Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse – Chapter 17 – Launching the Zombie Sweeping Operation

Author: Asternkm

Chapter 17 Launching the Zombie Sweeping Operation

The moment I spoke, I wasn’t the only one who had seen the zombies—everyone else came rushing breathlessly into the duchy’s meeting room.

“Your Grace! T-the zombies are coming this way!”

“We saw them clearly with our own eyes. They’ve been wandering around this area for days.”

“The magic barrier may protect us, but we’re scared out of our wits… What should we do, Your Grace?”

The servants clutched wooden clubs as they reported, almost screaming. The mages, including Merion, trembled as they carefully explained what they had seen.

Michael also testified that he had witnessed the approaching zombies.

“They looked exactly like what I saw in the image sphere you showed us at the temple. They move like living people, but I could sense no soul within them.”

Could a holy knight blessed with divine power really detect the presence or absence of souls?

As I wondered, Zero whispered to me.

「If you fully awaken as a saint, you’ll be able to do that too. But right now you’re a rookie, so no.」

‘Then what about Michael?’

「That human is exceptional. If it weren’t for that slippery pope, he probably would’ve become the next pope himself.」

‘As expected, being a sub male lead isn’t for just anyone.’

I looked at Michael again with newfound appreciation.

When I stared too openly, Michael frowned slightly, looking uncomfortable.

“Is there something you need from me?”

“N-no.”

Though he reported the situation calmly and analyzed it coolly, I could tell that Michael was shaken.

‘Sensing no soul means they’re humans who have already died…’

I had already known that, but for Michael, it would have been a shock like the sky collapsing.

Because this was the moment he had to accept that Sienna—the heroine he loved—was truly dead.

‘He must be hurting.’

Losing someone precious is a pain beyond words.

Yet Michael didn’t shed a single tear. He simply finished his assessment with cold rationality.

“According to what Your Grace told us, these zombies are sensitive to sound. But the duchy’s magic barrier is currently at Emergency Level 3—running at maximum strength—so no sound escapes from within. Is that correct?”

“That’s right.”

“In that case, it doesn’t seem like the zombies are approaching because they targeted this place. For them to come here despite hearing nothing…”

“There are two possible explanations.”

Either the zombies have started leaking out of the capital because they’re running out of humans to eat.

“…Or their behavior pattern has changed.”

I didn’t even want to imagine the second possibility.

If a mutant zombie had appeared, we’d be in far more serious trouble.

What if they were not only sensitive to sound but also to sight?

‘Terrifying.’

The magic barrier formed a dome that prevented outside enemies from entering, but if zombies could see through it, we’d be doomed.

“But… it looks like we avoided the worst possibility.”

“Grrraaaaah…”

If their vision worked like ours, then just as we spotted them, they would’ve seen us.

But the ten or so zombies we saw were simply walking slowly, as if they hadn’t discovered anything. Compared to when the crown prince zombie had charged like an arrow out of the imperial castle, they were painfully slow. Most likely because the barrier prevented them from detecting any prey.

「If we leave them alone, won’t they just pass by quietly?」

I agreed with Zero’s assessment.

‘I hope so too, but…’

I didn’t like the idea of hiding and waiting for zombies to pass.

It could take forever for slow-moving zombies to leave the area, and it felt awful to cower in fear of them.

They were the intruders, and although I was only borrowing Elizabeth’s body, I was still the master of the Keaton household.

This was my home—my territory. I had to protect it.

So I made my decision.

‘Zero.’

「Yeah. You want to lead the people staying in the duchy into the underground shelter, right? Just in case—so let’s hurry…」

‘No. I want you to help me wipe out those zombies. Every last one of them.’

「…Huh?」

‘I need cover support. You want to get off work too, don’t you? So I trust you’ll cooperate fully.’

「W-wait a second!!」

Ignoring the panicked Zero, I stood before everyone gathered in the meeting room and declared:

“It’ll be better for us to take out the ten zombies that got close to the duchy ourselves.”

“Pardon?”

“I-is that really okay? If they rush at the barrier and try to break it while we provoke them…”

Hearing my words, the servants and mages trembled with anxiety.

Especially Merion, who clutched the pouch holding the high-grade mana stones I’d given him, shaking his head vigorously.

“It’s impossible. Sir Chricerne hasn’t even arrived yet—what do you expect us to do with only this much power?”

Ruth Chricerne, who was supposed to join my party, had begun making his way toward the duchy with long-distance teleportation because communication with the gatekeepers in the capital had been cut off.

Even if he was a strong candidate for the next Tower Master, the distance between Agatha, the capital, and Chatteris, where the Magic Tower was located, was long. He had already sent word through Merion that he would reach us sometime tonight.

The magic barrier consumed mana stones. While it could recover instantly from external attacks, repairing a damaged portion required dumping in a large number of stones.

So I understood why the mages and servants were uneasy.

But after watching the zombies outside—unable to sense us at all within the barrier—I felt confident we had a chance.

“It’s different from when we recklessly rushed to the imperial castle before. This time, the barrier gives us a strategic advantage.”

The zombies outside couldn’t smell or sense anyone inside the barrier.

They didn’t know our location.

“With a weapon that can pierce enemies from afar, we have a winning chance. In fact, not just a chance—our odds of wiping them out are high.”

I picked up the mana-bullet gun from the holster at my waist and placed it on the table.

The custom-made gun from the Magic Tower had a silver silhouette with a faint violet finish that reminded one of Elizabeth Keaton.

“This gun uses only mana bullets, and it can accurately hit targets from far away.”

I still had plenty of bullets left. And I used to frequent shooting cafés in my old world thanks to my parents’ hobby. With Zero’s help, killing zombies would be doable.

“With this, I can take down at least three.”

Everyone in the meeting room gasped.

“You’re a noble lady raised delicately—how can you be so brave?”

“Milady enjoyed hunting, didn’t she? It must be because of that!”

I froze a little, but thankfully the original Elizabeth Keaton had also enjoyed shooting.

“She… well, she enjoyed hunting a bit too recklessly, so the previous duke banned her from it. But her skills probably haven’t rusted!”

I see. Original Elizabeth… even in death, you’re not heading to paradise.

While I quietly prayed for the souls of the poor furry creatures she hunted, Butler Patrick raised his hand.

“Your Grace, I understand your bold plan. But… mana bullets are precious. Saving them might serve you better in the long run.”

Patrick wasn’t wrong. I had been thinking the same thing.

“Well…”

I was about to explain when Michael pulled something out of a sack he had brought.

“Sir Michael, what is that?”

“Oh, these are items I found while carving wooden clubs for the servants.”

Since Michael had promised to protect me under our contract, he was allowed to freely access the duchy’s armory.

What he pulled out were a crossbow and small mana bombs shaped like grenades.

“These are a crossbow and mana bombs I found in the armory, thanks to your permission. Both were made by the Magic Tower, so they’re far more powerful than ordinary ones.”

‘When did he find those?!’

For the first time, I smiled warmly at Michael.

Good job. Well done earning your meals!

Michael was a physically strong holy knight and burned calories like a furnace, so I had instructed the head chef to feed him generously whenever possible.

「So that’s why he kept getting those special steak meals?」

‘Exactly.’

Zero swallowed drool as he remembered the duchy’s signature steak set.

It made me proud that feeding him expensive beef had paid off.

Even if he annoyed me sometimes, he found useful things on his own—so that was reassuring.

Feeling bashful under my intense stare, Michael continued speaking.

“The crossbow is designed so that even someone who has never handled a bow can operate it easily. As for the mana bombs, if we launch them at the zombies with a slingshot-like device, they could be excellent weapons under our current circumstances.”

The duchy’s armory—befitting the wealth of House Keaton—had plenty of crossbows and mana bombs.

And hearing Michael say that even ordinary people with no combat experience could manage them boosted morale.

“If Sir Michael says so… maybe we can really do it?”

“If possible, it’s better to fight than hide. We can’t stay holed up in the duchy forever.”

“Since Her Grace herself said she’ll lead the charge, we servants can’t just sit back!”

Two young maids raised their hands first.

“Is it something women can do as well?”

Michael answered warmly.

“Of course. As I said, these are Magic Tower-made items; even a crossbow doesn’t require much strength to fire.”

“Then we want to help.”

‘Those girls… weren’t they Lina’s friends?’

Their faces looked familiar. Lina, along with a brown-haired and a black-haired maid, were the first to step forward bravely.