Ch#16
‘Necrolord, Necrolord!’
Unlike her diligently chanting mind, Tiye’s heart was pounding wildly.
Cold sweat had been oozing from her palms clasped behind her back since earlier.
But,
‘Kid, you sure you can act the part properly?’
Recalling Veil’s constant nagging on the way here reignited her resolve.
Tiye hardened her expression fiercely and puffed out her chest.
Then she signaled to Bone Friend behind her.
‘Bone Friend 3! Look scary, look scary!’
Right away, a crack-crack sound came from behind.
Glancing back, Tiye’s face turned pale.
‘Turning its head a full circle and drawing Veil oppa’s sword from its sheath…….’
This was too scary, even for her.
But what could she do now that it was done.
Tiye steeled herself and stared down the Holy Knight before her with the most arrogant face she could muster.
“Knight.”
Just one word, and she saw the knight flinch.
‘I must really look scary.’
Tiye actually had a bit of a bad impression of the registry’s Holy Knights.
Because they had roughly chased away her and Basto on their first visit here.
The Holy Knights hadn’t been kind at all, even badmouthing and mocking good Uncle Basto behind his back.
‘Wait. Does that mean Tiye’s getting revenge for that day……?’
Her heart pounded even harder.
*I really feel like an amazing person,* she thought, her shoulders lifting a bit more.
But perhaps she got too excited.
“Are you really so curious about my true name?”
Her tongue twisted on the important word!
She heard Veil stifling a laugh with a “Pfft……”
Tiye gritted her teeth to focus.
‘Necrolord! Necrolord!’
Falling apart here would be the end.
Tiye had to prove her presence right here.
‘Secret hidden Tiye! Strongest Tiye! Tiye as strong as legend Puppetmon! Royal Tani Pang Tiye! Undo transformation and I’m a burly, bushy-bearded brute like Uncle Basto!’
Chanting it earnestly calmed her mind a little.
Tiye made her eyes look scary and eerie.
The expression Dad made in Jongno-gu whenever drunks wandered into the alley in front of their house.
“You can’t handle my true face.”
As she delivered the line, she saw the knight panic.
His eyes anxiously scanned Tiye’s face, her clothes, and Bone Friend 3 behind her.
Tiye added one final line while watching him.
“My name is Necrolord. Is that enough?”
* * *
Inside the registry.
After passing several guarding Holy Knights, they reached the tent.
“……I-I’ve become the strongest.”
Tiye muttered in a daze.
Veil, checking outside the tent, pressed a finger to his lips and said,
“Kid, don’t let your guard down. The mercenary registration process isn’t over yet.”
Tiye snapped to attention.
Veil was right.
They had shown the Mana Stone and boasted the Skeleton to pass the first hurdle.
But now the four of them were in the inner tent to register basic mercenary corps info.
“You did well, Tiye.”
Then Basto nodded at the paper in Tiye’s hand.
Tiye looked at the paper and swallowed hard.
[Basto Paerix, Veil Theodor, Nordix Omen ……Necrolord.]
“The fact they didn’t pry into your true name means they see you as no pushover. Just keep it up.”
Tiye nodded vigorously.
In truth, right after Tiye summoned Bone Friend 3, the area in front of the registry had erupted in chaos.
Everyone stared at passing Tiye like she was terrifying, averting their eyes the moment they met hers.
Of course, some looked at her like an idol from TV.
Tiye felt dazed and thought,
‘Yup, good thing I summoned Bone Friend 3.’
Originally, Tiye had planned to summon Bone Friend 1.
But Bone Friend 1 said he was tired from Tiye carrying his head around too much.
And recommended Bone Friend 3—the reason was simple.
‘Bone Friend 3 looks scarier, so Tiye will really look like a “Necrolord.”’
Indeed, once summoned, Bone Friend 3 looked far more eerie than Bone Friend 1.
One eye socket had an arrow scar, and several ribs were missing.
Wearing rusted, broken armor too—even after Bone Friend 3 returned underground, people stared at the spot with frightened eyes, unable to look away.
“Tiye.”
Then a voice calling her made Tiye look up.
Nordix sat beside her, peering into her face.
“Soon a Holy Knight will come and ask basic mercenary corps info. Have you thought of a name?”
Her eyes went round.
Mercenary corps name?
She’d been so worried about acting tough that she’d completely forgotten.
“Um, a name, so……”
As she rolled her eyes in distress—
“Hey, Necrolord.”
The Holy Knight from the registry earlier opened the tent flap and entered.
Tiye crossed her legs again, mimicking Dad’s expression.
The Holy Knight sat across from her with a tense face.
“Y-your ID number came through. Special notes here: marked as dark attribute mage.”
Dark attribute mage.
Her throat gulped at the incredibly powerful-sounding words.
In truth, according to Grandpa Nordix, Tiye was now the continent’s one and only ‘dark attribute mage.’
The Holy Knight, who had been writing each letter on the registry form, looked at Tiye again.
“But…… may I ask some other info?”
Tiye’s heart sank.
But soon she recalled what Uncle Basto had told her.
‘If they try to dig for other info, you don’t have to answer. It’s not required.’
‘Not required……?’
‘Yeah. In fact, the Empire relies on mercenaries to siege Mana Stones. It wouldn’t be wrong to say the Empire’s fate hangs on mercenaries’ hands.’
In short, if there was an A and B between mercenaries and the Empire, mercenaries were closer to A.
‘Of course, the Empire wants to collect as much personal info on mercenaries as possible. But whether to give it is up to the mercenaries, so don’t say what you don’t need to.’
‘Gasp…….’
‘In truth, there are tons of mercenaries on the continent hiding their identities.’
Tiye deliberately narrowed her eyes.
“Knight.”
Just calling him made the Holy Knight flinch.
No doubt imagining Bone Friend 3 spinning its skull with a rattle.
“I already told you my name is Necrolord.”
“I-I know, but just in case……”
“Don’t you wonder why I’m in this form?”
The Holy Knight shut his mouth.
His eyes anxiously scanned Tiye’s face.
Soon, he bowed his head.
“I-I seem to have made a mistake. Please understand. Then we’ll move on.”
Tiye watched contentedly as the Holy Knight asked Veil and Nordix for their info.
Uncle Basto’s voice echoed in her head again.
‘They’re already convinced you’re an incredible powerhouse. In truth, your ability is that rare. If our guess is right, they’ll do their utmost not to upset you.’
According to Basto, Holy Knights watched skilled mercenaries’ moods.
So they could easily request support if something happened in the Capital?
‘Yeah, yeah. Better be nice to Tiye!’
She was giggling inwardly when—
“Ah, and. Regrettably, we can’t issue an ID number to Basto Paerix per orders from above.”
The Holy Knight’s sudden words rang through the tent.
As everyone stiffened, the knight continued looking at Basto.
“There was a report from Death Hound’s Unit Leader, Karl Warben. That Basto Paerix committed illegal acts and stole valuables from the mercenary corps before fleeing.”
