Somewhere in the Outer Ring of the Kingdom

Year 2850 | Month 5 | Day 26

Baron Henry Cavendish taps his finger against his chair’s armrest as he takes in the information the scout had collected for him. Information that surprises him quite a bit.

News that the Undying Magician had a monster as a pet. One with the same black flames he was reported using against some of the other inner ring forces.

The first thing the Barons all thought was that the Undying Magician had made a monster himself using his strange magic. Magic of an affinity no one has been able to parse yet. Even when they the barons sent sacrificial pawns to the inner ring to find out.

But all those pawns managed to bring back was a large number of casualties and several broken magical items. Other than the news that he could, in fact, damage magical items like that in the first place using the black flames.

Some of the barons, particularly the necromancer, theorized the possibility of him using more than one element and merging them, but all of the magicians on the continent knows that’s impossible. That the more likely assumption is that the Undying Magician has some sort of never-before-seen Special Class affinity.

Just that the special affinity is similar to fire and death mana in its components and output.

An affinity capable of erasing both the living and nonliving material on a person. Both their armor and their body.

But now Henry can’t help but feel their theories may’ve all been wrong. Because if he is capable of creating a monster using the affinity as well, then it must be even more special than they all first thought.

The baron continues tapping his finger on his chair’s armrest for a long time, wondering how this’ll affect their plans for the Undying Magician. Because at this point, they keep having to update their plans as new details are found out about the immortal that ruin any plans they’d already come up with.

And now that he has a companion by his side…

They could always try targeting the companion monster, but that would require the Undying Magician to have a certain level of compassion for the creature. And most magicians don’t have that compassion for a monster they’ve created.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Another thing he can see them trying is to capture the monster while it’s away from the Undying Magician’s side and enslave its soul. Since they can’t do that to the Undying Magician himself.

But they’re not sure about whether or not the monster has the same qualities that make the Undying Magician immune to mental and soul based magic.

They’re not even sure what it is about the man that makes him immune. If it’s his vampire-like nature, his immortality, or his affinity itself. Since all magicians know that some affinities can change a person’s body on a fundamental level.

Just looking at their own King for example.

The more he thinks about this development, the more irritated the baron gets. All the way to the point that he begins clenching his fist without even noticing it.

Eventually he calls the others, making a hologram of each of the other barons appear in his office. However, only one of the holograms actually has anyone in it, bringing his mood even further down.

So he closes the other two holograms and focuses on the hologram belonging to the necromancer as he asks, “Did you get word, Baroness Nightshade?”

Baroness Elara Nightshade nods her head with her brows furrowed as she says, “About the bird? Yeah. I doubt it’ll be a problem.”

That surprises Henry, but it also makes him more than a little suspicious. So he quickly asks, “Why not?”

“Because,” she answers with a slight smirk, “all monsters are incredibly weak to soul magic. No matter the type of soul magic.”

Henry blinks at that before frowning.

I didn’t know that. Better make a note of that for when our truce comes to an end.

Of course, Henry knows very well she could be giving him false intel right now. But he also doubts it.

That’s just not how this crude woman does things, and he knows it.

For as long as Henry has known her, she has always been straight forward in her methods. Never using manipulation to get what she wants, instead using brute force. Oftentimes involving an army of undead.

“Don’t you worry about that little birdy of his, Cavendish,” she continues while leaning forwards slightly with a grin on her face. “It’ll be eating outta the palms of my hands within a week.” She leans back again. “You just finish making a plan that’ll actually work to capture the immortal brat.”

Henry unclenches his fist and resumes tapping his finger on his office chair before eventually sighing and stating, “Very well, but your plan better succeed.”

“Of course it will,” she says, still smirking even as the hologram disappears. Leaving Henry once again alone to his thoughts.

If she can deal with the monster and even bring it under her control, we can use it against the Undying Magician, even if just to trap him. But the plan will only work once. And more importantly…

He glances at where the hologram was just at.

…I would have to trust her to do her job right. And that’s not something I’m willing to bet all of our plans on.

In the end, he decides to leave any plans of making use of the monster till they actually have it under their control.

Because he is sick and tired of changing their plans every time something comes up.

“At this rate, we won’t even have made so much as an attempt at capturing him for years…” Henry mutters, feeling exhaustion beginning to build up again from this situation.

But it’ll all be worth it to him once he gets his hand on the immortal.

Immortality will always be worth it.