I felt as if I could fly when I managed to recruit Ruth Chricerne as an ally more easily than expected.
“Hehe, hehehehe.”
After finishing the video call with him, I checked the magical barrier while doing a patrol and slipped into a secluded spot behind the mansion, grinning to myself.
Zero, perched on my shoulder, shook his head.
「You’re that happy?」
“Of course.”
I had already gathered half of the party members.
The quest I thought would be a nightmare-level hard mode was progressing smoothly, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit relieved.
I still had no idea why the zombie incident had started or how to solve it.
But at least I felt a satisfying sense of achievement.
「You whined a lot, but you’re handling it just fine. Well, here’s your reward.」
“Oh!”
With a half-impressed, half-annoyed tone, Zero took out the sub-quest reward.
This time, too, it was a pretty useful skill.
[Help Me, MacGyver! (Intermediate)]
[Three times a day, you can receive a magical scroll detailing how to craft the item you want.]
[If you tear the scroll, the item will naturally be created.]
[If you acquire the advanced version, you might be able to make something even more amazing.]
“Ooooh…! This is nice!”
‘I’m glad I divided the estate into sections and checked the barrier.’
Talking to Zero only through thoughts was a bit inconvenient.
So letting out a tiny scream of joy and stomping my feet like this was surprisingly thrilling.
“Let’s see. What should I make with this?”
Humming happily, I read the skill window closely.
Three times a day. A skill that lets me make useful items. My heart felt secure—like I had received a universal skeleton key.
‘Zero may speak like a jerk, but he always helps in his own way.’
Well, he was basically a corporate employee desperate to get off work on time.
Thinking that made him look a little pitiful for the first time.
“Zero, thank you. You know how I feel, right?”
When I gently stroked his fluffy hamster body with my finger, Zero recoiled in horror.
「…What are you doing? Did you eat something bad? You’re scary.」
“…”
Right. This hamster was always like this.
‘He complains even when I treat him well.’
Grumbling, I stared at the skill window, when Zero tapped my cheek.
「Don’t you already know what you want to make?」
“That’s true.”
‘A water gun and a spray bottle to hold holy water!’
Or maybe a portable sprayer.
In the original world, water guns were kids’ toys and spray bottles were household items…
‘But not in a place crawling with zombies.’
And since I already knew that holy water’s divine power could paralyze zombies, there was no reason not to use it.
Right after returning from the temple, I had told the butler I needed water guns and spray bottles made, but I had no idea how they were produced, which frustrated me.
But with this skill, I was safe.
“Is there anyone around?”
After checking my surroundings and confirming there was no one nearby, I activated the skill.
“Help me, MacGyver!”
Ugh, even with no one around, it was still embarrassing.
When I pictured water guns and spray bottles in my head, the status window popped up and shifted to a loading screen.
[Processing the user’s request.]
[Issuing magical scrolls with the crafting methods for a water gun and spray bottle.]
[Issuance complete.]
Within a few seconds, two neatly tied magical scrolls dropped before my eyes.
When I opened them, they showed a long, sniper-style water gun good for shooting far, and a spray-type bottle that was easy to carry.
I was about to tear the scrolls without hesitation when a thought crossed my mind, so I asked Zero:
“Hey, Zero.”
Scritch scritch scritch. Gulp.
「What.」
Zero was chewing on a huge macadamia nut as if he were a real hamster.
Where did he even get that?
“These scrolls… I’m not the only one who can use them, right?”
「Hm? No, of course not.」
Oh. Then that made things even better.
Even if I got the recipe myself, mass production would be impossible for me.
Items like these should be handled by someone skilled at making such things.
‘And the Keaton duchy has craftsmen who’ve passed down their skills for generations.’
While acting as a villainess, I had to set trends like a true villain of the era. In the process of hunting down rare and valuable goods, I learned that the Keaton craftsmen were the best.
From luxury jewelry crafting to making durable swords—wealthy Duke Keaton sponsored many talented artisans and brought them into the family estate.
They didn’t refuse the excellent treatment and pay, so the Keaton workshops became famous for producing beautiful items.
The past dukes were so proud of this that they always kept capable artisans at the capital mansion as well.
Since the capital of the Caladia Empire was a trend-changing whirlwind, only the best of the best stayed.
Fortunately, the current Keaton duchy still had such artisans.
「Who are you going to give the scroll to?」
“Benjamin. He’s a master at making everyday items.”
Benjamin was like a D**iso-style craftsman in a romance fantasy.
Like Edison, he had a knack for creating practical, convenient items people could use in daily life. Henry Keaton had scouted him personally.
I intended to entrust him with the task of mass-producing the water guns and spray bottles.
Carefully, so they wouldn’t get wrinkled, I put the magical scrolls in my pocket and inspected the duchy’s barrier.
I took the north side, Michael the west, the butler and a few servants the east, and Merion and the mages the south.
We untied the dispatched mages, but Ruth had ordered them to stay at the duchy until he arrived, so they had no choice but to remain for now.
We had extra manpower—of course we were going to use it.
This was inspecting a magical barrier, after all. Mages would naturally be the best suited.
「What if they run away?」
“Well… we did give them the mana stones as promised, so they could bolt now. But they won’t.”
「Because of that blue mage guy?」
“Pff.”
Blue mage guy! Zero was probably the only one who would call Ruth Chricerne that.
“Pff—yeah, well. Mages are extremely individualistic, but they can’t just ignore an order from Ruth, who is one of the strongest candidates for the next Tower Master.”
Maybe because he felt guilty for failing to protect Sienna, Ruth had a strong sense of duty to help people.
Quite surprising.
The mages had all assumed Ruth would scream at me to get lost, so they were stunned when things went the opposite way.
Especially Merion, who worried he wouldn’t be able to return to the Magic Tower and would end up serving under Ruth for life.
‘That would be fine by me.’
The more useful pawns, the easier my survival.
Praying that Ruth wouldn’t send the dispatched mages back even after arriving, I asked Zero to check the barrier.
“Alright, Zero! You handle monitoring the barrier. I’ll cheer you on.”
「Is this person someone I’m supposed to manage as a possessed host, or my boss…? Ugh.」
Even though he grumbled, I stubbornly pushed the task onto Zero.
“I can’t help it. ‘Elizabeth’ is terrible at handling mana. She barely has any, so she’s useless for this kind of work.”
Basically, she was incompetent…
That’s why, when I said I would check the northern barrier, the servants looked at me like I had said I’d make soybean paste out of red beans.
I had zero to rely on, so I did it anyway—but I should probably be more careful.
〈Your Grace has changed a lot from the days I knew you.〉
Michael’s words, paired with his subtle stare, made my heart skip.
「Be careful. I get that you want to go home, but it’s better not to get found out as a possessed person.」
“I know that too…”
If I slipped up, I could be accused of being a witch.
The only person who escaped the imperial castle alive during a chaotic zombie outbreak.
Someone who suddenly behaved completely differently from the villainess who used to terrorize people.
‘And… even though I didn’t mean to, I took down the original heroine Sienna the zombie. By smashing her head with my shoe.’
If the original story’s sub male leads found out, they might cut my head off on the spot.
Just imagining being interrogated about whether I was the mastermind behind the zombie incident sent chills down my back.
「Don’t cause an even bigger mistake.」
“Yeeees. I’ll be careful, so please check the barrier, dear employee of the Possession Host Management Department.”
「Hmph! Just this once!」
Zero was so simple. Just a bit of flattery and he acted like a tsundere, shrugging and agreeing to what I needed.
I waved him off, telling him to have a safe trip, but then something appeared beyond the barrier.
“Huh…?”
What was that?
I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head. What first looked like a tiny dot slowly approached and revealed its true form.
“Th–that…”
“Oh… damn it.”
Limping on one leg, a zombie was walking toward us.
Its bright red eyes and body covered in black, caked blood looked extremely ominous.
“H-hey. Zero… l-look at that.”
Zero—who had been inspecting the barrier so closely he could spot even a hairline crack—turned toward me.
「What is it?」
“A zombie’s coming.”
「Huh?!」
Zero hurried to finish repairing the barrier, then returned to my shoulder and observed the zombie trudging closer.
「Is there only one?」
“That… doesn’t seem like it.”
Unfortunately.
“Uuuhhh… uuuaaa…”
“Graaaah…”
“Uuuaaah…”
Behind the limping zombie, more zombies slowly shuffled forward.
Counting roughly, there were about ten.
Not many, but not few either—and my palms grew sweaty.
‘Damn. It finally happened.’
Just as the butler said, zombies were wandering near the Keaton duchy estate.
Most nobles in the capital lived in the Duo district, and the Keaton duchy was located in Zone 1—the best area.
It was to the north of the imperial castle and fairly far from the main gate to the south, away from the busy streets. The estate was spacious, quiet, and peaceful.
But with zombies approaching, what did that matter now?
‘I need to get out of here fast…’
Just as I tried to turn around in a hurry, by pure coincidence, one zombie’s murky red eyes met mine.
The zombie that seemed to lock eyes with me opened its crimson mouth wide.
“AaaAAAAAAAH—”
It looked like it wanted to eat me.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Zero shouted at me, frozen in place.
「What are you sitting there dazed for, possessed host?! Go tell the others, quickly!」
“…Right.”
Get it together.
I have to survive and go home.
I can’t die a stupid death in a world that isn’t even real.
Wind slammed hard against my cheek as I ran.
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I know this comment will likely slide unnoticed, but- the website doesn’t seem work properly on this chapter!