Perhaps I should have considered it fortunate.
Compared to Raise the Dead, the history of Necromancy was simple.
A certain noble missed a woman who had passed away so terribly that he opened her coffin and kissed her pale corpse.
Then he carved open her heart with a silver knife, infused his own blood and ashen mana into the gaping wound, and murmured the word ‘Necromancy.’
In doing so, he bound the woman’s soul to his side for the rest of his life.
It was a tragic tale.
It was also revolting.
Why would he disturb a corpse that was resting peacefully? And why would he kiss a corpse on the lips?
I had glimpsed the deeply repulsive underside of the nobles I had admired and envied as a child.
However, the grave robber’s memories I had witnessed immediately beforehand had been so shocking that this almost seemed mild by comparison.
Besides, loving someone was not a crime, was it?
Of course, the matter would be entirely different if the woman in the coffin and the noble had been complete strangers. But if they had loved each other, I could almost understand it.
‘…….’
In truth, it was merely self-justification.
I also intended to bring the old man back. Although I understood that the noble was deranged, I was desperately attempting to excuse his actions.
‘There is no particular need for that.’
Golden sat in the rocking chair directly before me, nodding off.
【This target cannot be summoned.】
Necromancy could not bring him back.
My first thought was that I had failed to satisfy one of the conditions required to activate Necromancy.
But that was not the case.
I had unquestionably met them.
Then there was only one answer.
The old man’s soul did not exist.
There was no reason to blame my own inadequacy. This approach had been impossible from the very beginning.
‘It was a false hope.’
FLASH, FLASH-
The 【Mental Stability Correction】 message began flashing wildly behind me.
It did not bother me much.
It had been flashing constantly ever since I realized something was wrong with the old man, so I had grown somewhat accustomed to it.
“…….”
That did not mean I was all right.
SHIING-
I drew my dagger.
I had never sharpened the blade separately, yet the flesh of my wrist parted smoothly beneath it.
My face was reflected in the dagger’s dull blade as blood spread across it.
I looked like a corpse.
Soon, it would no longer be a metaphor.
‘Once is enough.’
If I closed my eyes and slashed, I could escape this hell.
‘……No. I cannot do that.’
If I failed to die immediately, Golden might save me according to his Character Profile as ‘Arche’s greatest Apothecary.’
If I wanted to end it in a single attempt, the heart would be more reliable.
I slowly moved the dagger toward my chest.
“……Damn it.”
CLANG-
The strength suddenly left my body, and the dagger fell to the floor.
Just before I stabbed my heart, my eyes had met the ring.
Was it right to say I had the ring to thank this time?
I did not fucking know.
Regardless, I had managed to suppress the momentary impulse.
But that was all.
Although I had stopped myself from committing suicide, I did not suddenly feel any desire to keep living.
【Patch in progress. 90%】
Even when that chilling message informed me that only ten percent remained before true hell unfolded, I still felt no urge to do anything.
An earthworm drying beneath the blazing sun after the monsoon ended must have felt exactly like this.
I rested my chin and both arms on the back of the rocking chair and sank into thought.
CREEAK, CREEEAK-
Golden and I rocked back and forth.
The moon remained bright, and we remained silent.
Golden slept without a care in the world.
“……Excuse me.”
Golden opened his eyes with a low groan.
“……A customer? Have a look around.”
“What should I do now?”
“Do whatever you wish. What kind of foolish question is that?”
“There is nothing I want to do.”
“What a listless fellow.”
“You are right. I have no motivation.”
“Get some rest. This workshop has no spare rooms, so go to the village. The kindly residents of Arche will find you somewhere to sleep.”
“I do not want to rest.”
“Then do anything at all, you imbecile. You seem to be under a misconception, so I will tell you this: I am not a counselor.”
“Even so, I would like you to listen to me.”
“I cannot do that for free.”
I shoved my head into the Inventory and personally examined the items inside.
Beneath the section labeled Currency was a message reading 10 Silver 79 Bronze.
After roughly counting them, I concluded that it meant ten silver coins and seventy-nine copper coins.
It was not a great deal of money, but neither was it a small amount.
I thrust my hand into the Inventory, grabbed as many coins as I could, and placed them on the table before Golden.
“Tell me your troubles!”
Golden suddenly became cheerful.
It was an absurd situation, but the muscles of my face had hardened like stone, leaving me unable to form any expression.
“There was someone precious to me. He died before my eyes. Then he came back to life. But his soul was dead. Only his body remained, like some kind of doll. To me, that sight seemed even more miserable than death.”
“That must have been upsetting. Keep your spirits up.”
“I know I should not say this…… but if even that person’s shell had vanished, I could have continued moving through anger and the desire for revenge alone. But he left behind something like an empty cicada shell. Because I had to see it with my own eyes, I harbored a pointless hope and ultimately fell into an even deeper pit. Now I do not have the strength to crawl back out.”
“I understand. So? What do you wish to hear?”
“I do not know. Encouragement or comfort, perhaps?”
The Guide had probably written the script for him, but I wanted to hear it in the old man’s voice.
That was how I felt.
“Continue.”
“The target of my revenge is clear. But I no longer know what meaning there would be in achieving that revenge, even if I repeated it again and again. I simply…… cannot see any hope that things will improve.”
“You are trapped in darkness. There was a time when I was the same.”
“Old…… You went through something like this too?”
“I will tell you an old story. I am an Apothecary. I was an Apothecary before I was even ten years old. I had to become one. I did not want to starve to death. That was why I became obsessed with money. I worshipped it.”
Golden shook the bottle of liquor in his hand.
“I met a good master. My master’s son was a good man as well. He became both a good friend and a good colleague. But my vulgar nature never changed. Eventually, I sold something that should never have been sold to a territory at war. It was not long before a tragedy…… a massacre unfolded. That place became hell. My life became hell as well. I drowned myself in alcohol every day while consumed by guilt, and I harmed myself constantly. I even tried praying to Grid. I soon realized there was no salvation to be found there.”
“…….”
“In the end, I ran away. I did not have the courage to face the hell that had begun with me, much less the courage to take responsibility for it.”
……Was he speaking according to his Character Profile?
I had never heard this story before.
The old man had never told me about his past.
“I ran and ran. I had no destination in mind. I simply wanted to flee as far away as possible. Eventually, I lost consciousness in the mountains. When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling was above me, and an unfamiliar woman was wiping my body with a wet towel.”
Golden covered his mouth, concealing a bitter smile.
“I shouted at her to take her hands off me. When she still refused to leave, I told her everything about the hell that had unfolded because of me. I cursed at her, telling her not to concern herself with me, to get out of my sight, not to follow me, and to please let me die. What do you think she said?”
“She comforted and encouraged you?”
“Precisely the opposite. She told me that if I wished to repent, I must not die like a coward. She said I should live while being tormented by their screams and voices every night. She said trash like me deserved to suffer for the rest of my life. That I should wither away in agony. She hurled abuse like that at me.”
“Your wife had quite a temperament even then.”
“How did you know I was talking about my wife?”
“Please continue.”
“Unfortunately, that is the end of the story.”
Still holding the bottle, Golden raised only his index finger and pointed it at my face.
There was no emotion in his eyes.
He remained an empty shell.
“I am telling you to live, even if it is painful. If you do, hope will eventually find you.”
“You sound like a religious man.”
“Religion? Not at all. This is mathematics. The probability that nothing but misfortune will continue to befall one particular person is exceedingly low. You must move, however. No die will display a different number unless it is rolled. Shall I tell you something remarkable? The probability of rolling a one is the same as the probability of rolling a six.”
“What if I do not have the strength to roll the die?”
“Grab anyone you encounter by the trouser leg and beg them to roll it with you. They will reluctantly agree. Humans are creatures like that.”
“What if there is no one around me?”
“Walk around. You will inevitably meet someone.”
“What if I cannot even walk around?”
“Are you trying to exchange jokes with me?”
“You are right. It truly does sound like a joke.”
I understood that he meant I should move instead of sinking into despair, but it did not help in the slightest.
I could not even accept the sentiment behind his words.
It might have been different had the old man spoken them himself, but what heart could NPC Golden possibly possess?
His words gave me no strength.
They offered no comfort.
They were not helpful at all.
I had merely wasted my money.
However,
One question came to mind.
I knew that hearing the answer would be meaningless.
I knew it might even become poison.
“Do you miss your wife?”
Even so, I asked Golden.
He snorted.
“What kind of question is that? Mari was my life and my light.”
“Then you must feel as though you are dying whenever you miss her.”
“It is the opposite, you fool.”
Golden gave an incredulous laugh.
“Missing her is proof that those days were beautiful enough to long for. I smile whenever I remember my wife, so how could that possibly feel like dying? I have never met anyone more pessimistic than you.”
“……Then do you not resent Akkun? Your wife left your side because of him.”
“Why would I not? I resent him, hate him, and despise him…….”
Golden gulped down the grain liquor.
Strangely, although the amount of alcohol decreased, the bottle would soon fill itself again.
“……It is not as though I did nothing wrong. My wife died because of him, but when everything is considered, it was not solely his fault. Yet I continue blaming him for it. I am treating him terribly…… I warn you, do not tell Akkun any of this.”
“Why?”
“If I tell you not to, then do not.”
“But why?”
“Do you wish to intrude between the two of us that badly?”
“…….”
“You are an exceedingly nosy fellow.”
I had simply chosen not to answer.
“There is an item I would like you to deliver to him in my place.”
Golden appeared to interpret my silence as agreement.
The Guide immediately displayed a screen before me.
【A Quest has arrived!】
【Sub Quest : Get Out of My Workshop】
* * *
[Overview] Golden and Akkun are the only two Apothecaries in Arche. ‘A certain tragedy’ created a rift between them. Although Golden’s apprentice, Akkun, was responsible for its cause, Golden’s accusatory attitude deepened the conflict. Golden wishes to reconcile with Akkun, but he cannot find the courage to approach him first. It is time for you to interfere, Player.
[Objective] Deliver Golden’s true feelings to Akkun!
[Reward] EXP +2,200, Beginner’s Potion Bundle
* * *
【Would you like to accept the Quest? Y/N】
Even the rift between us was nothing more than entertainment to the System.
Still, how should I put it……?
Even as disgust welled up within me, some of the knots inside my heart were beginning to unravel.
Of course, I was not going to thank it.
【You have accepted the Quest!】
【‘Golden’s Old Letter’ has been added to the Inventory.】
I merely intended to find out what the old man had wanted to say.
I thrust my hand into the Inventory’s mouth and pulled out the letter myself.
Then I scratched away the vivid red seal securing it.
Red wax clung beneath my fingernails, but I did not bother brushing it off before unfolding the letter.
It was filled with crookedly written excuses.
No matter how many times I read it, it contained nothing but excuses.
There were even sentences blaming me.
What followed was a unilateral notice ordering me to leave the workshop.
They were words I had heard every day.
Get out of the workshop already.
Stop living like a parasite and find somewhere else to stay.
Was this merely another repetition of the same words?
Had he wanted to fill the letter with the same curses?
I released a small sigh and moved my eyes from side to side, then up and down.
─ If you feel guilty toward Mari and me, then instead of waiting hand and foot on a foul-tempered old man, it is only right that you venture into the wider world and save people.
─ Of course, you will pretend not to hear me. You are a coward who uses my wife and me as excuses to avoid changing. You are no ordinary coward, either. You are an arrogant, vicious-tempered coward, Akkun.
─ Someone like you will never accomplish anything alone. It is not because you lack ability. It is because you lack the courage to step forward.
─ I will introduce an old friend of mine to a coward like you. Find him, bow your head, prostrate yourself before him, and cling to his trouser leg if you must. Learn Apothecary Crafting from him. He is a far better man than I am, so you will be able to learn a great deal.
There was another sheet behind the letter titled Letter of Recommendation.
It contained words from the old man to his former friend.
Greetings, pleasantries, and inquiries after his well-being.
Ignoring all of that and reducing the letter to its essential point, it was a request that his friend accept his one and only apprentice, someone who was like a son to him, for the sake of their old friendship.
The request contained many desperate and earnest phrases, such as ‘please,’ ‘I beg you,’ and ‘I earnestly ask this of you.’
‘You never apologized to me once, yet you readily cast aside your pride before your friend.’
I knew he had done it for my sake, but I would rather have heard a single word of apology.
‘I should not have read it.’
It had only ruined my mood.
I was about to fold the letter and the recommendation again.
However, the texture of the letter’s right corner felt strangely smooth.
Something black also rubbed off onto the thumb that touched it.
Poison?
Surely not.
When I held the letter beneath the moonlight, I realized that the substance was graphite.
‘Did he write and erase it repeatedly?’
In the end, the damned old man had chosen not to include it.
However, the faint impressions left on the paper remained, allowing me to make out the words.
─ I am sorry. I am an unworthy master.
“…….”
Haaaa.
I released a small sigh, carefully folded the letter, and placed it inside my clothes.
At that moment, the Guide spoke with a cheerful notification sound.
【The Quest has been completed!】
【Return to the Quest Giver to receive your reward─】
‘Shut up.’
Who were you to decide that our story had ended?
Nothing had been completed.
Nothing had been resolved.
The one who had given me the letter was nothing more than a shell, and the letter inside my clothes was nothing more than a scrap of paper.
I would be lying if I said the final line on that scrap of paper did not weigh on my mind, but that was irrelevant as well.
My master had decided to erase the final line.
As his apprentice, it was only proper that I erase it from my mind too.
In the end, I had never received an apology.
BANG!
I left the workshop without saying goodbye.
For some reason, the world had become blurry.
When I raised my head, the moon swayed from side to side as though reflected on the surface of water.
‘What I have to do…… has been decided.’
I would make that damned old bastard apologize to me with his own mouth.
Not through a piece of paper.
Not through an empty shell.
‘Until then, I cannot die.’
I would cling to life and survive by any means necessary.
【Raise the Dead】