The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

Isaac sat at his desk, picked up a fountain pen, and began writing on a thin sheet of paper. The letters he inscribed were unmistakably in the Empire’s official language. However, while the characters themselves were familiar, the sentences and their context were completely incomprehensible. It appeared to be some kind of ciphered message.

Change is waiting once again. A single vest untouched by influence...

Isaac wrote dozens of similar letters before picking up the last remaining sheet. This time, however, he wrote something different and readable.

I, Herbert Chandler, Lord of Grassmere...

Isaac paused momentarily, then continued writing.

...hereby welcome the Skeleton Knight as a permanent guest of the Chandler household and grant him the following privileges:

Permanent, unrestricted access to the inner-city forge reserved for the lord.

If an A-rank or higher weapon is crafted within the city, it must first be presented to the Skeleton Knight. It shall be granted to him unconditionally and immediately if he desires it.

All artifacts within the Hall of Ancestors shall be recognized as the property of the Skeleton Knight.

The entire underground section of the inner city and all items buried there shall be ceded to the Skeleton Knight.

If the Skeleton Knight makes a request that the lord himself cannot fulfill, it must be resolved immediately through the membership rights of the Fountain of Wealth.

The Skeleton Knight shall hold absolute extraterritoriality within the city.

...

As Isaac continued scribbling down absurd demands, I quietly spoke to him. ”Shouldn’t you stop at some point?”

Scratch, scratch.

Yet, he didn’t stop until he had written all fifteen letters. Each and every one of them was a shameless demand beyond words.

”Didn’t I save their lives? I saved his life and his only son’s as well. This is the least they can do.”

I swallowed the retort that sat at the tip of my tongue—that he was the very one endangering those lives.

Isaac spoke to me again.

”By the way... what’s your name?”

”...I don’t have one.”

Isaac crossed his arms.

”Hey, you’re just hiding it from the humans, aren’t you? You really don’t have one? That’s impossible.”

”I don’t. I don’t know it.”

”I don’t think you’re lying, but...”

Isaac uncrossed his arms and clutched his head with both hands.

”What kind of incompetent necromancer raised you?! Is she even dumber than you?!”

”What are you talking about?”

”She should have unlocked your true name. That’s how you unleash your full potential. You really don’t know? With your skill, you must have been famous when you were alive.”

I had never heard of this before, but I realized that the five Dullahans under Gith-Za-Rai all had names.

Ser Gilaut, Unyielding Owain, Andrei the Heartbreaker, Swift Fenrir, and Pale Hamelain... ”Would learning my name truly make me stronger?”

”Just how incompetent was your necromancer?! She raised a swordmaster and didn’t even unlock his true name?”

She raised a swordmaster and didn’t even unlock his true name?

Hearing Isaac insult Rubia, I felt my heart ache unexpectedly.

He paced around and muttered, ”At least tell me where your grave is. I’ll check your tombstone.”

”It’s in a cemetery near Erast, on a hillside. But it was likely washed away by floods long ago.”

”You were buried in some pathetic place like that? Not in the imperial knight’s cemetery?” Isaac said with a voice filled with disbelief.

”I’m not lying.”

”Really? Where exactly? I can’t believe this. A warrior of your caliber buried in some nameless grave? That’s absurd.”

”It’s the truth.”

I elaborated on the exact location of the cemetery.

Isaac chuckled darkly, clicking his teeth together. ”Tch-tch...”

Did I say something wrong?

But even if he knew where my grave was, how could my situation get any worse?

The sky was already bright, and the chirping of birds filled the air. Even though there weren’t many birds, mixed with Isaac’s laughter, they sounded like thousands of crows cawing all at once.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

”Sir Knight, did you cough just now?” a young maid called from outside.

”Wait.”

”Y-yes, sir!” the maid responded energetically, her tone full of determination.

She was a young human girl who always wanted to help out in any way. When I refused food, she brought luxurious bedding. When I claimed not to sleep, she prepared elaborate baths instead.

Creak.

Isaac opened the door. Standing beside the maid was Rena.

”Oh, you’re here?”

He handed Rena a large bag filled with letters.

”What is this?” she asked.

”Letters. I’ve written down all the destinations. This is important, alright? I trust you, so make sure they get delivered properly.”

Isaac patted Rena’s shoulder, offering a lighthearted encouragement.

”Y-yes! I understand!”

Rena nodded blankly, her eyes dazed. She clearly still hadn’t shaken off the hypnosis completely.

”Pfft...”

Isaac chuckled inwardly, watching Rena as she walked away. There was no doubt he was mocking her for being under his hypnosis.

”Uh, Sir Knight... May I escort you to the lord? Everyone is waiting for you!” the young maid exclaimed.

”Oh, sure. Take that with you.”

Isaac gestured toward Rubia’s armor, which had been carelessly discarded in a corner of the room.

”Understood!”

As we followed the maid, Isaac suddenly clicked his tongue. ”Tch. She’s acting.”

”Acting?”

”Yeah. That Rena girl? She’s pretending to be affected by my hypnosis. She’s sharper than a fool like you deserves.”

”Rena is—!”

”Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Heh. She’s still better than the idiots who got completely taken in. If raised properly, she might turn into something big.”

If Isaac’s words were true, then Rena had understood the situation and was merely pretending to be under hypnosis. She was most likely trying to seize an opportunity to rescue me.

However, Isaac had seen right through her.

A cold chill crept into the pit of my stomach. I could vividly imagine Rena being killed in an attempt to save me.

Is this happening again?

I wanted to properly help her in this life, but now, she was risking everything, walking a tightrope just for me.

Rena was performing a desperate act on thin ice, which was agonizing to think about. Yet, despite everything, I was walking with light steps into the lord’s room. The door was wide open, and everyone inside was already waiting.

The lord greeted me with delight. ”Our benefactor!”

His complexion had improved significantly, and he looked much healthier than when I first saw him. Even Chandler’s expression was brighter than ever.

All that fear of what might happen if the sorcerer died now seemed ridiculous. With all those cursed parasites burned away, his recovered health was the only thing left.

”I thank you sincerely for saving me and my son. I will never forget this lifelong debt.”

”Thank you!”

The butler, Chandler, and Christina bowed deeply in gratitude.

I glanced at Christina. She had seamlessly blended into the Chandler household. Although she had only recently joined the family, this incident seemed to have solidified her position.

I could feel their genuine admiration for me. Even at this moment, my favorability with them was steadily rising. That applied to Chandler and even Christina. Their hypnosis had worn off, but... there wasn’t the slightest hint that they suspected me of being someone else. It had never even crossed their minds.

The lord was beaming with relief. He licked his lips and said, ”I’m... not sure how to repay such a great kindness...”

Isaac casually extended a sheet of paper and a pen. It wasn’t a blank page but the long list he had prepared last night. A wide, empty space had been left at the very bottom. It was clear what he expected.

The lord uttered, ”This is...?”

”Read it and sign it.”

”Ahem... I, Herbert Chandler, Lord of Grassmere, hereby declare the Skeleton Knight a permanent honored guest of the Chandler household and grant him...”

As he continued reading, the lord’s jaw dropped.

”What’s the matter?”

”I don’t know what this is, but if our benefactor desires it, then you must approve it immediately, Father! If you won’t, then I will!”

As the lord read down the list, his face darkened rapidly. Beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. His hands trembled as he held the paper, and his eyes darted anxiously.

”Unrestricted access to the inner-city forge...”

Gulp.

Even I felt uncomfortable watching this, and that was only the first clause. If this alone were hard to accept, the rest would be even worse.

The lord stammered, ”H-how... How do you know all this? This information...”

He clutched his head, strands of thin hair slipping between his fingers. He looked as though he was shedding in real-time, but there was nothing I could do to help him.

”Father? What’s wrong?”

”Just wait a moment. This... this is like stripping me down to nothing. How on earth do you know all this?”

The butler reading the paper over his shoulder widened his eyes. He had been holding a small box, which I assumed was my reward. But at this point, he seemed to have completely forgotten about it.

There were fifteen clauses in total. The earlier sections mostly consisted of demands, but as the list progressed, the clauses became increasingly unusual. Each new clause became harder and harder to refuse, and it had nothing to do with the fact that I had saved them.

Isaac had woven the lord’s deepest secrets, his household and city’s hidden affairs, into cleverly disguised clauses near the end of the list.

”How in the world do you know all this?” I asked Isaac.

”How do I know? When I dream, they share reality with me.”

Drenched in cold sweat, the lord eventually signed the paper.

I felt a deep sense of shame, as if I had become a shameless extortionist. After all, Isaac was doing all this while using my skeletal form.

I wanted to look away but couldn’t move as I wished.

”And...”

Isaac turned to the maid standing beside him.

Clank! Clank!

She was holding a set of armor, carefully cradling it in her hands. It was the armor Rubia had bought in Yublam for forty roti.

Isaac grabbed it roughly and shook it forcefully. The young maid, still holding the armor, was also shaken back and forth by his movements.

”Melt this down. Get me something proper instead.”

”Understood. I’ll dispose of it immediately...”

The butler placed the box he was holding on the ground and reached for the armor.

”No!”

I refused to let it go. The thought of melting it down was unacceptable. At the very least, I couldn’t bear to watch it happen while still conscious. This was the armor Rubia had left behind for me. I might never see her again.

Even if I lost everything else, I wanted to keep this one thing. It might look like a piece of junk to Isaac, but to me, it was a treasured memento.

I had to protect it no matter what. It was proof that Rubia had wanted to be with me, a fragment of the future we once dreamed of together. She had wanted to see me wear it, walk with me through the city, and wander down the grand avenues together. Now, her corpse was decaying beneath the earth, but her armor remained clean and intact.

I poured every ounce of my strength into resisting. I couldn’t let the armor go. Even the slightest hesitation and all hope would be lost.

I channeled all my power from my fingertips to my hands and then to my arms. The right hand, which had been shaking the armor carelessly, came to a sudden stop. I gripped the armor tightly and refused to let go.

”Shall I... proceed with disposal?” the butler asked again.

Isaac faltered. ”Huh?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on him.

”What will you do? It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s still well-crafted armor.”

After a brief examination, the butler even offered an evaluation of its quality.

Isaac spoke to me telepathically.

”What the hell are you doing?”

”No. Don’t melt it.”

”Tch. It’s clearly mass-produced... You really think I—the Ruler of the South, Isaac Bel’Homec—would wear this trash?”

”It’s not trash.”

”Pfft... What, is it sentimental or something? You’re just a skeleton, yet you keep acting so damn human. How arrogant. Fine, I won’t throw it away.”

Clatter.

I released my strength. A wave of mental exhaustion crashed over me like I had been holding on for weeks in a state of absolute focus. I felt myself sinking into the abyss of my consciousness, yet... a single thread of hope remained. For a brief moment, I gained control over one arm. If I could do it once, then I could do it again.

”Damn it. I stole your skeleton, but there’s no way I can completely erase the will of its owner, Isaac grumbled quietly.”

”You knew that, yet you took my body anyway?”

”Hah! I never expected you to resist the soul exchange. There’s never been anyone like you before.”

Despite his words, Isaac sounded relaxed.

Does he have some kind of plan?

Isaac said aloud, ”Ah, just leave this for now.”

”Understood.”

”What’s inside that box?”

The butler, sweating profusely, picked up the box from the floor and opened it. Inside was a small metal medal, intricately engraved with the Grassmere skyline, alongside a platinum chain.

”A necklace?”

”Yes! This is... a commemorative gift as a token of gratitude.”

Isaac chuckled. ”Heh. So you were going to give me some useless souvenir instead?”

”Ahem...”

Isaac snickered, then snapped his fingers twice.

Snap. Snap.

”Well, fine. I can heat it until it warps, or run electricity through it. It’s small enough that I won’t lose it easily.”

”What... do you mean...?”

”The city’s skyline is engraved on it. It’ll remind me of Grassmere.” Isaac grinned. ”It’s perfect.”

Isaac took the medal and issued his next order. It was something the lord would undoubtedly be glad to hear.

”Alright, let’s go. Prepare three horses—the fastest ones you have.”