Accidentally Formed a Reverse Harem in the Apocalypse Chapter 8 - Acquiring the Holy Water and the First Sub Male Lead

Chapter 8 Acquiring the Holy Water and the First Sub Male Lead

 

 

“To deliver the holy water to Lady Keaton, Sir Michael, go bring a silver water jug.”

“…For Lady Keaton, Your Holiness?”

At the pope’s command, Michael’s eyebrows tightened. That guy had been glaring at me since earlier, and now he looked like he hated the idea of me receiving holy water just as much.

Being an evil woman is suffering…

Everyone hates me. No matter how much I try to get used to it, it never gets easier.

「…Sorry.」

Forget it. Instead of apologizing, give me a solution to fix this mess.

Finding a way out of this situation was far more urgent than whining.

When Michael hesitated, the pope asked him in a low voice:

“Why? Is there something wrong?”

“…No, Your Holiness. I’ll prepare it.”

Even the strongest holy knight was nothing more than a mere priest in front of the pope. Michael chose one of the ornate silver bowls and jugs displayed beside the pope’s chambers and approached us.

“Here it is, Your Holiness.”

“Thank you, Sir Michael.”

The pope took the silver bowl and dipped it deep into the sacred spring. Soon, holy water filled with clear, bright energy filled the bowl.

That’s holy water!

The essential item for fighting zombies!

I desperately hoped he’d scoop a lot, but… the pope only disappointed me.

“This much should do, yes? Your share, Lady.”

“…Pardon?”

Are you kidding me?

Compared to the water jug, the silver bowl he held out was tiny—no bigger than a side-dish bowl from home. My mouth went bitter. The bowl was smaller than the jug—completely backward.

“Now, take this and—”

Just then, as the pope poured holy water into the jug—

「Let’s show time!」

Zero’s voice echoed crisply.

Only in my ears.

[At the request of Possessor-Helper NO.00000234232, also known as Zero, the system will now open.]

[system: Possessor Buff activated!]

[System administrator access granted: Inventory Open!]

A window only I could see popped up, and something strange happened.

“Huh?”

“…What is this?”

The holy water the pope had poured into the jug was completely gone. Not a drop remained—as if it had instantly evaporated into thin air.

“Your Holiness, didn’t you pour holy water just now?”

“I—I did. Let me try again.”

Clearly rattled, the pope scooped more holy water and poured it in. But again—nothing. No splash, no water inside.

This… this is—

It’s the inventory function!!

As if to confirm it, a gauge bar began filling on my screen.

[Holy Water: ■■■■□□□□□□]

[Holy Water: ■■■■■■□□□□]

[Holy Water has been added to your Inventory!]

Whoa…

I tapped the holy water icon in the inventory. A description opened.

[Holy Water of the Papal See: Sacred water imbued with divine power. Has a 90% chance to paralyze zombies or other monsters.]

Hamster-helper Zero puffed up proudly.

「Ahem. I did my best.」

Good job, Zero!

So he applied game UI and system mechanics from those fiction forums to this world.

Now I could gather enough holy water for the soldiers, too!

I acted clueless and asked the pope:

“Oh my… isn’t holy water something only Your Holiness can draw? But somehow it isn’t entering the jug…”

I deliberately let my words trail off, adding suspicion. The rigid Michael also stepped in.

“Lady Keaton is correct. If the holy water cannot be drawn, that suggests Your Holiness’s divine power has weakened… or has been tainted.”

It was textbook reasoning, yet the pope’s pride was wounded.

“Are you saying I’ve fallen into corruption, Sir Michael? Your words are outrageous.”

“I didn’t mean to insult Your Holiness. I only expressed concern—”

“I do not wish to hear it! The same goes for you, Lady!”

Apparently he knew he was a greedy man, because with a reddened face he shoved the silver bowl at me.

“If you doubt the qualifications of your pope, then you scoop the holy water yourself. Take as much as you wish—I won’t interfere.”

Oh wow, jackpot.

You hear that, Zero? Apply that possessor buff properly.

「Okay. I’ll unlock the job trait so you can collect it yourself.」

Huh? What job trait?

「Well, if you’re going to solve a zombie plague, you might as well be a saint, no?」

Excuse me? A saint? Me?

I didn’t ask for—!

Flash.

[Opening possessor’s job traits.]

[“Elizabeth Keaton” has changed jobs from Evil Lady → Saint.]

[A powerful saint appears for the first time in 948 years! Holy effects may occur around the user.]

Oh you’ve GOT to be kidding me.

Just as I dipped the silver bowl into the spring—light burst forth. My body and hair lifted off the ground as if I were weightless.

A halo of light spun around me like I was the protagonist of a magical girl anime—then poured into me. Moments later, all the water in the spring compressed itself straight into the silver bowl—filling the jug completely.

[Holy Water: ■■■■■■■■■■]

[Holy Water 100% full!]

The pope stared at the now-empty spring, speechless.

“Wh—wh—what in the world…!”

“This tremendous aura… Lady, are you…?”

Unlike the pope, who was too shocked to move, Michael realized instantly that I had become a saint and looked ready to grab me any moment.

“A-ahaha! Then I’ll take my leave!”

In situations like this, the best choice is always to RUN. If it got out that I was a saint, that corrupt pope would use me like a tool!

Holding the holy-water jug tightly, I bolted like my life depended on it—running so fast the holy paintings on the walls blurred past.

“Stop right there, Lady! I have questions!”

If it were you, would YOU stop??

Michael chased me relentlessly. Thank goodness for Elizabeth Keaton’s superb core strength—this girl looked delicate but her body was built like a high-end Pilates machine.

After narrowly escaping Michael, I reached my waiting party inside the temple.

“Wizard! Teleport, NOW!”

“Uh—where to?!”

“The Keaton duchy! My house!”

“Y-yes, Ma’am!”

Overwhelmed by my intensity, the wizard rushed to cast the teleport spell. As the magic circle completed, I clutched the holy-water jug and prepared to return home.

“Did I not tell you to STOP!”

“Huh—?”

Grab.
Michael caught my wrist at the exact moment the teleport triggered.

And just like that, all of us—including the very inconvenient, not-even-on-good-terms sub male lead—were transported back to the Keaton estate.

“Haa…”

And that’s how I somehow ended up dragging home the holy water…
and the sub male lead I didn’t even like.

 

 

******

 

 

 

 

“Ughh….”

After using teleportation magic several times back-to-back, the mages were exhausted and retching.

“Hah… hahh… W-we’re alive…”

I’d gained something completely unexpected today. I’d stolen—no, retrieved—all the holy water. Now we finally had a weapon to use against the zombies.

My legs are still shaking…

I shuddered as I recalled the pope glaring at me with eyes full of something beyond outrage—almost murderous intent. If he caught me, I’d die. I prayed desperately not to encounter him again until the zombie disaster was over.

I sprawled right on the ground in front of the duchy’s main gate, dignity be damned, catching my breath. From the mansion, people suddenly rushed toward us.

“Who dares use teleportation magic at the Keaton Duchy’s main gate without permission—!”

“Huh? Isn’t that Lady Elizabeth?”

“What’s going on?”

Armed butlers and servants, tense and on edge in broad daylight, ran toward us. They must have mistaken us for intruders.

“Butler, it’s me. Elizabeth.”

“M-my lady! Thank goodness you’ve returned safely!”

That meant… the household already knew something terrible was happening outside.

“The zombies got this far, didn’t they?”

My hollow voice made the butler lower his head gloomily.

“If you mean those… those things with blood-red eyes, making strange noises, trying to bite people—they were here, yes.”

Other staff added their own accounts.

“They ignored the dead bodies completely and only attacked the living. They were like butchers checking for freshness.”

“We activated the emergency barrier to keep them from breaching the main gate!”

“Well done.”

“Gasp… The lady is complimenting us…?”

“But that was all we could do.”

The butler’s shoulders drooped, so Head Maid Marian smacked his back firmly.

“What do you mean, Patrick! Thanks to you, the household staff were able to act in unison against those monsters. Chin up!”

So that’s why everyone had rushed out holding weapons.

No wonder there were dark bloodstains all over them.

“But where is the Duke…?”

The butler’s anxious eyes made me smile bitterly.

“Unfortunately… he spoke with the Crown Prince—who had already turned into a zombie—and was bitten.”

I briefly explained, without disrespecting the dead, that he had attempted another reckless act and died senselessly.

“Merciful Ardel…”

“We shouted at him to retreat, since His Highness was no longer human, but he didn’t listen.”

Right after that, the barrier beyond disappeared, and zombies spread out behind the Crown Prince. It was horrific—but zombies instinctively target the living. It was obvious the capital area had descended into chaos.

Only noble estates with enough resources for barriers survived…

The lives of commoners must have turned into pure hell. Even though the city guard existed, with the imperial palace fallen and no chain of command, they probably panicked and fled.

I glanced at the transparent emergency barrier. It was covered in countless cracks, and dark red blotches where zombies had clawed at it, making my chest go cold.

Damn it, Zero! This genre was supposed to be a romance fantasy! How did it turn into a zombie apocalypse survival novel!?

Was the romance part just a prologue? Like seasoning sprinkled on top afterward!?

「I don’t know either… that’s why I’m trying to solve it through you…」

You said you’re a helper working under a system administrator—what do you even know!?

「Why are you yelling at me! You escaped safely earlier thanks to me!」

Zero wiggled his whiskers and trembled, a tiny hamster tear welling up in his beady eyes.

「I’m working hard too, you know!」

For the sake of clocking out, I’m sure.

「Hmph!!」

[Helper Zero is showing signs of being upset with the possessor!]

That’s enough. No point arguing.