Dark Lord: Rise to Power

It seemed like an eternity since these three peculiar souls had laughed so freely and carelessly, opening their hearts. The children felt as though they were once again with their loving parents. Surprisingly, Arin felt the same way. They joked and teased each other for a long time before both children fell asleep on Arin's lap. He kept patting them to help them sleep better. He, too, wished to fall asleep, but he had lost his longing for it. Instead, he decided to plan for the future. There were many questions that needed answers.

Questions like:

- What did his status as 'Champion of Nerthazir' actually entail, and what were the perks?

- How was he able to defeat enemies of higher levels, as it seemed 'Level Difference' had little to no importance?

- What rules governed the nature of the resurrected minions? Some dead had risen as Revenants, some as Specters, some as Draugur, and one as a Skeleton Crossbowman.

- Why were the two Revenants acting strange, as if they had retained their ego?

- Why did he feel pain or mental fatigue despite being undead himself?

- Was there a way for him to gain another mana-core to learn and master another school of magic?

- How many minions could he have at a time?

- Was there a way for them to communicate better with him?

- What did he know about this place, the nearby settlements, their nature, political alignments, or anything?

He knew that staying buried here, in the middle of nowhere, wouldn't help him much in the future. One thing was clear: if the guards were here, it meant there was a large enough settlement nearby. He doubted a small village or hamlet had four guards to spare for such an 'excursion.' So he decided what he had to do next: find a nearby settlement to gather information.

Now the next problem was how to visit a settlement. He doubted that a necromancer would be welcomed in a human settlement, especially if he was undead. He needed proper clothing to roam securely in a city or town, and he needed money.

Then he had an idea to resolve his urgent need for money. The four guards he had killed and raised a while ago were still wearing their uniforms. It meant they must have been carrying their belongings with them. So, he decided to search whatever possessions they were carrying. Arin summoned all four of them. These newly resurrected corpses answered his summon and appeared before him, standing at attention. He ordered, "Give me everything you have except the uniform you are wearing and your arms and ammunition."

They heeded his command and handed over their belongings: coin pouches, some keys. Saunder, the greatsword wielder, had a backpack and gave it to Arin. Arin searched the backpack and found a bottle of ale, two silver bars, a few spare clothes, and a rope. He realized that being the strongest person in the group, Saunder must have been used as the group's pack mule. "Go inside the castle and clean each room one by one until I give you further commands!" Arin commanded and then pointed to the sleeping kids. "Protect these kids when they are around you!" The four nodded and went inside the castle. Arin called back Vireon, the Skeleton Archer, and ordered him, "Find the highest point in the building you can access, go there, and if you see any enemy or rabid animal approaching the castle, snipe it down." Vireon nodded and went inside to fulfill his duty.

Arin decided to try on all the spare clothes, make necessary alterations, and clean the backpack so that when he carried it into town, no one would recognize it as belonging to the guards. The rest of the night was spent doing these chores.

The next morning, when the kids woke up, they saw their big brother Arin had made a makeshift clothesline by tying a thick rope (found in the backpack) between two trees and had left the clothes on it to dry. He was now meticulously cleaning the leather backpack.

"Lisse Aure Melethron," Lumiyan greeted Arin.

"Li...what?" Arin was puzzled.

"Don't mind this idiot," Auriya replied. "He meant to say 'Good Morning, Dear Brother.' 'Lisse Aure' means 'Happy Day' in Mannish Tongue, the language humans speak. And 'Melethron' means 'dear brother.'"

"Okay," Arin nodded.

"We used to greet each other in our language only, but didn't our parents teach us to say 'Good Morning' in human language?" Auriya spanked Lumiyan's head. They started fighting as Lumiyan said, "Big Brother is not human, so why would I speak human to him?"

Arin thought about this comment. Technically, he was not human, nor did he mind that. He hated humanity to the core. But as the little boy pointed out, he suddenly felt a bit sad, as if something very near and dear to him had been lost.

Auriya whispered to Lumiyan, "See what you have done, you idiot. You made melethron sad!"

Lumiyan rushed to Arin and said, "I am sorry, brother. I didn't mean to hurt you!"

Arin patted his back. "You did not. Don't worry. Now let me introduce you to some of my people. Steel your nerves and don't get scared, okay?"

"We won't," the kids said together.

Arin summoned all his minions, and they appeared before the kids. Four grim-looking Revenants, four scary Specters, three Draugurs, and one Skeleton stood in front of the kids.

They gulped but did not flinch or close their eyes. They, too, had to prove they were brave kids.

Arin spoke to his undead minions, "These two kids are my beloved siblings. You should protect and follow them accordingly. From today onwards, their wellbeing and protection are your duty. Never forget that."

Then he looked at the kids, "You don't need to be afraid of them. They are your friends. Alright?"

Arin commanded one Specter, "You will always be with them from now on until I give you further commands. Accompany them wherever they go and protect them at any cost."

He dismissed the other eleven minions and ordered them to resume their assigned tasks. Arin advised the duo, "I am going to the nearest city to do some exploration and gather information. You two stay here, always stay together, and take care of each other. I will come back soon."

"Are you leaving us?" Lumiyan asked in a teary voice. Arin knelt and hugged him. "No, brother, I am not. I just need to find something there. Also, you two have an important duty. This castle is yours to explore. I need to know everything about it. The exploration is now your duty. I hope you will help your brother."

Lumiyan puffed his chest and said, "Yes, brother, it will be done."

"I knew it," Arin ruffled Lumiyan's hair. "Never be away from your sister or Mister Specter! Don't go anywhere alone and don't take any risks!"

He then spoke to Auriya, "Take care of yourself and your brother. There's a huge library. If you want to explore it, just ask Mister Specter. These undead are here to serve and guard you. Now, I'm leaving. See you soon." He waved them goodbye.

Arin also wanted to check the Adventurer's Guild to see if the kids' parents and relatives were alive so he could reunite them. But he didn't tell the kids, so they wouldn't keep any false hopes only to be saddened later.

He wore the hooded cloak, carried the ale, the silver bars, and three pouches of gold in the backpack, and one pouch of gold on his belt. He went to explore the forest, hoping to find a way to the nearest town.