kscans

Chapter 24 - Before I Knew It, Things Got Serious

"Whoa, what is all this…?"

Two months after that battle, we found ourselves surrounded. Or rather, we were caught squarely in the middle of two armies that had split the entire country.

As for how it all happened, it was entirely due to the bad blood between Carolmana and Lexalun. After our machinations drove the two forces to clash, they had apparently decided to gather reinforcements for the next battle. But having suffered massive losses and believing their opponent commanded an army of Undead, both lords concluded that their own forces were insufficient and appealed to neighboring lords for aid.

They passionately argued, "Our opponent is a vile villain who uses wicked Undead to attack their own countrymen! We will be next!"

If it had stopped there, it would have been a minor squabble between regional lords. But their next actions blew the situation up far beyond anyone’s expectations. No matter how much fault the other side had, if lords were to wage a large-scale war, it would be a huge blow to the nation’s authority. Not to mention, it would severely weaken the country’s overall strength.

That meant even the victor could face punishment from the crown. So, both lords sent messengers to the royal capital to declare, "Justice is on our side!"

And then, those messengers arrived at the royal castle on the same day and spouted the exact same story. All hell broke loose. They called each other liars and were on the verge of a full-blown brawl. The court officials present were at a loss, unable to determine who was telling the truth. Still, the fact that an attack by Undead had occurred was undeniable. Furthermore, the Undead had apparently shown clear signs of intelligence, such as selectively targeting their enemies, making it impossible to dismiss the claims as mere fantasy.

To make matters more complicated, an influential noble heard the story and offered his support to the Lexalun side, seeking to claim the rights and profits from the now-unclaimed territory of Fenesia. In response, a rival noble approached Carolmana with an offer of cooperation. Then, the high-ranking nobles of their respective factions jumped in, refusing to let the other side get all the glory. It was like a children’s squabble that had escalated to the point where not just the parents, but the grandfathers got involved. And so, a dispute between two regional lords spiraled into a massive uproar that engulfed the entire nation. Or so I secretly overheard from some well-informed knights who were part of the force besieging Fenesia Town.

"Wow, things have really gotten out of hand."

"So the reason both sides didn’t make a move for two months was because it had become such a huge affair."

Even Adolnel was stunned by this development.

"I never knew human greed ran this deep. There are some things you just can’t learn from books and lessons."

Because of all this, Fenesia Town was now treated as a mere obstacle. The enemy armies were completely locked onto each other, and their sense of urgency about the Undead had vanished into thin air.

"Well, I suppose when the Undead in question are nowhere to be found, humans will inevitably turn on each other."

After surveying the scene, we returned to our newly constructed hideout.

"No one would ever imagine that the Undead who started this whole mess are hiding right underneath the town."

That’s right, we were underground. But this wasn’t the hidden passage leading from the lord’s manor out of town; it was a brand-new daytime shelter for the Undead.

It was Adolnel who had directed the construction of this underground space. She proposed that we create a hiding place beneath the town to keep the Undead from being discovered by humans during the day. Fortunately, Undead never tire, no matter how much they work, so they continued to develop the underground area day and night. And since they’re already dead, even if a tunnel collapsed during construction, we could just dig them out and they’d be fine. The result was a vast subterranean space, a veritable five-story dungeon, right under the town!

I guess that makes me the master of not a castle, but a dungeon!

"I’m surprised by how sturdy it is, though."

After all, neither Adolnel nor I knew the first thing about construction.

"I found some books on architecture in the manor’s library. I used those as a reference."

She "used them as a reference"? Is there anything this girl can’t do? And the lord who abused and confined her was just a massive fool.

"Let’s just let the humans fight amongst themselves for now. We’ll swoop in at night and take what’s most valuable. With numbers like that, we need them to thin each other out first."

"You’re right. Even with our new minions, if we jumped in as a third party against the combined forces of the entire country, we’d be crushed in an instant."

"Technically, it’s not their entire strength, since they have to leave a minimum number of troops to defend their own territories and intimidate foreign nations. Still, for an internal conflict, this is a considerable force."

Seriously, I wonder how many tens of thousands of people are gathered here. Could it even be hundreds of thousands?

"When things get this out of hand, the royal family’s prestige is basically nonexistent. His Majesty the King must have quite a headache. Oh, but if the situation has become this uncontrollable, then members of the royal family must be participating as well. That way, they can save face by claiming the royal family was involved, rather than ignored."

Sounds like being royalty is a tough gig.

As we were talking, a deep rumbling, zuzuzu, echoed from the ceiling.

"It seems the battle has begun."

Ooh, it’s finally starting.

"If there are any major changes in the battle, we’ll get reports from the Undead stationed at the various peepholes we’ve set up. For now, let’s get some proper rest."

"Good idea."

"Then let’s sleep together again today, Sister."

Adolnel began changing into her nightgown, practically buzzing with excitement.

"I don’t mind, but isn’t it a bit stuffy inside the coffin?"

Since she’s human, I think she’d be better off sleeping in a normal bed.

"Not at all! I sleep much more soundly when I can feel you close to me!"

Haaah, if you say so.

"Alright, Ichigo-kun, I’m leaving the rest to you."

"Guh."

When I put Ichigo-kun in charge of guarding us while we slept, he gave a thumbs-up as if to say, "Leave it to me."

"Well then, good night."

"Good night, Sister."

I wonder what the state of the battle will be when night falls.