Late at night, the campfire by the pool had burned down to embers, and only a single figure stood guard beside it.
Generally speaking, night watch was handled by three people so they could look out for one another and prevent any sudden emergencies.
But for some reason, Her Highness's mentor, Lord Elon, had decided that since the necromancer had been banished, he had already set up a warning barrier, meaning there was no need for so many people on guard duty.
Consequently, only Hans, one of the guards, was left to keep watch alone tonight.
“Getting through this alone is going to be rough...”
Sighing to himself, Hans looked at the iron pot boiling over the campfire. It contained a refreshing hot beverage. He picked up a cup, scooped some out, blew on it, and took a sip.
The warm liquid slid down his throat, and a cool sensation surged into his brain, making him feel a bit more alert.
A hand suddenly slapped down on his shoulder.
The sudden weight on his shoulder made Hans's body flinch violently. The cup slipped from his hand as he instinctively tried to spring up and draw the longsword at his waist.
His heart hammered wildly; he had not sensed anyone approaching at all.
But when he turned his head and saw the newcomer's face, his tense nerves instantly relaxed.
“Cole?”
Hans called out the young man's name. Moving his gaze down from Cole's face, a look of concern appeared on his features. “You brat, why aren't you getting some rest in the middle of the night? What are you doing out here?”
Cole flashed a mischievous grin, then lifted his injured arm, which was suspended in a sling around his neck. “I couldn't sleep, so I came out to sit for a bit.”
Hans didn't dislike this attendant, who was only about seventeen or eighteen years old, so he waved him over. “Alright, come on over.”
“You've really had some terrible luck lately, kid. Not only did something go wrong with the Ashstone you were watching over, but you even got slashed by an undead.”
Perhaps upon hearing the word 'undead,' Cole's face paled significantly, and his mood sank even lower.
Seeing this, Hans quickly pulled Cole down next to him, his tone turning resentful. “Those damn necromancers, not a single one of them is any good!”
“The Empire's laws should be changed to wipe out these evil bastards completely. Not a single one should be left alive!”
To Hans's surprise, Cole gently shook his head upon hearing this. “Brother Hans, actually... necromancers aren't all bad.”
“Exactly... Wait, what did you say?”
Hans hadn't expected such a reaction from Cole and looked at him in surprise.
Cole replied with a serious expression, “There are some necromancers who are officially registered with the Imperial Magical Council. Under the Council's supervision, they conduct medical research. Their existence has actually contributed quite a lot to the development of the Empire's medical arts.”
Unprepared for Cole's defense of them, Hans was stunned for a long moment before awkwardly scratching his head. “Well, now that you mention it, I suppose that's true.”
“Fine, my bad. I misspoke.”
But to his surprise, Cole shook his head again. “You're not wrong, Brother Hans. I just feel that it's the person who is evil, not the profession.”
Hearing yet another unexpected remark, Hans suddenly saw Cole in a new light, leaving him to reply mechanically, “That makes sense.”
Seeing this, Cole smiled, took a cup from the campfire rack, scooped some hot drink from the pot, and handed it to Hans. “Don't think too much about it. Have some of this hot drink to wake yourself up.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Hans took the cup, took a careful sip, and continued, “But seriously, that Shane almost killed you today, and yet you don't seem to hold a grudge. You're way too good-natured, kid.”
Cole scooped a cup for himself as well. Holding it in his hands, he blew on the steam, took a sip, and replied, “I'm just speaking the truth.”
And so, the two of them chatted idly.
Gradually, Hans felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and even his words began to slur. “Strange... why... so sleepy...”
“Brother Hans?”
For a moment, Cole's voice sounded incredibly distant. Hans wanted to reply, but he couldn't make a sound.
Then, his head slumped, and his entire body tipped over onto the sand, falling into a deep sleep.
Nearby, Cole held his cup, blowing gently on it. Seeing Hans lying on the ground, his breathing already long and steady, Cole slowly stood up.
He walked over to Hans and nudged him with his foot. Seeing no response, a sly smile spread across his face.
“Heh...”
Letting out a soft chuckle, Cole casually tossed the cup onto the sand.
Then, using his supposedly injured hand, he pulled a slender glass vial from his robe. Inside was a dark green liquid that emitted an eerie glow.
It didn't take a genius to know that it was highly toxic.
Clutching the vial, Cole quickly walked to the edge of the pool.
He squatted down, looking at the water reflecting the moonlight, the smile in his eyes growing even wider.
“As long as I pour this in...”
The corners of Cole's mouth curled up, his eyes flashing with the excitement of impending success. “The water source of this oasis will be completely contaminated. When that happens...”
However, just as he was about to pull out the vial's cork, a faint rustling sound echoed. Two pale figures emerged from the sand on either side of him.
“What?”
Before Cole could even react, the two figures grabbed his arms, pinning him in place.
“Th-These are... undead?”
Cole was shocked by the sudden appearance of the two skeletons, but he quickly understood why they were there.
Under the moonlight, a slender figure emerged from the darkness. Shane Leynas walked up to Cole and looked down at him, a trace of disdain in his eyes. “I thought you would lie low for longer, but I didn't expect you to be in such a hurry to make your move.”
“To be honest, it's a bit disappointing.”
Then, he reached out and plucked the vial from Cole's hand.
"Cole" had clearly not expected Shane to appear here, and the shock on his face could no longer be concealed. “Y-You... how are you here? Weren't you banished by Lord Elon? I clearly...”
“You were indeed more cautious than I expected, but that's about it.”
Shane raised his hand, holding his thumb and index finger a tiny fraction of an inch apart.
This smug gesture made "Cole" grit his teeth. He was about to say something when he was cut off by the sound of hurried footsteps.
The princess and Elon led the guards to the edge of the pool.
In an instant, Cole's face turned deathly pale. But in the next second, as if realizing something, his expression shifted dramatically, twisting into a look of shock and outrage as he shouted toward the princess, “Y-Your Highness!”
“You came just in time!”
“This necromancer never left! He sneaked back to poison our water source, and I caught him in the act!”
“Quick, arrest him!”
Hearing this, the guards grew tense. They instinctively drew their longswords, pointing the tips at Shane.
Alicia, however, looked at Shane in silence, raising her hand to signal the guards not to act rashly.
Beside her, Elon stepped forward and walked over to Shane.
“Take a look. A poison vial. You should be quite familiar with this.”
Shane handed the vial directly to Elon without offering any explanation, and Elon took it with complete composure.
But seeing this, how could "Cole" not understand what was happening? His face instantly turned pale again, and his voice became shrill. “You... you...”
“You're in on this together!”
Only then did Shane turn his head and glance at him. “I wouldn't say we're partners. Let's just say our interests align.”
“If you poison this water source, how am I supposed to plant my trees?”
“So...”
Shane leaned down, his dark brown eyes staring straight into Cole's. “You'd better tell the truth while I'm still in a good mood.”
“Who in the heart of the Empire sent you?”
As soon as these words were spoken, "Cole's" face changed drastically, and even Elon looked up at Shane.
Not far away, Princess Alicia's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, the expression of the man named "Cole" returned to normal, as if he had shed all disguise. There was no longer a hint of cowardice or panic in his eyes, and a sinister sneer curled his lips. “I didn't expect an exiled necromancer to be so sharp.”
Rate on N.U.
