SING CRIER CH.13 - Bring Out Your Dead Sketchy, and ominous. She's a sickly pale woman with shadows underneath her eyes. She wears an intricately woven robe with gilded adornments. Her hair is messily tied up and her back just slightly hunched. However, contrary to her demeanour... she's a young prodigy. A prodigy councils the world over call Alph-Goz; formally, she's The Cardinal Tactician, Moriand Eleizer Goz. A sigil on her robe openly announces her continuing status as a Highlander, but her being here three days ahead of when they were allegedly supposed to arrive is... unfortunately, my problem right now... ...I haven't come this far just to fail though. The end of my journey is just hours away. This encounter... is just one more step I need to surmount. Alphaezai, Artibeus... give me the patience to break through. 「 Where were you? We've been looking for you everywhere. 」 ...Her voice is grating. I'm not pleased to hear it again. A porcelain bottle dangles between her fingers. With a soft grin, she brings it up to her face and talks into it. 「 Do you know how long it's been...? 」 As I open my mouth to reply, I feel a tug on the hem of my jacket. I look down to see a thin boy with hair over one eye, one of the children... Right... the kids come first... I crouch to his eye-level and whisper, 「 Can you tell the others to go inside for me? 」

After a brief moment of processing, he nods. A clever bunch, these children are. I owe Xaiyoya a compliment. Goz is drinking from the bottle when I look back. She looks dissatisfied. Alright... here goes. 「 It's been a year, Alph-Goz. If I recall- 」 「 Wait wait wait wait wait, before we go on... do the thing. 」 「 I don't- 」 「 Alph-Polimion, please! It's been so long, I just have to hear it again.」 I... don't remember her being this forward. Is she drunk? She's looking at me expectantly, much like the children did when they'd first saw me return. It's a bit aggravating to remember she's the same age as me. Sigh. But... I suppose... I have an obligation to do as she says. If she overheard my conversation with Xaiyoya, then I'll need all the leverage I can get. Even if that entails... humouring her. I just... have to be patient. I take a deep breath, put one hand on my hip, wave with the other, and smile. 「 Hi-ho~ I'm here! 「 It's The Wonderful Merchant of Myth and Magic, lucky! 「 Treasures you won't find anywhere else, at preposterous prices! 「 Are you ready for your very own deal of a lifetime?~ ♪」 I point, wink, and pose with one knee up. ...Goz tries to stifle a laugh. I knew this was going to happen. 「 T-That... oh... bards just can't nail it the way you do... 」 I squint my eyes and fold my arms. Am I supposed to feel my ego inflating, or anger? 「 Only the real Cardinal Merchant could sing that with pride. 「 You're definitely the real deal.」 Yes, anger. One hundred and ten percent anger. Artibeus, more patience. I need a lot of patience right now. 「 Well, if that's all, I'll be going then. 」 「 Ah, wait, what about my three items? 」 「 I'm on a self-appointed vacation, unlucky. 」 「 Eeeh? Then when will you be working again? 」 「 To be determined. 」 To that, Goz takes a swig from her bottle and sighs. 「 Come on, give me a break Poly... 」 「 Please don't call me that. 」 「 But the kids got to...! 」 ...Was that a slip of the tongue? Is this an opportunity to gain yet more leverage? She just confirmed that she's been here long enough to hear the kids call me Poly, and if she's not just passing by... then has she been listening in on us this whole time? Could she have amplified her hearing with a spell? Or maybe her vision? Perhaps... she's actually sober. This could give me enough leverage to steer the conversation away from anything dangerous. I'll try calling her out on it. We'll tip the suspicion her way. 「 How did you know the kids called me Poly? 」 「 ...'Cause you just told me.」 ...Huh? 「 I didn't know. Just guessed. 」 Wait... Goz didn't know the kids had called me Poly? Did I just tell her my relationship with those kids for free then? I just gave her all the information attached to that... for nothing? 「 Wow, you're right, you really are on vacation. 「 You've gotten real rusty at keeping your lips shut, huh? 」 「 Gii...! 」 Calm. Calm... She's trying to get under my skin... I shouldn't be surprised; she's the least popular Highlander. It's always been "means to an end" and dirty tricks with her. I just... shouldn't have accused her so soon. She's "drunk" so even if I asked, "Which child called me Poly?" she could have just said that she misspoke and attributed it to her stupor. I've cut off a lot of my routes out of this mess to that unnecessary risk... At this rate... she's going to start questioning me... I can't let the conversation get to that point. I'll take control, and confront her directly. 「 Are you trying to get information out of me for free? 」 「 Hey, I'll pay for it if you want. 」 Goz reaches into her robe and pulls out a pouch, but then hesitates and slips it back. 「 Actually... I'll pay to hear whatever you were just 「 talking about with mister necromancer in there. 」 Crap. 「 I told you, I'm not working. 」 「 How about a gold piece? 」 「 Alph-Goz- 」 「 Five? Ten? A hundred? It must have been pretty juicy 「 for you to have resorted to talking in code. What was it again? 「 Offering three hundred gold in treasures just to stay at this dingy place? Wow... 「 I can almost feel the completely inconspicuous transaction taking place...」 D...Damn it! She actually heard us! Have I been cornered already?! If I say no, or remain silent, she could read that our conversation was worth more than a hundred gold... I do not want to give the Highlanders an excuse to start formally investigating me. I'm already suspicious enough for having vanished from their radar for a year. I'm not in a position to get mad about her eavesdropping either. That won't change anything anymore, it just brings me to the same result as saying no. Should I say yes and tell her a fake story? I've never given out false information and taken money for it before... I don't know at which point she started listening in either, I would have to guess. If I do it, and she sees through it, I could lose my ability to sell information indefinitely. Trust is everything in business... I can't say how much that would hurt me... ...But I can't let her... them, find out about the coffins. I can't put Xaiyoya in jeopardy after he stuck out his neck for me either. I have to lie. I need to lead her astray for one night. I just need a bit more time- 「 Gooooz! 」 「 Eleeiiizeeeer! 」 I hear two familiar voices off in the distance. Goz makes a disgruntled face. 「 Tch... I shouldn't have agreed to come outside today... 「 Whatever, I wasn't carrying any money anyway.」 She leans over and neatly sets the bottle on the ground, before turning to walk in the opposite direction of the voices. 「 If they come through here, I wasn't drinking. 」 「 E-Erm...? 」 「 Oh, also, we're staying at uh... Xa? Zya? Zhi? 「 It's uh... the inn with the fish on the sign, down by the commerce. 」 Is that... where The Highlanders are staying? Why is she telling me this? Is she helping me? Wasn't she just suspicious of me...? 「 I don't... understand. 」 She pauses to consider me, but then waves me off dismissively. 「 Just take this as a warm-up for the real deal, Poly. 「 Not everyone's as honest as I am... y'know? 」 I glance at her back as she walks away, then to the bottle she had left on the ground. What's her agenda with me? Does she even have one...? ...I should probably pick up after her and hurry back inside. I'd rather not stick around to meet and lie to her pursuers. I have the impression she's going to pretend she didn't hear anything as well, so... there's no need to stay out here nor do anything... drastic... I hurry over to the bottle. As I pick it up off the ground I hear, 「 Don't do anything stupid. 」 I look back up at Goz. Was that... a threat? Or...? ...I'm not entirely convinced whose side she's on. Just in case, I'll spend some time examining this bottle later to make sure she hasn't attached anything strange to it... I... can't trust them, those Highlanders... anymore... even Alph-Goz, who I have a bit of history with. I have a right to be sceptical of them... Ever since... that day a year ago... How could I... I graze my fingers against a rough stone wall as I descend decrepit wooden steps. Once I'm low enough, I reach back up and close the hatch, locking it from the inside. I do it all carefully, and with as little noise to the best of my ability. It becomes pitch black.

If not for a faint glow at the bottom of the steps, even I wouldn't be able to navigate this dark. Xaiyoya must have brought some lights down... Creak. Creak. Creak. 「 Who's there? 」 「 Don't worry, it's just me. 」 I wave to Xaiyoya, who has his ear against the floor. 「 Isn't that cold? 」 「 Nevermind that. Is everything... taken care of? 」 I look around. We're in a fairly large stone room, perhaps even bigger than the main room upstairs. There's a lot of dust, and signs of decay, but not a cobweb or insect in sight. Do even the simplest forms of life flee at the barest traces of necromancy? 「 Fed them, sent them off, and tucked in your son. 「 Some of them ate my food, so you have a few leftovers. 」 He sighs. He must hold those children to a high standard. 「 You've done a good job with them. 」 「 ...I try. 」 With his ear to the ground, Xaiyoya holds one eye shut and wipes the floor cautiously with his forefinger. I can't tell what he's doing. It looks like he's cleaning the floor inefficiently. There are candles lit here and there, but it's overall darker than the main room. Off to the side, I notice the two coffins propped up against the wall. It doesn't seem as though he's gotten around to opening them yet. How long is this going to take? It's already midnight... 「 Sorry, but can you take everything out of that chest in the corner? 」 「 Consider it done. 」 If it gets us to the top of that mountain faster... Click click. Creeaak. 「 Giii...? 」 I lift a large floppy hat from the chest. As I hold it, I feel truths cement themselves in my thoughts. Wearing this will increase my magical potency. Wearing this will increase my mana capacity. Wearing this will increase my resistance to magical damage. But I can't wear this yet. I can vaguely feel the effectiveness of the increases as well. Relatively speaking, they're notably high. I set it down off to the side. I'm quite used to this phenomenon. All of the equipment I sell come with this "inherent truths" effect, but I'm surprised Xaiyoya had something like this just locked away to decay. If he was quitting necromancy, wouldn't it have been better to sell it? I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. He seems absorbed in his "dusting." Maybe...

"I'll put my dreams aside for you, my only son!" Is that the kind of situation going on in this household? Why else hold onto this equipment if not for sentimentality? I lean into the chest and look around. Sniff. Smells like old wizard. 「 Dust? Sorry, I would have cleaned up if there were more time... 」 「 It's fine. 」 Right... let's just set all these articles on top of the chest... I suddenly hear a sharp gust of wind and glass blowing behind me, rising, then descending in pitch, ending in a low distorted hum. But there is no actual wind... it's just the sound of magic. The room lights up in a shimmering red glow, as a magic circle appears across the floor. 「 You know how to make magic circles, Xaiyoya? 」 「 Very few, and not too well but, this... this will do. 「 Can you help me with my equipment?」 「 Yes, sir. 」 I carry over a thick magical robe and help lift it over his head. The design of his equipment leads me to believe it wasn't made in this region. As well as his out-of-place knowledge of magic circles... now that I think about it... 「 Were you an adventurer at some point? 」 He gives me a surprised look, which softens into a regretful smile. 「 A long time ago. 」 I decide not to press that subject further. If he wants to tell me, he'll tell me. 「 Did you use charms as a necromancer at all? 」 「 I... specialised in charms. I had nothing else to study here but charms. 「 Exaibon was a mere frontier village until just last year, a -- as you know. 「 Plus, I wouldn't have been able to convince the other parents I was a 「 shaman if I used anything else. 」 「 I see... well, I suppose that makes sense. 」 I finish fastening various tassels to his sleeves. 「 ...Alright, that's enough. 「 Now... we just need to lay the body in the middle of the circle. 「 You don't have to worry about stepping on it, it won't break. 」 I nod, then face the two coffins, resting side by side. To think... despite everything that happened this past year... I still have to make this kind of decision... I'm... a bit nervous. There's only enough time to reanimate one of them... The fate of the second will depend entirely on the efforts of the first. Agehatate, White Ash... if she just accepts one, she'll take in both... But what is she evaluating? Strength? Potential? One of the twins is clearly stronger than the other one, I've checked... but if it's a test of character, maybe that's where the weaker one compensates? 「 Sorry, I'm asking this late but... 「 When you release undead, what do they usually do? 「 I mean, how do they behave -- exactly? 」 「 Hrmm... 」 「 I know they attack and eat whatever they can, 「 but are there any quirks to their behaviour? 」 「 Quirks you say... 」 Xaiyoya runs his hand through his facial hair, entering his own personal take on the thinker's pose. 「 I believe there may be some variation in their behaviour... 「 Through a combination of how powerful they were when alive, 「 and how much of their brain remains, they exhibit more complex attack logic. 「 But I believe that's as far as variation goes. They always attack what they can, 「 and are endlessly famished... only when released that is. 「 You don't have to worry about being attacked before then. 」 「 Thank you, that's good to know. 」 So... I should just pick based solely on their strength. I should expect them to be judged by their strength as well... Then... If that's case... Click click.

Thump. Click click. Thud. There's no doubt in my mind... It has to be her. 「 Do I need to remove any of these bandages, Xaiyoya? 」 「 ...Xaiyoya? 」 「 Hm? Oh- yes, it would help to remove them if you'd like her to move. 「 We're on a time limit, so you may only want to pick critical areas, 「 such as her eyes, ears... nose...」 「 Is... something wrong? 」 「 ...Sorry, I'm... just a bit surprised. May I ask how she died? 」 「 Neck snap, then jouou. 」 「 J-Jouou? At such a young age...? 」 I start tearing at the bandages. They're fresh, as I've been changing them frequently. Not to stop bleeding, but to stop her skin from drying out. It was getting expensive, just constantly healing their bodies every other day. 「 Unbelievable... what a disgusting world we live in... 」 「 Don't stare at her skin too much or I'll pluck out your eyes. 」 「 Please, I'm too old for that. I'm just examining her burns. 」 「 Still, some things are absolutely off limits. 」 I understand your fascination with death and the dead, but there are some things even more taboo than that... I carry her to the circle and set her down gently in the centre. 「 ...Did you mean, she got caught in the jouou of a relative? Or a frie- 」 「 Nope, she was the target... focus-fired with holy fire from all sides. 「 I watched the whole thing. Her twin in the other box wasn't even 「 killed beforehand. Can we start?」 「 ...My condolences then. Let's begin. 」 I step outside of the circle while Xaiyoya focuses on his staff. Slowly, in pulses, the magic circle grows brighter and brighter. 「 You know, Xaiyoya, you might actually be The Cardinal Necromancer. 」 「 Excuse me? 」 I'm surprised he's able to talk. It looks like what he's doing requires intense focus. Perhaps, he's more a master of his craft than he realises. 「 There aren't that many necromancers left in the world. 「 Most of them are amateurs or psychos with agendas, in my experience. 「 You do necromancy for the sake of learning it. You've studied it at length. 「 You could very well be the best necromancer in the world right now.」 「 ... 」 「 Isn't that funny? Your son might have been right to call you Alph-Xaiyoya. 」 「 Hah! If I'm the best necromancer, then necromancy is dead.」 「 Giii... I wonder about that... 」 As the sounds of chaotic magic near their peak, a swirling dark cloud appears around his staff. He raises it to the ceiling, grasping it firmly in both hands. 「 Return to your mortal coil... 」 Thud! 「« Raise Undead »! 」 The dark cloud around his staff explodes outward on cue. It converges at the centre of the magic circle, shrouding it in a mist. In one last flash of light, the magic circle shimmers before fading away. The cloud, however, lingers over her body, obstructing my view. Strangely, I feel a bit nauseous. I glance to Xaiyoya's face to read preemptively whether or not it was a success, but I only feel more uncertain upon seeing his fanatical bewilderment. [END]