Monarch of Death

“I don’t know!”

Thanks to that, Karnak and his party were certain.

‘What an idiot.’

How could someone live right next to the estate and not know the lord?

If he really wanted to deny it, he should have at least pretended to know the name.

Realizing his mistake too late, the necromancer began to ramble.

“I-it’s true! I don’t know anything about Count Hudel or the Cult of the Dark God!”

Baros murmured sadly.

“Well, I haven’t even mentioned the Cult of the Dark God yet.”

“Ah, crap!”

He was not only stupid but also naive.

Feeling the pitiful gazes around him, the necromancer clamped his mouth shut.

It seemed he had decided it was better to remain silent than to risk blurting out more and getting caught.

Of course, in this era, silence was not a right at all.

Serati asked casually.

[What should we do, Lord Karnak? Do you want to handle this quietly again?]

[Why would I? We have Alius here.]

When it comes to extracting information from the dead, necromancers are undoubtedly the best.

But when it comes to getting information from the living?

[The title ‘Inquisitor’ says it all. He’s a professional.]

After tidying up his appearance, Alius stepped forward.

“May I handle this for a moment?”

“Of course.”

After tightly binding the necromancer, Karnak’s party retreated.

Alius, staring down at the necromancer, spoke in a calm tone.

“What’s your name?”

The necromancer remained silent, stubbornly pressing his lips together.

“You won’t even tell me your name? Not a good start.”

Alius was undeniably a righteous and virtuous man. But at the same time, he was an Inquisitor.

That meant, when facing a sinner, he could commit any cruel act without hesitation—precisely because he was righteous.

Alius glanced back at the group and made a request.

“Could you step away for a moment? It’s not a sight for children.”

Karnak’s group disappeared into the forest. Now, only Alius and the necromancer were left.

“For the record, I can heal all your wounds.”

Even with his mouth shut, the necromancer felt confused.

Why was someone about to interrogate him talking about healing?

“So don’t worry.”

Alius cast a holy spell. A gag of light formed, sealing the necromancer’s mouth.

“Until you spill everything you know, you won’t die.”

The necromancer was flustered.

“Mm! Mmm?!”

Wait, why gag me if you’re going to make me spill everything I know?

“Don’t worry about the gag. It will disappear once your soul becomes honest.”

Alius’ eyes, reflected in the terrified necromancer’s pupils, were calm and clear.

They shone with the conviction of someone determined to save the pitiful soul before him.

“You’re not being truthful yet. I can tell just by looking into your eyes.”

Alius’ hands began to glow with a holy light.

A devout prayer spilled from his lips.

“Hatoba, forgive your servant…”

What? Why are you praying for forgiveness? What are you about to do?

“Mmm! Mmmph!”

Soon, a pitiful scream, muffled by the gag, leaked out weakly.

“Mmmmph!”

***

About ten minutes later, Alius reappeared, dragging the necromancer behind him.

He looked around at everyone and smiled brightly.

“By the grace of the Goddess, Mr. Remike has fully cooperated with the interrogation.”

And so, everyone realized.

‘So, this necromancer’s name was Remike?’

Remike looked perfectly fine. There were no visible wounds, no bloodstains on his clothes. From the outside, it seemed like nothing had been done to him at all.

But his eyes were completely lifeless.

The eyes are so empty that it seems like this is what a breathing zombie would look like.

‘What exactly did he do to him?’

Serati, unaware of what an Inquisitor could do to a necromancer, naturally had questions.

On the other hand, Karnak and Baros, who had some experience in the past, trembled involuntarily.

‘Ah, he got hit with that.’

‘I don’t even want to think about it.’

Shaking off the thought, Karnak asked, “Did you get anything out of him?”

“As expected, this man was a member of the Dark Cult.”

Alius continued, glancing back at Remike.

“He also serves Count Hudel.”

“Can we use him as evidence to accuse the Count?”

“Mr. Remike alone may not be enough…”

The empire’s nobility is not so easily cornered by throwing one necromancer at them and saying, ‘We have a witness who claims you’re a cultist!’ Stronger evidence was needed.

“Fortunately, he told me about the cultists’ hideout.”

The cultists in this region were hiding in the Gallant Mountains under Count Hudel’s orders. It seemed they had even set up a fairly elaborate hideout.

“What exactly are they doing there?”

“That, he didn’t know.”

Remike’s task was simply to stay hidden in the area and act as a messenger between the cultists of the Seven Kingdoms Alliance and those in the Lacaenia Empire.

He had no idea what plans the cult was scheming.

Baros murmured, nodding in understanding.

“Well, judging by his skills, it doesn’t seem like he’d play a major role.”

Still, if they could capture a large number of cultists, it would be enough evidence to pressure Count Hudel.

With some luck, they might even uncover more information.

Alius gestured toward the other side of the mountain.

“Let’s go.”

Indeed, Remike fully cooperated. He guided them along the way without the slightest resistance.

It was as if his soul had been completely broken.

Even Karnak himself knew that breaking someone’s spirit so thoroughly with just torture wasn’t easy. He couldn’t help but think.

‘Maybe having a cleric handle the torture and a necromancer extract the soul is the most efficient way to build necromantic power?’

They circled the ridge and continued moving for another hour.

Deep in the forest, a small log cabin came into view.

It looked like a hunter’s shack, but no hunters were bold enough to hunt in the Gallant Mountains.

“Is that the place?”

“Yes.”

“How many more are there?”

“I have three companions. All of them are necromancers.”

“What are their specialties?”

“They’re similar to me. Necromancy and summoning evil spirits are their main skills.”

Remike answered every question without hesitation.

It was Baros’ turn to ask.

“So, who’s the leader, and how strong is that person compared to you?”

An unexpected answer came. Remike raised his hand slightly.

“That would be me.”

“Huh?”

“I’m the highest-ranking member.”

Everyone’s gaze turned toward Remike.

Though no one spoke, they all had the same expression.

‘Is this really it?’

Terrified, Remike hurriedly continued speaking.

“It’s true! I’m not lying!”

He seemed to be afraid of what would happen if they thought he was lying.

Serati, still puzzled, glanced at Alius once more.

‘What exactly did you do to him to make him like this?’

After a moment of thought, Alius nodded.

“It seems he’s telling the truth.”

Thinking it over, it did make sense.

Alius had tracked the necromantic spell that controlled the Stone Orcs all the way to this man. And at the end of that trail was Remike.

He was the one the orcs had referred to as ‘the terrifying one.’

Considering the orcs’ limited vocabulary, that was quite the high praise.

It meant there wasn’t anyone scarier than ‘the terrifying one.’

“Why is the highest-ranking member out gathering herbs?”

“My other subordinates dislike vegetables…”

“Why didn’t you make your subordinates do it?”

“They are not strong enough to order them around…”

The situation became clearer.

Serati shook her head.

“So, they’re all just bottom-tier lackeys.”

If the strongest one, Remike, was at this level, there was no need to even bother with the others.

Karnak, eyeing the hut in the forest, spoke nonchalantly.

“Let’s clean this up quickly.”

Shortly after, a storm descended upon the peaceful hideout of the necromancers.

***

After capturing Remike and the other necromancers, Karnak’s group descended from Gallant Mountain.

However, they didn’t immediately return to the village.

Dragging four bound prisoners through the streets would draw far too much attention.

So, after reaching the base of the mountain, they hid for a while, and only Alius made his way alone to the Saisha Temple.

He returned just as the sun was beginning to set, accompanied by a large four-wheeled wagon and about twenty soldiers. They were soldiers of the Temple of Saisha, along with Priest Belton.

“Are these the ones?”

Belton surveyed the bound necromancers with an open look of disgust. He then turned to Alius and expressed his gratitude.

“I can sense the foul energy of darkness. Thank you, Brother Alius.”

With a humble demeanor, Alius introduced Karnak’s group.

“I wouldn’t have succeeded without their help. They are collaborators of our religious order.”

A brief round of introductions followed.

“I am Belton, a servant of Saisha.”

“I’m Karnak, a Darkness Hunter from Derat.”

“Baros.”

“Serati. And this is my squire.”

The soldiers restrained the necromancers and loaded them into the wagon.

They were going to be interrogated more thoroughly once back at the temple.

Belton also extended an invitation to Karnak’s group to accompany them.

“Come with us.”

The Temple of Saisha was located on the western side of Village.

It was a large complex, consisting of a main sanctuary, five chapels, stables, a wine cellar, barns, and other buildings.

Upon arrival, the soldiers dragged the necromancers down to the dungeon.

Baros watched, curious.

“You’re just locking them up in the dungeon? You said there could be cult spies lurking around.”

His question implied they should hide the prisoners in a more secretive location, but Belton shook his head.

“We know that, but it’s not like we can conjure up a good hiding place out of thin air, can we?”

Moving in secret isn’t always the best approach.

What would they do if they hid the prisoners in a random house or shabby barn, only for the location to be discovered?

Rather than creating a half-baked hiding place, it was better to fortify an already secure location.

There was another reason, too.

“We are servants of the Goddess. It’s not fitting for us to sneak around like rats, as the cultists do.”

Afterward, Belton and Alius headed down to the dungeon to interrogate the necromancers.

Karnak’s group was shown to a guest room where they could rest.

Though not luxurious, the room was tidy, and the bed was decently soft.

Tired from climbing the mountain, Laficel immediately grabbed a pillow and fell into a deep sleep.

“Mmm… food…”

Serati glanced at her with a momentary look of pity before turning away.

[Excuse me, Lord Karnak?]

[Hmm? What’s up?]

[This has been bothering me for a while…]

Serati already knew not to speak carelessly while Laficel was asleep. So, she continued using discreet magic communication.

[Is it really okay to use your real name?]