Chapter 55
*Zombies and Machines, Just Hit Them*
Irang pulled a bow from her navy cloak, seemingly from thin air. It was a magic bow, glowing with a blue light, as if it were made from a shard of the sun. The morning sunlight, catching her hair, scattered like shattered glass. Her hair seemed white, but with a reddish tint, making it appear pink.
With each pull of the bowstring, dozens of arrows flew towards the birds. Mesmerized by the sight, I turned to the young master.
“Young Master! It’s a disaster! Zombies have appeared, and someone else is stealing your spotlight! You have to do something!”
“Estella, please don’t shake me. I feel nauseous.”
“Is being nauseous important right now? Your reputation is at stake!”
I exclaimed, my voice filled with indignation.
“We’re the real zombie investigators! We have to investigate or arrest them or something!”
“Ugh…”
He leaned against the wall, suffering from motion sickness. While I patted his back tirelessly, a spectacular battle unfolded outside.
Irang wasn’t just shooting arrows. She seemed to be using magic as well, as explosions and flashes of light filled the air. The young master, having recovered slightly, fumbled for his staff. I handed it to him and squeezed his hand.
“Young Master! It’s your time to shine! I want to do something too!”
“…You can’t do anything other than swing your vacuum cleaner.”
He was talking just fine now, after being so nauseous earlier.
The young master shook his head a couple of times and stood up. He raised his arm, and the staff transformed, reacting to his magic. It was different from when he used it as a club. It was much longer, almost like a spear.
Was it because the birds were flying at a distance? Was he planning to use the staff like a fishing rod?
“Estella, what are you thinking about with that expression?”
“What expression?”
He stumbled towards the cabin door, kicked it open, and stepped outside. I followed him, ready to catch him if he fell.
The trained wyvern was trying its best to remain calm. The rider’s face was streaked with tears. He shouted in an unintelligible language, swatting away the birds pecking at the wyvern’s neck with his whip. The wyvern had to endure the whipping as well.
More and more birds kept appearing, as if someone had sent out invitations to a zombie party.
Now that I was outside, I could see that the birds were indeed zombies. Their feathers were stained with blood, and their eyes were either white or missing entirely. And their tongues! They were sticking out their tongues much further than I thought birds could.
“This is truly horrifying. Young Master, you have to resolve this situation in a spectacular way! And then report it to the Crown Prince and get a reward! Money and fame! Money and fame will attract a good marriage partner!”
The young master ignored me and approached Irang, who was busy shooting arrows.
“Hey, dragon person. Your methods are inefficient.”
Still dizzy from motion sickness, he stumbled. He was clinging to me for support, looking like a drunkard. And a rather ill-mannered drunkard at that. To pick a fight with Irang, who was fighting zombies out of goodwill.
“You won’t be able to handle all those birds with that method.”
Irang frowned at his criticism. She continued shooting without pausing.
“And what skills do you possess? Go throw up somewhere.”
“You’re both being too harsh!”
I scolded the young master, shaking him slightly.
“How can you be so rude to someone who’s working so hard to drive away the zombies! Do you even think before you speak? Be nice to people! If you want to help, just say you’ll help—!”
“Estella! Please, please stop shaking me…”
“Non-human, the human is about to die. Stop it.”
While the three of us were talking, the flock of zombies grew larger. It wasn’t just duck-sized birds anymore. Eagles, attracted by the scent of blood, had joined the fray. And there were even some ravens among them.
“This is troublesome.”
As Irang pulled back her bowstring again, the young master lightly traced a line down the wyvern’s back with his staff. The wyvern roared and swished its tail, scattering the birds.
“I’ll help you.”
I suddenly felt myself falling. The young master was holding onto me for support, his face pale. He whispered to me,
“Hold on tight. I’m about to do something complicated.”
“Don’t worry!”
His staff emitted a dark red aura, and the snake-shaped ornament at the tip opened its mouth.
“Acceleration, tracking, replication, expansion, explosion.”
With each word he uttered, the snake changed its shape and drew a magic circle in the air. A shimmering heat haze surrounded Irang, followed by a blue aura. It was a sign that the young master’s magic was taking effect.
Irang’s attacks also changed. Thanks to his magic, she could eliminate the zombies more easily. The speed of her arrows increased beyond what the eye could follow, and not a single shot missed. Each arrow, upon hitting its target, exploded into a shower of smaller projectiles.
Irang, who had been frowning, finally smiled as the number of zombies dwindled.
“Not bad, for a human.”
“As expected of the Young Master!”
Impressed, I hugged him tightly. He stumbled and leaned against the cabin door, pushing me aside.
“You being next to me is making me even more dizzy.”
“What about me? Can’t you give me something to do? What should I do?”
I was thinking about retrieving my vacuum cleaner. He glanced at Irang, then kicked a dead zombie bird at his feet.
“You…”
He pointed towards the cabin with his chin.
“Go inside and cheer.”
“Awww…”
Why? I was ready for some action!
“Cheering is a very important role.”
Seeing my dejected expression, he started to coax me.
“Don’t you know how important cheering is? People lose their strength without someone cheering them on. What’s your role? Aren’t you a maid? Is it appropriate for a maid to outshine her master? Your main duty is to support my efforts. And support obviously means cheering.”
It was ridiculous, but it somehow sounded convincing. Mesmerized, I was ushered back into the cabin.
“I don’t think this is right…”
“Estella. This is an important mission. Can you cheer for me with all your might? I need your support.”
He placed his hand on my shoulder. His words boosted my morale. He needed my support! I clenched my fists and nodded.
“I’ll cheer for you with all my might!”
“Good. Now go inside.”
“Should I use my vacuum cleaner to clean up the remaining zombies while cheering?”
“No, it’s fine. I want you to focus on cheering. I really want your support. I feel like I’m going to collapse from motion sickness without it.”
“Okay!”
I entered the cabin. Just as I did, I saw him casting a spell.
Click! The cabin door locked, even though I hadn’t touched it. He looked at me with a smug expression.
“I locked the door because I was afraid you would get distracted. Now cheer. I’ll be back soon.”
“Huh? Huh…”
I felt like I had been tricked, but an order was an order.
I raised my arms and shouted towards the outside,
“Go, Young Master! You’re the best! So handsome! Amazing! So talented! Just needs to get married! Estella is a bride candidate too!”
As the young master and Irang fought the zombies, their eyes met occasionally. Each time, I cheered even louder, hoping to boost his morale.
“Our young master is the strongest in the world! The most powerful! As strong as he is handsome! A blessed being!”
Each time, he would blush and lower his head. He was either touched by my cheering, smitten with Irang, or his motion sickness had returned.
I should add Irang to the list of Countess candidates, just in case.
From now on, the stranger Irang would be addressed as Lady Irang, Countess candidate!
After eliminating all the zombie birds, Irang and the young master returned to the cabin. Irang, seemingly warm, had taken off her navy coat, revealing her shirt. The coat had gold embroidery and an unfamiliar crest sewn with gold thread. The craftsmanship was clearly exceptional.
I approached her, hoping to admire the coat and gain her favor.
“May I take your coat?”
She handed it to me, as if accustomed to being served. The young master frowned and glared at Irang.
“She’s my maid.”
“I don’t care.”
It seemed like our new Countess candidate had a habit of speaking like a soldier. She returned to her seat and started cleaning her bow. Without the magic, it no longer glowed or looked beautiful. It was just an old wooden bow, seemingly worthless, fit only for hunting deer.
But it had withstood both her and the young master’s magic, so it couldn’t be made of ordinary wood. From her uniform to her bow, everything about her was extraordinary.
She continued cleaning her bow and then said to the young master,
“Human. Thank you for your assistance. I would have struggled without you.”
“It’s good to see you’re capable of gratitude, for a dragon.”
I nudged the young master’s ribs with my elbow.
“You should thank her properly. You were able to do your thing because Lady Irang was busy shooting arrows.”
He nodded reluctantly and said halfheartedly,
“My maid is right. Thank you.”
“Sigh…”
I wasn’t pleased with his attitude, but should I be satisfied with this much?
Irang’s reaction, however, was not good. She stopped cleaning her bow and looked at him. Then she said, her expression slightly troubled,
“I need your help again, if you don’t mind.”
“Why?”
“It’s not over yet. We’ll be attacked again in the afternoon.”