The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 45

With a shout announcing the procession of the House of Arkeisia, those being escorted by the Kingdom’s Army infantry are approaching on horseback from across the wide avenue leading to the center of the Royal Palace.

“Everyone, clear the way! Kneel and lower your heads to pay your respects!”

The infantrymen managing the crowd of survivors push them to the sides of the road in unison.

The survivors, in turn, hurriedly step aside to clear a path for the royal procession, kneeling on one knee and bowing their heads.

“…Do as instructed.”

Esmela, observing the scene, quietly muttered.

Upon hearing her command, we all stopped what we were doing and prepared to pay our respects to the procession.

Esmela also knelt on her right knee at the front and bowed her head deeply, eyes closed.

Clop-clop.

As the royal procession drew closer, the sound of horses’ hooves resonated on the ground.

“…”

Unable to resist my curiosity, I slyly lifted my head and peered at them with one eye.

Unlike the soldiers I had met before, those guarding the procession were in gleaming armor and marched with a precise order, deserving of the title of elite soldiers.

Shifting my gaze to the center of the procession, I could see members of the royal bloodline riding on horseback, surveying their surroundings with proud, stiff necks.

Careful not to make eye contact, I examined them one by one.

The robust elderly man at the forefront of the royal family had to be Lord Elter, the king’s uncle, known for his exploits on the frontlines in wars with neighboring countries.

…Or was he the king’s great-uncle? Honestly, I’m not sure. In the game, apart from Robertze, only the king and queen were mentioned by name, and no other members of the Arkeisia royal family appeared.

Anyway, while casually glancing over those I couldn’t quite identify, I spotted the grand carriage at the center of their group and the prince and princess riding beside it.

The carriage pulled by two horses had the royal family’s emblem of three swords and a diamond-shaped shield etched into its walls, there’s a good chance the king and queen were inside.

Robertze was holding the reins with Yuria in front of him, both riding the same horse.

Instead of their usual lavish clothing, they were dressed in practical, comfortable outfits.

“…”

As I discreetly observed the procession, suddenly, one individual sparked my curiosity.

‘Speaking of which, I haven’t used the System Eye on Yuria yet.’

The last time we met, I couldn’t even entertain the thought with the intense atmosphere created by Esmela.

What a perfect opportunity…

‘System Eye…’

Zap!

“Ah!”

A sudden, sharp pain burst in my head, and I couldn’t help but let out a scream.

“What’s wrong all of a sudden, man!”

Helinante scolded me in a low voice, still bowing his head.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just got a sudden headache…”

As I made a vague excuse, the pain disappeared as if it had never existed, and when I regained my senses, instead of the usual blue screen the size of two A4 sheets, a small red notification popped up in front of me.

[Warning!]

[Your ability to check the status of the target is obstructed by a strong protective magic or some form of interference.]

What? Protective magic?

Staring intensely at the unfamiliar message, I tried to piece together its meaning.

This was the second time the System Eye failed to check someone’s stats, the first being the Head Maid, Elina.

Back then, it was due to a lack of skill level, but this message suggested that there was some external interference blocking my magic.

Protective magic or something similar… There are indeed spells designed to prevent mental interference.

So, did Yuria have such magic cast on her? Given her royal status, it’s possible it was a precaution against assassination attempts or mind control?

But if that were the case, then it wouldn’t explain why the System Eye functioned without issue on Prince Robertze. Surely, if it were for safety reasons, they would have placed protective magic on the more critical figure, the prince.

After ruminating on it without finding a solid conclusion, I cautiously lifted my head again to glance at Yuria—

This time, she was already smiling at me.

“!”

I hurriedly ducked my head. My heart raced. Did she catch me looking at her? Or did she notice me using the skill on her?

In that fleeting moment, a myriad of thoughts raced through my mind, and cold sweat trickled down my forehead.

Carefully, I looked back at Yuria.

She was gazing up at Robertze, who was behind her, with a gentle expression, as if nothing were amiss.

Finally, as the royal procession reached the southern gate, it came to a halt, leaving me frozen in place, still kneeling for a considerable time.

After the procession stopped, Robertze, in place of the king, delivered a short speech to the survivors from atop his horse.

The content was familiar: the kingdom was in crisis, yet hope was beginning to appear; therefore, in the name of the royal family, they would protect them, urging them not to fear but to advance courageously.

Following that, the Kingdom’s Army began organizing the participants for the escape.

As Helinante mentioned, ordinary survivors were stationed at both the front and rear, while at the center of the formation stood the royal family, Esmela, and the servants from the House of Herta, joined by other nobles.

Armored infantrymen surrounded the long line of formation with their long spears, their number seeming comparable to or even greater than that of the survivors.

“Oh.”

I spotted Arit, who had been moving along with the soldiers.

She had been nowhere to be seen until now, but there she was.

She walked alongside the lined soldiers, bestowing blessings upon each one.

When Arit made eye contact with Esmela, she smiled brightly before moving ahead, continuing to bless the soldiers.

Finally, the cavalry was divided into three groups, taking positions at the front, just behind, and at the rear.

It seemed like a different formation than the one the prince demonstrated last time; I wondered if there was a reason for it.

However, at the moment, what concerned me most was the series of events that occurred when I attempted to use the System Eye on Yuria.

What on earth was that? No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with an answer.

Earlier, the strange obsession Yuria had displayed during the audience with the king, did she know something? Perhaps… about my true identity?

Buzz buzz.

I shook my head vigorously. I shouldn’t be distracted by such thoughts at this crucial moment.

“…Are you feeling unwell?”

One of my fellow butlers, standing behind me, asked as he saw me suddenly shaking my head.

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

“…That’s good. Focus up. With Helinante out, we’re relying on you and the Head Maid.”

I forced a smile at him instead of responding and turned my gaze forward again.

The people from House Herta had been assigned the immediate space directly behind the royal family, alongside other high-ranking nobles.

Other servants were especially permitted to move with Esmela, while the remaining nobles were ordered to assist in the escort.

“Oh, how delightful to see you, Lady Esmela! Your beauty, like a flower in full bloom, grows more enchanting by the day.”

Amidst this, the nobles surrounded Esmela, indiscriminately showering her with flattery that blurred the lines between praise and flirtation.

Esmela wore a stiff smile while responding, but internally, she must have been beyond irritated.

I felt the same. Among that group of nobles were officials who had openly mocked Esmela during the audience with the king.

“Ha…”

I took a deep breath to clear my mind.

There was less than three minutes remaining until the operation was set to commence at 9 AM.

Soon, the barriers guarding the palace and sealing the entire Royal Capital would be lifted simultaneously, signaling us to dash southward, leaping toward the southern gate of the capital.

Thump thump.

My heart began racing with tension.

Clank.

As I slightly moved my body, the chainmail clattered.

Crack! Clatter!

The protective barrier that had covered the palace began to shatter with the sound of breaking glass.

“Open the gates!”

Creek-

As the drawbridge descended, the cityscape of Royal Capital Erka came into view beyond the moat.

Of course, there were also numerous zombies roaming about.

-Grrr?

Some of the zombies in the distance turned their heads toward us as they sensed our presence.

“Kingdom’s First Cavalry! Charge! Clear the path for the House of Arkeisia!”

With the thundering command of the cavalry commander at the front,


Clop-clop-clop!

Thud, neigh!

Dozens of cavalry units waiting at the forefront surged forward, charging ahead.

“Royal Guard! Advance with the cavalry! Survivors, keep up with us!”

After the cavalry charged, the command rang out from an officer standing at the forefront of the survivors…

-Run, run!

-Damn it… Whatever will be, will be!

The survivors erupted in fervent shouts and, without hesitation, all began to charge forward.

Crack.

After clenching my teeth, I shouted at the top of my lungs, a role Helinante was supposed to fulfill.

“Servants of Herta! Advance while protecting Lady Esmela!”