Chapter Five: Kardec's Request

Jann offered no response to Kardek’s words; he simply sat there in utter silence. The black cloak shrouded Jann’s face, obscuring all vision.

At this moment, Kardek himself was trembling with anxiety. Doing business with a necromancer was no less dangerous than dealing with a lich—if the other party became displeased, he could be reduced to a desiccated corpse in the blink of an eye.

In fact, Kardek had long since noticed that the girl standing behind Jann was not among the living. The unnatural ashen hue of her skin was more than enough to reveal that she was undead—indeed, a high-ranking one. For such a creature to submit willingly could only mean that this necromancer, Jann, was a force to be reckoned with.

Watching Jann’s wordless silence, Kardek could not guess his thoughts. Just as the gray dwarf governor prepared to elaborate further, a sudden chill swept over his shoulders. An apparition—a banshee—materialized out of thin air and seized him. At that instant, Jann’s deep, resonant voice drifted forth.

“So your intention is… to have me serve you, just like those lowly half-orc mercenaries and those reeking bear goblins?”

Jann’s voice was not loud, but it bristled with icy contempt and derision. Almost in concert, the banshee opened her shadowy maw and unleashed a soul-piercing, spine-chilling shriek.

“No! No! No! Of course not, my lord! Please, this is a humble request—nothing more!”

Faced with mortal peril, Kardek could resist no longer. Most crucially, Jann had struck at the heart of the matter. Though outwardly respectful, Kardek did hope to burnish his authority before his subordinates; if he could persuade Jann to work for him, his prestige would soar.

But Jann would not be lured so easily, which left Kardek all the more terrified—especially with the banshee’s “tender embrace” so close. For any living soul, such an experience is no fond memory; it is like standing at the edge of a precipice, staring into the deathly shadows of the abyss.

For the first time, Kardek realized just how near death truly was—no more than a fingertip away.

He was not alone; his subordinates, too, found themselves surrounded by other banshees that had appeared from nowhere. Kardek could only hope they would remember their duties, but judging by their stricken faces, they could scarcely protect themselves.

“M-my lord! Esteemed mage! Please forgive us—we never meant to offend you!”

If at first Kardek had harbored doubts about Jann’s identity, now they were swept away completely. This was, indeed, the city of gray dwarves, and in theory, anyone who clashed with or killed a gray dwarf governor here would meet a grim fate.

But the issue was that Jann was a necromancer.

He cared nothing for the numbers of gray dwarves, for to a necromancer, the more people there were, the greater the potential for raising undead. Should war break out, Jann could simply overwhelm them with a tide of undead minions conjured through his dark arts.

Unfortunately, gray dwarves were defenseless against such magic. Their innate constitution shielded them from many spells, but it also meant they could not master magic themselves. Confronting a necromancer thus placed them at a grave disadvantage. Even if they managed to destroy him, the cost would be ruinous—something the gray dwarves could not tolerate.

Kardek knew this all too well.

Though Brandon Stonehold styled itself as the Jewel of the North, it was but a minor city among countless underground settlements, lacking any formidable protectors. This was precisely why Kardek sought to win Jann over; a resident necromancer would grant them a measure of security.

Yet dealings with mages were ever perilous—they were dangerous, solitary, and profoundly strange.

Necromancers, all the more so.

“Please pardon my insolence, my lord—we had no wish to anger you! We truly and sincerely seek your aid!”

That should suffice.

Seeing Kardek drenched in cold sweat, his face as pale as parchment, Jann paused in silence, then waved his hand. The banshee released the gray dwarf governor and drifted away.

Feeling death’s presence recede, the governor let out a long, shuddering breath, the expression of one who has survived calamity.

Now, at last, he understood why necromancers were held in such abysmal regard.

But getting aboard a pirate ship is easy—disembarking is another matter entirely. Any gray dwarf who survived in the underworld knew that. Though Kardek now bitterly regretted his actions, he steeled himself and pressed on.

“Please believe in our sincerity. We can assure you—this is but a humble request. And we are prepared to pay a worthy price. For your experiments here, you surely require many magical gems and materials. I can promise you—help us resolve this trouble, and we…”

Here Kardek hesitated, but between profit and his life, he chose survival.

“…Brandon Stonehold will provide you with whatever materials you need—free of charge, so long as we possess them.”

Of course, if he could salvage some benefit, he would try.

“…Let me hear it.”

At last, Jann broke his silence, his goal achieved. The gray dwarves were indeed a greedy folk—not to the point of risking life for gold, but not far off. Pressing them too hard would benefit neither side, so upon hearing Kardek’s offer, Jann nodded and spoke.

Kardek’s face instantly lit up with relief and delight.

“Very well, my lord. In fact…”

What the governor recounted was simple enough. Some time ago, while excavating a subterranean vein, the gray dwarves discovered a ruin. (At this, Jann was startled, fearing his own underworld city had been exposed, but soon realized the locations differed, and he relaxed.)

Yet, for dwarves, such discoveries were hardly rare.

The underworld was unlike the surface; one could never guess how many ancient ruins lay buried here. Owing to its unique nature, almost any place might conceal relics or cities from forgotten eras. There were myriad dangers—but also boundless wealth.

It was no exaggeration: anywhere in the depths, if one followed a crevice long enough and survived the journey, one would eventually find a sealed or ruined structure—be it relic or tomb.

And whatever lay within, riches and rewards abounded.

The gray dwarves were well aware of this. Thus they dispatched a team of capable slaves to investigate. But soon, trouble arose.

The slaves never returned. The dwarves then sent an elite squad—this time, disaster struck. Nearly all the brave, armored gray dwarf soldiers perished; only one survived, driven mad with terror, unable to recall what had happened.

Realizing something was amiss, the dwarves sealed off the ruin and resumed their mining. But this time, their work met with repeated attacks.

None of the survivors could describe their assailant, but casualties were heavy, and several master warriors were lost. Faced with such mysterious threats, the dwarves were at a loss. They had sent adventurers more than once, but their fates were little different.

Only a bear goblin mage, after investigation, warned that the ruin was linked to some ancient, mysterious magical being—far beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Lacking the strength to explore further, the bear goblin had to abandon the effort.

For the dwarves, this was a bitter pill to swallow. That passage led to a massive silver lode—a source of immense profit. To relinquish it would be agony.

So, when Kardek heard that a “powerful necromancer” had entered Brandon Stonehold, he hastened to recruit him.

Yet he had not expected the necromancer to be so far beyond his control, nearly losing his life in the attempt.

“So, that’s how it is…”

Having heard the governor’s tale, Jann nodded, rapidly weighing the merits in his mind. The gray dwarves would indeed offer a generous reward, but Jann was certain that unless he succeeded, he would receive nothing at all. By underworld standards, this was a formidable task.

But then—only by the standards of the underworld. If Jann was correct, he had already discerned the true nature of this so-called “ruin” from Kardek’s account.

It seemed his journey to Brandon Stonehold was not in vain.

A fleeting, nearly invisible smile flashed in Jann’s eyes. He reached out and gently adjusted his glasses.

“Very well. I’ll go and see for myself,” he said.