The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon

The Kraken’s Fear skill was useful in many ways. Even the formless swamp wraith had been affected by it. It wasn’t hard to imagine what it felt like taking that skill head-on, soaked in spilled entrails.

Maybe I should stop.

I deactivated the skill. At this rate, the Lord of Erast would either go mad or die of cardiac arrest. That wouldn’t do. I couldn’t take Rubia’s revenge into my own hands.

”Uuh... uuugh...”

The effect was immediate. The Lord of Erast stumbled out of the pile of corpses, brushing off blood and viscera. He climbed atop the execution platform he’d constructed, seemingly having regained some composure.

”Y-you w-wretched...! H-how dare you!”

He could still scream like that even after his entire retinue had been torn to shreds. It was impressive in a way. Either he hadn’t grasped the situation, or he had already lost his mind.

”I-I won’t f-forgive you!”

Whatever the case, a speech impediment had clearly kicked in.

”Disgusting,” Rubia denounced him clearly. ”You dare spout nonsense after trying everything to eliminate me?”

She was cold and firm. Was she still the same woman who’d collapsed in the mountains, legs buckling as she fell helplessly into my arms?

The Lord of Erast trembled. ”Y-you!”

It was then that a message popped up.

[Servant System]

[Your master desperately seeks your guidance.]

[Communication channel has opened.]

I was stunned.

That’s... possible?

I silently watched Rubia.

”Rubia.”

She jolted, her eyes wide as she looked around in surprise. Her reaction was so dramatic that it was almost awkward. I could feel the frantic pounding of her heart.

”Don’t be too surprised.”

Though truthfully, I was more surprised than she was.

How is this possible...? Could it be a talent for necromancy?

According to the floating message, I was Rubia’s servant. In other words, she had an ability beyond imagination. Maybe even this time-looping was because she was my master. A ridiculous thought, but it crossed my mind nonetheless. With that, the girl standing ahead felt more precious than ever.

She looked around restlessly.

”I’m beneath the left outer wall. No need to turn your head. Just nod if you can hear me.”

She flinched, but after a brief hesitation, nodded slightly.

”Aah...” Rubia’s voice echoed faintly within me. She sounded cautious, warm, and slightly tearful. ”Is... is this how we do it?”

”Yes.”

At that moment...

”G-Guards! Soldiers!”

The Lord of Erast bellowed from atop the execution platform. Maybe I was too caught up in our new mental link, but I’d stopped paying attention. In the meantime, the lord had regained his senses enough to call for help.

Fwooooo!

He pulled a twisted horn from his robe and blew hard. I could see guards surrounding the square.

They didn’t just appear, they were already coming this way.

Dozens of Erast guards encircled the square. Most of the town’s available peacekeepers seemed to have been mobilized. They had probably been alerted before the horn blast.

Perhaps emboldened by their arrival, the Lord of Erast forgot his panic and grew haughty again.

”Seize her! No—kill her! Kill her now!” he screamed.

The guards wavered. Some of them had been the ones who’d collapsed disgracefully at the gates.

So the rumors have spread.

The rumor that Rubia was heading to the keep. It wasn’t the horn that brought the guards here. Those at the gate had sensed an unusual force that swept them aside in an instant, and they had come with reinforcements.

Bystanders though they were, they couldn’t seem to bear to watch Rubia get butchered in the middle of town. Nevertheless, the situation had changed.

”Ask the guards whose side they’ll take.”

”Everyone! Who will you follow?”

”I-I’m the lord! What are you all doing?!”

If they chose the Lord of Erast, I had no choice but to kill them all. With this number, I’d probably have to reveal myself, but so be it.

Rubia turned and addressed them. ”I won’t say much. If you want to return to the old Erast... then follow me.”

A strange dignity emanated from her.

The guards murmured.

”Considering what the previous lord did for us... still...”

”Well, obviously...”

”She’s returned as a mage! Look at that!”

”Y-you insane fools! Why aren’t you capturing her?!” the lord screamed and stomped his feet on the platform.

The guards didn’t budge.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

One by one, dozens of guards knelt before Rubia, heads bowed.

”Not bad.”

”W-wow... it worked? It’s all thanks to you, Skel!”

A soft chime accompanied a message:

[Rubia’s Affection increased by 3!]

Why she thought it was because of me, I didn’t know. But I had no reason to complain about rising Affection.

”You... you bastards! I’ll have you all executed!”

”Where do you think you’re going?”

The two guards who first knelt before Rubia crossed their spears to block him.

”You? A lord?”

”Where are you going? To find more trash like yourself?”

Whack!

Their spears struck his wrists, his shins, and his back, forcing him to his knees. Six spears pinned him down in seconds.

”T-t-traitors!”

”My lord, you’ve lost touch with reality. We’ve always hated you.”

”Hiiiek! Y-you!”

”What now?” I asked Rubia.

She still seemed unaccustomed to the voice in her mind.

Amid the screams, Rubia answered, ”There are people imprisoned because of me. I have to save them.”

She was adjusting quickly to this form of communication. Though the feeling was different, it reminded me of when I worked with Isaac.

”Do as you wish.”

”Where’s Magistrate Illiar?” Rubia asked the guards.

”H-he’s in the outer prison,” answered a nearby guard, flinching like he bore personal responsibility for the arrest.

”What about the security chief and the scribe?”

”Also imprisoned. I’m sorry.”

Those who remained neutral in times of crisis often ended up living with their heads half-bowed forever.

”Then let’s go.”

Rubia didn’t blame them. She simply walked ahead.

Perhaps to show loyalty, a guard near her said, ”Please be careful. There are still remnants left.”

”Ask where,” I told Rubia.

”Where are they?” Rubia asked.

”In the inner keep, near the tower. They’ve taken over the ballista. If you head toward the prison, you’ll enter their range.”

”Leave it to me.”

I could catch ballista bolts midair if needed, but eliminating the threat ahead of time was best.

”Tell them not to worry.”

Rubia nodded slightly and repeated my words. ”Don’t worry.”

”R-right! We’ll form a shield wall and escort you!”

I checked the inner tower. Just as the guards said, a large ballista was aimed this way. Still, compared to the ones on the Grassmere walls, it was little more than a toy.

Rubia pointed toward the tower with a pale, elegant finger. ”Those guys... up there?”

”Yes! That’s them! Be careful!”

At the same time, from far beyond its effective range, I picked up a fallen sword and hurled it.

Whizz!

A sharp, slicing sound cut through the air. The sword shattered the ballista and beheaded its operator. His severed head spun through the sky. Before he even knew fear, he was dead.

The guards flinched and shouted in surprise, ”There! Look!”

Ah...

”Try not to look too surprised.”

[Rubia’s Affection increased by 1!]

That was easy. There were plenty of swords on the ground. Only two enemies remained up there.

Whizz!

Another throw. The sword pierced one man’s gut and burst out of his back.

”Aaaargh!”

He flew backward, falling from the wall. Every one of them got one chance to fly without wings in their life.

”W-whoa...”

”This... is the power of our lady...”

Some guards had begun referring to Rubia as their ruler.

[Rubia’s Affection increased by 1!]

The soft chime and system message appeared again. Perhaps Rubia’s Affection kept rising because she wasn’t used to this kind of stimulus yet. Her cheeks were flushed red. She didn’t seem to mind the blood. Maybe she wasn’t so squeamish after all.

”You’re doing all this for me. Thank you so much...” Rubia initiated the conversation this time. ”I’m not dreaming, right?”

”Hard to say. Why not look around?”

”A... a mage!”

The guards stared at Rubia in awe. It was a simple misunderstanding. After she pointed at the tower, the ballista suddenly broke, and the enemies were dead.

Thump.

The Lord of Erast collapsed with a cry. ”What is this?! No, this can’t be real!”

The guards dragged him toward the prison.

”This is a dream... it has to be...” the Lord of Erast muttered, pinching his own cheek desperately.

If distinguishing dream from reality were that easy, life would be simpler. Unfortunately, the line was rarely so clear.

”Well, let’s head to the prison now.”

By now, Rubia exuded true authority. As she led the guards through the streets, townspeople began to emerge.

”Milady!”

”Oooh...”

A girl with twin braids ran up to her. ”Big sis! Are you the new lord?”

”It’s cold. Go back inside.”

”I missed you!”

”Who’s that?” I asked.

”A kid who visited the library often. She’s very smart.”

Rubia was a count’s daughter, yet she treated a commoner child without any pretense. And somehow, it didn’t feel out of place. Everyone welcomed Rubia. She hadn’t enacted any great reform and had no grand accomplishments.

Simply removing the previous lord, Kurk Ray, was enough. The people cheered in their hearts for that alone.

”Milady! Please execute that garbage!”

The citizens of Erast watched until she disappeared into the distance.

***

When we reached the prison, the guards grasped the situation and immediately handed over the keys.

”We didn’t want to do this!”

”It wasn’t intentional, we swear!”

Their fear was obvious. They posed no threat. Rubia ignored them and stepped inside.

”Grandfather Illiar!”

”Cough... This isn’t a dream, is it?”

Rubia explained to me, ”He tried to save me till the end. Without him, I never would’ve escaped the castle.”

”I see.”

The muscular old man was covered in wounds. He looked like he’d been slashed nearly to death, deep cuts everywhere.

He sighed, ”Hah... I thought it would’ve been better to just die cleanly back then. But now... here we are.”

Rubia walked through the cells, tears welling in her eyes. ”Elan! Scribe Mareil!”

”Cough... Lady Rubia, I’m sorry we couldn’t protect you.” The scribe glanced at Kurk Ray, who was in shackles. ”So you captured this bastard. What about his gang?”

”They’re dead.”

”Really? Cowards like them...? That’s hard to believe...” the scribe remarked, shooting a sharp glance at the guards.

They lowered their heads.

Rubia said, ”I’ll explain everything at the castle. Detain the jailers and Viscount Kurk.”

”Yes, ma’am!”

Thud.

Kurk Ray, bound hand and foot, collapsed as he was thrown into a cell. His eyes were blank.

”Heh... hehe...” He wheezed, unable to speak properly, then suddenly burst into laughter. ”Kehaha... This can’t be... Has the magical blood of House Ray awakened? Then maybe I—!”

Covered in blood and filth, Rubia’s uncle flailed his cuffed hands in the air. ”Burn! Die! Burn! All of you, burn!”

”Gag him.”

”Yes, ma’am!”

”Mmph! Mmmph!”

[Rubia’s Affection increased by 3!]

I hadn’t even done anything this time. Still, it rose again. At this rate, it was honestly a little baffling.

”What now?” I asked.

”Thank you. Truly... thank you. My father... he would have been so grateful, too.”

Rubia didn’t yet realize that the real challenge had started now.

The imperial family...

The force that killed her father. To survive, she would need to appear cooperative with them. For now, enjoying the moment wasn’t so bad. At the very least, I liked seeing Rubia, overwhelmed with emotion, standing tall.