As soon as Rus finished speaking, we hurriedly descended the stairs and emerged from the building. Instantly, we were confronted by dozens of zombies roaming around like sprouts.

“Ughhhhh……”

“Let’s move along.”

Like boarding the No. 2 subway line during rush hour, we cautiously navigated through the throngs of zombies without making contact, heading towards an area rich in grocery stores.

“Ughhhhhhhh……”

‘Eek.’

Even though Rus had cast a spell to conceal us, we were extremely cautious to avoid colliding with the zombies shuffling close by.

Minutes later, cold sweat soaked through our outdoor gear.

We managed to break free from the zombie horde.

“This must be the largest grocery store on this street, right?”

‘John and Jane’s Everything-You-Need Grocery Store.’

The owner must have been quite wealthy; the store boasted an enormous area for a grocery shop.

Not only that, the store’s interior was designed in an oddly luxurious way, likely a marketing strategy to retain aristocratic servants.

Beyond the clear glass windows, there were heaps of fruits, bags of flour, seafood, and meat.

Thankfully, a sign was also posted on the glass window.

In our store, we employ renowned mages specializing in preservation spells to maintain the freshness of all the products we sell, straight from their origin.

I wanted to convey these words to the owners, John and Jane.

I love you. I love you.

A halo seemed to shine above the ingredients displayed inside the store.

“Wow, jackpot.”

Zero whistled. I saw his hamster-like eyes, as dark as black beans, fixated on an expensive cookie brand. There was no doubt that Zero was a cookie killer.

Anyway, all hail the aristocrats and their profligacy.

I wasn’t the only one excited.

Mihail and Rus were also thrilled upon reading the sign attached to the grocery store.

Fortunately, the grocery store was relatively neat compared to the chaos outside. There were signs of toppled products, but it was decent overall.

“Let’s start there.”

“I agree.”

“Obviously, but could you choose your words… It’s as if we’re robbers.”

“Let’s overlook the trivialities.”

“Your Grace reveals new facets the more you are peeled, like an onion in a previous life.”

“Okay, let’s quickly gather the ingredients.”

No sooner had the words left our mouths than Mihail, Rus, and I started sweeping up the freshest looking food items.

Following the thread of Rus’ spell, safe and trustworthy ingredients were revealed. It was convenient.

We poured all the groceries into the extra-large pocket dimension bag I had prepared.

Whoosh. Each time we poured an abundance of groceries into the pocket dimension bag, all three of us felt increasingly satisfied.

“Let’s gather more.”

“We need to collect more.”

“Shall we use magic? Honestly, it’s efficient.”

“Then we’ll make noise. As much as I want to, let’s refrain. Let’s gather everything swiftly and offer it to the Duke’s chef.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

‘John and Jane’s Everything-You-Need Grocery Store’ must have been wholesale; the feast of ingredients seemed endless.

On the first floor, we conquered fruits, meat, and seafood. On the second floor, we collected various grains, spices, seasonings, and herbs.

‘John and Jane had foresight.’

This is just like modern large supermarkets. So convenient and nice.

We know it’s not the time, but as we wandered around the store, we left nothing behind.

Finally, we cleared the third-floor snack corner down to the last speck of dust. That’s when Rus’ alarm spell sent us a signal.

It’s time to go back.

Seeing the message magically appear on our skin, we quickly ascended to the rooftop of the grocery store.

Mihail and I, standing near the railing, firmly grasped Rus’ arm.
“Don’t miss, guests. If you lose my arm, you’ll go straight to hell.”

Ruth chanted a flying spell.

“Wind, lift us like feathers and take us to the other side.”

Their bodies floated lightly, ascending until the ground swarmed with zombies that looked like tiny matchsticks. At a glance, the city of Agatha came into view.

“…”

From the sky above, Agatha seemed to depict hell itself.

“Ugh…”

Regrettably, just as Zero’s system window showed, zombies stained with blood roamed. There were countless corpses.

With no one to tend to the paralyzed city, the streets were filthy and desolate, emitting eeriness everywhere.

Caught in the gruesome landscape, Ruth poked me.

“Duke, it would be great if you could decide our destination.”

“Ah, yes.”

“At the moment, there are three functioning magic barriers within sight.”

“……!”

I knew right away.

Three bluish glowing points in Duo Street.

‘The estates of the three surviving families!’

Pretending not to know, I asked Ruth.

“Where are these estates located? It would be helpful if they belong to families I know.”

Narrowing her eyes, Ruth scanned the estates surrounded by magic barriers.

“Um… one in Duo-1 District to the west. The other two are in Duo-2 District, one south and another southeast.”

‘In order: Duke Damon’s estate, Count Celeste’s estate, Earl Lutri’s estate.’