Chapter 92

 I turned my head toward the direction the person who shouted was pointing, and indeed, I saw the monsters. They were undead monsters, similar to humans but with cold, pale skin, dry frames with exposed bones like dead trees, and rotting flesh.

‘Perhaps that’s a relief.’

These monsters were similar to the zombies in old movies and moved slowly. While it would be difficult to gather all the merchant goods, they weren’t particularly dangerous opponents if we only focused on escaping.

Just as I was about to shout for everyone to run in the opposite direction, a scream-like cry came from behind me.

“T-There are some on this side too!”

‘What?’

Turning back, I saw monsters crawling up the path we had just passed. My eyes widened at the unexpected, or rather, incomprehensible situation.

‘Since when?’

Undead monsters are slow. If they were blocking the path like that, we couldn’t have missed them while passing through that route. Unless they had suddenly appeared via a portal!

I quickly scanned the surroundings for another escape route. However, a huge number of undead monsters had already surrounded the area. I felt my heart pounding heavily with tension and bit my lower lip.

‘This is trouble.’

If there’s a clear escape route, it’s easy to escape from undead monsters. But if we had to fight them, there was nothing more troublesome than these monsters. Unlike ordinary monsters, they couldn’t be fought without Aura, Holy Magic, or Divine Power.

Since it was a large merchant group, they did have a mercenary company escorting them, but…

“Aargh!”

“Commander, we can’t stop this!”

As a mercenary company from the North, they were probably used to ordinary monsters or bandits, but even they were helpless against the undead monsters. Although some mercenaries occasionally used Aura or magic, it seemed this trade expedition was unlucky enough not to have any such individuals.

‘Since monsters are appearing all over the country these days, they might have been scouted away to other regions.’

Given the current situation, their value would have soared, making hiring them difficult. I unconsciously clicked my tongue at the thought of talent being poached by other regions. Then, I let out a hollow laugh, realizing I was naturally thinking like a northerner.

‘I can’t help old habits.’

It was a habit that would soon disappear once I left the North and distanced myself from this place. I took a deep breath to compose myself and clenched the hilt of my sword tightly.

‘No matter how dire the situation, I won’t just stand here and be defeated!’

It was just as I was about to charge.

Swooooosh!

Pang!

The silver wolf emblem of the Eclipse Duchy Knights clearly rose into the sky. The person who looked like the highest-ranking merchant had set off a magic flare firework from his pocket. The eyes of the people who were in a state of panic lit up with hope. People who had calmed down slightly began to run and gather around the merchant who had set off the firework. The mercenaries also regained their senses one by one and surrounded the gathered people, keeping watch.

‘…We might be able to hold out until the Knights arrive.’

Since the undead have little to no five senses, avoiding them itself wasn’t difficult. But the Knights had to arrive before the monsters completely overwhelmed us.

I put my sword back into the subspace bag and joined the group of merchants, covering my face with my cloak. A non-mercenary wielding a sword and joining the fray would only draw attention, and I had no reason to stand out right now.

In the meantime, the distance to the monsters was steadily closing. Everyone was sweating with fear, hugging each other, and weeping. They knew the Knights would arrive soon since this was still within the Eclipse Duchy’s territory, but separately, the grotesque appearance of the monsters and the smell of rotting corpses instinctively evoked the fear of death.

“Aaaaagh!”

Just as one of the mercenaries at the front was torn apart by a monster and met his end.

Neigh!

The whinnying of horses sounded. Swords bathed in the light of Aura were seen cutting down monsters from a distance.

It was the Silver Wolf Knights.

Swish, swish!

Sounds, not quite sharp enough for a proper cut, rang out in succession. Three Knights were cutting down the monsters instantly, each focusing on a different direction. The monsters were helpless against the Aura, and even with just three Knights, the monsters were cleared in an instant.

“Are you alright?”

After the subjugation was over, one of the Knights approached the group of merchants. The person who had fired the flare stepped forward, expressed his gratitude to the Knight, and began a conversation. The Knight became even more friendly when he learned we were the Ortrancia Merchant Guild, who were on a trade expedition.

“We will open a temporary portal for you to leave. It seems undead monsters have appeared in various locations around here.”

A favor of this magnitude.

“R-Really?”

The merchant, who hadn’t expected such a favor, was surprised and continuously expressed his thanks to the Knight.

Hidden within the group, I subtly checked the face of the Knight, which looked familiar. If the Knights had a temporary portal, it would be a magic tool for retreat in case of unforeseen circumstances.

‘If they bestow such single-use magic tools when monsters have appeared in multiple locations…’

Anxiety briefly washed over me, concerned for them, but I soon dismissed the worry and composed myself. The Knights wouldn’t have offered such a favor if they knew they were in danger themselves.

Fortunately, because it was the Ortrancia Merchant Guild, they did not individually check the identities of everyone boarding the portal. I stepped onto the temporary portal and traveled to a trade city at the edge of the North, then to a portal station from there, finally arriving in the West.

***

The place I arrived at was Fernandis, a port city in the West famous as a tourist destination. As soon as I arrived, the salty scent of the sea, carried on the wind, made me keenly aware that I had escaped the North. Even though it was early morning, the lively voices of fishermen could be heard from the port and the market.

In contrast, the portal station was quiet and peaceful in the morning, as the people who arrived here were mostly nobles traveling for tourism.

“Welcome, is this your first time in the West?”

In front of the Fernandis portal station, Helena, her trusted subordinate, Commander Alvin, and probably other Knights from the Green Reindeer Knights, were standing in plain clothes.

“Thank you, Helena.”

I approached her with a delighted expression, but Helena seemed to find a prolonged greeting awkward and immediately ushered me into a carriage. True to the well-prepared Helena, the carriage had a plain exterior but a luxurious interior.

As the carriage started moving, Helena said, “I have a villa built in a secluded area on the outskirts of Fernandis. The surroundings are empty fields, so few people know about it, and I’ve already sent servants there, so it shouldn’t be a bad place to stay.”

“Thank you. Are you staying there too, Helena?”

“Hmm, I wish I could, but I’m a bit busy these days, so I’m afraid I’ll just have to drop you off and leave.”

Helena sighed regretfully and began to talk about the various things that had happened to her since we last spoke. She seemed to be working hard to become the Young Duchess, busy every day with various power struggles and striving to prove her capabilities against them.

As we chatted, the carriage soon arrived at the mansion Helena had mentioned. When I stepped out of the carriage, the mansion stood alone in an empty field, just as she had described. I stared blankly at the green meadow, still wet with morning dew, saw Helena off, and entered the mansion.

To prevent any leaks, the mansion was staffed with only one maid, one chef, and five guard knights. It was very quiet and comfortable.

As I entered this mansion, I made a firm resolve.

‘I will just relax and eat without thinking about anything.’

And for several days, I faithfully kept that resolve. I had no choice but to try my best not to think about anything, as the moment any extraneous thoughts surfaced, I would be overwhelmed by depression and feel like I was going insane.

Still, I occasionally managed to get a yellow newspaper from the chef when he went out for groceries. The newspaper contained sensational news about monsters appearing in various regions every day and gossip from high society.

However, even within that sensational content, the article I was most eagerly awaiting was missing.

“Why isn’t it there?”

By now, the news of my departure, as well as the divorce papers, should have reached the Imperial Palace and been fully processed. It should have been a major headline, considering the divorce of a couple who had caused a big sensation, yet there was nothing written about it.

News related to Eclipse was barely published only in the Imperial Family’s monthly magazine, Drenia. And even then, it was just a brief article about the Silver Wolf Knights sending knights to certain regions to achieve success or share their expertise.

“…”

I pushed the read newspapers aside. Amusingly, I felt both relief and a sense of regret at the news that the North was functioning well without me. Yet, with the news of frequent, large-scale monster appearances lately, I was constantly worried that the people at the main estate, the Knights, and Nine might get hurt. Even though monsters were now appearing outside the North as well, meaning the Blueberry Count family, Helena, and even my current location were far from safe from them.

“L-Lady Chacha!”

Just as I was trying to shake off these thoughts and sip my tea, the single maid in the mansion rushed in frantically.

“What’s wrong?”

“T-There’s chaos outside! You must flee quickly…!”

Clang!

Boom!

Before the maid could finish her sentence, the sound of something collapsing nearby echoed loudly. Assuming it was a monster, I hastily grabbed my subspace bag and drew my sword.

“You run and hide first! I’ll check and follow!”

“L-Lady Chacha!!”

The maid called out desperately, as if pleading with me not to go, but if it was a monster, running away wasn’t the solution. I immediately checked the area where the dust cloud was rising and ran toward it.

However, contrary to my imagination, the shadow I saw standing tall in the dust cloud was a human figure. I pointed my sword at the shadow.

A familiar voice came from within the dust cloud.

“…Chacha.”