The Ruined Death Knight

Scanning the faraway battlefield, the young man who held a blue orb had a frown on his face.

`Will I really be safe if I go there?´ The young man thought in doubt.

He was Wilhelm Ionarres, the second son of duke Ionarres. One of the founding families that were involved in the founding of the Great Dynasty of Ioratal with a rich history.

Their family was controlled and supervised over the many magic academies spread though the whole Dynasty. They were responsible for creating loyal magic casters to serve the kingdom either by joining the military or the academy itself to study ways to create new magic items.

Not only that, but their family also carried the blood of an Archmage, making the whole Ionarres household natural skilled mages except for some minor expectations.

Nevertheless, Wilhelm was one of those talented magic casters who by the age of 24 even achieved the 3rd-tier.

Not only was his talent outstanding, but he also went out of his way to learn arcane magic. A type of magic that is also nicked is named natural magic where only pure mana was being used to cast a spell.

The higher-ups of the Dynasty even considered him as a future Archmage and would rather not have him die on the frontiers during the war between the two other kingdoms.

Alas, even though he had such a future ahead of him, he still volunteered to join the war effort.

The reason for that was neither love for the Dynasty nor wanting to be a hero.

The only reason why he would risk his life was to increase his standing in the family and claim his father\'s position.

His elder brother had long since secured the position of the heir by creating a web of connections with other nobles to pressure his father.

Even though he had more qualifications to claim the family head position, his father was forced to keep his elder brother as the current heir of the family head.

By the time he became Archmage his elder brother would even claim the family and most likely deprive him of the family resources.

Amidst despair of being in such a situation, someone reached out a hand and gave an offer that he couldn´t refuse.

"Participate in the war and I will make you the heir, huh?" Wilhelm mumbled the exact words of that man who was in a similar situation as him.

Staring at the battle, the man couldn´t help but get anxious.

Suddenly, from the sky 4 piercing lights fell down on the same wall that he and many others were standing at.

`Those must be the guards that his highness has talked about.´ Wilhelm thought internally before going to meet the group.

...

***

After discussing with the Archmage for a bit and entrusting him with a female dark elve and a knight clad in dark armor followed by a huge undead hound.

After going down the walls, Wilhelm couldn´t help but steal some glances at the mercenaries of the Deathfull Skulls.

`I neven seen a dark elve but her beauty is worth the name of the elve race.´ Wilhelm thought with a frown.

Though she was beautiful, he couldn´t manage how such a fragile figure could put up a fight. Even her cloak couldn´t hide the dark elves\' figure, making him believe that she is an assassin of some sort.

The other two members in comparison left a much deeper impression on him.

In appearance the undead hound was much more intimidating, its three ethereal eyes burning with a fierce dark-green flame. For someone like Wilhelm who had never seen undead before, such a sight was as new as it was scary.

But the one that made him the most warry was the dark knight as his aura by itself was quite threatening.

Soon afterward, the group went inside the castle where inside was another group of 3 people.

Each of their aura is fierce.

One was a tall half naked man with several tattoos on his chest and a necklace made out of big teal-colored wooden pearls. His body was full of scars and yet he created some sort of aura around him that made others feel safe.

The other one was a woman wearing leather armor with several knives a bow and a quiver on her back. She had long blond hair and looked in her early 20s, but her pointy ears revealed the fact that she was an elve, making her actual age questionable at best.

The last of the party of three was a man wearing a black cloak while covering his mouth with some black cloth. His presence there felt missing as if he wasn´t there in the first place.

The single thing that those three had in common was the fact that they were 3rd-tier experts.

It didn´t take them long for that group to notice the people behind their client.

"Master Wilhelm, who may those people be-wait is that an undead?" The elve archers said frowning at the appearance of Skull Claw.

The other two had the same reaction as her and they immediately raised their weapons ready to fight at any time.

Seeing that Wilhelm couldn´t help but curse internally.

"Wait! The undead and those two are allies! Lower your weapons!"

Looking at each other, the group lowered their weapons, but still glanced at the other party with hostility.

Danzel who watched the group with the same hostility as theirs turned his head toward the one he was supposed to protect.

"Sir, who may those people be? As long as I am aware, our side wasn´t aware of them." Danzel said with his ice cold voice.

"It´s natural that you haven´t heard of them as I wasn´t aware of them till today. They are the Nature\'s Dagger mercenaries sent by my father to work as my bodyguards just like you...three?" Wilhelm said somewhat unsure wherever he should count the undead as a part of their group or just a minion of theirs.

Hearing such information now made neither party satisfied.

"With all due respect, Master Wilhelm Ionarres, but having an undead and a black elve, beings that are known for their evil natures will hinder both our work and endanger you!" The elve archers said while pointing her finger towards Vanessa, who in turn frowned at her.

"What did you just say vermin?" Vanessa said, releasing her killing intent towards the petite elve that now shudder in fear at her aura.

Seeing things about to escalate, Wilhelm released his own 3rd-tier aura and yelled out loud.

"Quite! You all have been paid accordingly by the Dynasty to fight the same battlefield! They even came at my expense! Compared to you three that were paid by my father, I can send you back right away!"

Though his aura wasn\'t particularly impressive to the group of the 3rd-tiers and Vanessa, his words were enough to shut them up before they create more trouble for him.

`His highness went out of his way and called a 4th-tier expert to watch over me. I have to get on her good side for my survival´ He thought to himself.

"We also don´t have time to discuss good and evil based on one\'s race! While we laze around here, soldiers of the Dynasty keep dying by the second. Introduce your specialty and we will go to join the other too!"

He tried to be especially loud at saying that so that the nearby soldiers who were working saw him in a better light.

Looking at each other, the tall half naked man stepped up.

"I am the vanguard of the Nature\'s Dagger group and I mainly fight with my fist, I know some druid and shapeshifting spells. Name is Borg."

The other who stepped next was the elven archers.

"I am the archer of the Nature\'s Dagger group, my name is Sarah..." She said with a scoff in the end.

"I am the scout and rogue of the Nature\'s Dagger group. I go by the name of Kenn..."

Right after they finished, it was Vanessa who stepped up to introduce herself.

"My name is Vanessa! As you can see I am an evil dark elve of the 4th-tier, I am a pugilist from the Deathfull Skulls mercenaries." She said with a sneer at the end, clearly making it known that she looked down on the other group.

Though the rogue Kenn and the druid Borg didn´t mind her hostility, Sarah in comparison ground her teeth in hate towards Vanessa.

With everyone but one person left, naturally, everyone\'s focus turned towards Danzel, the dark armored knight.

"...My name is Abdiel and just like her, I am from the Deathfull Skulls mercenaries group-" Danzel said while reaching out and touching Skull Claws\' leg.

"-and I am a swordsman as well as a necromancer. This here is Skull Claw, one of my undead." Danzel said in his cold voice.

"Let´s all have a nice cooperation." He said while grinning behind his helmet