Necromancy

"Why didn't it work?"

Over the past few minutes, I'd been trying to figure out why my spell hadn't worked. I was sure I'd followed every step correctly. No matter how many times I replayed the process in my head, I couldn't find the mistake.

So I gave up and decided to ask Aleister.

When I entered the shack, he was still sitting in the same spot, meditating.

'Why is he always meditating...?'

I pushed the thought aside for now—what mattered was the spell.

"Aleister."

No response.

"Sir, are you there?"

Still nothing.

"..."

"Master..."

Finally, his eyes opened.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

I felt my face twitch.

'This guy...'

After calming myself down, I asked what I came here to ask.

"I tried to cast a spell, but it didn't work, my sacrifice wasn't used."

"Are you sure you followed the proper procedure?"

"Yes. I'm sure of it."

Then, I showed him the rabbit.

The moment he saw it, his brow furrowed.

"This... Where did you get this?"

***

'The rabbit was already sacrificed, but how?'

I was confused by what Aleister had told me, apparently my rabbit had already been sacrificed.

That confusion only lasted a few moments as I soon connected the dots.

"So that's why it was dead…''

'But how did it attack me, then?'

"Necromancy"

"!"

I froze.

'I forgot he could read my mind…'

I turned my gaze aside, and continued.

"But there's something I still don't get. The rabbit's body is intact. Why couldn't I use it?"

Aleister leaned back, his tone calm.

"Spellcasting is simple. You offer something of equal value to the Law."

'I know that much…'

"But in this case," he continued, ''the rabbit's body is worthless. What matters is the soul. And this one is already gone."

"Oh."

That made sense. But something still bothered me.

"In the book, there were cases where people offered corpses."

He nodded.

"True. A corpse can be offered for minor spells. But this one's been tainted by necromancy. That corruption lingers—it fouls the sacrifice. It's like trying to use a burned scroll as parchment."

He really has an answer for everything.

'Maybe he's not that bad of a teacher after all…'

"Now that I've taught you something" he said, with a twisted smile, "Go fetch me some frog-devouring flowers."

"..."

"Oh, and also bring me a Moonlilith."

I take it back. He really is the worst.