Reborn with a Necromancer System - Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Old Friends in Orrinsby
The streets of Orrinsby felt smaller than Kai remembered. The presence of the church had spread like a disease, its banners draped across buildings, and its inquisitors standing at every major intersection, their scrutinizing gazes sweeping over townsfolk with silent judgment.

Kai kept his head down and his hood drawn low while he moved swiftly through the familiar roads. He kept his destination in sight.

‘The butchery. If anyone knows the gossip around town, it’ll still be Delilah.’

When he stepped inside, the scent of raw meat, blood, and herbs overwhelmed him, but the warmth he once felt within the place was gone.

Delilah stood behind the counter, her frame much thinner than before, dark circles under her eyes. The once vibrant woman, who could carve through a boar’s carcass while joking about it, now moved with exhaustion.

She glanced up as the door creaked open, her expression wary until she saw Kai, or rather, Mirlin Orth, the name he had chosen for himself. “Welcome,” she said, voice hoarse. “What can I get for you?”

Kai stepped forward, feigning interest in the paltry cuts laid out. “It’s been a while since I was last in Orrinsby,” he said. “Things seem… different.”

Delilah gave a dry, emotionless chuckle. “That’s one way to put it.” She picked up a cleaver, but her grip on the handle was loose, lacking any conviction to bring it down. “The church came down hard over the past few years. They demand donations from every business in town to ‘aid their noble cause.’ Meat is needed for the inquisition, they say, and who am I to deny the church?”

Kai watched as she exhaled sharply, setting the cleaver down on its side rather than whacking it into the wood grain. “They take more than we can afford. We barely have enough left to sell, let alone feed ourselves.”

His fingers curled at his side. “That can’t be sustainable.”

“Oh, it’s not.” She shook her head. “But anyone who protests disappears. Garrick spoke against them once.” Her lips pressed together. “They accused him of aiding enemies of the church. He and Maribeth were dragged out into the square. Executed.”

Kai swallowed the bile rising in his throat. “And the people? Did they fight back?”

Delilah’s laugh was bitter. “We have families to feed, mouths to keep alive. Those who resist are killed. The rest of us are just trying to survive.” She sighed, shoulders slumping. “Anyway, what’ll it be? I don’t have much, but…”

“I don’t need anything.” Kai reached into his pocket, dropping a few extra coins on the counter. “For the trouble.”

She eyed the money, then him. “You a merchant, kiddo?”

“Something like that,” he said. “Take care, Delilah.”

Kai left Delilah’s shop with an ache in his heart. His fingers tightened into a fist before he relaxed them with a slow breath.

‘No… I’m not here to start any fights, especially ones I don’t know I can win. I need information.’

He looked at the building which loomed over the entire village.

The church.

As he made his way towards his destination, Kai checked on the Mirage’s Veil’s magic that reshaped his features, ensuring his disguise remained intact.

Inquisitors, adorned in armoured robes and gilded sigils, moved through the streets, while the villagers, heads bowed, walked in dirt-stained clothes. Kai noted that there were more than before, and whispers of hushed conversations died as he passed by.

To them, he was a stranger.

‘And I want to keep it that way.’

The church itself stood taller than he remembered. Banners of the divine faith hung from its walls, fluttering like the talons of a bird of prey, or clinging like the vines of a parasitic plant attached to an oak tree. He approached the outer courtyard, where a few priests tended to candles and books on a wooden table beneath the awning of the main hall.

Kai scanned the clergy, searching for someone who seemed lower in the hierarchy. Many of the priests trained their gaze on him in return.

‘Someone with the least amount of mana circling around them…’

Eventually, his gaze landed on a thin, tired-looking priest in simple robes, hunched over a tome with ink-stained fingers. This priest, unlike the higher-ranked priests with their abundant mana, had barely any magical energy.

‘Perfect.’

Kai stepped forward with an air of practiced nonchalance. “Excuse me, brother,” he greeted, keeping his tone light. “I’ve been travelling for some time, and I couldn’t help but notice how much this town has changed. The church’s presence here is… stronger than I remember.”

The priest looked up, startled. He adjusted his round spectacles, squinting at Kai before nodding. “Ah, yes. The church has taken a firmer hand in ensuring Orrinsby’s safety and faith. Her Holiness saw fit to reinforce our teachings and protect the people from the corruption that lingers.”

“Corruption?” Kai echoed.

The priest leaned in slightly, his voice dipping into a conspiratorial whisper. “There was once a demon that lived among us, deceiving the town for years. It was purged, of course. A glorious victory for the faith. But evil does not die easily. It lingers, poisoning minds. That is why the Inquisition is here. To ensure purity.”

Kai resisted the urge to scoff. He kept his expression neutral. “A demon? I’d heard something of that. Was this the one tied to the old man, Father Aldric? And the two orphans that he took under his wing?”

The priest nodded, his lips pursing. “Indeed. The demon was slain by the Inquisition, but the priest and the children were spared.”

Kai felt his heartbeat quicken. “Spared?”

“They had direct dealings with the demon, and were not tainted by its influence. Father Aldric, now our holy archbishop, the divine cleric, and her younger brother have all moved to the Citadel,” the priest clarified. “They were taken under the church’s wing, to be nurtured in their divine callings. The archbishop was assigned to oversee their teachings there.”

‘Archbishop? That maniac?’

Kai held back his resentment, careful not to let his emotions betray him.

So, they were alive. Mari and Peter were in the Citadel, along with Aldric. That meant he had even more reason to go.

Feigning casual interest, he nodded. “I see. That’s quite a journey. The Citadel is a long journey from a small village like this.”

“The work of the faithful is never easy,” the priest replied solemnly, before adjusting his spectacles and glancing at Kai curiously. “Are you a seeker of the faith, traveler?”

Kai smiled faintly. “More a seeker of truth, but I understand the importance of faith.”

With a nod, he bid the priest farewell and turned on his heel, walking away with measured steps. His mind, however, raced. The Citadel. That’s where he needed to be.

With that, he left, heart heavy. He’d seen enough. Orrinsby was no longer his home.

—

Kai waited until nightfall. He took a cart from a nearby stall and left the village borders. The forest outside the town had been his playground once, a place of escape. Now, it was a hunting ground.

The deer were cautious, but they had no defence against a silent shadow. He moved like a wraith between the trees, his undead minions circling ahead, funneling the animals toward him. When the moment was right, he raised a hand and whispered a command. Spears of ice shot forward, piercing through flesh, swift and merciful. Three fell instantly, and his undead closed in, dragging the bodies toward the clearing.

Loading them onto the cart was a quieter affair. He worked fast, ensuring there was no sign of struggle left behind. When the final carcass was secured, he guided the cart back to town under the cover of darkness.

At the back of Delilah’s shop, he knocked once before vanishing into the alley. He heard the door creak open, the sharp inhale of breath, then hushed whispers between two or three people.

“Gods above…” one of them said.

He moved on before he could hear more.

—

When Kai finally left Orrinsby, it was with a lighter heart and a heavier resolve. The citadel awaited.

At the outskirts of Eldrin, he spotted the wagon before its riders. It was loaded with supplies, its wheels caked in mud from travel. But what caught his eye was the man beside it.

Rael Drakethorne looked older than Kai remembered. More grey streaked his hair, and wrinkles carved deeper lines into his face. But his eyes felt the same as ever, sharp and observant, the gaze of a man who had spent a lifetime expecting trouble.

His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

He spoke with a younger man, likely the wagon driver. As Kai approached, Rael’s gaze flicked to him, assessing, measuring.

Kai made his offer quickly. “You’re heading to the Citadel, right?”

Rael tilted his head. “And if we are?”

“I’m looking for travelling companions,” Kai said. “A mage could be of use to you on the road.”

Rael didn’t respond immediately. His gaze swept over Kai again, lingering for a beat longer than was comfortable. “How old are you, boy?”

“Fifteen,” Kai lied smoothly.

Rael snorted. “You’re small for fifteen.”

Kai shrugged. “I make up for it in other ways.”

The old warrior let the silence stretch before finally nodding. “Fine. But if you’re lying to me, I’ll know.”

Kai only smiled. He already had a feeling this journey would be more interesting than he’d planned.

“So, the Citadel?”

“Og, here, is headed there. I’m only accompanying him as far as Ylthara. You’ve got keen senses, lad. What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t. It’s Mirlin Orth. Rank 9 General Elementalist.”

“Good to meet you. I’m Rael Drakethorne.”

Kai shook his old mentor’s hand and smiled.

‘I’m glad the church didn’t kill you, you tough bastard. And if you do die, I want your corpse.’