Author’s Note: Due to a mix-up in the order of the story posted yesterday, the timeline has become jumbled. I apologize for the confusion.
In the northern territory of Jiemeld, where the Undead Slime had been vanquished, a half-collapsed single-story mansion lay in ruins. The structure resembled a half-basement, and within one room that still retained its shape, an elderly man lay on a bed.
“He still clings to life, albeit barely… It seems, ironically, that he has survived thanks to the Viscous Magic Fungus,” the Clergy remarked, his brow furrowed as he assessed the man’s condition.
“This is a disease that Healing Magic cannot cure. I fear he won’t last much longer.”
The Clergy whispered this to Lionel, who turned to face the old knight, Clark, standing nearby.
“I can hardly believe it, but are you suggesting that this was done to prolong the Duke’s life?” Lionel asked, incredulity lacing his voice.
“That was… indeed part of the experiment,” Clark replied, his tone heavy with regret.
“Experiment…? Was that Mage involved in some sort of research?” Lionel pressed.
“It is true that the Mage initially sought to use the properties of the Slime to extend the Duke’s life. However, somewhere along the way… he lost his sanity.”
Clark’s gaze drifted to the corpse of the Mage, which had been retrieved earlier. The Mage appeared to be quite old, and it was said that he had already drawn his last breath by the time the barrier dissipated. The old knight fell silent, as if fearing the words that lay ahead. He too bore the marks of exhaustion, barely able to stand.
“Let’s discuss the details after we ensure the survivors are safe and settled,” Lionel decided, putting aside his curiosity for the moment in favor of prioritizing the rescue and transport of the survivors.
He requested the Knights of Jiemeld to arrange accommodations for the Duke and the survivors in the Royal Capital, while instructing Gilbert, Flora, Dolf, and Barbara to wait by the carriage.
“Why are we waiting by the carriage?” Gilbert asked, confusion evident in his voice.
“Have you forgotten? The knight who led us here bore wounds inflicted by human hands. Until we can ascertain the situation, your job is to protect Miss Flora and the elderly,” Lionel replied in a low voice.
Gilbert nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
—In truth, you are also a target for protection, but I know you wouldn’t listen to that.
With a wry smile, Lionel gave Gilbert’s shoulder a reassuring pat. Gilbert’s battle axe was wrapped in tanned leather, its blade gleaming brightly. He had been grumbling about its brightness, but Lionel sensed that Gilbert was aware of its true nature, hesitating to voice it aloud. Lionel chose to let it be.
The Royal Capital of Jiemeld was a town encircling an ancient castle. As Lionel and his group entered the town, the few remaining residents emerged from their homes, their faces a mix of relief and deep-seated fear.
The ancient castle, once the stronghold of the Jiemeld royal family, now stood dark and unlit, giving off a desolate impression for a town that was the largest power in the north. They were guided to one of the Duke’s secondary residences. After entrusting the Duke to the servants, they housed the surviving knights in an empty room.
“The knights we retrieved from the Undead Slime are severely weakened, but it appears they have no major injuries. There are hardly any signs of decay from the Undead transformation,” the Clergy reported, though he hesitated slightly on the last part.
“So there was some decay, after all,” Lionel noted.
“Yes, but the purification process has already been completed,” the Clergy confirmed.
Turning to Priest Sidney, who had been listening intently, Lionel inquired, “Sidney, have there been any past instances of humans becoming Undead?”
Sidney offered a wry smile in response. “To my knowledge, there have been none. Typically, one dies before undergoing Undead transformation. Or, due to the excruciating pain of decay, many receive healing and purification as a matter of course.”
He paused, glancing out the window toward the direction where the mountain of Immortal Mud had been.
“However, I have never heard of a case where even a small Slime became Undead due to such weak toxicity.”
Hearing this, Lionel furrowed his brow in thought.
“I just confirmed with the young knights of Jiemeld. The number of retrieved survivors does not match the number of knights who are unaccounted for… If some of them have already become Undead… is it possible they were caught in Gilbert’s attack and vanished?”
As Lionel spoke in a low, pained voice, Priest Sidney offered a calming smile.
“There is no need to worry about that. The knights who were consumed were all wearing armor, correct? If such a thing had truly occurred, there would have been armor left behind without its owner. The absence of such armor means, at the very least, that your half-brother has not killed anyone.”
Upon hearing Sidney’s words, Lionel let out a sigh of relief.
Dolf and the others had chosen not to rest in the residence but instead set up camp in the garden, a precautionary measure. As Lionel and his companions gathered around the fire to discuss the situation, several young knights from Jiemeld approached them.
“What is it? You should rest for the day,” Lionel suggested.
“Um, Sir Lionel, there’s something we must report,” one of the young knights said, determination evident in his tone.
The attention of Lionel and his companions turned to the knight.
“Five days ago, there was another barrier,” the knight revealed.
“What…?” Lionel exclaimed, shock evident in his eyes.
“After one barrier disappeared, we thought we had contained everything within the barrier that appeared last night, but the number of survivors didn’t add up…”
The knights hesitated, confusion and uncertainty etched on their faces.
“Do you have a map of the surrounding area of Jiemeld?” Lionel asked.
“Y-yes. Here it is,” one knight replied, producing a leather map and spreading it on the ground.
“This is where the other barrier was located,” the young knight pointed to a spot on the map.
As Lionel looked at the indicated location, he exhaled deeply and buried his face in his hands.
“I was mistaken. I had considered the possibility that someone was inciting the King to use the Undead Beasts to invade neighboring countries. But that’s not it. The target has been this country from the beginning.”
The knight had pointed to the banks of the Ureri River, which flowed through the Duchy of Jiemeld. If the aim had been a neighboring country, the barrier would have been placed near the uncharted forest, on the eastern side of the Ureri River. However, the barrier’s position was on the western side, closer to the Royal Capital.
The mercenaries who had been silently listening to the conversation exchanged worried glances.
“The river is swollen from the continuous rain of the rainy season. The water is murky and the current swift. If the Undead were to mix with that murky water, distinguishing them would be nearly impossible… The damage could spread.”
Everyone present fell silent, grappling with the implications of the situation.
“We can no longer afford to think of this as mere paranoia. We must urgently check the surroundings along the river…” Lionel said, his voice heavy with urgency.
“It’s questionable whether we’ll have time to confirm the Duke’s true intentions…” Sidney added, closing his eyes and furrowing his brow as he sighed deeply.