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The tale of an adventurer who, after being captured by a necromancer and subjected to extreme torture, falls into corruption and turns to evil is a common theme in various adventure stories.

Naturally, Serati was horrified.

‘Become the servant of a necromancer?’

It was something that could never happen. She could never accept it.

‘But…’

It was difficult to outright refuse when both her arms felt so empty. The future ahead also seemed too bleak.

Could she really say that falling into corruption and turning to evil was worse than living miserably with both arms lost?

Serati stammered as she asked.

“…If I really become your servant… can I get my lost arms back?”

After a moment of hesitation, Karnak answered.

“Yes.”

In truth, even with necromancy, regenerating severed limbs wasn’t an easy feat.

It wasn’t that the method was difficult, but rather that there was no need for such techniques to be developed.

The problem could be easily solved by simply grafting parts from another corpse or by growing a new arm of darkness altogether.

Why would an evil necromancer bother with the difficult path of considering their opponent’s life?

However, Karnak did have the ability to fully restore Serati’s severed arms. It was possible even with his currently limited necromantic power.

Varos, who had been his servant, was constantly getting his limbs blown off.

Though his manner of speaking was rude, Karnak could trust no one in the world except Varos. There had been a time when Karnak had devotedly clung to regeneration techniques because he couldn’t bear to see his precious servant disabled.

Of course, those techniques became meaningless once he turned Varos into a Death Knight.

“It is possible. Though I can do it…”

Serati grew anxious at Karnak’s less than enthusiastic attitude.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I don’t want to do it. I told you, didn’t I? I’m trying to stay away from necromancy as much as possible.”

Karnak genuinely intended to erase her memories and set her free.

Make Serati his servant?

As an aura user and a beauty, she would certainly be useful, but at the moment, that wasn’t a particularly attractive option for him.

‘That would be like going back to living as I used to.’

If he had pursued power, he wouldn’t have bothered developing chaos magic. He would’ve just continued to cultivate his necromantic power.

“Th-That’s…”

Serati was flustered. This was an unexpected answer.

In truth, she had harbored some doubts, suspecting that he might be tempting her on purpose to make her his slave.

Karnak, who had been watching her in confusion, suddenly sent a magical message.

[Hey, Varos.]

[Yes, Young Master?]

[Did you do this on purpose?]

Varos knew well that if a person completely lost a part of their body, not even a priest’s holy spell could heal it.

Even though he knew, he deliberately steered the conversation to suggest that necromancy could heal it.

[Why did you do that?]

[The young lady is pitiful, you know. I’ve also lost my limbs before, so I understand how she feels.]

Though he had brushed it off back then, thinking the young master would just make him new limbs later, the despair he felt when he first lost his arms was still vivid in his memory.

[I just wanted to help her if possible. It’s not that difficult for you, is it?]

In the middle of talking, Varos suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

Now that he thought about it, Karnak was no longer the Necromancer King he once was.

[Is it difficult for you now?]

[Well, it’s not as easy as it used to be, but I can manage one person. But are you sure I should make this girl my servant?]

To capture a young beauty’s weakness, force a contract, and turn her into a slave to do whatever he wanted with her soul.

[That sounds like something only a truly vile villain would do, doesn’t it?]

[So you were aware you were a truly vile villain? That’s surprising.]

[That’s why I’m trying to live as kindly as possible now.]

No matter how he thought about it, it was ambiguous.

[Is this a bad deed or a good one?]

Varos came to a clear conclusion.

[You should just let Miss Serati decide.]

Explain the situation clearly and leave the choice to her. Then, whatever happens is her responsibility.

[This way, it’s not the same as living as you used to, right?]

[Right!]

Karnak’s thoughts became clear.

Feeling at ease, Karnak called out to her in a gentle voice.

“Miss Serati.”

“…Yes?”

Unconsciously, her tone shifted to a more respectful one. It was a sign that her spirit had already been broken.

“No matter how much I dislike necromancy, it doesn’t sit right with me to just leave you like this.”

“Th-Then?”

“You should decide, Miss Serati. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Would she choose to live with some of her memories lost and her arms gone, disabled for the rest of her life?

Or would she choose to regain her complete body in exchange for becoming Karnak’s servant?

Serati couldn’t answer.

It wasn’t something she could decide easily.

Of course, she desperately wanted to get her lost arms back, no matter the cost, but…

“…What do I have to do to become your servant? Do I have to sell my soul?”

Karnak chuckled softly.

“That’s something you do when making a pact with a demon from hell to gain power. It’s not like I’m bestowing some divine power upon you, is it?”

Serati was puzzled, not understanding why he would laugh at that. Was this some kind of joke among necromancers?

“Then… will my soul be tainted by darkness?”

“Not really. Just as a wound healed by a holy spell doesn’t constantly radiate divine light, necromancy works the same way. Once the regeneration is complete, your arms and soul are simply yours again. They won’t be particularly tainted by darkness.”

In fact, it would be troublesome if they were tainted by darkness.

“If my servant were to be constantly emanating dark energy, wouldn’t that give away my identity? If anything like that happens, I’ll have to work to get rid of it.”

Serati was bewildered. This seemed a bit different from what she had heard.

Wasn’t becoming a necromancer’s servant supposed to turn one into a bloodthirsty demon, hungry for slaughter?

“Then… what happens to me if I become your servant?”

“Your soul will be subjugated by me.”

Karnak continued his explanation.

“To be precise, your soul’s structure will be fully revealed to me. I need to see the blueprint of your soul to regenerate your arms, after all.”

Additionally, a few restrictions would be placed.

“If you betray me, you’ll face death as a consequence. For instance, if you reveal my identity to someone, or raise a weapon against me.”

“And I must obey your commands unconditionally?”

“It’s possible, but I won’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d have to manipulate your mind. In that case, your ability to handle aura would significantly diminish, and there’s no reason to weaken a servant’s abilities, is there?”

Unconditional obedience wasn’t always beneficial.

For example, if Karnak, in a fit of anger, yelled at Serati, ‘Go and die!’

What if Serati actually went and died?

That would result in the pointless loss of a skilled aura user.

“So, other necromancers don’t usually tamper with their servants’ minds halfway. They either turn them into mindless puppets or leave their free will intact, only imposing restrictions.”

Serati became increasingly conflicted.

Now that she thought about it, the terms didn’t seem as bad as she had expected.

Of course, this was under the assumption that Karnak was telling the truth.

‘This isn’t all that different from a knight swearing an oath of loyalty, is it?’

Though her situation was much worse. After all, Karnak held her life in his hands.

But wasn’t the real comparison between this and losing her arms?

Was it truly an unfair contract to serve a dangerous master in exchange for regaining her lost arms?

“The choice is yours, Miss Serati.”

A subtle voice reached her ears as she wrestled with her decision.

“Your freedom, your lost arms, your future as a swordswoman.”

It was a voice that was soft and gentle, yet seemed to pierce through her heart.

“You are the only one who can weigh which is more precious.”

As he finished speaking, Karnak felt a sense of satisfaction.

He had explained everything kindly, made sure she understood, and even offered her a choice. He hadn’t forced her into anything.

‘Wow, I’ve really become a better person, haven’t I?’

Watching from the side, Varos had a strange expression on his face.

Karnak was clearly offering this proposal with good intentions, trying his best to live as a decent person and giving Serati the choice…

‘So why does it feel like I’m watching a demon seducing an innocent maiden? Is it just my imagination?’

In the end, Serati made her decision.

“…Please make me your servant, Lord Karnak.”

***

A contract of subordination was an incredibly complex and advanced form of magic.

For an ordinary necromancer, it would require at least half a day of preparation, followed by a lengthy ritual before the contract could be sealed.

But for Karnak, who had once been the Necromancer King, the time it took to drink a cup of tea was more than enough.

“In the name of Karnak Zestrad, Master of Darkness, I ask you this: Serati Allen, will you become my servant?”

“Yes.”

“Then open your mind and accept the contract.”

Karnak placed his palm on Serati’s head as she knelt before him.

The dark magic flowed from the top of her head, coursing through her entire body.

‘Ugh!’

For a brief moment, she almost activated her aura to resist. But then, she heard his voice again.

“Then you shall regain what you have lost.”

With that, Serati retracted all of her aura and willingly accepted Karnak’s darkness. At the same time, an intense pain radiated from her severed arms.

“Ugh! Ahhhh!”

As she groaned in pain, her eyes reflected the change that was happening.

The charred scabs on her arms began to peel away. At the same time, new arms started to grow.

To be honest, it wasn’t a pretty sight.

Unlike the radiant light and seamless healing of holy spells, necromantic regeneration involved bones sprouting, raw red muscles covering them, and grotesque tendons and blood vessels forming. It looked truly horrifying and repulsive.

Yet, Serati was filled with joy.

“Ah… Ahhh…”

Her arms. The arms she had lost were growing back.

Even the pain was a sweet sensation in the face of such a miraculous sight.

Karnak withdrew his hand from her head.

“Serati Allen, from this moment on, you are my servant.”

Without realizing it, she spoke in a formal tone.

“Yes, my master…”

And then she collapsed on the spot.

As Varos supported the unconscious Serati, he smiled faintly.

“This reminds me of the old days. I fainted like this too.”

“Is it really that painful?”

“It feels like your whole body is being torn apart. That’s why I couldn’t use it in the middle of a battle.”

“True, I always envied the healing powers of priests.”

Suddenly, Varos tilted his head in thought.

“Wait, I’m no longer your servant, right?”

“That’s right.”

When Karnak returned to the past, all past events were erased. Naturally, the subordination contract with Varos also ceased to exist.

“So that’s why you were able to take Miss Serati as a servant? With my current power, I can only handle one servant at a time.”

“Does that mean if I lose my limbs again, I won’t be able to regenerate them?”

Varos shuddered, wondering if he had dug his own grave by trying to be kind.

Karnak responded casually, as if it were no big deal.

“Why not? Of course, you can.”

“How?”

“I’ll break the contract with Serati and make you my servant again.”

“…But if you break the subordination contract, Miss Serati would die on the spot, wouldn’t she?”

“That’s unavoidable. I can’t turn you into a cripple just to keep her alive.”

“Oh, that’s… very considerate of you, but…”

Varos stared at the unconscious Serati.

‘I’d better take good care of my body. This young lady’s life depends on my limbs.’

It was fortunate that she had passed out. Had she heard this conversation, she might have regretted her decision deeply.

In any case, it was time to start planning for what lay ahead.

Varos asked, “So, what will you do now?”

“I’ve been thinking about that.”

Karnak had two options available.

The first was to prepare for a counterattack and rescue Alius and Riltein.

The second was to abandon them and flee from Trist City.

“To live like a decent person, I should obviously choose the first option, right?”

The problem was that he couldn’t face Shutraff with chaos magic alone.

He would have to use necromancy. Only then would he have a chance of winning.

“Why is that an issue? You’ve used necromancy plenty of times when no one was watching.”

“That’s exactly the problem; too many people are watching this time.”

Shutraff’s necromantic power was quite formidable. To face him, it wouldn’t be enough to use power covertly and sparingly, as Karnak had done until now.

“I’d have to use necromancy on a large scale, in full force, and that feels too much like going back to my old ways.”

Return to being an evil necromancer, turning the city into hell while rescuing his comrades.

Or, avoid using dark powers and abandon his comrades, choosing instead to flee.

“Which is the right choice?”

“Indeed, it’s really confusing.”

They racked their brains together for a long time but couldn’t find an easy answer.

Finally, Varos came to a similar conclusion as before.

“Let’s ask Miss Serati when she wakes up.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s a proper human being, unlike us. So, she might be able to come to a proper conclusion.”

“You’re right! Varos, you’re getting smarter by the day!”