Author: Asternkm
Not appearing at a once-in-a-lifetime event like a wedding—especially for an officially recognized crazy person like Nadia—was the same as saying the sun would rise from the west tomorrow.
Of course, a reasonable objection followed.
“……She might’ve just been sick and unable to attend as a guest, don’t you think?”
At Michael’s pushback, I let out a small laugh.
“The Rutley County House is famous for producing exceptionally skilled warriors. Everyone in that family grows up without a single childhood illness. Nadia was no exception.”
The people of the Rutley household had a rare trait: they simply didn’t get sick.
So if the perfectly healthy Nadia didn’t show up on Sienna’s wedding day, it meant something more important was happening—something even more urgent than ruining the wedding.
‘Like painstakingly preparing to kidnap and imprison the beautiful half-fairy she’d been eyeing every single day.’
Right around that time, the Rutley estate bought a huge quantity of plants.
People probably thought it was for decorating their garden, but those plants were never planted in the garden.
“Where do you think all those plants went?”
“……The basement, I assume.”
Correct.
Fairies were beings closest to nature. They loved sunlight and nutrient-rich earth.
Benedict, who was half human and half fairy, shared that trait—he withered in places with no light at all.
If Nadia found something she wanted, she obsessed. She would’ve pounced on that weakness.
Place plenty of plants nearby so he could absorb nutrients, but lock him underground without a single ray of sunlight until he promised to be hers.
That was Nadia Rutley’s revenge on Sienna.
「Too bad for her, the target of her revenge—Sienna Evergreen—turned into a zombie, making the whole thing pointless.」
Zero snickered, mocking Nadia. This apprentice god wearing the form of a hamster especially hated foolish humans.
「So be careful, Possessor. Nadia’s going to go wild when she sees you. She probably assumed you were dead since she couldn’t get news from outside—but you’ve shown up alive at her house? No way she lets you leave.」
‘I know, you jerk…….’
Yet this same guy gave me the quest to punish Nadia Rutley and rescue Benedict Faerman?
It was so ridiculous I wanted to run away from home. But what could I do? If the system tells me to do it, I have to.
While I was resigned to my fate, Michael and Ruth talked about Benedict, whom they’d forgotten for a moment.
“You and I didn’t attend the wedding, but Ben is different, right?”
“That guy would watch the wedding to the end, even if he cried so hard his eyes swelled like a goldfish.”
“But we never heard anything from him afterward.”
“Same here. Last thing he said was that he’d give us a final goodbye before going back to his hometown, but then the contact just stopped.”
“Then that really means…….”
“Judging from everything, he probably is locked up.”
“That idiot……”
I grabbed Ruth’s arm tightly and pleaded.
“Let’s go to the Rutley estate.”
“It seems dangerous.”
“But we have to. If we’re going to fight zombies alongside Sir Michael and you, Ruth, then we absolutely need Benedict Faerman too.”
That was undeniable, so Ruth and Michael reluctantly agreed.
“He’s good with a bow, at least.”
“Ben is a sharpshooter. If we bring him, he’ll definitely be useful.”
“So I’ll take that as a yes?”
Ruth frowned.
“This is absurd. Not only zombies, but evil people too?”
Still, he didn’t forget to adjust the landing point of the flight magic toward the Rutley mansion.
『Wind, guide us to our destination.』
The prayer-like spell swiftly carried us to the Rutley estate.
A mansion covered in clusters of colorful hydrangeas—the family emblem—came into view.
Above it, a dome-shaped magic barrier, like the one around the Keaton duchy, kept the zombies out completely.
“Kiiyaaaargh!”
“Graaaah!”
“Guuaaaagh…….”
Sensing something they couldn’t see, the zombies crowded around the barrier, surrounding it completely.
Strangely clever, they didn’t touch the barrier itself but stood one step back, creating an eerie sight.
Every window we could see had curtains drawn tight. The Rutley mansion was completely silent, holding its breath.
‘This looks exactly like Benedict being locked in the basement, doesn’t it?’
Tsk tsk. Poetic justice, maybe. I didn’t feel much sympathy, but we still had to enter the mansion.
“Ruth, can you break the barrier quietly?”
“Isn’t that obvious? This is basic stuff.”
Ruth recited a spell.
『Barrier, open a path for allies!』
A large hole big enough for an adult appeared at the top of the dome.
“Looks like they installed a cheap barrier. A proper barrier should be hard to break even for an A-rank mage like me.”
Clicking his tongue, Ruth lifted both me and Michael by the arms and flew us through the opening.
“If anything goes wrong, we run immediately. Understood?”
“Of course.”
“I mean it. Don’t say anything like ‘we need to rescue someone’—if you get caught, it’s over.”
“Got it, so let’s head for the basement first.”
「The blue mage complains way too much. I wish he’d learn from the quiet platinum-blond paladin!」
Zero grumbled; Ruth really did obsess over safety.
‘Was my lack of ability that bothersome to him?’
Feeling a little hurt, I was comforted—awkwardly—when Michael patted my shoulder.
“With us by your side, nothing will happen.”
Yes, it better not. Please.
While praying for safety, we searched until we found the hidden door leading to the basement.
‘Finally found it…….’
This house had a special room filled only with things Nadia considered cute or precious—her display collection.
Dolls, paintings, and various colorful gem accessories lined the room. I expected a hidden entrance under the furniture or floor, but…
The basement door was actually somewhere else.
Seeing me struggle, Zero told me.
「If you move the memorial stone in the training yard, there’s a door underneath that leads to the basement.」
‘Thanks, Zero.’
Sure enough, there was a basement door there.
‘……It wasn’t this creepy when the survivor search window showed results, was it?’
The Rutley estate was silent. No servants, no Count or Countess Rutley.
I was relieved we wouldn’t be scolded for trespassing, but it didn’t feel good.
With a gloomy feeling, we searched the training yard and found a huge stone inscribed with the names of past family heads.
‘Is that it?’
“Sir Michael, could you move that stone for me?”
“Understood.”
Michael pushed the stone aside and dug a little into the ground, revealing a basement door made of solid steel.
It had been covered with thick grass to avoid being noticed by the people of the Rutley estate, but nothing could escape Zero’s eyes.
With his strength, Michael pried open the door. Stairs appeared.
“Let’s go down.”
I went first, then Ruth, then Michael.
With no light at all, we moved cautiously down the stairs, feeling the wall. Soon a faint glow appeared, revealing a fairly spacious room.
Inside were a bed, a desk, and simple household items…… and thick bars like a prison cell.
“……W-what is this?”
And in front of the cage-like room was a blue-haired woman. She had been staring blankly into the room, but when she saw us, she flinched.
Her eyes and hair were as blue as the hydrangeas blooming around the Rutley mansion.
She had cheeks still slightly plump with leftover baby fat, as she was barely past adulthood, and her sharp, almond-shaped eyes made her look fierce.
Nadia Rutley—without a doubt.
“Who are you! How did you get in here?!”
Ignoring Nadia’s shriek, I looked past her, through the bars, at the person curled up inside, wrapped like a cocoon in a restraint suit.
Lime green hair like spring buds, pointed ears marking him as half-fairy.
Even covered by the restraint suit, his slender, elegant build was clear. I saw only part of his face, but he was stunning—an ethereal beauty shaped by nature’s own hands.
Anyone could see this was the one I’d come for. Benedict.
“……No doubt about it. That’s Benedict Faerman.”
Ruth clicked his tongue.
Inside the barred room, Benedict was asleep—or unconscious.
Cruelly, as if determined not to let him see even a shred of light, they had even put a blindfold over his eyes.
“I’m talking to you! Who are you?!”
Because we continued to ignore her, an enraged Nadia swung a weapon at us.
She had only slashed with a dagger from where she stood, but the force carried the unmistakable strength of someone from a warrior family. One look told me it would be deadly if it landed.
「She’s strong. If you get hit, it’s instant death or massive bleeding.」
‘I never asked for my life to be a thriller.’
Ha. This is seriously enraging.
As I scowled, Nadia froze when she saw my face.
“Wait— you’re…?”
Realizing she was about to figure out who I was, I cocked my gun and aimed right at her.
“If you’re curious who we are, I’ll answer. We’re the heroes of justice who came to rescue Benedict Faerman, the poor half-fairy you kidnapped!”
I said it as a joke to keep the mood light, but both Michael and Ruth looked like they wanted to disappear into a rat hole.
“……Where’s a hole? Any hole?”
“……If you find one, tell me as well. I’ve never felt this level of shame in my life.”
「……Wow. Embarrassing.」
Even Zero complained of secondhand embarrassment.
Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation that I didn’t feel embarrassed at all.
Even Nadia seemed thrown off, snorting at the ridiculousness.
Arms crossed confidently, she spoke to me.
“Hmph, perfect timing. Lady Elizabeth Keaton. I’ve wanted to kill you if we ever met again, and you just walked right in. I really am lucky.”
“If you were truly lucky, you wouldn’t have been caught poisoning the tea.”
And you wouldn’t have kidnapped Benedict Faerman, wouldn’t have gotten caught by me, and wouldn’t be trapped in a capital overrun by zombies.
As I listed them one by one, anger flickered across Nadia’s porcelain-doll face.
“Don’t act high and mighty! You and I are both finished. Out there, in front of those monsters who eat people, you’re nothing but prey!”
“So?”
“Hah…… Pretending to be noble until the end! You framed me for your crimes and banished me from society!”
Unable to control her rage, Nadia lost reason and charged at me.
She still had the sharp dagger gripped tightly in her hand.
‘Did she decide life was hopeless and just want to end it?’
I watched her rush toward me.
“Die! Elizabeth Keaton! Let’s fall into hell together!”
As she charged like an enraged boar, I tilted my head.
“No thanks.”
Why should I die with you? I’m not even the real Elizabeth.
But Nadia’s blade of revenge never touched me.
“I will not allow any further approach.”
“Aagh! That hurts! Let go!”
With a stern expression, Michael subdued her with ease.
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