At the first glance, Walgrod wasn’t anything special.
It wasn’t exactly a small city, but not so famous either.
The only thing that place was known for is being built at the place where the necromancer died. That’s it.
However, Tetsu wouldn’t have helped the cult out financially if it was for that simple reason.
No.
The most important part was that Walgrod was the first city that lied between the empire, and the southern desert, where the necromancer originally came from.
There were many other players that decided to follow the path of the same necromancer, becoming themselves leaders of undead.
And of course, they would always try to finish what the first necromancer started.
By the way, necromancy itself wasn’t a thing before that player appeared.
Tetsu had no Idea what the player did, but from what he could find out, he used some kind of evolved form of death magic.
Death magic, unlike what many believe, isn’t forbidden of usage. Mostly spells of that type are used for little purposes like: Cursing others, inflicting fear on them. Putting debuffs on enemies and monsters.
But if a mage becomes extremely proficient with that magic, he may be capable of using the AVADA KEDAVRA, or as it is known in game, MORTIS.
For those from earth that read some books about aa wizard boy, MORTIS is a basically on hit kill spell. It is as overpowered as it sounds. Nothing, NOTHING ever survived that spell, if you weren’t prepared to somehow counter it.
Players, and even some NPC’s who studied death magic and became good at it, managed to kill mostly anything. Dragon? Dead. Titans? Dead.
Of course, for balancing reasons, the developers explained that it was extremely difficult for anyone to use high tier magic.
Magic itself was rather chaotic in nature.
Lower tier spells could be used rather easily, but still, a mage always puts himself at risk if he decides to use magic. Tetsu knew this first hand, as when he played as a high elf, who were supposedly the most proficient in magic, they still have to watch out when they used spells.
They didn’t die so often as non elf players, but it did happen.
In fact, Tetsu once saw how another high elf player who used fire magic went off in flames because he wasn’t capable off controlling the magical powers that he used.
And death mages were even rarer, because most players that decide to dwell in death magic, well, die. Almost instantly.
But the necromancer.
Ohhh, boy.
Tetsu despised that guy, but he couldn’t help but admit that he had some level of respect for him.
Not only did he manage to use high tier death spells like it was nothing, he created a new form of magic on his own. Tetsu saw how he killed an entire army, including himself, buy just throwing out MORTIS like it was Tuesday.
In fact, many inspire him.
And from what Tetsu managed to find out, that necromancer, just like Guts, became a legend in his own right.
Anyway, after the dark knight, also called Guts, defeated the necromancer, other started to appear.
They would go to the southern borders, sometimes returning with a horde of undead.
And this is where Walrog comes into place. This is why Tetsu helped building the city. And why he holds such a high position inside Walrog.
All players, and even some non-players, who wish nothing more to fight against the undead were in Walrog.
It was the first line of defense against the Undead, and they knew it.
That, and the city is also known for being the main base for the cult of the dark knight.
Tetsu didn’t really mind what the members of the cult did.
He heard that sometimes those lunatics would try do massive bloody sacrifices for some stupid reason like, trying to summon the dark knight, or wishing for getting new powers.
In fact, the city itself wasn’t really a good place for newcomers.
No one with a simple mind should go there.
As the carriage approached the gates, the man in the front asked Tetsu: “Sir, are you sure you wish to enter this place?”
“Yes.”
“But sir, let me tell you from experience that this isn’t a good place. Both braves and mortals shouldn’t enter this place. They are nothing better than the northern barbarians. I am even sure that they except those heretics into their ranks. Even the Hero itself said that no man should even come close to the city, as it is by his words almost as bad as the city of the deviled ones. And he also said that he would personally come to that city to take it down once he is done with the dark powers.”
“Listen, I don’t pay you to explain the world to me. I know it better than you himself. Yes, both the people and pla.. braves inside there are nothing but crazy lunatics in there. Yes, it may be possible that some they accept northern barbarians into their ranks. But let me tell. They except everybody. Anyone can join them. From what I know, there are even rat men inside there. In fact, do you know why the empire even allows this place to exist? It is because this city is on a holy place. The first necromancer, was slain here. And even after all this time, there are still other undead abominations that wish to finish what he started. This city is the first line of defense against the undead, greenskins and other monsters. So shut up, and bring me in.”
“…what are ratmen?”
“sigh”
Tetsu decided not to answer the question. The less this guy knew, the better.
And while they were coming closer, the carriage stopped.
“Why aren’t we moving?”
“Sir, I can’t. Those guys won’t let me in.”
Tetsu went out of his carriage to look what the problem was.
In front of him, two big humanoid figures stood in the way.
One of them was a woman, who seemed to be a half elf, and had crimson red eyes and hair.
She also wore a red hoodie, but it only made her assets look out even more.
She was small, but her attire did make her blook breathtaking. She had an aura around her. Like that of a rose. Beautiful, but also dangerous.
In her left hand she wore a staff made out of some kind of black metal with a ruby stone on top of it. Tetsu realized that he saw that staff somewhere, but couldn’t really point where he saw it.
Tetsu then looked at the other figure next to her, and before him stood a tall knight.
He was slightly taller than Tetsu, but that wasn’t what caught Tetsu off guard. He knew that armor. The brass and red metal that made the knight look almost as menacing and deadly. It was an armor reminiscent to a 16th century plate armor, with a heavy breastplate, and his shoulder armor was raved with many red runes. He also carried a glowing poleaxe on his back.
However, Tetsu knew who this knight was. After all, he was the one who made that armor in his past playthrough. What were the odds?
Of course, it could always be that the player he sold that armor died, and the equipment was then found by someone else.
But Tetsu had a strange feeling that the man Infront and the player he sold it too were the same person.
Both of them had a cold serious demeanor, and the same aura that only a veteran could emit.
Tetsu then decided to ask the players in front of him what the problem was.
The woman looked at him, and after making a smirk, answered: “So you are the one who hired the carriage? Good. You have to pay.”
“… I’m sorry?”
“Didn’t you get it, big guy? You have to pay. Guts himself demands it.”
Tetsu then knew instantly something was wrong here. If the dark knight truly entered the city, he would have been the first one who found that out. He had connections, and even more power in the city. How could he not know that information? Did a glitch appear? No, that wasn’t the case.
“The legendary dark knight himself?”
The knight then answered: “No, but the lords did say that that was the case.”
Ohh, now it all made sense.
Walrog was probably struggling financially after all the sanctions the empire put on the city. That was probably why the government put that taxation rule.
“How is your armor now? Still to heavy?” The knight for a second did show a small reaction. Looking closer at Tetsu, he tried to think off who the guy Infront of him was.
“Hey ugly…” the woman continued “don’t try to dodge this. Anyone who isn’t part of the knightus order have to pay a fee in here. You, little beggar, have to pay.”
Tetsu only smirked: “Well, that only means I don’t have to pay you anything and that you have no right to forbid me from entering the city. Let the carriage through.”
The knight seemed to have remembered something, but the woman only laughed Tetsu in the face.
“You are not part of the order. You have nothing. By the looks of it, you have only left Margia. Well listen here, punk. There are rules here outside. And you have a really bad tongue. So pay up, or I am going to make you.”
Tetsu then decided to show that he wasn’t lying. He pulled out the 8-starred amulet, and held it in front of the two.
“Is that still the case?”
The knight then finally saw and remembered the amulet. He saw it before.
He was just about to do something before. “So what? What is this star? Do you really think I am a fool that I would simply let you in for showing me, …this.”
“Tanja, be quit.” The knight shouted.
“Huh?”
“The man in front of you is a member of the high council. He is one of the players that started the new order. He is also probably the one who helped the order out financially. That amulet is a position of power only the most influential in Walgrod get.”
Tetsu was happy that the knight knew what was going on. He was just about to return into the carriage, until the woman shouted.
“Why would one of the members of the order leave Walgrod? That doesn’t make any sense. And even if he did, it could be that this guy just killed the old master of the amulet and now tries to pose as him.”
“Tanja, you…”
“It’s okay, I will deal with her myself.”
Tetsu then decided to make something that would now undoubtedly prove his power.
“That staff you hold, it’s the blood bringer, am I right?”
“…Yes, I see you have done some research. Wait, are you really about to challenge me? Fool. I am a level 25 player, and with that, the high lords themselves granted me the position of a lieutenant. That is exactly why I can use the staff in my hands. You, newbie, have no chance of defeating me.”
“Oh, don’t I?”
Moments later, the woman started cough blood.
