Chapter 90

What in the world is that? Latil was startled and looked at the woman holding the axe. Latil had already seen Tlal, who seemed to be dead, in a state where he couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality. However, the woman with the axe was in a completely different condition from Tlal. Tlal, when seen by someone who didn't know him, looked almost the same as when he was alive, to the point where one might not even realize he had died and come back to life. He even conversed with a rabbit mask and worried about his mother. But this woman was different. Anyone could tell she had died and come back to life. Her skin showed no sign of life, and her bloodless, snow-white lips were a stark contrast. Even someone naturally pale couldn't have such skin. Most of all, her eyes. Her unfocused, overly dilated pupils were so eerie that anyone who saw them would scream in terror. Indeed, all sorts of screams could be heard from around the window where the woman with the axe appeared. People who were standing there scrambled to get as far away from the window as possible, bumping into each other and falling down in the process. However, among the screams, there were also voices recognizing the woman with the axe.

"Redler?"

One of them was Aini.

"Redler?"

Aini, who had been pushed away from the window by the maids and guards, suddenly shouted in a loud voice. This started a ripple of hushed voices among the maids: "It's Miss Redler!" "Oh my."

The woman with the axe, despite her terrifying appearance, stood still and looked around, causing the people who had been fleeing to stop and start examining the terrifying corpse more closely.

"Didn't Miss Redler die recently?"

"Didn't her body go missing at the funeral?"

Whispers came from all directions. It seemed she was a well-known noble lady in Karisen. Latil also recalled a maid's story. The maid who was closest to Empress Aini. After she died, her body disappeared, and Aini believed that Heum had killed her. It seems this corpse is that maid.

'So, did this lady also come back to life after dying, like Heum and Tlal?'

But it was still strange.

'Since I saw Tlal in a place where I couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality, I can consider it an exception, but Prince Heum looked like a normal person before he started attacking with his mouth open. Why is this woman in such a bad state?'

Then,

"Miss Redler?"

A noble standing near the corpse cautiously spoke to Redler. Despite her terrifying appearance, he seemed to hope that she was the same as before, just with a different exterior. However, as soon as he spoke, the corpse, which had been standing still like a broken doll, quickly swung her large axe from right to left.

"Ahh!"

The person who spoke narrowly avoided the axe and rolled to the side. But when blood started flowing from his shoulder, the corpse, smelling the blood, began to act wildly.

"Seize her!"

"Kill her!"

"No, capture her alive!"

As the axe began to destroy everything with a 'bang, bang' sound, the knights who were watching nearby rushed over. However, due to the conflicting orders, they couldn't respond cohesively. They were unsure whether to treat the moving corpse as a noble corpse or a terrifying monster. In the meantime, the corpse with the axe struck the nearest knight and, while the knight was defending, dropped the axe and bit another knight's neck with her bare hands.

"Ahh!"

As the injured knight clutched his neck and crouched, the knights realized it wasn't the time to capture her and began a threatening and sharp attack. Fortunately, since the monster was only one, they managed to subdue the corpse after a short while.

"Is that a zombie?"

Latil, watching the scene, lowered his voice and asked Kalain.

"It seems so."

Kalain answered, watching the knights gag the corpse's mouth and tightly bind her hands and feet.

"Zombies are said to be indistinguishable from humans in appearance."

"Did Prince Heum turn this lady into a zombie?"

"Maybe."

"Then... what does that mean?"

Latil swallowed and slowly turned his eyes from the zombie to Kalain.

"From what I've investigated, zombies are contagious."

At that moment, a scream that tore through the air was heard.

"Aaaaaah! Your Majesty!"

Latil looked over.

'Aini!'

The noble couple who had fled from the axe zombie. The male noble was running towards Aini, who was nearby, with his mouth open. The female noble looked at her lover, with whom she had just shared sweet words and escaped from danger, in disbelief. However, before the male noble reached Aini, a sword flew at high speed and embedded itself in his forehead. As the noble fell to the ground, twitching his hand, Aini looked down at the scene with wide eyes.

"Are you alright?"

As Haysins approached and asked, Aini, though only asked, shuddered and clung to the wall.

"You seem to be alright."

Haysins, seeing this, concluded and pulled the sword embedded in the zombie, frowning as he examined it. Latil noticed that Haysins' sword was missing from its scabbard. It seemed Haysins had thrown the sword. It's a relief. Latil, feeling relieved, suddenly called out.

"Your Majesty! Check if the lady is hurt! Infection! Contagion!"

At Latil's shout, the nobles who had gone to check on Aini quickly moved back. The maids also supported Aini, whose legs had gone weak, and led her to the back. A few guards assigned to security approached the noble woman who had fled in first.

"I'm fine. I'm not hurt. My forehead? It's just a scratch from breaking the window."

As the woman showed that she was fine, people watched from a distance. At that moment, a scream came from a completely different direction.

"Aaaaaah!"

People moved to the other side, and Latil also looked over.

'Contagious...'

The knights who had rushed to capture Redler. Two of the knights who were injured at that time had their eyes change like Redler's and bit the doctor treating them and the knight helping to stop the bleeding. Screams erupted from all directions, but there was no full-scale rush to escape in the hall. Accurately, there were no conditions for escape. At the door, the male noble zombie killed by Haysins' sword was lying, and near the window, the two knights turning into zombies were fighting with other knights. Moreover, Redler, the first zombie, had entered from outside. Her dress was splattered with blood when she came in. If that blood was from when she turned into a zombie, it would be fortunate, but if it was from eating servants outside, no one knew what might be out there.

"Weapons."

Latil muttered as he watched the situation. Kalain, who had been standing a half-step in front of Latil to protect him, turned around.

"We need weapons."

As Latil mouthed, Kalain looked around to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon. However, there was nothing. It was rare for anyone to bring weapons to a banquet.

'I should at least grab this.'

Latil put a blunt knife used for spreading butter in his sleeve and surveyed the situation again. The two knights turning into zombies, the knights and doctor they attacked, and the knights tying them up to be prepared for the worst were mostly gathered in that direction. Fortunately, the male noble zombie with a sword through his forehead was lying still without causing more trouble. The female noble, as she claimed, didn't seem to be infected, though she was breathing heavily, and the guards who approached her didn't leave her side, just in case. As the situation settled, Haysins looked over. Latil, maintaining a distance, met Haysins' eyes. Latil moved his mouth slightly to ask, "Are you okay?" But just as he said "okay," Haysins suddenly opened his eyes wide, and Latil, sensing unease, instinctively rolled to the side. Rolling a few times, he bumped into a music stand left by a musician. Blocking the violin and sheet music that fell on his face with his hands, he looked back at where he had been standing. Redler, who had appeared first, was fighting Kalain. The knights had been holding Redler, but they seemed to have lost her in the chaos. Fortunately, Kalain, who didn't become a mercenary king by his looks, easily subdued Redler. In fact, he didn't just easily subdue her; after dodging a few attacks, he immediately immobilized Redler.

"Use this!"

An unknown old lady appeared with a sturdy chain, and Kalain used it to bind Redler tightly. As Kalain, who had securely tied Redler, approached Latil, Latil pointed to the knights and said,

"Kalain, I'm fine, so help the people."

"I'll stay by your side."

"I think it would be more helpful if you take the lead. I'll check outside. It would be better to let people out if we can."

The side where the knights were trying to subdue Redler was in chaos, and the two zombies had already turned into five. They were surrounded to prevent them from spreading further, but it seemed that infections were continuously occurring among them. Latil looked at Haysins again. He was busy giving orders, but Latil couldn't hear what he was saying. Kalain seemed concerned about leaving Latil, but after a moment's thought, he surprisingly nodded.

"I will. You'll be stronger if you 'fight properly.'"

"What? No, that's not it. Anyway, go. Quickly."

As Kalain went over and provided several times the support, Latil ran to the window to check outside. To see if there were any other infected people Redler had encountered on her way in. Seeing that there was no one, he tried to open the window, but...

'This window wasn't made to open.'

There was no opening part.

'So that's why people are staying here.'

If he broke this window and there were such corpses outside, he would have to come back. Breaking the window would create more entrances for zombies. Latil had no choice but to go to the door. He thought Haysins would block him if he went that way, but it was better than breaking another window.

"Wait. Miss Sadie."

But as expected, when Latil tried to go out the door, Haysins immediately stopped him.

"It's better to stay until the situation is under control."

"I want to check outside. If there are no dangers, we should let people out."

"I've already given that order, and the royal guards have gone out."

The nearby nobles glanced at Latil and Haysins. Latil looked at the male noble corpse lying on the ground. This corpse, unlike Redler, didn't have a strong feeling of being dead, except for the abnormally dilated pupils.

"Then..."

Just as he was about to ask for a weapon, a voice from not far away made Latil look up immediately. The voice that called him a "monster." Prince Heum. As soon as he recognized it, Latil pulled the sword from a knight standing next to Haysins and rushed forward.

"Seize him!"

The knight whose sword was taken shouted in surprise, but by then, Latil had already kicked the door and swung his sword at the source of the voice. As expected, Prince Heum, who had been watching the situation, dodged to the side when Latil appeared, eyes wide. Latil, who had swung at the air, quickly regained his balance and adjusted his grip on the sword. For some reason, Prince Heum was looking at Latil with fear. Latil smiled at the prince, partly to put on a show.

"Meeting again."