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Chapter 86
It had been seven hours since we set out with the knights.
We still had a long way to go before reaching the outskirts of the village, but we were certainly moving faster than when it was just the three of us.
Part of it was because Lumi’s leg had healed, but the biggest reason was that the knights were carrying the exhausted Uben on their backs instead of making him walk.
“Penelope.”
Lumi, who had been walking a bit ahead, suddenly slowed his pace and came to my side.
He lowered his voice so only I could hear.
“When we reach the village entrance, don’t leave my side.”
“…What?”
“I have a bad feeling about that dormant infected. My guess is…”
He didn’t finish. One of the knights walking behind us tapped him on the shoulder, warning him not to get distracted. Lumi nodded curtly, as if to say he understood.
“I’ll tell you the rest once we find a place to rest.”
With that, Lumi put some distance between us.
Dormant infected.
It seemed he’d been thinking about that the whole time as well.
A quick glance at his face told me he wasn’t his usual relaxed self. His brows were furrowed, deep in thought.
Dormant infected…
I could only wonder what exactly he was afraid of.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, we found a large house.
When the knights opened the front door, a few zombies were wandering inside. The knights’ blades swung once, and their heads were severed in an instant.
Thud.
It was a brutal sight, yet I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the severed head rolling across the floor. Judging from its light clothing, it must have been the owner of the house.
If it had been just us, we would’ve chosen another house to rest in.
These people, however, didn’t hesitate at all to get rid of zombies.
In truth, part of why our pace had quickened was because the knights killed any zombie that so much as got in our way.
To them, zombies must not even be considered human anymore.
The Empire might officially say capturing them alive should be prioritized, but that was only to serve national interest. Whether that order was even followed anymore was another matter entirely.
One knight picked up the rolling zombie head and stood. Our gazes met for an instant—his eyes were icy cold.
“Ah…”
Maybe he didn’t like the look on my face.
Did he think I was some helpless burden who complained despite doing nothing but being protected?
I rubbed my face, trying to smooth out my expression, but it was too late. He was already walking outside with the corpse.
I knew the knights disliked Penelope.
Their chilly gazes, the irritation slipping through their words—they weren’t openly hostile, yet they made little effort to hide their resentment either.
But I had no idea why.
Even when I searched my memories as Penelope, none of their faces were familiar.
My chest tightened.
“Penelope. Are you feeling all right?”
Idorian approached with a chair, urging me to sit.
“I’m fine…”
I wasn’t tired. Even after walking all day, I wasn’t exactly human anymore.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Still, I didn’t want to give the knights more reason to doubt me, so I obediently sat and tapped my leg the way Lumi had taught me.
“I know the situation isn’t ideal, but if it gets too hard, you must tell me.”
Idorian’s worried tone made me smile faintly in reply.
“Your Highness…”
“Yes?”
I didn’t even know what I wanted to say. Anxiety welled up inside me, but no words came out.
If Idorian wished, he could kill zombies just like the knights. He simply chose to avoid them or take longer routes.
He once asked me if I truly believed zombies could return to being human.
In truth, he must’ve suspected I might be right.
But the knights were different.
And surely, the Imperial Army waiting for us at the village would be the same.
They would not spare a zombie.
Joining the Empire’s forces was the only natural way for us to enter the capital with the protagonist’s party—yet unease gnawed at me.
“I just thought perhaps Your Highness was exhausted… You’ve done more than any of us.”
“Well, I… Actually, what I wanted to say was—”
But he was interrupted.
“Please rest. I’ll prepare something for you to eat.”
The knight who had scattered zombie blood around the house spoke curtly.
“Are you unwell?”
Idorian glanced between the knights and me, worried.
“Of course not. I’m perfectly fine.”
I stood quickly, shaking my head. I had to leave before he started examining me more closely.
“But—”
“Penelope.”
Lumi called out to me just as Idorian leaned closer, scrutinizing my face.
“Can we talk now? The thing I mentioned earlier.”
Thanks to him, I slipped away naturally and followed Lumi into a small room with a bed.
He said he had something to tell me regarding the dormant infected who appeared at the fortress.
Whatever it was, it would only make my situation worse.
The knights already disliked me. They killed zombies without hesitation. More people meant more danger.
My unnatural movements might be hidden now, but what if someone got injured and bled?
Would I be able to resist? Would I be able to flee before anyone noticed?
I waited for Lumi to speak. He began slowly.
“To be clear, this is only a concern for now.”
He prefaced it gently, as if afraid his words might crush me.
“…Ah.”
His kindness only made dread settle deeper in my gut.
I rubbed the back of my neck and nodded silently.
Was he going to warn me that heightened suspicion meant even the slightest odd behavior would get me exposed?
That the Empire might test newcomers—force them to smell blood, perhaps?
Could I withstand that?
My thoughts raced until Lumi finally continued.
“There might be a zombie among the Imperial soldiers waiting for us—someone like Penelope.”
His voice was level, without rise or fall.
Maybe that was why it took me a moment to understand.
“…What?”
Or perhaps it was because his meaning was so far from what I expected.
“It wouldn’t be human anymore, but it could still keep its reason—just like you.”
He explained again.
“That zombie could have blended into the fortress among the people. That might be who bit someone. To everyone else, it looked like a dormant infected.”
He nodded to confirm.
“But Lumi…”
I almost refuted him—then froze.
I couldn’t say it.
I couldn’t explain that the reason I remained sane despite being a zombie was because I was trapped in the world of a novel I had once read.
I swallowed hard.
