The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 3

[Romance in Arkesia]

In an elegantly designed title logo that perfectly fits the fantasy genre, adorned with vintage fonts and flashy decoration.

As I turn on the game, the title logo, which I’ve seen hundreds of times, greets me with familiarity.

[Love and Dead]

Below it, there should originally be a subtitle reading [Four Gems], written in four colors fitting the title.

The word ‘Love’ is in an adorable pink font, decorated with a small heart above it, while ‘Dead’ is written in a black font that looks almost hastily scrawled, mixed with a hint of green, as blood drips beneath the letters.

[Prologue. The Wedding Blessed by the Dead]

The prologue bears a title I’ve never seen before.

If my memory serves me right, the first chapter of [Loinah] was titled [The Meeting on the First Day of School], where the heroine happens to get entangled with four male leads on her first day at the academy…

It’s all very confusing.

What in the world is this random screen that’s appeared before me?

-Aaaah! What, what is this!

-Get away, move aside!

-Gahhh!

-Those things, they bite people!

What on earth is happening right now?

“Get a grip!”

A sharp voice suddenly pulls me back to reality.

“What are you doing, dazing off in such a critical situation?”

Esmela was glaring at me with a look of exasperation.

“Ah.”

Somehow, Esmela had gotten up from her seat and was now standing in front of me.

Her eyes, which were gazing at me, were still wet from the tears she hadn’t quite wiped away.

Slap!

She slapped her cheeks hard with both hands.

“I’m sorry, Young Lady. I will fulfill my duties.”

I bow my head and apologize to Esmela.

Right now, that’s not the important thing.

My duty as her personal butler is to protect Esmela.

With that firmly in mind, I lift my head again, and the mysterious title that had appeared moments ago has already vanished.

“I think we should get down from the VIP seat, Young Lady.”

“Right.”

I immediately scan for the exit, but…

“The entrance is blocked by a crowd trying to escape?”

Just as Esmela pointed out, the nobles above us in the VIP seats were also in a state of panic, pushing and shoving each other down the stairs, all trying to be the first to escape.

“Whatever.”

Esmela, as if it didn’t matter, starts walking toward the railing of the VIP seats opposite the chaos in the plaza.

“I could use levitation magic to move you…”

No, even levitation magic would take too long to hover through the air.

“Excuse me, Young Lady.”

“What? Eek!”

I request permission, then scoop her up in a princess carry.

“What are you doing!?”

“I apologize. This is an urgent situation.”

With that, I dash toward the railing.

As I run, I glance back toward the plaza.

The large screen above the plaza is still broadcasting the wedding venue.

It seems there’s some glitch in the visual magic because the viewpoint is tilted to the right.

In that distorted focus, the figure of the prince, barking orders at the ministers on the platform, comes into view.

Where did the confidence from earlier go? His face is now clearly showing signs of panic.

“…”

I turn my gaze back forward and leap off the railing while still holding Esmela.

“Don’t do something like that again.”

“…Yes.”

I touch my stinging left cheek, where Esmela had hit me.

“Young Lady, let’s head to the carriage. It’s better to return to the mansion as quickly as possible.”

“I know.”

We start walking toward the northern boulevard of the plaza, where the carriage is waiting.

Click-clack, click-clack.

With each quick step, Esmela’s two twisted braids sway up and down.

‘Honestly, I would love to just carry Esmela and sprint away right now… but I feel like if I did, I wouldn’t just get slapped.’

As we head toward the carriage, I survey the chaotic scene of the northern alley of the plaza.

-Master, why are you suddenly like this? The wedding?

-That’s not important! Call for the carriage! We’re going back to the mansion, hurry!

-What on earth is going on…?

-Commoners must be causing a riot. The kingdom’s soldiers will suppress it soon, don’t worry, ma’am.

The back alley leading to the northern boulevard of the plaza was chaotic with nobles and their servants fleeing the VIP section.

Yet, unbothered by the commotion, the Young Lady of the House of Herta strode ahead boldly.

“By the way, that’s absurd. To think someone would plan a riot at the prince’s wedding. Whoever the instigator is, they’re sure to face dire consequences if caught.”

It seems Esmela thinks that what happened in the plaza was orchestrated by someone.

However, if what I saw was correct… those ‘things’ were not human at all.

“Young Lady, I have a different opinion.”

“What?”

She turns her head toward me, having heard my comment.

“So you’re saying someone released monsters in the plaza, Renit? In the royal capital?”

“…At least from what I saw, yes.”

If ‘those’ can be classified as monsters, that is.

“I saw a large group of figures that appeared human entering from the south side of the plaza. At first, I thought they were people too, but as they gradually approached the northern VIP section, I got a clearer view of what ‘they’ really looked like.”

“And then? What did they look like?”

Upon closer inspection, their appearance was anything but human. Rather, it was as though corpses had come back to life… and were…

I stopped my report, witnessing the horrific scene unfolding before me.

“Why did you suddenly stop… Ugh.”

Esmela too, turned to me to scold me, but her expression changed to horror as she stared in the same direction I was.

The scene began to come into view from the northern boulevard of the plaza.

Carriages waiting for the nobles lined the street, alongside the horses pulling them.

No, there had been such things.

-Aah! Gaaah! What are those!

A driver tripped while fleeing from one of ‘them.’

And in an instant, they pounced on him and began to tear him apart.

“Right now… they’re…”

They’re eating a person. Esmela couldn’t bring herself to say the next word.

A hellscape unfolded on the boulevard.

The carriages lay shattered, wreckage strewn everywhere, and the horses and drivers who had fallen victim were now grotesque corpses, maimed and lying on the ground.

The few remaining survivors were shouting and fleeing, desperately trying to escape from ‘them.’

Blood from the scattered corpses pooled in a crimson tide across the northern boulevard.

Amidst it all, the carriage we arrived in, marked with the symbol of Herta, caught my eye.

Or rather, what used to be it.

The House of Herta’s carriage was now completely unrecognizable, its insignia barely discernible on the shattered wall, while the five guards who had been accompanying it were now barely recognizable, their bodies strewn near the carriage, flesh ripped away, revealing bones.

And then, a swarm of twenty, or perhaps twenty ‘human-like’ figures gathered around the corpses of the House of Herta’s horses and drivers.

In a chaotic struggle, they clawed at each other, trying to snatch at least a bite like ravenous beasts competing over a bowl of food.

Those following behind us began to witness the same gruesome scene, and they stopped, bewildered.

-Aaaah! Th-the corpses…

-My carriage, where’s my carriage?

Some screamed at the sight of the scattered corpses, while others searched frantically for their own carriages.

Each reacted differently, but one thought they all shared was evident.

Someone screamed.

-What the hell are those!

What are those things in front of me?

The only person who could answer that question would be me—no, perhaps it’s just me across the continent.

“Damn it. I was hoping it wouldn’t be zombies.”

I couldn’t help but let a curse slip from my mouth.

The first word that came to mind upon seeing ‘them’ with decaying, swarthy skin was definitely ‘zombies.’

No way, in [Loinah], there is no such concept as zombies. They must be some kind of mutant ghoul or something like that.

Despite trying my best to convince myself there might be another possibility…

Seeing those creatures that charged unrelentingly at everything alive, tearing at living flesh, I have no choice but to admit it.

In the southeastern district of Royal Capital Erka, in the Pilke Plaza.

It has now been confirmed that a zombie incident broke out there, where over 100,000 people had gathered to witness the wedding of the prince.

I calmly observe those things running wild in the northern boulevard from afar.

First, I’ll figure out why zombies have appeared in this [Loinah] universe later…

What’s important now is how to survive against the zombies suddenly bearing down on us.

“What the hell is that? A ghoul? An undead? No, before that, how could undead appear in the royal capital…?”

Esmela appeared to be flustered by the nonsensical situation unfolding before her eyes.

“Young Lady.”

“Wh-what?”

As I try to explain the identity and danger of those things to her…

-Grrrlgh?

The zombies in the distance suddenly stopped feasting on the corpses and turned their heads our way in unison.

-Grrrgh… Gyaaaah!

Then, as if someone had given a signal, they charged toward us with unnatural speed.

“Damn…!”

It seems the zombies are not giving us even a moment to come up with a plan.

-They’re coming! Run!!

Seeing the zombies rushing, the nobles that witnessed this began to flee in the opposite direction we came from.

“No, fleeing that way will only throw you back into the chaos of the plaza.”

Having deduced this, I silently positioned myself in front of Esmela, glaring at the approaching zombies.

“Renit?”

At the sound of her calling me, I turn around.

Her pale face was a mix of horror, confusion, and fear.

…Yeah, the only thing I need to think about right now.

“I will protect you, so don’t worry.”

I put on a reassuring smile to calm Esmela and refocus my gaze ahead.

Survival.

Protecting Esmela while surviving the zombies.

That is all I’ll think about for now.

The distance between us and the zombies closes in rapidly.

I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the hilt of a dagger, just large enough to fit in one hand.

The hilt is embedded with a red jewel atop the blade-less weapon.

I lift the intangible hilt to chest height, gripping it tightly with both hands, and shout.

“Flame of Herta, become a sword to slay our foes!”