The wolf, so large it seemed unfair to call it just a wolf, was howling in front of the well behind the party venue. It howled eerily with its head raised to the sky, unconcerned by the people who had come out to look at it.

People felt a chill due to the wolf’s eyes that occasionally glowed blue in the darkness. Though it wasn’t a demon beast that had appeared, the wolf itself looked so much like one that people trembled in fear, feeling as if it might pounce on them at any moment.

Lucas and Elise were tense for a different reason than the people gathered there.

‘The well…’

It bothered them that the wolf happened to be sitting in front of the well.

‘It’s probably unrelated.’

But the well where the Franche royal family members were abandoned was very far from here. Since the wells weren’t connected, there was no possibility they could have flowed all the way here.

Yet, what was this uneasy feeling?

People were so focused on watching the gray wolf that they didn’t notice a black-haired woman in an elegant black coat mixing into the crowd. Only Floyd captured her presence precisely, and their eyes met in mid-air.

Floyd let out a short sigh before speaking.

“This wolf is one I’ve raised.”

As he began to speak, the wolf stopped howling. People anxiously watched Floyd approach the wolf without any caution.

Floyd casually placed his hand on top of the wolf’s head. The wolf looked extremely displeased, but no one could read its expression.

“It’s remarkably good at finding demon beasts.”

At the word ‘demon beast’ again, people flinched and stepped back. Watching the fearful murmurs spread, Floyd said,

“It seems there’s something inside this well.”

His ashen eyes that had been scanning the crowd stopped on Lucas. Lucas clearly saw the cold smile that appeared on Floyd’s lips.

Though it was very brief, it left a powerful impression.

Lucas realized something was wrong and shouted loudly.

“If there’s a demon beast, we should request the Holy Kingdom to send holy knights and priests! What are you thinking, risking everyone’s safety by trying to show off your skills?”

People frightened by the demon beast thought Lucas’s words were right. And since not everyone present was fond of Floyd, those who usually found him annoying raised their voices in agreement with Lucas.

“The Crown Prince Pelur is right! What if something goes terribly wrong by meddling carelessly?”

“That’s right. If there’s a demon beast inside, I think we should prioritize sending word to the temple.”

“Come to think of it, there was a rift in Kanta recently. The demon beasts that emerged then might have reached here.”

“Let’s stop this dangerous act!”

“Stop it!”

The opposing voices that had gained momentum grew louder. Now even those who liked Floyd joined in the opposition.

That’s how fearsome demon beasts were.

Floyd, who had been watching people with his hand on the wolf’s head and a crooked posture, grinned.

“I don’t want to stop.”

“W-What?”

“When I see a demon beast, I have to tear it apart on the spot to feel satisfied.”

“But…”

“If you’re afraid, tuck your tail and run away. Run away like dogs who’ve never fought, wetting yourselves.”

No one would run away after such an expression. As everyone just looked at each other, Floyd put two fingers to his lips and blew a sharp whistle.

People who had been hiding in the darkness revealed themselves. It was Hexten, Cain, and Adrian.

Seeing the commanders of Floyd’s elite knights gathered in one place, people thought they were lucky even in this situation. While people were dazed by the appearance of these famous knights, Floyd gestured to the knight commanders with his chin.

The knight commanders moved in unison to prepare to enter the well.

Cain and Adrian tied long ropes around their waists. Arsen and Hexten held the other ends.

As if waiting for that moment, a sound emerged from inside the well.

Woooooo-

A bizarre sound that made the wolf’s howl seem like nothing. People were more frightened than before, but Cain and Adrian jumped into the well without hesitation.

“Ah!”

“Dangerous!”

Some people screamed softly, and most waited for terrible screams to come from inside the well. But what was heard was not screams, but Adrian’s voice.

“It’s undead. Should we bring it up or dispose of it?”

Undead.

Lucas and Elise came to their senses as if doused with cold water. Lucas shouted.

“It’s dangerous! Dispose of it in there!”

Floyd grinned.

“I don’t want to. Bring it up.”

“Yes sir!”

“I ordered you to dispose of it! Are you planning to endanger everyone here because of your desire to show off? I said dispose of it in there!”

Lucas yelled. Seeing him shouting unusually loudly, people thought,

‘The Crown Prince of Gania is a coward.’

Lucas was in no position to care about others’ eyes.

The well. Undead. The vanished Franche royal family. And Floyd’s cold smile.

All of it pointed to one conclusion.

What’s in there must not be retrieved. It must rot and disappear in that deep well.

Lucas hoped people would agree with him like before, but this time no one did.

Curiosity about seeing undead with their own eyes outweighed fear, and they had gained some courage from the calm attitude of Floyd’s people even in the face of demon beasts.

“Coming up.”

As Cain’s deep voice was heard, Arsen pulled on the rope. Everyone, including Lucas and Elise, held their breath and watched Arsen pull up the rope.

When it finally emerged from the well, people let out screams, gasps, and sighs.

It was moving despite having no head. Its torn and dirty clothes suggested how long it had been trapped in the well.

People felt sympathy mixed with fear, knowing it was once a human who breathed and lived just like them.

And Roxiana swallowed her sobs.

‘Not yet.’

She could tell who it was as soon as she saw the headless undead.

‘It’s not time yet, right, Father? I shouldn’t cry yet, right?’

The sight of the half-rotten body swaying back and forth, tightly bound by ropes, became a blade that tore Roxiana’s heart. The reality that she would never again see her father’s face, always smiling kindly, turned her insides upside down.

But she held back.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, biting back her screams and forcing them down her throat.

“Here comes another one.”

At the sound heard again, people stirred.

Not just one?

This time it was a very small child. Perhaps three or four years old at most? The dress that must have once been as pretty as a fairy’s was torn to shreds and covered in mud, making its original color unguessable.

‘Winiel!’

Roxiana almost ran towards the child.

She nearly embraced Winiel, whose face had rotted to reveal bone, kissing her and crying out, I’m sorry, did it hurt, were you scared?

Grind-

Her teeth ground together making a sound, but no one paid attention to Roxiana. Everyone present was in deep shock because of the undead rising from the well one after another, not even making a sound.

“There are two corpses. These ones didn’t turn into undead. We’re bringing them up.”

The last to come up were motionless corpses.

One had no head.

Roxiana stared at the bodies of her mother and eldest son Ekion with a heart that felt like it was vomiting blood.

‘I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. I’m sorry for being the only survivor. I’m sorry for using your bodies like this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’

Becoming undead was considered dishonorable, but the honor of the Franche royal family had already hit rock bottom due to the false rumors spread by Joseph V.

So Roxiana decided not to hide the fact that her family members had become undead. With no honor left to lose, she chose to leave deep scars on Lucas and Elise with her family members who had become living corpses.

Blood flowed from Roxiana’s palms where her nails had dug in, but the pain was not felt at all compared to the great sorrow that filled her. The overwhelming grief seemed about to explode at any moment, but Roxiana did not cry.

‘Don’t forgive me.’

People held their breath, not knowing what to do in this horrific situation. No one thought to move.

The adult undead was shocking, but the child undead left an unforgettable impact on them. This scene of a half-rotten child making eerie sounds – woo, wooooo – would remain in their memories for life.

“Q-Quickly…!”

Then Lucas cried out in a hoarse voice.

“Quickly kill them! Kill them! Everyone is in danger! Don’t you know that people bitten by undead also become undead? It’s dangerous!”

Floyd gave a cold look to Lucas who was shouting and stamping his feet.

“As you can see, they’re tied up tightly and can’t move. What is the Crown Prince of Gania so afraid of?”

“Are you saying there’s someone here who isn’t afraid? If you’re not afraid, you must be out of your mind! Like you.”

“Well. I haven’t committed any sins against these people.”

At Floyd’s words that seemed to imply he knew something, Lucas’s face twisted. Only then did people realize the atmosphere was strange and looked back and forth between Lucas and Floyd.

Floyd fearlessly approached the undead. Two motionless corpses were laid in front of the undead that were tied up and unable to move.

“Though they’ve become dirty.”

Floyd reached out towards the headless undead.

“It looks like royal clothing.”