The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 106

“No way.”

Count Larson’s refusal was firm.

“Um, excuse me, Count. Please reconsider…”

Even as Prince Robertze begged pitifully,

“Ha!”

The Count merely scoffed, showing no intention of changing his mind.

As Renit pointed out from the start of their journey, relying on external help for most supplies until reaching the Royal Palace was a precarious strategy that depended entirely on the goodwill of the providers.

And that weakness had ensnared the party from the moment they arrived at the mansion of House Larson, their first stop.

The journey back to the mansion had been smooth. Occasional zombie monsters, resembling snow wolves, had attacked, but unlike before, they were thoroughly prepared for the cold, and with Robertze’s strength added to the mix, they handled the monsters without any issues while traversing the snowfield.

The real problem arose when the Count openly snubbed the Prince upon their arrival at the mansion.

“I’m back, Count.”

“Oh! Esmela. Are you returning after meeting your father? How is Duke Herta faring?”

The Count welcomed Esmela and inquired about the Duke’s well-being.

He showed a polite demeanor toward Renit and Arit, though not on the same level as for Esmela.

Only,

“In the end, it seems the royal family has fallen from grace. Serves them right.”

He was openly insulting the House of Arkeisia while being particularly cold and harsh toward Robertze.

“That’s rude, Count!”

Robertze protested against his demeanor, but

“Of course it is. Embarrassingly rude, in fact. So what are you going to do about it, Prince Robertze?”

The Count boldly declared his rudeness, leaving the party momentarily speechless.

“Even if I’m asking you, are you really unwilling to provide supplies, Count? It’s not much. Just some horses for travel and a bit of preserved food would suffice.”

At this, Esmela stepped in, “But Count…”

“Sorry. No matter how much you’re asking, I have no intention of helping that Prince.”

The Count remained unmoved.

“Um… Lord Anders. Can you tell me why you are so hostile towards Lord Robertze?”

Finally, Arit questioned the Count about his inexplicable animosity toward Robertze.

“Hmph. Sure, I’ll tell you.”

The Count seemed to have been waiting for that question, launching into his story.

“Originally, House Larson, like House Herta, has supported the House of Arkeisia for a long time. By that measure, we have no reason to yield to Herta. Moreover, our ancestors fought on the frontline against invading western nations during the kingdom’s early days. But!”

The Count suddenly shouted, startling everyone else in the room.

“Under the pretext of gifting a territory, those royal folks kicked our family out to this frigid northern land. They didn’t even entertain our request for a piece of land that’s not permanently frozen to the south.”

A sneer appeared on the Count’s face as he ranted.

“They were afraid. Afraid that we, with our overwhelming military power, might rise against them. So they confined us to this northern territory where crops won’t grow, using the barren lands as a leash to keep House Larson under their control.”

“Wait, that’s not true! Our royal family has always regarded House Larson as a friend!”

“Really? Then why has there never been a single instance where we were granted a Duke title? Given our contributions to the state, we fall short compared to none, not even House Herta.”

“That’s… um… well…”

“Got a point there… it is the norm for the Northern Duke… no wonder it’s frustrating.”

“What did you say, Renit?”

“Oh no, it’s nothing. Just a passing thought, Esmela.”

“Our fierce warriors from House Larson have always stood at the forefront of battle! Yet, we’ve received no just recompense for the blood they spilled for hundreds of years.”

The Count pointed his finger at Robertze.

“If you’re here to pay that debt right now, then let’s talk. Otherwise, there’s nothing more to discuss.”

“…”

The Count’s lengthy monologue came to an end.

Robertze kept his lips tightly sealed and lowered his gaze, unable to refute the Count’s claims.

“Excuse me, Count Larson?”

At that moment, Esmela interrupted the conversation.

“What is it?”

“What if we oust the Prince from the party and request support from House Larson instead?”

“That wouldn’t be an issue. We just dislike the royal family; we hold no ill feelings toward House Herta. However, if we make promises we don’t intend to keep and the Prince avoids us and later joins you, we’ll need to ensure the Prince is locked up.”

“…Is that the plan? What will you all do?”

“Hmm…”

“Even so, Esmela…”

“Wait! Is that really the right thing, Esmela? And what about reclaiming the royal family? You can’t just leave the Prince behind!”

Anyway, the party was stuck in a back-and-forth argument without a resolution.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the reception room.

“Oh? You’re back already?”

Entering the room were Dion and Iiergo.

“Oh! Welcome back, Dion!”

Had Robertze already been aware of House Larson’s hierarchy? He greeted her cheerfully and rushed to explain to Dion about his situation, how he needed supplies for heading south, and how Count Larson had disdained him.

“Hmm…”

The couple, having heard his story, looked troubled.

“That sounds unfortunate… of course you and Iiergo both want to help. After all, it’s a friend in need. But the head won’t allow it, so I can’t do anything.”

‘That’s a lie.’

Renit thought inwardly, having already heard from Tikhah how she had finished sorting out the hierarchy in House Larson.

Esmela and Arit seemed to share a similar ridiculous expression.

In reality, while the Count tried hard not to show it, he had been subtly keeping an eye on Dion throughout her stay in the reception room.

“Then Father, how about this?”

At that moment, Iiergo spoke up.

“Go on.”

“You have a point, Father. From our family’s perspective, the grievances against the royal family won’t be easily resolved.”

All eyes in the room turned to Iiergo, eager to know what he would say next.

“However, Robertze has been studying at the Royal Academy with me and Dion for three years, and we’ve maintained a steady friendship since then. His request isn’t so excessive as to warrant a familial dispute; it could be seen as a minor gift among friends.”

“So what are you proposing, Iiergo?”

“I propose we offer him a quest to assist with matters concerning our territory. Upon completing the quest, we provide rewards in the form of a cart and provisions. This way, we both have justifications.”

“A quest… with just that…”

Yet, Count Larson seemed unamused.

“Wouldn’t that be acceptable, Father?”

At that moment, Dion interjected.

“Please, let’s consider this… okay?”

“Ugh…”

Dion used a heavily sweetened tone, pleading with the Count.

“…”

However, both the Count and others watching felt an inexplicable sense of pressure.

“Cough! Fine, I suppose I have no choice.”

Finally, the Count relented and accepted the proposal.

“Thank you!”

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Prince Robertze! This isn’t for your benefit. Since Dion has gone to such lengths to request it, I have no choice but to comply out of obligation.”

Just as Robertze seemed ready to clasp the Count’s hands and shake them up and down in joy, he sulked back down.

“However, Dion. Do you have a specific task in mind?”

“Yes. While patrolling with the City Guard, a troublesome situation arose near the mountain range to the west of our territory.”

“Did you tag along with the City Guard again? What if you catch a cold? Iiergo, you need to talk some sense into Dion! Why are you trailing along with her like that?”

“Come on, Father. I’ll just be out for a minute.”

“Sigh. Well then, let’s hear what happened.”

“Do you remember when we hunted the Frost Giant to obtain materials for the mana-blocking cloak for Esmela?”

“I do.”

“The Frost Giants rallied the surviving monsters and have barricaded themselves with snow and ice in the western mountains.”

“””…??”””

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

Renit surveyed the expressions of everyone in the room. They too looked utterly confused.

“So, to deal with the remnants, we need to clear that barricade… and it seems we have the perfect candidate here?”

“What? No, not you, Esmela.”

Dion’s gaze was directed at Renit as he said this.