[“Hey! There’s something strange here!”]

“…?”

Earth-Earthy popped out of the ground, shouting. Something strange? I glanced up at the sky to confirm that the monsters were still far off, giving us plenty of time to check below the wall.

“What is it, what is it?”

“Don’t get too excited, Charlotte. Stand behind me—it might be dangerous.”

“Yes, sir…”

[The Dark God ‘Kali’ insists you let your dark knight lead the way!]

I’d planned to take the lead from the start. Grabbing the excited Charlotte by the back of her collar, I pulled her behind me as she slid along, a bit crestfallen but not resisting.

She really was either brave or oblivious to danger… Maybe both.

With Sylvia leading, we descended the wall. Given that Earth-Earthy hadn’t issued any serious warning, it probably wasn’t anything dangerous. I approached the pit and peered inside.

“…I can’t see anything.”

All I saw was pitch-black darkness. Giving a subtle signal, I nodded at Sylvia, who snapped her fingers and chanted a very underwhelming spell.

“Brighten up!”

A floating orb of light appeared, scattering beams throughout the pit, illuminating it. What emerged in the light was none other than human bones. Piles upon piles of them, stacked atop one another.

“…Ugh.”

“What is this?”

“A mass grave? But from the armor they’re wearing, it doesn’t seem like they were just buried after death.”

Sylvia recoiled, startled. She was right. This wasn’t a typical burial. The bones were tangled together, with pieces of armor and weapons scattered among them.

Could this be evidence of a massacre? There were also animal bones mixed in, their decayed color tinted a sickly blue, unlike the relatively intact human bones.

“Animal bones tainted by excessive mana… so they’re monster bones.”

“Then maybe they fought monsters and perished?”

“Yes. That seems to be the most plausible explanation.”

A vague picture formed in my mind. A tattered banner lay in the center, torn to shreds. It seemed the soldiers had gathered around it in a last stand before being overrun.

Judging by the armor style, this happened a long time ago. To understand it better, we’d likely have to ask the Duke of the North.

“What… what was it… sir?”

“Skeletons of soldiers who died long ago.”

“Eek!”

“Why are you coming closer if you’re so scared?”

“I-I feel sorry for them. If they’ve been buried here all this time, that means they’ve been forgotten, right? If there are any spirits that haven’t found peace, shouldn’t we help them move on?”

[The Dark God ‘Kali’ is moved to tears by our necromancer’s compassionate heart.]

Though Yulia trembled with fear, she took a step forward. I’d almost forgotten, given her recent focus on spirits, that Yulia was also a necromancer capable of handling souls.

When we faced Master Jain, she’d nearly fled in terror. Now, however, she stepped forward with determination to help the spirits pass on.

Yulia approached the edge of the pit, peeking down as she let out a nervous hiccup. Then, clasping her small hands together, she began a silent prayer. …Wouldn’t that obliterate them instead of helping them find peace?

It looked more like something a priest would do than a necromancer’s work, but Kali’s cheers reassured me that this was fine. When Yulia finished her prayer, she opened her eyes—

“Ack!”

“What’s wrong, Yulia?”

“A-a skeleton moved down there!”

“Oh, come on, you probably imagined it.”

“No! It really moved! Look yourself!”

Yulia fell backward, landing on her rear, and Charlotte burst out laughing before leaning over the pit again. I had a sinking feeling about this.

With a mischievous grin, Charlotte peered into the pit, only to go pale as her body froze. A sudden, ominous instinct kicked in.

Charlotte’s reflexes were sharp; for her to be paralyzed in fear meant she was terrified. I quickly reached out, grabbed her collar, and yanked her back, pulling her light frame into my arms.

At that moment, a skeletal hand emerged from the pit.

“AAAAAH!”

Yulia screamed, and Charlotte clung to me like a koala, her trembling body pressing against my ribs.

“I’ll handle this, my lord.”

“No. Wait. It doesn’t seem hostile.”

“…Pardon?”

Sylvia had started to draw her sword, but I quickly stopped her. The moving skeletons were certainly menacing, but there was no malice in their movements. Was it possible…?

“Yulia. Try talking to it.”

“What? Me? How am I supposed to talk to that?”

“You’re the one who awakened them. If anyone can communicate, it’s you. Just give it a try, even if it’s scary.”

“I-I’m not scared! F-fine…”

Though her voice wavered, Yulia glared defiantly, steeling herself. Clearly terrified, but too proud to admit it.

“W-who are you…”

Click-click, clack! Clack-clack-clack!

“AAAAGH!”

As soon as Yulia spoke, the skeleton’s jawbone chattered rapidly, making a ghastly sound. Then, countless bony hands began to rise from the pit as skeletal soldiers climbed to the surface. Damn. Did communication fail?

Sylvia, also losing hope, started drawing her sword, when—

“I-I… They say they were part of the first expedition to the Demonic Realm! Their souls are trapped in their bodies due to the mana-rich earth they were buried in… sir!”

“…What?”

It worked?

By now, the skeletal soldiers had lined up in formation, and the one in radiant armor at the front kneeled before Yulia.

Clack-clack! Clackity-clack!

“What are they saying, Yulia?”

“T-they’re grateful we discovered them and gave them a chance to be revived… They’re pledging loyalty to me… sir! I-I didn’t mean to resurrect them!”

[The Dark God ‘Kali’ is thrilled that our necromancer has finally gained an undead army.]

An undead army. The skeleton soldiers stood in orderly ranks before Yulia, a solemn sight to behold. Their bodies had weathered over time, but their spirits seemed as fierce as ever, a blue flame flickering faintly within their skulls.

“Then… please! Help us fend off the monster wave!”

Clack-clack!

“Ahh! No need to reply!”

Their jaws clattered in response, and they brandished their weapons, marching forward. With an unexpected wave of flying monsters on the horizon, this undead army might allow us to stave off the monsters with minimal casualties.

As this hopeful thought took shape, I realized with dread that I’d have to explain this situation to the Duke of the North. Just then, a panicked voice sounded behind me.

“Aslan… my lord! What’s going on here?”

“And why did you bring the princess with you?!”

“She insisted on coming, my lord. I couldn’t stop her.”

“Hey!!!”

Yuri appeared, holding the tightly-clasped hand of Merilda, who had an innocent smile. My blood pressure spiked, anger boiling within me. Why wasn’t she in the bunker?

And how was I supposed to explain this to the Duke? I was losing my mind.

“Have you not found Merilda yet?! Curse it! Where could she possibly be…!”

The Duke of the North’s hands trembled. He always grew anxious when his daughter wasn’t within sight, but for her to go missing just before the monster wave hit? His mind was unraveling. If anything happened to her…

The mere thought made his chest tighten, tears pricking at his eyes. For the first time, he began to understand how tyrants were born.

“Your Grace! We’ve located the princess!”

“What?! Where? Is she unharmed?”

“She’s safe, sir. It appears the Count of Vermont’s party is protecting her.”

“Ah! Thank the heavens! I owe the Count yet another debt of gratitude!”

Finally, the Duke breathed a sigh of relief, clutching his chest. If she was safe, then everything was fine. He could send Merilda and the Count’s party back to the bunker and focus on the battle. This time, sacrifices would be inevitable, but he couldn’t allow his guests to come to harm.

“Get everyone into the bunker. Are our battle preparations complete? I’ll take command from the walls.”

“Yes, sir. However, the Count… well, it’s hard to explain…”

“What’s so hard about it?”

“Apologies, Your Grace. It’s probably best if you see for yourself.”

What could possibly be so difficult to explain? In this dull, tedious city, the only real surprise was the arrival of flying monsters. What else could there be?

Growing frustrated, the Duke stomped up to the wall.

“Huh…?”

The strange sight before him made his eyes widen.

Clink, clink.

Marching in formation behind the Count of Vermont were skeletal soldiers, their movements precise and disciplined.

“Oh, Your Grace. Could you open the gates? I’ve brought reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements…?”

What on earth was happening? The Duke felt his mind slipping into a daze.