White Wood Lord’s mansion was, to put it nicely, quaint, but to put it bluntly, overly modest.

My butler, Patrick, initially wore a gloomy expression.

“It seems lacking for the Duke to stay.”

Even the housekeeper didn’t express it in words, but her worried expression was evident. Compared to the opulent Kitten Duke’s mansion, White Wood’s mansion looked like a toy.

I didn’t have any particular thoughts, though.

‘What does the size and splendor of the mansion matter? Especially in a situation where zombies might attack anytime.’

Not long after we unpacked at White Wood Territory, an urgent message arrived.

A nearby lord, close to the capital Agatha, hastily contacted us in a state of confusion.

‘Probably unable to contact Kitten Duke and finding traces of someone using the portal, they reached out to White Wood instead.’

“What’s going on?”

Aston, who received the contact instead of me, soon furrowed his brow.

Big trouble! We couldn’t reach Kitten Duke, so we sent scouts to Agatha, and the castle…! The zombies inside detected an attempt to crawl up the castle walls!

“How’s the situation?”

It’s not just one or two incidents. All the zombies in the capital seem to be gnashing their teeth to get out. The lords in my jurisdiction, hearing the news, are panicking, finishing their evacuation preparations and leaving.

As Kiriye’s name, who controlled Siena’s body, became known to the world, it wasn’t unexpected for him to go on a rampage. We also evacuated knowing it would happen.

I received a communication artifact from Aston and continued the conversation.

“I’m Elizabeth Kitten, the Duke of Kitten. As expected, calm down the residents trying to leave and cooperate with nearby territories to create an orderly evacuation.”

Ah, understood. Duke, you are safe! But… Is this really okay? How is the situation unfolding…

“I’m telling you this in a hurry without time to send a message. The culprit behind this zombie situation has been identified.”

Really?

In the voice of the confused lord, soon anger and frustration were rising.

…Who is that person?

“Kiriye Worei. He seems to be from the Worei Viscount family. The massacre of the Worei family seems to have happened because of him. Judging by the similar names to the late Kie, he is presumed to be a brother. Confirmed to be a sorcerer proficient in alchemy.”

A sorcerer…!

The lord, who rejected and looked down on magic, couldn’t help but express astonishment. I tried to calm him down and told him what we needed to do.
“Preventing the confusion of the citizens is the top priority. Relay this to other lords as well. Make sure to promise to protect the residents of your territory. Keep in mind that if the society collapses due to the anxiety that zombies can emerge at any time, the one who will benefit the most is Kiriye, the culprit.”

Ah… understood. But is there a sharp plan? Even the Duke, who was fighting in the capital, is now outside.

“The barrier around the capital Agatha has not been lifted yet, so it will take time for the zombies to tear it apart and come out. Since those zombies will be more powerful due to the red patterns activated by Kiriye, hurry and join forces with other lords. We must blast away the zombies before it’s too late.”

So, it comes to this. The ancient capital…

“All the better if it’s fast. Right now, every second counts.”

The communication was cut off. I sighed, rubbed my head for a moment, and then, with my eyes wide open, took action.

“Tirium, and call Sherry and Jacqueline.”

It was necessary to thoroughly investigate Kiriye and let everyone know about this person.

So we can catch him.

The cozy reception room of the White Wood Lord’s mansion.

There, with Tirium, Sherry, Jacqueline, and other key survivors, I gathered the spirits within White Wood.

“Let me say this in advance; we visited the White Wood territory suddenly to end the war with zombies.”

Hoo. I, who took a deep breath, pronounced each word with a rhythmic tone.

“Originally, it was a method I wanted to leave as a last resort, but since all the survivors have come out, we need to destroy the entire capital.”

“Heeu.”

The spirits of White Wood clicked their tongues. They were welcoming to Lord Aston but showed subtle emotions to us outsiders.

“Is it really necessary?”

“The situation is urgent. The culprit manipulating zombies like marionettes has been revealed. He intends to slaughter all people without hesitation, using any means necessary, until the seed of every living being on this continent withers.”

“…Is that possible? It’s still quiet…”

Some wanted to refute my creepy statement.

With no time or enthusiasm to respond to such remarks, I asked Zero for help.

“Zero.”

「Hm. I suppose I’ll have to take charge.」

With a pong sound, a small hamster that was not visible in the air appeared, surprising Aston’s spirits.

“A rat, a talking rat!”

“It speaks!”

「I’m not a rat! You foolish humans!」