Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse – Chapter 38 – Recruiting Benedict

Author: Asternkm

It wasn’t that he was ignoring her—Benedict simply didn’t think she was worth responding to.

But just as he was about to say that, the spirits contracted to him rushed over and shook their heads fiercely.

【Don’t do that, Ben!】
【Don’t, don’t.】
【She’s not a bad person.】
【She’s different from the person you knew!】
【We heard it—from the Administrator.】
【She really did come to save you. They said it was true.】
【She’s a good person.】

The spirits all said the same thing.

Elizabeth Keaton wasn’t a bad person, they insisted.
They begged him to just listen to her once.

Spirits were purity shaped by the primordial nature of the world.

They had no reason to lie, and no desire to.

If spirits said something, it could be accepted as truth.

So Benedict hesitated. Even if he didn’t withdraw his dislike toward Elizabeth Keaton.

“……But she’s the one who hurt Sienna. I can’t trust her. And you still want me to hear her out?”

【Yes.】

A firm answer came from the spirits.

【The Administrator is beside her.】
【If she were bad, the Administrator wouldn’t be with her.】
【It’s different. She’s different now.】
【She’ll tell you what you want to know.】
【What you fear won’t happen.】

‘Administrator? What’s that?’

He didn’t know the word, but Benedict nodded anyway.

“……Fine.”

Benedict surrendered to the spirits.

Even as a half-fairy, he could never go against the spirits who had always stayed with him and protected him.

The fluttering spirits brightened all at once.

【Really? Really?】

“Yes. Following what you say has never gone badly before.”

【Great!】
【Ben is so kind.】

He had planned to kill Nadia Rutley the moment his restraints were undone, but now he simply smiled gently—
because he didn’t want to show the spirits an ugly side of himself.

‘Even if it’s unpleasant to be in the same space as Elizabeth Keaton…’

Still, he would listen, just as the spirits asked.

As he reluctantly sat up properly to face Elizabeth, she smiled lightly.

“Now you’re ready to listen to me?”

“……Yes.”

His expression clearly showed how little he liked her. Even if their eyes met for only a few seconds, Benedict quickly looked away and refused to properly face her.

A blatant rudeness.

‘She’ll definitely get angry, right? Her face will turn red and she’ll yell at me for ignoring her.’

Then he could use that as an excuse to walk out without listening to anything.

And the spirits wouldn’t nag him to hear her out if she started yelling.

But as he watched to see her reaction, long slender hands suddenly reached forward and grabbed his face.

“W-What are you doing?”

“When speaking with someone, it’s basic manners to look them in the eyes. Didn’t you learn that?”

Elizabeth didn’t sound like someone who’d lost her temper.
No pig-squealing scream, no erupting fury.

Her voice was cool, refined—like a calm, controlled flame.

So Benedict froze instead of snapping at her.

Because the violet eyes reflecting in his sight shone with a brightness he had never seen before.

As someone contracted with spirits, he could see it:

The woman before him—her soul was burning bright and strong.

Overwhelmed by the radiance, Benedict stammered without realizing it.

“I—I did learn.”

“Then please listen carefully. There’s probably no one who understands the situation outside better than I do.”

‘……She feels like a completely different person.’

Seeing beyond her outer shell, Benedict finally understood why the spirits said she had changed.

Her eyes sparkled with intelligence—something he had never seen from Elizabeth before.

Lost in that thought, he barely heard a word she was saying.

Elizabeth noticed his attention drifting like water leaking from a cracked pot. One eyebrow twitched.

“……Are you listening, Mr. Benedict Fairman?”

“Ah—yes, yes.”

Realizing the incongruity, Benedict couldn’t bring himself to speak informally anymore. Honorifics suddenly felt more natural.

Elizabeth didn’t seem to care either way—she simply continued.

“You weren’t listening. I’ll start over. Outside, monsters—monsters who used to be people—are roaming everywhere. Many of them. I’m calling them zombies for convenience.”

“Z-Zombies…?”

“Yes. And it all began at the royal wedding of Crown Prince Louis and Crown Princess Sienna.”

“!”

At the mention of Sienna, Benedict went rigid.

All the blood in his body felt like it chilled at once.

Elizabeth continued, unmoved, delivering the terrible news.

“The Sienna you knew—she became the very first zombie. She bit the crown prince, and the wedding turned into chaos. Someone placed a barrier around the palace so no one could escape, and this is the result.”

“That… can’t be.”

Elizabeth pointed upward.

“The Rutley estate where you were held is protected for now by a magical barrier, but outside, the city is swarming with zombies. You wouldn’t survive if you stepped out.”

‘Sienna became… a monster?’

And the capital she loved was now a ruin full of those things?

Benedict clutched his clothes, overwhelmed.

‘I don’t understand any of this.’

Then the spirits whispered:

【It’s true. Everything she said.】

“Sienna… where is Sienna?”

【The flower-like child can’t return.】
【You can’t meet her again.】

“…….”

A tear slipped down Benedict’s cheek at the cruel verdict.

【We want you to live, our dear contractor.】
【Go with her.】
【The one the Administrator chose—strong.】

‘A world without Sienna… am I supposed to live in it?’

A half-fairy, neither belonging to humans nor fairies.

The only person who accepted him as he was—
the only person who saw him as Benedict—
was Sienna.

The weight of it crushed him.

As tears fell from his clear brown eyes, Elizabeth gripped his shoulder.

“Don’t think of doing anything reckless. Live with us.”

“……!”

“I know losing someone precious hurts. But following them into death—never an option.”

“What do you know….”

“I lost my father in this zombie disaster.”

“Oh.”

He didn’t know. She hadn’t shown grief on her face; he had no idea she’d lost someone dear too.

Feeling guilty, Benedict said something he never imagined he’d say to Elizabeth Keaton:

“……Are you okay?”

“I’m not. But I’m going to survive anyway. Dying pointlessly isn’t my style.”

“…….”

“If you throw away the life you barely managed to keep, how embarrassing would it be when you meet them again in the afterlife? I refuse to be that person.”

She clenched her fist as she spoke with conviction—
and she shone.

Like a tree growing strong, roots firm, rising with determination.

‘……I hate to admit it, but she’s… pretty cool.’

“So come with us, Benedict. We need your help.”

Someone refusing to give up, someone fighting to live—
she looked beautiful.

So Benedict spoke impulsively:

“……This scout thing—does it come with good terms?”

“Of course.”

“Then… I’ll do it. Take me with you.”

Since Ruth and Michael were with her, he felt he didn’t need to worry about betrayal.

‘Like she said… I can’t die just because I’m grieving.’

Sienna had become a zombie, yes—but someone must have caused it.

He would dig it out, uncover the truth, and avenge her.

“I’m good with a bow. Back home in El-Seca, no fairy shot better than me. And the spirits contracted to me— they’ll be strong in battle.”

So he wanted to fight.

His guilt and thirst for revenge wove together, igniting a fire to fight the zombies to the end.

“I won’t be dead weight. I promise.”

His spirits cheered for him.

【You can do it. Ben can.】
【She’s strong.】
【She can give you what you want.】
【Don’t die. Live.】
【We love you. We want you to live.】

‘……Yeah.’

He found a reason to live.

A goal he must never die before reaching.

****

As determination settled into Benedict’s brown eyes, a cheerful notification sound rang out—one that was delightful no matter how many times she heard it.

Ding.

[Sub Quest – Gather Party Members!]

[Each time you gather someone who can join the ‘Zombie Eradication’ party, you will receive a small reward.]

[Reward: 1 long-distance teleportation magic scroll for large groups]

[Congratulations on acquiring a new companion!]

[A new member has been added to the ‘Zombie Eradication’ party.]

[Current Party Members: 4/5]

[Progress for Sub Quest – Gather Party Members! has been updated.]

[Current Progress: Elizabeth Keaton (1/1), Michael Easter (1/1), Ruth Kritchern (1/1), Benedict Fairman (1/1), ??? (0/1)]

[Please do your best to recruit the final remaining party member.]

[GOOD LUCK!]

‘Yahoo!’