After a few minutes of squabbling, the mages reluctantly gave in to my request.
“…So all we need to do is connect you to Lord Ruth Chricerne, right?”
“Of course.”
When I answered confidently, the mages still looked doubtful but also curious.
“Do you have something to rely on, Duke Keaton?”
“Lord Ruth Chricerne rarely leaves the Magic Tower, though.”
“He’s been in an awful mood these days.”
Ruth Chricerne, who was already known for his terrible temper, had become even worse after the pain of heartbreak and shut himself away in the Magic Tower.
Even though the Magic Tower was the place he hated most in the world, he used the ridiculous excuse that he would focus on his research.
‘He was just trying to avoid Sienna.’
The love story of Sienna Evergreen—who was supposed to become the crown princess—and the crown prince could be heard anywhere in the empire.
Sensitive Ruth couldn’t stand it and went into the closed-off Magic Tower of his own accord.
His father, the Tower Master, welcomed his son’s return, but Ruth stayed locked in his laboratory and didn’t come out. If anyone called for him, he’d immediately throw them out with magic, so everyone knew to avoid him.
That was why these mages were begging to accept hard labor instead of calling Ruth Chricerne.
“Just connect me to him. I’ll handle the rest, so hurry up and contact him.”
“Y-yes…”
Merion reluctantly took out a white object that looked like a remote control from his robe pocket.
On the narrow side of the smooth rectangular white object, a bright blue sapphire was attached.
It was a communication magic device developed inside the Magic Tower.
Merion pressed a button and entered the coordinates of Ruth Chricerne’s room within the tower.
“Respond, Ruth Chricerne.”
When he infused mana into the device and called the name of the person he wanted to connect to, the vivid blue gem sparkled and shone like a beam projector.
Soon, a clear image floated in the air, showing someone’s figure.
A handsome man with dark blue hair, like the sky at dusk, and sharp silver-gray eyes appeared on screen.
White skin, deep double eyelids, a sharp nose, and well-balanced features.
Even though his face looked pale as if he hadn’t slept for days, his good looks didn’t fade—they shone.
— …Who is it? Who dares contact me like this?
His voice was a bit hoarse from fatigue, but the soft, low tone was pleasant enough that he could have been a radio DJ.
His appearance was like an exhausted grad student, yet just looking at his face and hearing his voice, you’d think he was shooting a decadent, sexy photoshoot.
‘As expected of a second male lead!’
I admired him inwardly, when Ruth Chricerne barked at Merion with an irritated tone.
— What… Merion? Even if the image is blurry, seeing you means you’re definitely from the Magic Tower. But you never spoke a word to me before. Why are you calling me? Annoying.
Seeing Ruth scowl fiercely, Merion froze on the spot.
“That… it’s not me, Lord Ruth Chricerne.”
— Then what.
“The one who asked me to call you is someone else.”
Shrinking back, Merion politely pointed at me with his bound hands.
Ruth’s silver-gray eyes swept over the tied-up Merion and the other mages before narrowing sharply.
— Pathetic. Bringing shame to the Magic Tower wherever you go.
“…I’m sorry.”
— So what is this? Kidnapping? Confinement? Threatening? Who dares do this to a mage of the Magic Tower?
“I’m the one who asked them to call you, Ruth Chricerne.”
When I stepped forward in place of Merion, Ruth’s eyes widened slightly before turning fierce again.
— Lady Elizabeth Keaton?
‘Wow… that’s the first time someone’s made a name sound like an insult just by saying it.’
It felt like how that X-reporter says, “Shut up, X-boy!”
“I’m the Duke Keaton now.”
— Why?
Not even using honorifics. I expected him to be hostile because of Sienna, but this was worse than I imagined.
‘Calm down, calm down.’
With a polite smile, I answered Ruth.
Once he heard what I had to say, his expression would crumble to pieces anyway.
“They died. They were bitten by a zombie.”
— What’s that.
“A monster that is human yet not human. I guess it’s a kind of undead. It spreads through biting, like catching a plague. When you become a zombie, your eyes turn red and you can no longer think like a human—you turn into a beast driven only by the instinct to feed.”
— Hoh?
At my calm explanation, Ruth’s eyes lit up with interest.
Whether that was curiosity about the new monster called a zombie, or surprise at this new side of ‘Elizabeth Keaton,’ I couldn’t tell.
But the important part was just beginning.
“Lady Sienna, the crown princess-to-be, was the first human to become a zombie.”
— …!
Clatter.
At my words, Ruth jumped up from his lab chair.
He didn’t even notice his robe slipping off his shoulder and falling to the floor.
— What… what do you mean, Duke Keaton?
“Exactly what I said. Ruth Chricerne, heir to the Magic Tower. On the day of the wedding, Her Highness the Crown Princess turned into a zombie due to some unknown cause.”
I calmly explained everything I had seen.
That zombie-Sienna bit the crown prince, who was standing closest to her, that he also became a zombie and started biting the guests who came to congratulate them.
I barely escaped, but because of the barrier around the imperial palace that day, everyone inside became zombie food or turned into zombies themselves, effectively throwing the capital into a state of emergency.
— That’s impossible…
“It sounds impossible, but it’s the truth, Ruth Chricerne.”
‘I wish this wasn’t reality either. I wish it were a dream.’
「Same here.」
It had been a while since Zero and I were on the same wavelength. I wasn’t particularly happy about it.
Ruth, having lost his composure, used a lie-detection spell on me.
— 『Show me the truth.』
Of course, since this unbelievable situation was real, the spell revealed a bright green flame—the color of truth.
— It’s not a lie, damn it.
Ruth slammed his desk covered in research journals and ran his hands through his hair.
Looking a complete mess, he asked me:
— What… happened to Her Highness the Crown Princess?
My heart sank.
‘…I let her rest in peace.’
By smashing her head with Madame Canary’s ex-boyfriend-collection high heels.
If I said that outright, I’d lose my own head, so I offered a safer answer.
“I don’t know. But one thing is certain—she’s no longer human.”
— I… see.
Ruth staggered and sat down weakly.
— …What do you want from me, Duke Keaton?
Finally, the main point came out.
“I’ll be brief. Ruth Chricerne, I would appreciate your help in fighting the zombies and reclaiming the capital.”
I bowed politely and asked Ruth to become my ally.
‘My approach has to be completely different from how I handled Michael.’
Ruth was sensitive and picky, and he looked down on Elizabeth, but deep down, he was someone who was strong toward the strong and weak toward the weak—surprisingly soft-hearted.
So if I, who had been loud and arrogant, showed vulnerability after going through something terrible and approached him humbly, even a prickly gray hedgehog like him would waver.
— Why… go that far…
As expected. The Elizabeth Keaton who was always arrogant was now speaking politely, so Ruth awkwardly cleared his throat.
“I desperately need your help, Ruth. The imperial family has fallen, and the capital is no longer safe from the zombie threat. Even though the magical barrier is holding for now, we’re already isolated.”
All the famous figures of the empire had attended the wedding and lost their lives.
The only ones who could break through this crisis were the candidates for male leads from the original story—those Zero’s quest had pointed me toward!
‘I will definitely recruit you into my party.’
“If we don’t stop this here, the empire—or rather this entire world—will face its end.”
— …I understand the seriousness of the situation. But you make me uneasy. I can’t trust you.
Ruth frowned at me again.
It was the same reason Merion and the other mages felt the same way. I—Elizabeth Keaton—was not someone trustworthy.
So I decided to use the card that would work best on Ruth.
“You don’t have to trust me, Ruth Chricerne.”
— …!
“But please think again. This is about saving people. What would Her Highness the Crown Princess have done if she were safe?”
Sienna Evergreen, the heroine of Sienna Walks Only on Flower Paths.
She was a sun-like heroine, someone you’d want to walk only on flower paths.
Kind, gentle, and lovable.
The type who would be sad even if a single wildflower wilted—she would never ignore a disaster like this.
Ruth knew that too. His tightly clenched fist trembled.
— …I know. If Sienna were alive as a human… she would have insisted we save everyone.
“As you already know, I’m not like her. I’m asking you to join hands not because I pity the people dying to zombies, but because I want to survive.”
When I revealed my honest intentions, Michael lifted an eyebrow.
But he didn’t object. He had also agreed to stay at the Keaton duchy for the sake of survival.
“Still, someone must put an end to this bizarre situation. So please—help me.”
If you want to save the Sienna you loved, too.
There was no way Ruth Chricerne wouldn’t understand the words I swallowed.
In the end, he too would join the zombie-slaying party for selfish reasons.
When I asked him earnestly and with proper manners, Ruth found it harder to refuse.
— …What do I need to do?
‘Got him.’
Good thing I was bowing. If not, he would’ve seen the smug grin climbing all the way to my ears.
In a gentle voice, I told Ruth:
“Please come to the Keaton duchy. And if possible, bring other mages who are willing to fight with us.”
— I don’t know if any of them will want to step outside after hearing the situation… but fine, I’ll do that.
Ding-a-ling.
At the same time as his answer, a cheerful notification rang in my ears.
[Congratulations on acquiring a new party member!]
[A new member has joined the ‘Zombie Defeat’ party.]
[Current party members: 3/5]
[Sub-quest — Gather Party Members! has been updated.]
[Current progress: Elizabeth Keaton (1/1), Michael Easter (1/1), Ruth Chricerne (1/1), ??? (0/1), ??? (0/1)]
Ahh, so exciting.
Formatting on this chapter is messed up at the end
Yeah. Hopefully the formatting will be fixed