The misadventures of the necromancer

Chapter XXIV

Adar returns to the camp feeling annoyed due to his recent failure. Seres, on the other hand, continues to tend to the fire like when Adar had left. While, as usual, Nero is sitting, muttering to himself.

At times, Adar begins to wonder if the mage is mad. But he can't deny that Seres' explanation makes the most sense. Nero must be studying some magic that they both don't understand.

One thing Adar has no doubt about is the danger that Nero poses. If one considers only his fireball spell the guy is ridiculously powerful. But Adar never forgets the mage's other weapon. The weapon that is right now, not far from Nero.His undead mule, a creature that could easily crush Adar.

Fortunately, Nero is possibly the strangest person Adar has ever met. In what other way can he define, someone who one moment destroys a tree to be able to produce potions. To, in the end, give almost half of them to the people he just threatened.

This leads to the fact that for now, even though Nero speaks badly to them, he has not shown any signs of wishing them harm. Although Adar doesn't know how long that will last. So, he isn't discouraged from trying to find an opportunity to escape from the mage.

An opportunity that he knows he will have to choose very carefully. Considering what happened the last time he tried. He's amazed that the mage didn't kill him when it happened. The loss of that money really pissed off Nero.

Even knowing the difficulty, he would like Seres to come with him. But considering how his friend is enamored with Nero's powers, convincing the idiot is almost impossible.

"So, did you manage to get anything?" asks his foolish friend, breaking his previous train of thought. And reminding him of the reason for his annoyance.

"No, the traps didn't catch anything." His answer informs his friend that once again the traps they set yesterday caught nothing for them to eat.

They still have food to sustain themselves. But it's mainly travel biscuits that last a long time. But they don't taste that good. So, getting some meat would be a delicacy that also could help stretch the food reserves.

Unfortunately, all their attempts to hunt something have been frustrating. 

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you." Says Seres with an unconcerned expression on his face. Making Adar even more annoyed.

"It's like you don't want to eat some meat?" Adar asks, unable to contain the irritation he's feeling. After all, Seres should be worried about helping him instead of just commenting in such a relaxed way.

"Sure, I'd like to. But if we haven't caught anything so far..." says Seres, without concluding his thought. But Adar understands, that getting mad about it will not help him hunt anything.

"I know! I just want to know why I'm not catching anything. My traps haven't caught anything since we left the inn." As he speaks it out loud, the whole situation seems even stranger to him. "Going so long without catching anything. It's weird."

"No, it's not." What is a strange comment from Seres. After all, Seres knows that Adar has been used to catching small animals in traps since childhood. How can he think this is normal?

"What?" is the only thing he can say to express his confusion about the comment.

Seres, on the other hand, simply looks at him. With an expression of genuine surprise and admiration for the confusion.

"Adar, how were you planning to catch anything with an undead nearby?" Seres asks, maintaining a confused expression. While raising a hand to point to the mule.

"But... What? What does that have to do with anything?" A question that he must make. Because sincerely doesn't understand what Seres is saying.

Seres, in turn, becomes expressionless and blinks his eyes a bit before speaking. "Adar, didn't you know that animals, especially wild animals, try to avoid the undead?"

"What? Since when?"

"Since always. You didn't know? It was Master who told me. And then I checked in a book at the inn." Seres tries to clarify, reminding him of their old master who died releasing undead to fight against Nero.

It always seemed to him that the man had only kept him to do manual labor. And this only confirms his suspicion. The wretch always had a policy of favorites, and Seres was one of them. While his friend spent many nights studying late, Adar mainly worked in the stables.

But amid irritation with this preferential treatment, an idea arises.

"Hey, but what about that boar? He certainly didn't avoid us."

"Really!!! I don't know why he attacked us? Maybe because he was injured. And that prevented him from realizing the true nature of the mule." Seres says, acquiring a reflective expression.

"But if you think about it. The attack doesn't invalidate what I said. Because it was the mule that scared it away. And it may have been only then that the boar, it realized was facing an undead."

"Yes, that makes sense. Well, live and learn or something like that." They hear Nero's voice saying. Startling Adar, who thought Nero was still sitting doing whatever he was doing.

But he is now preparing to sit by the fire. When the scare passes, Adar realizes what the mage might mean with the words live and learn, resulting in a question.

"You didn't know either?"

"What? That animals flee from the undead? Nope, didn't know."

A surprising answer for Adar as normally it's the opposite. They have a weaker understanding of magic. What he expected would be Nero calling them idiots and then explaining whether what Seres is saying is right or wrong.

"You really didn't know?" Seres asks, even more surprised them Adar.

"No, I didn't know. But it makes sense, after all, that animals, especially wild ones, have good survival instincts. So, avoiding creatures that want to kill them makes sense." after this comment, he lets out a heavy sigh and continues. "Unfortunately, that means we don't have much chance of hunting."

"Yes, that makes perfect sense." Seres says cheerfully, agreeing with the necromancer, even though the initial idea was his.

Sometimes, Seres is so tiresome and frustrating. And even though it's hard to admit, Adar begins to think that maybe it's not true.

"Maybe it's not true. After all, if Nero didn't know that fact..."

"And what? Am I supposed to know everything?" Nero's tone reveals something between annoyance and amusement at Adar's question.

Before Adar can respond, Nero continues speaking. "What matters is that you're not catching anything. And this is a likely answer."

"So we have to prepare to starve in a few weeks!" Adar says in what he considers a more than reasonable conclusion. One that is very unfortunate for them.

"Adar, I don't know why you're so worried. Thanks to Nero, we'll be able to trade potions for all the supplies we need." Interrupts, Seres with a huge smile on his face. Something that Adar wasn't even remembering despite everything they went through for Nero to make them.

Unexpectedly, Nero bursts into laughter. For a moment, he and Seres can only watch a scene they could never even dream of seeing. A Nero almost bent over laughing.

Finally, he seems to notice their surprise and begins to regain some control. "Sorry. It's just funny to realize that I'm not the only fool here."

The comment is more than strange for Adar. When he first met Nero, maybe he'd call him a fool. But since the events in the ruins beneath the inn, he would never say such a thing. Despite in the depths of his mind, he has many names for this mage, he hasn't any doubt of his abilities.

"Sorry, but what do you mean by that?" asks a probably even more confused Seres.

"It's nice to see someone else thinking of getting rich with healing potions." The smile never disappears from Nero's face. His answer is interesting making Adar think.

"I don't understand. You can make healing potions, and they're worth a lot." so, Seres begins to scratch his head trying to understand what's going on.

But Adar finally begins to understand what's going on. Which leads him to question his friend. "And who will buy potions from someone they don't know?"

The question makes Seres even more confused, saying. "What do you mean? Whoever needs potions will buy them. That farmer bought potions from a merchant."

In his confusion, Seres doesn't even understand what he just said, referring to the farmer who died because of the boar.

"Right, Seres. And tell me how did that end. You just referred to the perfect example of why you should be careful who you buy potions from."

With this answer, Seres seems to understand the difficulties and becomes discouraged. On the other hand, Nero also seems to lose his joy. Something about them not understanding this was really making him happy.

"Unfortunately, not everyone is so stupid." Says Nero sounding sulky.

Meaning that they should prepare to starve within a few weeks. The three sit around the fire, which is starting to extinguish, to eat something.

Looking at the still-smoking ashes, he remembers the last times he spent at the inn with the fallen members of his necromancer group. Looking at the biscuits that make up their meal, he says sadly.

"Now those eggs don't seem so bad."

His comment attracts the attention of his companions.

"Actually, some eggs would be nice. But why are you talking about eggs now?" Nero asks, intrigued.

"For nothing. I was just remembering the last caravan that passed by our inn."

"Cool, right. It's not like I could know anything about that. After all, you didn't let us out of our hole to meet the visitors."

Despite the strange expression, while Nero speaks he seems friendly and cordial. Almost happy. Fortunately, Adar isn't foolish enough to fall for that. After all, there's no way he can come out of this conversation well. As such, it's better to drop the conversation.

"But speaking of that, were the eggs good?" Nero's question seems sincere. But while Adar decides whether it's better to answer or not Seres opens his big mouth.

"I think he's referring to the giant spider eggs the caravan was carrying."

Immediately, Nero's face twists in disgust. Which is understandable, after all, we're talking about spider eggs.

"But why on earth would anyone transport spider eggs?" The expression of disgust on Nero's face is hilarious as he shakes his head. Probably thinking about eating the eggs.

"They told me they're a delicacy for the nobles. They can be worth a gold coin in the coast." The little information he gave for fun had an immediate impact.

Nero stops shaking his head, and his eyes focus on him almost with fury.

"But why, the hell, would anyone pay so much for spider eggs?" The question comes from Nero in an almost explosive way.

Making Adar feel more than a little scared. "I don't know. A caravan member  just said that nobles considered spider eggs a delicacy and could be sold on the coast for a gold coin."

"Right. It must be like caviar." Nero affirms to himself more calmly, nodding his head.

Even not understanding what he's saying. Seeing Nero seems to calm down. So, he dares to continue speaking. "That, and they had bought their forty eggs for more than a large silver coin each."

Once again, Nero's intense gaze focuses on Adar, releasing a powerful. "What?"

"It is reasonable the forest in the south of Dantar is the main place where giant spiders can be found. And although rare, when they catch eggs, it's always in the dozens." Here Seres interjects, saying something that anyone in the Dantar region knows.

With this, Nero's eyes widen, and he becomes wide-eyed. When his surprise ends, he puts his hands on his face, almost covering it. Saying with a calm and cold tone of voice.

"So let me see if I understand."

After letting out a heavy sigh, he continues speaking.

"In the south of Dantar, there are giant spiders whose eggs are worth fortunes."

Hearing this confusion formed from this common knowledge, Adar and Seres look at each other before turning to Nero and nodding.

"And you idiots only tell me now!" Although he's not speaking out loud. That almost makes it worse, as Adar almost feels Nero's cold anger in his words.

"Look, the spiders are supposed to be very dangerous. And difficult to hunt. Worse, only a few of them carry eggs."

Nero sighs again before speaking. "Grumpy, I'm not planning on fighting the spiders." One hand leaves his face and points to the mule.

Of course, he's a necromancer, a type of mage who uses undead to fight. So he can use those undead to fight from a distance and thus avoid the risks that adventurers face against spiders. And with the fireball spell that Nero has, he's even more powerful at a distance.

The only problem he can think of is that the spiders can avoid them because of the mule. But either way, they can manage.

"Darn, thanks to you, I'll have to go through the mountains again. Idiots." Nero begins to grumble. Making Adar remember the incredible difficulties they went through on the crossing. Ending with Nero even getting a cold.

"Idiots! Eat and pack up. So, we can go, all the way back to where we started." all of Nero's good humor has disappeared. And now he's even more irritated than usual.

But now they had a new destination.