Hours passed on by, and Kazuma found himself back at the walls, watching over the horizon, wondering if there's anything out there to worry about. At the same time, he ironically found himself in the same loop of indecisiveness as before. Of course, he was grateful to talk with the others, being able to catch up with them, seeing how things came about. He couldn't help but think about the "tribes" that sprung out. At first, he considered having them join, but now, maybe it'll be better to leave them be. After all, they came into being to escape conflict, he doesn't have the right to bring them into it.
Maybe rummaging through charnel pits and mass graves should be good enough. It is a start after all, and a good way to rebuild the army once more. The only problem will be is that he has to find them...
The one time that he wished bandits were still roaming. After the stunt he pulled, he doesn't blame them for wanting to bunker down with whatever walls they have left... As long as said cities haven't been razed by rebellion. He did hear from Luu-Luu's campaign that the people in Ansur outright revolted inside it's walls when she came over their to siege it. She didn't have to do anything, she just waltzed in and helped them out after they managed to open the gate.
It was quite amusing, but at the same time, he hopes that she isn't holed up in there. Much less vulnerable too... He knew that his undead army was yes, important, but he didn't realize it was that vital. He can only hope that due to his actions, the people should have some form of zeal to keep the rebellion up and going while he rebuilds his army.
Unfortunately, it still leads to square one. Yet, it is no use to just stand around, and stopping at something like that. If you are going to win a war, then might as well go looking. Maybe he can look for corpses in bogs or marshes, or maybe even visit old battlefields that he hasn't been before. After all, he couldn't be everywhere at the same time.
He bid his farewells at what members of the Seven Shields were in Celestine's fort, and although they were hesitant in him trying again so soon, they allowed him to leave, and even gave him the privilege of having the finest mount they can offer. Of course, he wanted to decline and just pick any ordinary house that is as fast as what they're willing to give him, but if he's going to be granted something like that, might as well make something out of it and rode off to old battlefields, searching for corpses to give rise once more.
=One Week Later=
After a long, weary trek to the fort, he managed to reach Ansur, Luu Luu's own fief as he looks for any signs of battle. Unfortunately for him, he doesn't see much, but that doesn't mean he can't just ask Luu Luu about it. It would be an odd request, sure, but it's worth a try, not like she won't after the things he was willing to do. As he approaches the gates, a guard bellowed out to him.
"What brings you to Ansur?!"
Kazuma can only look up at him, a bit confused as he thought that maybe Luu Luu have told everyone about him. Then again, it's not like they knew what he looked like, and maybe only knew him, but it was a bit surprising that someone might not know who he is, despite all of the things that he has done as the Necromancer.
Oh well, what's the worst that could happen. Besides, he could just be doing his job.
"I am Kazuma, the Necromancer... I have been the one who not only raised the dead, but waged war against Vult." He declared to him.
"Vult...? I thought it was Volt?" The guard asked him pensively. The only thing he got was a shrug from Kazuma.
"Matters not really. All I want is to be inside your walls."
"For what purpose?" The guard asked him once more. "You might have ill intentions."
"I can assure you that I don't. You can ask the Shield that rules this place if you want."
Even though he can't exactly see what's inside his helm, he can tell that he's thinking about it. He looked at the other guard who was minding his own business, and watched them talk amongst each other. As he stands by the gate, the guard relents and raises the drawbridge down, and he focuses on going inside. As he makes it in there, he saw the people mostly idling by, grateful that their city has one shred of normalcy despite the tumultuous nature of what has transpired. Then again, war is brutal, so the sight of it isn't really something that can be considered unwelcome, much less unusual.
Some people do look at him funny. Either they recognize him for his deeds, and look at him admiration, or fear. Now that he thinks about it, he hasn't thought about what the common folk thought of him. Could it be that he really is a hero, or just another Warlord that waged another civil war. Either he was ignorant because of the unintentional hubris he developed, or maybe not hubris at all, just ignorant because he didn't stop think.
After all, it is nice to see the ones you lost again, but he's pretty sure that if that were to happen, they would want it to be either through ghosts, or actually living again... Not as shambling corpse that is definitely a shadow of their former selves. Hell, maybe some of them could even be people that they don't want to see again, much less even remember. He could have even brought back some unpleasant memories without realizing it.
But at the same time, he wouldn't have known that. Whether or not this was him, telling himself that what he had to do was justified, or rationalizing, that may have to wait. He didn't come here to idle around and chat, he is here to restart his army, all the way back from square one.
He dismounted from his horse, and asked a stableboy to take care of it as he starts walking, but he didn't make it far as he sees Luu Luu standing with an honor guard by her side.
"I see that you came all this way!" She bellowed, grinning proudly. "What can I do for the guy that got us back in control?"
"Uh... I think you know why." He says to her, attempting to sugarcoat his intentions. "Ran out of bodies, so I need some more."
"So... You're here for the crypts then?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips.
"It doesn't have to the crypts themselves." He interjected. "Graves and morgues are good enough for me. Even knowing the ditch where you threw all of the Black Dogs in is good enough for me. Just point and I'll go there."
Luu Luu only shaked her head at that. "As much as I want to do that, they're in a ditch for a reason. Better them to rot away, but... We'll worry about that later. Right now, I should be taking care of you.
"Th-that won't be necessary." Kazuma stuttered out. "Just lead me to where bones rest, and I'll take it from here."
"No, I insist. Besides, you traveled long before you got here to me, so at least get some rest first. Besides, I really want to talk to you. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be there with them." She said matter-of-factly to him.
Despite his reservations, he supposed that she has a very good point. He may not be feeling saddle sore now, but better to take a break while he can before marching with a horde. Seeing that he has nothing to lose, and having a chance to catch up with a Shield sounds like a good way to unwind, it's more than welcome. He accepts her invitation, and he followed her in.
As Kazuma settles down on his seat in the dining hall, he watches in both partial concern, and slight amusement over the sight of Luu Luu eating... Quite a lot of food. Mugs of ale around her platter of meats and other things. The fact that she is able to eat such a feast kind of makes it clear to him that Ansur isn't necessarily in the worse for wear. That, or she's just that much of a glutton, but he's sure it's the former than the latter. Regardless, the only thing that he can think about is how much this dwarf is able to drink her ale.
Regardless, he shouldn't be judging his host, and despite the look on his face, he still wants to have a conversation with her. Maybe the first thing he can ask her is how Ansur has been doing.
"So... How has the fortress fared since you were able to retake it?" He began. "From what I have heard, it was the people inside that did most of the work."
"Well, they wanted me back pretty badly. Better me than the dogs from what I can assume. Honestly, with what happened, this is a good sign that some people are waiting for us to come, and ready to take up arms to do so."
"Along with people scheming from the chaos..." He said, but mostly to himself, not to refute or rebuke whatever she has said, just something that he thought about himself... Especially with the failure of the Conglomerate fiasco.
"Hey, don't worry about it." She assured him with a handwave. "It just happens in war, you know? Sometimes, people will go to battlefields just to grab armor, swords, just loot everything just because some of it was left behind. Schemes are only natural."
"I suppose so..." He concluded as he took a swig from his own mug. "While we're at it, tell me about what the others have been doing. I know that some of the Shields were with me, but most I remember was Alicia and Maia. They were there because of what happened to me."
"So I've heard..." Luu Luu pondered. "It killed Tywin too, but you already know that part. Speaking off the explosion, if you were able to walk after that, doesn't that mean you have a phylactery of some kind?"
"No, I do not... More than anything, me being alive is something of debate. From what I have heard, Olga knew there was something wrong with me when they stitched my limbs together. Saw that it was repairing itself when they put them together. I was indeed dead when that happened before I woke up."
"Did you see anything on the other side...?"
Kazuma gulped when she asked that... He couldn't talk to her about the demon that he met, much less anything more than that. It was uncomfortable to think about it too, when he thought he was just passed out, dreaming, only to find out that he was indeed dead... SHE herself admitted to, and confirmed that. Seeing the discomfort on his face, Luu Luu thankfully dropped the question, and chose another topic instead. It went on like that for a while, talking to each other like old friends catching up after being separated after a while, and for the sake of Kazuma's mind, it was refreshing. No need for discussing war, or even politics, just talking with friends, and enjoying company.
It's like a pleasant sort of silence if he has to imagine it like that. A momentary sense of relief before he has to go and do what needs to be done. With that, he thanks her and he stands up from his seat.
"Don't you want to rest a little bit longer?" Luu Luu asked him. "I mean, it's not like you're in a rush."
"While that is true, I can't just sit idly by. Something has to happen." He lamented, but still put on a smile. "Doesn't mean that it ends here though. "
"Fine... Come with me. I can lead you to where the ditch is." She gets up as well. "But before you go there, I'll take you to the crypts first. Just in case you get attacked by marauders, you at least have something to help you."
"Are there even marauders any more?" He asked, slightly chuckling... Only to stop when he saw her looking at him seriously.
"Don't get me wrong, there's not a lot of them anymore, but they're still around... Again, loot." She then starts walking off, Kazuma following closely.
As they walk through the crypts, Kazuma looked upon the many caskets that lined the walls, illuminated by the orange light of torches and lamps as Luu Luu accompanied him with some of the Crypt Keepers.
"So... With the people in here. Were some of them soldiers, or were they folks who had enough high regard to be placed in here?" Kazuma asked the dwarf as they stopped by one.
"Honestly, not even I know. Don't get me wrong, it's not because I don't care, it's just how it is. Not only that, I don't rob graves like you." She jabbed at him, but more of a joke than an actual critique against him. "Like I said, this is just supposed to be a way for you to get some soldiers."
Kazuma pondered at that. Even though the art of necromancy allows him to give any shambling body a weapon, and he doesn't exactly have an option to be picky anymore... He still wants at least something worthwhile... He looks at the crypt keepers and asked them. "Do you have anyone here that happened to be a warrior?"
The crypt keepers looked at each other with slight uncertainty, but at the same time, not exactly keen on arguing with him, they looked back at him.
"We do know a few in here, maybe 15 at most, but they are the ones with their swords."
"15..." He says to himself... Why so little, he thought, but this is just a crypt, not a catacomb. If that is how much he's going to get, then might as well take a surplus to at least have a force to take with him.
"You can focus on raising the dead, and while you do that, I'll get the weapons ready." Before Kazuma can say anything, she leaves with the other Crypt Keeper, leaving him alone with the other one.
He sighs at that, but at the same time, can't complain. He uses his magic and one by one, raises the dead from their respective caskets. All of them pushing off the lids and climbing out as if they just woke up. Some of them were mummified, adipocered, or even decaying as some of their flesh has left, leaving only the bones behind. The crypt keeper watched in horror, and felt some of the bile come to their throat, but tried to keep it down for the sake of not making the situation even more... mortifying than it already is.
"I will never get used to the fact that death magic exists..." She muttered to herself as she saw the corpses all come together.
"Well, it's the trade that I learned... Just something that I'm not sure about mastering." He says as the keeper grimaced. Once all of that was done, Luu Luu came with the weapons as she promised.
"Now that you have somewhat of a force behind you... I can tell you where the ditch is." She said as she laid the weapons down, and pulled out a map. "It's not exactly far from Ansur, but it is a few hours away at most. The map is just here for you to find where it exactly is."
"Thank you for that." The necromancer said as he grabbed it from her just as the undead grabbed the multitude of axes, swords, and even shields as they start arranging themselves into formation.
Soon, they marched out of the crypt, the doors opening to let hem out, and Kazuma followed them by. When they were out of the crypt, he led them to where his horse is, and mounted it as he leaves with the beginning of his new army at tow. Luu Luu can only watch with her lips pursed, somewhat uncertain, but confident that he'd be able to succeed. Before he fully left however, she called out to him.
"Could you check on Claudia for me?" She yelled out. "If you have the time, tell her I said 'Hi'!"
"I will!" He yelled out, making her relieved that he was able to hear her. "I was planning on going there anyway, but I'll let her know for you!"
With that, he left the gates, and he went to where the ditch is. Hopefully, the carrion birds haven't picked at it much, along with the flies as well, but that would be a pipe dream. It has been a while after all, and it would be impossible for flies to avoid it, much less the decay as well. True to Luu Luu's words, it took him hours to finally find the ditch that Luu Luu mentioned.
True to it's name, it really was a ditch, and inside were the bodies of the Black Dogs that once occupied Ansur. Betrayal etched on their bodies as he saw stab wound at the back, along with wounds from pitchforks and everything. Of course, there were cuts as well that came from swords, but that point is irrelevant. What matters is the fact that he now has a good starting point to build his army once more. With his magic, he casted it down onto the ditch, and from there, he watches the bodies begin to twitch and shuffle. Their arms being animate once more, and start climbing out from the ditch. Some laid their decayed hands on their fellow undead, all in the pursuit of being able to meet with their new master.
Kazuma can only smile. He knew that this is just the first step itself, but it was a very good step.