Days, weeks, months passed, several years passed. All this time, I was getting in shape, studying alchemy and magic. Why don't I tell you more about it? And not about what…
A lot of time has passed since my summoning, as well as the beginning of my training, I am no longer a hero!
I am a magician of darkness!
All these days, I've been studying hard. And even though some classes were difficult, the teacher is proud of me. Because of my zeal in this case, terrible rumors began to spread about me, frightening the local servants.
Allegedly, another dark god sent me.
Let them think so! It's easier for me to live without assistants running around on my heels...
In general, my expectations about dark magic were fully justified. Strange and unusual spells that use almost the most common phenomenon as a basis – darkness. However, apparently I have no talent for conscription. Of course, I managed to summon one skeleton, but that's all. No one and nothing more, just a lonely skeleton defender.
Always the same. Judging by the appearance and accurate measurements.
If he falls in battle, then after a while, he will still "resurrect". More precisely, I will be able to summon him, but before that in no way, the spell simply does not form. Also, when I simply dispersed the call, I still have to wait, of course less, but in any case about an hour. After prolonged training, the rollback time decreased, but the number of undead summoned still did not increase.
I was a little... upset.…
Ahem, but the teacher said that unlike summoning, I learn other spells much faster. However, according to him, in theory, I will have a chance to replace this skeleton with another undead. Or to subdue another one, already some kind of wandering around the world, though in a different and more inconvenient way. But I probably won't use the first option. If they gave me such a one, then let it be with me until the end. He is my servant and I will not leave him so easily! Everything can be used.
And since I'm smart, a hero and just a person who has a head on his shoulders, with his meager experience, I could already use quite a good package of spells, in the form of poisonous fog and the like. Although many have been training for years and are only able to control mana a little.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I had to study not only alchemy and necromancy. Also, the basics of other types of magic, and besides one with the ability to handle a knife. But we can omit such minor details.
And now the very day has come, now I have been entrusted to raise the level of my skills with the help of hunting. Put everything into practice.
Well, I knew it would come sooner or later. Somehow they dragged on for a long time.
Of course, I don't mind the time when the master and I, not far from the capital, went into the dungeon, where I had to kill minor monsters, as well as conduct a couple of experiments. It was, though not Spartan, not the easiest, but an unusual way of learning. Fortunately, even before that, the master and I found out how easily I tolerate the sight and smell of blood.
Today, I was assigned to clean out a small tribe of goblins. Which so politely agreed not to touch, the local soldiers on the cleaning of the outskirts. How the goblins ended up in the forest closest to the capital is not clear. But everyone saw this as a good reason.
Because this is the first time I'm going against a large number of enemies, they decided to allocate me…
Bait?..
A squire?..
Helper?
She was a slender girl, about six feet tall. By local standards, she is quite tall, but not up to me, not up to the skeleton, she does not reach.
She looked... probably not bad. If you compare with the maids, then perhaps at their level. I don't care about that, though. If you look at it that way, she was… In a sense, she looked ridiculous, like a novice adventurer swordsman, with a twinkle in her eyes and faith in the power of friendship.
Ha-a-a, a woman swordsman, yes in the Middle Ages. For some reason it bothers me.
"After all, the bait..." I mumbled softly.
King: - Hero, could you repeat your phrase, because I didn't hear you.
He said politely. Who he's building himself up to. I've seen how you usually grimace as if you ate a lemon, seeing us with the teacher…
The Bait paled in appearance, but quickly regained her composure.
It looks like she didn't hear me either, but she felt something…
The bait has the right skills!
- Thank you for your help! I said loudly. Hiding his slight dislike.
Dachshund, let's continue with the analysis of the appearance. As far as I remember, she was equipped to match the accompanying hero, but unfortunately, by the standards of a fantasy kingdom. The bait was in white armor, with gold, seemingly cunningly attached ornaments, and to top it off, like stars on top of the armor, there were blue shimmering stones, which are very likely to be precious. Her long hair was a pleasant scarlet color, slightly shiny in the light, and her eyes were an unusual honey shade. All I can say about her is the perfect bait! It is visible from afar and shines well! Really dear… Is this so that all the bandits within a kilometer radius will aggrandize me? Of course, any combat experience will do for me, but when I come to the goblins, I will tell them to take off their jewelry, suddenly they will fly apart. And gold is needed not only in jewelry, I'll tell you.
My teacher was just telling me how to turn gold into a special poisonous cloud that kills quickly. Though weak creatures… But after that, it beautifully covers them with a layer of gold, reminding me of the fairy tales about koschei the immortal. Or save them and exchange them for local currency, extra money will not hurt me. For example, I can use them to buy some rare ingredients for poisons. The choice is too complicated…
So, I went in the wrong direction…
How long have I been standing here?..
They look at me strangely. The King seemed to understand something.
King: - TC. Oh, right, hero, you can go. I forgot that our butler taught you manners. Again, you don't have to wait for my permission to leave!
Having said that, he clicked his tongue in disgust.
What kind of butler is there? I was thinking about the future development of dark knowledge! Not about your primitive manners…
As I was leaving, I pulled away the nearest maid and asked what kind of butler it was all about, I don't remember anything like that at all.
She replied, something like, "Hero, did you really get so carried away with learning manners from Sir Sebastian that you forgot his real profession?".
That sounds really weird, don't you think? How can you forget about his profession when communicating with a person? Although, if you remember, this world is like fantasy books, and there were such shots, so it's not surprising… But... manners training? Did I would do have to go through this nonsense too? But why don't I remember that?
Thinking about some unknown teacher of "manners" and heading towards the exit, simultaneously passing by the descent into the dungeon, it occurred to me to visit the master. And I went down the stairs, constantly hearing the annoying and annoying pounding of footsteps behind me.
Going down, deep underground, along a spiral staircase, into the dark, impenetrable depths, bypassing levels or floors.
There were several corridors on each floor, which was a kind of dungeon. And the lower the floor, the more dangerous the criminal is, and also the stricter the supervision over him.
But I'm not here, below…
On one of the levels, near the steps, there was a small bench on which I relaxed my legs. Why not.
And now, even lower…