After receiving the king's order, we were given a day to prepare. I decided to head to Alhazred's cell to inquire his advice. I get stopped at the door to the dungeon.

"Halt! Do you have a permit to enter?"

The guard asks me, and I show my proof.

"Who are you here to see?"

"Abdul Alhazred."

"Right this way then."

The guard guides me through the labyrinthian dungeon to Alhazred's cell. He stays so that he can guide me back 

"Teacher, are you awake?"

"Ah, my most promising apprentice! Tell me, are you perhaps close to freeing me?

"We've been over this teacher, your crimes are too egregious. However, I'm sure death will provide it's own freedom"

I wink at him, and he seems to get the drift. That's right, I promised him I would free him, but only after death. I would help him become a lich, although with his skills he'd be an Arch Lich. After this month I've finally been able to get the ritual right, and binded the soul of a dog to a bone, so with this, when Alhazred dies, I can bind his soul to a magic crystal, and he'll be immortal as long as it isn't destroyed, I plan on doing the same as well, after all, who doesn't seek to conquer death itself?

"Teacher, I have come to seek advice. Tomorrow me and others are going to subjugate a fortress of gathering greenskins."

"Goblins are crafty but easily spooked, orcs are tough but dumb, and ogres are big and slow. Remember to raise as you kill, but not too much that you lose control. Kill the goblins first since they're weaker, and also before they run away. Keep an eye on your female companions, greenskins are notorious for having their way with females. Besides that, just remember my teachings. Also, check your knight trainer too, I can only help with the magical side of things, but he can tell you what you need to know for combat"

"Thank you teacher. Before I go, I realized I never really got to know you, so I wanted to ask, why? Why did you take up necromancy?"

"No ones ever asked me that. Well, there's multiple reasons; aptitude, personal beliefs, desire for power and immortality, and boredom. As it is now, I'm already older than your grandparents, using necromancy and body transmutation to morph my body to make it healthier so I can live longer. With that longevity comes boredom and detachment to life. In pursuit of excitement and stimulation one sinks into the depths of depravity, as with most it starts with sex and drugs, then leads into light torture and dangerous stunts, until eventually you're slaughtering entire villages and torturing the inhabitants, letting your minions have their way, and other such things."

"And will you do these things again if I let you free?"

"Of course, but not immediately. I need to learn about the limits of the soul and body, do the things I wanted to do while imprisoned, and enjoy life for a while. After a while, I'll obviously seek revenge, but by that time the kingdom will have forgotten me"

"I see. If that's the case, what's stopping me from learning everything and just not freeing you?"

"Good question, and that would be a couple of things. First, I will never teach you everything, and you will have no idea if I have taught you everything, but if you free me, I can teach you so much more. Second, you would have me as a friend and ally, and that would be quite the boon, and lastly, my connections could be yours. You can't get anywhere without money, power, and connections, with me being free, I can provide you the world. What do you say, apprentice?"

He extends his hand through the bars. I think about it a little bit more, but ultimately confirm out previous Faustian bargain.

"I do not desire the world, at least not yet. For now, personal power is all I desire, provide me what I wish, and I will gladly become your friend, but first, I should become your equal, after all, friends are only someone you can stand side by side with, not someone who stands above or below you."

"Well spoken, as a gift, I suppose I can begin to teach you some body transmutation as well, but only after your battle. Can't have you all sore before your battle even begins."

"Thank you teacher. I will now go visit the knight captain. Take care."

I wipe the memory of the conversation from the jailor and instruct him to bring me back to the entrance of the royal dungeon. I then head over to the barracks and see most of my classmates waiting in line to talk to him. I get in queue and wait my turn, and about two hours later I can ask for advice. 

"Knight Captain Royce, what should I do in battle? Where am I most useful?"

"Hmm...Sir Joey, while you're not a frontline fighter, you aren't a weak mage either, so your job is to protect the mages and support the fighters with your magic. If someone gets too close, stab them with your pole ax, and use their blood against them. You know how to defend yourself, just make sure to have a wide field of vision so you can accurately gauge where your attention is needed. That's all the advice I can give you."