Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse Chapter 23 - Not a virus?

Chapter 23 Not a virus?

Under the deep, dark basement beneath the Keaton Ducal Residence.

When I went down there holding a lamp, a zombie corpse we had dealt with lay on a wide iron table.

Ruth and Michael turned their heads this way when they heard me coming down the stairs.

Because of my firm insistence, to prevent even the slightest risk of infection, the two of them were examining the zombie with handkerchiefs over their faces and cloth gloves instead of masks.

I also covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief and, wearing gloves, carefully walked closer.

“Did you find anything?”

They had already finished their meals delivered by a servant, but since this felt like working overtime, I brought some simple snacks too.

The snacks were soft white bread, butter and jam, cheese and thin slices of ham to put inside, and juice pressed from fruit. I left out alcohol for Michael, the holy knight who doesn’t drink.

Ruth and Michael only glanced at the snack basket I brought and then focused again on analyzing the zombie.

“Nothing yet.”

“There’s less progress than I expected.”

Both of them answered my question. It was disappointing that they hadn’t discovered anything, but watching how focused they were on their work made me feel reassured.

「Hmph. Even I, who used to work for the Administration Bureau, couldn’t figure out the cause of the zombie outbreak—so you think they will, just because they’re supporting male leads in the original story?」

Why are you starting a fight again?

This brat Zero. When it comes to acting prideful for no reason, he’s number one.

‘Ruth and Michael aren’t looking this way, right?’

Checking the two who were engrossed in analyzing the zombie, I gently rubbed Zero’s tiny head with my index finger.

‘Calm down. Anyway, they’re my party members—you chose them—and they’re precious teammates who’ll help us defeat zombies from now on.’

「You didn’t like them either, though.」

‘Well, that was only when they acted prickly. As long as they treat me normally, there’s no problem.’

And if they act rude, I’m not planning on staying quiet either.

I personally didn’t care as long as they didn’t cause problems, but Zero grumbled with a sulky attitude.

「Be nice to me too, partner! Stop singing about rewards every day.」

‘Hmm…….’

But Zero, if you had just given me the proper rewards you’re supposed to give—the ones that keep me motivated—I wouldn’t be nagging you for them all the time.

But if I said that out loud, my delicate and oversensitive possession-manager would definitely sulk.

‘You’re an important teammate to me too.’

「……Really?」

The golden hamster’s eyes widened.

Sure, it was your boss’s fault that I got dragged into this world and am suffering like this, but you are helping me, so you’re definitely a teammate.

‘Yeah, yeah.’

「Hehehe.」

As I soothed Zero’s mood, I felt someone’s gaze.

“What are you smiling about all by yourself?”

It was Ruth, who had been activating all sorts of magic circles to extract information from the zombie.

He had worked nonstop, pushing his body to the limit. After arriving at the Keaton residence and immediately starting the analysis, the skin around his eyes looked like a panda’s.

And even in that condition, he noticed right away that something seemed off!

‘As expected of someone who used to be a male lead candidate—he really is different.’

I quietly took out a fatigue-recovery potion from the basket and said,

“Ahem. I’m just a bit excited—we achieved our first victory against zombies.”

At that reasonable explanation, Ruth said, “Is that so?” but frowned when he saw the potion I offered.

“I appreciate the kindness, but I only drink potions I make myself. I’ll be fine.”

「Whoa, listen to that attitude.」

“…….”

Ah. I see. Is that so.

My hand, which had reached out, suddenly felt awkward. His bad temper really doesn’t go away.

“Then I’ll just put this back…….”

As I tried to take the basket away, a large hand suddenly snatched it.

“If it’s alright, I’d like to drink that.”

“……Huh?”

Michael had taken out the fatigue-recovery potion.

“I’m tired too. ……May I?”

“Ah, no, yes—of course, totally fine.”

Since I was planning to ask him to stay up on watch with me anyway, it was fine if he drank it.

“Then Sir Michael can have it all…….”

I moved to hand him the rest of the basket’s contents as well, but then Ruth hurriedly grabbed my sleeve.

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

“I… didn’t mean I disliked the potion because it was from you, Your Grace. I wasn’t ignoring your kindness; I just refused because potions I make work best with my body.”

It wasn’t because I disliked you.

At his small added explanation, the bit of hurt I felt melted away.

“What? That was all? You should’ve said so earlier.”

“……My apologies. But if it’s the snacks you brought… I’d like to have some too.”

“That’s great, then. You two can share them. I brought them for that anyway.”

“……Understood.”

Hm? Somehow Michael sounded really unhappy when he said that?

「I sense it, I sense it.」

‘What nonsense now.’

「Clueless friend, step aside.」

Zero was spouting nonsense again.

I ignored him like usual and rolled up my sleeves to join the zombie analysis.

As “Elizabeth Keaton,” I had zero talent for magic, so there was no real way to assist Ruth, but……

‘I can’t just do nothing.’

Even scraps of random knowledge I picked up from subculture hobbies—I wanted to use anything that could help.

And that was also a way to help myself.

Looking at the zombie corpse, its eyes wide open and its bitten areas dissected, Ruth waved his hand at me, telling me to go away.

“……Mr. Ruth? What are you doing?”

“Mm…… Well, Your Grace is still a lady. I thought it would be better if you didn’t see such a gruesome scene.”

“Oh.”

‘He’s actually got manners?’

Since I had mastered all sorts of horror games, even seeing a real zombie corpse up close didn’t bother me, but Ruth’s reaction was unexpected.

‘I thought he’d chase me out, saying I’d only get in the way, since he hated Elizabeth so much because of Sienna.’

The respectful tone too—this unexpected kindness, which I hadn’t even hoped for, made me feel a little grateful.

“I’m the one who asked you two to come help. I can’t just stay in the back, doing nothing.”

But gratitude was gratitude.

Even if the original Elizabeth Keaton was someone without ability, I had Zero, an ex–Administration Bureau employee.

‘Zero, time to work. You know that, right?’

「Ugh, overtime, uuuugh…….」

‘Stop whining and start analyzing the zombie. You’re curious too, aren’t you? About what exactly caused this zombie virus—even the high-level Administration Bureau couldn’t figure it out.’

At my words, Zero closed his mouth and sighed.

「Uugh, that’s true. Headquarters even freaked out over this unprecedented distortion of the original story and ordered a full investigation into what went wrong.」

‘Right. So I’m counting on you, okay?’

「Uuuugh.」

Ignoring Zero’s grumbling, I put on a bright smile and lied without even blinking.

“Haha. And well… as you know, I don’t have any talent for magic, but I do have other ways of knowing things.”

“How can the ‘useless’ duke possibly……?”

“…….”

Even Michael gave me a suspicious look—then suddenly opened his mouth as if realizing something.

“Perhaps what I saw that day wasn’t a mistake. Your Grace is indeed the Saint…….”

“Waaah!”

Why would that come up here?!

I panicked and slapped my hand over Michael’s mouth.

“Saint… what did you say?”

Ruth hadn’t heard the pronunciation properly because of my freak-out, so he wore a puzzled expression.

“U-uhaha. It’s nothing.”

“Usually people say that when there is something.”

As Ruth crossed his arms and stared sharply with those panda-like eyes, cold sweat trickled down my back.

“H-ha… really.”

“Hmmm…….”

Avoiding Ruth’s narrowed gaze, I grabbed Michael firmly by the arm and whispered.

“Sir Michael, hello? Didn’t we agree that what happened that day was just a dream? A meaningless dream?”

“I never agreed to that.”

‘Oh my god, this guy!’

This stubborn paladin—he drives me insane!

With those clear sky-blue eyes saying, I know who you really are, I had no way to push further.

“I’ll explain later. Later. Okay?”

“……You must be honest with me.”

“I said I will. For now, don’t say anything. Just keep it between us, alright?”

“So it’s a secret?”

“In times like these, spreading it around won’t help anyone, right?”

If the temple catches wind and starts meddling, everything becomes a headache.

Michael must have thought of the temple too—even if he didn’t look convinced, he agreed.

“But you must explain as soon as possible.”

“Haha…….”

I’m doomed, seriously.

「So what exactly are you going to tell him?」

‘I’ll have to think up something believable…….’

Still, having bought some time was a relief.

After removing my hand from Michael’s mouth, I approached the zombie lying on the iron table again.

‘Please, Zero.’

「Okay.」

Above the zombie, layered over the countless magic analysis circles, a status window visible only to Zero and me appeared.

Zero attempted to access the system only employees of the Possession Management Bureau could use.

「Requesting code verification.」

[CODE : NO.00000234232 access confirmed.]

[Possession Management Bureau employee code verification, complete.]

[What do you require?]

「An unexpected unidentified error has occurred. Requesting analysis of the error.」

[Request acknowledged.]

[Unidentified error detected in jurisdiction SP-384723.]

[Beginning analysis of unidentified error_zombie.]

[Now Loading…….]

‘Is the cause of this damned zombie virus finally going to be revealed?!’

Gulp. I clasped both hands in anticipation when Ruth clicked his tongue and spoke, displeased.

“From what I can tell, this zombie isn’t a plague-type creature spread by germs. I don’t think it’s that kind of disease at all……. Would this count as a result?”

My jaw dropped.

“Of course it does!”

Wait—so it isn’t virus?!