Raderius

When I regained consciousness, I was greeted with the sight of what remained of my army standing by. I was unable to take in much of what had happened after that fire mage set me aflame, staying conscious enough to keep myself alive until my mana told me I wasn't in danger. Then that little speck of consciousness was overridden by a emotional rage that knocked me out. Looking upon it now, I can see that I had suffered over 90% casualties before achieving victory, a bit under 1000 undead remained. I'd also lost most of the special undead and over half the magic knights I raised. Additionally, it seems that both Leopold and the wind affinity magic knight have both been destroyed. At their ruined corpses are other grade 4 magic knights. It seems they exchanged lives. Thankfully, none of the grade 3 mages were lost. Its at this point I've confirmed what happened at Remire. I can't raise a corpse i've previously raised before. Unfortunate. As I raise the militia, the grade 4 magic knights that died freeing their comrades and the low grade mages and knights I ponder my next move.

Defeating the other Counts of Avantine and becoming the Duke of Avantine is no small challenge. It will take time for news to spread of my victory and for the other Nobles to take up arms. In the meantime I'll go village to village and raise their dead. Lastly, I'll visit Cistine, from what I understand its much larger than any village, a proper city like that is sure to have a large quantity of dead for me to raise.

Still, perhaps I could gather more information and take more time while causing less harm with my conquest if I use subterfuge. I raise the Count, restore his appearance and spend the day refining my ability to manipulate his speech. After all, if he sounds like a drunkard it will swiftly raise suspicion. I concoct a lone survivor story, that the Count was able to slay the Necromancer thanks to the aid of a stranger from a foreign land. I'll lie about my affinity, with no mages left in Cistine and nobody having previously seen me raise the dead there was no way for anyone to confirm that I was in fact the necromancer. I'll make the man seem traumatized, that he needs time to recover and that as his only powerful subordinate remaining to direct all matters of state to me. This will also provide me with time to learn the fine details of rulership. I'll be the Count in everything but name. Meanwhile, I'll gather information on the other Nobles and prepare for the conquest of Avantine. I don't wish for such a conquest to be as hard fought as taking Silos. Overwhelming victory is my desire. Ideally I will take Avantine without much resistance and minimal suffering.

After laying my plans into motion and guaranteeing their success, I arrive at Cistine. The procession that welcomes the Counts return is of sorrow, citizens spit on him and I force his body to endure it and prostrate himself. To say that it was hubris to think that he could take the necromancer on without help and that if it weren't for this nature magic knight he would have doomed his county.

The act, the tears I forced from him, they worked. The denizens of the city, though conflicted and in great debate with each other; had an attitude of forgiveness about them. Perhaps, seeing this broken version of the Count softened their hearts. It helped that Silos was young and many were arguing about the naiveties of youth.

Overall, a positive sentiment of a potential new dawn for the county was now in order. Of course, this was in fact the truth. Just not in the way they realized. Now, to deal with that other matter. I won't be fooled twice.

Lilly

I breathe raggedly as I run, and run. Everyone is dead. We lost the battle, I escaped with my transformation spell, but now I'm drained. Can I rest? Can I keep moving? I need to leave Silos and even if I hate it, I must warn the Duke, if I don't escape the duchy of Avantine is doomed.

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I feel like all i've been doing is running and hiding. I ran when Leopold ordered me to, in the battle I ran from the undead figure of Leopold, hiding from my responsibility to my old squad leader and battled other undead instead. When Lavislava was slain instead of joining with the others I ran for my life, I transformed quietly, to not be obvious and break everyones morale with my running and I hid. The necromancer lay sleeping and rather than make an attempt I got scared of his undead and ran.

I'm a failure of a magic knight. I prided myself on graduating from the academy in third year. The top 50% of first time graduates graduate in their third year. It meant I had potential for more growth. To grow stronger and be more. That I could become a nature mage of prestige and gain enough strength to reclaim my families honor.

Foolish girl, you can't defeat that man and reclaim your honor, you can't even stand by your brothers and sisters in arms against this new evil. The old evil of that man, what he did to my family, did to me, it haunts me still. When I was at my most vulnerable and had my innocence stolen. My escape was a miracle that was only bought by the sacrifice of my brother.

I came back to Avantine to help Count Silos with his ambitions. They would end in that man, Duke Avantines death. My family and my own honor would be restored if he were to perish, preferably an ignoble pathetic death. Yet, Silos was not up to the task. I wasn't up to the task. I can't even move my body right now, useless girl that I am.

Footsteps approach me. No! No! No! There's still so much I want to do, so much I want to be. This can't be the end, move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! No, no, no, no, no! I struggle and uselessly slump over. I close my eyes, knowing that these footsteps signify my end.

"You're different, I can feel it." A voice, that chills me says to me, strangely there's a warmth to it. I open my eyes.

A man in black clothing, pale skin, dark hair and slightly slanted eyes. On closer examination and with that curious expression on his face there's a strange beauty to him.

"Talk to me." He commands, gently, as if he was handling glass. I suppose I do come across as fragile as glass. As much as I hate it, as much as I hate him for robbing me of my chance at restoring my honor.

Rebelling against that notion I gather the last remaining bits of my meagre strength so I can straighten myself. Look at him with defiance in my eyes and betray his expectations of fragility. Since, i'm going to die I may as well spit it out. All the unfairness of life, the uncertainty i've faced. The destruction of everything I've cared for, the defilement i've endured. I look away from the mans piercing gaze as I summon the strength to shout and curse my life, to curse Duke Avantine and to curse this pale man for taking away my chance at revenge.

Relief overwhelms me. Leopold was always interested in why I became a magic knight, saying I didn't seem like I had a warriors spirit. Would always bug me to try and speak freely with him, but I couldn't. I couldn't speak freely with anyone. Getting this off my chest though. Its like in a small way a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I return my gaze onto the mans and face and see...tears? Compassion?

"You've suffered to, but unlike me your suffering was thrust upon you by another. Just like me though, it stems from the cruelty of this world."

The man embraces me.

"Lilly." The pale man says my name as gently as his previous command, but with none of the pity of a man handling glass. "Change the world with me."

I cry. For the first time since that night I cry and though I can't return his embrace. I know I've found a new Lord to serve, one who despite his deathly presence, is a man of compassion. Shamefully, most importantly to me after witnessing what he's capable of I also see a truth I want to use.

This man can help me achieve my goals and free me from the weight of the burdens I carry.

Before emotion overwhelms me any more I ask the pale man for his name.

"Raderius" he responds maintaining his chilling, but comforting embrace.

I bawl and become a sobbing mess as this newfound hope, a hope named Raderius, an inkling of a feeling of freedom and the fatigue of what I've endured envelop me.