**Chapter Thirteen: Order of the Final Knights**
**Chapter One**
It had been a long time since I last ventured into the town. In my previous life, I had spent my final years nearly bedridden, so it was probably five or six years since I had last stepped outside.
The sunlight pouring down from the sky felt painfully intense against my skin. I had been hunting throughout the night for so long that being out during the day was a rare experience.
Sunlight is poison to all undead. Although it is a weak form of energy, the light contains Sei energy, which is why most undead only operate at night.
However, it is not that they cannot move during the day.
The most famous undead with a weakness to sunlight is the Vampire, which turns to ash upon exposure. This is not due to the sunlight’s Sei energy overwhelming their negative powers, but rather a result of the curse itself. Their inability to function under the sun is precisely what grants them immense power at night.
As a general rule, the more weaknesses an undead has, the stronger they become. Just as Shiki gains various powers at the cost of their meals and a slight sense of pain.
According to the Lord, Shiki, being a lower-tier undead, seems to be less affected by sunlight. The Corpse Eater before mutation had zero restrictions from sunlight due to the curse, but the low levels of negative energy within them meant that even the weak Sei energy from sunlight could significantly harm them. Overall, Shiki is considered the most balanced undead capable of functioning under the sun.
While prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause damage, the effects were minimized thanks to the pitch-black cloak borrowed from the Lord, which mitigates the sun’s power. My movements felt almost unchanged.
The next target for mutation, the Dark Stalker, is said to be greatly affected by sunlight, so this might be my last chance to walk freely during the day.
Ruu, who had been assigned to accompany me on this errand, walked silently ahead.
Her skin, minimally exposed, was as pale and sickly as mine, a testament to her undead nature, and her thin limbs appeared far more frail than my own. Dark circles clung beneath her eyes, her hair was dry, and she had only made the barest effort to groom herself.
Her attire was cleaner than usual, but that was because the Lord had insisted she wear something that wouldn’t raise suspicion while out in public.
After all, the Lord’s attitude toward Ruu, who had risked her life to expose me, had not changed at all. She had escaped becoming undead, but that was all. I knew little of Ruu’s past and cared even less, but to the Lord, Ruu likely held little value.
Still, despite my lack of interest, I felt a twinge of sympathy. It was a minuscule feeling, just slightly better than how the Lord treated her, but her days devoid of freedom reminded me of my own bedridden existence in my previous life. If I could manage to kill the Lord, perhaps I could grant her freedom.
The task the Lord had assigned us was to retrieve an item requested from the nearby town, which I learned was called Engei.
With Ruu guiding me, we quickly made our way through the forest and reached the town. Though magical creatures had attacked us in the woods, I had already reached a level where I could navigate through the forest while protecting another person. I wasn’t carrying my usual machete due to the potential for suspicion, but my claws were more than sufficient.
The town of Engei lay about an hour’s walk from the edge of the forest.
Since the HaN/Aku could regularly transport coffins here, I had assumed it wasn’t a remote location, but it was closer than I expected. The expansive forest surrounding the mansion would make it difficult to find without prior knowledge, but as long as one knew the direction, it was possible to reach it by simply walking straight. It seemed only natural that the HaN/Aku would cease entering the forest upon learning of the arrival of their natural enemy.
Engei was moderately prosperous. It wasn’t a large city, but it was certainly more than just a village. The gates were sturdy, the ground was well-trodden, and numerous large wagons passed through.
Here, I could see the bustling life I had once longed for.
Using the identification papers prepared by the Lord, I entered the town. There was no indication that anyone suspected me of being undead. Although I was an undead, my appearance was quite human-like. My complexion was pale, but there were plenty of humans who looked worse. If I displayed the intelligence that undead typically lacked, any discomfort would quickly dissipate.
Among the undead, Vampires are particularly feared, primarily because they possess a higher average intelligence and can blend in among humans. I was a Shiki, capable of speaking and functioning under sunlight. In terms of blending in, I might even surpass the Vampires, who could only operate at night.
Excitement bubbled within me as I gazed at the crowd. The sounds, the colors, the scents—everything overflowed with life.
“Ruu, shall we take a little stroll around the town?”
“…”
The dark, cloistered mansion of the Lord wasn’t so bad, but this scene was magnificent. I had no money to spare for frivolities, but a brief exploration of the town wouldn’t hurt. I opened my eyes wide, imprinting the vibrant sights into my memory, but Ruu remained indifferent.
“I have received orders from Master-sama to complete our task and return swiftly.”
“But he didn’t say we had to rush. If you and I coordinate our stories, there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“………… Your role is to protect me.”
“I’ve been living in that dark place for so long. I deserve a little enjoyment.”
I whispered my persuasion while chasing after Ruu, who walked briskly ahead. She had served the Lord far longer than I had. She must have accumulated quite a bit of frustration.
“The Lord cannot see or hear what I and Ruu are doing. There’s no way we’ll get caught. I’m not disobeying any orders. While I was told to hurry, no time limit was imposed.”
“…………”
“The restrictions placed on Ruu are far lighter than those on me. If I can do it, there’s no reason Ruu can’t.”
Slavery is not something one discusses openly, but it is a common existence. Therefore, I had some knowledge of those restrictions.
The collars of slaves are imbued with magic. However, unlike the absolute commands imposed on undead, this magic is relatively light. This is likely because humans were not designed to be bound in the same way that undead were created to be controlled.
The restrictions placed on slaves manifest as… pain. While my body obeys commands instinctively, slaves are punished with pain for disobeying orders.
Moreover, there is a limit to the number of restrictions. Only three can be placed at once. Two of those are permanently occupied by the prohibition against self-harm and the prohibition against direct or indirect attacks on their master, leaving only one command available for freedom.
Commands must be precise. If they are too broad, there’s a risk that a slave might inadvertently violate them and die from the pain, or conversely, loopholes could be exploited.
There are many ways to circumvent commands given to slaves. That’s why I was assigned to her.
I knew what the command was because it was given in front of me. Ruu had been instructed to “complete the task and return swiftly.” Additionally, she had been warned that if I were to die for any reason along the way, she would be executed after a long period of torture.
My command was to protect Ruu and follow instructions as much as possible. If things became dire, I was to abandon Ruu and escape.
There are no limits on the commands I can receive, so while the previous commands prohibiting actions harmful to the Lord and forbidding escape still applied, at least the orders given to Ruu and me did not conflict.
At my brilliant suggestion, Ruu’s eyes briefly widened in surprise before quickly hardening.
“D-Don’t tempt me, you cursed being. I will report your words to Master-sama later—”
A negotiation breakdown… how unfortunate.
It was to be expected. She had already faced punishment once because of me. Technically, it wasn’t my fault, but rather Ruu’s for acting out of line, though she likely didn’t see it that way.
Suppressing her fear within, Ruu tried to maintain a semblance of composure, and I smiled at her.
“It’s futile. You know it, too… Even if you report it, Ruu’s treatment will never change until the day you die. The Lord is aware that I engage in such behavior.”
That was why the Lord had avoided sending me into town alone. While it was possible he thought I wouldn’t know the way, that could easily be remedied with a map. The reason he paired me with Ruu was that he understood we were not allies.
Truly, the cunning nature of the Mage was evident. His thoughts were despicable. Ruu pressed her purple lips tightly together, her expression stiffening. Unlike me, she was not a forbidden existence, but it seemed she feared everything in the world and trusted nothing.
I had finally stepped out into the town after such a long time… and yet, I felt so invigorated. How wonderful it would be if I could enjoy street food and sightseeing in freedom.
“Indeed. If you listen to my proposal—should the Lord happen to die and grant you freedom—I will escort you to the town.”
At my flawless suggestion, Ruu momentarily wore a blank expression before quickly breaking it.
With wide-open eyes, Ruu clenched her thin hands tightly, trembling as if in fear. The voice that escaped her lips was slightly louder than before.
“Master-sama will… absolutely not die. Invincible. Master-sama is a terrifying individual. I have seen many fall before him. It is we who will die first.”
To I, that voice sounded like a scream. There was no sense of nostalgia, no pity; all I felt was disappointment.
I had anticipated this from the previous interactions with the -sama children, but seeing it firsthand made it impossible to suppress my emotions.
Ruu’s spirit was already broken. No, it was precisely because it was broken that she had been able to endure as a slave under the Evil necromancer. Despite the loose shackles, she had likely lived her life being swept along by the current. Perhaps her fear of the Lord was rooted in the idea that death would not be a salvation for her.
Convincing Ruu was impossible. I had thought that if I could persuade her, she would become a strong ally, but she was far too weak to be a collaborator. Even if I needed to borrow a little strength, I had to come up with convincing words.
“I see… that’s… frightening.”
“…………”
At my vague words, Ruu silently looked down, walking as if she were being controlled. I let out a small sigh and decided to follow Ruu, as commanded by the Lord.
§
After receiving the requested item, I headed toward the city’s exit, carrying it on my back.
Haku merely widened his eyes at the sight of me with Ruu and said nothing. It seemed he had a principle of not prying into the circumstances of his clients, likely due to his shady business dealings, which I found quite admirable.
The Object prepared by the Lord was wrapped in thick fabric, making it impossible to discern what it was. However, it was nearly a meter long, tapering at the end while being thick at the base. Its shape was odd for a weapon, and it was heavy enough that Ruu couldn’t lift it.
Yet, this was an Object that that cunning Lord had gone to great lengths to obtain, even sending me into the city at risk. It must be something of significance. Haku didn’t say anything unnecessary, so I couldn’t guess its contents, but it might very well be the Lord’s trump card.
After all, I didn’t get the chance to explore the city. However, if I could survive this, there would be more opportunities in the future. With a heavy heart, I followed Ruu.
—And then, I encountered a living sun.
It was near the gate to the outside.
Just seeing it made my consciousness momentarily fade. My body went limp, and the Lord’s Object slipped from my arms. Dizziness struck me like a wave, and my knees buckled as I hurriedly focused to regain my strength. Ruu turned back, concerned.
There were a few individuals gathered. Clad in polished pure white armor, various weapons hung from their waists and backs. At first glance, they appeared to be mere knights. However, what set them apart from other humans was the Sei energy that resided within them.
As an undead, I could vaguely sense the Sei energy emanating from the humans around me.
It surpassed anything I had seen before. Even from over a hundred meters away, it was so dazzling that I couldn’t look directly at it. They didn’t actually shine; no other human seemed to notice their presence.
Yet, I understood. Even despair felt lukewarm in comparison.
They were akin to light, the moon, the sun—Miracles.
My limbs trembled, and though I had long since forgotten how to breathe, my breath became labored. If I got too close, that insignificant I would be obliterated in an instant. My brain, my instincts, screamed at me to flee. I wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t move at all.
If I approached, I would vanish. Even if I didn’t, merely facing them would mean death. The curse that bound my body warned me.
That was—my natural enemy as an undead. A hero. A champion. An apostle of light. The one who slays necromancers.
—The Order of the Final Knights.
I had long wondered if there was something that the Lord, who divided his life into one hundred twenty parts, feared. I hadn’t doubted the Lord’s victory, not as much as Ruu did. But now, standing before that existence, I understood from the depths of my soul why the Lord viewed the Order of the Final Knights as his natural enemy.
I knew they were heroes. I had admired them. Yet, I had never truly understood their existence.
They were—unbeatable. In my current state, I could never win. How could a mere demon that feasted on corpses hope to defeat one who radiated a brilliance greater than the sun?
“…What’s wrong? Hurry up and pick up the Object.”
“Ah, ah…”
Ruu’s words snapped me back to reality. As I burned that scene into my memory, I slowly bent down to retrieve the Object that had fallen to the ground.
But I had to win. If they were to attack, and if I needed to consume light to survive, then I must, of course, find a way to win. The Lord called the Order of the Final Knights his natural enemy, yet he did not flee. That cunning necromancer must have known how to defeat them; there had to be a way.
I gathered my strength and pushed back against the light that threatened to consume me from this distance.
It would be fine; I wouldn’t be discovered. There was enough distance, and I had borrowed a protective charm from the Lord against the Order of the Final Knights. A shadow amulet adorned with a large black gem—it was said to prevent the leakage of negative energy that the Order could sense.
I gripped the amulet in my pocket and began to walk slowly toward the gate, gathering information.
Perhaps due to having endured the initial shock, I managed to move without succumbing to the oppressive weight as I gathered my strength.
There were six members of the Order of the Final Knights. A mix of young and old, male and female. Three large men who looked every bit the knights, a blonde woman, and their weapons included a mace, a staff, a sword and shield, and a bow. They radiated a light far stronger than that of ordinary people.
It was said that the Order of the Final Knights had three ranks. They were likely third-tier knights. Ah, indeed, as the Lord said, I had no chance of winning against them. But, on the other hand, it could have been worse.
One woman with neatly trimmed silver hair wore a beautiful silver sword at her waist. She was younger than the first four, but the light surrounding her far surpassed theirs. It was a gut feeling, but her strength was likely not just double or triple theirs. She looked nothing like a human. Her appearance was more beautiful than anyone I had seen until now, but her very existence was on a different level. If we were to face each other, I would probably be killed before I could even launch an attack.
She was—the moon. An apostle of the moon, cloaked in an otherworldly, strong, yet quietly radiant light.
And the problem was that judging the first four as third-tier knights forced me to consider the silver-haired girl as second-tier, which was unbelievable because there was someone even above her.
Her soul, her body, her very existence shone with brilliance. Even combined with the light of the other five, it could not compare to that one person.
He was an old man, likely around the same age as the Lord. However, unlike the Lord, his posture was straight, and the muscles on his body were unmatched. His hair, meticulously groomed, had turned white, and while wrinkles marked his face, his eyes sparkled with warmth.
That man was—the sun. An apostle of the sun, capable of incinerating everything just by getting close. A hero of invincible stature, whose overwhelming presence made it clear that no amount of training over a hundred years would ever allow one to defeat him.
If he was not a first-tier knight, then who could claim that title?
Any denizen of darkness would flee at the mere sight of him. Surely, every god had bestowed blessings upon him.
Ah, what a thing this was. While there were men like me, afflicted by strange diseases and lying on their deathbeds in agony, here was an old man brimming with life energy.
This world—how unfair it is.
After the shock, what burned in my mind was not fear, but anger. Jealousy. My goal was survival. Survival and freedom. As long as I could attain those, I had no intention of clashing with the Order of the Final Knights.
However, on another note—I could not allow a being like him to exist. Even if I did not fight, I could not submit. The thought of such a blessed being coming to kill a wretched existence like mine filled me with indignation.
I maintained my expressionless facade and calmed my heart.
No, I must endure. I cannot win against that. At least, not now—yet.
Endurance was something I excelled at. That was the privilege of the weak, the unique strength of those who had endured until now.
I overwrote my anger with thought. I simply moved my feet, following Ruu, who walked with a suspicious expression.
But… how did the Lord plan to handle that group? Did he have a chance of winning? Even without me, the Lord commanded countless subordinates, but to them, those were mere trifles. The Skeleton Knights were indeed strong, but they likely wouldn’t be able to defeat even the third-tier knights. The difference in raw power was too great.
Damn it… I don’t know.
The Lord is strong. But the Order of the Final Knights is overwhelmingly strong.
Indeed, it was a battle of the heavens—a clash of light and darkness. I had no idea how Lord intended to wield I in this confrontation, but one thing was certain… if I faced them, I would die. The second chance at life I had so painstakingly earned would come to a meaningless end.
My head throbbed as if I had been returned to my human form. A wave of nausea washed over me, causing my legs to wobble. My vision blurred and twisted.
No, this won’t do. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I needed to get away. Now… somehow… I had to retreat from this place—
Just as I managed to join the line of people leaving the city, taking a moment to catch my breath, a voice suddenly called out from behind me.
“Um… you seem unwell. Are you alright?”
“N/A!?”
The cold voice made my breath catch in my throat. I steeled myself against the tremors threatening to overtake my body and turned to face the source of the voice.
A second-tier knight, cloaked in moonlight, stood there, accompanied by four third-tier knights, all of them watching me closely.