Karnak, Monarch of Death

In a vast, open field brimming with the essence of spring, two men rode along a straight, well-trodden road on horseback.

The young man on the white horse had black hair and an air of nobility. He wore high-quality traveling robes threaded from deer hide and luxurious silk, and the staff hanging from his waist was clearly an expensive item. It was clear he was a mage from a well-off noble family.

The young knight accompanying him on a brown horse was no ordinary figure either. With a well-trained physique and a piercing gaze, he was clad in armor crafted from the hide of a high-level magical beast. While not heavily armed for travel, his bracers and greaves were forged from fine steel, and the large bastard sword strapped to his back was a weapon of superior quality.

The knight, Varos, turned to his companion and spoke. “It really feels like we’ve returned to the past. Back then, even if we had money, we’d go out of our way to dress like paupers.”

The noble young man, Karnak, laughed as he replied. “That’s why people shouldn’t lead sinful lives. Isn’t it nice to be able to travel openly without hiding who we are?”

“I thought flaunting wealth might attract all kinds of trouble, but no one’s come after us so far.”

“Of course not. That’s why we dressed like this.”

Disguising oneself as a poor traveler to avoid bandits wasn’t the best choice. Bandits didn’t target wealthy travelers as much as they went after those who looked vulnerable. Why take the risk for a big score when they could safely prey on easy targets for smaller gains?

On the other hand, looking like a spoiled noble on a grand tour wasn’t ideal either. It could tempt those willing to risk everything for the potential reward. In that sense, Karnak and Varos’s current attire struck a perfect balance.

They appeared as seasoned travelers from a noble family—experienced and well-funded, yet practical in their clothing and equipment. Varos’s imposing physique and sturdy gear, paired with the magical staff Karnak carried, clearly signaled that they were far from easy targets.

“Bandits are only doing what they do to make a living. Most won’t cross a dangerous line unnecessarily,” Karnak remarked.

And if they encountered bandits who didn’t fit the most category? That was no problem. Karnak’s chaos magic and Varos’s skills were more than sufficient to guarantee their safety.

And if they encountered those beyond their current skills?

“Well, that’s what necromancy is for.”

Thanks to their preparations, the two traveled comfortably without any incidents. In half a day’s time, they would reach their destination.

Varos, gazing down the road ahead, asked, “How are you planning to find this Shadow of Doom, anyway? Is there some kind of spell for locating it?”

“I’m researching one, but it’s not ready yet.”

“Then what’s the plan?”

“We stick to the basics. Remember the places we frequented back in the day?”

Varos nodded in understanding.

“We’re heading to the adventurer’s guild again, aren’t we?”

The adventurers’ guild had its roots in bounty hunting. Tracking down wanted criminals required not just strength but information. Knowing a target’s whereabouts was crucial to capturing or killing them.

Originally, bounty hunters shared information and cooperated, which led to the formation of an organization dedicated to gathering and managing intelligence: the bounty hunters’ guild. But as the guild grew, someone came to a realization

Is there a reason to only sell information to bounty hunters?

What was useless information to one person might be priceless to another. They began selling information to treasure hunters exploring ancient ruins or dungeons left behind by pre-human races. This naturally led to treasure hunters becoming guild members as well.

Monster hunters, who hunted dangerous beasts and magical creatures, were also excellent customers for reliable information. They, too, joined the guild. Eventually, the guild evolved beyond its origins, adopting the broader name hunter’s guild.

Its influence spread across the continent, and its role expanded. Over time, it became less about hunting and more about fulfilling a wide range of requests. The requests became more varied as well.

The guild handled everything from mercenary work in territorial disputes between nobles, to escorting merchants and travelers, to mundane tasks like delivering messages or collecting debts. Its services had grown so varied that it was now a one-stop solution for almost any problem requiring manpower.

Eventually, the hunter’s guild became more than just a network for hunters, and its name changed accordingly. But calling it a freelance agency for odd jobs that pay well would have been too long and lacked appeal.

Thus, the title adventurer was chosen. Though it might now be a term applied to anyone and everyone, making it somewhat embarrassing, back then it carried a much more respectable image.

The adventurer’s guild was a hub of all kinds of information. It was an invaluable resource for Karnak during his quest for ancient necromantic knowledge. He had obtained required information and many leads through the guild.

“Of course, you had to sift through a lot of useless information too,” he muttered.

Varos gazed up at the sky with a nostalgic expression. “I miss those days. We relied on the guild so much back then.”

When the two had been fugitives, the guise they most frequently adopted was that of adventurers. Wandering adventurers were easy to disguise. Claiming to be from some obscure region in an unknown kingdom was impossible to verify.

Karnak glanced at Varos and scoffed. “You miss those days? I’d rather not think about them.”

Given their circumstances, they spent more time as wanted criminals than as proper adventurers.

“Having yesterday’s ally come after you with bloodshot eyes, determined to take your head, wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.”

“And you turned them all into zombies anyway, so what’s with the sudden sentimentality?” Varos replied with a smirk.

As their conversation continued, a sprawling city appeared on the horizon. It was Derath City, the largest trade hub in the northern region of the Eustil Kingdom.

“Do you really think we’ll find a necromancer here?” Varos asked.

Karnak replied calmly, “We’ll have to wait patiently. Necromancers aren’t exactly common.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Varos said with a grin.

Patience wasn’t much of a hardship, especially under their current circumstances.

“Waiting in a high-end inn, eating fine food, and drinking good wine? That’s the kind of patience I can live with!”

***

As soon as they arrived in Derath City, Karnak made his way to the adventurer’s guild. In his past life, he and Varos had registered with the guild under false identities and worked as adventurers. It was a convenient way to make money while staying under the radar. They also used the guild to discreetly gather information on necromancy—a two-for-one deal.

“But this time, there’s no need to become an adventurer,” Karnak noted.

Now he was Baron Karnak of Zestrad, a noble with a legitimate identity. Investigating matters related to the Shadow of Doom wasn’t illegal either. He openly revealed his identity and requested that the guild collect information about the Shadow of Doom. His excuse was both plausible and grounded in reality:

“A necromancer linked to the Shadow of Doom appeared in my domain. Fortunately, the Church of Latiel dealt with him, but there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. I can’t afford to ignore the threat.”

Since this had actually happened, the story raised no suspicions. And as it turned out, Karnak didn’t even need such an elaborate excuse. Other nobles were already using the adventurer’s guild to gather information about the Prophecy of Doom.

After all, any responsible lord would want to prepare for the potential rise of necromancers in their domain. To the guild, Karnak was just another ordinary client.

“Thank you for using the Derath City Adventurer’s Guild, Baron Karnak! We’ll contact you as soon as we receive any new information!”

***

One week into their stay in Derath City, Karnak and Varos were living comfortably at the city’s finest inn. Thanks to the wealth flowing in from Zestrad’s copper mines, they spared no expense. They stayed in the most luxurious room, ordered the best food, and spent their days feasting and enjoying themselves. They truly lived the life of leisure.

The only thing that set them apart from other nouveau riche aristocrats was that they did not purchase sexual indulgences at the red-light district.

It wasn’t that Karnak or Varos lacked sexual desire. Both had only recently regained human bodies, and youthful ones at that. Claiming they had no carnal urges would be a lie. Nor were they particularly concerned with morality or ethics. They even visited a brothel.

Yes, they went—but...

“Yeah, this isn’t going to work.”

Upon seeing the women, Karnak promptly turned and left. It was because he was a necromancer. Powerful necromancers often earned titles like Monarch of Death,Monarch of Darkness, or Monarch of Plague.

They were specialists in disease—not in curing it, like priests, but in spreading it. To Karnak’s eyes, the venereal diseases carried by the brothel workers were practically tangible, as if he could reach out and touch them. For someone who even moderated his snacking for the sake of his health, indulging in such risks was unthinkable.

“Yeah, I need to find a good woman, settle down, and live a proper life. That’s the way to live like a human being.”

“Are you seriously considering marriage?”

“Of course. I’m a lord now, aren’t I?”

As the head of a noble family, it was a crucial duty to leave behind an heir.

“Marriage is a must. Ideally with someone I actually like.”

He had no intention of settling for a loveless political marriage with someone he’d never met. The Zestrad Barony wasn’t in such dire straits to require that.

“What about you, Varos? Anyone caught your eye?”

“Well, there was someone I was thinking about,” Varos admitted.

Lately, he’d noticed some of the maids at the estate looking at him with particularly meaningful gazes, and he’d started to harbor some quiet hopes.

“Really? Then why didn’t you pursue her?”

“I was just about to, but some lunatic went and spread the apocalypse all over the world. And now here we are.”

“...Sorry about that.”

***

At least they enjoyed their time in the city. The problem, however, was their actual mission.

“It’s been a week, and we’ve made no progress,” Varos said with a sigh.

“Yeah. I didn’t know it would be this uneventful,” Karnak replied.

It wasn’t that there was no information about the Shadow of Doom. Rather, it was quite the opposite—there was far too much. The goddesses issued a prophecy, and the seven churches announced it publicly, urging the world to prepare for the coming darkness. How did the common people react?

Anything and everything bad was now blamed on the Shadow of Doom. If bandits roamed the hills, it was because they were corrupted by darkness. If magical beasts wreaked havoc in the forests, it was because they were corrupted by darkness. If someone got scammed or lost money, it was because the scammer was corrupted by darkness.

Even if a neighbor’s dog attacked a chicken, people claimed the dog was corrupted by darkness. Every misfortune in the world was now attributed to the Shadow of Doom.

“So this is why the seven churches kept prophecies secret all this time,” Karnak muttered, shaking his head.

The world was overflowing with incidents supposedly linked to necromancy, but almost all of them were false alarms.

“I wonder exactly what kind of a spectacle Fred caused to be hunted so relentlessly,” Varos asked.

“Honestly, seeing what he did, it’s a miracle he didn’t get caught sooner.”

They had learned in Derath City that the Church of Latiel hadn’t pursued Fred from the beginning. Initially, the case had been handled through an adventurer’s guild search request. During that time, several adventurers had been killed, which drew the suspicion of one of Latiel’s priests. However, that priest also ended up dead.

Only then did the church grasp the gravity of the situation and mobilize a significant force. The sheer volume of false reports meant that even the seven churches couldn’t investigate every incident. They only intervened when the facts were more or less confirmed.

“That’s why we need to intercept cases before they do,” Karnak said as they walked through the nighttime streets.

“Let’s hope tomorrow brings us something useful...” he murmured, almost like a prayer.