Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse Chapter 58 - The House of Count Woray

If it was House Woray, the family to which Kieran—the original story’s villain—belonged, then they certainly had sufficient motive to cause the zombie outbreak.

‘And on top of that, their specialty is assassination, poison, and curses, isn’t it?’

Count Woray’s House was a place that learned every technique and power people feared and deemed ominous.

An original story ruined just before its happy ending.
Count Woray’s House, already fallen into ruin.

Kieran Woray, the current head of the family, was therefore a prime suspect.

“Hey, Zero! Maybe Kieran Woray is—”

I was just about to say the culprit.

「Yeah. Impossible.」

Zero said this while stuffing a piece of tomato into his mouth.

“……Huh?”

「I know what you’re about to say. But Kieran Woray can’t be the culprit.」

“……Why not? He has the motive, and he has the ability.”

We still didn’t know what kind of power had created the zombies.

Magic?
Or sorcery?

‘Even assuming it’s one of the two is just speculation…….’

But if it were House Woray, which had researched sorcery for generations in order to break their cursed contract, wouldn’t it be possible?

Shouldn’t we head straight to Linstead, where they were?

‘I put that large-scale, long-distance teleport scroll for mass transport—the one I got as my last reward—into my inventory.’

Using it, I could reach Linstead in one second. As for the magic power, Ruth could help with that.

I had already gone so far as to imagine myself charging toward the lord’s castle where Kieran Woray would be—when Zero looked at me with pity.

“What, what is that unpleasant look?”

It was like watching a monkey desperately trying to become human.

「Hey, possessee. Have you already forgotten what happened to Count Woray’s House in the original story after they failed to kill Crown Prince Louis?」

“……Ah. Damn it.”

Of course I remembered.

“……Their entire foundation was destroyed.”

The years Count Woray’s House lived as the imperial family’s guard dogs were humiliating—but not entirely useless.

Struggling to break the contract, they gathered knowledge indiscriminately: poison, sorcery, especially curses, black magic, and forbidden drugs.

Collecting material in dangerous fields naturally led them to form ties with people in those areas. Sometimes those ties even resulted in marriage alliances, and House Woray gradually expanded.

From weapons manufacturing to mercenaries, to exchanges with sorcerers—

Almost every major business in the underworld bore the influence of Count Woray’s House.

Ironically, the shadow dog that protected the highest sun grew intimately familiar with the darkest night, plotting to one day bite that sun to death.

This reached its peak in Kieran Woray’s generation.

They could procure weapons on their own. Sorcerers well-versed in harmful curses could be hired anywhere on the continent for the right price. Synthesizing colorless, odorless poison was child’s play.

Every condition surrounding Count Woray’s House was perfect, and Kieran was confident that his generation would finally sever the damn contract with the imperial family.

But what was the result?

Kieran suffered a crushing defeat—because of this world’s heroine, Sienna Evergreen.

As the price of that defeat, Count Woray’s House lost every foundation it had inflated like a balloon. Forbidden curses and drugs were all destroyed, and underground businesses were confiscated by the state.

「You don’t really understand what it means when they say they ‘spared their lives,’ do you? It means they cut away House Woray’s foundations like severing tendons, and placed restrictions so none of the family members could ever use their ominous abilities again.」

“……So they really were left with nothing but their lives.”

「From the empire’s perspective, it was a natural and wise decision.」

A dog that once tried to kill its master could always try again.

In other words, Count Woray’s House in Linstead could no longer pose any threat to the imperial family.

‘I thought they might be able to cause the zombie outbreak because they were experts in curses.’

But if all their abilities were sealed and they lacked even the means to act, then House Woray couldn’t be the culprit.

My head began to ache. I stopped eating and lay back down gloomily, while Zero continued as if to hammer the point home.

「There’s another reason it’s impossible.」

“What is it?”

「System interference. That’s something no ordinary human can accomplish.」

I couldn’t forget how the translucent blue status window had filled with countless error messages and slowly turned blood-red.

Nor the message that appeared on it.

“……That strange error message last time said it hoped everyone would die.”

「Yeah. That arrogant message.」

Zero sat crouched in front of me, gnawing on salad greens as he spoke.

「That’s impossible for a normal human. Even if House Woray was well-versed in bizarre curses, this is on a different level. Without divine-level code—from at least a trainee constellation like me up to a high-ranking god—you can’t even access it.」

“So… you’re saying there’s a high chance the culprit isn’t human?”

「That’s far more plausible. A human could never access this system, no matter what.」

“…….”

We were back at square one.

“So what you’re saying is that a non-human created the zombies?”

「If I knew that, we wouldn’t be stuck like this. Every time I try searching the system for related info, I get an error.」

“……Are there even non-humans left in this world?”

「Honestly, not many. At best, some fairies living in hiding. Most other races went extinct in ancient times.」

“……Fairies avoid humans. They’re not the type to hunt them…….”

「Right. So we can rule them out.」

Which meant there were no suspects left.

‘Is this what it feels like to look for a needle in the desert?’

It was suffocatingly hopeless, with no clear solution.

The satisfaction I’d felt after eliminating the zombies for the second time plummeted straight down.

“Ah…… I don’t know. I’ll just finish eating for now.”

「Sure. Even Mount Geumgang is best enjoyed after a meal.」

“Catching the culprit behind the zombie outbreak isn’t exactly a sightseeing trip, though.”

Complaining wouldn’t help. The unknown culprit would keep moving, and the zombies might someday crawl over the capital’s walls.

I called a maid, took a new fork, and shoveled the remaining breakfast into my mouth.

It felt better to eat quickly and move quickly.

“Hmm…… still, we should contact the most suspicious party first—Count Woray’s House.”

「Why?」

I remembered Sherry Daymon and Jacqueline Celeste communicating through magic communicators.

‘Let’s contact House Woray.’

The communication magic tools installed in the Daymon Ducal House and the Celeste Marquessate were also present in the Keaton Ducal House—and they were the latest models.

I didn’t know the dial number for Linstead’s lord castle, but with Zero’s help, I could find it.

“If Kieran answers and he’s innocent, we bring him to our side. If not, we deal with him immediately.”

It would’ve been difficult if Kieran Woray’s abilities hadn’t been sealed—but I had holy knights, mages, a half-fairy archer, and even the northern grand duke swordsman.

Zero finished off the last tomato while listening to me.

「But do you really think Kieran Woray would answer your call? Elizabeth’s call—the villainess’s call?」

Oof. That hit the mark.

Sadly, Villainess Elizabeth was hated equally by heroes and villains alike.

If it was Kieran Woray, he might simply ignore any contact from the Keaton Ducal House.

‘……Still, there’s no harm in hoping.’

That word—hope.

I hated staking things on uncertainty, but I didn’t want to give up just because it might fail.

‘I need a lead.’

To return home, I had to catch whoever caused the zombie outbreak.

Even if I had a strained relationship with the real Elizabeth, I planned to shamelessly gather every scrap of information I could.

「Finish your breakfast first.」

Perhaps sensing my resolve, Zero finally stopped sneaking bites from my plate.

「You need strength to catch the culprit.」

‘……Shouldn’t you have made me a detective instead of a saintess?’

「Nope. Too late to change it. Just be a saintess.」

‘So selfish.’

Grumbling, I cleaned my plate.

It was time to head out and resume the quest.

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

When I stepped out in a reasonably comfortable indoor dress, my party members were gathered in the reception room, along with our collaborators.

Michael was the first to spot me.

“Have you arrived?”

Ruth and Benedict followed with their greetings.

“Oh, Your Grace. Did you sleep well last night?”

“You snored. It was loud.”

I’d said I needed to look reliable, yet the fact that I’d passed out and been carried back was embarrassing.

“Mr. Benedict, I don’t snore. And thank you for asking, Mr. Ruth.”

As I sat down on the sofa, the butler brought the communicator as instructed.

“Here it is, Your Grace. But where are you attempting to make contact?”

“Well, there’s… somewhere.”

Given the capital was in chaos and I was calling the family that tried to kill the crown prince, I skipped the explanation.

Thanks to Zero, I already knew the coordinates and communicator number for Linstead’s lord castle, so I immediately dialed.

‘Please don’t let Kieran Woray be harboring ill intent…….’

But no one answered.

Without even a ringing tone, only one voice reached my ear.

—The number you have dialed does not exist…

“……What?”

Did Kieran Woray smash his communicator or something?