“Take out all the piled meat.”
“What are you planning to do with this?”
Surprised by the unexpected command, Mihael questioned with confusion. If it was about food, the Duke’s mansion would have plenty, so it was a reasonable question.
I chuckled at his question.
“That’s why.”
What I took out of my pocket was a sharp utility dagger.
Without hesitation, I slashed my palm, and blood streamed profusely.
‘Ouch, it hurts.’
Despite the burning pain, I pressed the bleeding hand firmly onto the stacked meat.
The blood, like a sauce, spread over the frozen meat.
“What are you doing!”
Mihael’s complexion turned pale. Startled as if I were injured, he hastily infused me with divine power.
Perhaps because he was a paladin and not a priest, his healing power was modest, but it was sufficient to quickly mend immediate injuries.
This much was expected.
“Thank you, Mihael. Thanks to you, I could heal quickly.”
“That’s not the issue. Why would you… harm yourself like this?”
Mihael looked at me with a gaze that showed he couldn’t comprehend. He held my wounded hand with both hands, gentle but holding it in a way that made it impossible to escape. The grip of the hand, soft but firm, was rather bewildering. The shimmering aqua eyes amid the disheveled platinum hair were the same.
“Um, it was necessary. To survive this emergency, we need to do this.”
“Are you shedding blood for that?”
To him, who had an expression like crumpled foil, I sighed and explained.
“No, it’s not. It’s about creating bait to attract the attention of the zombies.”
“Bait?”
“Everyone already knows that humans are the favorite prey of zombies. Human blood and flesh. Since the more sensitive part is blood, making a plausible bait with it seems good for getting out of this situation.”
I couldn’t use human flesh to make bait. That would be insane.
However, using pieces of pork or beef as substitutes and sprinkling human blood on them could create plausible bait.
Looking down at the still-wet meat, Ruth muttered.
“I should move this with magic. In the opposite direction of where we need to go.”
“That’s right.”
Since the meat couldn’t move on its own, we needed the power of magic.
“Rather than using reckless teleportation magic with several people, this is a more efficient way to use magic power.”
“It also increases our survival rate.”
Benedict nodded, understanding Ruth’s words perfectly. It seemed he fully grasped what I intended to say.
“I need more than just my blood; I need help from others. If the scent of several people mixes, the zombies might be less attracted, don’t you think?”
While using the portable barrier, we safely headed towards the northern gate of the capital. Meanwhile, the zombies had to chase the bait like hungry dogs.
Having blinded the zombies’ vision and knowing their tendency to rush towards prey, it was a feasible strategy.
Even after explaining all this, Mihael still showed a worried expression.
“Didn’t you say, Your Grace, that zombies have excellent smell and hearing? What if they discern the scent of flesh from the meat and rush back this way?”
Although it might sound like a nitpicking opinion, I could sense Mihael’s concern in the words he spoke.
“It’ll be fine. Right, Zero?”
I’m counting on you, Zero!
Passing the explanation to Zero, he responded hesitantly.
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Those zombies seem extremely hungry since they haven’t found human prey for a while. If they catch the scent of human blood, they’ll almost go into a frenzy. You don’t have to worry because they’re the type that rushes without distinguishing. If you’re concerned about the smell of pigs and cows, the green spirits of Clover can handle it.”
Though Ruth was initially known as the Dice Magician, he now called Benedict “Greenie” instead of Zero.
“What did you say? Greenie?”
Just as Benedict was about to snap at the absurd and childish nickname, the spirits blocked his way.
【Of course, we can handle that much!】
【Deceiving non-humans by making them look like humans is our specialty.】
【It’s possible for a moment.】
【If we project the image of you running away with blood dripping onto that meat.】
【Oh, those blind ones are more interested in smell than appearance.】
【Make the scent of humans emanate from that meat, right?】
【No. Zombies have excellent hearing too, right? We need to completely overlay an illusion that makes them exactly resemble these kids. That way, they’ll hear the sound of retching and think, ‘Ah, that’s a human!’ and get lured in.】
“That’s right. That’s all we ask, spirits.”
As I respectfully greeted them, the spirits chuckled with joy.
【Small contractor, that’s why we like you.】
【Among non-contracted humans, it’s been so long since someone spoke to us.】
【Especially you, we’ll take care of moving the meat.】
“Oh, that’s great if you could.”
Yay, I can save Ruth’s magic power.
I silently rejoiced, and Zero whispered to me, ensuring only I could hear.
「Since I mentioned the spirits, you have to treat me to walnut tart when we go back. Got it?」
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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