scratched my head. ¡°I suppose if the process mutates the body, blood magic might be helpful. But any affinity can become a spellblade, so it can¡¯t be a requirement.¡±

    ¡°Unless a blood mage is involved in creating the runes.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°Maybe alchemy is involved too? I have never really thought about how the process works.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°I am gonna find out, I will become a spellblade!¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You can do that in the second year, right?¡± I asked.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°Yes. There are classes introducing different specialisations. You can choose your path either in the second, or the third year. So you still have some time to decide.¡±

    ¡°What other specialisations are there anyway?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°The others are not permanent and more about your training.¡± Cassie explained. ¡°You can specialise in fighting mages, or fighting armies, or support, for example.¡±

    ¡°It also comes down to your power and affinity.¡± Helena added. ¡°As a necromancer, you are a summoner. And with your power you will likely focus on battling armies. With my water affinity I could focus on healing and support. In the army, you often have specialists. Shield mages provide protection while artillery mages strike the enemy. Such basic roles are mostly for those who remain normal mages though.¡±

    Skadi nodded. ¡°People with more talent tend to go for more complex roles. That means you might operate in a small squad and hunt monsters. Like Captain Sarah. Being a spellblade helps with that.¡±

    ¡°Spellblades make good bodyguards as well. They are an elite specialisation. You need to do well in your exams to become one.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°What about alchemy?¡± I asked Cassie.

    ¡°It¡¯s a support role. Most people look down on it and many who chose that path do it because they have a small core. Alchemists often end up in logistics.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°Alchemy seems quite powerful. I admit, I have been mostly interested in improving my undead. But you have made some scary potions.¡± I said.

    Cassie nodded. ¡°The problem is, the person who throws a potion usually gets the credit, not the person who makes it. And while smith¡¯s can become famous for their weapons, alchemy makes consumables. A sword can become a symbol, a potion? Not so much.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can permanently improve undead. They are a weapon, sort of.¡± Helena commented.

    Cassie pondered that. ¡°I wonder if you could mutate a human with alchemy. There are potions which strengthen you, maybe one could make them permanent¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, we learned that a spellblade needs mana to feed their changes. As do monsters. Any permanent change would likely consume some of your mana.¡± I reasoned.

    ¡°What about the mana we are circulating? Maybe we could put that to better use? Maybe with a combination of alchemy and blood magic¡­¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t experiment on yourself, or explode yourself.¡± I pleaded.

    Cassie grinned.

 CHAPTER 156: Meeting New People

    The next day we met in our room, in the afternoon, to do some homework. Cassie was in a sour mood as she arrived. A piece of paper was in her hand.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± I asked her.

    She sighed. ¡°No. Do you remember the dates my mother wants to send me on? I am supposed to meet Derrick Payton this Solday.¡±

    I did remember that. ¡°We agreed to accompany you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems that he is alright with it, according to the letter I got. We are meeting for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Could be worse. We just enjoy the food and leave afterwards.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Are we wearing our uniforms again?¡± I asked.

    ¡°How fancy is the place where we are having lunch?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°A decent restaurant but nothing special.¡± Cassie replied.

    ¡°I would say we wear something casual. Maybe a skirt and a blouse?¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear a skirt, it is cold. There is snow in the streets!¡± Cassie complained.

    ¡°You could warm yourself with fire magic.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°I will do that too, maybe. But our uniforms are warmer than most women¡¯s clothing.¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°Uniform is ok with me. We want to wear swords anyway, there could always be an attack.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°I am going to bring Frank, Chariot, the magical skeleton and Nyx. Do you think we should bring the new cats too?¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Sure, they are cute.¡± Helena said.

    Cassie¡¯s sour mood remained the whole week. I was rather relaxed. How bad could one meal be? Then again, I was not the one being pressured into a marriage.

    On Solday we made our way to the restaurant. We had our own private room so I could bring my undead. Inside two men were waiting.

    Both were dressed in a black suit. One had short brown hair, matching his eyes. He had a sharp chin and was clean-shaven. He was in decent shape but he did not seem overly muscular.

    The other man had slightly longer, black hair. His eyes were an emerald green and he had a well trimmed moustache. His face was rather round, as was his belly. He was not exactly overweight, but he looked like he enjoyed food more than exercise.

    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± The brown haired man said. He had a pleasant voice and a charming smile. ¡°I am Derrick Payton, son of Duke Payton. My friend is Christopher Black.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is mine. I am Cassie Ashburn, this is Helena Frost, Skadi Helgurd and Koyuki.¡± Cassie introduced us.

    Then we took our seats. The table was big enough for ten people but it was set for six. Two servants entered with a cart and placed appetisers on the table. They also served some sparkling wine.

    ¡°I thought you said this place was not fancy.¡± I whispered to Cassie.

    ¡°Well, it is not compared to a lot of others.¡± She replied. ¡°And I did not know he booked a private room¡­¡±

    Well, I did not have to pay the bill so, I might as well enjoy the service. I ordered Chariot next to the table, then I poured some sparkling wine on his back.

    ¡°Um, might I ask what that is about?¡± Derrick inquired.

    ¡°I am checking for poison. This is a vampiric undead. His blood will show a reaction to certain poisons.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Fascinating.¡± Christopher said. ¡°I heard about the attempt at Lady Valeria¡¯s party. Nasty business.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you travel with so many undead? A curious group you have there.¡± Derrick pointed at my minions.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°You work with the skeletons you have. They provide good protection.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Having loyal defenders is worth a lot.¡±

    I grabbed a piece of toasted bread which was topped with some seared meat. After testing a piece of it again I tried it. The meat melted in my mouth, it was delicious.

    ¡°I have to admit, I have never heard of the Black family. Are you from the Payton Duchy? Helena inquired.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Christopher answered. ¡°My brother is a baron, I am just a merchant.¡±

    Derrick chuckled. ¡°He is a rather successful merchant. He owns multiple ships.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Who do you trade with?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Sandoria mostly, but I am trying to expand to Kitara. The seas can be quite treacherous though.¡± He said.

    My ears perked up. Kitara was supposedly the home of dark foxkin, like myself.

    ¡°Have you been to Kitara?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°Not yet. I intend to go, once my newest ship is ready. It will be made from metal, instead of wood!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t metal sink?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Ah, normally yes. But we have discovered that it can float, with the right shape. Now we are working on a proper way to improve its speed. Sails and air mages work well but we think we can do better!¡± He grinned.

    That sounded fascinating.

 CHAPTER 157: Meal

    ¡°Better? How are you moving the boat?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ah, I am afraid I can¡¯t give away too much. The details are still a secret.¡± He replied.

    I nodded. It was disappointing but understandable.

    ¡°So, what do you do?¡± Cassie asked Derrick.

    ¡°Ah, I have some small investments but mostly I work for my father. I am currently on the way to the Duchy of Barkworth, to negotiate a deal for their wood.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Why do you need their wood?¡± I asked.

    ¡°While we do have our own forests, the trees from the Korrah Forest are special. Their quality is simply unmatched. My family owns quite a few ships. While we don¡¯t have any ambitious goals, like using metal, we try to use the best wood.¡± He explained, then he looked at Cassie. ¡°I heard you are into alchemy.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s a passion of mine. Especially explosions.¡±

    Our conversation stopped as the servants returned. They brought each of us a bowl of soup. It looked really creamy but¡­ I shuddered and pushed it away from me.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Christopher asked.

    ¡°I dislike mushrooms.¡± I said. There were plenty inside the soup.

    ¡°Oh, my apologies! We have ordered a fixed menu but I can tell the chef to prepare something else¡­¡± He was about to get up but I held up my hand to stop him.

    ¡°It is fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I said with a smile. He seemed genuinely upset but I did not consider it a big deal. I could just eat the next part of the menu. And the appetisers had been tasty.

    ¡°As you wish.¡± He said. ¡°Are there any other foods any of you dislike? I do apologize for not inquiring before the dinner.¡±

    ¡°Nothing particular, no.¡± Helena replied.

    ¡°See, I told you we could just order from the menu.¡± Derrick teased his friend.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Christopher shook his head. ¡°That is why you are still single. You have no idea how to treat a lady.¡±

    ¡°You are single as well.¡± Derrick countered.

    ¡°Ah, but unlike you, I am not trying to change that.¡± Christopher said.

    Derrick sighed. ¡°I am not trying that hard to change it either.¡± He looked at Cassie. ¡°I apologize, my father has arranged this. I don¡¯t disagree with his reasoning. You would be a great match. Your bloodline is strong and you inherit your mother¡¯s title. Your connections would be a bonus as well. Actually, my father would likely not object if I courted Koyuki herself. But I have never cared that much about politics. I like my life the way it is.¡±

    ¡°A bold admission for the son of a duke.¡± Helena mused.

    He laughed. ¡°My father would have a fit if he heard me say that.¡±

    Cassie grinned. ¡°We have blackmail material now!¡±

    Derrick blinked. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°She is joking.¡± Skadi said. Derrick looked relieved but Skadi continued: ¡°She would just poison you if you displeased her.¡±

    Skadi looked serious. Nothing on her face indicated that she was joking. Cassie grinned evilly.

    I decided to join the fun. ¡°That is why we are such good friends. She supplies me with corpses.¡±

    Even Christopher looked lost now. Then I started giggling. The men looked relieved as the girls joined me and laughed.

    After Cassie stopped laughing she said: ¡°Since we are being honest, I have no intention of marrying any man. I am just here because my mother threatened my alchemy allowance.¡±

    ¡°You have been a pleasant surprise though.¡± I said.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Derrick replied.

    ¡°You could stall both of your parents by agreeing to another meeting in the future.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± Cassie replied.

    Derrick considered it. ¡°I would be willing to accept something like that. We could agree to another meeting, some time in the future. We can drag it out a bit, since I am rather busy anyway. We can¡¯t keep the ruse up forever but we might get at least a few months of peace.¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Cassie pondered the idea.

    ¡°Go for it. You have nothing to lose.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Cassie agreed.

    The servants returned and served the next course. It was a nice steak with some cubed and fried potatoes on the side. After tasting one, I discovered that they had been brushed with butter. The meat was extremely tender and cooked to perfection. It was served with a red wine.

    ¡°This is delicious.¡± I said.

    Christopher nodded, he looked pleased that I enjoyed the food. ¡°They do have great steaks here.¡±

    ¡°So, why did you join Derrick for this meeting?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Ah. I actually had business here as well, so we travelled together. With Cassie bringing friends it was fitting. And he is hopeless in choosing a proper restaurant.¡± Christopher said.

    ¡°Look, not everyone is as obsessed with food as you are.¡± Derrick replied.

    ¡°Good food makes life worth living.¡± Christopher replied.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    We all looked at Nyx. Who was watching us from the back of Chariot and licked her lips.

    ¡°Um¡­ does your skeleton eat?¡± Christopher inquired.

    ¡°She does not need food, she lives on mana. But she eats bones. I suppose she eats any body parts that contain mana, actually. ¡± I shrugged. ¡°She is a tier three undead. I think she enjoys eating, like we do.¡±

    ¡°A tier three?¡± Derrick sounded surprised. ¡°No wonder people are so interested in you.¡±

    ¡°What is a tier three undead? I admit I know very little about necromancy.¡± Christopher asked.

    ¡°It means she is fully sentient.¡± I replied.

    ¡°She can talk?¡± He asked, looking shocked.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

 CHAPTER 158: Friends

    ¡°Well¡­ she can understand us but her communication skills are lacking.¡± I said.

    ¡°I see. What about the other cats?¡± Christopher asked.

    ¡°They are only tier two. They have some instincts and can follow more complex commands than a tier one, but they are not sentient.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Both other cats meowed.

    ¡°Uh, you are sure they can¡¯t understand us?¡± Derrick asked.

    I nodded. ¡°There is no sign of them being anything other than tier two. But Nyx can command them. This was her prank.¡±

    Everyone stared at Nyx. Nyx just stared back, trying to look innocent.

    ¡°Necromancy is not what I expected.¡± Christopher commented.

    ¡°What did you expect? And did you not learn about it?¡± I asked.

    He shook his head. ¡°I am not a mage. My knowledge about magic is mostly limited to my business, and some other things I have encountered over the years. I suspected more skeletons, like that one.¡± He pointed at the magical skeleton.

    ¡°I made that from an enemy mage we defeated. Getting high quality corpses can be difficult. That is why I have a lot of animals as well.¡± I explained.

    ¡°We have an army of Iron Beaks!¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Iron Beaks?¡± Derrick inquired.

    ¡°They are undead chicken skeletons with bombs.¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°With bombs?¡± Derrick asked.

    ¡°Yes! They charge you and explode!¡± Cassie added enthusiastically.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Derrick blinked. ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°They have been rather effective in the field.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Interesting. I wonder what else one could do with undead¡­¡± Christopher pondered.

    ¡°Are you considering a necromancer for your ships?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The thought has merits. But an undead crew would have weaknesses. If you find yourself in a storm, you need people who can think and act independently, not just follow orders. And if you lost the necromancer you would lose a lot of your crew. If I pay for mages on board, air and water are still going to be more useful.¡± Christopher concluded.

    I nodded. Undead were powerful but not the solution for everything.

    ¡°So, Christopher, you said earlier that you are not a mage.¡± Skadi said. ¡°But your brother is a baron. Don¡¯t all nobles have some magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. Every noble bloodline has magic, but ours is not very strong. Some in our family don¡¯t have a large enough core to become a true mage, me included.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Traditionally it¡¯s not just the oldest child that inherits, it¡¯s the oldest child with the potential to become a mage. And some families prioritise men.¡± Derrick added.

    ¡°My small core makes me rather uninteresting to most noble women, which means I was never pressured into a political marriage. It has its upsides.¡± Christopher said with a grin.

    The servants returned once more. This time with dessert and coffee. They served a rich chocolate cake, which had a layer of cherry jam and was topped with whipped cream.

    After we finished the meal we said our goodbyes and left.

    ¡°That went well.¡± I said to my friends, on our way back to the academy.

    ¡°Yeah, they were nice.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°And you even got a way to stall your mother¡¯s future attempts for a while.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°True. I am just concerned about what my mother will do after the ruse ends. She might think I am actually looking for a husband.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°It should hold until the end of the year. After the exam you will be in a better position. Our fame should grow.¡± I pointed out.

    Helena nodded. ¡°Being part of the Dread Claws of Nyx will give you a certain amount of influence. Koyuki will be a senior mage and even if our cores are still too small we will have completed some advanced magic. Your mother would be a fool to cut your supplies and slow down your progress after that.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Cassie pondered that.

    ¡°Hey, is that Eva?¡± I said and pointed at a woman.

    ¡°Eva? You mean Archibald¡¯s sycophant?¡± Skadi asked.

    I nodded. ¡°Yes. She just went into that alchemy shop.¡±

    ¡°Ha, that place is a scam. If she wanted proper potions she would go to Lyra.¡± Cassie commented.

    ¡°I have never seen her use potions.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think they sell anything useful in there.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°This is not an alchemy shop for adventurers, or mages.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s called Alchemical Perfection.¡± I was confused.

    ¡°This shop mostly sells beauty products and a few weak overpriced healing items.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Oh.¡± I replied.

    ¡°That stuff is not hard to make. They just have nice looking bottles and add pleasant scents to it. Then charge way too much.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°And because other nobles will know the scent, they know that you paid a lot of money.¡± Helena added.

    I shrugged. ¡°To each their own.¡±

    ¡°Explosions are much better. They also come with a smell.¡± Cassie said, grinning.

    I wrinkled my nose. ¡°Burnt flesh is not a pleasant smell.¡±

    ¡°Eh, better than corpses.¡± Cassie responded. ¡°And better than some of what they are selling.¡±

    ¡°I have to agree on that.¡± Helena responded.

 CHAPTER 159: A Problem

    When we returned to the academy, we decided to spend the remaining day with homework and training. With all the extra classes we had, there was always work to do.

    I went to a training room and decided to work on some necrotic spells. Nyx, Chariot and the two cats were with me. I was hoping Nyx would train as well. While I focused on raising minions, I did have offensive magic as well. My basic necrotic bolt had been useful in the past, but I wanted something better.

    Necrotic ray. The spell conjured a black beam that would cause things to wither and decay. It was most effective on living, or at least organic things, like most death magic. I had small balls of straw as targets. It was something cheap that I could destroy.

    The ray was fired from my fingertip, which I had to use to aim. If you conjured a projectile with your magic, a lot of your targeting was done mentally. But a ray simply erupted from your finger and hit where you pointed at.

    I focused on forming the runes in my head, then I filled them with mana¡­

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± I exclaimed as the ray shot into the ceiling. I had been so focused on my runes that I forgot to point at a target¡­

    Thankfully, it was a sustained spell. It would be active as long as you fed it mana. The surprise broke my concentration.

    I looked around, but I was alone. No one saw that failure. Except Nyx. Who was staring, judging. I stuck my tongue out at her. Then I tried again. This time I made sure to keep my finger pointed at the target.

    I missed when the ray first appeared. Then I tried to keep the ray active and move it onto a ball of straw. But by focusing on aiming, I lost concentration of my spell and it stopped. It took a few more tries until I was able to properly hit something.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    I was getting tired. I needed a lot more practice to use that spell effectively. Right now, I was being very inefficient with my mana. But I managed to reduce a ball of straw to dust. So there was that. Nyx walked over and sniffed the dust. Then she looked at me. I knew that look.

    ¡°You have been rather lazy. Do you really think you deserve a treat?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Meow.¡± She tilted her head and looked at me.

    ¡°Oh well¡­¡± It was hard to resist her cuteness. I pulled a small bone from my pocket and gave it to her. She jumped on my head and started munching.

    I sighed. There would be bone dust in my hair now. Well, it was getting late anyway. I should just call it a day and have a shower. First, I had to clean the room though.

    I left the training room to fetch a broom and other cleaning supplies. I did not need to scrub the floor but I wanted to make sure I left a clean space for the next student. While I walked down the hallway, Nyx poked my left ear with her paw. I pulled out another bone and gave it to her. She was such a glutton. Then again, I did enjoy food as well.

    I was in the storage closet, getting supplies, when I felt something through my links. I was not sure what. Nyx had also stiffened on my head. She jumped down and grew in size, looking back towards the training room.

    I put down my supplies and conjured a water shield. Anything that got a reaction from Nyx was worth taking seriously. We carefully walked back to the room. Nyx entered first. I followed close behind.

    My eyes widened. Chariot and the two cats were still here, but next to them was a body. A person was lying on the floor.

    I carefully walked over. The man was dressed like a servant. He had black hair and looked really pale. He was not moving. The smell told me he had voided his bowels, likely he was dead.

    I looked for a pulse and confirmed my assessment. I also noticed his hand. It looked like it had been pierced by countless needles. And clearly he was missing blood. Did my vampiric cat do this? Or Chariot?

    ¡°What happened here?¡± I asked my undead. I tried to compel them to report.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    As expected, they were not able to. I needed to inform a teacher. But I also did not want to leave the scene alone. Was anyone else down here, training? The rooms had good soundproofing, because a lot of spells were loud. Simply shouting would not get anyone¡¯s attention. I could just randomly knock on the other training rooms. Or¡­

    Helena was practising her ice armor! She should be in our room, since the spell was not dangerous and could be practiced anywhere. Frank should be there as well. I could command him to relay a message. I ordered Frank to tell Helena to come to the training area, with a teacher. Sadly, there was no way to know if it worked. For now I decided to wait and have a closer look at the corpse.

 CHAPTER 160: Corpse

    The man did not seem to have any weapons. I found a small vial in his pocket. It was empty but had some drops of a green liquid left. I had no idea what it was. Why had he been killed? Why would my undead do that?

    The more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I became. What if it was just a servant? Had my undead killed an innocent person? I was responsible for their actions. What orders did I give those cats? What orders did Nyx give those cats?

    Generally, my undead had orders to defend me when I was attacked. But I was not even in the room. Had I ever told them to defend themselves? Probably. But that man had no weapon¡­

    I studied the man¡¯s clothes. His uniform was in decent shape but did not look entirely new. It also fit very well. Did he steal a uniform? Or was he actually working here?

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± I heard Irene¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Koyuki! Is everything alright?¡± Helena asked.

    My message seemed to have worked.

    ¡°I¡­ I found a dead body next to my undead. While I was getting cleaning supplies¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°A dead body? Start at the beginning. And Helena, get the headmaster.¡± Irene said while coming closer.

    Helena hesitated for a moment, looking at me. I nodded at her and she left.

    I told Irene what happened, starting with my practice. She listened while examining the corpse.

    Irene frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize this man. But he could have been a recent hire.¡± Then she looked at the vial I found. ¡°There should be enough left for Horas to identify it.¡±

    Irene looked at the hand. ¡°What ability did your undead use?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. The cats are new and I haven¡¯t tested all their abilities yet.¡± I admitted.

    ¡°You did not hear anything? You were at the supply closet down the hall, right? But you left the door open?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± I confirmed.

    ¡°Unless your cat can paralyse, he should have been screaming. Did you move the body?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, I searched it. So I moved it a little bit.¡± I confessed.

    She nodded. ¡°Did he touch your undead? What exact position did you find him in?¡±

    ¡°He did not touch them but he was lying there pretty close.¡±

    ¡°Assuming your cat drained him, that would take a while. So his hand would need to be on the cat. And he would have fought to break free. I can¡¯t see any struggle. The only possibility would be some kind of poison. Or an advanced ability that stops his heart. Your cat could have consumed the blood after he died.¡±

    She surveyed the scene again. ¡°Something doesn''t feel right. What could have been his goal? Steal one of your undead? Would they attack if they were abducted?¡±

    I swallowed. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so. They are supposed to defend me, mostly. I might have told them to defend themselves at some point, for training.¡±

    Irene looked at me. Then she went towards the vampiric cat and picked it up. Nothing happened.

    ¡°Have you changed your orders?¡±

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am!¡± I replied.

    ¡°I am going to trust you, for now. So, what could I do to make this undead attack me?¡± She held the cat with one hand, then summoned a flame in the other. She brought the flame closer. Once it started damaging the undead the cat reacted. Her fur became needles and pierced Irene¡¯s hand, she seemed unconcerned.

    ¡°Hm. There is a small necrotic attack but nothing too potent. It¡¯s also trying to consume my blood to heal itself, I imagine.¡± Irene stopped the flame and put the feline down. It did not attack further.

    Irene examined her hand. Then she compared it to the corpse. ¡°Looks similar but that attack was not too strong. I assume a normal person would be in pain and vomiting. Nothing here should have killed this man, or prevented him from removing his hand.¡±

    Irene was already healing, probably thanks to a spell. She kept staring at the scene in silence. I had no idea what to think. If it was not my cat, what was it? Chariot? But the armadillo created bigger spikes, not small needles. And what was in that vial?

    More people arrived. I retold my story to the headmaster. He listened to my explanation, then told me to move to the side of the room and wait.

    I sat on the floor, my undead surrounding me. I hugged my tail. Did I kill an innocent? What was going on? Nyx shrunk to kitten size and sat on my lap. I started petting her.

    I saw Horas and Gronir arrive. The teachers were discussing things, pointing around. Gronir was examining the body.

    ¡°SHIELD¡± Gronir yelled and jumped back.

    In an instant, a sphere of ice appeared around the body. The whole room shook. I heard the muffled sound of an explosion. I quickly stood up and readied my own shield. Nyx grew again and placed herself in front of me. But there was no attack. The ice around the corpse faded, but there was no more corpse. Only a small crater. Despite the training room being magically reinforced a piece of the floor was missing.

    ¡°That was nasty.¡± Gronir said.

    Erik turned towards me. ¡°Koyuki, it appears someone tried to blow you up, with a trapped corpse.¡±

    What? That made no sense! I looked at him in confusion.

 CHAPTER 161: Investigation

    ¡°There was a reaction inside the body. Like a delayed spell.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°A delayed spell?¡± I asked.

    Horas held up the vial I had found. ¡°It is just a theory, for now. But I believe the liquid triggered the effect. The man was likely given another potion before, or he was hit with a curse. When he consumed that liquid it triggered the spell, or reaction. I will need to analyse this to find out more.¡±

    ¡°So, he blew himself up?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Most likely yes but he might not have known what he was doing.¡± Erik said. ¡°The man could have been deceived. Maybe he was told the potion would do something different. But whoever planned this, wanted him to consume this liquid close to you. If a servant collapsed next to you, you would have likely tried to help. Then the body would have exploded¡­¡±

    ¡°But what about the missing blood? What about the injuries on the hand?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You told me you felt something from your undead, correct?¡± Irene inquired.

    I nodded.

    ¡°See, what if the man drank the potion before entering the room? Then he collapsed. Your undead might have consumed the blood of the corpse. It might explain why the explosion was delayed.¡± Irene suggested.

    Erik nodded. ¡°I can see two possibilities, either someone dragged a corpse in here, or the man consumed the potion himself. Dragging a corpse around the academy is risky, especially if the body is dressed like a servant. Meaning the man likely came here alive. If his goal was to kill you by exploding, why would he drink the potion without you being present?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± He made a good point.

    Erik continued: ¡°This is just a theory, but someone might have tricked this man into doing it. They might have told him the potion would have a different effect.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Was he actually a servant?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°None of us recognize him so that is unlikely. Which means he had help getting in here.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°When I examined the corpse, I felt the spell. I do not think my magic triggered it. The theory that his loss of blood slowed the reaction seems plausible.¡± Gronir said. ¡°I assume the first step of the potion was to kill the man. The second was to create the explosion. Now why would your undead consume the blood though? It is a tier two, there are some instincts. And the blood would have been rich in mana. But that should not cause this. A tier two should not have been intelligent enough to detect such a threat.¡±

    I looked at Nyx. ¡°Do you have something to do with it?¡±

    Nyx stared back, not saying anything.

    I looked at the teachers. ¡°Nyx did react, I assumed she felt something through the bond, like I did.¡±

    ¡°You created those cats. While all of your undead are connected, through you, Nyx should not be able to get such detailed information from them.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°She was present while I raised them and added her mana¡­¡± I admitted.

    Gronir stroked his beard. ¡°Is that so? Hm.¡±

    Everyone stared at Nyx. She licked her paw.

    ¡°In any case, this will need further investigation. All we have is a theory. We do not know why that man has consumed the potion, nor do we know who got him inside. But stealing a uniform, and the spells/alchemy involved, are rather professional. If that man truly decided to die to kill you he would have waited until you were close. I suspect he was a pawn.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°It is possible they told the man he would be empowered.¡± Horas suggested. ¡°Maybe someone told him it would give him magic, allow him to fight you. People have been tricked with the false promise of power in the past.¡±

    ¡°What if two people were here? And the servant was killed here, or forced to drink the potion?¡± I theorised.

    Irene shook her head. ¡°Unlikely. They would have timed this better. Or even shouted for you to help. Staging a collapsed servant, then shouting would have gotten you there quickly. And you would have approached the body, since you even know a bit of basic healing magic.¡±

    ¡°We got lucky.¡± Horas said. ¡°Not only do we have a bit of the potion, which would have normally been destroyed by the explosion, for some reason your vampiric undead has delayed the effect. And the man might have consumed the potion prematurely as well.¡±

    Erik¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°We need to find who got him inside. I will not tolerate assassins in my school.¡± Then he looked at me, and gave me a small bow. ¡°I have to apologise, Koyuki. It is my duty to keep my students safe and I seem to be doing a poor job of it. Rest assured that I will use all of my power to get rid of this traitor.¡±

 CHAPTER 162: Gossip

    While the teachers continued their investigation, I returned to my room. On the way I noticed several students watching me and whispering. I suppose the teachers rushing to the training area were noticed by someone. We would have a lot of rumors floating around tomorrow. Of course, a part of me wondered if one of those watching was my enemy. Who had led this man into the academy and given him the potion?

    Once I reached my room my friends welcomed me with a hug. They had been waiting for me to return. I quickly told them what had happened in the training room.

    ¡°They tried to kill you? Inside the academy? We have to find those bastards!¡± Helena proclaimed.

    ¡°Helena is right, but how? Do you think the rat spies might still work?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°At least the cats have helped, somehow. I still want to know what the vampiric one did and why.¡± I said.

    ¡°We need a counter if they try this again.¡± Cassie said, then looked at Skadi. ¡°Maybe we can figure something out with our blood magic. I will talk to Horas once he has analysed the potion. I don¡¯t think he will object if I want to help.¡±

    ¡°I will certainly keep practicing my water shield. Who knows what they are going to explode next.¡± I said.

    ¡°Wise. But we can¡¯t keep reacting. Do you think we could lure them into a trap?¡± Helena wondered.

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see how. Whoever is behind this works through others. It does not look like this agent will personally attack me. Nyx, the poison, the bomb¡­ all were indirect attacks.¡±

    ¡°True. But the man who blew up has entered the academy somehow. We could interview the guards.¡± Skadi proposed.

    ¡°I am sure the teachers are doing that. Erik seemed rather upset.¡± I said.

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°It¡¯s just so frustrating.¡± Helena said. ¡°It feels like we are just waiting for them to succeed.¡±

    ¡°I am not going to die that easily!¡± I tried to reassure her. Of course, my survival so far had quite a bit of luck involved. Maybe I had to get stronger but I was already training a lot.

    In the end there was not anything we could do right now, so we decided it was time for bed. I took a quick shower first. My cats, led by Nyx, kept watch. Then all three of them joined me in bed. Despite today¡¯s events I felt rather safe and fell asleep quickly.

    I opened my eyes and was surrounded by a black fog. Strange. A giant face appeared before me. A cat. Purple eyes studied me.

    ¡°Meow.¡± It said.

    ¡°Meow.¡± I responded.

    A giant paw patted me on the head. Then the cat purred.

    I woke up, confused. What a weird dream. Was that giant cat Nyx? She was curled up on top of my blanket. Actually, did Nyx sleep? Well she was a cat, but did she need sleep? Or was she just doing it for fun?

    Anyway, it was just a dream. No reason to read too much into it. I got up and stretched.

    As I was having breakfast with my friends, Valeria appeared. ¡°Koyuki! I am so glad that you are ok. I heard there was another attempt on your life!¡±

    ¡°Some tried to explode her.¡± Cassie commented.

    ¡°Clearly the academy is not what it used to be.¡± Archibald commented. Of course he was here as well. Children of dukes seemed to move in herds.

    ¡°In many ways¡­¡± Florence added, staring at me.

    ¡°Ilestria is getting bold. We cannot accept them coming after necromancers. A strong reaction is needed.¡± Leo said. Our table was getting crowded.

    ¡°I am sure the culprit will be found and punished.¡± I commented.

    ¡°How was the bomb planted? I heard some nonsense about a zombie but clearly Ilestria would not use undead.¡± Leo said.

    I shook my head. ¡°There was no zombie. I am sure the teachers will announce any relevant information. I do not want to hinder their investigation.¡±

    ¡°As a necromancer I certainly have a right to know. I need to protect myself.¡± Leo said.

    I did not think that Ilestria was overly concerned with him but I understood the desire to protect oneself. I decided to leave it to the teachers. I certainly was no expert in investigations. But I knew that giving the assassin more information was bad. Right now, that person would not know why they failed. Or that we recovered some of the potion.

    ¡°Sorry, if you want details you will have to ask the headmaster. He is personally looking into this.¡± I said.

    ¡°I will.¡± Leo said, looking angry.

    ¡°I bet she told her girlfriends everything though. Maybe they are the ones responsible? Trouble in your little harem?¡± Jack suggested, while leering.

    I looked at him. ¡°I understand that Archibald might require you to bend over, regularly. But not everyone has such a relationship.¡±

    Helena spit out her coffee because she started laughing. It landed right on Florence¡¯s shirt.

    Florence shrieked.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Jack took a step forward, but stopped when Nyx stared at him with glowing eyes.

 CHAPTER 163: Seeds

    ¡°I will remember that insult!¡± Archibald said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down¡­¡± Valeria tried to defuse the situation.

    ¡°You will pay for this!¡± Florence promised.

    I was slightly surprised by the amount of anger I had caused. Upon further consideration, I decided I was pleasantly surprised. I gave them my best smile.

    Cassie and Skadi were laughing too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave, there is no point in talking with an animal.¡± Archibald stormed off with his group.

    Valeria forced a smile. ¡°Ah, I am glad you are ok. Have a nice day.¡± Then she left.

    Leo shook his head. ¡°I can teach you to handle them better, if you want.¡±

    ¡°I think I did pretty well, I will have to decline.¡± I replied, then focused on my food again.

    I heard him sigh, but he left.

    ¡°I did not expect my insult to work that well.¡± I confessed to my friends.

    Helena managed to stop laughing and answered: ¡°He might just be rather insecure. And Archibald¡¯s fianc¨¦e was there. That probably made it worse, I mean better.¡± She giggled.

    ¡°They still see you as below them because you are not a noble. Even very talented people try to gain their favour and treat them with a lot of respect. You don¡¯t quite fit into their worldview.¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°Does not matter if you are a merchant, an artist, or a talented mage. If you want to get anywhere you usually need noble backing. But you are valuable enough that the royal family backs you. You are a commoner, a former slave, and you are more important than they are. It¡¯s eating them alive. I love it.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°They probably think you should be grateful to be allowed in their presence, kiss their feet and sing their praises.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°Do you think any of them would be stupid enough to work with Ilestria?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any of the dukes betraying the country like that. While some enjoy the trade, like Duchess Barkworth, I can¡¯t see anyone being foolish enough to back them. Of course, they could be manipulated.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°Uhhh, maybe an enemy agent has seduced them!¡± Skadi suggested.

    I groaned.

    The remaining day I was asked plenty of times about yesterday¡¯s incident. I just told everyone I could not talk about it. Archibald seemed to seethe the entire day. That was a slight bonus. I also noticed more guards.

    The next day Erik called me to his office. As I entered, I saw that Horas was present as well.

    ¡°Koyuki, we have some new discoveries we want to share with you.¡± The headmaster said.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I responded.

    ¡°I have analysed the liquid.¡± Horas said. ¡°It is a rather nasty potion. By itself, it does not do anything. But it reacts with the seed of a vampiric nightshade. How much do you know about those plants?¡±

    ¡°Uh, they are dangerous plants that drink blood and eat people.¡± I replied.

    Horas chuckled. ¡°You are not wrong there. But their seeds can be useful for alchemy. And if they are consumed by a person they can start growing inside them. The result is not pretty. There was no corpse left to study, but I suspect someone implanted the seed, or fed it to the person. Or maybe they created a sort of extract that is consumable.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I would have needed the body to find out more. But my conclusion is that the potion and the seed met through the blood and led to the explosion. Your undead consuming some of the blood delayed the reaction.¡±

    ¡°While we do not know the specifics, we are relatively certain that the seeds of vampiric nightshades were involved.¡± Erik said. ¡°Which makes your discovery during your camping trip rather concerning. Those bandits had a lot of those seeds. And there was the incident during the field exercise. Something very sinister is happening in our nation.¡±

    ¡°This sort of bomb is a new creation. If we had not recovered part of the potion, we would still be unaware of it.¡± Horas added.

    ¡°Right now this information is classified. Share it with your close friend, but with no one else. And do not tell anyone that we recovered a part of the potion. I trust you, and you are at the centre of this. You have proven to be rather competent as well.¡± Erik said.

    I stood a bit straighter, feeling proud.

    Erik continued: ¡°If you find anything more related to this issue, inform us immediately.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Um sir, did you find out how the man entered the academy?¡± I asked.

    Erik shook his head. ¡°No guard remembers letting that man pass. But we expect that he had inside help. He could have bribed a guard or maybe one of the students helped him. Nobles tend to use carriages and we do not search them. I have increased the security around the academy and we will be looking more closely at anything and anyone who enters in the future. Any more questions?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No sir.¡±

    ¡°Then enjoy your remaining evening. Dismissed.¡±

 CHAPTER 164: Questions

    I told my friends about the new information but there was not really anything we could do. Cassie was very interested in the bomb, of course. I could see the gleam in her eyes. She would certainly ask Horas for more information.

    The next day I was approached by another student. I noticed that he was a third year, based on his uniform.

    ¡°Koyuki, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± He greeted me with a smile.

    I studied the man. He had a round face, rather smooth skin and brown hair. He was clean shaven and had dark green eyes.

    ¡°Greetings, I am afraid I do not know your name.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Ah, I am Felix Wren and I am a necromancer!¡± He said.

    ¡°Oh. Are you curious about Nyx because she is a tier three?¡±

    Nyx got a lot of attention these days. And she absolutely enjoyed it. She sat in her box on Chariot and inspected the student. Some days I wondered if she would grow a crown, or something.

    ¡°Your undead is certainly interesting but this is about something else. I am part of a group, outside of the academy, who is trying to promote necromancy. With Ilestria targeting us I think it is more important than ever to ensure the people know our worth. And to remove restrictions on our magic.¡± Felix said.

    I scratched my head. He reminded me of the Brotherhood. Not that I heard anything from them for a while. Was he part of them?

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very restricted.¡± I answered.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He nodded. ¡°You have special permissions most of us do not have. Imagine if they took away Nyx.¡±

    ¡°Powerful magic does need certain restrictions. I understand that I have received some special treatment, but anyone equally talented would get the same benefits. See, I am not from a powerful family. Does not my case show that the system works? And anyone willing to join the military would get a permit for more undead.¡± I reasoned.

    Honestly I was not too familiar with the situation most necromancers faced. But considering how quickly I was recruited, even before they knew my potential, I figured any necromancer was welcome with open arms.

    ¡°But not everyone wants to join the military.¡± Felix argued.

    ¡°Then they hardly need an undead army. I suppose adventurers might, but they could always go to the academy first and become adventurers afterwards. Look, I am not claiming the system is perfect but I have no intention of joining your club.¡± I told him.

    ¡°But think about all the dangers we face! Ilestria is trying to kill us. If necromancers are not allowed to protect themselves¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, have there been any killed so far? And you know that you can have some undead, right? You only need a permit for tier three or a large number. Anyone can have some undead bodyguards. Having a lot of minions is not going to save you from assassination, you just need a few strong ones. Anyway, I have to go or I will be late for class.¡±

    ¡°Think about it!¡± He shouted after me as I left.

    I had no intention of joining his group. Nor did I have enough information about the state of necromancy to form a solid opinion about the laws. In any case, I had other things that required my attention. Like avoiding assassins and succeeding in my exams. The end of the year was getting closer.

    Also, I decided to tell Gronir about my encounter.

    ¡°Felix Wren you say? I am not surprised. He is not that talented but thinks people are not showing him enough respect. So far he has not been preaching but we will keep an eye on him.¡± Gronir assured me.

    ¡°Sir, have there been any attacks on other necromancers?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not that I know of. But Duke Harold is certainly making a lot of noise about necromancy and the attack on his son. Well, he claims it was an attack on Leo at the party. You know, he was disappointed with his son''s affinity. His family is known for their water and ice magic. But he is now capitalising on your popularity.¡± Gronir said.

    And sadly it made me even more interesting for Leo. I would likely be the dream match, power wise, in the eyes of his father.

    Suddenly something else occurred to me. ¡°Sir, you said that Ilestria is not targeting other necromancers. But I was attacked on my way to the academy, just after my talent was discovered. Nobody knew how powerful I was back then. I understand that Ilestria fears an archmage, and wants to prevent me from becoming one. But why attack me when I was unknown?¡±

    ¡°There are still a lot of unanswered questions. It¡¯s possible that they knew more than we did. But how? Or why? We do not know. We don¡¯t even know if that first attack was organised by Ilestria. Or how anyone acquired information about you that quickly.¡± He replied.

    Did Ilestria know something about me? Maybe about my past? Or was someone else involved? And how could I find answers?

 CHAPTER 165: Monsters

    The next day we had a class on magical monsters. It was taught by Victoria, our basic magic teacher.

    ¡°Magical monsters, often just called monsters, or magical creatures, are animals who have a core big enough to use it.¡± Victoria said. ¡°Any creature has some capacity for magic but just like with people, a lot of them don¡¯t have a big enough core to get any practical use out of it. The way a creature uses their magic can be different. On the low end we simply have body reinforcement and maybe some inherited abilities. On the high end there are monsters capable of archmage level spells.¡±

    While I was listening intently I noticed some bored faces. Not everyone seemed to be excited about the topic.

    ¡°Magical creatures have a lot of value. As you have learned in the past, the magical reinforcement often alters them. It can change their skin, making it more useful for crafting. Magical equipment tends to use parts of monsters. They are also essential for a lot of alchemy. But monsters are dangerous. Part of the army¡¯s job is to keep them contained. While many see the army as a tool of war, we are responsible for keeping the peace.¡±

    Victoria stared at Archibald, who was yawning. He paled and sat up straighter. It seemed he had not forgotten his first lesson. Victoria smiled and continued.

    ¡°As mages it is one of your duties to deal with monsters. You have already experienced some of that during your training. But besides your skill in battle, you will also need knowledge. Next year you will learn more details about certain monsters, how to defeat them and you will even face them during training. But what makes monsters such a threat?¡±

    Since nobody raised their hand she just picked someone.

    ¡°Archibald, what do you think?¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Clearly they are no match for our magic. Nethena is stronger than any monster.¡±

    ¡°With our combined might we are certainly stronger than any single monster. But an ancient lich could raise an army and wage a war against us. But those big threats are not the only issue. Smaller monsters could destroy our fields, for example. They could sink ships, destroy caravans,... It¡¯s not just about defeating monsters, it¡¯s stopping them from destroying our economy, or food supply.¡± Victoria explained.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Jack raised his hand.

    ¡°Jack.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just exterminate them?¡± He asked.

    ¡°There are a number of reasons for that. First, they are needed for the economy. As I mentioned earlier, we want them for materials. Second, finding and killing all of them would take a lot of effort, and money. Third, new ones would emerge in time. Monsters are an evolution from animals. Magic is inherited to some extent but non mages can have a child with a large core. Normal wolves could give birth to a dire wolf. Also, some animals can evolve over time. What happens when you get older?¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Our core grows.¡± I replied

    ¡°Yes! Animals are the same. While most remain animals for their entire lives, it is possible that some evolve and become monsters. Besides the natural core growth there have been other phenomena too. The Everfrost Peaks are rich in water mana and produce a high amount of frost monsters. They also produce quite a few undead but we are unsure of the source. Another source of monsters is the Korrah Forest, as you have experienced yourself.¡±

    I saw Archibald wince. Maybe he remembered the wounds he had sustained there.

    ¡°The Korrah Forest has a lot of earth mana. It leads not only to monsters but monstrous plants. It also provides our nation with excellent lumber. It is a great source of wealth but has to be managed carefully. What makes monsters stronger?¡± Victoria asked.

    Shin raised his hand.

    ¡°Shin.¡±

    ¡°Mana?¡± He said, sounding uncertain.

    ¡°Yes. But what makes their core grow? Time! It can be natural growth, it can be by consuming other creatures, or many other ways. But magical creatures grow stronger with time, just like mages. And magical creatures tend to have very long life spans due to their body reinforcement. If you do not manage the monster population correctly, you might be facing a monster surge at some point. Once a creature grows strong enough it often becomes more intelligent. And while it might not be sapient, an ancient forest spider leading a swarm can devour quite a few villages before the army can stop it. On the other hand, strong magical creatures have strong offspring. An ancient forest spider, if contained, will ensure that there are plenty of smaller forest spiders to hunt.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°What happens to people who live in a mana rich area? Do people become stronger near the Korrah Forest?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°That is an excellent question many have asked before. There have been a lot of experiments which tried to empower people. Short term exposure seems to do nothing. Long term experiments face a lot of trouble. Such areas are dangerous. And results have been mixed. Children often have mutations, or do not survive at all. Some claim that other races, like beastkin, are simply mutations from humans. But there is no actual proof of that. Other theories suggest they come from mixing with monsters. We do know that some ancient dragons can change their form and produce offspring with humans. And some bloodlines claim to have been empowered by elementals, through certain pacts, in the past.¡± Victoria explained.

    It was a very interesting topic, sadly it did not answer the questions about my own past.

 CHAPTER 166: Training

    Later in the evening I decided to get some more training in. Helena joined me, partly because she was concerned about another attack. But I suspected she also wanted to show off her own hard work. The cats and Chariot joined us as well. I left Frank at the door as a guard.

    Helena looked at me with an excited grin. ¡°I am now capable of casting a full ice armour!¡±

    ¡°Wow. Is it like a full plate armour?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes, look!¡± Helena replied. Then she started concentrating. Water appeared around her feet. Slowly it flowed into the shape of boots and started freezing. Then followed the pants. One piece at a time she covered herself in armour. She looked like a knight! Well, she was missing a helmet.

    ¡°This is sooo cool! Can you do a helmet as well? How is your mobility? How strong is it?¡± I asked excitedly.

    ¡°I am still working on the helmet. What I have managed so far just hinders my sight too much. But I can move relatively well.¡± Helena did not have a weapon but she performed some basic moves, pretending to hold a spear. She was slower than normal but she could move reasonably well.

    ¡°Could you make an ice spear too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Theoretically but it stretches my mana a lot. The armour itself uses quite a bit since I am not that efficient at casting it yet.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Is it a continuous spell?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. The idea is that I can use this before combat and then use my mana for attacks during a fight. I am not going to be a spellblade. I want to focus more on magic in the long run. I want to conjure a blizzard at some point!¡± She replied.

    ¡°I see. You know, that armour looks complex? Is that not an advanced spell?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not quite. The more advanced version is. I have to cast multiple spells for this armour but I do not combine them, like in advanced magic. I just assemble it piece by piece, so I need some time before battle.¡± She replied.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Oh. Why focus so much on armor though? And not learn more attack spells?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I am pretty good with my ice daggers. I want some solid defense next, then I will work on area spells. I am hoping our joint casting will help me with that.¡± She replied.

    I pondered my own progress. I was capable of summoning an ice or water shield. But they required concentration. I was not sure if I wanted to invest in conjuring armour. It looked pretty cool though.

    ¡°How durable is that? Especially compared to just summoning a shield?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It depends a bit on how much mana I put into it. Once I truly master the spell it should be quite solid. Right now? I still have not fully tested it yet.¡± She answered.

    I grinned. ¡°I have an idea for a test!¡±

    ¡°You want to attack me with a practice sword?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Oh no.¡± Then I looked at Nyx and the two cats. ¡°Test the armour!¡± I commanded.

    Helena¡¯s eyes widened as my cats pounced. Of course, I tried to mentally refine my orders to ensure Helena was not harmed.

    Helena tried, but failed, to stay upright as the cats impacted her torso. She went down with a shriek. Then they started scratching the ice.

    After the initial surprise was over Helena started laughing. The cats essentially used her armour like a scratching post. But they were making some good progress. Interestingly, they ceased their attacks without me giving an additional order. I suppose they had breached the armour at some points and stopped because of it. Then they just sat there, next to Helena. Except Nyx, who started kneading the armour while purring.

    ¡°That was mean.¡± Helena said, but she was smiling.

    ¡°I think it won''t hold up to too many strikes.¡± I observed while trying to sound professional. I was smirking though.

    ¡°You know, the cats were surprisingly coordinated with their first pounce. Has Nyx been training them?¡± Helena asked, while petting Nyx.

    ¡°Nyx is spending a lot of time with them. I think she enjoys commanding minions.¡± I replied.

    Helena picked up Nyx and sat her on the floor, then she got up and started to inspect the damage.

    ¡°Yeah, those claws are nasty. I would estimate a sword needs about three strikes or so to break through. Assuming they hit the same point.¡± Helena mused.

    ¡°Does not every attack drain mana from the whole armour? No matter where they strike?¡± I asked.

    ¡°True. But with it being multiple spells they would all collapse separately. But a big piece, like the torso, would be easy to take out. With a few hits. I definitely need to get better at it.¡± Helena concluded.

    ¡°Still looks pretty cool.¡± I said.

    Helena grinned. ¡°Yes it does.¡±

    Then both of us looked at the floor, because Nyx was now rolling around with the other cats. They were play fighting.

    ¡°Is Nyx commanding them to play with her?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Looks like it.¡± I replied. I guess it was training, in a way. And the cats seemed to understand the command. Then again, a tier two kept some of the instincts from the creature they were made of. If only Nyx would invest as much time in her magic training.

 CHAPTER 167: Surprise

    There were still a bit over 60 days until the first exams but I spent a lot of my time training, or reading. While the academy was more focused on the practical side, there would be a written exam as well.

    It was Solday afternoon and I was in my room, going over a book about spell efficiency. It detailed how important it was to properly form the runes in one¡¯s head. I was alone, my friends were busy with some spell practice. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

    I opened it and saw Eva standing there. I frowned. She was one of Archibald¡¯s friends and we had never talked much.

    ¡°Koyuki, I¡­ I need your help.¡± She pleaded.

    ¡°Uh¡­ with what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡­ it has to do with Florence. Can I come in?¡± She asked.

    I scratched my head. Why was Eva coming to me? We were not friends. More like the opposite. She did look rather distressed, so I suppressed my urge to shut the door in her face.

    ¡°Ok¡­¡± I relented.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± She entered the room and I closed the door again. Then I turned towards her. And I blinked.

    Eva was gone, instead I was looking at a woman with snow white hair and a rather fluffy tail. A foxkin. I was too stunned to act. Nyx was not. She immediately pounced.

    A cage of golden light formed around her. And Frank. And Chariot. My minions were trapped.

    I finally recovered enough to do something and started forming a water shield. Eva, or whoever that was, turned around and looked at me. There was hatred in those eyes.

    ¡°Your little guardians won¡¯t stop me this time.¡± She said.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Nyx tired her necrotic breath, but somehow the cage stopped it. Frank was hammering it with a sword of ice. It did not budge. The foxkin seemed unconcerned.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked, while keeping my shield up. I decided to stall for time while coming up with a plan.

    ¡°I am here to cleanse the world of filth like you. I have no idea how you managed to survive my efforts so far. This time I am not taking any chances.¡± She said.

    ¡°You were responsible for the explosion?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Of course. I am still not sure how you avoided that explosion. It does not matter. You die today.¡± She said.

    ¡°How are you going to escape? The headmaster will kill you.¡± I tried.

    She smirked. ¡°Will he? Or is he too busy right now? I will be long gone before they find your corpse.¡±

    Then she attacked. I had run out of time. A golden bolt appeared from her hand and impacted my shield. I tried to use more mana but it failed. My defences collapsed and I screamed. My entire body hurt. I dropped the floor.

    ¡°Be cleansed by holy fire, abomination.¡± She said. Her hands were glowing. Then a cat appeared. Apparently one of them was not trapped. Ice formed around its claws as the small draugr pounced.

    ¡°Argh!¡± The foxkin cried out.

    The crippling pain I had been feeling lessened. I needed to do something. Maybe the necrotic ray? Concentrating was hard as I tried to form the runes. Everything hurt. But it was only pain. An old companion. It would not stop me.

    I heard a crash. She had thrown my cat against the wall. But I saw the vampiric one sneaking up on her. It pounced. The cat¡¯s hair turned into tendrils training to connect to her skin.

    While she was busy I continued to focus. I pointed my finger, I formed the runes and I fired!

    She dodged. But the ray hit the cage. The prison stopping my minions darkened, then it burst. Nyx had grown to her full size and she roared.

    The foxkin formed a blade of light and started to parry the flurry of attacks coming her way. Frank and Nyx attacked her. Chariot was forming his spikes.

    My attacker was distracted. Should I run? Get help? I still had normal skeletons and my magical one. They were in the cellar in a storage room, with the Iron Beaks. I needed more time.

    I reformed my shield. I was her target after all. Nyx tried her best to keep her away but she was very skilled. My minions took damage. I cast a necrotic heal on them, trying to help.

    Chariot launched his spikes. The room was not that big, she had no way to dodge. A shield of light formed around her. The spikes failed to penetrate. But I used the moment to run.

    My body was still in pain but I managed to get up and open the door, then I fled into the hall. I heard an explosion behind me and looked back. Nyx flew out of the room and crashed into a wall. The foxkin was right behind her. And she did not waste any time coming for me.

    With a golden blade in her hand she charged. I tried to conjure a barrier of ice to slow her down, as I ran down the hallway. But she simply slashed through it. I wondered if anyone was going to help. It was Solday, a lot of students were in town and not at the academy. But surely someone heard all that noise. Would they help? Surely the staff would call the teachers, right?

    She was getting closer but I reached the stairs. And there, I saw hope. An army of undead chickens.

    My Iron Beaks had arrived. They streamed past me as I kept running. I mentally warned Nyx, then I tried to reinforce the water shield at my back.

    The world exploded behind me. A shockwave hit my back and I flew down the stairs. I heard a scream, then I felt a sharp pain as I impacted something. The world went dark.

 CHAPTER 168: Aftermath

    When I woke up I was in a bed, which was a good sign. Nyx was curled up on my chest. It seemed that my body was still intact but everything hurt. And my back itched.

    I looked around. It seemed that I was still inside the academy. This was the infirmary.

    ¡°Ah, you are awake! I will notify the headmaster.¡± A nurse said and left the room.

    I sat up.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Nyx complained. I started petting her.

    ¡°I am glad you are ok.¡± I said. She purred and curled up on my legs. I mentally checked my undead. It seemed that the only casualties were Iron Beaks.

    Soon the door opened and Erik entered.

    ¡°Koyuki, I am glad that you survived. Can you tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. I was in my room studying when Eva appeared. But it must have been a magical disguise, because she turned into a foxkin. Then she attacked me. I managed to flee and summoned the Iron Beaks¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, those explosions were very noticeable.¡± Erik interrupted. ¡°Not that I blame you. The person coming after you was a grand mage.¡±

    ¡°A grand mage?¡± I wondered how I had survived the encounter.

    ¡°She was taken down by Irene. Your Iron Beaks weakened her greatly, but she survived. After that she tried to flee, but was too wounded to make it far. Sadly we failed to take her alive. We believe she was an elite infiltrator from Ilestria. It is hard to pierce their illusion magic.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t she kill me then?¡± I wondered.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°You were buried under some rubble. She might have assumed you were dead, or decided there was no time to make sure. If help had arrived a bit later you would have died. Your back was burned and a lot of your bones were broken. But we do have some good healers.¡± He said.

    ¡°She called me an abomination¡­¡± I said. Then I described the whole encounter in more detail.

    Erik nodded. ¡°I believe it has to do with you being a dark foxkin. They might see you as corrupted. Foxkin tend to have a light affinity, which makes them rather popular in Ilestria. Some see them as holy, even. I suspect she wanted to torture you, which saved your life. If she had simply aimed for a quick kill you would not have been able to escape.¡±

    ¡°What about Eva?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That the infiltrator looked like her is concerning. Eva Ardron is a real human. We have to find out if she is still alive. Was she replaced a while ago, or was this illusion only used to get close to you? I am hoping the foxkin simply borrowed her appearance for a while but it could be a lot worse¡­¡± Erik looked angry. ¡°If something has happened to her, I have failed another student.¡±

    ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Less than a day. But you will need a few more days until you have fully recovered.¡± Erik said.

    ¡°What happens now? With Ilestria?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There will have to be an answer. An open attack against someone who is backed by the royal family is bad enough. But that was not all. They infiltrated the Royal Military Academy, openly attacked a student, and the fight caused significant damage. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be charged for that.¡± He assured me.

    ¡°Does this mean war?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Could be. It depends on Ilestria¡¯s answer. And how much the dukes support the king.¡± Erik said. ¡°But I do have some good news for you. It was decided to gift you the corpse of your attacker. It is a bit singed but mostly intact. And no one on our side died in the fight. Your Iron Beaks injured some staff, and a few curious students got minor scratches,  but everyone will recover just fine.¡±

    That was a relief. I was so focused on survival I did not consider what all those bombs might do inside the building.

    ¡°I will leave you to recover, for now. And your friends have been eagerly waiting to see you.¡± He left and my friends rushed in.

    ¡°Koyuki!¡± Helena shouted and hugged me.

    ¡°Ow.¡± I protested, but hugged her back.

    Skadi and Cassie joined the hug pile.

    Then I told them what had happened.

    ¡°We need bigger explosions if that bitch survived!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°And Koyuki needs better defences. You should work on an ice armour, like Helena.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Yes, you get hurt too often.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°She was a grand mage!¡± I protested.

    ¡°That just means you need to focus on protection even more, if they are sending someone so powerful after you.¡± Helena concluded.

    ¡°I am working on something with Cassie which should help.¡± Skadi hinted. ¡°But you do have to survive until it is ready.¡±

    ¡°At least I am getting the corpse.¡± I said, trying to change the topic. ¡°Maybe we can do something special with it.¡±

    ¡°You want another draugr?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I am not sure yet. I might use my time while recovering to read a bit more about undead.¡± I mused. Surely there was something even better I could create.

 CHAPTER 169: Food for Thought

    I was told I had to spend a week in bed to recover. While I did not feel that bad, apparently healing magic took a toll on the body. At least the one used on me. So my stamina would be reduced for a few days and I would tire more easily.

    A few teachers and a royal investigator stopped by to hear my story. My friends visited daily as well. But most of my time was spent reading. Gronir did lend me some fascinating books about necromancy. And I might have even read one recommendation from Skadi¡­

    My true focus was on magic, especially necromancy, though. A nurse was nice enough to ask Gronir if he would visit me.

    He entered with a chuckle. ¡°You are supposed to be resting, young lady. Not trying to get an additional lesson.¡±

    ¡°Um, I was hoping you would be willing to answer some questions¡­¡± I did feel somewhat embarrassed. He was doing me a big favour, showing up in the infirmary to explain some things.

    ¡°I do enjoy your enthusiasm. And it is nice that you are trying to get more information before jumping straight into an experiment. I suppose that is mostly because you have been ordered to rest though.¡± He said.

    He¡­ was probably right.

    ¡°Since I have a lot of time to read I thought I could find a better spell for a new undead. The headmaster said I could use the corpse and I was hoping to create a powerful undead.¡± I admitted.

    Gronir nodded. He sat down on a chair next to my bed. ¡°I have seen the corpse. Your bombs did quite a bit of damage but the infiltrator possessed healing magic. She fixed herself up enough to flee but was intercepted by Irene. The foxkin was killed with fire magic but Irene used ice afterwards to preserve the corpse. Did you want another draugr, or vampiric undead?¡±

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I looked at him and asked the true question I had. ¡°Could I create a tier three?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Did you want to interrogate her?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, that would be useful, but you can create a tier three with a new soul right? I don¡¯t think that raising someone who wanted to kill me would work well. Even if she was forced to obey me.¡± I said.

    Gronir nodded. ¡°Turning your enemies into tier three undead can be problematic. Creating a new soul and simply using the body would be better but it is hard. At least the corpse would be of high enough quality.¡±

    ¡°Hard is not impossible, right? What if my friends helped, with a joint casting?¡± I asked.

    He stroked his beard. ¡°It would be possible. We could prepare the corpse with some alchemical solutions. Let it soak for a bit. Then you would need to do a proper joint casting with a somewhat complex rune. To do this right would take some time and resources.¡±

    ¡°I do have some money saved up.¡± Although I was afraid it would not be near enough.

    ¡°The school does owe you a bit of a debt. There have been too many attempts on your life. I think Erik would not mind if we helped you out a bit. With resources, at least. You do need to cast the spell yourself. And I suspect we can provide Cassie with some ingredients¡­.¡± He stopped talking and seemed to be considering something.

    ¡°I think I have an idea.¡± He said. ¡°Once you have completed your exams and qualify as a senior mage, we can create your undead. Until then we will prepare everything. Don¡¯t worry about the corpse. We will not only properly preserve it, we can use the time to strengthen it.¡±

    ¡°Could I make an undead with light powers?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That would be something exceedingly rare. Light mana is quite effective against undead. Most creatures lose that affinity if they are raised. Keeping the original soul would help there.¡± He explained.

    ¡°So, I will lose her magical potential by making her an undead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not necessarily. Even if you create a new soul the magic potential will be influenced by that body. And the body itself was likely accustomed to a big core. The undead would start out as a normal mage but this body should give it a least senior mage potential. Core size is not connected to the affinity.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°So I could just make a draugr?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Since we do not have the original blood a draugr would work. You could try a vampiric undead with substitute blood but it might be weaker than the corpse. You could try to not use a second element. Not using an affinity would increase the chance she retains some light magic but it would be a gamble.¡± He explained, then he stood up. ¡°It seems that you have a lot to think about. And maybe some more books to read. I will have someone bring you one with the runes for a tier three.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± I said.

    ¡°And don¡¯t forget to rest.¡± Gronir said with a chuckle, as he left.

 CHAPTER 170: Ideas

    After a week I was allowed to leave the infirmary. On the way to my room I inspected the damage to the academy. There was still some construction going on but the repairs were almost finished. Having a lot of powerful mages certainly helped when it came to repairs.

    When I arrived at my room my friends were waiting.

    ¡°Koyuki! We need to celebrate your recovery!¡± Helena announced.

    ¡°Indeed. We got a barrel of ale and ordered some good food in the mess hall.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°We did ask the nurse, it¡¯s fine to have a feast and some drink!¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°A drink does sound good.¡± I agreed.

    We went to the mess hall where they had reserved a table, by placing the cats on top of it. Somehow they must have convinced Nyx to order them to do that. Interestingly, the other students did not bother us, for now.

    ¡°Hey, have you heard anything about Eva?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, she is still missing.¡± Helena replied.

    I had never liked her but I had no idea if I had ever truly met the real Eva. My thoughts were interrupted by food.

    My friends brought whole grilled chickens with rice, a small barrel of ale and I spotted a cake for dessert.

    ¡°Wow.¡± I said.

    ¡°Chicken is appropriate since the Iron Beaks saved the day!¡± Cassie declared.

    I rubbed my back. ¡°They did save me, although it was a close one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Next time you need better protection. They are not meant to explode near you.¡± Cassie said. ¡°But I want to upgrade some of them. I think we could have elite Iron Beaks with a bigger bomb. Clearly they were not enough against such an opponent. Maybe I can get my hands on some vampiric nightshade seeds¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to get stronger. But we are already working on that.¡± Skadi added. They still had their secret project. I was really curious what they were working on.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I can help you with an ice armour.¡± Helena offered.

    ¡°Speaking of becoming stronger, we do have a new corpse.¡± I said. ¡°And we have the chance to make something special!¡±

    ¡°Sure, but first a toast. To Koyuki!¡± Helena proposed raising her mug.

    We clinked our mugs and took a sip, then Skadi asked: ¡°So, what do you want to do with the corpse?¡±

    ¡°I want to make a tier three undead!¡± I announced.

    ¡°Wow. Did you learn that while you were recovering? Did you study all this time?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Um, I still need to study some more. And it will need preparation. Also I was hoping we could do a joint casting so I have more mana available.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Sure. Sounds like an interesting idea. And I look forward to seeing her face when she realises she is an undead!¡± Cassie said with a grin.

    ¡°Oh, I wanted to create a new undead, not bring her soul back.¡± I responded.

    ¡°Why? She wanted to kill you. Making her serve you seems appropriate.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°Because she would likely try to sabotage me. She could interpret orders the wrong way, only ever do the bare minimum. I need an undead who serves willingly.¡± I explained.

    ¡°That does make sense.¡± Helena agreed.

    ¡°You do make a good point.¡± Cassie agreed.

    ¡°So, what type of undead are you thinking about? Can you use her affinity?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°That might be tricky. But her potential should carry over. So she might be able to grow into a grand mage again, in time. Senior mage at least.¡± I said.

    ¡°Wow. And you have Nyx too.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Your undead army is growing! Muahahaha.¡± Helena laughed.

    ¡°Soon you will be officially a senior mage as well.¡± Cassie added.

    ¡°Not just me. All of us are going to perform advanced magic.¡± I reminded her.

    Cassie grimaced. ¡°You know my core is not that big. I doubt I will fulfil the mana requirements for a senior mage.¡±

    ¡°But you have made good progress. I think Koyuki¡¯s circulation technique has increased the rate at which our cores grow.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Once we perform advanced magic, senior mage is only a matter of time.¡± Helena added.

    ¡°So, back to the undead. The corpse should be fresh, right? When do you want to raise her?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°After the exams. We are going to really prepare that corpse. The teachers are going to help with some resources, as an apology for the whole incident. We can go all out this time. I want to soak it in an alchemical solution for a while.¡± I announced.

    Cassie pondered that. ¡°If Horas can get me some stuff I can work on that. Are we trying to give her a water affinity? Hey wait¡­¡± Then she looked at Skadi. ¡°I will need your help.¡±

    ¡°Sure. What have you planned?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°We''re gonna soak this bitch in blood! If the academy owes us I think I can get a vampiric nightshade seed from them.¡± Cassie said enthusiastically.

    ¡°Eh, we don¡¯t want to blow up the corpse¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°No, no. Not for this new bomb. But if I can get some extra¡­ Anyway, I am thinking we can go all out on the vampiric part.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Are you going to grow a plant in her? Won¡¯t that damage the corpse?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to grow anything. Just use the seed for a potion.¡± Cassie explained.

    ¡°Gronir warned me that using regular blood might weaken the result. If you can compensate for that with a seed, a vampiric undead might be cool.¡± I mused. I certainly had some more reading to do. This new undead had a chance to become awesome!

    Two purple eyes stared at me. Ok, it would never be as awesome as Nyx.

 CHAPTER 171: Projects

    After the attack, the nobility discussed a possible war with Ilestria. Investigators swarmed the school and the city, looking for more infiltrators. But I was not really involved in any of that. For me it was back to learning and homework.

    In addition to the extra classes I had, there was now a new project. A tier three undead. It took me two days until I found the time to actually take a look at the corpse. The academy stored it in a locked room, encased in ice.

    I took some time to inspect the late assassin. Her skin was blackened, it had been scorched. Interestingly, she still had her tail and a lot of her hair. I wondered what a newly created tier three would look like. What personality would it have?

    I looked at Nyx. She was with me, of course. And she jumped on the corpse and started sniffing it. Then she decided to curl up on top of it. What if my new undead could only meow as well?

    I snickered. No, Frank could talk. He was not intelligent but he could repeat words. Only my cats seemed to have a problem. I turned my attention back to the corpse and touched the ice. She had been my enemy and she would become my defender. I would show Ilestria, anyone, what it meant to be my enemy.

    A few days later, during dinner, Cassie was really excited. ¡°I got the seeds and started working on the blood!¡±

    ¡°Cool. And did you get blood as well?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Skadi organised that. It¡¯s animal blood from butchers. But with the seeds we can infuse some magic in it. It gets even better!¡± She said, enthusiastically.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing exploded.¡± Skadi said.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°We have come up with a great way to improve the corpse!¡± Cassie announced.

    Skadi nodded, looking proud.

    ¡°With Skadi¡¯s blood magic we had an idea. She can manipulate blood, so why would we simply have the body soak in it? We are going to have it circulate through the body.¡± Cassie explained.

    I scratched my head. ¡°Will that do anything? And won¡¯t you have to keep that spell powered, somehow?¡±

    ¡°I can cast a spell that keeps going for a bit, then it has to be renewed. I simply have to visit the corpse a few times per day. It won¡¯t flow all the time but it might help. We want to establish clear pathways for the undead when it rises.¡± Skadi said, then she added: ¡°It will be good training for me.¡±

    ¡°You are the expert on blood magic.¡± I conceded. I guess the body was damaged. Maybe this plan would ensure the tiny pipes inside the body, that carrier blood, worked properly. I had no idea if you could heal a corpse.

    Then an idea hit me: ¡°Do you think the vampiric undead can help? They can control blood.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to have the vampiric cat sit on the corpse and just help manipulate the blood all day?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Why not? I still have Nyx, Chariot and Frank to protect me. And I doubt that Ilestria has another powerful agent close. It will be hard with the amount of investigators around. Hey, maybe both cats can help somehow. The draugr could infuse the ice with magic. I know a corpse can be improved by ambient magic although it is supposed to be rather slow.¡± I mused.

    ¡°We are going all out on this. Might as well give it a try.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be awesome!¡± Cassie cheered.

    I did wonder if any of this was connected to their secret project. They were working on some joint magic for the exam. Hopefully Cassie was not too reckless. At least Skadi was more cautious.

    ¡°You know, I could try to include the corpse in my training too. I want to be able to summon ice armour on other people.¡± Helena mused. ¡°Once I am satisfied I will need a living test subject though.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Is it a lot different than armouring yourself?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In some way. The problem with armour is movement. On my own body I know how it fits. If I try it on someone else I might either leave places unprotected, or simply trap them in ice.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Hey, if Helena traps you, it¡¯s also training. Training to escape an ice prison.¡± Cassie said with a grin. ¡°Tell me if you need a fire potion to melt something.¡± She teased.

    ¡°Uh no, setting myself on fire seems like a bad idea.¡± I replied.

    ¡°But it would work on enemies. Armour often protects reasonably well from explosions, but what if you heat up the metal? Or something.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°You mean, cover enemies in something that keeps burning? I think there are ways to do that. Hey, maybe we should load the Iron Beaks with other things, not just bombs.¡± Cassie mused.

    While we all had our plans and projects my mind was still on the new undead. I was really looking forward to it.

 CHAPTER 172: Preparations

    While I focused on my projects the other students seemed to care a lot more about the attack. Some argued they should have their own guards. I found that notion somewhat silly. Ilestria had not targeted any of them. We were all trained to fight and the teachers were veterans. Besides, the students had no trouble to go drinking in town on Soldays. Something that was far less secure than staying at the academy.

    I tried my best to avoid the children of the dukes. Thankfully Archibald kept his distance, he seemed genuinely distraught about Eva¡¯s disappearance. Florence was mostly with him. Valeria inquired about my health but I could easily fend her off with a few words and smiles.

    Leo¡­ Leo was right in front of me, in a hallway, and it seemed I would have to endure a conversation.

    ¡°Koyuki, I have a proposal for you.¡± He said.

    I suppressed a sigh and responded. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°My family is willing to buy out your contract with the crown. I know that you have agreed to serve for ten years. It is clear that the academy has lost its touch and cannot guarantee your safety. My family can.¡± He proposed.

    ¡°Really? And then what? You would expect me to become your wife? Give up my training?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You would become my wife, yes. We would hire a private tutor for your training, and mine. But you would be safe. We have good security and a lot of guards. We could also provide you with plenty of corpses.¡±

    He looked serious. I had no idea what world he lived in that he thought I would accept such a thing. Also, why did he think the king would accept? ¡°No thanks. I like it here.¡± I responded.

    ¡°I can offer you a better future.¡± He tried.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, you really can¡¯t. I like my current future.¡±

    Then I walked away. Nobles could be so exhausting to deal with.

    Having escaped the social interaction I made my way to the corpse. It had been a few days since Cassie had announced her plan and today she was ready. Skadi and Helena were here too.

    They were carrying a barrel as I arrived.

    ¡°Is this ale for a celebration?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No, this is the blood.¡± Skadi replied.

    I looked at the barrel. It was kind of big. Oh well, we wanted to soak the corpse.

    The dead assassin was already inside a tub. I noticed some runes were cut on the inside.

    ¡°What are those runes?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh, Irene helped me with those. She organised the tub when we explained that we did not need her to keep the body frozen anymore. After a discussion with Gronir she instructed me how to prepare the tub.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°And what do those runes do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°She said something about preservation. They help to chill the blood. I think your draugr cat can help to keep them powered.¡± Cassie said.

    Runes for enchantments were not a topic we had learned about so far. I guess this was not a true enchantment but it was impressive.

    ¡°Wow. You girls are going all out helping me. Thank you!¡± I said to my friends.

    ¡°We are a team, after all.¡± Helena replied with a smile.

    Cassie and Skadi nodded.

    Then we went to work. We poured the prepared blood into the tub. Helena started chilling it and empowering the runes. Skadi started the circulation. Cassie and myself watched.

    ¡°That blood looks strange.¡± I said.

    Cassie nodded. ¡°Well, I modified it. See those sparkly bits? That is from the seed. There are still some pieces in there. They can¡¯t sprout and form a plant but Skadi will direct them to strategic parts inside the body. They will help to keep the blood infused with mana and will slowly dissolve over the next weeks. Horas helped me with it.¡±

    ¡°Amazing.¡± I replied. She had really worked hard on this. Cassie was far beyond me in alchemy. I was considering dropping the class next year. I knew some basic potions for enhancing undead, but if I wanted something truly great it was better to consult an expert. And Cassie was rapidly becoming one.

    Once the corpse was prepared I instructed the cats with Skadi and Cassie¡¯s help. Nyx was observing the whole process from my head. She started purring as her fellow cats got involved. Once we were finished I placed my magical skeleton next to the door, as a guard. Then we locked the door. My new minion was still a few weeks away from rising. I had plans to check regularly but for now I had to wait. Well, I still had a few spells to practice. And exams to prepare for. The next few weeks would be busy.

 CHAPTER 173: Tier Three

    I was so busy, I almost missed my favourite class, advanced death magic. I had been checking on the corpse when I realised what time it was.

    I hastily locked the room and started running. I arrived at the same time our teacher did.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I exclaimed, still breathing heavily.

    ¡°Looks like you made it just in time.¡± Gronir said with a smile.

    I hastily took my seat as our teacher walked to his desk. Then the door opened again.

    Nyx entered, riding on top of Chariot. Gronir raised an eyebrow while I blushed. I had not noticed that Nyx fell slightly behind. It¡¯s not like she was slower than me. And Chariot could run too. Of course, the feline did not show any hint of embarrassment as her mount trotted next to my seat. At least she had closed the door behind her, with telekinesis.

    ¡°Now that everyone is here we can begin.¡± Gronir said with amusement. ¡°Today''s class is going to be about tier three undead. A topic that is usually not that relevant to a first year, but Koyuki has changed that.¡± He looked at Nyx.

    Then he continued: ¡°We have talked about tier undead before, but what I want to cover today is their creation. Not the actual runes used for them, mind you. You still need a license to attempt to create a tier three.¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo.¡±

    ¡°How can I get such a licence?¡± He asked.

    ¡°You do need to become a senior mage for that.¡± Gronir replied.

    ¡°Koyuki is not a senior mage.¡± Leo pointed out.

    ¡°Technically correct, but she has performed some advanced magic and her core is large enough. I am sure she will officially become one soon.¡± He winked at me. ¡°The important part is, she has the capabilities to create and control one. Koyuki, why is that important?¡±

    ¡°Because a tier three could take control of you. If you are not strong enough to subdue it, it will either free itself or enslave you through the bond.¡± I replied.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Gronir said. ¡°A tier three has a core and can exist without a bond. They can just break free. Or they can use the bond to control you. Performing advanced magic shows that you have mastered your spellcraft to a point where you can focus on subduing the new undead. It also means you won¡¯t run out of mana in the process. Keep in mind that even most senior mages don¡¯t bother with tier three undead though.¡±

    Tim raised his hand.

    ¡°Tim.¡±

    ¡°But why? Aren¡¯t they really strong? Do you have a tier three?¡±

    ¡°Strength is relative. A tier three has a core, true. But they can be at the level of a normal mage. The larger their core grows, the harder they are to control. They can even evolve, over time. When you create a tier three they are more than just a tool. They are intelligent. You can¡¯t just park them in a cellar all day and expect them to eagerly do your bidding. So you need to take proper care of your minion, while part of your mana is now used up. Having some tier two undead to work for you is much more convenient.¡± Gronir explained.

    ¡°Where a tier three shines is in combat, when they command other undead. Or if you need an elite strike force. But that would require you to put a lot of trust in them. The most effective use for most necromancers is still to create an army of zombies, or skeletons. Something you can replenish easily in the field. Necromancy allows you to overwhelm the enemy with numbers. Tier three undead are interesting when you reach the heights of a grand mage, or archmage. Then you can have a few of them, and an army while still having some mana left to defend yourself.¡±

    Tom raised his hand.

    ¡°Tom.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever create a tier three?¡±

    Gronir nodded. ¡°Yes. It was destroyed in combat years ago.¡±

    I raised my hand.

    ¡°Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°What would happen if you intentionally freed a tier three? Could you simply create a lot of them and turn them into free undead?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Yes, but that would be illegal. Any tier three undead needs a master, they are too dangerous by themselves. Despite having a core they need to feed on mana, or creatures containing mana, on occasion. Something that is not required if they are bound. Although the king does have the power to grant a tier three the right to exist freely. It has not been used in a long time, but there has been a vampire in the past who was rewarded for his service.¡±

    ¡°But there is one topic about a tier three that I haven¡¯t discussed yet, their personality. As you know, you can raise a dead person as a tier three undead. But you can also create a new creature using a sufficiently powerful corpse. But what is a new creature like? In some ways it is a gamble. Which is another reason why many don¡¯t bother with a tier three. You might imagine creating a powerful warrior, a great general, but what if they are just not suited for the role?¡± Gronir asked, looking at us.

    It was something I had not really considered.

    Gronir continued: ¡°The corpse that you use will influence their personality. Dragons are prideful creatures and an undead dragon would be the same. But there are some ways you can influence them. Over the centuries necromancers have modified the spell to create a tier three. And your own personality does play a role. They tend to see you favourably, at least at first.¡±

    Leo raised his hand.

    ¡°Leo.¡±

    ¡°But you can control them. They have to obey.¡± He said.

    Gronir nodded. ¡°Of course. But obeying an order and trying their best to fulfil the order are different things. If you ordered your general to fight the enemy army, it does matter if they want to win. And how skilled they are.¡±

    ¡°You can break their will, punish them if they fail.¡± Leo suggested.

    ¡°Willing obedience will always work better than forced obedience. But since they are intelligent you can punish them, that is true. Just like you can train a beast to work willingly with you, or force it to.¡± Gronir said.

    I looked at Nyx. She was a tier three but she was most certainly also a cat. What personality would a fellow foxkin have? I certainly wanted a willing servant.

 CHAPTER 174: Personalities

    After the lesson I approached Gronir.

    ¡°Sir, I have some questions about creating a tier three.¡±

    Gronir nodded. ¡°I suppose this is about your new project? I have some time, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Sir, how do I make sure the undead serves willingly?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I am not surprised by that question, given your background. It is not something many necromancers care about. But the reality is, a tier three has to be bound. Just like your Nyx. And yet, your companion does serve willingly, right?¡±

    Both of us looked at Nyx.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    I pulled a small bone from my pocket and gave it to her. She started munching on it.

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°You see, you have found an understanding with her. I had a tier three undead once, he died in battle. But he fought willingly, knowing the risk. I have met quite a few necromancers. Everyone has their own way of handling undead. The bond does have some benefits for them, like the small amount of mana they get. Essentially, you are providing them with food. You can also offer them a wage. And there is the fact that you have created them. They tend to be grateful for that.¡±

    ¡°So, should I just try to convince them?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You need to think about what you want from them and what you can offer them in return. You are ultimately responsible for their behavior. There are rules they have to follow, just like we have to follow the laws. But you can grant your tier threes certain freedoms. You know, there are plenty of students where I would be hesitant to help them create a tier three. But I think you understand your responsibility.¡± He explained.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°Is there a way to ensure my new undead won¡¯t be evil?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Evil? Well, that is always a matter of perspective. You have read the books I have given you, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Good. Use Edmund¡¯s version of the spell. It should give you the best outcome, personality wise.¡± He suggested.

    I frowned. ¡°The book mentioned something about mixed results.¡±

    Gronir nodded. ¡°A lot of people are poor judges of their own character. And a lot of necromancers tend to have a large ego. Creating something that is heavily influenced by their subconscious often turns out poorly. It is certainly not a spell someone like Leo could use. But it is far more reliable than the spells that try to force certain traits.¡±

    I pondered that. ¡°Will the undead be more like a child? Or fully mature?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not always the same. They are usually mature but inexperienced, as far as the world is concerned. You definitely have to ensure your undead knows the rules. Having something prepared for them to read can be helpful, although they get quite a bit of information through the link. And keep in mind that you are the master. If they break the rules, punish them. If you don¡¯t keep them in line, the law will.¡± He warned.

    I touched my neck. I certainly did not like the sound of punishment. Then again, it could be something simple, like denying treats. Would the new undead consume bones as well? If it was vampiric, would I need to walk around with some vials of blood?

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said to Gronir, he gave me some things to think about.

    ¡°Any time.¡± He said with a smile.

    As I left, I thought some more about my future undead. What did I want? Not in terms of type, or powers, but what function should my new undead have? Bodyguard? General? My new undead should have some say in that. But I should offer her options. I began to understand why tier three undead were rare. It was not just the difficulty in creating them.

    I remembered Leo¡¯s words. And I remembered Helena¡¯s warnings about him. She had been right, of course. He was a bad person. And eventually he might create a tier three. Was there a way to override someone¡¯s bond? I stopped, that was an important question. I turned around and walked back to Gronir¡¯s office.

    ¡°Koyuki? Did you forget something?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Sir, I do have one more question¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Can another necromancer steal a tier three? Override the bond?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ah, a valid concern. And something that impacts all tiers of undead. If you meet a natural undead, you can take control. But it can be hard and you need to mentally overwhelm them. It is mostly used against tier ones or twos. A tier three? You need to be a lot more powerful than they are. But you asked about the undead from another necromancer. If you wanted to steal a tier one, you could. But the amount of mana needed would not be worth it. And the enemy would sense the intrusion and could fight it. A tier three? That could only work if the tier three was willing. And even then, it would be hard. But there is another point, it would be illegal. Your undead are your property, regardless of tier.¡± Gronir explained.

    I thanked him again and left.

 CHAPTER 175: A Break

    It was Solday afternoon and I was studying as the door to our room opened. Helena was here too and we both looked up. Skadi and Cassie entered.

    ¡°Girls, we need a plan!¡± Cassie announced.

    ¡°A plan?¡± I asked.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°The new year starts tomorrow. We should do something tonight.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ exams start in three weeks!¡± I protested.

    Helena closed her book. ¡°No, they are right. We should do something. Take the evening off. We have been studying a lot.¡±

    ¡°I suppose¡­¡± I admitted. ¡°I never really celebrated the new year. For us it was just a lot of work. Maids were supposed to work extra hard.¡±

    ¡°Even more reason to celebrate!¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°You know, in the north it¡¯s not that big of a deal. We truly celebrate in spring, when the monster attacks from the Everfrost Mountains lessen.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°We should go to the beer garden!¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°We could, but it¡¯s not the same indoors.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Actually, they have a special tonight. They open the tables outdoors and have a lot of fire and furs to keep people warm.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°What? There is snow outside! Even with fires, that is a horrible idea.¡± Cassie protested.

    ¡°It does sound cosy.¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°I think I would like that too.¡± I added.

    Cassie stared at us in horror. Then her eyes narrowed at Skadi. ¡°You had this plan all along!¡±

    Skadi patted Cassie on the back. ¡°It will be fine. Trust me, it is not that bad.¡±

    ¡°Said the water mage. You all have a water affinity!¡± Cassie grumbled.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a warming spell?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sure. But keeping that going while drinking¡­¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°...will be excellent training!¡± Skadi finished. ¡°But you won¡¯t need it, trust me.¡±

    Cassie still grumbled but she agreed. We grabbed our jackets and made our way into the city. Frank, Chariot and Nyx were with us. It was about 17:00 but the sun was already setting.

    When we arrived I was impressed. The familiar tables greeted us, with the nice tap in the centre. But there were standing torches near each chair. Further, every seat had a thick fur blanket.

    ¡°Wow, it looks a lot more luxurious.¡± I said.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°It is more expensive, especially considering the date. But tonight is my treat!¡±

    I had the suspicion that Skadi had planned this for a while but kept quiet, since Cassie did not like the cold. While we looked around Skadi talked to a waitress, who showed us to a table.

    Once we sat down I did not need my jacket. The torches made it really cosy. And the blanket was so soft!

    ¡°Nice.¡± I said while rubbing the fur with my hand.

    ¡°Ok, so it¡¯s a bit cozy¡­¡± Cassie admitted. She had opened her jacket but was still wearing it.

    The waitress returned with mugs and the menu. ¡°Just like always, use the tap and we will charge you based on how much you consume. We will be open until early morning, because of the new year, and serve hot food the entire night!¡±

    ¡°A shame that we do have classes tomorrow.¡± I mused.

    ¡°They start two hours later though.¡± Skadi said, then sighed. ¡°You did not notice, did you?¡±

    I blushed. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough about classes, time to drink!¡± Cassie said while filling a mug.

    Once we all had our drinks Skadi raised hers. ¡°This year was great, may the next be even better!¡±

    ¡°May we crush our enemies and teach Ilestria a lesson!¡± Helena added.

    ¡°To explosions!¡± Cassie cheered.

    ¡°To, um, an undead horde!¡± I said.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Nyx said, raising a paw, then she stared at the empty paw. I grabbed a small bone from my pocket and gave it to her.

    Helena snickered.

    Then we clinked our mugs and started drinking.

    ¡°You know, the cold beer is actually okay, despite the snow.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°There is no snow here, the torches have melted everything.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Sure, but there is snow over there.¡± Cassie pointed on the road. ¡°I never saw beer as a winter drink, you know.¡±

    ¡°We had some when we tried to hunt rats.¡± Helena pointed out.

    ¡°I know, you girls are a bad influence.¡± She complained, with a smile.

    ¡°We never got any rats. I still want to try those but I just don¡¯t have time.¡± I said.

    ¡°With the assassin gone we don¡¯t need spies that much. And you have a much better corpse now.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°True! I can¡¯t wait to raise it!¡± I said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the joint casting exam. We might be senior mages soon! Koyuki and myself are progressing nicely with our spell. How is yours going?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Good, but it¡¯s still a secret.¡± Skadi replied.

    Cassie grinned. ¡°It will be awesome!¡±

    While we talked we browsed the menu.

    ¡°I think this is perfect soup weather, for a starter.¡± I mused.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to order everything in one go. Tonight they expect us to drink and eat for a while and keep ordering.¡± Skadi explained.

    ¡°Soup does sound nice. Uh, there is a creamy mushroom one!¡± Helena said.

    I shook my head. ¡°One day you will recognize the evil that is a mushroom. I will go for a nice beef soup.¡±

    As the waitress returned we ordered our first dish. While waiting I wondered something: ¡°Are those normal torches, or is there magic involved? This place is surprisingly warm.¡±

    ¡°I think they are normal torches but burn some alchemical fuel.¡± Cassie mused, after looking at one. ¡°I do admit, they are doing a good job. It is rather cozy¡­¡±

    Skadi grinned.

 CHAPTER 176: Friends

    We kept eating and drinking. Cassie was just refilling her beer when she asked: ¡°So, how will the new undead fit into our group?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, is it going to be a frontline fighter, or a mage? Focusing on support, command¡­¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°Oh. No idea. I won¡¯t know her personality, or skills, until she rises. I think she could join us in classes and learn with us. Then we shall see what happens.¡± I replied.

    ¡°I am flexible.¡± Helena said.  ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a spellblade but I am working on ranged spells and my melee skills. With ice magic I can create reasonable defenses for close quarters, if needed. But I can also provide long range firepower. Depending on the new undead I might focus more on one aspect.¡±

    Skadi nodded. ¡°We do have a good setup. Once I am a spellblade I should be a great tank and bodyguard for everyone else. Cassie¡¯s alchemy is very flexible and can help in a lot of ways. Koyuki provides a large army and Helena can support them with either offensive or defensive magic. She is also good enough in close quarters to help deal with assassins.¡±

    I took a sip from my beer. ¡°Why is a defensive fighter called a tank?¡±

    Skadi blinked. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°I think it might have been a word from an old language.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it named after some knight? Who held a small passage against an overwhelming force?¡± Helena wondered.

    ¡°Eh, who cares. But I am gonna be a tank!¡± Skadi declared, raising her mug.

    ¡°To our tank!¡± I clinked my mug with hers and the others joined in.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    We looked at Nyx. ¡°She is a tank too, I suppose.¡± I said.

    ¡°Sort of. We will have to see what magic she can develop. Her cloud and breath can be rather powerful. Imagine if she could cover an entire field in mist. Death mist.¡± Helena mused.

    Nyx sat up straighter and nodded along. She was on the back of Chariot, in her box.

    ¡°The next year will certainly be exciting. Do you think we will get a lot of extra classes again?¡± I wondered.

    Cassie groaned. ¡°I hope not!¡±

    ¡°If they keep up the extra classes we are going to finish in three years, instead of four.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will make up new classes just to screw with us.¡± Helena complained.

    ¡°Maybe they will give us some field work.¡± I mused.

    ¡°Ohhh, more undead!¡± Helena said, while refilling her mug.

    I looked at mine. It was empty too. I refilled it.

    ¡°If I can get enough we could have my new one lead a group herself.¡± I mused.

    ¡°If she is a vampiric undead and a tier three, will she be a vampire?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Um, maybe? We will have to see what we create. Her own affinity could matter but it will likely be replaced by blood and death. Actually, we need a name. Or should she choose one herself?¡± I scratched my head. ¡°She will be intelligent but I don¡¯t know what sort of knowledge she has. I think giving her name might be a nice thing.¡±

    ¡°I think a name is appropriate. You are her mother, sort of.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Um, more like her boss. Or employer, I think. Creator, that is a good word. I am her creator.¡± I decided.

    ¡°Anyway, what sort of name are you thinking about? A normal one?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°If she is a vampire you need something suitably dark. And regal. Once you rise to power she might be a noble in your court.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°I think a normal name is better. I have no intention of ruling anything.¡± I replied.

    ¡°What about something exotic? Like your name. Koyuki is not common.¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s from Kitara, apparently dark foxkin are from there.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Do you know any other names from the region?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Hm. Irene was looking into some tales about guardians.¡± I looked at Nyx. ¡°She thought Nyx is special, and she is a tier three. But there might be something more to her. Anyway, I have read a bit about Kitara since. I remember one name, Hatsumi.¡±

    ¡°Hatsumi the vampire queen!¡± Cassie said.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°Sounds exotic, mysterious, it fits.¡±

    ¡°It does sound nice and I am sure she will appreciate it. You know, I have looked at this new undead more as a tool but she will be a person. Hopefully a good friend.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°True.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°To Hatsumi, our future friend!¡± Cassie shouted, while raising her mug.

    ¡°To Hatsumi!¡± We replied.

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    We spent some more time drinking and eating. At midnight the beer garden put on a small show, the torches started changing colors and burning brighter for a short duration. After that we went home. We were all rather tipsy at that point. Cassie was leaning heavily on Skadi on the way back. But we arrived without any trouble.

    I remembered to drink some water before bed. Then I curled up in it, snuggling with my tail. I fell asleep quickly.

 CHAPTER 177: Exams

    The next three weeks passed quickly and suddenly the exams were here. Despite my extensive preparations I was nervous. The first day consisted of written exams. The questions were not too difficult. Or was I missing something?

    ¡°I think that went ok.¡± I said to Helena, after the exam. ¡°But¡­ I could have missed something. Water and earth combined make the best healing, right? Because it¡¯s blood magic. Then light is the second best, earth and water alone are the least effective.¡±

    Helena put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Yes and now relax. The exam is over! Tomorrow we can show off our practical training!¡±

    ¡°Well, I am still not the best with weapons. I am confident in my magic though¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°You are better than you think. Have you seen Valeria? She had extra lessons for half a year and is still worse than you!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I suppose.¡± I admitted. Thanks to the mana circulation technique and our frequent training I was doing fine. Especially since we had the advanced group fighting as well. I had to admit that the extra classes paid off. All four of us were progressing rather quickly.

    The next day I found myself facing Peter, our teacher. It was time for the combat exam. I used a staff, while he wielded a longsword. I managed to deflect his initial attacks and get a few counterattacks in. Of course, he was not going all out. It was just an exam.

    I was looking for his next strike when he stopped and stepped back. ¡°Congratulations, you pass. You have come a long way Koyuki.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ thank you, sir!¡± I responded.

    Helena hugged me once I left the arena. ¡°I told you it would be fine!¡±

    She had done pretty well herself. Archibald sneered in my direction but said nothing. He might have been unhappy that I did not embarrass myself.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Later it was time for some magic. I levitated rocks, formed a water and ice shield, fired necrotic bolts,...

    The magical exam included my advanced classes. I had to brew a potion for my alchemy class. But it was just a salve to enhance undead skeletons. While I passed it was not anything special. I had devoted most of my time to my other classes. Advanced death magic was an easy pass, I had created more, and better, undead than the other students. And advanced water magic was easy as well. While I had slightly neglected offence, I was still able to throw some ice daggers around. And my shields were really solid.

    Magic was awesome and I passed with ease. Afterwards I had a big smile on my face. Of course, we had not gotten the results of the written exams yet. And we still had our own special exams.

    Those were on the third day. While the other students were finished, and just waiting for the results, we had to demonstrate our advanced magic.

    All four of us were in a room, with Irene and Erik. It was a reinforced training room.

    The headmaster addressed us: ¡°Students, you have demonstrated a lot of talent during your first year. Now you can show me how far you have come. If you demonstrate advanced magic, and pass the mana requirements, you will be senior mages. That does not mean you graduate but it will come with an increase in your stipend.¡±

    More money? My ears perked up.

    ¡°Now, as I understand it, you have formed groups of two. So Helena and Koyuki, show us your spell.¡± Erik said.

    Helena grabbed my hand and walked forward. She was the main caster. We had trained quite a bit and I was somewhat confident. I trusted her.

    And I focused on that trust. She was my friend. We fought together. I would give my life for her and she would do the same for me. Our mana connected, I formed the runes and handed her complete control of the magic.

    Helena released the spell. Snow formed in a large part of the room. The floor froze in a 10 metre radius around her target and I could feel the cold from where we stood. We had done it! We created an area of ice and snow.

    Erik and Irene walked towards the spell and stepped into it.

    ¡°Nicely done.¡± Irene said.

    Erik nodded. ¡±Not bad. The cold would hit any unprepared enemy quite hard. Frost would have formed on their skin and without proper defenses they would freeze to death.¡±

    He seemed completely unaffected, of course. His hand was touching the snow and he was examining it.

    ¡°You might need to work on your speed but you have demonstrated the ability to perform an advanced spell. My recommendation would be to work on casting that alone next. But both of you have passed. Now, Cassie and Skadi, show us what you have.¡± Erik said.

    I looked at Helena and grinned, she grinned back. We were both sweating a bit but we were feeling fine. Then we walked back to the group. Meanwhile Irene simply waved her hand and all the snow was gone, melted. It was a reminder that we still had a long way to go.

    Cassie and Skadi stepped forward next. I was really curious about what they had prepared.

 CHAPTER 178: Surprises

    Skadi pulled out a potion and drank it. Erik frowned and looked at Irene, who grinned. She was our supervisor, maybe she knew what Cassie and Skadi were up to.

    After consuming the potion Skadi took Cassie¡¯s hand. I was really curious what would come next, as they stood there. Part of me was waiting for something to explode.

    Then I noticed Skadi¡¯s skin. It changed. It was not her normal earth spell that increased her durability. It was¡­ blood! Her skin was slowly covered in blood!

    Cassie was looking normal, just breathing heavily. Eventually Skadi was fully coated and Cassie let go of her hand.

    Was this some sort of armor? It did not look very solid. Then again, neither did a water shield. I looked at the headmaster. His face was unreadable. But his eyes glowed slightly. Maybe he had a spell to analyse what was happening?

    Erik looked at Irene. ¡°You knew about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Remarkable, isn¡¯t it?¡± She replied.

    ¡°I would call it foolish. Girls, do you know what you have done?¡± He asked.

    Cassie grinned. ¡°We created a blood armour, connected to Skadi¡¯s blood.¡±

    Skadi formed an axe in her hand and swung it around. ¡°I have complete control over it. I can use it as armour, or weapon, or both. It is more durable than a water shield. And if I cut someone with that weapon I can drain their blood. I can probably do even more with practice!¡±

    Erik shook his head. ¡°You are using your own blood! That spell could easily kill you if you made a mistake! Irene, explain why you have allowed this.¡±

    Irene smiled. ¡°Because those girls have a little secret. Our blood mage here has been empowering her blood. She has actually changed it, a bit like a magical creature. It means she has far greater control over it than she should have, given her lack of experience. The potion she consumed, one that Cassie made, contained her own blood. It increases her regeneration for a time, to make sure her body still has enough blood to function after using some on the outside. Then Cassie helped her activate the spell. It¡¯s quite clever.¡±

    Erik looked less angry and more annoyed now. Then he looked at Skadi and Cassie. ¡°How did you manage to change your blood and infuse it with mana? Alchemy?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, helped with experiments.¡± Cassie admitted. ¡°We did some testing in the lab, with blood not inside of her.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki¡¯s vampiric undead can do blood armour and attacks. It seemed like a good idea.¡± Skadi commented.

    I had a feeling our circulation technique helped too. Skadi had proposed using it to empower our blood in the past.

    ¡°Those are undead. They do not need the blood inside of them. They can use it all and then regenerate it slowly over time. A living creature can¡¯t.¡± Erik pointed out.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Um, but I have learned some healing. And together with the potion I can create enough new blood.¡± Skadi said, sounding a bit uncertain now.

    Erik nodded. ¡°Just make sure that there is always enough left inside of you. Blood armour is a very advanced technique for a reason. Before you use that in actual combat you need to train with it.¡±

    ¡°Relax Erik.¡± Irene said. ¡°I made sure they did not kill themselves. I did not actually expect them to pull it off, at first. But after a long talk and them showing me some of what they could do I agreed to give them a chance. I loaned them a healing potion to ensure nothing went wrong.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Erik said. ¡°It was an advanced spell, so you pass. I will have a private discussion with Irene later. You can end the spell for now.¡±

    Erik seemed calmer again. Looking at him and Irene there was some silent communication going on. Part of me wondered if Skadi would get extra classes now. That would mean I was no longer the only one who accidentally increased our homework.

    Skadi nodded and the blood flowed back under her skin. It was a lot faster than summoning it.

    ¡°Um, don¡¯t you have too much blood inside your body now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, the spell takes care of that. The body can break down anything it does not need.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you have enough mana to be a senior mage.¡± Erik said and pulled a white crystal ball from his pocket. ¡°This is a measuring orb. It is not the most precise thing and has to be recharged periodically, which makes it expensive to use. Normally you would be measured after graduation, since your core is still growing a lot.¡±

    He held up the orb, so that we could see it. Then it began to glow in a bright blue. ¡°All you have to do is channel your mana into it. The orb can measure your core once you have connected to it. You don¡¯t need to channel all of your mana, all the orb needs is a connection.¡±

    Then he took his finger and pointed at some lines. ¡°The orb fills based on your core size. You need to fill at least the first line to graduate. Then we have this line, it represents the average at graduation. This line is for senior mage and that is for grand mage. If the entire ball fills you have enough mana to become an archmage. Keep in mind that archmages vary in core size as well. If you fill the entire ball you have at least the minimum requirements, we don¡¯t measure beyond that. Who wants to go first?¡±

    ¡°I can.¡± Cassie volunteered. Erik handed her the orb. She channelled mana into it¡­

    ¡°Wow.¡± Cassie said, staring at the orb.

    ¡°That is rather remarkable.¡± Erik commented.

    I blinked. Was I missing something? Was that not the average line?

    Erik continued with a smile: ¡°You see, Cassie had a below average core for a new student. Alchemy was a perfect choice for her, since you can prepare potions before a battle. But now? She has reached the average¡­ of a graduate.¡±

    My eyes widened as his words sank in. For most people the core grew rapidly until twenty, then still moderately until thirty. Over thirty it grew very slowly. There were exceptions, of course. But many expected their core to double during their time at the academy. But Cassie¡¯s had already grown more than that, in a year.

    Erik studied Cassie. ¡°Your sudden growth is not unique but it is rare. I will be honest, I had not really expected any real surprises. This test was mainly done for Koyuki, to formally make her a senior mage. But it seems there are more surprises in this group. If you keep growing like this, you will certainly become a senior mage, in time.¡±

    Cassie seemed really happy. She gave everyone a hug. Skadi took the orb next.

    ¡°Oh my. Your core is twice the size of the average graduate.¡± Erik commented.

    You needed three times the average graduate to become a senior mage. Skadi would reach that easily in the next three years.

    Skadi looked happy too and another round of hugs followed. I also began to realise just how remarkable being a senior mage after the first year would be.

    Next was Helena. She channeled mana into the orb. Then she gasped.

    ¡°You are a senior mage.¡± Erik said, stroking his beard. ¡°Not by much, you just about reached the threshold.¡±

    ¡°I am a senior mage!¡± Helena cheered.

    ¡°Congratulations!¡± We cheered with her and more hugs followed.

    Erik observed us, contemplating things. Clearly he had not expected this.

    It was my turn at last. I took the orb and channeled mana into it.

    ¡°You are close to being a grand mage, at least when it comes to your mana.¡± Erik said, taking the orb from my hands. ¡°Your group has displayed remarkable talent. You have learned advanced magic in a year. Two of you are now senior mages and the other two are above average for your age.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Was all I said. Meanwhile I was getting hugged by my cheering friends.

    ¡°All of you have a lot of talent. But you still have a lot to learn.¡± Irene cautioned us. ¡°Keep in mind that efficiency with your spells matters and takes training.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Such a talented group¡­ I think you will need extra classes next year.¡± Erik said.

    We all stared at him in horror.

 CHAPTER 179: Plans

    Despite the threat of more work we spent the evening celebrating. Two of us were now senior mages, an accomplishment for a second year. Actually, did we count as second year students already? There was still a nice break before the new school year would start. And a new undead I had to create.

    The school itself was in a good mood. We were still waiting for the results from the written exams but most students celebrated already. Only a few were concerned about not making it. But one important question remained: ¡°What are we going to do during the break?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°My invitation stands. You should join me when I visit my father! We can go hunting in the mountains and I can show you our hot springs!¡± Helena suggested.

    ¡°My mother won¡¯t be pleased but I would prefer the north over going home.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°We could invite Derrick. If he drops by for a few days it would help with your mother. She still thinks he is courting you.¡± Skadi proposed.

    ¡°Hm, that could work.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I am fine with that. I am sure my father would agree.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I would like to see your home, Helena. When do you want to leave?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, we should get the results tomorrow and then the school year officially ends. Afterwards we have to create your undead. I need to organize the trip, book a carriage for us¡­ I think it will be at least a week until we can go. And it will take us another week to reach my home.¡± Helena answered.

    ¡°The break is 11 weeks long so we have plenty of time. I want to meet my parents but maybe they can arrange a visit to your county. They do a lot of business in the north.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°It will be nice to not have to worry about politics for a few weeks.¡± I mused.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Helena looked at me. ¡°So¡­ about that¡­¡±

    ¡°Your father is not very political, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He is not. But remember that Duke Winston, Archibald¡¯s father, is our liege lord. And Duke Harold is interested in our county. They might send people to meet you. I hope we can avoid them but you should know about the possibility before you accompany me.¡± Helena explained.

    ¡°That sucks, I still want to visit you though. Staying here, alone, would be boring and I bet they would hound me even more.¡± I replied.

    Helena smiled. ¡°We are going to have fun, politics or not!¡±

    We all agreed on that.

    The next day the results were revealed. All of us passed, as expected. But that was not all. The headmaster held a small speech, revealing our promotion to senior mage.

    Some students were complaining, thinking they could have achieved the same rank but were not given a chance. Others tried to immediately talk to us, or invite us. As I saw Leo approach I immediately fled, I was in no mood for another conversation.

    I retreated to the lab with the foxkin corpse. The two cats were still sitting on top of it, keeping the spells going. I touched the cold body.

    ¡°Soon you will rise, Hatsumi.¡± I whispered.

    Then the door opened. I turned around and saw my friends enter.

    ¡°It¡¯s madness!¡± Helena complained. ¡°I am afraid I will get marriage proposals now that I am a senior mage.¡±

    ¡°I think Leo has a renewed interest in you as well.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Oh? Has he given up on me?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°No. He probably just figures he can marry one of you and keep the other as a concubine.¡± Skadi said.

    I stared at her.

    ¡°What? You know him, that is exactly something he would consider.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°She is not wrong.¡± Helena said. ¡°I am the daughter of a count but not the heir. It would not be uncommon for someone of my status to be the concubine of a more powerful noble.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should feed Leo to Nyx.¡± I joked.

    ¡°Meow.¡±

    ¡°Or to your new vampire! We are all here, should we just do this?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Uh, does everyone know the spell I showed you? I want to do a joint casting so I can compensate for my inexperience with more mana.¡± I said.

    Skadi pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. ¡°I even have the runes here. But I feel confident. All that practice has helped.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this! I don''t want to go out there right now. It will be a good distraction.¡± Helena said.

    It felt a bit spontaneous, after all the time preparing so carefully. Then again, our preparations were complete. I was now officially a senior mage and had the permission to raise a tier three. All of us were here and the body was ready.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do this!¡± I said.

    ¡°Meow.¡± Nyx agreed.

 CHAPTER 180: Hatsumi

    I was really nervous, more so than during the exams. Maybe it was a good thing that we did it spontaneously. If we had set a date I might not have slept the night before.

    I stood in front of the corpse, my friends were behind me. They placed their hands on my back to form a connection for our joint casting. The undead cats were still here and helped circulate the blood while I cast the spell. Nyx¡­ Nyx was on my head, observing the process.

    I took a deep breath. I tried to envision the undead I wanted. Fierce, loyal but free. An ally, a companion, a friend. I started forming the runes in my head and drew mana from my core. I felt my friends powering their own runes. I combined our efforts and released the magic.

    The spell was different than simply raising a tier one or two. I needed to channel it for a while. I needed to keep the mana flowing while the undead was created. While I had to concentrate on the runes I tried to observe the corpse as well.

    It had been well preserved and thoroughly cleaned. Slowly it began to change. I could feel the magic circulating inside the corpse. I could feel the pathways we had created with our preparation. The burnt flesh healed as it absorbed the mana. The damaged skin was replaced with a new pale one.

    Then the magic reached the hair. While it turned black it had some deep red highlights in it. That was a surprise and I almost lost my concentration. I refocused on the runes as the final part began. The formation of a new soul, a new being, Hatsumi.

    All my focus was now on the spell, to hold the runes in my head. To ensure they were perfectly formed. I heard heavy breathing behind me as my friends poured all their mana into the spell. I was starting to sweat as I pushed myself. I felt a new presence. A new mind. A force trying to break free, to shatter the spell. I kept focusing on my runes while I fought for control.

    Then it completed. The bond formed and settled. I was exhausted. I almost fell as I tried to take a step forward but one of my friends steadied me. Nyx jumped from my head. I guess she did not appreciate an unsteady ride. Cassie offered me a bottle of something. I accepted it and began to drink.

    ¡°Thanks, what is that?¡± I asked. It had a subtle flavour of lemon.

    ¡°It¡¯s something I came up with when I exhaust myself. My own personal recipe.¡± Cassie said.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    She had given a bottle to everyone and we are all recovering. I could see sweat on everyone''s face.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Helena asked with some excitement.

    ¡°I think so, yes.¡± I replied and looked at the corpse. Former corpse.

    Slowly the new undead began to sit up and look around. I could see her eyes now. While the iris was red, the sclera and the pupil were pitch black. If it were not for the eyes she looked like a living foxkin, just with rather pale skin.

    She tilted her head as she studied us. I could feel the link in our head. I could feel curiosity.

    ¡°Meow?¡± The undead¡­ asked?

    I stared at her in disbelief.

    ¡°Um, is she¡­ is she unable to talk?¡± Skadi asked.

    Then the undead blinked. ¡°Huh. Why did I do that?¡± She wondered.

    I looked at Nyx, who sat on the floor, looking innocent. ¡°Nyx, was that a prank?¡±

    She licked her paw.

    ¡°Nyx?¡± The undead asked. ¡°Oh, what a cute kitty! Oh, but where are my manners? I am¡­ I am¡­ Hatsumi?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Hello Hatsumi!¡± I said, then I simply hugged her.

    ¡°Oh. That feels nice.¡± She replied.

    ¡°This is so cool!¡± Helena commented.

    ¡°How much do you know? What can you do?¡± Cassie asked, excitedly.

    ¡°I¡­ I am not sure. I have some information. It.. it is all rather overwhelming.¡± Hatsumi said, then studied me. ¡°I can feel our connection¡­ Mistress.¡±

    ¡°Um, you don¡¯t have to call me that. Koyuki is fine.¡± I replied. Our hug ended and I took a step back.

    Hatsumi rose from the box she had been in. Her body was wet from being frozen. There was still some blood left too but she seemed to absorb it into her skin.

    My eyes widened as I noticed one miscalculation. And I was not the only one.

    ¡°We forgot to prepare clothes.¡± Skadi observed.

    We were all girls here but she needed clothes to walk around. And we had nothing prepared in her size. A clear oversight. She was only slightly larger than me, so maybe I could lend her something.

    Hatsumi pondered that. ¡°Clothes¡­¡± Then she froze the water still covering her skin. It turned into translucent ice to cover her chest and lower body.

    ¡°That might work for now but we need to get you real clothes. I apologize for not thinking about that.¡± I apologized and hung my head. A blunder like that was not the first impression I wanted to make.

    ¡°So, how do you feel about being an undead?¡± Skadi asked, changing the topic.

    ¡°Hm. Koyuki killed this body and gave it to me. I appreciate that. I do feel grateful. I also have an urge to protect Koyuki.¡± She mused.

    ¡°Gave you this body? Aren¡¯t you, like, new? Did you exist before?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember existing. I guess I am new.¡± Hatsumi said, while inspecting her body. She ran her hand along her skin, then she poked herself in the arm.

    ¡°While you are my undead I don''t want to force you. I hope we can work together. I hope¡­¡± Hatsumi held up her hand to interrupt me.

    She looked at me and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I am happy working for you mistr¡­ Koyuki.¡±

 CHAPTER 181: A Vampire?

    ¡°So, do you know what sort of undead you are?¡± Cassie asked.

    Hatsumi frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know that? I¡­ I think you all were part of my raising. Hm. Looking at all of you I feel some form of gratitude towards everyone.¡±

    ¡°We all helped, it was a joint casting!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°It was more than that.¡± I added. ¡°Cassie¡¯s alchemy was crucial in preparing the blood properly. Skadi helped with that and designed the circulation. Helena was involved in preserving the corpse with cold magic. It was a team effort.¡±

    ¡°I see. So, Koyuki, what sort of undead did you make?¡± Hatsumi asked with a smile.

    My tail swished nervously. ¡°So, I was mostly focused on the tier three part. We did prepare your corpse somewhat similar to the vampiric undead I have raised. But your body had a light affinity and was quite powerful. Actually, do you think Erik would measure her core?¡± I asked my friends.

    ¡°Erik?¡± Hatsumi inquired.

    ¡°Erik Hailstorm, the headmaster.¡± I clarified.

    ¡°It would be interesting. I do feel my core. I seem to be able to draw some mana but I do not know many spells.¡± Hatsumi said while levitating a small piece of ice.

    ¡°Telekinesis is a good basic spell. It is one of the basics.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Do you have inborn abilities too? Hey, your teeth! Do you have vampire teeth?¡± Cassie asked.

    Hatsumi opened her mouth and used her tongue to feel her teeth. Two of them seemed a bit longer.

    ¡°I suppose I do.¡± Hatsumi said.

    ¡°Did we create a true vampire? Awesome!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°I can try to teach you some blood magic. Actually, you can take the same classes I do next year.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Um, don¡¯t drink anyone''s blood. I think that would cause problems. If you need some, we can look for a solution. I have to ask Gronir if there are any dangers to your bite.¡± I said.

    ¡°I think your bond will provide enough that I won¡¯t go hungry. But I think I would enjoy eating. Hm. I wonder if I can eat normal food?¡± She mused.

    ¡°That should be easy enough to try. We can go to the mess hall, after we find you some clothes.¡± I decided. ¡°Oh, we also have to inform the teachers of your existence.¡±

    ¡°Koyuki, why don¡¯t you tell one of the teachers while I get her some clothes? Skadi and Cassie can stay with her until we return.¡± Helena suggested.

    I nodded. ¡°Sounds sensible, I will try to find Gronir. He might have some insights and maybe he has a book about vampires.¡±

    So far it had all worked better than expected. I was a bit tired but my excitement kept me wide awake. I hurried towards Gronirs office. Maybe telling the headmaster first would be more appropriate but Gronir was the expert on undead.

    I knocked on his door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    I entered and he smiled. ¡°Ah, Koyuki. I guess you are excited about creating your new tier three. This is a delicate procedure, I can help you with the final prep¡­¡± He looked at my face, which was blushing a bit. He sighed. ¡°You already raised your tier three I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! I, uh, I am a senior mage now so I thought it would be fine¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, you were allowed to do it, yes. And I admit that you spent a lot of time and resources preparing. So you did nothing wrong, technically. But it might have been a good idea to inform a teacher, in case something went wrong. Anyway, it worked?¡±

    ¡°Yes! We did a joint casting and created a vampire!¡± I announced.

    He looked at me, stroking his beard. ¡°A vampire. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Well, she has the teeth. She did absorb some blood that was left from the casting. She is a tier three and has a core.¡± I replied.

    ¡°She could be a normal undead with blood powers. Although the teeth are curious.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°Are there other undead with blood powers?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Skadi is not a vampire, yet she has blood powers. There are undead blood mages who are not vampires. Actually, there are vampires who are not really mages too. While they all have a core and any true vampire is a tier three, some use their mana only for their inborn abilities. Let¡¯s see what you have created.¡± He stood up and I led him towards the lab.

    We walked in silence while my thoughts were racing. Was she not a vampire? What abilities did a true vampire have? If she was one, could she create more? Would they be bound to me?

    As we arrived I realized that Helena had returned. Hatsumi now wore a first year uniform.

    ¡°Sir, this is Hatsumi. Hatsumi, this is my teacher, Gronir.¡± I introduced them.

    Hatsumi stood and gave a small bow. ¡°Thank you for teaching her. I would likely not be here otherwise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± Gronir replied. ¡°Koyuki tells me you might be a vampire?¡±

    ¡°I do not know what I am.¡± Hatsumi answered. ¡°But I know the word vampire and I certainly have a connection to blood.¡±

    ¡°We used vampiric nightshade seeds in your blood.¡± Cassie pointed out.

    Gronir nodded. ¡°The way the blood was prepared was unusual. You did a joint casting and Skadi has blood magic. But actually raising a vampire¡­ I had my doubts. Now? I can¡¯t say for certain but it seems possible. The changes to your eyes and hair are rather remarkable.¡±

    ¡°Is there a way to find out what she is?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The most defining characteristic of vampires is their bite. We would need a creature to test that.¡± Gronir answered.

 CHAPTER 182: What is a Vampire?

    ¡°So we need a volunteer?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°I would not recommend biting a friend.¡± Gronir said. I also noticed a glow in his eyes.

    ¡°Can¡¯t your magic identify her?¡± I wondered.

    Gronir shook his head. ¡°The core of a tier three makes it hard. Tier three undead are very complex. We need to find out about her natural abilities to classify her.¡±

    ¡°What is the problem with biting a friend?¡± Cassie wondered.

    ¡°What makes a vampire bite special is their ability to paralyse someone with their bite. They can lock you down through your blood, then inject necrotic mana. They don¡¯t have to do that, they can just bite normally. But that would not tell us much.¡± Gronir explained.

    ¡°I do have some control over blood. And I think I can heal myself with it.¡± Hatsumi said.

    Gronir nodded. ¡°You are certainly an undead connected with blood. But that is not a unique trait of vampires. Although you would certainly fall into the greater vampiric family. Let us find an animal we can use. I will send one of my skeletons to fetch something.¡±

    ¡°If she is a vampire, is there anything important we need to know? Hatsumi said my bond is enough to feed her.¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Vampires have a special connection to blood. Like your vampiric undead they can use it to heal and to rapidly replenish their mana. They need blood to survive if they are not bound. Vampires are even more vulnerable to light magic than most undead. It is their main weakness. They are also feared because they can blend in with normal people. Once they get close it takes magic to fight their bite. They are incredible infiltrators and assassins. Their physical strength is mostly linked to their core. Like any magical creature their body is enhanced by their mana. Not all of them are mages. Some use their core purely for enhancement.¡± Gronir explained.

    Hatsumi was poking her teeth with her finger while she listened.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°What about the body temperature?¡± I wondered. ¡°Is that not an easy way to identify them?¡±

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°Once you touch their skin it might be a bit late. But even that can be changed with magic. Although vampires usually do not have a fire affinity they can simply use a potion to increase their temperature. Or they could pretend to be an ice mage. Cooling your skin in a warm climate or covering yourself in a protective layer of ice is not unheard of.¡±

    ¡°Do all vampires have ice magic? Blood requires water and earth.¡± I asked.

    Gronir shook his head. ¡°Remember, while all of them have magic, not all of them are true mages. It depends on the size of their core and their talent. All vampires have the theoretical ability to learn an ice spell. A lot of them will never do that. Vampires have strong natural powers and they tend to rely on those. A real vampire mage will likely use cold and water based attacks, in addition to earth and blood. Most will specialise though. Keep in mind that there are no academies or schools for vampires, at least none that I know of. Free vampires are killed, like monsters. Very few necromancers will have a vampire as a servant. It does take talent and preparation to create one. You did a joint casting with a blood mage, had help from an alchemist, had a really high value corpse, got assistance from teachers and even used vampiric nightshade seeds.¡±

    He made a good point. Having such a powerful corpse was not a common thing. Then there were my friends. My talent alone would not have been enough. Most necromancers would never be in a situation where they could even attempt to make a vampire.

    ¡°Will there be a problem if I walk around in public?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°You will get an identification card stating that you belong to Koyuki. Guards should accept that but they might still keep an eye on you. Adventurers can be a bit more¡­ problematic. Vampire teeth are valuable and there is bounty on any high level threat. Vampires are categorized as a threat. They might attack first, or not believe you when you show them your identification. If they attack you can defend yourself. Koyuki¡¯s status will definitely help you. Oh, and other necromancers might try to steal you, or lure you away.¡± Gronir warned.

    ¡°Let them try.¡± Hatsumi could make a very scary face, I noticed.

    But I remembered an earlier conversation with Gronir. ¡°Didn''t you tell me it would be really hard to steal a tier three?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It would take an archmage to steal her, unless she was willing to change master. That would make it easier to break the bond. But a lot of people have more ego than sense and just assume they can do it. Or they think they can convince the undead. Or they just try to kill the necromancer first. Then they get eaten by the undead, usually.¡± Gronir chuckled.

    Then the door opened and a skeleton entered. It held a rat.

    ¡°Ah, I think the test subject has arrived.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°You want me to bite a rat?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°It is a living creature with blood. I want you to bite and do what comes naturally. I shall observe with my magic.¡± He explained.

    Hatsumi took the rat from the skeleton. Nyx watched it very closely. Hatsumi took the animal, then just bit into it. The animal froze, then it started to change. The fur turned black, the eyes glowed red. When Hatsumi was done we all stared at a zombie rat.

    ¡°She is a vampire.¡± Gronir stated.

    While we all processed this information Nyx grew. Then she swallowed the rat, right out of Hatsumi¡¯s hands.

 CHAPTER 183: Settling-In

    Hatsumi looked confused, at first. She stared at her empty hands, then she looked at Nyx and smiled.

    ¡°Such a cute kitty.¡± She petted Nyx.

    Nyx purred.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her!¡± I complained.

    ¡°She just wanted a snack and we did not need the rat anyway.¡± Hatsumi defended the glutton.

    ¡°It might have been interesting.¡± Gronir mused. ¡°I was not able to truly study the undead Hatsumi created. But it is not a great loss either. It was only a rat. The fact that she transformed the creature with a bite shows that she is a vampire. This is exciting! I expect you in my class next year.¡±

    ¡°I shall happily accompany my mis¡­ Koyuki during her classes.¡± Hatsumi said.

    My eyes narrowed. Was it truly an accident that she almost said mistress again? Or was she teasing me?

    ¡°Now, as much as I would like to study our new vampire, I need to inform the headmaster. Koyuki, Hatsumi, come with me.¡± Gronir said.

    ¡°We are going to clean up here and meet afterwards.¡± Helena suggested.

    I nodded.

    Nyx shrank again and jumped on Hatsumi¡¯s head. I wondered if they were secretly communicating.

    ¡°You know, bound vampires are rather rare. I expect some necromancers will be interested in studying you.¡± Gronir said as we walked towards the headmaster¡¯s office.

    ¡°Are you one of those necromancers?¡± Hatsumi inquired.

    Gronir chuckled. ¡°Indeed I am. If you are willing and Koyuki agrees. The way you transform creatures into undead is different from the classical necromancy spells. I have often wondered if there was a way to replicate your bite. Is blood magic the key? Or is it just used to immobilise the prey?¡±

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°What are you trying to create? Do you want to enhance your teeth and bite the enemy?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°Oh no. I am thinking about a dart, piercing the enemy from range. I want to inject a spell into a living creature that kills it and raises it. I am thinking about a battlefield. It would be more convenient than killing them first and raising their corpses.¡± He explained. ¡°There are spells that mimic such an effect but they are usually just separate spells chained together. That means they are more expensive, mana wise. If we could truly combine the effect it would be a huge achievement.¡±

    ¡°If Hatsumi wants to and is not harmed in the process I would be fine with it.¡± I said. Gronir¡¯s idea sounded interesting but it would be her decision.

    ¡°I shall consider it.¡± Hatsumi said.

    We arrived at the office, where Gronir just strode in.

    ¡°Erik, I have some news!¡± He said, sounding cheerful.

    ¡°Gronir? What is it? Is that Koyuki with you?¡±

    Gronir grinned. ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Erik sighed. ¡°She has already created an undead, what is it?¡±

    ¡°The girls made a vampire!¡± Gronir announced.

    Erik nodded. ¡°Of course they did. Ok, introduce this vampire.¡±

    Hatsumi stepped forward and gave a small bow.

    ¡°Sir, I am Hatsumi. Koyuki¡¯s loyal servant. A pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Erik said. ¡°Welcome to the academy. Make sure to follow the rules. I suspect Gronir has informed you about anything important. Make sure that you do not attack anyone and don¡¯t go around and create more vampires. As a bound undead you can¡¯t be a student, officially, but I expect you to learn while you are here. Use the break to catch up and prepare for the second year.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± She responded.

    ¡°Good. Now I will have a conversation with Gronir. Koyuki, Hatsumi, you are dismissed.¡± Erik said.

    Both of us saluted and we left.

    ¡°He did not comment on Nyx being on my head.¡± Hatsumi noted.

    ¡°Nyx used to ride on my head a lot, before Chariot. She being on someone¡¯s head is not surprising.¡± I explained.

    ¡°Where to now, mis¡­ Koyuki.¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°Are you doing that on purpose? Almost calling me mistress?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°What? Of course not! My apologies¡­¡± Hatsumi replied, while looking mischievous.

    I sighed. ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s find the others. Actually, did they say where they wanted to meet?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Hatsumi replied.

    Suddenly I heard a crunching sound. I looked towards Nyx, who was chewing a bone.

    ¡°Did you give Nyx a treat? Why do you have treats for her?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Helena gave me some. She said they are leftovers from your Iron Beak creation. All the girls have some Nyx treats with them. Don¡¯t you?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Um, fair enough. I usually carry some treats¡­¡± I admitted. ¡°Anyway, let me show you our room.¡± I decided.

    Since the exams were over a lot of the students were leaving already. Those still around were busy packing, planning or celebrating. Despite that we got a few looks and people started whispering as we passed.

    While we walked I realised that I was hungry. I had been so focused on Hatsumi that I had missed lunch. My stomach rumbled.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the mess hall and get you some food?¡± Hatsumi suggested.

    ¡°Uh, sure.¡± I agreed, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡°The mess hall is this way.¡±

 CHAPTER 184: Food

    While we walked Hatsumi studied our surroundings.

    ¡°So, how much do you know about the world? Is it overwhelming to suddenly exist?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°It is overwhelming, in some way. It is also exciting! It¡¯s hard to describe what I know. I think a lot of it comes from you, or maybe the whole group. You created me in a joint casting, after all. I know about tableware, weapons, the weather,... there is a lot of information in my head. I know that we are in an academy, a place of learning. I know that this nation is called Nethena. But some information is vague. And knowing about something and experiencing it are different.¡± She explained.

    I nodded. ¡°Knowing about something and seeing it are certainly different things. If you get overwhelmed and need a break, just let me know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but it is fine.¡± Hatsumi replied. ¡°But¡­ I would like to try eating something.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if they have anything bloody.¡± I said.

    We arrived at the mess hall. It was mostly empty. Not a big surprise, it was too late for lunch. I walked towards the counter, which was always open. Having money to buy food was a great feeling.

    ¡°Hi. Do you have anything with, eh, blood?¡± I asked the man behind the counter.

    ¡°Blood? Oh, yeah we have a blood sausage. It comes with mashed potatoes.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Great, I would like two portions of that.¡± I said. ¡°Oh, and a large mug of ale, please.¡±

    It did not take long until my order was ready. Hatsumi had claimed a table and I brought the food.

    She frowned. ¡°It seems wrong that you are serving me.¡±

    ¡°Why? We are friends.¡± I declared and put the food down. ¡°This is blood sausage! It¡¯s made from blood, mixed with other stuff. I hope that does not ruin the taste for you. Does it need to be fresh?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure.¡± Hatsumi picked up the sausage with her hand. Then she sniffed it.

    ¡°Normally you use a knife and a fork.¡± I said with a smile.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°I seem to know that. Yet my instinct was to eat with my hands. Curious.¡± Hatsumi placed the sausage on the plate. Then she picked up the knife and the fork. After cutting a small piece from the sausage she gave it a try.

    I started eating myself while Hatsumi chewed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can gain any benefits from this. It certainly lacks the power of real blood. But the taste is acceptable. I will pass on this potato stuff.¡± Hatsumi declared and took another bite of the sausage.

    I took a sip of my ale. ¡°Maybe Cassie can create something to drink for you? Different flavours of blood?¡±

    ¡°I think I would like that.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Koyuki! I have been looking for you.¡± I heard Leo¡¯s voice.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Who is that? A relative?¡± He asked, as came closer. Then he stopped and stared, as he saw her eyes.

    ¡°This is Hatsumi, my new tier three undead. Hatsumi, this is Leo Harold.¡± I introduced them.

    ¡°A tier three undead? Why is she at the table, eating?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Because she wanted to try food. I thought that was rather obvious.¡± I replied.

    Leo shook his head. ¡°You cat is bad enough, but this? She is your servant. She should not be at our table.¡±

    ¡°The only one who is at this table uninvited is you.¡± I countered.

    ¡°Mistress, he does belong at this table.¡± Hatsumi said, suddenly sounding meek.

    ¡°See. She knows her place.¡± Leo replied, sounding smug.

    Then Hatsumi¡¯s gaze changed. Her meek look disappeared and turned into murderous intent. ¡°After all, he is food. Food belongs at the table.¡±

    She showed her teeth, then licked them with her tongue. Nyx was still on her head, and nodded, as if she was agreeing with her statement.

    Leo took a step back, his eyes were wide.

    ¡°You can¡¯t eat him!¡± I told her. I was not sure if she was joking.

    Hatsumi gave me a small nod. Then she took her knife and cut another small piece of her sausage. She did not pay any attention to Leo, who was freaking out.

    ¡°What¡­ what is she?¡± He asked.

    ¡°A vampire.¡± I replied.

    ¡°Now that you have grasped her greatness, you may leave.¡± Hatsumi said. The red in her eyes started to glow, slightly.

    ¡°You¡­ you created a vampire. A full vampire¡­¡± He stammered. Then he straightened and left.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked Hatsumi, who was chewing a piece of sausage.

    ¡°You clearly did not like him. Since I am not allowed to kill, I figured intimidation was the next best option.¡± She replied.

    ¡°He is the son of a duke. Threatening him could be a problem.¡± I said.

    ¡°Shall I dispose of him? I can catch him before he informs anyone. Nyx can consume the corpse.¡± She replied.

    ¡°No! No killing.¡± I told her, again.

    She nodded. "As you wish. Are you asking me to be more polite to people who do not show you any kind of respect?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    I sighed. ¡°Politics are complicated. We should at least try to not make too many enemies.¡±

    ¡°I see. I shall try to become more¡­ diplomatic.¡± Hatsumi replied.

    ¡°There you are!¡± This time it was Helena¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Told you she would be getting food.¡± Skadi commented.

    ¡°We should get food too.¡± Cassie stated.

    ¡°I will order something for everyone.¡± Skadi replied and went towards the counter.

    ¡°We saw Leo leaving, he looked rather pale. What happened?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°I explained to him that he was nothing but food.¡± Hatsumi answered.

    Helena blinked, then she started laughing. Cassie giggled.

 CHAPTER 185: Plans

    Skadi returned with a big plate of food. Cured meats, sausage, cheese, bread,... the perfect snacking plate.

    ¡°What are you laughing about?¡± She inquired, as she set the plate down.

    ¡°Hatsumi has already put Leo in his place.¡± Cassie answered.

    ¡°Leo was getting really pushy lately. Maybe it is a good thing¡­¡± I was still uncertain about that. He had influence. But I did have power. I was a senior mage with two tier three undead.

    ¡°Of course it is a good thing. People need to respect you, Koyuki. He is nothing.¡± Hatsumi said.

    ¡°He does have access to corpses. But I think we can get some in the north when we visit Helena¡¯s family.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Yeah! We can go hunting. There are always some bandits and plenty of monsters.¡± Helena said.

    ¡°It would be my pleasure to hunt things for you! I will try to not turn them myself.¡± Hatsumi offered.

    ¡°I wonder if I can use your bite. Could you kill them by adding necrotic mana to their blood without turning them into undead? And letting me raise them? Actually, do you want your own undead?¡± Of course there might be some legal issues with a tier three, even a bound one, raising an army.

    Hatsumi pondered that. ¡°Maybe later, once my core grows a bit. For now I prefer to keep my mana available. But I will happily explore my abilities in order to help you.¡±

    ¡°What are your thoughts on living creatures? Including people. Do you see them differently, being an undead?¡± Cassie asked.

    ¡°Hm. I am not sure how living beings see other living beings.¡± Hatsumi said. ¡°However, I do not hate them, if that is what you mean. I have no desire to kill someone just because they are not undead. That said, I have no particular problem with killing either.¡±

    ¡°So what sort of role do you want to have in our group? A frontline fighter?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I have not really considered that. I see myself as a hunter. I think I would like to fight close. I think I would like to taste my enemies¡¯ blood¡­¡± She licked her lips as she said it.

    ¡°Hey, I just realised you are eating sausage.¡± Helena mentioned. ¡°Do you like normal food?¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°This is blood sausage. It is acceptable. I would prefer fresher blood though.¡± She replied. ¡°Actually, Koyuki mentioned you might be able to help me, Cassie.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh! You want me to make some blood potions?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Would it be possible to properly preserve blood and keep it fresh?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°Oh. Sure. I think I can do that, at least for a while. But I am not sure how it will affect taste or effectiveness. Just because I can prevent spoilage does not mean it retains whatever a vampire needs.¡± Cassie cautioned.

    ¡°So, back to the group. Skadi is our frontline fighter and will be a spellblade. Helena is a mix between ranged and melee. She will focus on large scale ice magic but also knows her weapons and can create an ice armour. That way she is our most flexible member. Cassie provides alchemy support and I am mostly controlling my undead, enhancing them and adding some death magic. Nyx is also a frontline fighter and bodyguard.¡± I explained our setup.

    Hatsumi pondered that. ¡°I would like to become your bodyguard. But I would also like to hunt for you. I could see myself leading a charge¡­ I am uncertain.¡±

    ¡°You should be an assassin, or a spy! You could seduce the enemy, then kill them and turn them.¡± Cassie said with a grin.

    ¡°You got that idea from one of Skadi¡¯s books, didn¡¯t you?¡± I accused her.

    ¡°I might be interested in such a book. Does it feature vampires?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    I groaned.

    ¡°We should go book shopping. I am sure there are great vampire stories.¡± Skadi suggested.

    Helena nodded. ¡°It will take us some time to reach my home. We will spend a lot of time inside a carriage, or on a horse.¡±

    ¡°We could train some magic, read a few spellbooks.¡± I suggested.

    ¡°I believe that learning needs a lot more concentration than entertainment. Perhaps having both available would be good.¡± Hatsumi pointed out.

    Cassie grinned. ¡°I like her.¡±

    ¡°She did not completely rule out training.¡± Skadi pointed out. ¡°We should definitely spar a bit when we camp in the evening.¡±

    Cassie pouted.

    ¡°It will take me a few days to organize the trip. Everyone is coming, right?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Yes. I am going to write to my mother tomorrow and tell her.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°I am going to inform my parents as well. I can invite them to stop by, right?¡± Skadi asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Does your father know that we are coming?¡± I asked.

    Helena shrugged. ¡°Well¡­ I told him I would bring friends. Don¡¯t worry, my dad is great!¡±

    ¡°What is his opinion of undead? Should I bring the skeletons?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We do fight quite a few undead in the mountains but he does not hate them particularly. He is fine with competent necromancers. Bringing your undead might be a logistical problem, though. We want to travel faster than the wagon we used for our trip. Could they keep up?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Undead do not tire in the conventional sense. However, they consume mana. If they were sprinting the whole day? I honestly don¡¯t know if they would collapse at some point. I am not sure if I could give them additional mana through the bond. The undead healing spell might help. But I don¡¯t think I need to bring all my skeletons. Or the Iron Beaks. Maybe just Frank and the cats and the magical skeleton? And Hatsumi, of course.¡±

    ¡°If you leave the magical skeleton here all party members could look alive, from a distance. Frank might not pass close scrutiny but in armor he certainly does look like a person.¡± Skadi suggested.

    ¡°Would it be a problem if we had a visible skeleton?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We might get ambushed less, that means less corpses! If we go by carriage without too many guards somebody could try to rob us.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°Are people really getting robbed that often on the main roads?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°Not really. Most guards are there to protect from monsters and the main roads are well patrolled.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°But you could put Frank on Coffee and everyone else travels inside a carriage.¡± Helena suggested.

    I nodded. ¡°That does sound reasonable.¡±

 CHAPTER 186: Preparations

    That evening I discovered a new problem. Hatsumi did not have a bed. It was late and we were standing in our room.

    ¡°Um, we don¡¯t have a third bed. You could take mine, Hatsumi, and I can sleep on the floor.¡± I offered.

    ¡°What? No! I would never kick you out of your bed. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Hatsumi replied.

    ¡°Do vampires sleep?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°That¡­ I think I feel a little tired?¡± Hatsumi replied.

    ¡°I think every creature with a core suffers from magic fatigue. Otherwise a tier three undead could cast indefinitely.¡± I theorised.

    ¡°So my tiredness might be connected to magic use?¡± She asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I think every creature with a core needs some sleep. I would not be surprised if you need less than we do though.¡±

    ¡°Another reason why you should get the bed. I can sleep on the floor.¡± She assured me.

    ¡°We do have camping supplies. You can have a sleeping bag.¡± Helena offered.

    ¡°Thank you, that is more than enough.¡± Hatsumi replied.

    I relented and used the bed myself. I noticed that the tier two cats were with Hatsumi while Nyx slept inside my tail. I wondered if they had a special bond since the two cats had been watching over the corpse for a long time. I was still thinking about cats when I fell asleep.

    The next day I noticed how few students were still here. It was a blessing since I was a senior mage now, with a vampire. I would have attracted a lot of attention. We still had to wait for Hatsumi¡¯s permit, or identification, or however that thing was called. So we stayed inside the academy. Helena left to organize a carriage. Skadi and Cassie went shopping, presumably for books.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Meanwhile I showed Hatsumi around the academy. We stopped by the training area and sparred. It was clear that she had some skill with weapons and her undead body was rather strong. Despite my progress over the last year she defeated me.

    Then she fought Nyx. That was an interesting duel. Fully grown Nyx was able to overpower Hatsumi but she was just slightly faster. I was not sure who would win if they used magic. Nyx had no blood and both of them had water and death affinities. It seemed to me like they were evenly matched.

    Afterwards we did a bit of spell practice. It seemed to me that Hatsumi had some idea of most spells that I knew. Actually, she had some idea of the spells my friends knew as well. But she needed practice. Sadly, she did not seem to have a light affinity anymore. She did not know the rune for light mana or any spells of that element.

    When Cassie and Skadi returned they grinned way too much. I was immediately suspicious.

    ¡°We found a book for you, Hatsumi.¡± Skadi said, while Cassie giggled uncontrollably.

    ¡°Oh? That is so kind of you!¡± Hatsumi said while her tail started wagging. I tried to see the title but failed.

    ¡°What is this about? Have you found a vampire novel? Something about a dark vampire queen taking over the world?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, no. Nothing like that.¡± Cassie said after she managed to control herself.

    ¡°It does have a vampire though.¡± Skadi said and Cassie giggled some more.

    Hatsumi turned towards me, showing me the book. ¡°It has a vampire maid!¡±

    My eyes widened. ¡°A what?¡± As I looked at the cover I saw a man sitting in a fancy chair. He was dressed in a suit. Next to him kneeled a woman in a maid uniform. She was rather pale, had black hair and blood was dripping from her mouth.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t read the book myself.¡± Skadi said. ¡°But according to the description it is about a necromancer. He is a noble and uses undead as his staff, including a vampire maid who kills his enemies.¡±

    ¡°People write books like that?¡± I wondered.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°People are afraid of the undead but vampires do have a certain allure.¡±

    ¡°Could I get a maid uniform?¡± Hatsumi asked, looking at the cover of the book.

    ¡°What? No!¡± I complained.

    ¡°Why not? You are a senior mage now. I think having a maid would be appropriate.¡± Skadi said.

    ¡°You are not my maid. You are my companion, maybe a guard¡­¡± I replied.

    ¡°With her blood magic and teeth she would be a great guard, even in a maid uniform.¡± Skadi pointed out.

    ¡°Maids are really common for nobles, as you know. You could even teach her to be a proper maid!¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°You see maids running around the academy every day. I understand that your past makes you hesitate but there is nothing wrong with maids in general, as long as they are free.¡± Skadi added.

    Why was I so embarrassed by the idea? Skadi did have a point, as hard as it was for me to admit that. There was nothing wrong with being a maid in general. While quite a few of them were enslaved, not all of them were. Everyone at the academy was free, for example. Seeing them run around the academy, clean rooms, do laundry¡­ I had gotten used to that. Would having my own maid really change things? Maybe it was because Hatsumi was bound to me. It would be a reminder that I had power over her.

    ¡°I do need more clothes.¡± Hatsumi pointed out. ¡°Why don¡¯t we buy normal ones and a uniform? As a maid I might be able to accompany you more easily in situations where a guard is frowned upon.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    Then I found myself getting hugged, by Hatsumi. At least she seemed happy.

 CHAPTER 187: Leaving

    Helena returned a bit later and fully supported the maid idea. She had a good laugh when she saw the book. Oh well, I had already agreed anyway. The next day Hatsumi got her license. She could now walk around on her own. Something she wanted to use for shopping.

    I stayed at the academy and started packing. Next year we would get new rooms on the second floor. That meant we were supposed to take everything with us during the break. Of course, I still had some of my undead here. I could simply put a few things with them. Not that I owned a lot anyway.

    Hatsumi did not go shopping alone. Helena went with her. Partially because she liked shopping and partially because we decided not to push our luck. Hatsumi was legally allowed to walk the streets, that did not mean nobody would attack her.

    After I finished packing most of my stuff I decided to read a bit. I picked a necromancy textbook, then I hesitated. Skadi did give me one of her books, maybe I should give it a try¡­

    I lost track of time and was startled when the door opened. Then I froze. Hatsumi was back, in a maid uniform.

    ¡°I am back! What do you think?¡± She asked, then she twirled.

    ¡°It looks good, doesn''t it? Just a classic black dress with the white apron and some red ribbons. It really works with her hair and eyes.¡± Helena said.

    It did work, I had to admit. My hand touched my throat, where my collar used to be. I still had mixed feelings but she did seem happy. That was the important part.

    ¡°We also bought other clothes!¡± Hatsumi said. ¡°So I can dress differently, if we go hunting. But I want to stay a maid while we travel.¡±

    ¡°It does look good on you¡­¡± I finally admitted. She grinned and curtsied.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Afterwards I helped Helena pack.

    The next day we left early in the morning. The carriage Helena had organized was big. It could seat six people in the back! Well, if they were reasonably in form and not too big. Maybe it was sized for four lazy nobles.

    The carriage was drawn by four horses. It was painted black and had a silver horse on the door. The cabin was fully enclosed and the benches inside looked rather soft.

    ¡°Where did you get this? It must have been expensive.¡± I asked.

    Helena nodded. ¡°It¡¯s from one of the major coach companies, the silver stallions. I decided to splurge a bit! Something befitting the Dread Claws of Nyx!¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    I looked at Nyx, who was sitting on Chariot. The other cats were there as well. Oh, I had forgotten about Chariot!

    ¡°Can we fit Chariot inside?¡± I wondered.

    ¡°He can sit on the roof, together with the luggage.¡± Helena suggested.

    While we were talking, Skadi was helping the driver. He was on the roof and Skadi was handing him our bags.

    Hatsumi was returning from the stable with Coffee and Frank. My horse was surprisingly unconcerned about undead. Frank wore a chain shirt and an open helmet. His sword hung from his belt. He looked like a man-at-arms and would be our escort.

    Hatsumi saw Skadi loading the wagon and hurried over. She wore her maid uniform and tried to stop Skadi from working. I guess she took her role as servant seriously, although maids were not typically the ones who carried heavy bags.

    ¡°How much does the driver know?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He knows that we are students and will fight if anything happens. Still, I had to pay a bit extra since we only have one guard, officially.¡± Helena admitted. ¡°Still cheaper than hiring guards though.¡± She added with a grin.

    ¡°You have a bet going again, don¡¯t you? About being ambushed?¡± I accused her.

    Her grin widened. ¡°Do you want to bet on us not getting attacked again?¡±

    ¡°We were not really ambushed the last time either!¡± I insisted.

    She patted me on the head. ¡°Keep telling yourself that.¡±

    ¡°Careful with that bag! It has alchemy stuff inside.¡± I heard Cassie say.

    ¡°Oh no, the carriage is going to explode¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°I am sure it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Helena replied, sounding slightly uncertain.

    While we bantered they finished loading. The driver looked a bit confused when Hatsumi placed Chariot on the roof. A vampiric armadillo was certainly not a normal thing. In the end the man shrugged and accepted it.

    We boarded the carriage after making sure we had everything. The cats were with us and took the sixth seat. Frank mounted Coffee. As a tier two undead his riding skills were limited but it should be enough to follow a carriage.

    I looked at the dorms, again. The academy had been the first place in my life that felt like a home. Of course, I would return in a few weeks. Still, I felt a bit of sadness. I looked at my friends again. I suppose they were my real home. And we would certainly have some great adventures during the break!

 CHAPTER 188: Traveling

    Traveling was simultaneously exciting and a bit boring. The carriage was quite comfortable and I could watch the scenery. Of course, I could talk with my friends, read and train magic. But sitting for such a long period, even on a plush bench, was not ideal.

    We stopped for lunch, which consisted of smoked sausage, cheese and bread. No crackers. Thankfully we would be able to supply frequently. We did not even need to camp. There were stations along the road where you could park your wagon and spend the night. We sparred in the evening. It was a great way to get some exercise after a day of sitting.

    The journey went smoothly so far. It was the end of the third day as we arrived at an inn for the night. I noticed that it got colder as we moved north. Winter might be coming to an end but the land was still covered in snow. As usual I stretched as I left the carriage.

    Chariot remained on the roof and served as a guard together with Frank. That meant we did not need to unload all of our bags, only the clothes we needed for the night. Surprisingly, the stable was filled with many horses.

    I looked around as we entered. There were quite a few people here. I noticed plenty of scars and everyone had some sort of weapon hanging from their belt. Hatsumi approached the innkeeper. ¡°Greetings! My ladies would like to rent rooms for the night.¡±

    The man examined Hatsumi. Her eyes caught people off guard but the maid uniform was effective. A maid travelling with nobility made sense so they ignored minor things, like unnatural eyes.

    ¡°I apologize, there is only one room left.¡± The man replied, looking nervous. ¡°We have a mercenary company staying here right now.¡±

    ¡°Mercenaries? Here?¡± Helena inquired. ¡°Duke Colton is not known for hiring mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, my lady. But they have been hired by Baron Ridge.¡± He replied. ¡°May I inquire who you are?¡±

    ¡°Helena Frost, daughter of Count Frost. We are students of the Royal Military Academy. I am going home during the break and my friends are accompanying me.¡± She explained.

    ¡°Oh? You girls are from the Wolf¡¯s Den?¡± A man shouted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show us some of your skills? Interested in some wrestling?¡±

    I did not like the tone. Some of his comrades laughed. I noticed that even the few women among them joined in.

    ¡°Rather bold of them to talk to a noble like that.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°I sincerely apologize¡­¡± The innkeeper replied. He looked rather uncomfortable.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Ah, we would never lay a hand on a noble, of course.¡± One the mercenaries said, while leering at Hatsumi. ¡°But what about that pretty maid? Maybe we can borrow her?¡±

    ¡°Shall I make an example of him?¡± Hatsumi asked.

    ¡°What? The maid wants a fight?¡± The mercenary laughed, and stood up. Then he walked straight towards her. ¡°Maybe we can have a little wager¡­¡± His hand reached towards her face.

    There was surprise in the man¡¯s eyes, as his hand was caught. It turned to concern as he realised she was stronger than him. Then his eyes widened in horror as she opened her mouth and she saw the teeth.

    ¡°VAMPIRE!¡± He screamed. But it was a short scream. Her teeth pierced his throat and his body went stiff.

    The room became very quiet. The mercenaries stared at her in shock. Fighting a vampire without magic was not an easy task and they likely knew it.

    Nyx jumped from my head, the movement got people''s attention. They had ignored the small skeleton, but now she grew. Her eyes were glowing as she stared at the mercenaries. Her mouth opened and a purple tongue formed. Then she started licking her paw.

    ¡°Did you kill him?¡± I asked Hatsumi.

    ¡°No. I simply paralysed him. He should be fine, I think.¡± She replied.

    I nodded, that was good. He had been rather rude. A bit of paralysis seemed like a good punishment. Then I reached into my pockets and retrieved my licence and held it up.

    ¡°I am a necromancer, senior mage and carry a permit that allows me to exceed the normal limits for undead soldiers. Hatsumi is my servant and a vampire. Nyx here is¡­¡± I looked at her. She was still licking her paw. ¡°She is my guardian.¡±

    I was not sure if any of them could identify an official licence. But they should be aware that those existed.

    A man stood up. He was slightly better dressed than his companions and the long sword at his belt looked decent. He bowed to us. ¡°I apologise for any offence my men have caused. I am Captain Arlo.¡±

    ¡°What exactly are you doing here?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°We have been hired to search for vampiric nightshades. We were given a crystal to detect them and potions to burn them once we find them.¡±

    Cassie scratched her head. ¡°Alchemy is great but hunting nightshades without a mage seems kind of risky.¡±

    ¡°Were not the ones in the Korrah forest shielded from detection?¡± I wondered.

    Skadi nodded. ¡°Yes. I doubt your crystal is gonna find them.¡±

    The man looked rather pale. ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡°I guess we will take the one room. Maybe you can find some place for our driver to sleep as well?¡± Helena asked the innkeeper.

    ¡°Certainly, Lady Frost!¡± He replied and bowed.

    We left the mercenaries behind and went to our room. Nyx shrunk again as she followed. After closing the door I asked my friends: ¡°Is this ok? Do you think they will attack us during the night?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. I don¡¯t think they have a mage. They could try to burn the inn while we sleep, I guess.¡± Cassie suggested.

    ¡°We will need to have someone keep watch. If they start a fire we have water magic.¡± Helena replied while inspecting the room. ¡°Only two beds, we need to get a sleeping bag.¡±

    ¡°Or share beds.¡± Skadi suggested while Cassie seemed to blush.

    ¡°We could kill them and turn them into undead.¡± Hatsumi suggested.

    Helena shook her head. ¡°They are just some uncivilised mercenaries. I think they have been taught a lesson, that should be enough. But it is not a good sign if a local baron feels the need to hire such thugs.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if that story is true.¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You are right. But it¡¯s not really our problem.¡± Skadi replied.

    ¡°I suppose. So, who wants first watch?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can keep watch. I only took a little blood but it is more than enough for me to stay awake without trouble. I doubt I could sleep right now.¡± Hatsumi offered.

    ¡°Fine with me. Let¡¯s ask the innkeeper for some food and go to bed.¡± Helena suggested.

    The mercenaries kept their distance as we had our dinner. It was simple stew but I enjoyed it. Afterwards we returned to our room. I shared a bed with Helena and Cassie shared with Skadi. Maybe it was a sign of how close we had become but sharing a bed felt surprisingly comfortable.

 CHAPTER 189: Undead Connections

    Despite any concerns I had, no one attacked us during the night. I awoke feeling warm and cosy. Also, I noticed Helena was snuggling my tail. I poked her with a finger.

    She stirred and opened her eyes. ¡°Hm? Morning. Your tail is surprisingly soft.¡±

    ¡°Tails are awesome.¡± I agreed. It was strange, having my tail held by her. I kind of liked the feeling.

    She yawned and got out of the bed. I saw that Skadi and Cassie were already up and getting dressed.

    ¡°Did anything happen during the night?¡± I asked Hatsumi.

    She shook her head. ¡°No one tried to enter the room. Chariot and Frank are fine as well. I had the cats stationed inside the main room of the inn. They have consumed one rat but nothing else of note has happened.¡±

    Oh, I had forgotten about those cats.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Nyx complained. Hatsumi looked at her. ¡°The cats have consumed one rat but they have caught a second one and kept the corpse for you.¡±

    Nyx purred.

    It seemed that my undead were getting along well. That was great. I got up and stretched. After getting dressed we went to the main room of the inn to get breakfast.

    The mercenaries seemed rather intimidated and respectful. The innkeeper bowed a lot. I inquired about the man Hatsumi had bitten. He was alive but shaken. Hopefully he had learned his lesson.

    Our driver was fine as well and soon we were on the road again.

    ¡°So, about yesterday¡­¡± I began. ¡°Should we have handled those mercenaries differently?¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Helena shook her head. ¡°No, a firm statement was good. I am a noble and so is Cassie, meaning we have quite a bit of leeway in how we treat commoners. And they have certainly provoked it. You and Skadi are students at the Royal Military Academy. While you are not really soldiers yet, you still have certain privileges as well. Killing that merc might have been a problem, paralysing him is fine.¡±

    ¡°It is concerning that they thought they could behave this way. It is also not really our problem, the local lord has to deal with them.¡± Skadi added.

    ¡°They are lucky I did not poison them.¡± Cassie said.

    ¡°If they continue their foolish plan to hunt vampiric nightshades they are going to be plant food anyway.¡± Skadi said.

    She might have a point but that was their problem. We even warned them, maybe they would listen.

    ¡°Hatsumi, thank you for protecting us tonight.¡± I remembered I had not expressed my gratitude yet.

    ¡°It is mine and Nyx¡¯ duty to protect you.¡± She replied.

    ¡°Was Nyx involved? Did she command the cats?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Um, no¡­¡± Hatsumi admitted. ¡°Nyx mostly slept inside my tail, ready to ambush and surprise any potential attackers.¡±

    Cassie snickered.

    Nyx was being lazy, nothing too surprising there. ¡°I see.¡± I replied. ¡°What is your connection to the other undead? You made good use of them.¡±

    Hatsumi smiled. ¡°I am hoping I can help to coordinate your forces! Especially the cats appeal to me. I can use them to spy on people, or use them as sentries.¡±

    ¡°They are bad spies, they can only meow. We wanted to use them to gather information but they can¡¯t share what they see.¡± I explained.

    Hatsumi scratched her head. ¡°Um, they can¡¯t talk, sure. But if they are close enough they can convey some emotions. Like, they can tell me if something is wrong. They can warn me if an enemy is approaching. I feel like in time they might be able to learn how to communicate more complex information too!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± How could she communicate with them better than myself?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they just tier two? How much information can they actually understand? Can they know if someone is dangerous? Can they distinguish friend from foe?¡± Helena asked.

    ¡°Hm.¡± Hatsumi tilted her head while she was thinking. ¡°Maybe they have great instincts? Maybe Nyx helps them?¡±

    We looked at Nyx. Nyx ignored us and continued to sleep.

    ¡°Maybe you have a special bond because they helped create you? Well, they did not participate in the spell but they helped as we prepared the corpse.¡± Cassie mused.

    ¡°I will do my best to strengthen this connection and train those cats!¡± Hatsumi announced.

    ¡°What about Frank and Chariot?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, I can give them commands. I am pretty sure I can sense if they are being damaged, at least if it is significant damage. But my connection is weaker than to the cats.¡± She replied.

    Now that was curious. ¡°I wonder why. The cats don¡¯t have a core. They don''t really have their own magic. They are fed through my link, just like Frank and Chariot. Affinity wise, Chariot is a vampiric undead. You should have a better connection to him than to the draugr cat.¡±

    Sadly I could not ask a teacher until we returned.

    ¡°We should name those cats. They deserve a name.¡± Hatsumi suggested.

    ¡°Yes, we are great at naming things!¡± Cassie said with a grin.