Despite the voices of concern, Elizabeth consistently maintained a relaxed posture.

“It won’t be like that, I swear on my name.”

Had this been before, no one would have listened to Elizabeth’s words.

But now was different.

“If Your Grace wishes so….”

“We must follow.”

Perhaps defeating ten zombies brought about quite a bit of trust, as the servants no longer hesitated and withdrew.

It was not pleasant to look at the corpses of the oncezombies, but Rus also decided to follow Elizabeth’s will.

‘Somehow, I feel like I should.’

Rus’s intuitive sense, prone to sensitivity, tended to be accurate.

“I understand. We will act according to Your Grace’s instructions.”

“I will as well.”

As Rus and Michael agreed with Elizabeth’s opinion, she smiled and put her gun into the holster at her waist.

“Thank you, Sir Michael, Mr. Rus.”

‘…It’s really strange.’

Elizabeth Keaton was now wearing a relatively simple uniform instead of her usual glamorous dress.

As the sole owner of the Ducal House of Keaton, it was not unusual to wear a uniform in an emergency, but it felt very unsettling to see Elizabeth do so.

Her current appearance seemed much more comfortable and fitting than before, and it was quite strange.

“…We will return shortly.”

Rus headed outside the Ducal Residence of Keaton with Michael.

There were a few corpses lying there that had once been zombies.

“The smell is strong.”

“It seems they have all been dead for a few days.”

Once the bodies, forcibly moved by the undead, stopped, they decayed even faster, as if time was being reversed.

‘We don’t have to worry about them moving again.’

As Michael flipped over the zombie, Rus examined the corpse’s condition, albeit roughly.

Apart from some wounds that looked like they had been torn and eaten somewhere, there were no particular features found.

“It seems we should take one zombie and concentrate on researching it, as the Duchess of Keaton said.”

“That would be best.”

A mage and a paladin. Although they were antagonistic entities, neither of them had any intention of squabbling over such petty feuds.

‘Is it like a plague? These zombies? I must find out the cause of the infection. Then I can cure….’

As Rus was thinking this and looking at the face of the ninth corpse, he paused momentarily.

“…Ah.”

“Why is that?”

As Michael asked at Rus’s changed complexion, he made a subtle expression that was neither laughing nor crying.

“…Ah, no. I momentarily mistook it for someone I wanted to see.”
The body of a woman with blonde hair resembling Siena, who had entrusted Ruth earlier, lay dead.

Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that her hair was a faded dye, much lighter than Siena’s, and her appearance didn’t resemble the woman at all.

‘I almost met a gruesome end.’

Had Elizabeth not saved him, he might have been lying on the ground with a hole in his head like these zombies.

‘How can I repay this debt of life?’

Ruth was pondering when Michael suddenly poked his head in front of him.

“Mr. Ruth.”

“Why, why do you ask?”

Startled, Ruth stammered, and Michael shone his tranquil skyblue eyes.

“Are you looking for Siena by any chance?”

“…….”

Ruth’s wavering expression hardened miserably.

‘I had forgotten.’

The knight before his eyes, Sir Michael, was also once a person who had loved Siena dearly with Ruth.

The atmosphere tensed as they became aware of their awkward relationship.

Michael asked with a cool tone, not knowing his intentions.

“……She is now Her Highness, the Crown Princess. Even though we were once close to her, she is not someone whose name should be casually mentioned.”

“Well. After all, the country has come to this state overnight, and no one is going to complain about disloyalty.”

This was a radical statement for the usually serious knight. Ruth, his eyebrows twitching, replied with a suspicious tone, his nerves sharpened.

The zombie that resembled Siena was roughly discarded.

“What do you mean, bringing up Siena to me?”

“Prepare your heart.”

“……I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Siena is probably dead by now. You realized that the moment you saw these corpses that were zombies.”

“…….”

“The moment she will see us alive again will never come.”

At Michael’s words, Ruth finally let a tear trickle down.

“……I already knew something like that.”

“Yes. That’s right. But I mean to realize it more and be careful. Not to make mistakes like earlier.”

Ruth, who did not like the priest’s personal knight, snapped at Michael.

“What is your intention in saying this to me?”

“It’s a warning to wake up.”

“…….”

“Right now, my master is the Duke of Elizabeth Keaton, with whom I have contracted.”

Master.

His heart, which had been throbbing earlier, now froze cold at these words.

Annoyingly so, a lot.

“……Keep that in mind.”

Michael and Ruth chose a robust male from among the ten corpses that were zombies.

The zombie mistaken for Siena was left behind, so the other zombies couldn’t approach, without even looking back.

‘I can bury her later.’

However, neither Ruth nor Michael ever came to see that corpse again directly.