ESMLT 05

Chapter 5

I tapped my index finger on the map to mark the location of our cabin.

“This is where we are right now—the Eastern Shelter.”

In the Sacred Zone, cabins were called shelters, and one stood at each of the four cardinal points.

Shelters were places where bereaved families, with permission from the temple, could honor the deceased. Since most of the dead here belonged to the upper class—excluding fallen commoner-soldiers—they were well maintained.

They even had magically preserved luxury food, clean bedding, and spare clothes.

“Our plan is simple.”

Throw a grenade to secure a safe zone at the center.
Break through the zombie horde and reach the safe zone.
Cross the “Cleft Ground” at the central cemetery, then head north to the Sacred Forest.

The Sacred Forest, for reference, was protected by a barrier that kept it safe from zombies.

After finishing my explanation, I locked eyes with the crown prince.

“From now on, let’s divide tasks. I’ll pack up the food here in the Eastern Shelter. Your Highness, I’ll give you a lightweight magic kit—use it to tear down one side of the cabin and turn it into a makeshift raft-bridge. This place will collapse soon anyway, so no harm in using it.”

“A raft-bridge?”

At his puzzled voice, I flicked my finger toward the central cemetery, about 200 to 300 meters away.

The center, ringed with graves, was split east to west and north to south by a ravine—the so-called “Cleft Ground.”

“The closest point to us is right here, this Cleft Ground. The raft-bridge will be for crossing it.”

The earthquake had left the ground split by about two meters. Even with decent reflexes, I was exhausted from battle—it would be cutting it close for me.

“I see.”

The crown prince nodded, his golden eyes gleaming as I recalled the original storyline.

In it, Ledria steals food from the Eastern Shelter—where supplies are richest—and flees into the dimensional cave.

The crown prince, left behind alone, hides in a warehouse after the fences collapse and becomes isolated.

He barely escapes three days later but, tragically, develops claustrophobia from the trauma.

I wasn’t about to let myself end up trapped like that too.

The thought made me swallow hard.

Kweeeh!

Outside, zombies shrieked.

The prince and I glanced at each other at the same time.

We both knew.

From now on, if we wanted to live, we had to fight with everything we had.

We divided our roles and got straight to work without complaint.

The crown prince’s hands were quick—he finished building the raft-bridge in no time.

Meanwhile, I miniaturized food and aid supplies with the kit, packed them into a backpack, and got ready.

When I stepped outside, he was already there waiting.

Kwaaah!

He stood facing the zombies beyond the iron fence, the raft-bridge tied to his back with rope.

I walked up beside him.

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, facing zombies through the fence, I suddenly felt like I was in some grim zombie movie.

I glanced at him. “What are you staring at?”

“Measuring.”

“Measuring what?”

“Whether I can wipe out the eastern zombies.”

…Why the hell would you waste time trying to wipe them out, you lunatic…

Perhaps sensing my exasperation, the prince chuckled faintly without looking away.

“My lady, that is quite the irreverent glare you’re giving me.”

We’d only been together a few hours, but I already felt drained.

With a sigh, I ran a hand down my face, pulled a hammer from my belt, and said, “Aim for their heads in battle. That’s the weak point.”

“…Their… what?”

He turned toward me with genuine confusion.

‘Ah, right. They don’t use the word “skullcap” here.’

I tapped my temple. “Their skulls.”

The prince let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“As expected of the notorious young lady—your speech is ever so refined.”

“Thank you.”

I felt him raise an eyebrow at my curt reply, but I ignored it.

Grooaargh!

A particularly close groan jolted me.

I looked up—one zombie had its head jammed over the fence, pushed forward by the horde.

Clang!

At last it toppled over inside. Two more soon followed. I tightened my grip on my hammer—when the prince casually stepped in front of me.

“You said the head is the weak spot.”

His steps were calm, deliberate. As he walked, a spear shimmered into being in his clenched hand.

He let it drop, then caught it again, and swung.

A sharp gust rattled the fence—and three zombies’ skulls flew clean off.

Crack!

The falling skulls shattered like glass, their bones collapsing limb by limb until nothing remained but fragments.

One skull even rolled to my feet like a ball. I let out a dry laugh.

The spear hadn’t even touched them—it was sheer wind pressure.

Resting the spear on his shoulder, the crown prince looked back at me, disappointment clear in his gaze.

“That’s all? How dull.”

What exactly did he expect?

‘…I knew you were insane the moment you grinned at zombies.’

Still, having him on my side was reassuring.

Suppressing a grimace, I turned back to the cabin. He followed nonchalantly.

At the fence, I pulled out a dark green grenade.

It was a modified high-explosive bomb my eccentric brother Hayton had built, with a kill radius of about 50 meters.

I smiled brightly as I held it up.

I’d handle the dangerous part.

“Who’s going to throw it?”

The prince looked at me like I’d asked a stupid question. With only the two of us here, the options were obvious.

“I’ll do it.”

He smoothly took the grenade—

Whip!

—and without a word, yanked the pin and hurled it straight into the horde.

‘You crazy bastard! You’re supposed to give a warning first!’

I gaped as the grenade traced an arc through the air.

‘Wait… how far is that thing flying?’

It soared over 80 meters before dropping into the zombies.

BOOM!

The ground trembled half a beat after the blast.

Zombie cries lessened—the explosion had carved out a wide empty space.

‘Good. We’ve secured the safe zone.’

But relief was short-lived.

Kueeeeh!

The iron fence, already straining, split apart just like in the original story.

I pointed frantically. “Your Highness, kick the fence!”

Clang!

He reacted instantly, booting the fence.

It toppled backward, dragging zombies down in a domino crash.

My heart thudded with the realization—if we’d hesitated any longer, we’d have been swarmed inside the cabin, just like in the novel.

But there was no time to relax.

I bit my lip and looked ahead.

Kwaaaah!

Pinned zombies clawed through gaps, shoving heads and fingers between the bars.

One abandoned its stuck legs and crawled forward on hands alone. Another, spine broken, dragged itself by its arms.

‘Damn it…’

Suppressing a curse, I jerked my chin toward the blast site.

“Your Highness, I’ll take the lead to clear the path. Please cover the rear.”

It’d be easier to cut down the freshly rising zombies that way.

“If that’s what you prefer, so be it.”

The prince kept his eyes on the surroundings.

I murmured an incantation, enlarging my hammer until it fit snug in both hands.

The weight woke my senses.

‘This is it.’

For the first time, it truly hit me—I was about to throw myself into a swarm of zombies.

Just as I braced to charge, the prince spoke up, eyes fixed on the horde.

“Shall we make a wager, my lady?”

“What wager?”

I answered tersely, annoyed at his timing.

“Who kills more zombies. If you win, I’ll grant you a wish.”

“…Actually, I already killed over a hundred before you woke up. That count included?”

He chuckled, amused.

“Well then. Even better. More fun that way.”

Fun, my ass. I shot him a glare, then tightened my grip and shouted—

“Run!”