◆ Chapter 3: Yet Another Hectic Day in the Capital

 

 

 

◆ Chapter 3: Yet Another Hectic Day in the Capital

 

THE chill of early morning still lingers in the air as I walk through the capital with Cia and Nady like we promised to do the day before. Lex and a few knights are accompanying us—at a distance. He wanted to guard me more closely but agreed to give us space when I said I just wanted to enjoy time with my girlfriends without the fuss.

“Grantz’s capital was overrun by zombies too, right?” Nady asks, amazed by the streets brimming with activity around us.

“Yep. It was zombitopia just three months ago. The buildings had rotted, the water was filled with muck, and everything was pretty much falling apart,” I reply, remembering my first day in the capital.

“It’s so hard to imagine the capital that way seeing it now,” she says, looking at the fully repaired buildings.

As a member of the reconstruction crew, I’m proud of how far we have come in the past three months. Of course, it was only possible because the people of Grantz worked hard to bring back a sense of normalcy.

My country often experiences disasters, and each time, the people have come together to rebuild. Maybe that’s why I feel a special connection with the people here.

“Good morning, Priestess Mizuha!”

“Oh, it’s our priestess! Thank you for everything you do!”

Adults and children alike cheerfully greet me. There’s the occasional stiff who is awkwardly formal, but the majority of people here are easy to get along with. I respond to everyone and wave. Nady seems surprised by our interaction.

“I thought this when we first arrived in the capital, but you are overwhelmingly popular with the people.”

“Big Sis’s magnetism comes not from her title as Priestess, but from the actions she has taken to win over their hearts,” Cia proudly explains.

I always wonder how she’s capable of glamorizing me in every little thing. I mean, I’m happy she adores me so much, but I’m scared to death of letting her see my ugly side.

“In the beginning, I just did what I had to to survive,” I admit.

“But now it’s more than that,” she states confidently.

“W-Well…I guess you could say that.”

Purifying the world with Goddess Sadia’s powers as her chosen priestess—in the end, I chose to continue on this path. That’s why I can’t argue with Cia.

“How about you, ma’am? You will gain infinite joy if you join the Church of Our Lady Mizuha!”

I suddenly hear something unsettling in the distance. Warning alarms blaring in my head, my gaze lands on a young woman clad in what looks exactly like the distinctive habit worn by Catholic nuns. She’s soliciting people in the streets.

There’s no mistaking those violet eyes and the silver hair peeking out of her veil—it’s Iris, the woman who believes without a doubt that I am her goddess. To make matters worse, she is surrounded by the other Mizuha Church cultists.

“By joining the Church of Our Lady Mizuha, you can live without fear of the zombies!”

“Your skin will be eternally soft and youthful!”

“Today is the day for you to join the Church of Our Lady Mizuha!”

They’re spreading worthless nonsense again. Heck, I’d want to join if it meant I could have eternally youthful skin. Then again, this power does belong to a goddess, so that could be a possible use for it. Never hurts to try it. Looks like I have a new experiment to try on myself starting today—

“S-Say, Mizuha? What are they—”

“Don’t look. Your life will never be the same if you do.”

Just as I give Nady that warning, I accidentally make eye contact with one of the cultists in the street. We both freeze as if time has stopped around us, before things start snowballing out of control.

“Sister Iris, it’s Goddess Mizuha! She has honored us with her holy presence!”

“She has?! After her! I’m going to get my head rub—I mean, a divine revelation today!”

“Crap! We don’t want to get caught! Run for it!” I shout to the girls.

We hurtle into the back alleys and race around several dozen winding corners. Cia doesn’t have much stamina. It’s unlikely we will be able to escape them for good, but I don’t sense them directly behind us anymore. I assume Lex did something about them for me. We exit the alleyway onto a different street and stop to catch our breath.

“I think we’re safe now,” I sigh.

“Th-They seem like very zealous believers,” Nady says, sounding overwhelmed.

“They won’t stop no matter how I plead with them…”

“If you give the order, I will bring the full might of Grantz down on them, Big Sister,” Cia offers. It’s scary because she’s serious.

“Uhh… I don’t think we need to go that far.”

I’m flattered they idolize me, but starting a whole religion to worship me is too extreme. Still, they haven’t really hurt anyone. And they did play an active part in punishing the person who summoned Diallo. At any rate, I have reservations over squashing their group just because they make me uncomfortable.

“MiZUha!”

“Oh gosh, he’s the next one out of the woodwork…” I cringe.

“Indeed. They just keep coming…” Cia and I sigh together over the obnoxious voice behind us.

“What keeps coming?” Nady asks, the only one who doesn’t know better.

Anyone who hangs out with me will eventually learn his name whether they want to or not. After all, I have a nearly ninety-nine percent encounter rate with him if I’m in the capital.

“I was really hoping you wouldn’t show up today.”

I heave the heaviest sigh yet as I turn around. Right behind me is a young man who looks like the poster child for spoiled noblemen—Keith Rowadan. He’s an annoying guy who habitually proclaims his love for me because he feels our meeting was fate.

“Then that means you prefer me to show up on certain days,” he says, coming to the wrong conclusion.

“Nope. I never want you to show up, just more so today.”

“HAHA! I see you are ever the shy lady, MiZUha.”

Keith never takes a hint no matter how blunt I am. Either he’s deaf or has a mind of steel. Whichever it is, his persistence is the epitome of harrying.

“Mizuha, who is this?” Nady asks nervously.

“Keith Rowadan. He’s a man with his head screwed on backward.”

“You’re so harsh, MiZUha. You should have introduced me as ‘the man who loves me more than anyone in the world.’”

“As you can see, he is not someone you can hold a conversation with.”

“I-I can see that.”

Nady is more put off by Keith than even the Mizuha Fanatics. I don’t blame her. I felt the same way when I first met him too. And I still do.

Cia steps in front of Keith with her eyebrows turned down in a stern scowl. “Lord Rowadan, I believe I gave you a firm warning not to pester Big Sister Mizuha.”

“Why, if it isn’t Her Highness, the Princess. I apologize for not greeting you sooner.” Keith sweeps his arm under his chest in a gallant bow, paying his respects as a noble, before cheekily dismissing her warning. “As for MiZUha…she and I are bound by the red thread of fate. Alas! We have been since the day I received that heavenly blow that shook me to my core and saved me from the depths of darkness with a godly light!”

“Yeah…that was just the purification light,” I demur. “Everyone else experiences it too.”

“Even so! I am absolutely positive no one else experienced the same hard blow that I did!”

True...I might’ve hit him twice as hard as everyone else if he was just as persistent as a zombie. Though that has absolutely nothing to do with affection or positive emotions…

“All right, MiZUha, why don’t you come away with me? I have prepared a superb lunch for you today!”

“No thanks. I’m not going anywhere with you ever.”

He never listens to a word I say. Keith reaches for me to whisk me away with him, but Nady grabs his arm before it touches me.

“Sorry, but Mizuha is uncomfortable with you touching her!”

“What’s the deal with you, cat?” Keith scoffs. “Where did you come from?”

“I have been here from the start.”

“I only have eyes for MiZUha, you see.”

Apparently, Keith’s eyes are still experiencing zombie rot.

“Does that mean you have forgotten whose presence you are in, Lord Rowadan?”

“N-Naturally I always see you too, Your Highness.” Even Keith falters before Cia’s pointed remark. It doesn’t make him back down though. “Wh-Whoever you are, release my hand! Only MiZUha’s pure hands can touch me.”

“No. I refuse to let go.” Nady stubbornly holds on. She must have some serious grip strength because Keith can’t shake her off.

She cares about me enough to do this even with her timid personality. I’m thrilled she likes me that much, but I don’t want her invoking Keith’s ire. He’s a weirdo down to the bone, but still a noble. I can just see this taking a troublesome turn if things go too far. I have to do something.

“Lord Rowadan, that is enough out of you.”

Lex arrives just when I need him. Keith has lost to him countless times and his face twists with disgust knowing his time is up.

“Lex Irvine… You dare to tear me from MiZUha yet again?!”

“We aren’t close enough to be torn apart,” I point out.

“Lady Mizuha has made her feelings clear,” Lex states dryly.

“She’s only being bashful because there are onlookers.”

“I see. It appears Lord Rowadan has business at the library. Escort him there.”

Two knights appear behind Lex and begin dragging Keith away.

“U-Unhand me! I have no business at the library! It is you who should hit the books, dumb brutes! Who do you think I am?! Grr! I’ll remember this, Lex Irvine!”

Keith disappeared around the corner leaving behind an awfully villainous one-liner. I’ve seen him carted off more times than I can count, and he always kicks up such a fuss on the way.

“I owe you one, Lex.”

“Nonsense. I merely did my duty as your knight, Lady Mizuha. Call if you need me again.”

It seems like he took protecting me from the shadows as the rule of the day, since he walked away to give us girls space again. I don’t know why, but he seems a tad cooler today. Nah, it’s just me imagining things.

“Thank you for standing up for me, Nady.”

“You don’t have to thank me. We’re…friends, after all.”

I was a little worried that I had forced her into being my friend. So hearing her affirming our friendship makes me extra happy.

“Thank you too, Cia.”

“I simply did my part as your younger sister.”

 

We ran into two obstacles in the beginning, but the rest of our stroll through the capital went off without a hitch. Now we have finally arrived at our destination: a plaza near the entrance into the city. Various flowers are blooming in the sea of green. But the flower in the center of the plaza stands out in particular. It has four large, pristine, white petals. Each of the petals curls upward at the tip while the flower itself has a natural droop.

“Is this the flower you were talking about, Cia?”

“Yes. It is called the holy flower.”

“…I don’t like the sound of that.”

“It is believed this flower was born of your purification as it is a variety we have never seen before. The people are calling it the holy flower because it comes from the Holy Priestess.”

“I knew it!” I figured when I heard the name, but I hate when I’m right. I can’t look at it the same way now that I know it grew out of my spit.

It’s still pretty—in an uncomfortable way.

I hadn’t realized it, but a lot of people have gathered in the plaza to admire the Holy Flower.

“Beautiful…”

Nady is entranced by it. I guess if it makes her and everyone else happy, it doesn’t matter where or what it came from.

“AGHHHHHHHH!”

A loud scream in the distance interrupts my flower appreciation. Not only are there no more zombies inside the capital, but we are also surrounded by tall, thick walls. The one usable gate is guarded by anti-zombie trained soldiers. Little gets by them. Even more so during the day when zombies are slow.

But the zombies have adapted in ways I couldn’t imagine several times before. I won’t discard the notion they’ve done it again.

I spin toward where Lex is. “Lex!”

“Let’s head straight there!” he responds.