Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse – Chapter 11 – Gather Your Party

Author: Asternkm

Chapter 11 Gather Your Party

Mikhail went pale at my words, but he couldn’t ignore the situation he’d been given.

He wasn’t a foolish man.

“…I see.”

He’s accepting it faster than I expected.

Just like how he’d given up when Sienna confessed that she loved the Crown Prince in the original story—unable to tell her he loved her back—he was quick to resign himself.

「Looks stubborn, but he sure lacks persistence.」

Even Zero clicked his tongue at how fast Mikhail gave in.

I wasn’t particularly fond of Mikhail, yet I defended him.

He’s being rational. He realized denying reality would only make things worse for him.

Mikhail hadn’t risen to the rank of Captain of the Holy Knights by luck alone.

He was a good man who pursued virtue and justice, but at the same time, he was someone capable of frighteningly calculated judgment.

Even considering that… it was fast.

I was only stating what I knew, but then Zero jabbed me with a strange look on his face.

「What’s this? Do you like that guy?」

“Are you insane?”

How could he say something so outrageous?

I yelled before I could stop myself.

“…Were you speaking to me just now?”

Oh crap.

Of course Mikhail heard me—the two of us had been talking alone.

“N-no! I wasn’t talking to you, Sir Mikhail.”

Zero, you little—this is YOUR fault!

「What did I do? Hmph!」

This damn mouse… cute enough to make me want to strangle it.

As I sweated trying to figure out how to fix this, Mikhail looked at me like a puppy abandoned in the rain.

“…No. If the Duke of Keaton tells me I’m insane, I can only accept it. Even though I suspected His Holiness wasn’t a righteous man, I still let things get this far.”

I didn’t say anything, but Mikhail dug his own grave and crawled right in.

If I keep my mouth shut, this might fix itself…

So I stayed quiet, and he continued his confession like he was giving absolution.

“I’m always one step too late. Then and now… nothing has changed, which is why I’ve ended up in this predicament.”

So you’re saying that being stuck with me is a predicament?

「Pretty much, yeah.」

Shut your mouth…

While I regretted not being able to flick Zero’s forehead, I noticed Mikhail’s eyes on me.

“What? If you have something to say, hurry up.”

“…Duke, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

When I propped my elbow on the desk and rested my chin on my hand, meeting those clear sky-blue eyes, Mikhail slowly bowed his head.
Politely, at that.

“I don’t care if it’s the shed or anywhere else. Please allow me to stay at the Keaton estate for now. I will pay for it. Since holy power works against those profane creatures you call zombies, I’ll be a valuable asset.”

His broad shoulders trembled.

It seemed being abandoned by the temple had struck him deeply.

His resigned voice even carried a hint of melancholy.

…Well, he was still the strongest Holy Knight.

Feeling a bit sorry for him, I spoke firmly.

“Let’s be clear.”

“How am I supposed to—”

“Sir Mikhail. This isn’t a request. It’s a deal. You’re offering your combat ability in exchange for lodging.”

I continued calmly. I’d already completed all the calculations in my head.

Works for me.

What a windfall.

If I had to defeat zombies to get back home, then Mikhail was a gift that rolled right into my lap.

Even though he was a sub–male lead in the original and not the easiest man to deal with, surviving a zombie apocalypse required strong allies.

And the strongest Holy Knight was more than qualified.

So it made sense to recruit him properly—offering good treatment and equal standing.

Just in case the priests later came looking for him, I needed him firmly on my side.

“A deal… you say?”

“Yes, a deal.”

Thankfully, we were in the office while talking.

I opened a drawer, pulled out a sheet of paper, and dipped a pen in ink to draft the contract terms.

“These things should be done properly. Let’s see… You lend me your strength, and in return, I provide your accommodations.”

I wrote it all out in one go and handed the contract to Mikhail.

He stared at the paper, looking dazed.

“Um… Duke.”

“What is it?”

“Aren’t these terms too generous? ‘The Celestial Room,’ among the finest guest rooms in the entire estate…”

The Celestial Room.

Made entirely of blue marble said to carry an angel’s blessing, the room was breathtaking simply to enter.

With top-grade white furnishings resembling clouds, it was usually reserved only for the most honored guests.

“It’s the best room after the Master’s and Mistress’s chambers. And now it’s yours.”

Mikhail went blank.

“This is… too much.”

“It isn’t. It’s hard to acquire someone of your skill.”

His blue eyes widened just slightly.

Clearly, he had never expected to hear such words from someone he’d exchanged nothing but barbs with.

Showing goodwill like this will make it hard for him to even think about leaving.

I smiled inwardly, wickedly.

When he’d mentioned the shed earlier, I could easily guess what he was thinking.

According to the original story, we clashed constantly because of Sienna, fighting every time we met.

He probably didn’t want to stay long in the villainess’ house, planning to leave as soon as possible…

But there’s no way I’m letting a top-tier combat unit walk away.

Letting Mikhail go would be the same as giving up on getting home.

“Instead, the time limit will be until we safely reclaim the capital, Agata, from the zombies. How does that sound?”

“…Pardon?”

“Hm, was that too long? Then at least stay with me until we take back the Imperial Castle. I can’t compromise on that.”

The Empire’s capital, Agata, was divided into five districts.

With Unus—the district containing the Imperial Castle—at the center, it was surrounded like a snail shell by Duo, where nobles lived; Tres, home to lower nobles; Quattuor for commoners; and Quinque, the slums.

To retake the Imperial Castle in the very center, all the other districts had to be cleared first.

So whether reclaiming the entire capital or the Imperial Castle alone, the difficulty was practically the same—but I pretended to step back.

Because I knew Mikhail, who was softhearted toward the virtuous, wouldn’t refuse.

“No, it’s just… I was briefly surprised.”

Just as planned.

Mikhail had taken the bait.

“I didn’t expect you, Duke Keaton… to offer such selfless conditions.”

Right. Of course he didn’t.

You judged correctly, Mikhail.

I was only doing all this because I’d been given a quest to save this world from zombies—not out of pure goodwill.

Honestly, I’m the one gaining here.

In most stories, zombie viruses tended to spread fast.

The Keaton estate might be safe for now, but once the zombies attacked, there was no guarantee it’d stay that way.

Even if we tried to use the estate as a fortress, food shortages would force us to move.

Unaware of that, Mikhail spoke to me with guilt.

“To be honest, I thought you would… choose the same path as His Holiness.”

“You mean using you as my bodyguard so I can escape alone?”

If it were the real Elizabeth and not me, she absolutely would have.

Not with this flimsy paper contract, but with a binding magical contract impossible to break—forcing Mikhail to shield her so she could run away from all this chaos.

But I had to do things Zero’s way if I wanted to go home.

“If I intended to run away and think only of my safety, I wouldn’t be making this offer to you. As long as there are people at the estate I must protect, I won’t run alone.”

At those words—which poked straight at his sense of duty—Mikhail’s eyes grew clear and bright.

“…It seems I’ve been looking at you far too narrowly.”

“We’re probably both guilty of that, so let’s not dwell on it. Right now, surviving together is what matters.”

“You speak true.”

The hostility he’d shown when we first met had vanished; Mikhail signed the contract as if enchanted.

The anger clouding his eyes at the pope’s betrayal lifted, replaced with fierce resolve.

“While we work together, I will devote all my strength to protecting you and everyone at the estate.”

“I also look forward to working with you—as equals.”

When I held out my hand, he gladly took it.

“Of course.”

Ding! A cheerful alert chimed.

[Congratulations! You have acquired a new party member!]

[A new member has joined the “Zombie Subjugation” party.]

[Current party members: 2/5]

Hm?

…Why does the party limit say five people, including me?

A sense of dread washed over me.

Trying to convince myself it wasn’t true, I spoke to Zero.

Hey, Zero.

「Yeah?」

This isn’t… what I think it is, right?

In the original novel that shaped this world, there were four potential male leads.

Louis, the crown prince already turned into a zombie by Sienna.
Mikhail Easter, the strongest Holy Knight.
Luce Krichern, the next Tower Master.
Benedict Fairman, a half-fairy.

And… Kieran Worre, the hidden mastermind pretending to be a male lead candidate.

No way, right? No way?

I only asked because the alert popped up the moment the sub–male lead Mikhail joined the party—and that felt ominous.

Zero smiled kindly.

「Sorry. It’s exactly what you’re thinking.」

Hey.

「Can’t help it. The more dramatic the story becomes, the easier it is to maintain causality.」

Ding.

Another alert rang.

[Revealing the conditions for joining the “Zombie Subjugation” party.]

[Only strong characters from the “original story” may form a party with you.]

You little—!