Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 18: The Strongest Onmyoji, Predicts
“Absolutely, I’m amazed by the enemy’s sorcerer.”
That night.
I was once again outside the city.
The corpse disposal area is not popular. As usual, there were only a few fireflies flying around.
I muttered in half-amazement.
“Never thought they’d use necromancy on undead soldiers.”
Considering there were undead soldiers using magic, it wasn’t entirely absurd.
But still, seeing it in reality was truly surprising.
“Isn’t that a bit of cheating? Using necromancy on undead soldiers, and if you use necromancy on those undead soldiers, you can increase your forces endlessly. Of course, there are issues with the limits of magical power and the availability of high-quality necromancers’ corpses, so it might be challenging in reality…”
However, with some ingenuity, it seems possible.
Especially if the sorcerer has mastered necromancy.
“But those corpses controlled by necromancy were defeated, right? Did you find any clues?”
Yuki popped her head out from above and said
“Since they incorporated slain residents, corpses capable of controlling other corpses should be a significant enemy force. Therefore, it wouldn’t be strange if there were traces leading to their whereabouts.”
“…No, unfortunately, there was nothing.”
I shook my head and responded
“There was a guild certification slip around the neck of the corpse. It seems like just a regular adventurer necromancer. They probably got incorporated in some town and were mobilized as part of the forces like the other undead soldiers.”
“…Could they have disguised themselves like that?”
“Well, I doubt it. The way they used the dead worm was too clumsy. Normally, they would have had it burrow underground, but instead, it crawled on the surface, involving allies as well. It’s hard to believe that was an act.”
“Hmm…”
“If it was an essential force, the enemy would have treated it more carefully. Turning the corpses of killed residents into undead soldiers is another method. However,”
I added
“Since the traces of the magic disappeared due to the barrier, I can’t say anything for sure.”
“…Um, Seika-sama.”
Yuki spoke with hesitation
“Why did you use the barrier at that time? You said you were avoiding it because it would lose clues.”
“My body moved on its own at that moment, but looking back now, I don’t think it was a bad decision.”
First and foremost, I had to neutralize the worm, but the methods to stop its movement without involving nearby robed undead soldiers were limited.
Furthermore, if I hesitated there, the enemy forces would become even more scattered, and it would take longer to suppress them.
During that time, there was no guarantee that something strange wouldn’t happen.
In matters of curses and magic, I didn’t think I would fall behind. However, that didn’t mean I could underestimate the current enemy.
To Yuki, who seemed to imply that it was a mistake, I casually said
“Even if I hadn’t used the barrier, I wouldn’t have found any clues anyway. They’re not that easy to deal with. Besides… I learned two things today, not bad as a result.”
“Oh? What did you learn?”
“The first is the method they used to capture the fortress city… I believe they used the worm.”
Since the rebel army consisted of undead soldiers, there was no way they could use a method like having a traitor open the city gate. I had been wondering how they managed it, but today I finally understood.
If they dug a hole from outside the city towards the inside, the city walls wouldn’t matter. They could send in a large number of undead soldiers through that opening.
The worm could be made from corpses, or they could use necromancers’ undead soldiers trained during the day. There were plenty of methods they could employ.
Considering that they directed that unit against a heavily fortified city this time, it seemed unmistakable.
Although the number of worms would likely be limited, it was probably one of the enemy’s main forces that we managed to defeat during the day. Lucky us.
Yuki says
“That’s good to know, but it’s not a topic that concerns us much unless the city under attack has residents. What’s the other thing?”
“It’s the method the enemy’s necromancy is using to overcome distance constraints.”
I say
“They’re definitely using necromancy on corpses. It’s the only explanation.”
While I had anticipated it, today I became certain.
If regular undead soldiers could use necromancy, then the methods I imagined should be possible.
Yuki inquired
“So, they’re using soldiers who can control corpses, like they did during the day?”
“It’s probably different from regular undead soldiers. With that method, the further down the chain, the harder it is to control them. It’s a more sophisticated approach… likely, but I think they’re creating undead soldiers that resemble themselves and relaying the magic through them.”
“Resemble themselves… you mean?”
“Just what it sounds like. Corpses that closely resemble themselves.”
I say
“The closer the resemblance, the better the curse can be transmitted.”
“Oh… now that you mention it, I feel like I’ve seen a scene where Lord Seika talked about something like that with a disciple in a past life…”
“Well, I probably did. It’s one of the basic principles of magical thinking. I’ve explained it to my disciples many times.”
I continued
“Objects with similar shapes are believed to share the same properties. Humans tend to think that way. Of course, in reality, it’s different. Even if you put hair in a straw doll and drive nails into it, it’s just an object. Physically, it shouldn’t cause any harm to the owner of the hair.”
However, I continued.
“If you put your thoughts into it, it’s a different story. If you believe that the straw doll is the owner of the hair, the act of driving nails becomes a curse and reaches the real owner. Even amateurs who know nothing about the principles of magic can sometimes curse others because the essence of magic is present in their consciousness. Magic is no different.”
Cursing is also a form of skill.
It has principles, methodologies, can be taught to others, and can lead to the same results through the same process.
And just as other skills sometimes prioritize intuition or strength over principles, there are situations in which the strength of one’s will becomes crucial in cursing as well.
“Shaping the tools used in a spell to resemble something helps strengthen the intention. The ying-yang talismans shaped like humans are an example of that. This works in reverse as well. If, for example, someone told me to curse using a wooden bear carving, I would find it quite challenging. My consciousness would inevitably be drawn to the bear. It would be better not to use anything at all.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, no…”
When I asked Yuki, who had fallen silent for some reason, she gave a start before responding.
“Well, in that case… the enemy sorcerer is using undead soldiers resembling themselves and conveying magic through them, is that right?”
“Not my exact expectation. By strongly convincing themselves that the undead soldiers are an extension of themselves, they can use the same magic… that kind of reasoning, I believe. If they can place intermediary corpses at regular intervals, they can escape the constraints of distance.”
“In that case, if we can find corpses that closely resemble the enemy, there’s a possibility of gaining some clues.”
“Yeah.”
Nodding, I continued
“Well, I don’t know what the enemy looks like, so I can’t find anything.”
“That’s true.”
Even though I had an idea of the enemy’s tactics, it didn’t lead to any immediate progress.
I continued
“Rather, it might be faster to trace the communication method with the collaborator.”
“Come to think of it, you mentioned something like that before. Have you found any leads?”
“Unfortunately, not at the moment.”
I reply with a serious expression
“If they can relay magic through corpses, there is a method like using a bird’s corpse to carry a letter. However, I can’t imagine a sorcerer of this caliber using such a common method. I feel like they’re coming up with something faster and more secretive.”
“A bird should be fast enough, shouldn’t it? If not that…”
“Shouting would be at the speed of sound, and if it’s smoke signals or flags, it would be the speed of light. Although the distance over which they can be easily noticed is short, they have speed.”
“So, sound and light have speed?”
“Yeah. Surprisingly, sound is relatively slow, but light is incredibly fast.”
While talking, I thought a new idea might come up, but it didn’t work out.
In the first place, it seemed nearly impossible to pinpoint their communication method at this moment.
“Well… it’s understandable. Communication, in extreme terms, can work with just ‘zero’ and ‘one.’ There are too many options for methods.”
“Just ‘zero’ and ‘one’? In that case, can you only convey something like ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”
“Not at all. You should know better than that.”
“?”
“Look, it’s the Eight Trigrams.”
I say.
“That represents the Eight Trigrams by combining three Yin or Yang lines, resulting in eight possible combinations. Yin and Yang, which is essentially ‘zero’ and ‘one.’ With three lines, it’s the Eight Trigrams, but with six lines, it becomes the Sixty-Four Hexagrams, representing sixty-four different pieces of information. At this point, you can even map each Japanese phoneme. With just ‘zero’ and ‘one,’ communication is entirely possible.”
If it were seven lines, it would be 128 Hexagrams, and if it were eight lines, it would be 256 Hexagrams. You could convey as much information as needed.
While I don’t know of any actual use of such a code, it’s theoretically possible.
Yuki, having heard this, said somewhat wearily
“Hmm… Yuki doesn’t understand complicated things.”
“Oh, right…”
Well, disciples often divided clearly between those who showed interest in such discussions and those who did not.
I didn’t particularly expect Yuki to understand.
I sighed softly and said
“Fortunately, the defense was in time this time, so I’ll probably stay in the city for a few days. I’ll think about efficient ways to deal with the enemy for the next time.”
“Oh, so you won’t use the barrier anymore?”
“Not for now. While the chances of leaving clues are low, I still want to ensure that traces of the magic can be investigated.”
I turned back to head towards the city.
While walking, I suddenly remembered something that had been on my mind and spoke up.
“By the way, was there something on your mind? When we were talking about magical thinking, you seemed a bit absent-minded.”
There was a moment of silence.
Only the sound of my footsteps echoed faintly outside the city.
“…No.”
Yuki slowly spoke up
“I just heard the story… and something clicked for me.”
“Something clicked?”
Yuki hesitated before speaking
“If people have the tendency to find the original presence in a mere resemblance, and Seika-sama is no exception…”
“…”
“Maybe Lord Seika was a bit too invested in the hero’s daughter because… he saw the presence of that girl, who was once his disciple, in her appearance…”
I stopped in my tracks.
Under the moonlight, I looked down at my own elongated shadow and quietly replied
“…That might be true.”