◆Chapter 10: The Key to Ridding Exhaustion
◆Chapter 10: The Key to Ridding Exhaustion
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Zombie moans rise seemingly to the beat of rhythmic metal clashing. Background music that couldn’t be called good even to be polite plays throughout Grantz’s capital city.
“Here, zombies, zombies, zombies! Come to me!”
Lex is luring the zombies by banging two frying pans together. It’s an unbelievably surreal spectacle, but I’ve grown numb to it after watching it play out since morning. The zombies drawn to the drawbridge leading to the castle gates are felled and pinned to the ground by the knights.
It looks seriously painful every time I see it, but there’s nothing for it. Apologizing in my heart, I repeatedly smack zombie after zombie, purifying them in rows. Successfully dezombified people are carried or assisted inside the castle walls.
We’ve been repeating this process since the early morning, and I have no idea how many people I’ve purified so far. A conservative estimate would be more than five hundred. And yet, for all that, it hasn’t even made a dent in the city’s zombies. I’m not exaggerating when I say these numbers can’t be taken care of in a day or two.
“Sorry, can we call it a day?”
My consciousness has been going in and out since earlier—I’m at my limit now. Lex looks back at me as he’s about to go marching into the city with his frying pans again. My complexion must look like crap, because surprise colors his face.
“I-I sincerely apologize for not noticing. I did not realize you were so worn out…”
“It kinda seems like whenever I purify something, my stamina wears away.”
“Mayhap your fainting yesterday was caused by that—”
“Yep, I think it probably was.”
Yesterday I not only purified a ton but was also running around like a madwoman, so I might have just fainted out of sheer exhaustion. But this time, dizziness hit me when I’ve barely moved at all. Purifying is unquestionably the cause.
“Captain Oden, your thoughts?” Lex brings Sir Oden into our conversation.
“We are the ones who will be in a pinch if anything happens to Lady Mizuha. We’ll be best served if she takes the rest of the day off,” Sir Oden advises.
I feel bad for making them put things on hold on account of me, but forcing myself through it will only lead to me fainting. That will become a true burden on everyone.
“I’m really sorry. You’re all doing so much more than I am too.”
“I have repeated myself on this subject multiple times, but we only feel gratitude toward you, Lady Mizuha. You’re helping us out by resting when you need to,” Sir Oden reassures me.
“Thank you.”
Going back to my room and getting some sleep sounds good, but I want to wash up first. Fighting to keep from passing out has drenched me in sweat. Aah, if only there were a bath available…
“Big Sister!”
Only one person in the world calls me that. Just as I thought, it’s Cia. She’s running from the castle as if in a great big hurry.
“What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Nothing is wrong. I just had something I wanted to tell you as soon as possible.”
“What is it?” I cock my head.
“Everything is all ready! For the bath!”
The second I hear that word, I frighten even myself by how fast I zoom in close to Cia. “Let’s go! Right now!”
◆◆◆◆◆
CIA shows me the way to the corner room on the northwest end of the tower keep’s first floor. Along with Cia, I begin stripping my clothes in what I assume is the changing room. In my world, this is where I’d cover my body with a towel, but no such thing exists here. It’s kind of embarrassing, but I enter the bath completely naked.
“Oooh!”
I had assumed the bath would be massive because it’s in a castle, but it’s smaller than hotel public baths and onsens. That being said, it’s about the size of five average household bathtubs in a line. Whatever the size, I’m satisfied as long as there is a bath.
“Cia…wasn’t it hard getting this ready for use?”
“As for that, the two knights who undertook the dire mission of being bait yesterday offered to help.”
“Ah, those two. I feel like I’m always being helped out by them.”
“They were more delighted than anything else.”
“I’m sure this was one of those scenarios where they fulfilled a lifelong dream by helping out their princess.”
“I don’t think that was the case this time,” Cia says, giggling. I’m curious about what her words imply, but I’d rather submerge in the water than chat. I grab one of the buckets on the ground, scoop up water with it, and swiftly throw it on my body.
“Wooo! This is the stuff! This is nirvana!”
The water is on the lukewarm side but within forgivable bounds. I splash the water onto my body several times. I wrap up the ritual by dumping the last bucketful over the top of my head.
“Phew! I’ve been brought back to life! Uh, I just thought about it, but isn’t water, like, super valuable?! I-Is it okay for me to use this much?”
“We still have plenty of water in the underground aqueduct. Besides, if you grant us use of your holy saliva, we can have as much water as we need…”
“My saliva has no value. I’ll give you as much as you need for the sake of baths!”
There’s something disturbing about bathing in water cleansed by my spit, but I’m not going to blow this opportunity over it.
“Um! May I ask you to pour water over my head too?!”
“Sure thing.” At my beckoning, Cia totters over to me. “Here we go!”
“D-Do it!”
I pour the hot water over Cia’s head as she stands there as stiff as a pencil. Her soft golden hair becomes wet and sticks to her dainty body. Her aura of adorableness has been replaced by a sense of beguiling beauty.
It seems she can’t bring herself to shake the water out of her hair while standing in front of me. She’s staying perfectly still with her eyes pressed shut. It’s such a funny pose that it pulls a laugh from me.
“Um, have I done something silly?”
“Nope, you haven’t done anything wrong. I was just admiring how cute you are.” I collect Cia’s long hair behind her back, where I comb my hands through it to squeeze out the water. While I’m at it, I sweep the droplets from her eyelids. “You can open your eyes now. How was it?”
“It felt very nice…!”
“It did? Glad to hear it.” I smile in response to Cia’s tentative smile.
Talking about stuff like this makes me feel like we’re real sisters. In all seriousness, though, there’s not even a one in a million chance we look like sisters if you place me next to Cia’s overflowing cuteness. Yeah, it’s pretty sad when I think about it.
“Okay, next is— Oh, we don’t have any soap to cleanse our bodies with. Well, I guess I should just be happy for what we do have under the circumstances.”
“Ah, I actually have good news on that front… Do you remember when I was drenched with the water from the aqueduct the other day?”
“I remember it clearly. You’re talking about when you fell in the water.”
“P-Please forget that part of it! Auuuh,” Cia moans, covering her bright-red face with both hands. Is this girl really the same kind of human as me? She’s just too cute to be real! Still a little embarrassed, Cia continues speaking. “It’s then that I realized the water you have purified has the ability to cleanly wash off filth.”
“Oh! Now that you mention it, the water does take the zombie stink right off my hands…”
“It does! So I believe we don’t have to worry about the water being unclean!”
“…Boy am I useful, if I do say so myself.”
To test out Cia’s theory, I scoop up a lock of hair and sniff it—it doesn’t reek. This is a joyous discovery indeed! I’m actually the type who puts effort into taking care of my hair. I’d given up all hope of maintaining it since coming to this world, but now I might be able to repair the damage. Do your best to survive the odds, my lovely hair!
“Whew, it’s getting kinda chilly.”
“Let’s get in the bath before our bodies get cold.”
“Roger that! I’ll take you up on that offer!”
I sink into the water up to my shoulders alongside Cia. I figured as much when I was rinsing off, but the temperature isn’t hot enough to penetrate my skin, though I can almost feel the heat reaching my center since it’s my first bath in ages.
“Phew! I feel regenerated!”
“Me too… It feels really nice.”
Never did I think there would be a moment when my heart and mind could be at such peace in a world overrun by zombies. Happiness experienced after overcoming adversity has a completely different taste.
“Thanks, Cia.”
“…I am the one who should be thanking you.” Cia drops her gaze to the hot water she scooped up in her cupped hands and ruefully expresses her worries. “Now that the world has fallen to this chaotic state…it is my duty as princess to lead the people while Father and Mother are missing. Yet I am incapable of doing anything. I have been made painfully aware of just how much I am relying on those around me.”
Water seeps through the cracks in her hands, spilling back into the bath. Mortification and frustration color Cia’s face as she gazes at the water slipping between her fingers.
“If you weren’t here, Big Sister, the castle would not have the peace it does now.”
“I really haven’t done all that much. I just happened to have the power to purify and am using it how I please.”
“It is not easy to face zombies, regardless of what powers you have.”
Cia has no intention of changing her opinion. Though she isn’t being stubborn about it either. I think she just has an iron will. That strength is the main reason why she’s fretting over how she can be of more use to her people.
“You should be proud of yourself, Cia. You’re amazing for thinking about the people around you. Meanwhile, I’m struggling just to take care of myself.”
“I am not an amazing person—”
“I’m not going to advise you like I know what I’m talking about when it comes to royalty, but I believe if you want to help your people, the chance will come in due time.”
Cia’s body is small, appropriate for her young age. Trying to carry the burden of an entire kingdom’s future on those small shoulders is no easy feat. Perhaps having to do that despite the difficulty is what it means to be royalty, but in my humble opinion, she doesn’t need to push herself to the brink just yet.
“Besides, what do you mean you can’t do anything? You’re the one who prepared this bath for me. Thanks to restoring my energy here, I’ll be able to tackle tomorrow’s zombie purification with gumption!”
“…Big Sister.”
I scoop up the hot water and toss it at Cia’s troubled face. “Take this!”
“Ulp! Wh-What are you—”
“C’mon, you’ll really make your people worry if they see their princess with such a grim face.” I lunge for Cia and tickle her sides. At first she holds back, but eventually she bursts out laughing. Accelerating my fingers, I pursue Cia as she squirms and tries to get away. “Is this the spot~? Are you ticklish here~?”
“B-Big Sister! N-Not…there!”
I can understand why Cia wants to fulfill her duty as princess. But, as an outsider, I feel more strongly about her being too young to bear all of this. When I was twelve, my thoughts were mostly carefree: Aw, middle school is right around the corner. Am I gonna have to waste all my time studying?
While it’s not my personal problem, I should wrap up purifying all the capital city’s zombies soon for Cia’s sake. Finding her mother and father along the way should lift some of the burden off her. Just as I’ve made up my mind, Cia goes limp in my arms. She seems to have burned off all her energy laughing.
“I-I can’t take anymore…”
“…Sorry. I went too far.”