Chapter 16: The Dark Side

---D-Day+9, Nizhen 12th---

"What are you?"

Of course this deep into the kingdom, we are not alone in the wilderness. About half a day apart by wagon, a day by foot, are walled villages each with a few hundred people, a fortified manor, and a local lord.

We camp outside because these outposts don't have enough room for us inside. But these hamlets maintain campgrounds next to them for traveling merchants and troops. So, every night me and the girls are 'feasting' with whoever is the local lord.

These lords and villagers have no clue about the summoning. The preparations and expedition for my summoning were done as secretly as possible. Even most of those involved were lied to about the objective. Told it was a long range attack spell against the demons.

Most died never knowing the truth. Of course the number that knew, grew after tin can rode in to the not-rescue.

Counting everyone? Avi figures about a hundred people know what I really am? The rest? Told that I'm a northern berserker that rescued the girls from a demon attack and was adopted by the Lord General as a reward.

The girls are my slaves because my 'barbarian magic' suppresses the demons curse enough for them to cast spells, but only works if they're owned by me through slave magic. And I am attending Stormgarde so my marauder spells can be studied.

This explains them casting, something the church can't fix, plus my strange accent and ignorant ways.

Naturally as a barbarian who's enslaved one of the kingdom's more famous oracles? I'm not a very popular person. Get challenged about once a feast by some local idiot with dreams of freeing the girls and their 'reward' for doing so.

At the first two feasts? The girls were completely humiliated by this. After we 'made up?' They are smiling and laughing over it.

Still, in six feasts we've had three kidnappings, an assassination, four poisonings, three druggings, and two lynchings. Thanks to this muscle car body's power, and my hoard of mana? None succeeded. So far.

The most embarrassing one? When I was drugged by a local lord's daughter. Dara got her imagination working a little too hard and the little lady decided to 'conquer' me.

According to Avi, as the 'son' of a marquis? I am technically a 'viscount.' The heir, my older now brother, is a 'count.'

However, unless it is a title with territory like a landed noble or authority like a court noble? Actual resources and assets? Its only a courtesy and considered a 'titleless' title.

My eldest 'brother,' yeah that sounds weird to an only child, has a title with territory. My other two brothers, and sister, do not.

Oh, and its winner take all when it involves succession. The lord may divide up money and assets? But when it comes to land? Winner takes all. Yeah, so while dead guy may leave a castle to his favorite niece? The land its on? Belongs to dead guy's heir.

Still even though I'm adopted? I'm still considered an 'in' to the 'House' I'm in. Both Avi and Red tried explaining what a House was but it got pretty confusing. Basically? Its mostly sort of everyone kind of related to the guy who started it.

So grizzly and my 'siblings' are one of the families, parent plus children, in 'House' Lianlaf. The 'senior' family since they have the most territory and authority. But still just one family.

So with multiple families under one noble roof? Houses can have dozens to hundreds of members. And even if you are related to a House's 'founder?' It doesn't mean you are part of that house unless you are related 'enough.' You may not even have the same last name as the House.

Yeah, it gets way to confusing to keep track of who is and isn't in a House. Plus counting retainers and subordinates? You can have a hell of a lot of political, economic, and military power controlled by a House.

Now how do you get a connection to possibly use some of that power? Got any daughters? Yep, marriage. And another word I'm not sure of. Concubinage? A not-wife wife? Maybe the translator is on the fritz.

Whew. Okay. So. As a son of the senior family in the House Lianlaf? I am a tempting target for anyone willing to overlook my 'barbarian' ancestry.

Which little lady's mommy and daddy were perfectly willing to do. In fact, that overheated girl got the drug from her mother. A cute, and twisted, story of how that drug helped mom get dad followed after the girls 'rescued' me.

And if you are wondering how the tale could get any more awkward?

Her failure to 'conquer' me, this time, triggered a not-very-secret plot to get the little lady to attend Stormgarde too. Something the girls did absolutely nothing to discourage. Hope this doesn't cause me trouble later. And there goes another flag.

The sixth feast has drawn to a close with only one poisoning, by the local priest, as its claim to fame. We'll be reaching the first baron on our route tomorrow night and he supposedly knows we are coming.

It's a town with a few thousand people so should have a big enough inn for us to use. I'm groaning since this also means even more skullduggery to 'free' the girls and 'subjugate' the barbarian. Oh joy.

The nightly headcount confirms no kidnappings. Leftovers from the feast have been handed out. Watch has been posted, barriers and wards cast. The girls are chatting. It strangely warms my heart to see them happy. This is getting, normal. That's bad, right?

And I'm about to crawl into the tent for their nightly assault. Sigh.

But? Something's off. Reexamine me and the girls, no poisons or drugs. Reach out, again confirm no monsters or bandits nearby. Still, my [Super Senses] tells me 'something' is out there.

It's, hard to describe. There's magic. But it doesn't 'smell' like the schools I know. Smells like, shadow? Well, if shadows had a smell. This would be it. Not rotting. Not decaying. Like a burnt mint sort of? I rather like it. Different from what that succubus was using too. This must be the 'dark' school. And its coming our way.

Better let naughty knight know.

"Hey Red!"

Word is spread thru the camp and we get ready.

Whatever it is? Its moving much faster than it should. It's on the ground but acting like it's flying? It's, a knight? Or, at least, it was. Feels like, the shadow of a knight. And I'm its target? Yep, it's locked onto me. Why? I tell the girls what I'm feeling.

Chyal is the first one to reply.

"Sounds like a living shadow, master."

Okay.

"And that is?"

Dara now.

"It's a form of necromancy. Undead magic needs a body. Like zombies and skeletons. Or a spirit. Like ghosts and wraiths. Shadow necromancy uses a spirit to create a body. A living shadow. Faster than the material types and tougher than the astral types."

Vira chimes in.

"Manifests what it used in life. Swords, armor, even spells. And less predictable."

Edelys walks up to me, pointing north.

"We've cleared that side so it can come straight in."

"Thank you."

I draw Sanctity and Tormentor as the girls form up behind me. I've never fought an undead before and the girls say they're tough. Its close enough to feel without my cheat now.

Avi warns.

"Master, this is a powerful shadow. And it's not alone!"

With my juiced eyes I can clearly see what comes flying out of the trees on the edge of the campsite. It is similar to a knight with full plate armor as fancy as tin can's but with ornate spikes and edges too. A more menacing look. What isn't covered in plate has a greenish glow, like the eyes. Smoke flows off it like fog, hiding its movements somewhat. Out of its wake spring two large dog looking shadows with green glows from their eyes and jaws.

Hehe. Hiding in the shadow's shadow? Clever.

Edelys shouts.

"Shadow hounds!"

Very fast, is what I think as the dogs come in from my left and right. The knight charges head on. Too fast for anyone else to react too. Hounds sweep in for my arms while the knight is aims his sword's tip at my heart. They really are going for the kill. And almost as fast as me. Almost.

*sparh*

Sanctity cleaves the one on my left horizontally.

*fruzh*

Tormentor chops the one on my right vertically.

*thung*

While my right foot kicks the knight in the chest, as I lean back and pivot, letting his inky blade slide over me. So close it severs one of the buttons from my jacket.

The now four dog halves turn into smoke that quickly dissipates. Shadow knight's chest plate is caved in as it flies back. Credit to its will and skill, it immediately launches at me again as soon as it recovers.

*zhing* *fuzush*

This time I don't have dogs to worry about so I parry its blade with Sanctity and slice diagonally with Tormentor. Its two halves fade almost as quickly as the dogs.

Avi runs up with that crazy look in her eyes again.

"My glorious master! Thank you for letting me see your might!"

Eh?

Dara adds.

"By the pit, master! Weapon masters couldn't keep up with you."

Don't get it. They've seen the feast duels before and I've killed plenty of monsters and bandits. Though I didn't take any of those seriously. This guy was even stronger than mustache. My left arm is going to be numb for a while.

Still, I would be more impressed if it was skill instead of me just stubbornly powering thru. Red's lessons are helping but I've got a long way to go. And of course the girls are just sucking up.

"So is this the last of them?"

Olete answers.

"For now. Like true demons, living shadows must have an anchor. A piece of their body or a memento that the necromancer has."

Seylia bounces, hi nipples, while waving one hand in the air.

"Pretty please can I fight them next time master? You made it look so fun!"

Chyal looks at Seylia.

"It will take time. It takes considerable mana to rebuild a broken living shadow. Especially one as strong as that."

I reach out with my cheat. I can sense a faint trickle leading back to where it came from. Miles to the north.

"There is a trail. Its going to take a couple hours to reach it so pack light."

Edelys steps up.

"Lord Barton! Please wait until morning. Moving thru wilderness at night is far too dangerous."

The girls chime in and shoot down my plans to go tonight. Then they completely refuse my idea to go alone.

I finally relent and head to the tent. I'm still tired from my earlier poisoning. It was some pretty strong stuff. Unfortunately, seeing me in action or danger has got the girls excited. So I'm betting I won't get much sleep. Sigh.

As they strip me, and each other. I feel, sad?

These girls don't love me. They just need me. The horror they went thru. The abuse they endured. It broke their hearts. Wounded their souls. Even the oldest and steadiest, Chyal, [Super Senses] tells me is distressed.

Her heart and body rhythms, all over the place.

The rest are even worse. Yeah, I've got no experience with this but their smiles are probably just false fronts.

I gave them a master. Not a lover. Not a friend. Got to remember that. They are my slaves. I'm their owner. Its demented. Don't think I'm even 'human' to them. When she thinks I'm not looking? Not listening? I catch Avi praying to me. Its sick.

I'm not a psychiatrist. Not a therapist. Don't know what to do. So all I've been doing is being there for them. Its probably not enough. Probably going to kill a lot of people. Want to make sure I'm killing the right ones though.

But who should I be killing?

"What a shitty world."

Rowl (living shadow)