The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 23

Esmela’s Office.

In the center of the room, five people stood around a large wooden round table that had been temporarily placed for meetings.

On the table lay a disheveled collection of various documents, including a colorful, graffiti-covered map of the Royal Capital.

After a heated meeting, a brief silence fell upon the five of us, broken first by Esmela.

“Alright. That concludes our discussion. Now, let’s confirm what each of us is responsible for. First, Helinante.”

“Yes, Young Lady. To boost the morale of the servants, I will instruct the cooks in the kitchen to prepare the dinner as lavishly and heartily as possible using all the remaining food from the storage. Before bed, I will also conduct a training session with the butlers regarding the formation and how to handle zombies while moving to the Royal Palace tomorrow, and finally, I’ll check the armor and weapons we selected from the mansion’s storage.”

“Good job remembering. Next, Elina.”

“I will instruct the maids on the same matters that Helinante mentioned. Unlike the butlers who can all fight, there are only two other maids besides me capable of actually facing zombies. So, I’ll differentiate between those who will directly confront the enemies and those who will need protection in the center of the formation, and I’ll give them instructions suitable for each. Additionally, I will manage the cooks and other staff who aren’t butlers or maids.”

“Excellent. Arit?”

“My duty is to ensure that the barrier functions properly until right before we leave. Fortunately, since the barrier and the mansion are far apart, there hasn’t been any instance of zombies detecting and attacking those inside the barrier… but it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious, right? After that, I’ll offer prayers for everyone’s safety to God Juten.”

“Thank you. And… Lanit?”

“Yes, Young Lady!”

“Go bring some tea. I think I’m parched after all this talking.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

*Sniff…* Don’t laugh, Helinante.

“Alright, then the meeting is over. Everyone, return to your duties. Don’t forget to gather in front of the central staircase on the first floor by 7 AM tomorrow.”

With a clap of her hands, Esmela concluded the House of Herta’s strategy meeting.

*Tap, tap, tap.*

“Young Lady.”

I cautiously called out to Esmela.

It was past midnight, getting close to one o’clock. Normally, Esmela would have gone to bed by now, but…

*Tap, tap, tap, tap.*

“It would be wise to go to bed. You need to manage your condition for tomorrow.”

I suggested in the gentlest voice I could muster. She was still sitting in the office chair, arms crossed, tapping her foot on the floor instead of returning to her bedroom.

“…”

Her face also showed a clear sign of anxiety.

“Should I prepare some chamomile tea? Chamomile has calming effects…”

“It’s all gone.”

The Head Maid, standing behind Esmela to her left, answered in my place.

“Oh…”

“We can’t fetch tea in this situation.”

Right, I totally forgot. Living within the barrier and not facing zombies regularly, I often lose track of the fact that the Royal Capital has been engulfed by the Zombie Incident.

“Get a grip. Can you still call yourself my personal butler?”

Esmela’s scolding voice felt sharper than usual.

“I’m sorry.”

I apologized, not that I truly did anything wrong, but just trying to placate her.

Of course, I fully understand her anxious state. Tomorrow, we have to navigate through an army of thousands of zombies with nearly thirty people, so if Esmela was acting as if nothing was wrong, that would be even more bizarre.

Still, she needs to get some sleep…

While I pondered how to soothe Esmela, I suddenly felt a gaze from my left and turned my head to see the Head Maid staring at me intensely.

It seemed like she had something to say.

“Esmela, what is it that worries you?”

The Head Maid shifted her gaze to Esmela after addressing me.

“Worry? Me?”

“You can be honest with us. If you’re worried about what will happen if the servants get bitten during tomorrow’s move, I’d say that’s an unnecessary worry. We have seven butlers skilled in combat, including Helinante, and three guarding maids. Plus, with your magic, as long as the servants don’t stray from formation during the move, there’s no reason for them to get hurt.”

The Head Maid continued to speak fluidly, glancing at me as if to gauge my reaction before proceeding.

“And above all, according to the Lord’s orders, Lanit will risk his life to protect you, Young Lady. Right, Lanit?”

…Ah.

“Of course. Even if the Lord hadn’t commanded it, I, Lanit, will always be by your side to protect you.”

I quickly caught on to Elina’s intent and matched her tone.

“…”

Did that get through…?

“…Can you swear it?”

“What?”

“Can you swear it.”

She shot me a fierce glare, sharply turning her head back.

“Of course. I swear in the name of Herta.”

Well, it’s not like I needed to swear to do this. I became her butler in the first place to protect Esmela.

“…Hmph.”

She abruptly stood up and marched toward the office door.

“You say nice things. Whatever. I’m going to bed.”

She left without even letting me say goodbye, slamming the office door behind her.

The Head Maid ambled after her before turning to look at me.

“That was quite good for you this time.”

She said that in a straightforward tone and then walked out of the office.

*Squeak, bang.*

Before long, I was left alone in the office.

The Head Maid’s remark was a compliment… right?

“Yawn…”

I walked down the connecting passageway toward the servants’ quarters.

Five minutes after they left, I also exited the office, heading back to my room.

…

I’m not as anxious as Esmela, but thinking about tomorrow, I too feel a tightening in my chest from the nervousness.

*Click, bang.*

I entered my room and closed the door, but still couldn’t shake off the looming thoughts.

“Ugh, what does worrying do? Getting a good night’s sleep is the best way to prepare for tomorrow.”

Just as I was about to take off my butler jacket,

*Bang!*

“What the hell?!”

I stumbled as a sudden shock rocked the floor, throwing me off balance.

*Bang! Crash!*

Between the intermittent massive impacts shaking the room, I faintly heard an ominous sound, like something splitting apart.

The vibrations I felt were as intense as when the Lord’s fire arrow pierced the barrier, but something felt different this time. It was as if a giant was pounding on the wall…

I fastened my jacket again and dashed to the window.

*Rattle.*

I hurriedly opened the window to look outside…

The barrier was cracking.

The golden shield that protected us from the zombies surrounding the garden had countless fissures sprouting from the point it met the ground, rising towards the top of the barrier.

It wasn’t just one place. All around the visible barrier, innumerable cracks appeared, growing larger with time to the rhythm of the nearby explosions.

The appearance of the barrier, cracked all over, resembled a shattered eggshell on the floor.

“What the hell…!”

I tried to look past the distant barrier to assess the situation, but it was pointless.

It was nighttime, and clouds had obscured the moonlight, leaving me unable to see anything but the barrier about to break.

“Damn it!”

I sprinted out of the room.

*Tap, tap, tap!*

I ran down the hallway, hopping over four or five steps at a time to hurry up to the second floor where the other butlers were.

“Senior!”

When I reached the second floor, I found Helinante and the other butlers had also come out into the hallway after hearing the roaring sounds.

Given that it was already late at night, most were without proper clothing, having rushed out in a hurry.

“Lanit! The barrier is collapsing!”

Helinante shouted when he spotted me.

He was also wearing a dark blue pajamas that matched his hair color.

“I saw it too! But suddenly, why…?”

I ran up to him.

“Someone outside must be destroying the barrier.”

True to his style, Helinante was trying to calmly analyze the situation, even while flustered.

“I don’t know who the foe is, but we need to gather the servants and prepare quickly! You must go to the main building and…”

*Tap, tap, tap!*

Helinante’s voice faded as I already dashed toward the main building.

“Please take care of the servants! The gathering location is in front of the central staircase on the first floor!”

I shouted over my shoulder to Helinante but didn’t slow down.

*Thump!*

I leaped down the stairs leading to the first floor in one bound.

*Tap, tap!*

As the impact of the landing powered my legs, I charged toward the connecting passageway.

“Ugh…”

The main building had Esmela and Arit inside. Moreover, the Head Maid was supposed to be attending to Esmela as she was about to go to bed.

I needed to find them quickly before the enemy reached the mansion…!

In the corridor darkened by night’s curtain, the faint moonlight shone through the windows, casting a soft glow on the ground.

I dashed, smashing the traces of that moonlight beneath my boots.

However—

*Clang!*

That was a sound entirely different from the previous crashes, resembling shattering glass.

I raced back to the window to look at the barrier.

*Clang, clatter! Crash, smash!*

Just like a glass shattering, the barrier began to splinter along the cracks, falling to pieces.

*Bang!*

And without any preamble, the golden barrier shattered entirely, leaving nothing but a glitter scattered across the night sky.

At that moment, the clouds parted, and the moonlight brightly illuminated the scene of the Herta Mansion once more.

A beautifully manicured garden surrounded by shrubbery and grass. And from the far end of it, trampling through the grass and disturbing the trees—

*Graaahhh!*

An unfathomable number of zombies were marching toward the mansion.