On his second day in the North, Simon rode out with the Grand Duke. Their objective was to intercept an undead force approaching Vilkenos. Before long, an army composed of zombified northern monsters revealed itself.

’This is a mission,’ the Grand Duke’s voice echoed in his mind. She was clad head-to-toe in pitch-black full plate armor.

’Achieve victory using only one type of undead. If you cannot manage that, you are not qualified.’

Simon accepted the challenge.

’I’ll show you.’

And so, the battle began. The unit Simon chose was the Corpse Spiders, which he hadn’t commanded in a while. He had to annihilate the enemy with command alone, without Erzebet or himself stepping in.

It felt strange at first. He had always entrusted command to his Ancient Undead while he fought at the vanguard in Pier’s armor, swinging the Greatsword of Ruin. But now, commanding from the rear—

’Alright, advance slowly!’

—he began to see things he hadn’t before. How the undead received his commands. How far the troops moved, and how far his orders reached. It wasn’t just about yelling, "Fight!" and crashing his forces into the enemy. He had to be more efficient, more tactical.

The reason Simon chose the Corpse Spiders was the terrain. Surrounded by a forest, he utilized the trees as much as possible. He sent the larger spiders to the front to physically block the zombies’ movements, while the rest climbed the trees and attacked from above. Every time the Corpse Spiders descended like pendulums on their webs to assault the zombies, the enemy’s numbers decreased significantly.

’Keep pressing from the left and right!’

Any undead that slipped through would directly harm the people of the North. He couldn’t let a single one escape. He deployed his reserve troops to block the flanks and had them shoot webs to seal them off. He was slowly getting the hang of it. Zombies would halt if their own kind were in front of them, unable to kill or push through. He used the webs to bind the zombies together, creating walls and gradually shrinking their territory.

However.

He grunted in pain. The mental shock of having a thought-link forcibly severed when an allied undead was destroyed was something he just couldn’t get used to. The fatigue from giving commands was already immense, but the added exhaustion from the destroyed units piled up, making his thoughts hazy.

’I have to save the ones at the front!’

His mental exhaustion was one thing, but the number of Corpse Spiders he had brought was not infinite. He wanted to save as many as he could for the larger battles to come. Simon focused his control on the spiders at the front. ’Shoot webs at their legs to block them, that’s right! Climb the trees to avoid them and...’

’WHACK!’

Suddenly, an impact on the back of his head sent him sprawling. His concentration shattered, and his mind went blank. He looked behind him. It wasn’t an enemy attack. The Grand Duke, on her horse, was holding her scabbard, her eyes gleaming fiercely from within her helmet.

’Get a grip, you idiot.’

"Grand Duke! What is the meaning of—!"

’Look at your right flank.’

Simon’s gaze snapped to the right. The northern zombies were pouring through the weakened encirclement.

’You lost sight of the bigger picture trying to save a few subordinates,’ she said, her voice sharp in his mind. ’You’ve picked up a bad habit from your peaceful life at the academy. Who told you to fight like a mere necromancer?’

A jolt ran down Simon’s spine.

’Fiddling around with a few undead is the fighting style of a mere necromancer. We are Legion Commanders!’

The Grand Duke raised her sword and gave a command. Her Phantom Dullahans charged on horseback, cutting down the zombies that had broken through and covering for Simon’s mistake.

’A Legion Commander must always read the entire battlefield. If you get bogged down by the few, the many will suffer. See the bigger picture! If a unit is doomed, let it die. Think about what damage you can inflict on the enemy in exchange for your losses!’

As he pushed himself up, Simon’s eyes gained a new intensity. ’She’s right.’

He focused once more. He would let the front line be pushed back; the difference in size between the spiders and zombies was an unavoidable problem. Instead...

’Lure them in deep and surround them!’

The spiders began to encircle and annihilate the zombies that ventured too deep. The Corpse Spiders had webs, and he used them to trap and halt their movement. While the zombies were immobilized, the spiders could swing on their webs and attack from the sky. The best defense is a good offense. Soon, the front line that had been breaking began to stabilize.

’You moron. You only seem to understand after you make a mistake.’

Even amidst the chaos, he could hear the Grand Duke’s grumbling, but the edge in her tone had softened.

---

Time passed.

"Haaah."

Simon had succeeded in annihilating the entire enemy force using only the Corpse Spiders. As soon as the battle ended, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

’I-I did it.’

It was a different feeling from what he had learned at the academy. Above all, when he had commanded his legion before, he always had to be mindful of prying eyes. But the North was different. The Grand Duke could move undead throughout the entire northern region, and even if people saw them, he could just say they were her forces. On this vast, snow-covered plain, he could command his legion to his heart’s content.

A waterskin landed with a soft thud beside him.

’A narrow pass. Rehydrate.’

"Thank you!" Simon opened the lid and gulped down the water. After the battle, the Grand Duke took off her helmet, her long, tied-up hair cascading down like a waterfall. The sight was as impressive as ever.

’You can’t even pull your own weight, yet you drink so greedily. How long do you plan to laze around? It’s time for the next battle.’

The waterskin fell from Simon’s hand. "Y-You’re joking, right?"

She grinned. ’I’m serious. Didn’t I tell you? I’d work you to the bone.’

---

After two more battles, they returned. He had handled the next with only the zombie unit, and the one after that with only the Skullwing unit. He knew the characteristics of each undead, but putting that knowledge into practice was another matter entirely. Thanks to the brutal training, Simon was able to firmly ingrain their various tendencies into his mind.

’You moron! The undead are getting away!’

The Grand Duke was merciless whenever Simon made a mistake. She would strike him with her scabbard or trip him. It would have been easy to be discouraged by the Northerners’ characteristically brutal teaching methods, but...

"Hmph!"

Each time, Simon would shake it off without any sign of hardship and get back up, his eyes gleaming with concentration. No matter how many times he was hit, he would rise and focus again.

’That one. His head is slow, but I like the look in his eyes.’

Even the Grand Duke, who became a demon during training, couldn’t help but acknowledge Simon’s attitude.

By the time the sky was pitch black, all the battles were over.

"Haaaah." Simon was slumped over on his horse as they rode back. The Grand Duke, her helmet off, clicked her tongue.

"You’re young, what’s so tiring? There’s honor in victory. Straighten your back." Even as she said this, a playful smile touched her lips.

Simon slowly straightened his posture. "You’re as busy as ever."

Even while mentoring him, the Grand Duke was moving her undead units scattered across the North or firing arrows in response to requests for support from her Flag-Bearers. She must have been just as exhausted as he was, yet she showed no signs of fatigue. Monstrous stamina and astonishing mental fortitude.

’This is what it takes to be a hero of humanity.’ It was no exaggeration to say that this vast North was being maintained solely by her existence.

"I’m in a good mood," the Grand Duke announced. "Is there anything else you’d like to learn?"

"Hmm." His body and mind were exhausted, but at the word ’learn’, Simon’s eyes sparkled again. After a moment’s thought, he spoke. "Do you happen to know the 5th Legion Commander, Magnus Alban?"

She grinned. "I do. That arrogant bastard."

---

Simon recalled his encounter with Magnus during the hostage negotiations after the Pentamonium incident. Simon had brought the Zombie Butler, while Magnus had brought Akemus. The goal was to exchange the two Ancient Undead. At that time, Magnus had said:

"As your direct senior, shall I teach you something? The true way to use an Ancient Undead."

Magnus had done ’something’ to the Zombie Butler. He hadn’t touched him, nor did he seem to be using any black magic. But then, the webs and curse talismans restraining the Butler had torn apart, freeing him, and his body had grown to the size of a giant. It was an enhancement. Not only that, but the Zombie Butler had spat a white liquid from its mouth, and from that liquid, raised elite soldiers called ’White Demons’. It was definitely not one of the Butler’s original abilities.

"So that’s what it was," the Grand Duke said, having listened quietly to Simon’s explanation. "It is a technique called ’Geheim’, which can only be used when a Legion Commander and an Ancient Undead are in sync. Think of it as a secret weapon that only a legion’s Ancient Undead possess."

Such a technique existed! Simon’s eyes sparkled. "Could it be that you too, Your Excellency...!"

"Of course. The Ancient Undead I possess can also use it."

"Th-Then, can you teach it to me?"

She frowned slightly. "Fine. Starting tomorrow, bring one of your Ancient Undead with you."

’Nice!’ Simon clenched his fist.

"Let me be clear so your slow mind doesn’t misunderstand," she continued. "Geheim is not a technique I can teach you from start to finish. All I can do is offer analysis and counsel based on my experience."

Simon looked puzzled. "Is it because each Ancient Undead has different tendencies?"

"Finally, your foolish head is starting to work. What’s more, if the Legion Commander changes, the Ancient Undead’s Geheim changes as well. It is a technique solely between you and your Ancient Undead. There is no room for a third party like me to interfere."

This also meant that even for the same 7th Legion, Simon’s and Richard’s Geheims would be different.

Her lips curled into a smile. "Getting to know each other will be the most important thing. You’ll be very busy during your time here."

’Getting to know each other is important.’ The feeling was both understandable and tantalizingly vague. Simon thought for a moment, then looked up.

"Could you give me a hint?"

"I told you to bring one tomorrow. You’re impatient. Alright, hmm." She massaged her stiff shoulder and fell into thought. Then she spoke. "Think about why your Ancient Undead choose to follow you. That is the beginning."

Simon fell into deep thought. ’The reason my Ancient Undead follow me.’

Then he remembered his promise to have a glass of wine with Erzebet tonight. He decided to start with her.