In the basement of the great mansion, one of the most vicious forms of gambling took place.
It was gambling where monsters were pitted against each other and people bet money on the outcome. Bringing living monsters into the empire was a serious violation of law, but it was one of the things Count Quina arbitrarily carried out with the Empress’s authority at his back.
“However, I inform you that the current matter is unrelated to House Quina.”
The Count’s younger sister said.
“House Quina has never hired a mage, and furthermore, the current scale of undead monsters far exceeds the number of monster corpses stored within the residence.”
The lady finished speaking. People’s opinions were divided.
At that moment, the mage who had been carried in by Miss Sana and had only recently regained consciousness spoke up.
“So you don’t deny that… there were monster corpses in House Quina’s basement.”
In a still dazed voice, he introduced himself as a high-ranking mage formally hired for safety purposes at this conference. He revealed his knowledge about undead monsters.
“It’s clear that the corpses stored by House Quina became the main materials for the undead monsters. Some people also remembered seeing the wyvern that appeared initially before.”
At the mage’s words, opinions of “that’s certain” emerged among the nobles. One of them asked.
“There’s been nothing like this until now, so why did the monster corpses become undead?”
At the nobles’ question, the mage’s face darkened.
“There are various reasons why monsters become undead, but all of them are serious. Especially the worst case is when a monster horde appears…”
At the terrible explanation that followed, everyone’s faces darkened as well.
The mage had each person speak about what they witnessed, and the second-floor drawing room gradually fell into silence. In fact, enough monsters had already been sighted to deserve the word “horde.”
“We have no choice but to assume the worst.”
With a haggard face, the mage came to a cold conclusion.
“Even if there are that many monsters, isn’t it simple if you use magic? I mean high-level mass destruction magic.”
A short, ashen-haired noble man with an obviously anxious air asked. While the mage hesitated, the Regent Duke, who had been watching the situation, interjected.
“There was only one person within the empire who could use such magic.”
Duke Yorick said as if bitter.
“But not anymore.”
A look of despair crossed people’s faces.
Despair in an urgent situation quickly began to transform into resentment. Because the memory of the tense argument on the first floor remained, they couldn’t openly hold Benedict responsible, but an uncomfortable atmosphere spread. The Regent Duke subtly fanned the flames to produce such a smell. It was a far thicker and more unpleasant smell than the rotten stench wafting from the monsters or the smell of blood beginning to float in the air.
“Enough of this!”
Marquis Heisilt stepped forward, his face completely contorted.
The nobles supporting the Prince were trying their best, but they were outnumbered. The opportunists led by the Regent Duke kept scattering the point. Benedict, who was making the greatest effort in this disaster-like situation, was hearing such words.
And I,
felt as if all of this was my fault.
It felt as if all the bad things that happened to Benedict were because I had returned to the past.
In the past, Benedict ascended to the throne this winter.
But the Regent Duke, who should have died from black spots in October, was still alive. Baring his venomous fangs there while constantly watching for a chance at the Prince.
In the past, Benedict could eliminate monsters with a single gesture.
But the current Benedict had lost his magic power. He was facing monsters with only a sword.
The future was changing.
What if it changed more?
If even a shadow fell on the brilliant path that should unfold before Benedict, the path he deserved to enjoy.
It felt like my breath was being choked by anxiety. If only I could, I wanted to keep even a speck of dust from settling on the radiance destined for him. He should rightfully walk a solid and brilliant path as originally meant.
I felt like I had become dust myself. I had made his sparkling future dim.
“…ahim, Joachim?”
I shouldn’t have done anything.
I shouldn’t have even left the house.
I really would have been fine living as I had lived before.
“You bastard!”
Mikhail was frantically tapping my shoulder. Mikhail kept alternately looking at me and outside the window, telling me to look over there.
“If he’s that strong, doesn’t he not need magic power?”
Mikhail asked in a daze.
Before I knew it, people were looking outside the window one by one, beyond the terrace.
While overhearing the Regent Duke’s conspiracy still being carried out, I too moved my steps toward the terrace.
The first thing I saw was the mass of pitch-black monsters covering the forest in darkness. They were advancing, wriggling their discolored heads and backs between the large trees.
However, the monsters couldn’t easily approach any further. At the entrance of the forest where monsters were gathered along the path, fierce combat was spreading.
I could see Benedict at the lead and the knights surrounding his rear guard.
At first, I felt like I would suffocate from fear seeing only the overwhelming quantity of monsters, but looking carefully, the garden was already strewn with monster corpses.
I was stunned by the gradually unfolding situation.
“Good heavens.”
Someone uttered an exclamation.
Honestly, I felt the same way.
“……”
Witnessing Benedict’s combat, I oddly became curious about the monsters at the northern gate.
Benedict has many scars on his body.
I didn’t know at first. They were things that could only be discovered by looking closely when he was sleeping until late morning filled with sunlight, on those very rare occasions. When bright sunlight illuminated his solid body that wasn’t covered.
Scars that had been there so long only white traces remained. Yet scars that still remained even though they were old enough to have become that way.
Just how could the monsters at the northern gate have wounded someone like that?
I wanted to ask Benedict too. How much effort it took to reach such a level.
It was that one-sided a battle.
“……!”
Benedict’s blade endlessly sliced through space.
Between the dead black blood scattering everywhere, his collar fluttered ceaselessly. I thought I understood why he had torn off the long cloak.
Every time Benedict swung his sword, rotten heads flew and dead blood splattered. At most it took two exchanges like with the wyvern to finish. After sheathing his sword, he immediately moved on to the next without giving a glance to those collapsing behind him. I could see the knights quickly reorganizing their formation and following.
Yet he wasn’t tired at all. He was exactly the same as at the start.
While Benedict at the front annihilated the monsters, the dozen or so knights kept formation at his back and skillfully dealt with the monsters that slipped away. They appeared to be the imperial palace knights who had been with Miss Sana.
“Are they your colleagues?”
I asked Miss Sana, who had approached nearby at some point.
“Yes. They are knights who also experienced the northern gate.”
Unlike the others, she was watching the battle with eyes experiencing daily life.
Meanwhile, in front of the mansion entrance, dozens of the Count’s household knights had thoroughly formed a defensive formation.
Based on their large numbers, they were stably cooperating to face the small number of monsters. They were the ones the advance party missed or those approaching the mansion entrance by circling around the garden. They only dealt with approaching monsters and didn’t leave that spot. They seemed to focus on protecting the mansion from the monsters.
“It’s difficult to say for certain, but there’s hope.”
People crowded together on the terrace watching kept exclaiming in admiration. Before they knew it, the Regent Duke’s side had fallen silent.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to help? Mage, can’t we send a messenger outside the mansion?”
“As a matter of fact, when dealing with the crow monsters earlier, I used marker magic to signal an emergency. This knight here also helped.”
The mage pointed to Miss Sana.
“The rain was heavy so I cast it until I exhausted my magic power. The empire’s defense force surely noticed. However, since this great mansion is in an outlying area, it will take time to arrive… Oh no!”
The mage who had been continuing to speak while observing the garden rushed to the terrace.
Everyone inadvertently pressed against the window. One of the knights assisting Benedict could be seen sitting down.
In front of him was a giant wolf-type monster. The monster, with rotten water dripping from it, was wildly charging with its snout even though it had lost both front paws, before the knight could even stand up.
A brief, precarious exchange of blows continued. The knight swung the arm holding his sword. The people looking down let out cries of shock. I too truly thought the knight would be bitten.
The next moment, Benedict had driven his sword into the center of the wolf monster’s forehead. I didn’t even see when he leaped. Behind him, the spider monster he had been facing earlier could be seen collapsed with its legs flipped over.
The knight who had been sitting down hastily got up. Without even time to ask after each other, Benedict moved forward again, and the knight also filled his position. Another monster’s head was already flying off.
“It could charge like that even after losing its legs?”
Marquis Heisilt said with relief, pointing at the wolf-type monster with its head split.
“Monsters that become undead grow stronger.”
The mage explained from nearby.
“Because they feel neither pain nor crisis. To stop those things, there’s no choice but to destroy the magic stone hidden inside their bodies. It seems that’s how he’s processing them now.”
“It must be harder than facing the monsters at the northern gate.”
“That’s right. But there is a slight advantage.”
The mage analyzed objectively.
“Undead monsters have no intelligence. They only have blind killing intent. That ogre is an intelligent-type monster—if it were alive, it would have hidden around now and moved strategically.”
Everyone was focused on the battle situation. Only the mage’s answers continued intermittently then broke off.
Among the Regent Duke’s close associates who had quietly withdrawn, the ashen-haired man who had been glancing sideways approached near the terrace and opened his mouth.
“Shouldn’t you deal with the wolves first?”
He asked anxiously while undoing the button choking his neck.
The mage said, now that you mention it, and looked down carefully.
“It does seem like the spider monsters are being prioritized. It looks like wolf-type monsters are only dealt with when they charge.”
“Aren’t there too many werewolves?”
The ashen-haired man poured out complaints.
“The monster that endangered the knight just now was the same type too!”
The Regent Duke’s side showed dissatisfaction at not dealing with the wolf monsters first—the ones with the largest numbers surrounding below the terrace. The creatures seemed to have noticed this side’s presence and were prowling right below, looking up with pale, faded eyes.
“It’s for your sake.”
Miss Sana, who had been quiet, answered instead, but the ashen-haired man kept glancing at the Regent Duke while stubbornly insisting.
“That knight serves Prince Benedict, so of course she would say that, wouldn’t she?”
He approached even closer to the terrace window and pointed below.
“Those wolf monsters are constantly watching with hideous eyes for where His Grace the Regent Duke is located, and if by chance those things should leap in—”
And truly, something leaped in.
