Wind Blade Bracelet

The room was sparsely furnished: a double bed, a desk and chair, and a wardrobe. With no one living there, the bed had no bedding, only a bare mattress. The whole room was visible at a glance, leaving few places to hide anything.

Green closed the door behind him and pinched the bridge of his nose to ease the strain on his eyes. Then he used Death Spirit Sight again to search for clues.

In his black-and-white vision, bloodstains appeared beside the wardrobe and desk and on the mattress. Beneath the mattress, he also sensed a stronger pulse of Psychic Energy.

Green's eyes lit up. He stepped forward at once, unconcerned that the Eerie might have left a magical trap. Any such trap would give off Psychic Energy, and Death Spirit Sight would have revealed it. Moving quickly, he found an exquisite silver bracelet hidden between the layers of the mattress.

The instant he picked it up, Green felt a response. The Graveyard System in his mind displayed a prompt: "Wind Blade Bracelet, a Magic Artifact containing Psychic Energy, detected. Absorb its Psychic Energy?"

"The Wind Blade Bracelet. Baron Lonanks used this Magic Artifact to wound that Eerie before he died. It contains Psychic Energy, just as I thought. The Graveyard can absorb it."

Excited, Green chose to absorb it without hesitation. The Wind Blade Bracelet was valuable, but it was stolen property he could never bring into the open. Better to absorb its Psychic Energy and activate all the Graveyard's functions.

The moment he made his choice, a pale blue glow rose from the bracelet in his hand. This blue glow was ten times as intense as the green glow from the broken Bone Whistle. A complete Magic Artifact clearly held far more Psychic Energy than a damaged one.

Soon, the blue glow sank into Green's hand. The Wind Blade Bracelet met the same fate as the Bone Whistle, crumbling into fine powder that slipped through his fingers and scattered across the floor.

At the same time, another "ding" rang out in Green's mind, followed by a hum like a computer rebooting. Dizziness washed over him.

A few minutes later, Green had adjusted enough to enter the Graveyard space. He spotted the change immediately. His status panel had always occupied the upper left corner, while the other three corners were empty. Now a blue crystal symbol appeared in the upper right, with the number "25" beside it.

"It's finally here! The blue crystal represents Psychic Energy. Activating the Graveyard with the Wind Blade Bracelet left me with 25 points." Thrilled, Green turned his attention to the cemetery to check the recruitment cost of a Skeleton Soldier.

Skeleton Soldiers were standard fare for a Necromancer. At just five points of Psychic Energy each, they were easy to recruit in great numbers. Once they formed an army, their strength would be terrifying.

Green tried recruiting one. Five points of Psychic Energy vanished. After a few seconds of rustling, a white-boned figure in tattered leather armor, carrying a Short Sword and round shield, dug its way out of a grave mound.

Green studied the Skeleton Soldier in surprise. He had assumed it would be cannon fodder, as it was in the game. Instead, it looked imposing. It stood over six feet tall, with green Soulfire flickering inside its massive skull and thick bones that seemed cast from iron. Its Short Sword and round shield were a little rusty but still well made.

Green tried controlling it and found another pleasant surprise. The Skeleton Soldier was remarkably intelligent, grasping his intent even when his commands were vague. It moved nimbly and attacked with swift ferocity. It was every bit a capable warrior.

After several tests, Green was satisfied. But another problem arose: how could he bring a Skeleton Soldier recruited in the Graveyard into the real world? Necromancers generally summoned Undead creatures with Soul Summoning. Before Green crossed over, however, Green Wilson had been a dabbler, not even a Novice Necromancer Apprentice. The only Necromancy he knew was Death Spirit Sight; he certainly had not mastered Soul Summoning.

Green pondered the question instead of recruiting the other four Skeleton Soldiers. He was still in Baron Lonanks's home and dared not linger in the Graveyard too long. Before long, he left it.

"Maybe I can ask Vincent."

In this world, being a Necromancer was not a profession that had to be hidden.

Necromancers were a branch of orthodox mages. Their methods were frightening enough to scare ordinary people, but nobles did not discriminate against them. On the contrary, many nobles sought friendships with powerful Necromancers, especially those who were old and sick. If they refused to face death, a Necromancer could turn them into a Lich. They would lose much, but at least they could go on living.

Green therefore figured Vincent would gladly help once he learned Green had become a Novice Necromancer Apprentice and needed Soul Summoning.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, a black carriage raced up to Baron Lonanks's mansion. A blond man in a black coat stepped out, his presence forbidding.

Green had just gotten up. Through the second-floor guest room window, he watched the man speak briefly with the police on guard outside, then return to the carriage. It passed through the gate and stopped below. Three people got out: the blond man, another man, and a woman. All wore matching black coats, with Kingdom Army-issue long-barreled revolvers and fighting Short Swords beneath them.

"Are they from the Anomalies Bureau? A Baron was tortured and killed by an Eerie. That's bound to cause an uproar, and the Bureau can't ignore it."

Green watched quietly, curious about the Anomalies Bureau.

The Anomalies Bureau was the Lorenzo Kingdom's government agency for overseeing supernatural affairs. Independent of the military, police, and intelligence services, it answered directly to the King and Prime Minister and wielded considerable authority.

Meanwhile, the person Viscount Paul had sent to replace Green arrived.

Green was a distant relative who had only recently come to stay, nowhere near one of Viscount Paul's confidants. Perhaps one day he would earn Vincent's trust, but for now he could not take part in the Lineage's private affairs. He had been left there the previous day only because no one else was available. It was a stopgap arrangement, and early the next morning he was relieved so he could return to his duties as an apprentice butler.

Green had obtained the Wind Blade Bracelet and achieved his goal. Eager to leave, he gave his replacement a brief handover, then returned to Wilson Castle and went straight to Vincent.

Vincent, it seemed, was also keenly interested in the Anomalies Bureau.

"Two men and a woman came. I barely got a look before Soren relieved me," Green answered with a smile. Soren was the man Viscount Paul had sent to replace him.

"That's a shame." Vincent shrugged, though he did not dwell on it. "Green, you rarely come to the study on your own. Is something troubling you?"

Green smiled. "Nothing serious. There's just something I'd like your help with."

"Oh? Let's hear it." Vincent did not immediately promise to help. That was how most nobles handled such requests. If a noble pledged to do everything he could before learning the details, chances were he had no sincere intention of helping.