This is a short story by the same author as Home of the Zerg that I decided to do for my birthday. So I hope you enjoy this birthday release from me.
-Addis
Chapter 11: The Resurrection Spell
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: KarateChopMonkey
“Alphard, what did you order? It’s so heavy!” Brand called out from the first floor of the Mage Tower. The skeleton dog opposite him hesitated momentarily and then started bouncing around, matching his high spirits.
“Some books and winter supplies,” Alphard poked his head out from the living room, seeing the boxes in the yard, directing Brand to drag the items into the basement.
Brand grunted as he carried the items down. Curious, he asked, “What kind of books? Magic books? The complicated ones?”
“Exactly. The kind where you can’t understand a single word,” Alphard snorted lightly.
Brand chuckled, “Oh, I’m sure I won’t understand! I don’t do magic, unlike you, Alphard, you’re so good at it!”
“…” Alphard, who responded coldly to Brand’s sincere enthusiasm, twitched his lips, momentarily stiff and unsure how to continue the conversation.
Brand, oblivious, hummed a cheerful tune. His mood had been soaring since he found out he could hibernate at the Mage Tower. Brand pointed to the last batch of goods on the floor and asked, “That’s all moved. The remaining food goes into the pantry, right? What about the new cushions and blankets? Are they for the living room?”
“…The cushions and blankets are for the attic. After all, there’s no fireplace up there,” Alphard replied quickly, his words disjointed.
Brand’s eyes widened with joy, “That’s specifically for my hibernation, isn’t it? Wow…”
“It’s just a coincidence. It’s just a coincidence. Well, I’m going to do experiments now. You go fuss with your nest; don’t bother me,” Alphard’s annoyance began to show as he glanced at Brand’s wildly wagging tail, then turned and walked downstairs to the basement, slamming the door shut.
Brand grinned, cherishing the soft blanket, cuddling it and rubbing his face against it, emitting a contented sigh—this was the first time since he became an adult that someone had prepared gifts for his hibernation! He stayed there for a while, happily in place, with the blanket in his left hand and the cushion in his right, climbing the attic stairs three steps at a time, eager to properly arrange his hibernation nest.
Alphard, in the basement, unpacked the box containing the books. He perked up his ears, listening to the activity upstairs, ensuring Brand had left the first floor before taking out the books individually.
Among professional books like “Golem Manual” and “Crafting Techniques for Acid Resistance Potions,” Alphard, with a cold expression, pulled out “Hibernation Habits of Mammals” that had been mixed in and began flipping through it.
“As endothermic animals, bears can move freely even in winter. However, their omnivorous nature makes them struggle to find enough food during the cold season. To conserve energy, bears have the habit of hibernating…”
“If bears inhabit warm environments with sufficient food, their hibernation period will become shorter.”
“On the contrary, when the hibernation environment is harsh, and food is severely lacking, the hibernation period of bears can be as long as that of snakes.”
Alphard flipped through quickly.
A faint sound of footsteps from upstairs indicated that Brand was coming downstairs. Although he had informed the other party not to enter the basement, Alphard still nervously snapped the book shut, tucked it between other books, and stuffed it into a drawer.
“…” What was he so nervous about…? Restlessly, Alphard tapped his fingers on the table, a meaningless and inefficient gesture he had never done before. He didn’t know the significance of buying such books. Alphard thought it would be better if Brand slept longer during hibernation. During his hibernation period at the Mage Tower, he could enjoy a few months of peace, and food consumption would also decrease rapidly. Plus, he wouldn’t have to worry about being half-awake and nudged by the butt of a huge incubus in the middle of a nap.
Of course, if Brand slept well this winter and woke up a few days early… he wouldn’t mind.
In a few days, Brand had already set up his hibernation nest. He piled the attic floor thick with cushions and blankets on three sides and placed several jars of honey water within reach. Satisfied with his own space, Brand looked around with excitement, rarely looking forward to the arrival of winter.
As the weather grew colder day by day, the golden hue of the mountains gradually turned red and finally faded away altogether, leaving the tree trunks bare.
Alphard lit the fireplace early, filling the Mage Tower with warm air. Perhaps because of the warm temperature and sufficient food reserves, Brand was surprised that he hadn’t felt the urge to sleep until snow started falling outside. He would occasionally feel drowsy, but a little physical activity or exercise in bed would revive him.
Brand chewed on honey bread at the dining table, feeling warm in his chest and buttocks, with a satisfied expression after eating.
Feeling content, Brand thought Alphard seemed less concerned about providing sperm lately. Afterward, he didn’t draw his blood as an exchange, and he didn’t immediately get out of bed to wash himself; instead, he would cuddle with him on the couch or lounge chair for a while, listening to the crackling of the fireplace…
So blissful. Brand chuckled foolishly.
Knock, knock. There suddenly came a light knocking at the door.
“Oh, oh, someone’s knocking?” Brand exclaimed in surprise, setting down the bread he had nibbled on.
The delivery person had just been here last week, specifically saying it was the last time this year. Besides them, there shouldn’t be anyone else knocking on this door… He stood up in confusion and heard footsteps coming from the basement. It was Alphard ascending the stairs to the first floor. It seemed the skeleton dog and the patrolling undead outside had somehow informed their master of the visitor.
“Did you bring in some business again?” Alphard’s tone was impatient, his breath still unsteady from his recent activity. He hurriedly put on his dark cloak and looked at Brand suspiciously.
“It wasn’t me! I’ve been preparing for hibernation recently; I haven’t even left the house!” Brand cried out in grievance.
“…Alright, alright, you don’t have to shout so loudly,” Alphard tilted his head, muttering softly, “You shouted for so long just now, aren’t you tired…”
“What?” Brand put down the bread and wiped his fingers on his pants. He followed behind Alphard towards the door, curious who would visit this remote Mage Tower in the dead of winter. He didn’t forget to wrap his horn with the scarf he carried and hastily shoved his tail into his trousers under Alphard’s stern gaze. Once Brand finished these actions, Alphard reached out to open the door.
Standing outside were two middle-aged men who were strangers to both of them. Smiling, one of them lowered his flaxen hood, revealing a harp in his embrace, and bowed in greeting, “Hello, as you can see, I’m a passing minstrel. I landed after crossing the eastern coast and was heading westward when I happened to arrive nearby. I wonder if I could rest here for a night?”
“Do you think this place looks like an inn?” Alphard retorted coldly. With that, he prepared to close the door.
“Hey, hey, please wait, won’t you reconsider? I can perform a wonderful love song for both of you…”
Brand blushed and waved hurriedly, “No, no, we’re not that kind of relationship. He’s the house’s owner, and I’m just a servant staying here.”
At Brand’s resolute denial, Alphard stiffened for a moment, then turned back to glare at him fiercely, “Shut up.”
“Uh…” Brand felt a bit puzzled. Did he say something wrong?
“We don’t welcome guests here,” Alphard informed the man outside, then moved to close the door.
“Even a minstrel who wields the Seventh Circle magic…?” The middle-aged man squinted and smiled.
“…” Alphard’s hand halted, and he scanned the man up and down.
Brand struggled to decipher the underlying meaning of these conversations. Why did these wizards always speak in such ambiguous terms? Couldn’t they just be direct!? Seventh Circle magic… Minstrel? Uh, didn’t someone mention before that Alphard was looking for a minstrel or priest who wielded advanced magic? That kind of magic should be something a necromancer couldn’t learn…
“Ah! You know the Resurrection Spell!?” Brand exclaimed in surprise.
“Indeed,” the minstrel chuckled, shook off the layer of snow on him, then looked at Alphard—established as the man in charge here—and continued, “You’re the necromancer who’s willing to exchange life force to perform the resurrection spell, aren’t you? I’m sorry for not explaining my intention from the beginning. I just enjoy making harmless little jokes.”
Alphard remained silent, stepping back to tacitly allow the man’s entry.
“At the door, please take off your shoes and your coat and hat covered in snow. None of them can be brought inside,” Alphard instructed, taking two steps back into the room.
Brand watched through the window as the two bodies lying peacefully in the courtyard clumsily rose to their feet, slowly entering the house to serve as servants, pouring tea and hanging up the minstrel’s coat. He scratched his head in place. He had just said he was a servant, but now the servants’ tasks seemed to have been taken over by the corpses. He could only stand dumbfoundedly to the side, laughing awkwardly.
“Is this gentleman perhaps the steward of Mr. Undead Mage?” the minstrel asked with a smile.
Brand gave a hesitant “uh.” He certainly wouldn’t be a steward if he wasn’t a servant. How should he define his existence in the Mage Tower?
“Stop discussing him. Let’s get straight to the point,” Alphard said, patting Brand’s arm, gesturing for him to return to the table and continue eating his honey bread.
“Alright, alright, you’re truly an impatient mage. But can I say something? Among the mentally unstable mages, your temper is not the weirdest. If we narrow it down to the necromancer faction, you might even have the best temper I’ve ever seen,” the minstrel chuckled, sitting down on the sofa and taking a sip from an old teacup he had somehow found, giving a brief self-introduction.
As he said, he was an adventurer who had traveled from another continent to here. As he grew older, his curiosity only increased, and he often made risky decisions and actions for the sake of entertainment during his travels. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost any limbs so far, but if given the chance, he would still like to have a Soul Urn.
“Having a Soul Urn doesn’t mean you value life less, does it?” Brand muttered from the dining room. His hearing was quite good.
“Focus on your bread,” Alphard retorted at him quickly.
“Haha, you two seem to get along well… I was worried that the information provided by that cunning merchant might be false. How could a high-level necromancer live in such desolate surroundings, with only rundown villages nearby?” The minstrel shrugged, “A mage who can control multiple corpses, raising undead pets. There’s even a mixed-blood demon residing here…”
Alphard glanced up at the minstrel, alert.
Brand nearly choked on his bread. How was he exposed? He thought he had hidden his horn and tail quite well!
The minstrel raised his hand to show he meant no harm, “Although our minstrels’ magical perception may not be as sharp as that of mages, at my level, you can’t expect my senses to be as dull as those of ordinary people.”
“…Alright. Let’s get back to the point. I’ve prepared materials and money in advance for the resurrection spell. However, the materials required for the cloning spell vary from person to person. We can sign a contract, and you can perform the ritual for me first. Whether successful or not, I will help you perform the cloning operation in a few years,” Alphard said softly.
“Uh, a few years? That’s going to be a bit difficult… I wanted to start my unrestricted journey on this continent as soon as I had the Soul Urn! I detest staying stagnant in one place,” the minstrel lamented.
“Um…” Brand pursed his lips, looking at Alphard. He remembered Alphard hadn’t mastered the cloning spell yet, as he had heard him mention it during a conversation with the merchant.
Alphard turned to him, puzzled.
Lying isn’t good! Brand blinked, desperately trying to convey his meaning through his eyes. But if he speaks directly now, the other person might just leave.
Fool. Alphard thought expressionlessly.
But it’s not right to lie… Brand muttered to himself as he nibbled on his honey bread. But this was a rare opportunity… Brand suddenly remembered that he still didn’t know who Alphard wanted to resurrect, and his tail tucked away in his pants instantly drooped down. He had agonized over this for days but had since forgotten about it.
Now thinking about it, not knowing such an important part of Alphard’s past, he realized he was at most just a freeloader staying at the Mage Tower, with no authority to stop him…
“…Sigh.” Alphard suddenly sighed heavily, a sense of resignation evident in his breath.
Both the minstrel and Brand looked up at him simultaneously.
