The Undying Magician - Book 3 - Chapter 7.2 - The Nobles Part II (Patreon)

                                                 Nathan
                           Year 2850 | Month 3 | Day 4

Katie frowns at that before asking, “But then why did he grant you your exceedingly powerful regeneration?”

I roll my eyes and answer, “He didn’t grant me that.” And when the two look surprised at that, I can’t help but ask, “Where did you even learn that anyways? I already had that long before I met him. In fact, that was the reason he experimented on me in the first place!”

“Wait… so… he didn’t make you into what you are today?” Katie asks, finally showing a strong reaction for the first time since I’ve met her.

“The only thing he did was make me into a pseudo vampire,” I state rather tersely, my opinion on that subject still rather conflicted. “Nothing more.”

Katie looks borderline shocked at that, and even Reginald looks surprised. But then Katie asks, “Then why hasn’t His Majesty taken the reigns of the Kingdom since getting freed? All he’s done is pay a single visit to the Dukes and then went back to the Dark Forest!”

I blink in surprise at that.

The skeleton visited the Kingdom? Actually, of course he did. Would be stranger if he didn’t.

But he visited and did nothing? That is strange.

“And why is he tutoring you if you aren’t his successor?” she continues, making me frown.

“He’s not…” I hesitate as I realize he has been giving me quite the number of tips for my spell craft and other topics. “The ‘tutoring’ you’re talking about was paid for by me.”

Reginald, whose head has been bobbing back and forth between the two of us since this topic began, finally focuses on me and says, “But I was under the impression he was tutoring you for free as well.”

I glance at him with a frown, briefly wondering where these people are even getting this information from before I answer, “No, he simply wished to have me spend time at his… tree…” I trail off as I come to the realization that their words actually have some merit to them.

Is the bone head trying to make me his heir? And if so, why?

I know he mentioned before about the struggles of immortals and stuff, but is that really all? Because we’re both immortals? I’m pretty sure that shouldn’t be enough for him to hand over his, admittedly broken kingdom to me.

Silence fills the base for several seconds, neither of the magicians willing to speak as I begin pacing, considering everything the skeleton has done since turning me into a pseudo vampire.

The man has, well, turned me into a pseudo vampire. He’s protected me from the doctor and shielded me from his search. He’s given me equipment that’ll help me and removed the doctor’s tracker. And now he’s tutoring me just so that he can spend time talking to me and get some of the results of my experiments?

Looking back on all of this, it really could be possible. He really could be trying to make me his heir for some reason.

But why? He’s an S Class magician of one of the most powerful special affinities in the world, not to mention is the oldest human alive. And he’s also immortal, just like me. Although his immortality is linked to his mana not running out.

Considering that he’s an S Class magician though, his mana running out would be unlikely. Especially considering how old he is probably letting him build up who knows how many arcs of mana.

“Damnit,” I mutter before glancing at the two magicians and snapping, “Come with me to the caverns. I’ll be leaving you with Claire after draining your mana.”

Both of them wince at that, but nod their heads to anyways.

I have a damned skeleton to go question, but I’m not gonna leave them to the refugees without ridding them of their current stores of mana first, leaving them helpless.

And that skeleton better answer me.

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It doesn’t end up taking me very long to drop the two off at the base, use a mana drainer – a tool that is basically just a magi-tech device that does nothing but light a simple lightbulb for an extremely high amount of mana – to drain their arcs dry for now, and arrive at the skeleton’s giant undead treant. Which is actually alive, as far as you can call an undead tree alive that is.

I palm the handle of one of my swords while walking through the entrance to the treehouse before shouting, “Skeleton! Where are-”

I’m cut off when a flash of miasma appears in front of me and the skeleton in question steps out while wearing a black robe. The man currently looks to be in a rather good mood, if the way his eyes are flaring is anything to go by. And from my experience dealing with him over the past months, it is something to go by.

He also looks very amused right now. Which is telling.

“Why Nathan! How may I help you this fine day?” the skeleton asks, making me narrow my eyes at his current behavior. But I decide to get straight to the point as I bluntly ask, “Why aren’t you dealing with your Kingdom?”

The skeleton isn’t fazed even the slightest bit as he stands perfectly still and answers, “Why, to pass it on, of course! Don’t you want my precious little gift?”

My mouth drops open at how blunt he is with that, only for him to continue, “That is, if you can wrangle those old bastards clinging to power, of course. Can’t have you taking it for free after all!”

I stare at him, unable to say even a single word for who knows how long.

Is he… he’s really doing it. He’s trying to push his kingdom onto me.

But… “Why?” I ask out loud, slightly stunned at everything.

The amusement in the skeleton’s eyes dies out, leaving nothing but a cold cruelty mixed with a tiny smidgen of sadness as he answers, “Well that, my dear boy, is the question, now isn’t it?” He then begins stepping towards me, waves of miasma shooting out from beneath his feet to cover the room in darkness, the only illuminating light being the black and purple flame in his eyes. “I thought you wanted to make a difference in the world? To teach those cruel magicians back on your home continent a lesson? Or was your muttering to yourself nothing but lies?”

My eyes widen at that, only to narrow again a second later.

Guess he is eavesdropping on my caverns after all.

But…

“Why are you willing to help?” I ask, noticing that he still hasn’t given me an answer.

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