The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 39

‘SYSTEM EYE.’

[Name: Robertze of Arkeisia / Age: 24 / Job: Prince of the Kingdom of Arkeisia]

[Detailed Status]

[Strength: B+] [Agility: A] [Durability: B-]

[Mana Amount: A] [Mana Manipulation: S]

[Intelligence: A] [Skill: B+]

[Special Skills]

[Royal Family’s Legacy: The visionary magic of the Arkeisia family. Literally handles silver mana. Its detailed principles belong to realms beyond even mageology. / Level 5]

[Versatile: All stats receive a +1 modifier, and most skills and magic can be learned. / No level up possible]

[Noble Heir: A passive indicating the target of the main route in [Romance in Arkeisia~Four Jewels~]. During the main story of [Roina], additional buffs are applied to stats and skills as the male protagonist of this route. / No level up possible]

I slightly close and reopen my eyes, checking the name portion again.

[Name: Robertze of Arkeisia]

It’s still the same prince’s name upon rereading.

“What’s up all of a sudden? Staring into space.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

So, this guy who’s spouting such plausible nonsense right in front of me is really Robertze of Arkeisia?

The very prince expected to succeed the current king and govern the Kingdom of Arkeisia as a wise ruler?

“Ah, I guess my proposal shocked you.”

“Yes, you could say that…”

“Haha. No need to be so intimidated. I mean, even I think it’s a brilliant idea, something commoners wouldn’t even dream of.”

“…”

That can’t be right.

Prince Robertze from [Roina] is wise, always considerate of those around him, occasionally makes human mistakes, but in critical moments, he always sides with the heroine and neatly resolves the problems she faces—truly a specimen of a prince on a white horse.

His appearance, voice, and even ‘system’ confirm that this flashy gentleman before me is indeed Robertze of Arkeisia, but…

Something feels off. It’s a subtle difference, but there’s an unsettling feeling that’s fundamentally hard to describe at the personality level.

[Notification]

[The skill level of System Eye has increased from 2 to 3.]

[From now on, you can check the status of the corresponding character in the status screen.]

Ugh, just when I’m flustered because of the prince, this pops up…

…Level up?

Realizing the meaning of the popup message a bit late, I hurriedly check the prince’s status screen again.

[Name: Robertze of Arkeisia / Gender: Male / Age: 24 / Job: Prince of the Kingdom of Arkeisia]

[HP: 1730/1730] [MP: 2411/2411]

[Status: Normal]

[Buff/Debuff: None]

…

“Ooooh.”

“This is way too flattering.”

Not that I’m amazed by you, though!

But what’s more important is the newly updated status screen.

Just below the basic personal info, there are added features like HP and MP as if using System Eye on a monster, and it even shows the current status and any buffs or debuffs!

I still don’t know why my level went up, but compared to the previous status screen that only showed basic info, the added sections here could certainly be quite useful.

“…Hey? What are you spacing out about?”

“Ah… sorry.”

I forgot I was having a one-on-one with the prince out of excitement over this unexpected windfall.

*Ahem.*

The prince coughs softly, looking a bit displeased.

“So? I’d like to hear your answer about my proposal.”

“…”

Thinking it over—or rather, not needing to think—I already knew what my answer was.

“I truly apologize, but I have no choice but to refuse.”

“…?”

The prince tilts his head, looking confused.

Not angry, but genuinely curious as to why I made such a foolish choice.

“Can I hear your reasons?”

“I could list countless reasons… but the most important one is simple. I am the personal butler of Miss Esmela.”

“I know that too. That’s why I’m making you this offer, right? Think it over. If you excel in this operation as her butler, your reputation will soar, and Esmela’s image will improve too. Doesn’t seem that complicated?”

“…Even if I concede that what you said is true, and this is a great opportunity for me to take the front lines and elevate the lady’s name, I still cannot do it.”

I look straight at the prince, as if questioning what he means.

“The goal of all the servants of House Herta, including butlers, is to dedicate themselves to their master—that’s it. Even if I were to defeat hundreds of zombies and return a hero, if such accomplishments meant abandoning my duty to the lady in a dangerous situation, it would simply be an option with no value for me to consider.”

After finishing my words, I rise from my seat, placing my right hand over my heart, bowing deeply.

“I beg you to forgive this unloyalty of a mere subject who dares refuse the command of your highness.”

“…”

The prince simply watches as I apologize in silence.

…Well, I took a leap, but I’m still a bit anxious. One word from the prince could land me in the dungeons…

As I cautiously glance at him while slowly making my way toward the door,

“…You’re really stubborn, just like your master. I believed you would understand.”

The prince’s somewhat melancholic monologue echoes behind me.

I provide no reply, quietly exiting the hallway and shutting the door.

I then exit the palace where the reception room was and head toward the building where my quarters are.

The neatly organized gardens of the royal palace I stroll through stand in stark contrast to the clamor in my head.

The prince’s appearance is different from the character in the game. The potential fallout from refusing his offer, the sudden level-up of ‘System Eye’ skill, and the evolved status screen.

“Hmph…”

I can’t keep mulling over everything indefinitely or I’ll just end up with a mess in my head.

Let’s sort this out one by one. First, about the Robertze who doesn’t match my memories.

Since there’s nothing I can do about that right now, I’ll just store it for now. Someday, I’ll surely find a clue to solve this mystery.

As for the prince’s offer and its repercussions… that’s beyond my skills. It might be better to consult Esmela about it.

Having decided so, I quicken my pace toward my quarters, hoping to meet Esmela this time.

And regarding the status screen.

This part is relatively clear. I just found out what changed by using it on Robertze, so…

Of course, it’d be better to experiment on various subjects. Especially focusing on the status and buff/debuff sections.

The ‘Status’ entry would likely indicate diseases or bodily changes, while the ‘Buff/Debuff’ section would denote enhancement spells like Arit’s Blessing or Haste.

However, since I didn’t get any information about those two categories when using System Eye on Robertze…

It’d be best to use the skill on someone who has an illness or can cast enhancement magic to check things out, but I wonder if there will be any chances for that in the palace.

As I ponder these thoughts while walking out from the building where I met the prince and heading toward the guest quarters where Esmela is staying, I find myself arriving at a wide open space that seems to be a training ground for soldiers ahead.

“Eh?”

But there, I spot over a hundred people gathered in the center.

“Who are they?”

I observe closely to identify the unfamiliar group.

They seemed to be a ragtag bunch from various backgrounds and statuses, their mismatched clothing all unkempt and some even stained with blood.

They all carried weapons like swords or spears—or, if nothing else, knives or even wooden sticks.

Some looked nervously around while others seemed to exhale sighs of relief.

“Ah.”

The answer isn’t that hard to find. They’re the refugees gathered here after hearing the broadcast.

They must have gone through harrowing journeys, weapon in hand, to break through hordes of zombies to reach this place.

Though the palace is quite large, it’ll be hard to fit all the impending refugees inside buildings, so perhaps they’re setting up temporary accommodations in this outdoor space.

This works out well. I can use System Eye on these people.

I approach stealthily, making sure not to draw attention, and stop at a reasonable distance to get a good view of the crowd.

‘SYSTEM EYE.’

As I consciously focus on one individual within my line of sight, I wait for their status screen to pop up,

[Name: Kellyson / Gender: Male / Age: 42 / Job: Janitor]

[HP: 140/140] [MP: 10/10]

[Status: Normal]

[Buff/Debuff: None]

…

His status screen pops up right next to my face, showing the details of the person I’m currently watching.

Switching targets isn’t difficult either. I just think about who I want to check next…

[Name: Julia / Gender: Female / Age: 60 / Job: Costume Store Clerk]

[Name: Harti / Gender: Male / Age: 8 / Job: X]

…

The status screen transitions smoothly to show the info for different targets as I desire.

[Name: Heinz / Gender: Male / Age: 50 / Job: Blacksmith]

[HP: 142/162] [MP: 100/100]

[Status: Waist Injury]

[Buff/Debuff: None]

…

His HP is slightly down. Did he suffer a waist injury?

[Name: Jane / Gender: Female / Age: 19 / Job: Clergy of Radain Church]

[HP: 410/410] [MP: 418/712]

[Status: Normal]

[Buff/Debuff: Blessing of God]

…

Right, buffs are displayed like this. By the way, a clergy of the Radain Church… she might be an acquaintance of Arit?

[Name: Birha / Gender: Male / Age: 33 / Job: Hunter]

[HP: 381/800] [MP: 90/210]

[Status: Severe Bleeding, Zombie Virus Infection]

[Buff/Debuff: Strength, Haste]

…

Oh no. What happened to that young hunter with bandages on his shoulder who’s suffering from bleeding and infected by the zombie virus…

…Wait a second?