Chapter 12
“…Well, I won’t deny it. But don’t be biased, Duke. It could just be a disaster, nothing more.”
That was also true.
But still—
Jaeger fixed Redria with an icy glare, sharp as a blade.
“It’s possible that woman is involved in this incident.”
After all, she was always the one doing outrageous things.
The crown prince tilted up the corner of his mouth.
“Hmm. But if she’s suspicious, then aren’t we equally suspicious in her eyes?”
“Yet doesn’t it seem odd to you? She’s unusually calm, as if she already knows everything about this mess. And her weapons and scrolls—there’s no way they can be explained away as monster-hunting gear.”
Richard’s eyes flicked to Redria’s waist.
It was exactly as Jaeger had said.
In truth, what he found more suspicious than how she had such weapons, was why she had them at just this moment.
In the midst of a zombie outbreak, she just so happened to have a weapon and a warp scroll?
And in a weapons-restricted zone, no less.
The timing was far too peculiar.
Taking their silence as agreement, Jaeger spoke again.
“It would be safer if we took charge of her belongings.”
“That’s enough. Taking from her would be no better than robbery.”
Richard spoke calmly, eyes fixed ahead.
At that moment, Redria shrank slightly, hugging her arm to herself. Richard, noticing, gently removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. His gesture was tender enough to make Jaeger scowl and turn away.
“…It seems you’ve grown rather fond of her.”
“You, Duke, are oddly hostile toward her. Shouldn’t you at least show some gratitude? After all, we’re indebted to her.”
“Are you certain she’s showing us kindness without ulterior motives?”
“I’d like to believe so.”
In the darkness, Richard’s lemon-yellow eyes gleamed coldly, like those of a bird of prey. If not, then things would become difficult for them both.
“…”
Jaeger clenched his teeth, glaring at the back of Richard’s head with a gaze as sharp and brittle as frost.
“Do as you wish. If you end up bewitched by her and regret it, that won’t be my problem.”
His voice dripped with frost, and then the wind rustled through the leaves, making a chilling sound.
“According to the map, this is the north shelter’s back entrance.”
I checked our position against the map again.
On the map, a patch of bushes was drawn before the rear gate of the northern shelter. Raising my head, I saw tangled branches and shrubs ahead, as if hugging each other tightly.
Jaeger stepped closer, doubt in his eyes.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I rolled up the map and slipped it into my belt pouch.
“We’ll know once we check.”
The crown prince led the way, slashing through branches with his spear. Jaeger followed, snapping twigs as he went.
As I trailed behind them, the heavy scent of mud and grass filled the air.
“The lady was right.”
The prince muttered quietly as he stopped.
Jaeger halted behind him.
Pushing past the two, I spotted a silver mesh fence.
Smiling triumphantly, I rattled the gate. It budged slightly but was secured tight with a lock.
“We’ll have to break it.”
“It’s a special lock made with sacred power. It won’t break. But we can find the key.”
“You mean it’s possible to find it? Keys like this are only given to families authorized to use the shelter.”
I reached into the dimensional pouch at my waist and pulled out a pouch of jerky. Choosing the juiciest piece, I raised it high like a torch, a statue of liberty holding beef instead of flame.
“…”
“…”
Both the prince and Jaeger stared at me intensely.
I could almost hear the crown prince muttering, Does she normally carry jerky around…?
My face flushed, but I pretended to be perfectly calm.
Whoosh—!
In an instant, a bird—an Aporta, one of the temple’s trained birds—swooped down and snatched the jerky.
As it landed on a nearby branch, the silver key dangling from its slender leg caught the sunlight.
While the bird pecked delightedly at the jerky, I carefully slipped the key free.
Everything was going smoothly—just as expected.
As always, the only unpredictable ones were the male leads.
‘If only these guys would stay quiet, things would go so much easier.’
I jingled the key toward the two of them.
“See?”
“What is that bird?”
The prince gestured at the Aporta with his chin. I worked on unlocking the padlock as I replied casually:
“It’s an Aporta—keeper bird for the shelter keys. They go crazy for jerky.”
“And how do you know something like that?”
I paused mid-turn and looked back.
Both men were frowning deeply, staring at me with sharp suspicion.
Especially Jaeger.
“How is it that you know things I don’t?”
I shrugged.
“I had a friend at seminary. He studied under the shelter’s priest. He told me once—‘Don’t tell anyone.’ But you know how it is. When someone says that, eventually everyone finds out.”
A smooth lie rolled easily off my tongue, but Jaeger’s fierce eyes didn’t soften.
Of course he’d doubt me. Normally only priests and high clergy knew of such secrets.
But what could he do? Stuck in a zombie zone, he had no choice but to accept any excuse.
I ignored his gaze, unlocked the padlock, and let it fall to the ground. Pushing open the gate, I spotted a quaint log cabin.
Passing a small woodshed stacked with firewood, the cabin’s front door came into view.
I grasped the handle and pushed it open.
Creeeak—
A warm lavender scent drifted out heavily.
I stepped carefully over the threshold.
Jaeger, clearly unwilling to even see me, offered to keep watch outside in case of zombies. The prince followed me inside.
Bathed in the noon sunlight, the shelter gave off a drowsy, peaceful atmosphere.
Directly ahead, two rectangular windows let in a soft glow. A six-person dining table sat before them, and to the right, bunk beds lined the wall.
On the opposite wall hung a map of the sacred zone, beside a small kitchen.
There were three other doors: one to a pantry stocked with food, another to a bathroom—miraculously with a flush toilet—and the last, locked and mysterious.
That locked room was never revealed, even in the original novel. Not even I knew what was inside.
I began opening the rooms one by one, then turned toward the bookshelf near the locked door, hoping to find a key.
Just as I reached for a drawer—
“…Ha.”
The prince, who had been inspecting the bunks, let out a short laugh.
The kind of laugh that slips out only in sheer disbelief.
“What is it?”
I crept closer behind him—then widened my eyes.
Was this how the dwarves felt when they found Snow White asleep?
Had a woodland fairy snuck into the cabin for a nap?
Pale skin, rosy lips.
Dark hair brushing his neck, thick lashes fanned across his face.
An impossibly beautiful man was lying there, fast asleep.
The prince tilted his head and stood with a crooked posture, his expression saying all there was to say about his opinion of the man.
“What is he doing here?”
“You two know each other?”
Though I already knew their relationship from the novel, I feigned ignorance.
The prince raised a brow, his gaze still fixed on the sleeping man, his expression dark.
“Know each other… Hah. That hardly covers it—we’re far more than acquaintances.”
“Hmm. I see. Well, should we wait for him to wake up, or wake him now?”
“…”
The prince glanced at me, his expression unreadable.
“What?”
“…Lady, you’re not suggesting we bring him along, are you?”
“Yes, I am. Didn’t we agree to save survivors?”
“Listen. If you’re expecting cooperation from him, you’d better abandon that hope. This man—”
“Mmm—”
Before he could finish, the sleeping man stirred, rolling onto his side.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind blew through the half-open window. The leaves outside rustled, and sunlight poured onto his face.
The light brushed against his eyelids, and slowly, languidly, they lifted.
His hazy eyes blinked, like a cat waking from a nap.
He saw us standing there by his bedside, but instead of surprise, only blinked languidly.
“Who… are you?”
His clear, gentle voice rang out.
“…Did you sleep well?”
Sien Blanche.
One of the original novel’s male leads—
and the empire’s one and only Tower Master.
