Chapter 60

A few days after Lamber visited the guild "Dancing Sword" and Count Mondo, it was night. A group of ten people, dressed in robes so long they dragged on the ground, walked through the slums of the city of Baraira. They cautiously entered a ruin and made their way to the underground. They proceeded down a long staircase and opened an iron door.

In the room beyond, an old man sat in a chair. He had pale, emaciated skin and a severely ill appearance. His eyes were always narrowed to a crescent, and his bald head was elongated, giving him an unusual appearance.

Next to the old man stood a towering figure in a robe. The figure was so tall it seemed to reach the ceiling. It stood motionless, dully beside the old man. The arms and face visible through the robe were wrapped in bandages, revealing no skin at all.

On the walls, corpses were nailed in a row. Some had their abdomens ripped open and organs removed, others had their arms torn off, and there were various other mutilations. On the desk the old man faced, a human head with the scalp peeled back and the skull cut open, exposing the brain, was placed. The brain was pierced with several needle-like objects and had turned a poisonous green.

"Hehehe, is the mission complete?"

With a creepy voice, the old man turned around. The tall man at the head of the group of robed figures bowed and knelt. The others behind him did the same.

"Yes, Master Manji of the Eight Sages! We investigated the strength of the adventurers in the western part of the city of Baraira, but there is nothing to be concerned about."

"Is that so, is that so? Hehe, hehehe..."

The anti-state magic organization "Pied Piper" had eight top executives known as the Eight Sages. One of them was the necromancer Manji. While most of the Eight Sages avoided drawing attention, Manji had caused numerous major incidents and was known throughout the Regios Kingdom for his infamy.

The scale of corpses that could be controlled simultaneously by necromancy was generally limited to five. However, Manji had an abnormally large amount of mana and a fanatic obsession with necromancy. Manji's necromancy allowed him to control and command up to five hundred corpses alone. Although this was under strict conditions and the practical number was lower, it was still clearly on a different scale.

Even among the Eight Sages of "Pied Piper," who specialized in forbidden magic, no one could match Manji in the scale and obsession of his necromancy. In the Regios Kingdom, he was feared as the most heinous and cruel magician due to the extent of his atrocities.

Manji was originally born into a noble family in the Regios Kingdom. However, from the moment of his birth, his strange appearance was already evident.

His head was grotesquely swollen, like a tumor. Those present fainted on the spot. He was immediately hidden underground to avoid being seen.

Even while confined underground, Manji received an education. However, this only led to disaster.

Manji, in his early childhood, used magic for the first time to brutally kill a young magician who had been invited. However, his mother, recognizing Manji's talent for magic, was delighted. She was happy that her unfortunate son, who had spent his life underground, had a talent. It was a twisted form of love.

Manji's parents used their status to cover up the incident and continued to invite magic teachers. Manji began to kill the magic teachers, as well as the servants and children who were invited to play with him. His interest eventually shifted from magical violence to corpses. He started to dissect those he killed and delved into forbidden magic.

One day, he massacred his parents, the servants, and the private soldiers. He turned everything in sight into undead, which in turn created more corpses.

The magicians and soldiers in the mansion were no match for Manji. Surrounded by the undead, Manji laughed and walked out of the mansion with ease.

This happened when Manji was just fifteen years old. Now over seventy, Manji has deepened his knowledge of necromancy through inhumane research, and his magical skills continue to improve even at his age. His mana has not diminished even at this age. His power and threat are far greater than they were then.

"With this, we can proceed with the plan as scheduled once we receive reports from the other scouts. By capturing the city of Baraira, where powerful adventurer guilds gather, and weakening the Regios Kingdom's forces... the boss will be pleased..."

"Hehehe... That doesn't matter."

Manji said this, ran his long tongue around his mouth, and laughed excitedly.

"Huh...?"

"I want to see it. I want to see this city covered in undead... Ah, ah, it must be, it must be, it must be, a magnificent sight... Ah, I hope the other scouts return soon... To me, it doesn't matter what happens to this place or to the 'Pied Piper.' As long as I can play with lots of corpses. Hehe, hehehe, hehehe, hehehe. I'm looking forward to it... Ah, I'm looking forward to it..."

Manji, breathing heavily, nervously scratched the brain on the desk with a needle. The squelching sound echoed.

"......"

The robed man, one of Manji's subordinates, shuddered at his words and instinctively stepped back.