The streets of the capital, which hadn’t been seen in a long time, were still grim.

“Grooaaan….”

“Aaaargh….”

‘Ugh, zombies roaming in hordes, same as before.’

In the seemingly frozen streets, zombies with unnaturally twisted joints walked, emitting eerie groans. The bloodstains on the zombies’ mouths looked like ancient coal marks that had been smeared over time.

Moreover, since zombies couldn’t change into new clothes they wore in their past lives, the stains and dirt emitted a vibrating stench. The scene of the chaotic street, where people had fled in a panic, remained uncleaned, and insects swarmed.

“If hell exists, it would probably look like this.”

Michael grimaced at the arrogant comment. His subordinates weren’t visible due to the mouth cover, but the deep furrows on his forehead indicated his despondency.

“The current situation itself is a hell, anyway.”

“You did well to follow the Duke’s advice and make and wear the mouth cover. The stench in the streets itself is quite overwhelming.”

“Isn’t this situation a hell on its own?”

“When mentioning hygiene issues, did it really have to go this far? Well, thank you for your consideration. It seems that even without being bitten by zombies, one could catch a disease just from the smell.”

Michael’s admiring praise made me shrug my shoulders.

“It’s quite common.”

But inwardly, I felt a bit stung.

‘If only you could experience a pandemic situation once, you’d understand the importance of hygiene….’

After the incident of rescuing survivors, I urgently felt the need for a mask, so I requested Benjamin, the human ex-merchant, to make one.

Creating a manual for making masks wasn’t difficult. I had the “Help me, MacGyver!” skill, after all.

Just in case, I brought a sample made from cutting up unused clothes. Benjamin’s eyes widened like a rabbit when he saw it.

〈Duke, what is this? It’s a thing I’ve never seen before.〉

〈I made it. A mask… well, a mouth cover. I hope it can be of use for those joining the journey to recapture the northern gate of the capital.〉

Observing the makeshift masks, Benjamin’s eyes sparkled, and he asked me.

〈What is this invention for, Duke? Since you made it, I’m really curious to know.〉

Benjamin, an artisan in creating household items, had a lot of curiosity about new things.

Since I didn’t invent it, I came up with an excuse based on the reference books I had prepared.

〈It’s called a mouth cover. It’s commonly worn in the country of Quina in the desert region.〉

〈Is that so?〉
〈In Quina, sandstorms frequently occur, so people always wear mouth covers to ensure comfortable breathing. Although our empire is not concerned about sandstorms, the outside has become a mess due to the appearance of zombies… Because of the filthy environment, those accompanying us shouldn’t catch any diseases. That’s why I’m asking for this favor.〉

Since the concept of hygiene wasn’t well-established here, explaining its importance was difficult, so I blurred the explanation.

Benjamin was enthusiastic in response to my words.

〈It seems that the Duke values his people a lot…!〉

〈Huh? No, isn’t that obvious?〉

How can one fight alone? If the number of people fighting together decreases, I will be the only one at a loss.

In that sense, saying it’s “obvious” meant that, but Benjamin seemed even more moved, and his eyes sparkled.

〈I’ll do my best to make the item, the mouth cover, that the Duke entrusted me with! Mass production is not difficult. Just give me some time, and I’ll take care of it quickly.〉

〈Uh… okay.〉

〈Is there anything else you’d like me to do?〉

Seeing Benjamin speak so eagerly, I was initially perplexed, but then I decided to give him more tasks.

〈Then, make disposable gloves. It would be good to use leftover cloth. The appearance doesn’t matter; it can be rough.〉

〈Not leather or densely woven lace gloves?〉

Benjamin raised his eyebrows at the unfamiliar request. It was quite understandable.

What I requested from him was disposable gloves.

〈It’s not just for me. This is also for those who go outside to fight zombies with me. So, prioritize practicality when making them.〉

‘Considering the current era, we don’t have the technological capability to create modern hygiene vinyl gloves or surgical latex gloves yet.’

Without teeth, you have to use your gums.

In any case, for the Kitten Duke, the remaining treasure was wealth, and among them, there were countless pieces of cloth. Making gloves from a yawn seemed like a good idea.

〈Is this also for a similar reason as the mouth cover?〉

〈Yes. After defeating zombies, you have to bury them. You can’t grab them with your bare hands.〉

‘Preventing an unfortunate incident of being bitten by zombies is essential.’

If bitten by a zombie, even if it’s not a virus infection, caution is needed because it could turn into the same type of zombie through magic.

Even though she had a spray bottle and a water gun filled with holy water, the concept of “if” is always present.