Created a Reverse Harem in a Doomed World (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

“I wish to offer holy water to Lady Keaton. Michael, bring me the silver bucket.”

“…To Lady Keaton?”

At the Pope’s words, Michael’s brow furrowed. That guy had been glaring at me since earlier, clearly displeased even about receiving holy water.

‘It’s tough living as a villainess.’

Everyone hates me. This is one thing I just can’t get used to, no matter how hard I try.

“…Sorry.”

“Never mind. Instead of apologizing, just give me a way to resolve this situation.”

Finding a solution to escape this predicament was far more urgent than grumbling.

When Michael hesitated, the Pope deliberately asked him in a low voice.

“Well? Is something wrong?”

“…No. I’ll prepare it.”

Even the strongest paladin was merely a humble priest before the Pope. Michael selected a dazzling silver vessel and bucket displayed beside the Pope’s chamber and approached us.

“Here you are, Your Holiness.”

“Thank you, Sir Michael.”

The Pope took the silver vessel and plunged it deep into the sacred spring. Soon, the vessel filled completely with clear, radiant holy water.

‘That’s the holy water!’

An essential item for fighting zombies!

I desperately hoped he’d pour a generous amount… but the Pope only disappointed me.

“Would this be enough for your share, my lady?”

“…Huh?”

‘Are you kidding me?’

Compared to the bucket, the silver vessel the Pope offered was pitifully small—barely the size of a household side-dish bowl. To me, it tasted bitter; the navel was bigger than the belly.

“Now, take this and…”

It was precisely at that moment, as the Pope began pouring holy water into the bucket.

「Let’s show time!」

Zero’s voice rang out clearly.

Only in my ears.

[System opening by request of Possession Bureau Administrator Assistant NO.00000234232, commonly known as Zero.] [system: Possessor buff activated!] [System administrator function accessed: Inventory opened!]

As Zero’s private status window—visible only to me—activated, an anomaly occurred.

“Oh my?”

“…What on earth happened?”

Not a single drop of the holy water the Pope had poured into the bucket remained. It vanished without a trace, as if instantly evaporated into thin air.

“Didn’t Your Holiness clearly pour the holy water?”

“Y-yes, I did. I suppose I must try again.”

Flustered, the Pope scooped holy water once more and poured it into the bucket. Yet again, it was futile. No sound of water filling the bucket could be heard.

Th-this!

‘It’s because of the inventory function!’

As if confirming my suspicion, the gauge on my status window rapidly filled.

[Holy Water: ■■■■□□□□□□] [Holy Water: ■■■■■■□□□□] [‘Holy Water’ has been added to your inventory!]

‘Wow.’

Curious, I clicked the holy water icon in my inventory, and its description appeared alongside it.

[Papal Holy Water: Sacred water imbued with divine power. Paralyzes undead creatures like zombies with 90% probability.]

Zero, the hamster assistant, puffed up proudly.

「Ahem. I lent a hand, you know.」

‘Good job, Zero!’

So they applied the familiar status windows and game systems from the registry office here!

With this, I could properly secure holy water even for the soldiers.

Pretending ignorance, I asked the Pope,

“Oh dear, isn’t holy water something only Your Holiness can draw and bestow? Yet it simply won’t stay drawn like this…”

Deliberately trailing off to sow doubt, the rigid Michael beside me chimed in with his own suspicion.

“Lady Keaton is correct. If there’s an issue drawing holy water, it could mean Your Holiness’s divine power has weakened or become tainted by negative energy.”

Though his reply was textbook-perfect, as if quoted straight from a manual, the Pope took offense and snapped.

“Are you suggesting I’ve fallen into corruption, Sir Michael? That’s harsh.”

“I meant no insult to Your Holiness. I was merely concerned for you…”

“I don’t want to hear it! And the same goes for you, my lady.”

Perhaps aware he was an ambitious, despicable man, the Pope, his face flushed red, abruptly thrust the silver vessel toward me.

“If you doubt my qualification as Pope, then draw the holy water yourself and fill the bucket. I won’t care how much you take.”

Oh my, what unexpected fortune!

‘Did you hear that, Zero? Apply the possessor buff properly.’

「Got it. I’ll unlock your class trait so you can take the holy water directly.」

‘Huh? What class trait?’

「To resolve this zombie crisis in such times, wouldn’t you need to become a saintess or something?」

Huh? A saintess? Me?

‘That’s not what I wanted……!’

Whoosh.

[Opening possessor’s class trait.] [‘Elisabeth Keaton’ has changed class from villainess to saintess.] [Due to the appearance of a powerful saintess after 948 years, sacred effects may manifest in the vicinity.]

Damn it all.

The moment I dipped the silver vessel into the spring, a brilliant light erupted. My hair and body lifted slightly off the ground, as if in a zero-gravity world.

Then, like the heroine of a magical girl anime, a halo of light swirled around me before flowing inward. Moments later, all the water in the spring compressed entirely into the silver vessel, filling the bucket to the brim.

[Holy Water: ■■■■■■■■■■] [Holy Water fully charged at 100%!]

Staring at the now-empty spring, the Pope stood speechless.

“Th-this… what in the world…!”

“This immense power… could Lady Keaton possibly be…?”

Unlike the Pope, who was dumbfounded by the spring vanishing entirely, Michael seemed to realize I’d become a saintess and looked ready to grab me immediately.

“Ah, ahaha! I’ll take my leave then!”

Fleeing was clearly the best option in such situations. If my identity as a saintess got out, that corrupt Pope might exploit me endlessly!

I snatched the bucket filled with holy water and bolted faster than anyone—so fast the holy paintings on the walls blurred into invisibility.

“Stop right there, my lady! I have questions for you!”

‘Like I’d stop for you!’

Stubbornly, Michael chased after me closely. I owed my thanks to Elisabeth Keaton’s stamina. Her body looked delicate, yet her core strength was no joke!

Having narrowly escaped Michael’s grasp, I spotted my waiting companions inside the temple and immediately shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Mage! Cast the teleportation spell now!”

“W-where to?!”

“To Keaton Manor—my home!”

“R-right away!”

Overwhelmed by my urgency, the mage hastily prepared the teleportation spell. As the magic circle completed, I cradled the bucket protectively, ready to return to the manor.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop?!”

“Huh?”

Grab. But Michael finally seized my wrist.

Simultaneously, the teleportation circle activated, and we all returned together to the manor.

“Sigh…”

Somehow, I’d ended up dragging along a burdensome side male lead with whom I barely got along.

“Uwaaaaah…”

Having used teleportation magic multiple times, the mages were exhausted and retched weakly.

“Hah… hah… we… survived.”

I’d gained an unexpected prize—stealing, no, bringing back all the holy water. Now I had a weapon against the zombies.

‘My legs are still trembling…’

I shivered, recalling the Pope’s gaze—beyond shock, nearly murderous. If caught, I’d be dead. I fervently prayed I wouldn’t cross paths with him again until the zombie crisis was resolved.

Lying flat on the manor’s front gate, dignity forgotten as I caught my breath, people rushed over from the estate.

“Who dares cast teleportation magic without permission at the Keaton Manor’s main gate…!”

“Huh? Isn’t that Miss Elisabeth?”

“What?”

Armed servants and staff, tense and alert even in broad daylight, swarmed toward us. They must have mistaken us for intruders.

“Steward, it’s me—Elisabeth.”

“Oh, Miss! Thank goodness you’ve returned safely!”

That meant the household already knew about the chaos outside.

“So the zombies have reached here too?”

At my disheartened tone, the steward nodded grimly.

“If you mean those inhuman creatures with bright red eyes, making strange noises, and trying to bite people—yes.”

Other servants backed up the steward’s words.

“They ignored the dead entirely and relentlessly attacked only the living—like butchers checking for freshness.”

“We activated the emergency barrier to stop them from scaling the manor gates!”

“Well done.”

“Huh? Miss Elisabeth actually praising us…?”

“But that’s all we could manage.”

Seeing the steward’s shoulders slump, Marian, the head maid, slapped his back firmly.

“Don’t say that, Patrick! Thanks to you, the manor’s staff fought those monsters in perfect unison. Cheer up!”

Ah, so that’s why everyone came running, each gripping a weapon.

‘No wonder every weapon bore distinct black bloodstains.’

“But where is the Duke…?”

At the steward’s anxious look, I replied with a bitter smile.

“Sadly, while trying to speak with His Highness the Crown Prince—who’d turned into a zombie—he bit me.”

I briefly explained, without disrespecting the deceased, that I’d attempted another suicidal act and died pointlessly.

“Merciful Ardel, preserve us.”

“He was no longer human—I shouted for him to retreat, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Right after, beyond the vanished barrier, hordes of zombies surged forward, led by the Crown Prince. Horrifying as it was, given zombies’ instinct to hunt the living, chaos must have engulfed the capital region.

‘Only nobles with the means to erect barriers, like Keaton Manor, would be safe.’

Commoners’ lives must have descended into hell. Even if the capital guard existed, with the royal palace paralyzed and no higher command to issue orders, they likely fled in disarray.

Glancing at the transparent, wall-like emergency barrier, I saw countless cracks spiderwebbing across it. Vivid, dark-red bloodstains—left by zombies scrambling desperately—made my heart run cold.

‘Damn it, Zero! The possession genre was clearly romance—why has it turned into a zombie apocalypse survival thriller!’

Was all that romance just preliminary setup? Mere garnish?!

「I don’t know either—that’s why I’m relying on you to figure it out…」

‘You’re an assistant under the administrator—what do you even know!’

「Why are you mad! Thanks to me, you escaped safely just now!」

Zero trembled, whiskers twitching. In his tiny hamster body, teardrops smaller than grains of rice welled up pitifully.

「I’m working hard too, you know!」

‘Sure—just to clock out early.’

「Gah!」

[Assistant Zero expresses frustration toward the possessor!]

Alright, alright—I’ll stop talking.