The Black Necromancer

"Hoho! If it isn't the World Eater!" A soft voice chuckled in a mocking tone from the center of the armed guards. Although the Empress' face could not be seen, one could still feel the youth and vitality that radiated off her body.

"Hello, Empress Ursula." Leonidas greeted with a wry smile on his face. He had not expected her to act that way, and expected more formality from her side.

"Long time, no see, Leonidas. I had not expected you to request my aid in fighting the Demons. You did not bother too much during the Great Shift." Ursula replied, stepping out of the circle of guards that surrounded her.

"That is a different matter. There was no need for the Gublin Empire to meddle too much back then. This time, it is different. A full scale invasion of the Central Continent is at hand." Leonidas said seriously.

"True, but it does not concern me. The underwater paradise of Oceabal is mostly unaffected by the happenings up on the surface. If need be, we can simply cut our ties and remain self sufficient." Ursula smiled and lifted her veil, revealing her soft and extremely seductive face. Her lips were shaped like a heart, and her chin was just the right angle to make her face resemble that of a goddess!

'If I had not seen Asteria for myself, then maybe she would be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!' Leon thought to himself.

"Well, I am happy you chose to lend us your strength even if you did not need to." Leonidas smiled and tilted his head forward slightly. Compared to Oceabal, even the Gublin Empire, which was a behemoth, was merely a child. Oceabal had existed for a long time. Even before the major powers began to sprout up around the continent. Empires and Kingdoms had risen and fallen, and Oceabal had been there to witness them all.

In a way, one could call Oceabal the first Empire to arise in the world. Even though no one except they themselves knew the history of their underwater empire, it had been accepted by all that Oceabal was the most powerful. Just the show of power that accompanied their rise to the surface was enough to show off this fact. What hammered in this again was the fact that all the sea monsters that they had arrived with were A rank beasts!

Ursula turned to look at the others behind Leonidas at that time, her blue eyes curious. She skimmed over everyone, as they looked rather ordinary to her, but her eyes paused on Leon. Leon could see them sparkle with curiosity the moment she looked at him.

"An Undead? It's been years since I last saw one!" Ursula strode forward and passed by Leonidas before coming to a stop in front of Leon. Her eyes took him in from head to toe, and then back up before she spoke again.

"You are strong. Why don't you come and work for me, instead of Leonidas?" Ursula asked. Immediately, Leonidas choked on his saliva. He was first of all shocked that she would try to poach one of his people right in front of him, and then shocked again because of the fact that she had mistaken Leon to work for him.

Leon smiled and shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I am fine as I am. And also, I do not work for anyone." He corrected Ursula.

"Oh?" Ursula held up a pale blue hand to her lips and turned to look at Leonidas. "I apologize for my mistake. But are you sure you do not want to work for me? Or are you just afraid of the water?" Ursula smirked.

"..." Leon's jaw twitched. It seemed that Ursula had a foul mouth. She did not know how to respect people. Perhaps it was because of her rather isolated upbringing, as she had only come up to the surface a scant number of times, and she was already an adult at that point, so shaping her attitude was impossible then.

"As for the rest of you, do you work for Leonidas too?" Ursula turned to the other A ranks.

"I am a loyal followed of His Excellency, Leonidas!" Patrick stepped forward and slapped his muscly chest, creating a loud thump.

Ursula's face wrinkled at the brash display, but she nodded with a slight grimace.

"My name is Damian Dura, Crown Prince of the Dura Kingdom." Damian stepped forward and gave a small bow to Ursula. Aside from Leonidas, this was his first time interacting with such a powerful figure. If he could secure an alliance with Oceabal, then Dura would be set up for success!

"Oh, the Dura Kingdom! I have heard many things about Dura... But not all of them are quite positive." Ursula's sentence began with a brightness to it, but a frown climbed onto her face as she recalled the various things her informants had told her about the Dura Kingdom. She turned to look at Damian as she deliberated something. "We should speak one on one sometime." She nodded at him. Damian's eyes brightened at that, and he nodded as well.

After Damian, Richard stepped forward. "I am Richard, more widely known as Silver Tooth, acting head of the Silver Tooth Mercenary Guild." He introduced himself.

"I have also heard of you." Ursula nodded her head, and then turned back to Leon. "What of you?"

"...I am Leon Cromwell." Leon introduced himself simply.

"Leon Cromwell... That sounds familiar. No fancy title? No power backing a strong Undead like yourself?" Ursula frowned. Just then, one of her guards stepped forward and whispered in her ear, and her eyes went wide.

"You are that same Undead Necromancer who participated in Divinity's Bout?" Ursula exclaimed with round eyes.

"I am." Leon nodded his head with an air of pride. He would never get tired of people finding out that he was that same Undead Necromancer from Divinity's Bout.