Walking in the cold cave while watching the sunset, the skeleton looks at the terrified human in front of him.
"...[End]"
"Uhhh..."
His body began to decompose, his screams ceased, only a small bone remained.
Looking at the motionless skeleton, he passed the bones and stroked it for a moment.
As if in response, the skeleton stood up and knelt in front of him, after nodding his head, the skeleton walked further into the cave where more skeletons were waiting.
"...You did a good job, Merl...If you can bring me some bodies, I'll teach you more powerful magic."
"..yes, yes master, I will do it"
The young man next to him was trembling as if he was terrified, but his bright eyes could not be hidden as he held the newly delivered book.
He still remembers when he saw it, just an average mage in a group of adventurers.
All resting in the cave that dripped liquid from a nearby waterfall.
They died in front of him, but that boy hid himself and then swore allegiance.
It seems they mistook him for a lich, beings who change their body to the undead to study magic for eternity... too bad he's not one.
But he put it to the test and got good results by bringing more bodies here.
People cheated on the adventurer team, girls in love, naive children who went out for a better life.
The years have given him a mighty army, and converted mages remain mages after death.
So I started writing books and giving them to them.
They were already useless to him and he should reward this young man well.
"Master, why do we keep piling up bodies... Why don't we attack a city?"
"... It's not the moment yet"
"I understand, I understand, I was just asking, yes, that"
It was not true.
Just piling up bodies for a strange taste, there was no reason to attack a city.
He was not impulsive, nor did he hate life.
But if the opportunity arose, he would.
His goal has always been to survive.
But that doesn't stop him from thinking.
A bone dragon? It is not greed, nor longing, just a casual thought.
But that's enough for him.
"...we will leave in 3 days, towards the Mountain of fire"
"Mountain, mountain of fire? Where do dragons live?"
"...yeah, let me see your results and get me some dragons and I'll give you more powerful magic."
The young man's sweat drenched his back, but his excitement replaced his fear and he eagerly accepted.
What an idiot...
All the magic in those books were his memories of his research but they were altered or forgotten.
There is weak magic and very strong magic, but everything must have something for it to work.
The magical power.
An archmage is not the same as a simple casual mage.
And in three days he showed himself.
"MASTER SAVE ME, AHHHH"
Seeing the young man flee with his charred body and the ferocious dragon preparing to release another breath, he only whispered at the sight.
The dragon's eyes saw it but it was his biggest mistake
"...[End]"
The dragon ceased its attack and clutched his head tightly.
She rolled on the ground, spitting his breath into the sky, watched as his hard scales parted from his body, the skin of his powerful body ripped and disappeared.
His willpower was useless and in the end only a white body remained.
His eyes lit up with green flames and a translucent bag appeared on his empty belly.
"..help....Master"
Stroking the new member's head, he looked down at the black hunk on the ground.
"Disappointing..."
"...No!...Master...I'll bring you more...Just...help"
"...[End]"
He was never angry.
From the moment he asked her to do this, he knew he couldn't do it.
Besides, he could never heal him and the young man's eyes full of anger and hate reminded him that he would never let him go if he healed.
Then make him part of your army.
His magic is very good and his knowledge remains even as an undead.
Then I go back to the cave riding the dragon.
I clutch the old cloak over his body and avoid the rays of dawn light.
As he watched, the two skeletons smoked slightly.
On the way he wondered.
What if he had bigger skeletons in his army?
It wasn't out of greed or longing...
But that was enough for him.
