Chapter 4
“Ha.”
The Crown Prince ran a hand through his hair and let out a baffled laugh.
“…Hey, my lady. Do you really think that makes sense? Just like you said, this place is the Sacred zone.”
Right. The Sacred zone.
A sacred territory under the jurisdiction of the Temple, protected by immense divine power.
Magic and aura were forbidden here unless used through approved magical tools.
Forcing them into use would cause conflicting waves and trigger a disaster. That was why, in this place, pure physical strength was the only way to survive.
And now, due to the zombie miasma, it had become hostile even to divine power.
I shrugged indifferently.
“Sometimes, things happen that can’t be explained with words.”
Just like how I ended up here.
The Crown Prince’s face twisted. It was an expression that clearly said how can you be this calm?
“I woke up first. I had time to adapt—relatively speaking.”
A lie.
I hadn’t adapted at all.
The Crown Prince let out a hollow laugh before setting his jaw.
“Is there any way to contact the outside?”
I pulled off the brooch clipped to my shirt collar—a communication magic device—and showed it to him.
But no matter how much I tapped it, all it produced was a crackling zzzt— sound.
“It seems broken. It won’t connect.”
“Damn it.”
The Crown Prince cursed and ruffled his wine-colored hair.
He appeared to pause, organizing the situation in his head.
Thankfully, true to his role as a male lead, he didn’t suggest using a scroll to return to the Empire first and then coming back with reinforcements.
Survival was a battle of tools, manpower, intelligence, and time.
He knew that delaying meant more survivors could die.
I felt a surge of relief at the realization that the Crown Prince was far more clear-headed than in the original story.
Maybe because this is before he gets mentally worn down.
Anyway—
“Your Highness, will you cooperate with my plan?”
“…Not sure.”
What?
In an instant, the Crown Prince shattered my shallow expectations. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.
Tilting his head slightly, he eyed my waist with lazy eyes.
“And why should I trust someone armed to the teeth and acting alone?”
He jerked his chin toward the hammer hanging from my belt, clearly coveting it.
“Is that your only weapon?”
Ah. So that’s it—he wanted me to share.
I tapped the pouch at my waist.
“I have enough weapons to spare.”
“That uptight Temple would never allow weapons inside. How did you bring them in?”
“Obviously, I snuck them in.”
“…What?”
The Crown Prince frowned, looking genuinely incredulous.
But it was the truth.
The Sacred zone strictly prohibited weapons and magical items.
Special permits were required to carry weapons, and the procedures were complicated, with countless exceptions.
I’d considered burying the weapons in advance a few days before the ceremony, but the inspections before the prayer service were far too thorough.
So on the day of the prayer ceremony, I barely passed the portal inspection by using Hayton’s invisibility patch.
Even I think the Temple guards were sloppy—but facts are facts.
At my admission, the Crown Prince shot me a suspicious look, but I’d expected that much.
Lies only invite more suspicion. Sometimes, a sloppy truth is better.
“Then why bring weapons and warp scrolls at all?”
“I planned to go monster hunting afterward to blow off some stress. I didn’t expect this situation to happen.”
“So you snuck weapons into the Temple to hunt monsters—and this disaster just happened to break out?”
“Yes.”
I nodded shamelessly, fully committing to it. By Redria’s standards, this was downright mild.
The Crown Prince stared at me with confused eyes.
Of course he’d be suspicious.
But the reason he didn’t press further was simple—right now, I was the only person he could rely on.
And the one at a disadvantage was the one who had to bend first.
“……”
After watching me silently for a moment, the Crown Prince nodded, as if something finally clicked.
“I did hear rumors that you’ve been smacking servants around lately. So that was combat training.”
…Sure. If that explanation helps, go ahead and make me the lunatic.
At this point, I couldn’t even be bothered to correct the exaggerated rumors.
“Since it came up, I’ll distribute the weapons.”
I lined up several compacted weapons on the kitchen island.
A hammer.
A spear.
A mace.
A bow.
Naturally, I picked up the hammer.
“I’ll use the hammer.”
“I’ll take the spear.”
Without hesitation, the Crown Prince grabbed the wooden spear.
He smoothly recited the spell engraved on it, and the spear extended upward past his height. Even with the weight-reduction enchantment, it was far too long for me to use.
He repeatedly threw and caught it, testing the balance, then muttered that it had been a while before slashing through the air.
Whoosh—
My bangs lifted and settled back down.
He’d only swung it once, yet a sharp wind filled the room.
You call that ‘a while’? One swing and three skeletons would go flying.
Eyes wide, I watched him inspect the spear.
Well, he had exceptional physical balance and was known as a once-in-a-generation prodigy in martial arts. Archery, spearmanship, swordsmanship, horsemanship—there was nothing he couldn’t do. He’d even graduated from the Academy early.
There were rumors he possessed a special ability, but nothing was confirmed in the original story.
…Meanwhile, I only got decent with the hammer after swinging it until my hands blistered.
I glanced at my calloused hands, clicking my tongue in mild irritation. Still, now wasn’t the time to wallow in unfairness—we needed to survive.
The Crown Prince finally cast a dissatisfied glance at my hammer—and at me.
The look clearly said, How are we supposed to escape with you like this?
For a moment, I felt like a clueless rookie soldier.
He knew.
Everyone knew.
That Redria Arios—infamous for treating a single drop of sweat like a personal tragedy—had combat ability close to zero.
A month ago, that look would’ve crushed me.
But I’m different after a month of special training.
I swung the hammer with a sharp whoosh, sending his red hair fluttering like threads.
Seeing the surprise in his golden eyes at the stable force of the swing, I casually rested the hammer on my shoulder.
“…Well, this level of combat ability should be enough, right?”
I shrugged brazenly.
The Crown Prince’s widened eyes returned to normal, and he let out a short laugh.
“Well, you’ll make a decent shield at least.”
You—should I just leave you behind?
“But, my lady.”
“What is it?”
The Crown Prince rubbed the back of his head irritably.
“Why do I have a bump back here?”
“…Who knows.”
…The kind-hearted me will let it slide.
=======================
“Kueeek—!”
The Crown Prince stood diagonally by the window and pulled aside the curtain. After briefly surveying the outside, he spoke calmly.
“So then, is there a way through that horde of zombies? You’re not suggesting we take them down one by one.”
Well. That would be fun.
The Crown Prince grinned ferociously as he observed the zombie swarm with interest.
A chill ran down my neck.
…Did he just say that was fun?
I shot him a fed-up look.
I take it back—he’s not mentally sound. Cancel that.
In the original story, the Crown Prince was charming and sociable, disarming others with a radiant smile before striking where it hurt most.
Yet inwardly, he was a distrustful man who built walls around himself—an exhausting combination.
And his mouth was so sharp that every time he opened it, it was verbal gunfire. Naturally, he had no shortage of personal enemies.
Can I really handle this guy?
Pressing my temple as if dealing with an unruly problem child, I answered,
“As Your Highness said, taking them all out one by one isn’t realistic.”
Especially since they didn’t burn in sunlight and were active day and night.
Skeletons—reanimated from nameless soldiers buried together in mass graves—rose up like skeleton monsters and attacked the living. Like ordinary zombies, their weak point was the skull, and their reflexes and movement speed were slow.
The one saving grace was that these zombies weren’t cannibals.
They did bite people, but with crushing jaw strength and grip powerful enough to tear living flesh apart.
If a healthy person gets bitten, they become a true zombie—a walking corpse.
That was why, if even an arm got bitten, it had to be amputated to prevent infection.
Ugh. Chilling.
In short—we needed a strategy to move safely.
Rustle.
I pulled the Temple district map off the cabin wall and spread it across the dining table.
“Please come over here.”
The Crown Prince released the curtain and walked toward the table
