Itchy... Tasty

I am truly sorry for the delay.

Volume 4 is now on sale!

Also, an anime project is currently in the works!

From Volume 4 onward, the story will be entirely original and different from the web novel, so please consider picking up a copy.

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"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!"

Margari-san reacted to Christina’s scream instantly.

"Kid, move it!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

The two of us sprinted up the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of a pair of extravagant doors.

"She’s in there!"

"Should I kick it down?" I asked.

"You idiot! You'll be executed for violating the Cultural Property Protection Law if you do that!"

"Wait, really? But this is an emergency..."

"Where do you think we are?! This is the Oriana Kingdom, the Land of the Arts!"

Margari-san scanned our surroundings. "Over there! We can get in through that way!"

He pointed toward a small service door used by the staff. Looking closely, it was cracked open just a sliver.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Christina’s second scream echoed through the hall.

"Hurry!"

"Right behind you."

I followed Margari-san through the small door.

We emerged into what looked like a massive ballroom. It was decked out in decorations, likely for some planned event. However, the beautiful marble floor was now stained with streaks of fresh, crimson blood. There were claw marks etched into the stone and long smears, as if something heavy had been dragged across the floor.

In the center of a growing pool of blood stood Christina. She was clutching her shoulder with one hand, her sword drawn in the other.

Surrounding her was a literal horde of zombies.

"Are you okay?!" Margari-san yelled.

"—! Get back! Be careful, these are all Noble Zombies!"

Christina parried a lunging zombie as she spoke, her blade ringing against its flesh.

"Kuh... they're so tough..."

Her sword had bitten into the zombie’s arm, but it stopped halfway through the bone. I see. So the blue bloods holed up in here have all turned into ghouls. Since they actually had some training in Magic Power, it resulted in a batch of zombies with boosted Physical Ability.

"UOOOOOOOOOOHHH!"

Margari-san let out a war cry and charged. He swung his greatsword, batting the zombies aside and carving a path through the encirclement.

Huh, Margari-san is actually holding his own.

I secretly sent a few zombies flying to give him a bit of a boost. Not that he needed much—the guy’s actually got some chops.

"You alright, missy?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine."

"I’m in top form today for some reason—but we’re outnumbered. Let’s get out of here!"

I have to hand it to Margari-san; he doesn't let a little momentum go to his head or cloud his judgment.

"I suppose you're right..." Christina agreed.

"H-Hurry, this way!"

While putting on my best "shaking-in-my-boots" act, I cleared out the obstructive Noble Zombies in our path with god-speed, securing an exit for our retreat.

"Move it, missy!"

"..."

Margari-san and I dove back through the small door while supporting the sluggish Christina.

"Close the door! Fast!"

"I'm on it!"

Margari-san slammed the door shut at the exact moment a zombie’s hand shot through the gap to grab Christina’s leg. The arm got caught in the doorframe, but the fingers remained clamped around her ankle, refusing to let go.

Ooh... nice, nice.

I was practically vibrating with excitement as I "panicked" and started weakly batting at the zombie's arm with my foot.

"Kuh... dammit!"

Christina plunged her sword into the zombie's arm, severing it completely.

Finally, the door slammed shut.

I never dreamed I’d get to see the classic 'zombie arm through the closing door' trope in real life!

While I was basking in the afterglow of a perfect cliché, the service door began to rattle violently.

"We need something to block it!" Margari-san screamed, throwing his weight against the wood.

"Let's move that furniture!" I suggested.

"Right!"

Christina and I hauled a heavy-looking wardrobe over to barricade the door. Only then did Margari-san finally slump back and exhale.

"I don't think they'll break through immediately, but..."

"There's no telling how long it will hold," Christina finished.

"Yeah. We should probably take turns keeping watch. So, what happened with the food?"

"It was in the back. But before I could grab it..."

Christina glared resentfully at the rattling door.

"Nothing you could do in that mess," Margari-san grunted. "If only there was a way to get back in there and retrieve it."

"It would be difficult. I never imagined the nobles would be wiped out like that. They were supposed to have guards with them."

"Now that you mention it, you're right..." Margari-san nodded.

"I saw claw marks in the bloodstains," I chimed in. "Big ones."

I figured I should report my findings. There’s definitely a mutant, powered-up zombie in there. It’s the rules of the genre.

"I saw them too," Christina said.

"Claws...? You mean a beast or something?"

"I don't know... but something else might be lurking in there."

"If that's the case, we're in deep trouble here. I don't know if the three of us can hold this position..."

As Margari-san spoke with growing gravity, Christina shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but this is where I make my exit."

"Eh?"

"What are you talking about?"

Margari-san and I both stared at her.

"I mean this."

She flashed a sad, weary smile and turned her left shoulder toward us.

"T-This is..."

"Yikes."

There was a gruesome bite mark on her shoulder. The flesh around the wound had already begun to turn a necrotic black—the universal sign of infection.

"I'm sorry... I'm going to end up just like them soon..." She hung her head, her voice barely a whisper.

"Missy..."

"I'll leave. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"B-But...!"

Margari-san started to protest, then turned a desperate, pleading look toward me.

Uhh... seriously, what am I supposed to do here?

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