Over the next two weeks I noticed a change in people's behaviour. It looked like my fame had spread during the vacation. Archibald had ceased his open hostility but it was clear he was rather unhappy about it. I wondered if he would eventually explode and try something.

My classes progressed nicely and I was enjoying learning magic. I tried to stay out of any politics and declined every invite from students I did not know. I was happy staying with my small group of friends.

When I was called into the headmasters office again, I was in a good mood. I had no idea why, but I doubted that I was in trouble. Once I entered the room I saw Colonel Duncan, the royal investigator. Irene was here as well, as was Erik, the headmaster.

“Sir.” I saluted.

“Ah, Koyuki. It looks like there is an update concerning the investigations Colonel Duncan is conducting.” Erik said.

Duncan nodded. “Yes, Irene’s capture of several agents has helped. As you know, we were hoping to draw out some assassins when you took your little trip. It worked. The information we were able to get was limited but it seems like Ilestria is stepping up its efforts. They are somewhat spooked by your existence.”

“They are certainly aware of your potential. And your recent actions will certainly make them even more concerned.” Erik added. “Taking out a large group of enemies, as a first year, is not an easy feat. Magic is a great advantage but you did take down an enemy mage as well.”

“Sir, do you think they will try again? Do you know about an attack?” I asked.

“They will certainly try again but we do not know of a specific attack.” Duncan answered.

“But it is getting more political. Ilestra has sent an official request to have you turned over to them. They have branded you a criminal for your actions against the priestess. They have also sent a few more soldiers to the border.” Erik added.

“And we will respond in kind.” Irene smiled. “Don’t worry, the kingdom is not going to abandon you.”

“Do you think there will be a war?” I asked. Was my existence really that scary? Or was it just an excuse?

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“Hard to say.” Erik answered. “You see, an archmage necromancer is a terrifying thing. Far from unstoppable but certainly a noticeable threat. Some of our nobles are already considering an expansion of our borders. Others are more concerned with keeping you leashed.”

“There has been a recent incident where a necromancer went too far in acquiring corpses. Your popularity among the royal family has made some of them a bit too bold.” Duncan mentioned.

My thought went towards the lure scheme my friends had proposed. Maybe we should not be luring in bandits. Or at least, not without asking for permission first.

“Sir, my friends had an idea…” So I told them about it.

Irene chuckled. “Ah, what an amusing plan.”

Erik looked more serious. “It would be legal for you to defend yourself. But that is a slippery slope. How far would you go to provoke someone to attack? What about a group? If one attacks, would you consider them all hostile? Also, you are underestimating criminals.”

“Once you take down some belonging to a larger organisation you would be picking a fight with organised crime.” Duncan added. “The reality is, some criminal organisations have ties to the nobility. I would love to give some of them a bloody nose but it would complicate your life. And it would not work for long. They would catch on and be prepared. If you decide to try something like that please coordinate it with me first. Better yet, I can contact you if we think there is a reasonable way of doing something like that.”

“If you need corpses, I would suggest you buy some from the adventurers guild. Experiment with some animal or monster bones.” Erik suggested. “I have heard you got quite a bit of loot from the bandits you killed.”

Colonel Duncan looked thoughtful. “Maybe we could include you in some of our operations, if your schedule allows. The military does take care of bandits regularly.”

Erik shook his head. “She is a first year, her focus should be studying and training.”

“Maybe we should give her some advanced classes. Start training her in small unit tactics to command her horde. And if she does well, she gets to join a mission to get more undead.” Irene suggested, with a smile. “Koyuki does seem to enjoy training. Maybe we should just give her more of it.”

Erik stroked his beard. “Hm. I like the idea. We can include her whole team. They get extra lessons in teamwork and unit tactics. They all did well enough in the mid-year exam.” Then he looked at me. “Instead of focusing on a large army you should learn how to properly utilise the resources you have. If you can convince your teacher, we might allow you to join some appropriate operations.”

Ooops. I did not necessarily mind the extra classes but I hoped my friends would see it the same way.

“Let’s get back to the original topic.” Duncan said. “While we have no information about a specific attack, we expect Ilestria to send someone more competent next time. They are taking the situation seriously.” He pulled out a vial. “This is a common antidote. It’s not a cheap potion but it will help against a lot of poisons. Don’t waste it. Be suspicious of strangers and make sure to have backup if you go somewhere.”

“You think they will poison me?” I asked.

“It’s a distinct possibility. Actually, since we were talking about extra classes, maybe Skadi can get some lessons in blood magic?” Duncan suggested.

“Hm. It might be a bit advanced but we can give it a try. If she is willing. Your friends would not mind some extra classes, right? Maybe we can find something for Cassie and Helena as well…” Erik mused.

I started sweating. Maybe I needed to apologise to my friends. Then again, it was their idea that sparked this conversation. In any case, our lives were going to be a lot busier soon.