The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 16

“Young Lady, this is Lanit.”

“Come in.”

As soon as I opened the Reception Room door, I greeted Esmela, who was sitting on the sofa.

“Good morning, Young Lady.”

“Yeah.”

When I exchanged morning greetings with Esmela, she calmly accepted it. This is how my day begins with her, a well-worn routine.

However, today, two new women have joined our usual scenery of just the two of us.

“May Juten’s grace be with you today, Lanit.”

“…”

I take a seat on the sofa next to Esmela, where Arit offers the morning greetings typical of the Radain Church, while Head Maid Elina pours tea for Arit with a blank expression.

On the low table in front of the sofa, simple refreshments and a teapot have been prepared, which Elina must have set out by now. I send a grateful glance towards the Head Maid, who has been attending to the two so far, but she remains expressionless and unresponsive.

Feeling awkward, I stand behind Esmela, where I’m supposed to be.

“Well then, it seems everyone’s gathered, so shall we start.”

Esmela and Arit are sitting on the sofa, while the butler and maid stand behind them.

At a glance, it looks like a tea party for noble Young Ladies and a nun, but in reality, it’s a meeting for the four of us to discuss the current situation of the mansion and future plans.

…Though I don’t know why we’re having this important meeting in the Reception Room instead of the office.

“First, Elina. What’s the plan for the mansion repairs?”

“The mansion is currently protected by Arit’s barrier, but just in case, we are working on repairs for the front gate and part of the wall damaged during yesterday’s Zombie Incident. However, since the gate’s bars are completely bent, we believe professional repair personnel will be needed for a full restoration. For now, I’ve instructed the work crew to carry out only the minimum necessary repairs.”

“Got it. Move as quickly as you can. Next is Lanit.”

“Yes.”

“Report the current total number of people in the mansion.”

I quickly recall the identities of the servants currently residing in the mansion.

“Um… Excluding those who left to accompany the Lord, there are 7 butlers, including myself, 9 maids including the Head Maid, 5 cooks, and 4 others responsible for various mansion management tasks such as gardeners. So, excluding Lady Esmela and Lady Arit, the total number of servants currently left in the mansion is 25.”

Fortunately, I was able to remember the personnel count I conducted before leaving the mansion.

“In that case, it means a total of 27 people are isolated in the mansion. Elina, how’s the current food situation?”

“Considering the stored food in the pantry, including emergency supplies… there’s enough to provide meals for the mansion’s occupants for about 6 days. If we ration it as much as possible, it could stretch to about 8 days.”

“…That’s a bit lacking.”

As Esmela said, with the Zombie Incident in the Royal Capital uncertain when it will end, having only a week’s worth of food reserves is a serious issue.

“We need to secure additional food in preparation for a potential prolonged situation. Lanit, Elina. Prepare measures and report by tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Finally, Arit. Please explain the barrier currently protecting the mansion.”

“Yes, Lady Esmela. The barrier encompassing the entire territory of House Herta, including the mansion, is a basic level of sheltering shield that I can maintain simply by being inside it without any special rituals or tools. The mana consumption isn’t too high, so as long as the barrier remains at its current level, it can be maintained indefinitely, but…”

“But?”

“Since the barrier covers a wide area that needs protecting, if a large number of zombies begin to strike the barrier, this current barrier won’t hold up. At that point, we’ll need to strengthen the barrier, which will sharply increase mana consumption, significantly reducing the time it can be maintained.”

“So we can’t solely rely on the mansion’s defense to the barrier. Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Understood.”

Esmela efficiently organizes a multitude of agendas.

Thanks to that, our meeting has taken on a form where the remaining three handle issues under her lead rather than an actual discussion…

Still, thanks to quickly wrapping up what needed to be discussed, a brief lull in the meeting allows Esmela and Arit to have a moment of rest while enjoying their tea.

‘Now’s my chance.’

“Um, Lady Esmela, may I ask Arit a quick question?”

“What’s your question?”

“I heard from Arit that she has already encountered zombies once. If it’s alright with her, I would like her to tell me the details of that situation.”

“Of course. If Lady Esmela and Lady Eliza are alright with it, I can share it right now.”

“I have no problem. All urgent matters have been resolved, and the rest can be discussed at leisure after Arit’s story finishes. Besides, I quite like the chrysanthemum tea that Eliza prepared, so I’ll listen while enjoying it.”

“Thank you, Young Lady.”

“And what about you, Eliza?”

“I’m fine as well.”

“What a relief. Then, where shall we begin the story from…”

A nun walks through a dark forest path at night.

Beautiful appearance, plain nun attire, and a large wooden club with thorns in her right hand.

It’s a bizarre combination, but they best represent who Saintess Arit Radain is.

Approximately thirty minutes into her entry into the Harka Great Forest.

The midnight forest is eerily silent.

After maintaining the silence within the woods, she finally speaks for the first time since entering.

“It’s quiet.”

It’s too quiet.

With senses several times more acute than ordinary people, Arit cannot detect any traces of life around her.

“Someone either chased them away on purpose or sensed the threat and fled…”

Currently, Arit is crossing the great forest on a quest commissioned by the Hunter Guild’s Pedina branch to search for missing persons.

Her destination is a small pioneering village in the forest called Kiar Village, home to about 40 households.

The content of the quest is to search for fourteen missing persons from Kiar Village.

A notable detail is that all communication between Pedina City and that village has abruptly ceased for several days, so she should proceed with caution.

According to the branch chief, four hunters who set out from Kiar Village a few days ago to eliminate monsters in the forest have gone missing, and since then, news of anyone heading toward Kiar Village from Pedina City has completely stopped.

“I hope everyone is safe.”

Arit, feeling a growing sense of unease in her chest, unknowingly quickens her pace.

Before long, the dense woods clear, revealing a wide clearing with log cabins built within it.

However, it wasn’t the cabins that captured her attention—

“♬~ ♪♩~”

A faint song echoing through the quiet little village in the woods.

The voice singing the song is soft and innocent.

“…”

Yet to Arit, that strange song sounds ominously foreboding.

Gripping her club tightly with her right hand, she cautiously walks toward the sound.

One step, then another.

The closer she gets to the source of the song, the clearer it becomes.

“When the black dahlia blooms, life fades away.”

And when she can comprehend the lyrics of the song, the Saintess finally arrives at the village’s central clearing—

“…!”

She stands shocked, momentarily forgetting to breathe at the sight before her.

Corpses.

Dozens of bodies lay on the ground.

There are no visible wounds on them; all of them seem to be peacefully asleep with closed eyes.

That alone is already an eerily sufficient sight but the peculiarity of the corpses’ arrangement adds to the grotesqueness.

The bodies are arranged in a large circle, all their heads facing the center of the circle.

And in the center where the deceased gaze points, illuminated by the moonlight, a young girl dances.

The girl wears a gothic-style ominous black dress and boots.

The dance she performs involves tapping the ground twice with her left foot, once, and then tapping three times with her right foot and once, merely spinning with her arms wide open in a spin, surrendering to that bizarre rhythm.

“When the silver moon rises, love is forsaken.”

The voice of the young girl, who appears to be around ten years old, sings the nonsensical lyrics to an ominous tune.

The Saintess stands at the edge of the clearing, entranced as she gazes at the eerie dance, forgetting her own duties.

Suddenly, the girl stops dancing and turns her body towards Arit.

“Oh my. To have a Saintess visit such a humble banquet.”

The polished speech of a young girl contrasts sharply with her innocent voice.

At the girl’s words, Arit regains her senses and raises the thorns club, pointing it at her.

Despite clearly showing hostility, Arit asks one last question to the girl.

“…Reveal your identity.”

“Aha haha.”

Even facing Arit’s menacing aura, the girl bursts into cackling.

“Identity, identity… what could be the identity of this girl? My name has already been torn into rags and my heart has been trampled to pieces, and my honor has long since burned to ashes.”

With each word the girl utters, Arit tightens her grip on the club.

“Still… it wouldn’t be polite for the host not to introduce herself to a guest. Hmm… what name should I choose… ah, yes.”

The girl tilts her head, pondering, then suddenly claps her hands and beams with a bright smile.

“How about the Witch of the Black Dahlia?”