It took Simon’s Legion a mere two days to scour the entire mountain range clean of orcs.
"Pier! Take out the boss monster at one o’clock!"
[Hehehe! I’m on it!]
"Erzebet, take ten Corpse Spiders and block the escape route behind the settlement!"
[I shall obey your command!]
Standing amidst the chaos, Simon felt a thrill he’d never known before—the feeling of a true commander. He was leading an army of undead, issuing orders with practiced ease, reading the flow of battle, and seizing victory. This was it.
’So this is what it means to be a necromancer,’ he thought, his heart pounding as he watched the orc settlement burn under his Legion’s assault.
When the last of the fighting died down, Simon entered the smoldering camp. Erzebet greeted him with a respectful bow, while Pier stood with his greatsword plunged into the earth, chuckling darkly.
"[Victory is ours, thanks to the Legion Commander’s fine leadership.]"
"That was all Erze and Pier," Simon deflected.
At that, Erzebet’s eyes went wide.
"[W-What did you just say?]"
"Huh? That you did all the work?"
"[Before that!]"
"Erze?"
"[Aah...!]" She closed her eyes, clasping her hands together in delight. "[Are you finally bestowing a pet name upon me? I feel as if I could fly! We have grown so much closer now!]"
It wasn’t so much a pet name as a call sign he’d used in the heat of battle. Still, seeing her so pleased, he decided not to spoil the moment.
[Now, it’s your turn to work!] Pier declared, pointing toward a mountain of gray orc corpses. [Turn them all into skeletons! With these, the Legion will grow even stronger!]
Simon’s mind suddenly went blank.
"Should we just burn them?"
[Are you insane? I told you to make them soldiers!]
"Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t learned how to do that yet."
[That?]
"The black magic for raising corpses." Until now, Simon had only ever assembled pre-made skeleton sets bought from stores, which came with summoning magic already inscribed inside their skulls. Pier’s ability was to ‘legionize’ existing undead, not create them from scratch.
[Hah. Sometimes I forget you’re just a first-year at Kizen,] Pier said, crossing his arms.
"[Still, corpses are money in this day and age,]" Erzebet chimed in. "[It would be a waste to simply leave them.]"
In the end, Simon sent a letter to the lord’s castle requesting assistance. Lord Raymond, startled by the message, personally rode up to the mountains to confirm the situation. He later visited Simon’s lodgings to express his profound gratitude.
"Those bastards were a persistent, agonizing plague! On behalf of the people of Arnish, I thank you!"
Raymond officially converted the matter into a formal request, paying Simon an additional reward. He also promised to process the orc corpses and send Simon all the resulting profits.
[Ugh! My soldiers...!] Pier grumbled, but his mood brightened considerably when Simon promised to use the money to buy new undead.
The next morning, Simon left the inn early.
[It’s. So. Croooowded!] Erzebet’s voice complained from within his Subspace.
"Just bear with it," Simon muttered, having stuffed her, Pier, and thirty Corpse Spiders inside before heading to the teleportation point.
When he arrived, he saw a figure in a black robe sitting motionless in the shade of a tree, looking like a corpse. Simon approached, but the figure didn’t react. He cautiously held out his Kizen student ID.
’Whoa.’
The ID vanished from his hand. The man, having instantly cast an inspection spell, shot to his feet and bowed a perfect ninety degrees.
"I have been waiting for you, Mr. Simon Polentia."
"Ah, yes." ‘A Kizen attendant, then.’ Simon gave an awkward laugh as he took his ID back.
"This way. We will begin the teleportation immediately."
"Okay."
The attendant began to chant, and a moment later, a glowing teleportation circle materialized on the ground.
"Congratulations on your safe return. I hope you have a good day."
"Thank you."
The mission was a success, and he had earned plenty of funds for school. In high spirits, Simon stepped onto the magic circle. ‘Time to go back. Back to Kizen!’
After teleporting to Roc Island, Simon made his way back to the familiar Kizen campus.
He took a deep breath. ‘It’s been a while, Kizen.’ A strange, fond warmth spread through his chest as he looked at the school buildings. He couldn’t believe he felt nostalgic after being away for only a few days. The campus was quiet, likely because he’d returned a day early. A few students chatted as they walked past, while others sat on benches, lost in their books.
’The change in environment really hits you.’ On the mission, he alone had represented Kizen, earning respect and deference. Here, he was just one student among many, forced to compete fiercely for his place.
Still, he was ready. All he wanted was to see his friends and get back to his classes.
[Boy! What are you so lost in thought for? Let’s hurry to the ruin!]
’Haha, alright.’
Just as Simon turned toward the Forbidden Forest, a voice called out.
"Simoooon!"
He spun around to see Kamibarez running toward him, waving enthusiastically.
"Kami!" Simon broke into a wide grin. A few days apart had made him even happier to see her.
"I’m so glad you’re safe!" she said, catching her breath. "I was so worried when I heard you took on such a difficult mission."
"I got lucky," he said. Kamibarez, in contrast, had chosen to complete a quick mission on Roc Island so she could return to her studies.
"Simon, Simon! Look at this! Ta-da!" She twirled around, showing him her back. A pair of adorable little bat wings now adorned her Kizen uniform. "I got my uniform tailored! Hehe."
Simon couldn’t help but smile at her innocent pride.
"It looks much better than before."
"Right, right?"
"Yeah. Hey, want to grab a coffee at the campus store? My treat."
"Huh? Oh, it’s okay. I can pay for my own..."
Simon grinned. "It’s my treat. I made a lot of money on my mission." He enjoyed the small thrill of showing off to a classmate. After waving goodbye to Kami as she headed back to the library, Simon left the main gates and entered the Forbidden Forest.
"[Legion Commander. Who was that woman?]"
"Ah, you scared me." Erzebet had slipped out of his Subspace at some point and was now walking behind him.
"Just a classmate."
"[For just a classmate, she had a rather irritating look in her eyes when she gazed upon you.]"
Simon’s expression hardened. "You remember our agreement, right? Without my permission..."
"[I am not to lay a hand on people. Of course,]" she replied smoothly. "[This humble girl shall wait quietly with Pier in the ruin until you come for us.]"
Her perfect obedience was almost unnerving. She smiled faintly.
"[And as it is a master addressing a servant, please speak to me casually. Your formality makes me uncomfortable.]"
"Ah, yes. If you say so..." Simon scratched his head and nodded. "And even though this is the Forbidden Forest, wardens and other people sometimes pass through. Erze, it would be best if you stayed in the Subspace."
"[If prying eyes are the problem, would this not suffice?]" She tapped her chest with a fingertip. The wine-colored dress she wore dissolved into a cascade of spiderwebs, leaving her form wrapped tightly in silk.
’So that wasn’t a dress, it was all spiderwebs,’ Simon realized, surprised all over again.
She touched the webs once more, and their color and texture began to shift, morphing into a white blouse, a red necktie, a black jacket, a skirt, and shoes. She had perfectly replicated the Kizen girls’ uniform. She swept back a hand through her foam-like hair and smiled.
"[Are you satisfied?]"
"The quality is certainly high."
"[If you ever need an errand runner for Kizen, please call upon me. No surveillance magic can detect me.]"
Erzebet was a natural spy. She could not only change her appearance at will but also possessed a unique stealth technique that made her invisible to magical detection, making her the only undead who could travel freely between the ruin and Kizen. Her spider corps, too, was specialized in ambushes and surprise attacks.
’I’m glad I brought her into the Legion. She’s more useful than I ever imagined.’
As Simon nodded in approval, Erzebet spun more webs, covering her head. Curious, he watched to see what she would do next.
"[How about a look like this?]"
Simon yelped and stumbled backward. Erzebet had transformed into a perfect replica of Kamibarez, right down to her puppy-like eyes and the distinctive vampire fangs.
"[Ahem, ahem.]" Her voice was still her own, but she began to clear her throat with a series of chaotic noises.
After a moment, she spun around, her voice now a perfect imitation.
"Simon, Simon! Look at this! Ta-da!"
Erzebet fluttered the bat wings on her back, speaking in Kamibarez’s cheerful tone. Simon, his face beet red, waved his arms frantically.
"Stop! Stop! I’ve seen enough of your skills, that’s enough!"
"Huhu," she giggled, her smile bewitching.
"I believe I can bring you much pleasure with this power, Legion Commander."
[Oh, be quiet, you two!] Pier’s clone shouted from Simon’s uniform. [Stop fooling around and let’s get a move on! These damn baby spiders keep crawling on me and whining!]
"Pier’s angry. Let’s hurry," Simon said, trying to regain his composure.
They started walking again, Erzebet still in Kamibarez’s form, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Erze."
"Yes... Master..." she cooed in Kami’s voice.
"Don’t say ‘Master’ in Kami’s voice."
"[As you wish,]" she replied, reverting to her own voice with a chuckle. She was definitely enjoying this.
"Tell me about the Legion," Simon said, changing the subject. "We only have about thirty Corpse Spiders, right? How do we increase their numbers? Do we need to go out and collect more spiders?"
"[Do not worry. As the queen spider, I simply need to lay eggs.]"
Simon froze mid-stride.
"W-What did you say...?"
"[I just need to lay eggs.]" Her face suddenly flushed, and she made a show of lifting the hem of her skirt with her fingertips. "[The sight of me laying eggs is rather embarrassing, but for you, my master, I could show you...]"
"Aaaargh! No! Change back to your original form right now! That’s an order!"
Watching the commotion, Pier’s clone clicked its tongue. It was just as he’d expected. Erzebet was far too much for Simon to handle.
Defeated, Simon opened his Subspace and ordered her inside. She gave him the most pitiful look imaginable, but he wasn’t falling for it again.
"Ah, wait a minute." Simon’s flushed face suddenly turned serious. "Erze."
"[Yes, Legion Commander.]"
"By any chance..." He paused, stroking his chin in thought, before continuing in a solemn voice. "Can you turn into a priest?"

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