Volume 5, Chapter 30 – The Queen’s Blood Frenzy (Part 1)

Passing through a field of golden wheat, Yisi’s group arrived at an exceptionally lively town. This town was less than an hour’s journey from Astrid City and was the closest outpost to the Lost Lands.

The fragrance of wheat that had filled her chest completely vanished upon entering the town, replaced by a damp and cold smell. If one looked closely, one could see that less than two kilometers east of the town, a dense gray fog enveloped an entire forest. It was like a ferocious beast lurking beside the town, waiting to devour people, inspiring a fear that made one subconsciously want to stay away.

However, in contrast to this, the town was not dead and deserted. On the contrary, it was unusually bustling. Bare-chested men walked freely on the town’s single main street, and even the women had powerful arms. Apart from the farmers pushing carts and hawking their wares, there were almost no elderly people or children on the street. Most were able-bodied adventurers dressed in animal skins with weapons hanging from their waists or backs, as if any random person you grabbed would possess considerable fighting strength.

It was likely a town composed entirely of adventurers. Recalling the gold rush of a certain historical period, Yisi could roughly guess the reason. Because this place was close to the Lost Lands, which was filled with a large number of undead, and was also the place where many soldiers and nobles had fallen, adventurers could hunt the undead, gaining experience and earning mission rewards at the same time, as well as try their luck at finding lost secret treasures. Over time, many adventurers had gathered here, forming a town with its own unique customs.

[Omniscient Map].

Their levels are generally over 6. As expected of a town of adventurers. There were no people who required special vigilance. Yisi felt relieved. Because Andrea could not attend the welcome party organized by the local administrator at midnight, Augustin had been ordered by Andrea to be her representative and attend in her place. Consequently, the task of protection had fallen entirely on Yisi.

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Also noticing the town’s uniqueness, Camilla tilted her head. “So many adventurers? Are they all gathered here because of the Lost Lands?”

“Aren’t they afraid of being attacked by the undead?” Andrea couldn’t understand why adventurers would want to live in such a dangerous place.

The one who answered was Edith. “Although the number of undead in the fog is large, they are just scary-looking because they lack equipment. Killing them allows for quick leveling and also earns rewards from the military. With such high returns, it’s not strange for them to choose to settle here.”

“Is this your first time coming to the Lost Lands, Andrea?”

“Yes. Although I come to the Astrid Territory every year for the Festival of Original Sin, this is the first time I’ve seen the Lost Lands…”

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She hasn’t come to the Lost Lands to pay respects to Alvier VI? Just as this thought popped into her head, Camilla’s whisper reached her ear.

“Onee-sama, Alvier VI’s remains have already been moved from the Lost Lands to the royal cemetery.”

She was probably trying to remind Yisi not to say anything inappropriate. But Yisi wouldn’t be foolish enough to ask, “Are you going to pay respects to your mother, Andrea?” Such a topic was quite taboo. If it absolutely had to be brought up, it should wait until the two of them were alone.

Yisi’s attention shifted to her arms. Since entering the town, Mary and Tiffany had been clinging to her left and right arms. Yisi could roughly guess the reason—the cold and deathly feeling of the Lost Lands made them afraid. However, if they kept holding onto her arms like this, it would be troublesome if an emergency occurred. Yisi pulled her hands free, patted both of their heads in turn to reassure them, and then shifted her gaze to Andrea.

“Are you planning to go deep into the Lost Lands, Andrea?”

“Yes. I’m very curious as to why undead have appeared there. Although I’m not good at necromancy, I do know a little about it. There are only two ways to become an undead. The first is to be transformed by a magic chanter who practices necromancy. This includes being transformed directly from a living person into an undead, as well as from a corpse. The former possesses a certain degree of intelligence, while the latter can only act according to the magic chanter’s commands.

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Besides the possibility of being subjected to necromancy, the only other possibility is that the deceased held great regret or obsession in life. Such undead usually have a certain degree of intelligence and memories from their past life. However, the amount of rationality remaining in different undead is not the same. Once the negative emotions in their obsession exceed a certain limit, the undead’s rationality will be greatly reduced, and they will become extremely aggressive. But if there are fewer negative emotions in their obsession, the undead’s personality, apart from their appearance, will be almost no different from when they were alive.”

Without pausing to recall or think, Andrea naturally explained it to Yisi.

She had felt it before, but Andrea’s mind was actually very sharp. She was just too kind, and consequently, indecisive, making her unsuited to be a king—well, there were no perfect beings in the world. Yisi shrugged internally. The same was true for Edith; although she was very smart, she was too paranoid.

Tossing her white hair behind her, Edith probed without leaving a trace. “What are you going to do after you find out? Instead of the Lost Lands, I would rather see Her Majesty the Queen focus her attention on the rebel army.”

“If I know why they became undead, I can find a way to solve the problem of the Lost Lands endangering the Astrid Territory. If these undead were deliberately transformed by necromancy, then I just need to find the person who turned them into undead. As long as the caster lifts the magic, the undead will disappear.”

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And if they were formed naturally? Yisi didn’t ask out loud. Considering Andrea’s personality and the law in the Blood Clan that forbade the use of holy magic, Andrea might give an answer that ordinary people would find hard to accept. It was better to leave that question for later.

Andrea’s failure to directly answer the matter of the rebel army made Edith pout. If it weren’t for the fact that Andrea had political achievements that she admired, even if she was the Queen, Edith wouldn’t have given her a pleasant look. The only reason she had come along to the Lost Lands was entirely because of a certain daytime nightmare.

Soon, just as the group was about to leave the town, a short man blocked their path.

“My noble ladies, it’s very dangerous to enter the Lost Lands without guards. I suggest you hire a decent escort. I’ve seen too many curious nobles go in and never return. I happen to have many reliable adventurer escorts here, from as cheap as one silver coin to as expensive as one gold coin, from White Iron-rank adventurers to Mithril-rank—”

“Not necessary.” Camilla refused on Yisi’s behalf without any courtesy. The man then continued his recommendation.

“Then what about porters? You noble ladies will surely need porters, right? In case you find treasure in the Lost Lands, it would be terrible if you lack the strong laborers to carry it back.”