The Everlight party were fazed with many beasts such as yetis, ice elves that hides in tree and uses arrows as their weapon and huge wolves at night just in their first week. The Everlight party got through it with just minor difficulty. During their second week in the tundra, they came across another hut, bigger than the one they encountered in the first week by a lot. Raye decided to visit it. He knocked on the door. "Anyone in there?" No response. He knocked again. "Anyone in there?" Same question, no response. Raye twist the knob which it twitches, he then fully opened the door and enter it.
"Is it alright for us to enter?"
Al asked Raye in concerned. Raye calmly replied: "Maybe it's abandoned," as he looked around the interior of the hut.
There is a rug made out of bear skin on the ground with the skull of the bear hung on the wall as a trophy mount. There are a few red couches and a fireplace. There is even a mug on the rectangle coffee table where it is made out of wood and glass. Beside the couch is a glass door where you can see corps suitable in the harsh weather grown at the side and a view of the mountains range. There is even a stairs that lead up to the second floor.
"This place...is too well kept to be abandoned..."
Raye muttered out as Will tilted his head to the right. He felt a mana presence as the rest of the Everlight party felt it later on. They all looked behind and saw a guy with white hair, behind carrying logs while holding an axe. He is not wearing any clothes except a long pants. His left eye is closed while his right eye is opened. He looked up and saw the Everlight party.
"...My door was opened...so it was you..."
"Sorry sir, we just so happen to pass by your hut, we thought it was abandoned so..."
The man did not react to Raye's words, he just dropped the log that he carried behind him and suddenly aimed his axe at Raye. Raye manages to parried it with his sword though the strength and the impact of the speed sent him backward a feet.
"...How rude,"
Will said to the man as he stand straight and turned his head towards Will.
"Don't you know to greet someone who had finally returned?"
"...Will,"
The man said with no expression. He shows no hostility, just a cold expression starring at Will.
"It's been a long time, Kolt, or should I say...the necromancer among the Dark Sage,"
The rest of the Everlight party members except Auoun were shocked when they learned his name.
"The necromancer among the Dark Sage...well, there is no report saying he's dead but...meeting the person himself is wild..."
Al muttered to himself as the man closed the door and wore a brown fur coat made out of bear fur that he hang on the door. He picked up the logs he has gathered and for the axe, he placed it right above the fireplace as he threw in a few logs into the fireplace, then setting them up using flint.
"So, why are you here?"
The man, Kolt, asked Will. Still having that expressionless face, Will just smiled at speaks to him.
"We just so happened to came across you hut,"
"...I see you still have that devil-like smile with you,"
"That's a little insulting..."
Kolt then looked at Raye which he sheathed his sword but his guard still up high. He then look at Amethia, Al and Auoun, all having stiff expression. He couldn't hold in but let out a sigh before opening his mouth.
"Relax, I won't hurt you, nor I plan to,"
He then went to the kitchen for a minute, then returned holding two cups of hot coffee, and three floating skeleton hands, each holding a cup of hot coffee too. He handed the two cups on his hand to Raye and Will while the skeleton hands each flew towards to Al, Amethia and Auoun. Kolt then sat on a single seat couch while the Everlight party just stood there.
"...Why are you standing? Come and take a seat,"
The Everlight party each sat on the couch. Will and Raye sitting opposite of the necromancer among the Dark Sage while Al and Amethia seated at each side with Al at left and Amethia at right. Auoun sat on a single seat just beside Kolt.
"...So...how did you returned?"
"...You sound like you want me gone with that cold expression of yours,"
"I'm just curious,"
"...I was sent to the present time during the fight against the hero party, woke up on the shore with my memory bit hazy but I got it restored, then later on I found Raye and here I am,"
Will said his entire journey from start to end in a summary to the necromancer.
"..."
Kolt did not say anything, he just sips his cup of hot coffee and continued to listen to Will.
"Why are you here? What about the others?"
"We all separated after the death of our lord, each of us is doing fine, or I think so,"
Will stared at Kolt as he took another sip from his coffee. Raye looked at Kolt and noticed that he has two black sharp horns at each side of the head though it is swirled.
"Why are you travelling with a hero party?"
After sipping his coffee, he asked Will a question he expected from Kolt. Well, it would be weird for a dark sage to be with a hero party when their lord is killed by one.
"...For fun I guess, you know I always wanted to see the world, but can't due to work before becoming the Shadow Sage and being stuck in the Demon King continent after becoming, besides, I'm intrigue to see the world after 3000 years,"
Kolt did not react to Will but instead looked at Raye. Still his one eye closed, his glacier blue eye staring at Raye, making him uncomfortable.
"...Not bad, your sword skill, though it's lacking,"
"...What...?"
"I have heard about you, the Everlight party, about you beings killing the warlock of calamity and the deeds you did in this kingdom,"
"That's an honour..."
"Through your reaction just now from my attack, it's not bad, but still lacking,"
"..."
Raye did not respond. Will looked at him then at Kolt.
"Go easy on him, he has been training hard you know,"
Will then looked at Raye and told him about Kolt.
"Kolt is an elite swordsman, using necromancy while being a swordsman allows him to be a Dark Sage, knights feared him just through his coldness and the undead he summons,"
Raye looked over to Kolt as he sighed.
"...We will train tomorrow,"
"What?"
"We will train tomorrow, you guys aren't in a rush right? Spare some time to train,"
"O-okay..."
"Now then, there is something I wish to speak with you, Will,"
Will's face then went serious as he looked at Kolt.
"You other may go upstairs, there is an empty room enough for you lots at the left,"
The rest of the Everlight party members did so and climbed up the stairs. Now left is Will and Kolt.
"So...what do you wish to tell me?"
"It's about our lord,"
Will raised his eyebrows as he listened carefully for what Kolt is about to say.
"After our lord's death, me, the blood manipulation sage and the soul manipulation sage took one part of the lord, where the blood manipulation sage took his blood that's highly fuelled with mana, the soul manipulation sage took the soul of our lord and I took his remaining, the only thing left is his shadow in the castle, none of us are able to retrieve it for it is too powerful, only you should be able to take it,"
The demon king's shadow? I don't sense it when I'm in the demon king's castle? Maybe it's my memory being hazy that time, but shadow that powerful should have a presence so powerful, never mind, I can retrieve it after this journey. Even after death, the demon king is still so powerful from just parts of his bodies and soul.
"...Is that all?"
"...Yes,"
"Okay,"
They stayed silent for a minute. Not knowing what to say after not seeing each other for eight months from the start until now. Will decided to start the conversation by poking fun at Kolt.
"Looks like I'm the youngest among the Dark Sage now, what used to be you is now me,"
Kolt chuckled and teased Will back.
"Looks like you got to respect your elder,"
They both laughed and continued to chat together, bringing back nostalgia and times. Raye and Amethia secretly watched the two Dark Sages talking to each other while being carefree.
"Only someone who's the rank of Will is able to talk with Will like that..."
Raye mumbled to himself as the sun sets.