This Bastard is a Dark Mage! (4)
The knight was none other than Gasqot. The very same man who had died in battle against Ghislain had now been resurrected as a Death Knight.
At first, Gasqot couldn't comprehend the situation. It was only after checking his own body and surroundings that he realized what had happened.
"This power of darkness… Have I… been turned into a Death Knight…?"
His voice, clearer than before, echoed through the air. His blazing eyes made it evident just how furious he was.
"So, you really were a Dark Mage... You used the energy you forced into my body at the last moment… I wasn't wrong after all…"
Rumble…
Gasqot drew upon his energy. Even in life, he had been a high-level knight. Now, wielding the power of darkness, his presence was even more overwhelming than before.
Gasqot let out a furious roar.
"How dare you turn me into this accursed existence! Unforgivable!"
Kwaaaaa!
With a violent surge of power, he swung his sword. The blade, forged from his will, emanated a darkness that seemed capable of cleaving the world itself.
Clang!
Blocking Gasqot's sword with his staff, Ghislain spoke.
"Wait. Just listen to me for a moment."
"I have nothing to say to a Dark Mage!"
Gasqot had no intention of talking. Naturally so—killing the Dark Mage was the only way to break this curse.
Seeing Gasqot determined to continue his assault, Ghislain hurriedly spoke.
"Hey! Isn't it strange that you can move of your own free will right now, without my command?"
"What?"
"If I intended to use you as a slave, why would I leave your mind intact?"
"Obviously, so you could extract the maximum potential from my strength! Do you think I wouldn't know that?"
A Death Knight's combat ability correlates with its skills in life. However, unleashing its full potential requires extremely stringent conditions.
To fight at their peak, a Death Knight must retain its consciousness from life. Naturally, this means it retains its free will—and that it will rebel against the Dark Mage controlling it.
No soul wishes to remain bound in undeath. Unless they had willingly become a Death Knight, most sought to slay their Dark Mage to reclaim their freedom.
That was why Dark Mages typically suppressed a Death Knight's will, turning them into little more than puppets.
While this diminished their combat ability, it ensured obedience. Any shortfall in power was compensated for by the Dark Mage's magic.
Ghislain reiterated this point.
"If you attack me like this, what's the point? I'd be better off without you. Not to mention, you could also attack the people around me."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You were a bad guy anyway. You probably weren't heading to any good place after death, so how about working off some of that karma while you're here?"
"What?"
"Before you move on, why not do some good in this world? Who knows? Maybe then, you'll end up in a better place."
"My soul is already tainted by darkness because of you! The more you use me for evil, the deeper my sins will grow!"
"I'll use you for good. I swear I won't use you for anything evil."
"…?"
Gasqot stared at Ghislain. His crimson eyes flickered in the darkness. It was obvious what he was thinking: Is this man insane?
"A Dark Mage… using a Death Knight for good? You expect me to believe that?"
"The Demon Realm."
"The Demon Realm…?"
"Yeah. I'll use you to fight against the Demon Realm. My goal is to completely annihilate the Salvation Church."
"..."
Gasqot's crimson eyes blinked. Though his expression was hidden by darkness, his confusion was clear.
He exhaled dark breath for a long moment before asking,
"Why… would a Dark Mage do such a thing? Aren't Dark Mages the ones who wish for chaos in the world? And yet, you say you will fight the Demon Realm to save it?"
"Don't lump me in with other Dark Mages. I only use dark magic as a tool. I use whatever is necessary."
"..."
"And I don't particularly care about saving the world. It's just that, to protect what's important to me, the Salvation Church must be destroyed."
Ghislain didn't bother explaining that he came from the future. That would only confuse Gasqot further.
But his resolve to wipe out the Salvation Church was genuine. When he returned to reality, he would have to eliminate Ernheart, Gartros, and eventually, the Great Adversary that would one day appear.
The threat of the rift also still loomed in the real world. No one knew when it might open again.
Through his journey with Dark, Ghislain had learned that any being connected to his soul could traverse time with him. A Death Knight would be no exception.
In the battles to come, an immortal Death Knight would be invaluable—especially one who had been a formidable warrior in life.
Even here, in this past world, Death Knights would make excellent allies.
As Gasqot continued to regard him with suspicion, Ghislain spoke.
"If you really don't want this, I won't force you. If you wish, I'll release your soul right now."
"…Are you serious?"
"Yes. I have no interest in allies who can't fight at full strength. That's why I allowed you to keep your consciousness."
"..."
Gasqot lowered his sword. He silently stared at Ghislain for a long time.
Then, in a quiet, slow voice, he began to speak.
"I… wanted to be an honorable knight. That was my childhood dream…"
Gasqot began to recount his past, as though confessing to a priest.
"But somewhere along the way… that dream disappeared. I only sought strength, fame, and wealth… And in pursuit of those things, I committed countless atrocities under Marquis Falkenheim."
"There were times when regret crept in… When I thought, This isn't the path of a knight. But I always convinced myself otherwise… When the Demon Realm rises, I'll fight bravely. That will absolve me."
"And if the Demon Realm never rises in my lifetime… Well, then I'll just retire and do good deeds afterward. That'll make up for it… Just a little longer, let me live the way I want…"
"But now, I no longer have that chance… Now that I'm dead, I understand. My soul is filthy with the sins I accumulated in life… If my soul had been pure, you never would have been able to turn me into a Death Knight."
Gasqot spoke with self-mockery, then fell silent.
Ghislain waited patiently. The regrets of the dead were not light things. Having died once himself, he understood that.
Gasqot suddenly examined his own body in awe.
"Incredible… My body feels no different from my prime. No, in some ways, I feel even lighter… Perhaps because I no longer cling to life…"
That was because Ghislain had granted him complete autonomy. He could think and act of his own will.
Of course, his soul remained tethered to Ghislain. If that bond were severed, Gasqot would vanish from existence.
After a moment, Gasqot spoke again.
"You weren't lying… You truly did grant me my will… You said we would fight the Salvation Church?"
"Yes. I need allies, not enslaved puppets… Except for Claude and Alpoi."
"Who are they?"
"…You don't need to know yet."
Gasqot hesitated before cautiously asking,
"Then… Can I wash away my sins and regain my honor as a true knight?"
"The greatest of knights are those who save the world. I'll ensure your name is recorded in history. I'll even carve it into a grand monument."
Ghislain grinned, and Gasqot's body trembled—as if laughing.
Then, with a serious voice, Gasqot spoke.
"Swear that you will not use me for evil, like Marquis Falkenheim did."
"I swear. From now on, you will fight only the wicked."
"How long must I stay by your side?"
"Until the Salvation Church is completely erased. When that day comes, I will release your soul… And then, you will go to the paradise ruled by the Goddess of War."
For a warrior, there was no greater honor. For the already-dead Gasqot, it was a wish beyond wishes.
Slowly, he raised his arm.
He was giving the salute of a knight.
"Thank you… for granting me a chance to atone… My sword shall be yours to command… I entrust myself to you, Ghislain… No…"
Gasqot's crimson eyes curved as if he were smiling.
"Ghislain Perdium."
Ghislain was slightly surprised to hear his own name, but he quickly understood how Gasqot had come to know it.
Gasqot's soul was now connected to his. Because of that, he could perceive Ghislain's essence.
Though he couldn't read his memories and uncover all of his secrets, he could at least see Ghislain's true nature.
Ghislain smiled back and said,
"Yeah, I'll be counting on you too. It might be boring, but stay in the subspace alone for now. I'll get you some friends soon enough."
"Still, it's strange… You're a Dark Mage, so how are you able to hide your energy? I ended up humiliated and dead because of you."
"Well, it's not that difficult for me. Just think of it as a special trait."
Ghislain used magic differently from other mages. He compensated for any deficiencies with sheer force of will, forcibly activating spells when necessary.
Because of that, he could even change his magic affinity at will. If he could create his own spells from scratch, altering his energy signature was hardly a challenge.
But since no one else had ever used magic in such a way, it was difficult for others to comprehend.
Gasqot, unfamiliar with magic, simply accepted it without question.
Having secured Gasqot, Ghislain returned to his work—creating more Death Knights.
***
Creating a Death Knight was no easy feat, especially if Ghislain wanted them to retain their full strength from life.
Moreover, unlike other Dark Mages, he refused to commit atrocities to amass dark energy. He relied solely on his own mana.
As a result, the process took far longer.
But it wasn't without its advantages. Because he didn't use tainted energy, his Death Knights were far more powerful.
After all, the power of darkness was originally bestowed by the Goddess of Death, Serana. In that sense, Ghislain's dark magic was closer to the "true" form.
"Hmm… At this rate, it'll take months. I need to find a way to speed things up."
Among the knights who had died in the recent battle, about thirty were viable candidates. Transforming all of them into Death Knights would take considerable time.
Even if they weren't as strong as Gasqot, they had all been high-level knights.
"If only I had a Dragon Heart… I'll have to find some materials to supplement my mana."
Ghislain intended to create more Death Knights—an entire army of the undead.
As for the knights, he would give them a chance to redeem themselves by hunting down villains. Most, like Gasqot, would likely seize their final opportunity.
The problem was the sheer amount of mana required. That was the biggest obstacle for now.
Rune Stones from Rio weren't a viable solution. Even if he sold an entire gold mine, it wouldn't be enough to sustain his magic.
He needed materials far stronger than Rune Stones. Until then, he had no choice but to take his time and gradually gather mana.
While Ghislain was focused on creating Death Knights, Astion was off in his own world, making a commotion every day.
— So, if I use that mana cultivation technique, I can amplify my mana like that?
"That's right."
— Incredible! Being able to exceed your natural mana capacity…!
Astion had seen Ghislain amplify his mana during their last battle. The sight had left a profound impression on him.
Ever since Ghislain entered the workshop, Astion had been pestering him nonstop to teach him that technique.
Ghislain, unconcerned, taught him the method.
But Astion lacked the level of mastery needed to utilize willpower-based magic. No matter how much Ghislain explained, he couldn't amplify his mana. He couldn't even grasp the concept.
— Aaargh! Why isn't this working?!
"…You never properly learned mana cultivation techniques. With your current body, you can't learn my method. Your stored mana would clash with it."
— But you can do it! You're using my mana, the one in my heart, as if it were part of your cultivation technique!
"That's because I manipulate it with willpower."
— And what does that even mean?! I have willpower too! Why doesn't mine work?!
"You have to break past your limits. Over and over again."
— There's no such thing as a limit! That's just an excuse!
Astion hadn't even reached the level of a Superhuman yet. It was only natural that he couldn't comprehend Ghislain's techniques—he had long since surpassed the realm of mere Superhumans.
Clicking his tongue, Ghislain said,
"Don't rush. You have your own path to follow. You might even reach the 9th Circle someday. Though you'll probably end up as a reclusive shut-in."
— Shut up! I can do everything too!
Even though Ghislain told him it was impossible for now, Astion refused to give up. He was too fixated on learning that technique.
If he could amplify his mana at will, he would be able to utilize high-circle magic far more effectively.
But beyond that, he was simply driven by curiosity. As a mage, he couldn't ignore such a fascinating concept.
And so, Astion began to dedicate himself to researching mana amplification.
— Ugh, just you wait. No matter how long it takes, I'll figure out how to amplify mana!
"…Yeah, good luck with that."
Meanwhile, Andrew and Rio had yet to fully take control of the territory.
During this time, Ghislain and Astion could devote themselves entirely to their research.
Astion had no idea.
He had no clue how his research would one day impact the future.
And in the real world…
Jerome had finally arrived at the location Ghislain had once mentioned. There, he obtained a single magic tome.
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