Volume 1, Chapter 22 – Zombie Extermination (Part 3)

I have a bad feeling about this.

The stench of decay has grown so strong it feels like it could bend my nose.

I’m grimacing from the overpowering smell, but everyone else, including Chris-san, seems unfazed.

At times like this, I hate this vampire body with its sharp senses.

We arrive in front of the village chief’s house.

“Chief, are you alright?!” “Chief!” “Chief!”

We open the door and go inside, but there’s no reply. The door wasn’t even locked.

“He doesn’t seem to be inside.”

If anything, the stench is even stronger outside.

“Uuuuuuuh…”

A Zombie’s moan can be heard. The voice is considerably higher-pitched than the one I heard yesterday.

“Is it coming from the backyard?”

One of the young men says.

I see. So this house has a backyard.

“Please lead the way.”

“Understood!”

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We follow him as he walks around the chief’s house.

He opens a door located in a rather secluded spot, revealing a small garden, and beyond that, a path leading into the forest.

The stench of decay grows even stronger, and finally, even Chris-san and the others start to grimace.

“Ughhh, it stinks!”

“Fiene-sama, just a little longer. Let’s try going down that path.”

I think it’s unfair that Chris-san and the others can’t smell it as strongly.

Urged on by Chris-san, I start walking down the path into the forest.

After walking for a few minutes, I suddenly emerge into a clearing.

There, I see the village chief on his knees.

And right in front of him, slowly approaching the chief with a low moan, was what appeared to be a little girl Zombie.

Beyond the Zombie stood a small stone monument, with a hole as if something had crawled out of it.

Just as I thought, the stone monument was a gravestone, and the little girl Zombie must have crawled out from there.

“M-Mary-chan!?”

“It’s true. That’s Mary-chan.”

The village’s young men are astonished.

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It seems they know something about this.

“Do you know something?”

“That’s Mary-chan, the village chief’s granddaughter who died in last year’s epidemic. She was a kind, beautiful, and considerate girl, loved by everyone in the village despite her young age.”

“The chief lost his wife and his son and daughter-in-law, and Mary-chan was his only remaining family. We could barely stand to watch how devastated the chief was after losing Mary-chan…”

Ah, I see. So that’s why she was buried right next to the chief’s house instead of in the communal cemetery.

The chief and the young men are frozen, unable to move.

I can understand that.

To have the corpse of someone close to you return as a Zombie, coming to eat you… If something like that happened to me in the real world, I think I’d react the same way. I’d probably be traumatized too.

Hm? Wait a minute? For events like this, isn’t the correct answer usually to restore them to their original state?

Well, but she died of illness, so maybe it’s impossible. Or wait, would it be possible with Resurrection?

I remember seeing something about the existence of Resurrection Magic during the initial character setup.

I’m pretty sure the requirement was something like overdriving Healing Magic to unlock Resurrection Magic.

Probably.

And since you just respawn anyway even if you die, I remember thinking there was no need to allocate an extra 10 points just to acquire it, so I didn’t get it.

Huh? Wait, is this actually one of those events that hard-locks you if you don’t have Resurrection Magic?

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Let me check my dictionary for a moment.

“Chris-san. Isn’t there any way to save that child?”

Chris-san makes a truly complicated expression—part surprise, part exasperation, and somehow… almost happy.

Hmm, I’m aware that I’m being unreasonable, but…

“Fiene-sama, as expected, Fiene-sama is such a kind person. However, for those who have lost their way like that, properly sending them back is the greatest salvation. Those who have become Zombies retain no sense of self. Zombies are pitiful monsters who, driven by instinct, devour the flesh and blood of the living in search of the life force they themselves have lost. No matter how much flesh and blood of the living they consume, they can never regain the life force they lost…”

“I see…”

“If she was originally a kind child loved by everyone, then all the more so. Please, send her back, to prevent her from committing any more sins, before she harms her precious family or the villagers.”

I glance over at the chief and the young men.

The young men notice my gaze and nod slightly.

After a moment of hesitation, the chief Manages to squeeze out a pained voice.

“Please… I beg of you… my granddaughter… my granddaughter… please save Mary.”

The last part was tearful. Even though he’s an NPC, it felt so genuine that my chest grew warm without me realizing it.

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

I thought to myself. Maybe I should put on a bit of a performance.

So, I kneel on one knee, clasp my hands together, and strike a prayer-like pose. Then, I try chanting a plausible-sounding incantation I just made up on the spot.

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“O existence wandering through eternal time. O hollow existence not of this world. In my name as Fiene Argentata , I shall grant salvation to thy lost soul, Mary. May heavenly blessings be upon thee. Holy Bless.”

—Alright, slightly stronger Purification Magic it is. Please get purified already. You stink.

Light spreads out from around me, covering the entire area. I could feel the Zombie before me being purified by the light.

And just like that, the nose-bending stench vanished too. Evil has been defeated. Happy ending achieved!

“Alright, it’s over. It’s cold outside, so let’s head back before we catch a cold.”

I stand up and prompt the tearful chief, the stunned young men, and Chris-san to head back.

Huh? Why is even Chris-san dumbfounded? Did I accidentally crank the output too high?

That said, since Chris-san didn’t ask me anything, I returned to the chief’s house, immediately said goodnight, and headed straight for the bedroom. I mean, I’m tired.

It seemed like Chris-san was talking about something in the living room, but since the Zombie extermination is over, it should be fine to leave it to her.

Back in my room, I change into my pajamas and put the clothes I took off into storage.

For a moment, I thought about wiping myself down for a second, but sleep won out in the end.

Convincing myself that tomorrow morning is fine, I slip into bed.

My consciousness sank into darkness almost instantly.

Translator Note

Well, I tried to keep the overall tone a bit “gamey,” not just Fiene’s inner voice, since part of the joke is that she still genuinely thinks this world is a game.