The Necromancer Who Was Despised

The first was to blend in naturally in this area, and the second was to investigate the inside of the castle naturally.

Although I have a backer like Kuman, it would be difficult to act naturally if I only associate with the upper class.

I must have acquired citizenship, so it wasn’t difficult to naturally blend in.

On the pretext of decorating the interior of the house, I started talking to the carpenter, Bedwig, and I also started talking to Angolf, who runs the inn and tavern.

Even though I met Danian by chance, there was no reason not to become friendly.

‘I need to know the exact layout of the castle. That way, it will be easier to turn this place into a dungeon in the future.’

In addition, I needed to find out where Kuman’s secret passage led to in order to eliminate future problems.

I intended to make it so that no one would survive in this territory, just like in the past.

During my first life, I rarely left the basement of the Kuman mansion at this time, and I only came out after the territory had collapsed, so I had to do it even if it was annoying.

In order to do this easily, it was essential to blend in with the territory.

“By the way, how is that Kayla? Is she good at night?”

“… “Night?”

“What are you pretending not to know?”

Danian made an obscene gesture.

I smiled wryly and answered honestly.

“I don’t do that kind of thing.”

“… What? You don’t? Are you a eunuch?”

Of course not.

Thanks to returning to the past, my body was full of vitality, so I also had sexual desires.

“I could do it if I wanted to, but I need Kayla’s strength more. “Her morale will drop if I make her work at night.”

“That’s a shame. If it were me, I would have… . “every night.”

Danian was talking dirty, and I used my experience from my first life to respond appropriately to his words.

“Ugh, if it weren’t for Lord Kuman’s orders, I would have taken her into my arms a long time ago. “I wonder what kind of voice she would make.”

He said that once she fell into my hands, even the dignified Kayla would be finished.

‘This is still the same.’

During my first life, I had heard a lot of this kind of dirty talk when I was a mercenary.

Even female mercenaries would talk about it without hesitation, so I had no choice but to get used to it when I was a mercenary.

Watching Danian getting drunk, I decided it was time to end it.

“As a token of our meeting, I’ll pay for the drinks this time.”

“Hahaha! You’re a refreshing guy! If you need any help, come and see me anytime!”

Even though I had only paid for his drinks, he put his arm around my shoulder as if I were his brother.

Of course, I knew that it was just empty flattery.

After spending about a week getting to know various people, Kuman returned.

“… Yes? “The Lord?”

I heard from him that the Lord had summoned me.

Reward

‘The Lord?’

I wondered what it was about.

To be honest, I didn’t expect to see the Lord.

Well, I thought I might meet him once a few months later, but I didn’t think he would invite me specifically at this time.

‘Is it because of citizenship?’

I don’t think that’s it.

This is not a large territory, but just a pioneer territory. It doesn’t make sense that a knight, with only soldiers, mercenaries, and vigilantes under his command, would have an audience with the lord just because he has acquired citizenship in a remote territory.

‘Even the real top lords don’t meet people who have just acquired citizenship. Even if they call for them, the administrators call them.’

In other words, the possibility that it was because of citizenship was low.

Rather than that…

‘Is it the orcs?’

I couldn’t think of anything else.

It is certainly a great achievement to have captured orcs, and even an entire tribe. However, I didn’t think the lord would call me because of the capture.

‘Well… because I’m a monster hunter.’

If it was a noble who lacked strength and was in desperate need of troops, they could have called me secretly.

Secretly. It had to be that way, because monster hunters are treated as uneducated and lowly, and just calling them could lead to bad rumors.

Rather than capture, if I had subjugated an entire tribe, they could have called me to praise my bravery.

Capture is something that those who sell their souls for money and have no honor do.

Subjugation is a courageous act of sacrifice for the safety of the territory.

That’s the perception.

‘Even though subjugation is easier.’

They even think that receiving money in exchange for subjugation is an honorable thing.

Compensation for risking your life.

Not all nobles think that way, but since the major high-ranking nobles in the capital think that way, it has become the mainstream.

In fact, it is a ridiculous behavior that is based on the whims of the strong, but since the top nobles are the ones who control the country, such a perception has become ingrained.

Therefore, ambitious nobles who want to be incorporated into the capital tended to follow such absurd remarks, and I thought that the lord here, who is a pioneer lord, would be the same.

‘Rather, rural nobles tend to follow it better.’

In order to avoid being caught in a trap, they do so because they can suffer great damage from the tricks of the capital nobles.

‘The great lords who rule over a region also force them to do so.’

It could be seen as a political reason.

Anyway, with this background, I couldn’t figure out why I was being called by the lord.

‘He didn’t seem to be hiding anything…’

I can’t predict why he’s calling me.

‘It’s funny when you think about it.’

Capture is something that magicians do because they need it.

Nevertheless, it is treated as a lowly task, so it could be seen that while they value magicians, they also suppress them in a way.

‘In the end, I guess I have to meet him to find out.’

It’s a shame that I can’t go prepared, but it can’t be helped.

Even if I asked Kuman, he would only tell me that it was good for me.

‘If only I knew the lord’s personality.’

In the end, after spending a day in Pioneer Castle, I headed to the lord’s mansion.

Kuman’s mansion was not small, but it was nothing compared to the lord’s mansion.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Kuman-nim.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Sammer-nim.”

We were greeted by a butler who was near old age, but he certainly had the dignified demeanor of a butler from a noble family.

“The young master and master are waiting.”

“Oh, I guess we’re late.”

“No, you’re actually early. The person next to you…”

“The one the young master invited this time.”

He briefly glanced at me up and down, then nodded as if satisfied.

He seemed to like that I was neater and more tidy than he had imagined.

‘Kuman must have given him a head up.’

Summer glanced at Kuman, who nodded slightly.

He must have given me a heads up about etiquette, since yesterday Kuman confirmed that I knew at least the basics.

“I think you can go right in. I’ll show you the way.”

The interior of the mansion was not as luxurious as I had thought.

There were quite a few servants, but in terms of luxury, even Kuman’s mansion was better.

‘Well, it’s not like a territory like this would be rich.’

Still, he didn’t seem to be a baron with nothing upstairs.

“My lord, the guests have arrived.”

“Let them in.”

Thud.

In the study we were led to, a middle-aged man and a young boy who still seemed a bit immature were sitting.

‘That must be Baron Owaran over there…’

The boy strangely resembled Baron Owaran, so it was easy to deduce his identity.

‘The successor?’

If a young boy like that was sitting in a place like this, that was likely the case.

“It’s been a while, my lord.”

“Yes, it has been a while. Kuman. You must have just returned, so I apologize.”

“Not at all, my lord. The young master still seems quite astute.”

The boy just nodded without saying anything.

I got the feeling that he wasn’t arrogant for a noble. Or maybe he was closer to Kuman than I had imagined.

“So, you’re Jimnis?”

“I am in your esteemed presence. Mercenary Jimnis.”

Not that I’m actually registered.

“Yes. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

He said, smiling slightly.

“I can see from your expression that you don’t know why I called you.”

Of course not. Because I don’t know.

“Normally, I wouldn’t have had any business meeting you directly. Kuman got a good opportunity thanks to you, but you’re just a monster hunter.”

I knew it.

In this world, the hierarchy of professions is clear, and monster hunters are among the lowest.

They’re only at that level because they have some strength, but their reputation is at the bottom.

Even though they have abilities, they’re often seen as lackeys to magicians.

Those who sell their souls for money.

Of course, this is by noble standards, and since there are no merchants, it cannot be helped, so in the end, it can be seen that the evaluation is based on status.

‘The wall between classes.’

Honestly, becoming a noble by ability alone could be liked to a camel passing through the eye of a needle.

It cannot be done in one generation. This is a world where, unless there is a period of great upheaval, it takes at least two or three generations.

Usually, the limit is a knight, who is called a quasi-noble.

It is the same for wizards. Although they are treated as nobles, those who are commoners rarely have the actual status of nobles.

“Even so, the reason I invited you is… thanks to the rule of Count Siglen.”

‘Count Siglen?’

“There was an official announcement thanking you for your cooperation in breeding hippogriffs.”

‘That’s what it is.’

I understood the situation in an instant.

Although I hunted the monster, I did not deliver it to the Magic Tower to earn money. Instead, Baron Owaran, a lower-ranking noble, used his connections to help Count Siglen, an upper-ranking noble, breed hippogriffs.

Therefore, even though I hunted the monster, I was treated as someone who served the honor of the nobles and not someone who sold his soul for money.

The baron officially called me to praise me for that.

‘Well, it’s a situation where he has no choice but to praise me.’

Kuman said it would be good for me, and it really was.

‘Well, it’s a temporary fiefdom that will eventually be ruined anyway.’

It’s not bad, but it’s not as exciting as I thought it would be.

“Therefore, I would like to reward you.”

“I just did what I had to do according to the contract, but I am honored that it was helpful to the fiefdom.”

“Hmm. You have a good understanding for a monster hunter. Yes. Kuman told me that he wanted to give you citizenship this time. I heard that you have already purchased a building from Kuman.”

“I heard that there is also a hunting lodge outside.”

It seems that Kuman has already told him everything.

He didn’t seem to mind that Kuman was wielding power in his fiefdom, so it was clear that the two of them were not ordinary lord and merchant.

‘They don’t seem to be related by blood…’

They didn’t resemble each other at all.

“So I was wondering what to give you.”

Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but I couldn’t ignore his sincerity here, so I quietly bowed my head.

“First, I will not collect any taxes from you for two years. After that, I will only collect half of the taxes for five years, and I do not intend to levy any labor or subscription for the next seven years.”

‘This will be convenient.’

Citizenship provides protection, but it also comes with taxes and labor.

There is a poll tax that all adults must pay, a slave tax that those who own slaves must pay, and since I took Nenson’s place as a hunter, I am also exempt from the tribute that I would have to pay to the lord periodically.

If the fiefdom is in danger, I will be conscripted, and I may also have to participate in vigilante activities from time to time, but all those annoying tasks will disappear.

Even so, in this world, they do not collect taxes for making windows or fireplaces.

This is especially true in dangerous fiefdoms like this one on the border. People are important here.

‘It’s only for a year, but it’s not bad.’

“That’s not everything.”

Baron Owaran continued.