Michael’s gaze on me lying down was terrifying. It was the expression a personal trainer has when asking, “Would you like to go once more?” Please save me. The holy knight is trying to catch people.

‘Why am I not only encountering zombies in this fantasy world but also undergoing military-level training!’

“I can’t do it. I won’t do it. Just step on me and go.”

As I lay breathless, Benedict muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Even the newborn fairy of El[dash]seka can do that… What a weakling.”

“…”

Ugh, I couldn’t even run better than me when escaping through the secret passage. Despite knowing that such humiliating remarks were provocations, I couldn’t help but rise to the challenge.

“Darn it… It’s just about stamina! You just have to build it up!”

Wailing while dragging sandbags like a caterpillar, Ruth cheered from afar.

“Marquis, Marquis! Fight!”

“You’re annoying, you jerk.”

I’m a wizard, I don’t exercise. I play the role of an incompetent person, that’s what I do!

“Pitiful, so pitiful!”

Sweating bullets, I circled the sandbags.

This grudge will definitely be used to kill zombies.

“Ugh…!”

With all my might, Zero approached me, whimpering around me.

“You’re working hard. I prepared something for you.”

It was ominous.

“Don’t do it…”

“I don’t like it.”

“Ugh, you #%##$#$#!”

Despite my swearing, Zero just smiled at my tantrum.

Ding.

The state window, which had been quiet for a long time, rang.

[Sub Quest [Dash] Give a Hit to the Zombie! 1] [Raise your stamina and go zombie hunting with your party members!] [Designate an area and reclaim it.] [Reward: Acquire ‘Grow Stamina and Strength’ skill] [Sub Quest [Dash] Give a Hit to the Zombie! 2] [1) Inform the entire Empire that the capital Agatha is in crisis!] [2) Let’s get brave reinforcements to fight zombies!] [Condition: Cooperation with others is essential for this quest.] [Reward: Acquire the discontinued book ‘Everything About Curses’] [Sub Quest [Dash] Find the Unknown Figure] [Investigate the eradication of the Waray family in Linestead once again.] [Meet a sorcerer from the magical country of Quina.] [Reward: One-time-use defensive barrier spell that blocks any attack]

“I’ve prepared quests for you so you won’t be bored.”

“…”

I will kill him, I will definitely kill him.

After completing the quests, I decided to turn Zero into a flat pancake.

“Ugh… ugh…”

After the harsh training, Elizabeth, who had become like a dried squid, crawled back to her room.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“You’ve worked hard… Oh, it hurts.”

Suffering from severe muscle pain, Elizabeth disappeared like a crawling caterpillar. After she left, four men gathered in the training ground for a meeting.

Even if they didn’t get along, they recognized each other as a team and attended the meeting regularly.

Zero called this meeting ‘Men who defeat zombies’ and shortened it to ‘Zombusters’.

Elizabeth was unaware of this secret meeting.

The substantive leader of the meeting was Ashton, the Duke of Whitewood, who had been through countless battles.
I didn’t step forward to take charge, but when I regained my senses, Ashton was leading the meeting.

“Let’s start the meeting.”

It was a now-familiar opening line for the meeting.

They stayed in the training ground, lighting a small fire and discussing matters.

“Michael, how are the movements of the zombies outside?”

In response to Ashton’s question, Michael answered with a deep voice.

“Ever since we rescued the survivors, including Duke Damon, Viscountess Celeste, and Count Lutri, it’s strangely quiet. Fortunately, we were able to buy some time for the training of Marquis Kitten.”

“I see. Then, Ruth Kreacher, are you still consistently requesting support from the Matop?”

“Of course, Your Grace. I’ve earnestly requested several times for battle-magic users to fight against zombies, emphasizing the danger, but… it seems like Matop now treats it as persistent complaints. They are refusing my communication.”

“Everyone seems too busy focusing on their own safety. It’s lamentable.”

Chewing on the jerky he was eating, Ashton expressed his anger.

“Benedict Fairman, the half-fairy, you were in charge of protecting the barrier. Have you seen any zombies recently targeting Marquis Kitten?”

Ashton strangely seemed resentful towards Benedict, the youngest among the Zombusters.

He handed Benedict well-cooked sweet potatoes and boiled eggs, asking about the current status of the barrier.

Benedict didn’t hesitate to chew it with juice, then replied, “I haven’t seen any zombies approaching this area. They don’t make a move even when I see them from a distance. Once they spot corpses, they seem to sense danger and retreat.”

“Seems like they can distinguish the presence of predators, like beasts.”

Ashton recalled the tool-using zombie he had seen before escaping through the secret passage.

“Did those zombies cooperate, or did they show any signs of trying to use tools?”

“There was nothing like that. They move slowly if they don’t see prey, and they look creepy, but they didn’t move threateningly because they didn’t see any threats.”

“Is that so…”

‘Is it just a coincidence that intelligent zombies appeared?’

Ashton found it uneasy.

It seemed too coincidental for mutants to appear at that timing.

Moreover, initially, they clearly exhibited the same behavior patterns as other zombies, making the sudden change suspicious.

“If we could identify the shaman controlling the zombies, that would be great.”

“If I could have known that, I should have discovered it when I first came to Marquis Kitten, dissecting the corpse that was once a zombie.”

Ruth, with tired eyes, slumped onto a chair.

As an all-around wizard capable of all magics, Ruth sent the wizards sent by the Duke back to Matop after dispatching them to the Marquis, and he was going through a routine of exhausting and recovering his magical power daily.