The Black Necromancer

Eugene sighed as he finished his small meditation session. He opened his eyes and saw very little wisps of light floating around him. The wisps of light slowly faded out of sight as the ambient mana in the air calmed down.

He had always been a bit sensitive to mana, and after coming here, Rakon had told him the same thing. It made it easier for him to grow and use magic when compared to the average human. He recalled a statement that Rakon had made when he had noted this ability.

"If I were to compare you to a race of this world, then I would compare you with the Elves. They possess a physique like yours that is attuned towards mana. But still, in the face of your son, my Lord, you are merely lacking. However, I can understand that your genes built the foundation for his amazing talent, so I will give you some credit."

Eugene sighed and rubbed his face tiredly before getting to his feet. Just as he did so, he heard a knock on the door.

"Hmm? A visitor?" Eugene was surprised. He never had visitors. He quickly made his way to the door and opened it, only to be stunned by the sight of his son.

"Son?" Eugene was frozen. Leon had not come to see him much ever since they had arrived here. This sudden visit left Eugene frozen with shock.

"Hello, father. Can I come in?" Leon smiled.

"Oh, of course." Eugene stepped to the side while suppressing his grin. He was happy to see Leon, and intended to treasure every moment he could spend with him.

Leon stepped into the house alone and looked around. His summons assumed guard positions around the building to prevent anyone from unnecessarily eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Take a seat, I'll make some... tea?" Eugene turned to head to the kitchen, but paused and turned to look back at the skeleton sitting in his living room.

"Sure, that will be nice." Leon smiled. He appreciated the gesture and did not want to make his father awkward, so he adopted his human form.

Eugene nodded and headed into the kitchen to make the tea he had mentioned. Meanwhile, Leon took a look at the house. He had wanted for Eugene to stay with him in the mansion, but the man had refused it vehemently. He had eventually gotten his own house not far away.

At this time, Leon could already see a few personal touches around the house. What caught his attention, however, was a painting that hung on the wall by the staircase that led up to the first floor of the house. He got up and walked over to it to take a better look.

"Oh, you saw my painting?" Eugene stepped into the room at that moment, holding a tray with two cups and a kettle. He had a bit of an embarrassed smile on his face as he set it down on the center table and walked over to Leon.

Leon did not remove his gaze from the picture and examined it earnestly. The painting was that of a young woman and a little toddler in her arms.

"My mother?" He asked.

"Yes." Eugene sighed. "Her name was Rose, the sweetest woman you could meet. She had a fiery personality, but was still so sweet. We met at a gym." Eugene indulged Leon as he gave a short explanation.

"Do you mind telling me more about her?" Leon asked and turned around to look at Eugene properly. The woman in the painting had dark skin and a head of jet black hair, coupled with the brightest blue eyes. A contagious smile was painted in the picture as she held the laughing baby in her arms.

"Sure, I don't mind. You deserve to know." Eugene nodded and turned around, leading Leon back to the chairs. When they were both seated, he poured out two cups of a warm blue tea for the two of them. Faint wisps of light rose from the tea, showing Leon that it was not anything ordinary. Those wisps of light were mana, and they originated from the leaves that were used to make the tea. It was a high quality material.

"Your mother was the sweetest woman, as I have already said. We met at the gym after her discharge from the military. I was just an office clerk who had plenty of free time on his hands back then. We met when I needed help with a few sets, haha." Eugene sighed and held the cup in both hands. He stared down into the bright liquid with a sad look on his face as he reminisced the past.

"Rose was involved with the underground world. In truth, she had not been discharged from the military, but she had been promoted. She joined a special squad that was involved with investigating the supernatural." Eugene raised his gaze to meet Leon's sharp one. He could tell that Leon already got his point.

"So, then why did she get involved with you if she was on a mission?" Leon asked.

"Ha, it is almost impossible to control human emotions. It was as if we were fated for each other, so she said. We got married three years after we met, and then we had you. She was a talented mage, and managed to infiltrate the Black Fangs group. But she was found out and killed. You know the rest already." Eugene sighed and sipped his tea. He immediately felt a wave of soothing warmth flood his chest.

Eugene watched Leon stand up and walk back to the painting on the wall. He could not tell what was going on in Leon's mind, but he wondered if Leon held any resentment toward his mother. If she had quit, then maybe she would not have died, and Leon would not have gone through such a childhood.

"What if there is a way to bring her back?" Leon suddenly said and turned back slightly to look at Eugene through the corner of his eyes.