It had been a long time since I had been out in the city.
　I was almost bedridden in my last life, so it's been probably five or six years.

　The sunlight pouring down from the sky hurt my skin. It had been a long time since I had gone out in the daytime, since I had been hunting in the middle of the night.

　Sunlight is poisonous to the undead in general. Sunlight is a faint, but positive, beam of energy, which is why most undead are only active at night.

　But that doesn't mean they can't move during the day.

　The most famous undead with a weakness to sunlight are vampires, who turn to ashes after being exposed to it, but this is not because the positive energy of sunlight buries their negative power, but because of the effect of the curse itself. It is because of this limitation that they are unable to operate in sunlight that they are able to exert their immense power at night.

　As a rule, the more weaknesses the undead have, the stronger their curse becomes. For the price of a meal and a small amount of pain, the undead gain a lot of power.

　And according to Lord, ghouls, the lowest of the undead, are the least affected by sunlight.
　The pre-mutated carcasses have no limitation of sunlight due to the curse, but their negative energy is so low that even the weak positive energy of sunlight can be a great burden.

　If they are exposed to direct sunlight for a long period of time, they will be damaged, but thanks to the jet-black cloak borrowed from Lord, which reduces the power of the sun, the damage is kept to a minimum. His body movements are almost the same as usual.

　The Dark Stalker, the next target of my mutation, is said to be greatly affected by sunlight, so this may be the last time I can walk around in the daytime without worrying.

　Luu, who had been sent on an errand with me, walked silently in front of me.

　His minimally exposed skin was as white and sickly as my undead skin, and his emaciated limbs made him look even more dying than I did. There are dark circles under her eyes, and her hair is dry and minimally groomed.

　His clothes were cleaner than usual, but that was because Lord had made him wear something that would not arouse suspicion when he went out.

　In the end, Lord's attitude toward Luu, who had risked his life to accuse me, did not change in any way.
　I avoided being turned into an undead, but that was all. I don't know much about Luu's background, and I'm not interested in him, but I guess he's not worth much to Lord.

　However, I have some sympathy for him even if I am not interested. It's only a little more than Lord's, but her days without freedom are similar to mine when I was bedridden before I died.
　If I could kill the Lord without incident, I might let her go.

　Lord's order to us was to go to a nearby town (called Engei) and pick up the goods he had requested from Huck.

　With Luu's guidance, we easily passed through the forest and reached the town. In the forest, demons were attacking me, but I had already reached a level where I could protect a man and get through the forest. I didn't have my machete with me because it might raise suspicion, but my claws were enough.

　The town of Engei was about an hour's walk from the forest.

　I thought it wouldn't be so unexplored since Huck could regularly bring coffins, but it was closer than I thought. The forest where the house was located was so large that it would be difficult to find if you didn't know where it was, but if you knew the direction, you could reach it just by walking straight. It seemed natural that Huck stopped entering the forest when he learned of the visit of his natural enemy.

　The town of Engei was quite prosperous. It was not a big city, but it was not a village either. The gates were sturdy, the ground was hard-packed, and there were many large carriages coming and going.

　There was the bustle that I had once longed for.

　I entered the city, using the identification that Lord had prepared for me. There was no sign of suspicion that I was undead.
　I am undead, but my appearance is quite human. My complexion is pale, but there are plenty of people like that. If you show them your intelligence, which the undead rarely have, some of their discomfort will disappear.

　Among the undead, vampires are the most feared because they have an average intelligence and can hide among people.
　I'm a werewolf, but I can speak and I can operate in the sunlight. In terms of being able to blend in, I'm probably the best of the undead, surpassing vampires who can only move at night.

　I look at the crowd with some excitement. Sounds, colors, and smells abounded.

"Lu, why don't we take a look around the city?

"......

　The Lord's mansion in the dark is not bad, but this is a wonderful sight. I don't have a lot of money, so I can't waste it, but it wouldn't hurt to take a look around.
　Luu was nonchalant as my eyes widened and the bright scene burned into my mind.

I've been ordered by the Master to finish my business and return home as soon as possible.

"But he didn't tell me to finish my business quickly. As long as you and I are on the same page.

............, you're supposed to be my bodyguard.

Living in the dark like that all the time. It's okay to have a little fun.

　I try to keep my voice down and persuade Luu as I follow him down the path.
　He's been with the Lord a lot longer than I have. I'm sure he's got plenty of complaints.

"Lord can't see or hear what's going on with me and Lu. He'll never find out. It's not like I'm violating any orders. They told us to hurry up, but they didn't give us a time limit.

............

The restrictions placed on Lou are much lighter than the ones placed on me. There's no reason why I can't do it and Lou can't do it.

　Slavery is not something to be discussed openly, but it is a common existence. So I know a little about their limitations.

　The collar of a slave is enchanted. But unlike the unlimited absolute commands for the undead, the magic is quite light.
　Perhaps it is because humans are not designed to be bound, unlike the undead, who are the result of a curse that was originally created to be manipulated.

　The restrictions placed on slaves are ...... pain.
　I follow orders on my own, but slaves are punished in the form of pain for violating orders.

　And there are a number of restrictions. There are only three restrictions that can be imposed simultaneously.
　Two of them are always occupied by the prohibition of self harm and the prohibition of indirect or direct aggression against the master, so there is only one command that can be used at will.
　The command must be strict. If the order is too broad, there is a possibility that the slave will violate the order by accident and die from the pain, or on the other hand, there is a possibility that the slave will be exploited.



　There are a number of loopholes in the order to a slave. That's why I was followed by her.

　I know because she gave me the order in front of me. Lou's orders were to, as I said, "finish your business and return quickly.
　In addition, she's been told that if I die on the way for any reason, I'll be tortured for a long time and then killed.

　My orders are to protect Luu and follow instructions as best I can. If I'm out of options, I'm to abandon Luu and run back.
　There's no limit to the number of orders I can give, so the ones I gave before - no actions that could harm the Lord and no running away - are still in place, but at least the orders given to me and Luu are not in conflict.

　For the first time, Luu's eyes change color in response to my good idea.
　He looks up at me with fear and a hint of anger, as if he were looking at a monster. In a trembling voice, he mutters to himself.

Don't you dare tempt me. You monster. I'll report back to you later on about the words you offered me, sir.

　Negotiations broke down. ......?

　It's true. She's been chastised once because of me.
　Strictly speaking, it wasn't my fault, it was Luu's own fault for doing something unnecessary, but I don't think she thinks so.

　I smiled at her as she pushed her fears to the back of her mind and acted stoutly, if only formally.

It's no use. You know that ...... won't change the way Lu is treated until he dies. Lord knows I'm going to do that.

　That's why he didn't want me to go into town alone.
　It may be that he doesn't know the way, but he could have given me a map and I wouldn't have had to worry about that. I teamed up with Luu because she and I are not allies.

　That's a crafty sorcerer. You're a cunning sorcerer. At my words, Luu closes her purple lips tightly and her expression tightens.
　Unlike me, she's not a forbidden being, but she seems to be afraid of everything in the world and doesn't believe in anything.

　I haven't been in the city in a long time, and ...... I feel so refreshed.
　How wonderful it would be to be able to shop, eat and sightsee freely.

"Yes. If you listen to my suggestion, I'll give you a ride back to the city when the Lord dies somehow and you're free.

　Luu's face took on a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then quickly broke down at my perfect proposal.
　Her eyes widened, and she squeezed her skinny hands, shivering as if she were shivering. The voice that came out of her lips was louder than before.

The Master is ...... never, ever, ever going to die. Invincible. The Master is a terrible man. I've seen him strike back at many. We'll die first, you and I.

　His voice sounded like a scream to me.
　I felt no emotion. No pity. But what I heard was disappointment.

　I had already expected it from what I had seen so far, but when I actually saw it, I couldn't stop feeling it.

　Luu's heart is already broken. No, he's broken, and that's probably why he's been a slave under the evil necromancer for so long. The shackles are loose, but he's been living his life as he is.
　Maybe that's why she's so afraid of the Lord, because death is no help to her.

　I can't convince Lu. I thought he would be a strong ally if I could convince him, but he's too weak to be a collaborator.
　I'll have to think of a way to persuade him, even if I have to ask for a little help.

Well, ...... that's ...... scary.

"............

　In response to these bland words, Luu silently walks away, looking slightly down, as if he is being manipulated.
　I let out a small sigh and decided to follow Luu as ordered by Lord.


§§



　I took the requested item and carried it to the exit of the city.

　Huck's eyes widened when he saw me coming with Luu, but he didn't say anything.
　He seems to have a policy of staying out of the affairs of his clients, which I find very pleasing.

　The object that Lord had prepared for me was wrapped in a thick cloth, and I didn't know what it was.
　However, it was nearly a meter long, with a thin tip and a thick base. The shape was strange for a weapon, and the weight was too heavy for Lu to lift.

　But it's something the wily Lord would risk sending me into the city to get. I guess it's worth it.
　Huck didn't say anything else, so I can't guess what it is, but maybe it's the Lord's trump card.

　In the end, I couldn't take a look around the city.
　However, if we could survive this, we would have a second and third chance. I followed Luu, feeling a twinge of regret.

　--and I encountered the living sun.

　It was near the gate to the outside.

　The mere sight of it knocked me unconscious for a moment. My body relaxes and a load falls from my arms.
　My knees shattered as I felt dizzy, and I rushed to regain my strength. Luu looks back at me to see what's going on.

　It was a group of several people. They were dressed in polished, pure white armor, with various weapons hanging from their hips and backs.
　At first glance, they looked like mere knights. But what sets him apart from the rest of us is the positive energy he carries within him.

　As an undead, I can somehow sense the positive energy of the humans that feed on them.



　It was far beyond anything I'd ever seen in a human being. It was still over a hundred meters away, but it was too bright to see.
　Not that it was actually shining. None of the other humans were looking at it.

　But I understand. Even despair is tepid.

　It's like light, the moon, the sun--a miracle.

　My limbs tremble, and it's hard to breathe when I should have stopped breathing a long time ago.
　If I were to get close enough, the tiny me would be blown away by it. My brain, my instincts are ringing alarm bells with all their might.
　I want to run, but my legs won't move at all.

　If I get too close, it'll disappear. And even if it doesn't, it'll kill me on sight. The curse that moves me says so.


　That's the undead's natural enemy. A hero. A hero. Apostle of Light. The slayer of sorcerers.

　--The Order of the Fallen.

　I've always wondered what a Lord with a hundred and twenty lives has to fear.
　I never doubted the Lord's victory, though not as much as Lou.
　But now that I've actually seen it in front of my eyes, I understand from my soul why Lord saw the Knights of the End as his natural enemy.

　I knew they were heroes. I even admired him. But I hadn't truly understood their existence.

　It's-- it's unwinnable. The me I am now will never win.
　How can a demon whose only function is to eat corpses send down one who shines even more powerfully than the sun?

...... What's wrong?　Pick up your stuff.

Oh, yeah, .......

　You'll be able to see it in both eyes. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　But I have to win. If it's going to attack me, if I have to eat the light to live, then I have to win.
　The Lord called the Knights of the End his natural enemy, but he didn't run away. There's no way that crafty old necromancer doesn't know about the enemy, so he must have a way to win.

　With all his strength, he bounced off the light that was consuming his body from this distance.

　Don't worry, they won't see you. It's a long way away, and I've borrowed an amulet from Lord against the Knights of the End.
　It's a large black jeweled amulet - a shadowy amulet that is supposed to keep out the negative energy that the Knights of the End perceive.

　He grabbed it in his pocket and slowly made his way towards the gate, gathering information as he went.

　Thanks to the fact that I was able to endure the shock once, I was able to move without losing the pressure if I put all my strength into it.

　There were six members of the Knights of the End. A mixture of men and women of all ages.
　There were three large men and a blonde woman who looked like knights. They are armed with maces, staffs, swords and shields, and bows. They have a much stronger glow than the average person.

　They say there are three ranks in the Order of the End.
　Perhaps they're knights of the third rank. Yeah, Lord's right, I'm not going to be able to beat them.
　But still, it's better.

　There was a woman with silver hair and a beautiful silver treasure sword at her waist. The woman is younger than the first four, but the light she wears is far more powerful than the first four. I have a feeling it's not twice or three times as strong.
　They don't look very human. His appearance is better than anything I've ever seen, but he's too different. If you confronted her, she'd probably kill you before you could attack.

　She's the moon. An apostle of the moon with a supernatural, strong but silent light.


　And the problem is - the reason I judged the first four to be third level, and the reason I have to judge the silver-haired girl to be second level, is because, incredibly, there is more.


　Her soul, her body, her being, everything was shining.
　The combined light of the other five could not reach that one person.

　It was an old man, about the same age as Lord. Unlike Lord, however, his back was straight and his muscles were incomparable. His all-black hair was dyed white, and his features were wrinkled, but his eyes shone warmly.

　This man was the sun. An apostle of the sun who would burn you out of existence just by coming near him.
　An invincible hero who reminds you of your disparity at first glance. You can study for a hundred years and never win. The overwhelming majesty that makes you think that.

　If he's not a first-class knight, who is?

　All the dark ones would flee at the mere sight of him. All the gods must have blessed him.

　Oh, my God. How can there be an old man with so much raw energy when there is a man like me who died in pain on his sickbed of a strange disease?



　How unfair this world is.



　After the shock, it wasn't fear that burned in my brain. It was anger. It was jealousy.


　I'm about survival. Survival and freedom. If I had that, I wouldn't be fighting the Knights of the End.

　But that's another thing-- I can't let him get away with it. Even if I don't fight him, I can't give in.
　I can't stop my anger at the mere thought of a blessed being like him coming to kill a pathetic being like me.

　I keep a blank expression on my face and calm my mind. 　
　No... You must endure. You can't beat that. At least, not yet-- not yet.

　I've always been good at patience, at endurance. That's the privilege of the weak, the only advantage of those who have endured.

　Override your anger with thought. I just move my feet and follow Luu as he walks, looking at me with a quizzical expression.

　But ......, how is Lord going to stand against that group?　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　A skeleton knight is certainly strong, but even a skeleton knight would be no match for a third level knight. There is too much difference in strength.

　d*mn it. ............ I don't know.

　The Lord is strong. But the Knights of the End are just as strong.

　It's a war in the heavens, a war between light and dark. I don't know how the Lord will use me against them, but if I do, I'll ...... die. The second life I've had will end in futility.

　My head is throbbing as if I have become a human being again. I feel nauseous, my legs wobble. My vision is distorted.

　I can't. I can't think straight.
　I need to get away. Now I have to ...... just ...... get out of here--.



　I managed to get in line to get out of the city, and just as I was taking a breath to keep up with the others, a voice suddenly called out from behind me.


I was just about to take a breather when a voice suddenly called out from behind me, "Hey ............, you don't look so good, are you okay?　Are you?

What?


　The cold voice made me choke up. You'll find a lot of people who are looking for a new way to live.

　It's a good idea to take a look at the website and see if you can find anything that might help you.