By Zephyria 
Surprisingly, truly strange things could not enter the oasis’s domain.
Whether they were delaying their journey to the Magic territory in a hurry, or if it was thanks to the residual Divine Power in this desert, was unknown. However, it was fortunate that Elvin had kept a good track of the oasis’s path since his days wandering the Shatun Desert.
I took the opportunity to teach the group how to deal with zombies.
Memories left dormant for over a decade surfaced without regard for time, but the days when such things could stir my heart were long past. Whenever the zombies’ weaknesses, which I hadn’t noticed in my rage back then, came to mind, I would gather the children and teach them well.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely peaceful.
Immediately after leaving the first safe zone, five zombies attacked. They were all Steel Corpses.
Leaving a few to guard the camels and children in the rear, Rubel, Hugh Benson, and three mercenaries each took on one. As I had instructed beforehand, they first severed both arms, then cut off both legs, and finally severed the neck.
Cutting off the head last made it easier to confirm its direction, and leaving the head intact without crushing it was for identifying its features.
We already knew that zombies attacked without hesitation even when their limbs were severed, as they felt no pain. Furthermore, since all those who had attacked were Transcendent Peak martial artists capable of wielding Sword Energy, no one was injured.
Everyone in the group, looking down at the chattering, twitching heads from a distance, had grim expressions.
“They’re… human. I don’t know how long they’ve been dead. Their eyes are still intact.”
“Seeing how the blood has completely coagulated, it seems like quite some time has passed.”
“Did they become mummies because they came to the desert?”
Seeing them examine the corpses without any hesitation, or casually poking them with their longswords, was chilling. Hugh Benson had seen all sorts of gruesome sights, but Marianne looked like her insides were about to spill out.
Only Benjamin, Giselle, and Peter seemed distressed by the sight; the rest were unfazed. I didn’t know whether to be surprised that two of the mercenaries were unfamiliar with killing, or that the children examined the corpses without any fear.
Even Rubel didn’t shy away, examining the corpses with a serious expression, which made me even more uneasy.
“…Are you alright?”
“…Huh? What… Oh.”
A greatly startled child offered an awkward smile and unnecessarily straightened his collar.
Didn’t Walter Orgen say something similar before? The job of an investigator examining corpses found in the imperial capital was one many people avoided. There weren’t many corpses in the capital. If it was me, fine, but what possible reason could Rubel, who had only lived in the palace, have to see corpses?
At my suspicious gaze, the child hesitantly gave a shy answer.
“Well… I guess I’ve gotten used to things like this.”
“Why would Rubel be used to this?”
“Uh, …it was in Professor Mustang’s office.”
“That thing?”
“The transparent…”
Ah.
A wry laugh escaped me. After all, zombies didn’t show their insides. There weren’t many things in the world as disgusting as Mage Boulder’s transparent golem. If one had become accustomed to seeing that golem multiple times, it was possible not to be surprised by a corpse.
But why was someone who wasn’t even a mage looking at it? I asked again, puzzled.
“How did Rubel…?”
“Just, even then, I was curious about you.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Hey! This isn’t the mood for that!”
Marianne abruptly cut off Rubel’s words.
Rubel coughed awkwardly several times. I also felt inexplicably embarrassed and, as Marianne instructed, examined the zombies again. They looked much the same as those seen in the Central Plains. The only difference was that the corpses used were from people of this continent.
“How is it?”
“It’s a Steel Corpse. The fingernails are black and chipped at the ends, the eyeballs are intact but cloudy, and they try to bite people until their heads are crushed.”
“This is creepy… Please finish them off now.”
“Alright.”
Leon and Hugh, who had been watching from the side, struck the chattering zombie heads again. Marianne gathered the corpses with magic and set them ablaze.
It felt very unsettling to burn the bodies of unknown individuals without permission, but no one was surprised by the rising flames.
This was because we had discussed it beforehand during our rest, agreeing to perform a funeral rite like those of Yulan or Biban. In Yulan and Biban, there was a funeral custom of burning the body and then grinding the bone fragments into a fine powder to scatter into high mountains, rivers, or the sea.
We mourned the end of these unknown individuals with a moment of silence.
We encountered several groups of zombies while heading to the next safe zone. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any groups of more than six at once, so we easily dealt with them all.
When a zombie approached from a distance, Sylph would immediately alert us, so we didn’t dismount the camels even while traveling. After dispatching a group, we would remount.
“Why are they coming in such small numbers?”
“Hmm… Perhaps there aren’t enough corpses to make into zombies.”
Marianne quickly answered Giselle’s question.
“Or it could be a tactic to wear us down. To prevent us from resting…”
“Just with this?”
Benjamin added, but Hugh Benson immediately chided him.
Everyone nodded readily. I did too.
Although I had a pathological dislike for zombies, the situation was different now.
In the Central Plains, the gap between masters was immense.
In fact, for sects other than the Nine Sects and the Five Great Clans, producing even a First-rate martial artist was considered a great feat. The secret techniques of each sect and clan were not easily revealed, and it was natural for those who mastered good Mind Methods and Sword Arts to reach higher realms.
Moreover, it was common for truly reclusive individuals to not step onto the front lines, believing it was proper to have a heavy gait. Masters holding high positions in alliances only moved when opponents of comparable caliber appeared.
Therefore, those who dealt with zombies, dishonorable corpses that poured out everywhere, were mostly martial artists of First-rate to Third-rate levels. For those unable to wield Sword Energy, Steel Corpses were as terrifying as mountain beasts, and every battle was met with cries of sorrow.
However, everyone gathered here, except for Benjamin, Rubel, and Marianne, was a Sword Master. Steel Corpses could be defeated in three breaths. Thus, it wasn’t difficult at all, and there was nothing to fear.
We had enough leisure to defeat and burn a group without much worry, and offer a short prayer wishing for their rebirth in paradise.
There was only one thing our group worried about.
“…Is Sierren safe right now?”
“Once we reach the Sanctuary of the Sun, Ranunculus will be there. We’ll know the situation then.”
“What if they’re not safe?”
“…Then, well, we’ll have to go immediately. As far as we can…”
Curiosity suddenly struck me, and I blurted out a question.
“…Rubel, do you happen to know what kind of abilities Sierren’s Divine object possesses?”
“…That.”
Rubel couldn’t answer immediately.
Did I ask something I shouldn’t have? Flustered, I tried to retract my words, but Rubel smiled kindly and shook his head. It meant it was okay.
The others stopped their chatter and quietly listened to Rubel’s voice.
“Sierren’s Divine object… regulates the Empire’s Mana Concentration.”
“Whoa?”
Marianne was more surprised than I was. She almost stood up on her camel but stumbled, and Benjamin caught her. Even with her scruff of the neck held like a kitten by its mother, she didn’t seem uncomfortable, her gaze fixed on Rubel.
“Mana Concentration? No, that’s this time…!”
“Yes. That’s why when the report of increased Mana Concentration in the capital first came in, Father checked the Divine object first. But… the Divine object was fine. So he agreed to dispatch the Imperial Royal Guard for volunteer work and investigation, thinking something else was going on.”
“Is that why the Empire remained stable even with so many Heterogeneous Races appearing in Owen?”
“…Probably… Yes, it is.”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who heard a sharp edge in Hugh Benson’s voice. As Rubel looked flustered, Hugh Benson narrowed his eyes, gazed at the distant sky for a long moment, then slowly rubbed his face to compose himself. His sigh sounded particularly deep and heavy.
Hugh Benson waved his hand, dispersing the gazes gathered on him.
“No, well… it’s not the Prince’s fault. Don’t be scared. I’m just surprised.”
“…Yes.”
“Can I ask more?”
“Yes.”
“How do you operate it?”
Rubel hesitated for a very brief moment, then answered readily.
“Sierren Empire’s Divine object… is a crystal sphere with no sharp edges on any surface, placed on a square pedestal. The pedestal below has a scale needle, and the crystal sphere above has light particles constantly flowing within it.”
“Like a snow globe?”
“Hmm… It looks similar. You dip Divine Blood near the scale marking corresponding to the desired Mana Concentration, and it will function properly for the next two to three years.”
“What do you mean by dipping Divine Blood?”
“Father, Richard, me, and Lucilla’s… current direct imperial family members’ fingertips are pricked with a sterilized needle to draw blood, and then one swipe is made over the marking. As soon as I turned ten, Father taught the three of us how to handle the Divine object. Just in case.”
Just in case.
For the past 400 years, the Mana Concentration in Sierren’s capital had been a constant 13.4 mp. Now, some individuals had used Aventa Bump and manipulated it to raise the Mana Concentration. Even now, the Emperor would be regulating Sierren’s Mana Concentration. However, the common citizens were all unaware of this…
If there were no one with Divine Blood in the Imperial Palace, what would become of the Sierren Empire?
Hugh Benson clutched his hair with both hands.
“Damn it, if something happened to the Empire, we’d have to head straight for the capital.”
“…Probably…”
“What the hell,”
The moment he was about to say something more, Sylph quickly attached itself to the top of Rubel’s head.
[They’re coming! Again! Four this time!]
“…This is insane.”
This time, the three mercenaries and Elvin drew their weapons. Rubel looked down at the sandy ground with a grave expression. Just in case, I drew my sword and scanned the surroundings. A sense of inexplicable duty weighed down a corner of my heart.