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1
2Overlord Volume 10 where?
3
4SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 2019
5Overlord Gaiden - Chapter 1
6Meeting in the Lost Country
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121
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15Now then, Suzuki Satoru mused.
16
17
18He had no idea what kind of person this Keno girl was. However, she was definitely an important 
19source of information. He would need to get her to lower her guard so she would be more willing to 
20talk.
21
22
23For starters, judging by her reaction, she was not a player, but a resident of this world. While he 
24would have liked to verify that, he had no idea how to achieve that goal.
25
26
27Also, he could not tell if she was trustworthy. For all he knew, he might wind up learning fake 
28information. Right now, he ought to be taking steps to gain her trust.
29
30
31With those thoughts in mind, Suzuki Satoru began by putting on a businessman’s smile, but then he 
32realized that he could not do so in his present state. Therefore, he tried to soften his tone. While his 
33voice was hardly saccharine sweet, he tried to speak in as gentle a way as possible.
34
35
36“Ah… I… while I gave you my name just now, let’s start again. I am Suzuki Satoru.”
37
38
39“Satoru...sama?”
40
41
42Suzuki Satoru could not help but widen his eyes — though in this body, it looked as though fires had 
43ignited in his eye sockets. He had not expected her to immediately go to addressing him by name. 
44She’s being very familiar, Suzuki Satoru mused. And she gave her name too. I’d better remember 
45that. She must have done what she did to highlight that point.
46
47
48“-San will do. Now then… you’re Keno-san, am I right?”
49
50
51Now it was the girl’s turn to goggle her eyes. Suzuki Satoru wondered if he had said something 
52inappropriate.
53
54
55Keno Fasris Invern.
56
57
58Keno ought to be her given name and Invern was probably her surname. Or was it Fasris-Invern? 
59While he was not sure which was which, the surprised look on her face was probably because she 
60had addressed him by his name, but Suzuki Satoru had used her surname instead. Perhaps she had 
61thought it was a rejection of her good intentions.
62
63
64Or was it because he had appended the honorific of -san to her name, despite her being a child?
65
66
67“Ah, y-yes…”
68
69
70“In that case, please stand up. And then — speaking here is a little… what do you call it. Well, yes. I 
71could create a tower with magic… but that would be taller than the surrounding buildings. While I 
72also have items with similar abilities… you don’t want to stand out too much, do you?”
73
74
75Keno had barely managed to get to her feet after Suzuki Satoru had pulled her up, and she timidly 
76nodded.
77
78
79I see — Suzuki Satoru did the mental equivalent of narrowing his eyes.
80
81
82That would mean Keno knew about magic items. Was this common knowledge for this world’s 
83residents, or was it professional knowledge that only she had? Or was she someone connected to 
84YGGDRASIL after all?
85
86
87Still, he felt that there was something wrong in trying to look for some kind of commonplace trait in 
88an undead girl that he had found in a city crawling with Zombies.
89
90
91And as for why she wanted to avoid attention — was it because there were other intelligent undead 
92in this city apart from the Zombies, or was it because there were hostile beings around and this 
93place was not safe? That sounded more like it.
94
95
96“In that case, if you know of a safe place, could you take me there?”
97
98
99Keno’s body trembled.
100
101
102He could understand how she felt.
103
104
105In Suzuki Satoru’s case, he would not want to lead someone who might be a PK — in this case, a 
106suspicious-looking skeleton — to his secure shelter. Therefore, he ought to take a step back and 
107settle for going to a place where they could talk in peace. Could it be that Keno did not have a 
108backup hideout?
109
110
111It would be easy to say “You’re not being careful enough,” but since he did not know what Keno had 
112gone through, he did not have the right to say something like that. Even Suzuki Satoru would not 
113have continued playing YGGDRASIL if he had not met other friends. In other words, a person’s 
114actions were based on their experiences and past. Perhaps Keno had no need to be that cautious in 
115her daily life.
116
117
118Suzuki spoke to her as a YGGDRASIL player addressing an inexperienced newbie.
119
120
121“I don’t need you to take me to your main base. Do you know of any other places that you consider 
122safe? Like say, nearby houses or something?”
123
124
125Truth to be told, he did want to know where her base of operations was. But Suzuki Satoru was filled 
126with the moral obligation of a hoary veteran giving advice to a rookie, and so he suggested a sincere 
127alternative.
128
129
130Also, Keno might not be the only one in that base. Or was that place as important to her as Satoru’s 
131friends were to him? Suzuki Satoru could fully understand the feeling of not wanting to endanger his 
132friends.
133
134
135“If you can’t decide by yourself, then I don’t mind you coming back after you talk to your supervisor. 
136In that case, I’ll wait nearby… where there aren’t any undead.”
137
138
139While he did not want to let her escape, neither did he want to stalk her and pump her for 
140information. Letting her trust him was not a bad thing, Suzuki Satoru magnanimously declared in his 
141heart as his sense of duty as a high-level player came to the fore again.
142
143
144Keno walked off in a timid, retiring fashion.
145
146
147“Thank you very much, Keno-san.”
148
149Keno’s shoulders twitched as she heard Suzuki Satoru say those words from behind her. Then, she 
150hurriedly turned to look at him.
151
152
153“Hm? What, what’s the matter?”
154
155
156“Ah, no, it’s n-nothing…”
157
158
159Keno muttered quietly and walked off.
160
161
162What’s going on? Suzuki Satoru wondered. Was she just being cautious, or was it because he really 
163was that frightening?
164
165
166In fact, Keno had been spying on the Zombies from a narrow alley, even though she was undead 
167herself. Should he assume that they had been enemies once?
168
169
170In that case, what kind of undead being was she?
171
172
173There were many kinds of undead creatures — even Suzuki Satoru, to some extent — who had red 
174eyes. However, very few of them looked as presentable as Keno. While the words Vampire Bride 
175came to mind, she did not feel like she was one of them.
176
177
178It was at this moment that Suzuki Satoru was struck dumb by his sheer ignorance.
179
180
181If this really was another world, then it was entirely possible that it might contain undead which were 
182unique to it. However, he could not say that it was completely unconnected to YGGDRASIL. 
183Otherwise, there would be no way to explain why Momonga could use his skills and YGGDRASIL’s 
184spells.
185
186
187Suzuki Satoru abandoned further thought into the matter. After all, given how little he knew right now, 
188no amount of thinking would give him an answer.
189
190
191Fortunately, the two of them did not encounter any Zombies as they walked in silence for several 
192minutes. Keno stopped as she reached the vicinity of the city walls. There was a small single-story 
193building there, with stairs leading downwards. The arch along the way had a cross-hatched grating 
194set into it. 
195
196
197What’s this? If it leads to an underground cellar then shouldn’t it be located inside the building? Is it 
198an underground aqueduct? Or no, should I call it a sewer?
199
200
201Keno turned her head.
202
203
204“Ah, this is, the place.”
205
206
207Her eyes were downcast, as though she was ashamed of how shabby her living quarters were.
208
209
210It was true that it was hardly a place where a girl ought to be staying. However, it would seem 
211runaway kids in Suzuki Satoru’s world also lived in similar places.
212
213
214“I see. I hear temperature changes underground are much less extreme than on the surface. You 
215picked a good spot.”
216
217
218Most undead had very high resistance to the cold, and temperature drops should not have 
219inconvenienced them. Therefore, Suzuki Satoru had agonized for a while before finally delivering a 
220clumsy acknowledgement of her words.
221
222
223“Does anyone else live here besides you?”
224
225
226Keno gently nodded in response to Suzuki Satoru’s question.
227
228
229“I see… please lead the way, then.”
230
231
232Keno pushed the metal grate aside. She did not seem to have used undead strength or any 
233particular ability or spell; it had simply been unlocked. And the fact that she knew it would be 
234unlocked was also proof that she treated this place as her base of operations.
235
236
237Keno continued down the stairs ahead of her.
238
239
240Although the moonlight swiftly faded away, it did not cause any impairment to the two of them. After 
241all, the undead all possessed the ability of darkvision.
242
243
244They reached the foot of the stairs, and it would seem this really was a sewer. However, Suzuki 
245Satoru realized along the way that there was no stench of sewage here. In fact, there was no 
246running water at all, only a slightly damp feeling in the air.
247
248
249Perhaps this was because a long time had passed since the residents of this city had become 
250undead. While rainwater occasionally entered here, fresh sewage had not passed through this place.
251
252
253That was probably why Keno did not smell of sewage despite her lair being located in the sewers.
254
255
256A twinge of emotion suddenly ran through Suzuki Satoru.
257
258
259The rain was acidic and foul-smelling in the era where he lived. However, Keno’s body did not carry 
260an acidic stench, which implied that the rainwater of this world was still as pure and clean as it was 
261in the past.
262
263
264“Perhaps Blue Planet-san would feel sentimental if he were here.”
265
266
267Keno turned around as she heard Suzuki Satoru talking to himself, and she looked at him with a 
268timid expression on her face.
269
270
271“I’m sorry, I was just talking to myself.”
272
273
274“Ah, oh, I, understand.”
275
276
277As Keno’s words gradually became easier to make out, Suzuki Satoru could hear the fear she held 
278for him in them.
279
280
281And I’ve been so nice to her all this while, Suzuki Satoru could not help but gripe. Of course, he had 
282not forgotten the effects of his skeletal appearance. After all, first impressions were hard to change. 
283
284
285Just as he was considering whether or not to cover up his face, the two of them reached their 
286destination. However, it was not because he had been thinking for a long time, but because it was 
287not far from where they had entered the sewers.
288
289
290After entering the sewers, they had travelled roughly 20 meters, turned left, and then gone another 
29120 meters before arriving at a door off to the side, She opened the door that looked like it was made 
292of metal, and it creaked.
293
294
295“This is, the place.”
296
297
298Suzuki Satoru followed Keno into the room.
299
300
301It was not very spacious. This room had probably been used to store tools needed to conduct sewer 
302repairs, and there was a pile of pickaxes and other tools in the corner.
303
304
305Facing it was a somewhat dirty piece of cloth — not from stains, but from age — which had been laid 
306on the ground.
307
308
309There was also an old and plain table and chair here.
310
311
312That was all this room had in the way of furniture. It did not seem suitable to living at all. One could 
313say it was a room which lacked any form of entertainment or household items.
314
315
316Although he could understand how she might be thinking, given that she was undead, Suzuki Satoru 
317would never want to stay in such a lonely and desolate place for any length of time. Wait a minute—
318
319
320A sudden surge of kinship suddenly rose up within him. When he thought about it, his home in real 
321life was pretty much the same as this. 
322
323
324However, the thing in this room that drew his attention was a pile of books and scrolls. The books 
325had characters which Suzuki Satoru had never seen before written on their spines, but the fact was 
326that he basically knew no other languages besides Japanese.
327
328
329“Do you need a light or chair?”
330
331
332He took out a western-style lamp from his inventory and opened the shutters, allowing white light to 
333pour out into the surroundings.
334
335
336This was a magic item which had been imbued with 「Continual Light」. 
337
338
339Of course, he had higher-grade magic items for illumination on hand. However, Suzuki Satoru 
340decided that there was no need to show off anything more powerful. Now was not the time to reveal 
341his hand. Also, one of them could radiate light that was like the sun, which would apply negative 
342status effects to Vampires. If Keno was a Vampire, then she might judge that as a hostile action. 
343Therefore, he could not bring that out under any circumstances.
344
345
346The lamplight lit up Keno’s face, but she did not seem unduly surprised. However, he could not tell if 
347it was because she had seen a magic item like this before, or if it was because she understood the 
348「Continual Light」 spell.
349
350
351After that, Suzuki Satoru cast a Twinned 「Create Greater Item」 spell.
352
353
354This spell had originally been intended to produce weapons, but Suzuki Satoru had a sneaking 
355suspicion that in this world — assuming it was different from the one in which he had previously lived 
356— this spell would have broader applications. The results of the spell matched his predictions for it.
357
358
359As he expected, a pair of black metal chairs appeared.
360
361
362Keno’s eyes widened like saucers as she witnessed this miraculous occurrence. Her expression was 
363one of surprise. Suzuki Satoru addressed the girl in his most caring tone.
364
365
366“Ah — these are simply a couple of petty items I created with my magic. Please sit on them as you 
367wish.”
368
369
370Keno tried her best to refuse in a roundabout way, but she sat down on them in the end. It was only 
371after she did that Suzuki Satoru took a seat, because the business etiquette of letting his client take 
372a seat first had been thoroughly ingrained into him. 
373
374
375However, he realized he had made a mistake right after sitting down.
376
377
378The metallic sensation under his butt was very uncomfortable for something that was supposed to 
379be a chair, but he had not learned any spells that would let him conjure cushions.
380
381
382Earlier, he had thought that taking a seat by himself was terribly rude, which was why he had 
383conjured two chairs. As he thought about how he had coaxed her into sitting down on that cold hard 
384chair, he felt so ashamed that he wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.
385
386
387The sole saving grace now was that he had not begun by saying the chairs in the room looked pretty 
388good or some other kind of hollow pleasantries. If he had really said that, it probably would have 
389ruined any kind of relationship he wanted to build between himself and Keno.
390
391
392Suzuki Satoru hurriedly produced a robe from his inventory, one that felt soft enough, and began 
393folding it up as he spoke.
394
395
396“I’m terribly sorry. This chair really is too hard. Please use this as a cushion”
397
398
399Keno stared in dumb surprise at the robe which Suzuki Satoru had offered her, and then she 
400vigorously shook her head. 
401
402
403“Eh, but, how could I, such fine clothes like these, there’s no need. I, I have a, blanket that I, 
404normally use.”
405
406
407“No no, no need to stand on ceremony, it’s a small thing.”
408
409
410The robe might have looked fancy, but that was all. It was an item that did not contain any rare data 
411crystals.
412
413
414And so, another intense exchange of Suzuki Satoru and Keno giving way to each other unfolded. In 
415the end, Keno gingerly accepted Suzuki Satoru’s good intentions and planted her petite posterior on 
416the folded robe.
417
418
419“Now then, please excuse me for getting straight to the point. I’d like you to tell me what happened to 
420this city to the best of your ability, Keno-san. Of course, I have no intention of making this a one-
421sided interaction. I will show you proof of my own sincerity as well. That said, while I would normally 
422be exchanging information of equal value with you, I regret to say that I know very little about the 
423situation, so I intend to pay you with magic items or hard currency instead. May I know how you feel 
424about that arrangement?”
425
426
427Keno bit her lip, and then glared at Suzuki Satoru with what looked to be hatred in her eyes.
428
429
430Suzuki Satoru could not help his surprise.
431
432
433He had not expected such a response from her.
434
435
436However, before he could ask her for the reason why, Keno looked to the ground and began 
437speaking in a weak and trembling voice. 
438
439
4402
441
442
443Behind her tightly-closed eyelids — through the double barrier of the curtains and the thin silks which 
444served as her bed’s canopy — she could feel the rays of the sun shining down on her. “Good 
445morning, time to get up,” and “Let me sleep a while longer,” — these two parts of her shouted back 
446and forth in their struggle to seize control of her body.
447
448
449Just as she was drifting in and out of slumber, the room door opened quietly and someone entered. 
450While the thick carpet covering the floor muffled their footsteps, she could still sense someone 
451moving through the room.
452
453
454This person walked over to the side of her bed, and stopped.
455
456
457“Good morning, Keno-sama. Today’s weather is good too.”
458
459
460“Uuu, mmm, mhm…”
461
462
463Her eyes opened ever so reluctantly, and the familiar smile of the maid Nastasha came into view. 
464
465
466The fact that she had been permitted to address Keno, the princess of this country, by her given 
467name was because she was Keno’s handmaiden. 
468
469
470Nastasha was one of the more highly-placed servants in the castle, and in her youth there had been 
471rumors that she would become the next head maid. Her abilities were exceptional and she even had 
472in-depth magical training; one could say that it had been smooth sailing all the way to her present 
473station.
474
475
476It was precisely because Keno was her father’s only daughter that she was permitted to stand by 
477Keno’s side — such was a sign of the favor she had received. However, Keno felt that she would 
478probably not wind up as the head maid, because she would probably end up becoming the first wife 
479of some noble and then resign her position.
480
481
482Seeing that Keno had already risen, Nastasha went over to the window and forcefully opened it. Just 
483as she had described earlier, the room was filled with blinding sunlight.
484
485
486Having just departed sweet dreamland, her eyes were painfully seared by the light and she could not 
487help squeezing them shut again. Only after her eyes had gradually gotten used to the sunlight 
488through her eyelids did Keno slowly open them once again.
489
490
491The warm sunlight poured into the room, as if to tell her that today would be a peaceful, wonderful 
492day filled with warmth.
493
494
495“Alright, Keno-sama. I shall prepare water for you right away.”
496
497
498There was an empty silver basin on the small round table. After Nastasha cast a spell on it, the basin 
499was promptly filled with clean water.
500
501
502Nastasha had just cast a first-tier lifestyle spell — also known as the lifestyle spell tradition — known 
503as 「Create Water」. While zero-tier spells could also create drinkable water, the water created by 
504this spell tasted better.
505
506
507Since they both used the same amount of mana, popular opinion held that better-tasting water was 
508superior, even if it had not been created for drinking purposes. It would seem Nastasha felt the same 
509way too.
510
511
512As a first-tier spell, the water generated by 「Create Water」 was not limited to just filling a single 
513basin. While there was a time limit to it, the overall volume of water created — which would increase 
514along with the caster’s skills — could be parcelled out over multiple occasions. Therefore, there 
515would be no spillage and waste even if she cast the spell on the basin.
516
517
518Incidentally, Nastasha was a magic caster who had attained the second tier. On cold days, she could 
519use the second-tier lifestyle spell 「Temperature Change」 to alter the temperature of the water until 
520it was comfortable, or to directly heat the room.
521
522
523Keno had read from a book that there was a third-tier lifestyle spell called 「Hot Spring」. 
524Apparently it was an imitation of the druid spell 「Geyser」. The book’s author had written, “It feels 
525really good,” and so Keno wanted to personally try it once.
526
527
528Unfortunately, none of the maids in the castle could cast such a high-tier lifestyle spell. Therefore 
529Keno could only read about the effects of 「Hot Spring」 from her books.
530
531
532While there were magic casters in the castle who could cast third-tier spells, those people typically 
533studied battle spells and did not have the time to learn lifestyle magic on top of that. 
534
535
536“In that case, I’ll just learn it myself!” Keno had once told the people around her — specifically her 
537magic instructors. Back then, Keno had been younger than she was now, at an age where she could 
538barely cast first-tier spells. It would not be unusual for someone hearing a young girl like that saying 
539that she wanted to cast a third-tier spell — which was typically the province of the naturally gifted — 
540to regard it as the naive declarations of a child.
541
542
543That is, if that child was not Keno.
544
545
546Keno’s parents — her father could cast fourth-tier spells, while her mother could go even further and 
547cast fifth-tier spells — were genius magic casters of extraordinary talent. Thus, as the scion of both 
548their bloodlines, everyone believed that it was very likely that she could make good on her words.
549
550
551Therefore, two hours after making that statement, she had been summoned before her father and 
552sternly rebuked. There was a limit to how many spells everyone could learn, and as royalty, she 
553ought to learn more useful spells. 
554
555
556The young Keno had retorted that it was precisely because she was royalty that she should not learn 
557offensive, defensive, or divinatory spells, and instead learn spells that would make everyone happy.
558
559
560However, her father had said this: “Our country is not a peaceful one. There’s no telling when these 
561quiet, peaceful days will come to an end and a king must personally go to the battlefield. Therefore, 
562anyone with the potential to become an exceptional magic caster should learn battle-effective 
563spells.”
564
565
566After hearing her father’s answer, Keno abandoned her plans to learn 「Hot Spring」.
567
568
569Her father’s words had been well-reasoned, and she was not yet old enough to fully understand 
570what he meant by them. On the one hand, she lacked the courage to resist her stern father, and on 
571the other, she was not particularly obsessed in her pursuit of hot springs.
572
573
574Rather, it was because her father spoke in a kingly way, which reminded her of the stories of heroic 
575adventure that Nastasha had once read to her. He sounded just like them, and it left a deep 
576impression in her heart.
577
578
579From that day on, Keno made a wish that she kept secret from everyone else, that she would 
580become strong one day, like the heroes in the storybooks — or like her father — and fight gallantly 
581for the people.
582
583
584The girl who held that dream in her heart got off the bed, walked to Nastasha’s side, and began 
585washing her face. The splashing water spattered her surroundings, but she did not mind it. 
586
587
588The temperature-adjusted water — made by 「Create Water」, which could be freely deposited 
589within a certain radius according to the caster’s will — washed away Keno’s sleepiness.
590
591
592Keno used the towel Nastasha handed her to wipe her face clean and began brushing her teeth. 
593Then she gargled the water in her glass, rinsed her mouth, and spat it out into the basin.
594
595
596After seeing Keno do all this, Nastasha cast 「Destruction Water」.
597
598
599The water in the basin, as well as the water that had splashed out of it, vanished as though they had 
600been an illusion.
601
602
603This first-tier spell was not lifestyle magic, but belonged to one of the four great traditions — also 
604known as the elemental traditions — and could be used for offensive purposes.
605
606
607It did less damage when used against living beings than other spells of the same tier. However, it 
608could do significant damage to Water Elementals and other creatures closely aligned with the 
609element of water. Higher-level versions of the third tier could also affect Slimes to some extent. The 
610fourth-tier spell 「Dehydration」 could do great damage to all living beings. 
611
612
613The lower-tier versions of these spells were typically used to eliminate water in this fashion.
614
615
616After rinsing her mouth, Keno walked over to the changing mirror which was roughly as tall as she 
617was and quickly changed into the clothes Nastasha handed her.
618
619
620While certain nobles would even let their vassals handle dressing them, Keno’s family insisted on 
621them changing on their own. It was a family rule to help them prepare for battle, so they could put on 
622armor by themselves — never mind that full plate armor needed the help of squires to don.
623
624
625However, it was perfectly acceptable to let others help comb her hair while she was changing. After 
626wetting her curled hair with 「Create Water」, Nastasha pressed it down with a moistened towel. 
627Once Nastasha let go, the hair was straightened out.
628
629
630And so, Keno Fasris Invern — the sole daughter of King Fasris — took shape.
631
632
633The familiar image of herself she saw reflected in the mirror was a girl with eyes that reflected all the 
634colors of the rainbow. 
635
636
637These rainbow eyes were not unique to Keno. The maid who was staring at Keno while carrying out 
638the final checks, Nastasha, also possessed them. They were called the Rainbow Eyes, and there 
639were a common sight in the country of the Rainbow-Eyed People. Rather, it was the people who did 
640not possess them that were a rarity.
641
642
643“Now then, please proceed to the dining room, Keno-sama.”
644
645
646“...Are both of them there today?”
647
648
649“Yes. Both of them are waiting for you, Keno-sama.”
650
651
652To Keno, mealtimes were joyful occasions, but also ones which weighed on her.
653
654
655—Because she could see her father then.
656
657
658Her father was frequently out on business — both in the Royal Capital and other cities — due to his 
659eagerness to work. Even his daughter Keno would have many days when she would not get to see 
660him at all. Therefore, she was very happy to meet her father. However, Keno’s father was very harsh 
661on her, so he usually scolded her whenever they met, which made her uneasy.
662
663
664That said, she could not run away from it.
665
666
667Trailing Nastasha in her wake, Keno walked to the dining room.
668
669
670Just as Nastasha had said, her parents were waiting for her within the dining room. Naturally, their 
671maids were also present. In particular, the head maid and assistant head maid were standing behind 
672her father and mother.
673
674
675Keno’s mother had a warm, gentle look on her face — truth be told, her personality was much the 
676same, and Keno had few memories of ever being scolded by her — and she was also a top-class 
677magic caster of this nation, even though one could not tell just by her looks.
678
679
680Her father, on the other hand, was the opposite.
681
682
683Rainbow-Eyed people tended to be slender of frame and gifted in the four elemental traditions, 
684which would lead them to enter the appropriate magic-using professions. Therefore, they were 
685focused on spellcasting ability rather than physical abilities, and tended to lack muscular bodies. 
686However, Keno’s father was a notable exception. Not only was he a powerful Fire Elementalist, he 
687also possessed a brawny physique that embodied the word “powerhouse”, and his brow was deeply 
688furrowed to go with his stern countenance.
689
690
691Whether he was eating or not, he always wore a gauntlet on his left arm that was shaped to 
692resemble a Griffin’s talons.
693
694
695It was the national treasure known as the Gauntlet of the Griffin Lord. It was a magic item that could 
696summon a Griffin Lord for a total of 24 hours in the span of a week. Since the summoned Griffin Lord 
697could be resummoned in a week’s time even if it were killed, generations of kings had historically 
698used it to call up a vanguard for them. However, Keno’s father was the only one who did not use it in 
699that way.
700
701
702“Good morning, Father, Mother.”
703
704
705“Good morning, Keno.”
706
707
708In contrast to her mother’s gentle greeting, her father simply furrowed his brow and nodded curtly, 
709but that was how he usually was. Rather, if he had smiled like her mother had, Keno would be 
710confused instead.
711
712
713Nastasha pulled the chair back to let Keno take a seat, after which breakfast was served.
714
715
716This country had a thriving dairy industry, and so the royal capital did not want for fresh cheese. Of 
717particular note was the fact that it was to be expected that the dining tables of the royal household 
718would have at least three different kinds of cheese on them. In addition, there was sour cream, 
719drinks made from blending milk and the freshly-squeezed juices of four different fruits, and so on. 
720Also, there were thick slices of evenly-roasted ham. The plates laden with white bread were 
721accompanied by intoxicatingly beautiful pats of golden butter. 
722
723
724Keno — along with her father and mother, who were dining — looked at the ring on her right hand, 
725but the sapphire-blue gemstone set into it did not change color. 
726
727
728They began to eat.
729
730
731Eating was a place for etiquette. Since it had been inculcated into her ever since she had come of 
732age, it had long since become a part of her. 
733
734
735As they ate in silence, her father placed his fork on the table with a quiet clink. She glanced over and 
736saw that her father had picked up his napkin to wipe his mouth.
737
738
739“Now then, Annie. To what degree have her magical abilities improved?”
740
741
742Annie was the name of Keno’s mother. She was called Annie Fasris Invern.
743
744
745Annie put down her fork and wiped her mouth as well.
746
747
748“My husband, currently this child seems to have gotten a feel for the second tier. Who knows, she 
749might soon become capable of wielding its rudiments.”
750
751
752“I heard that a fortnight ago. In other words, there’s been no improvement, am I wrong? Keno, what 
753do you think? Do you feel stronger than before?”
754
755
756Keno swallowed her food, then put down her fork and wiped her mouth like her mother had. During 
757that time, she thought about how to answer her father, but the truth was that she did not feel much 
758different between now and two weeks ago. It was like how nobody could sense how much they were 
759growing every day without measuring it. 
760
761
762It was true that she had felt something strange when she had first become capable of casting first-
763tier spells. It was like gears meshing within her body. However, there had been no signs before that.
764
765
766Therefore, she could only answer honestly.
767
768
769“I’m not sure.”
770
771
772“I see. Honesty is a good policy, but that alone cannot be all. You are my first child. In the future, 
773your younger brothers and sisters will be born, and you will have to be an example for them.”
774
775
776“My King… she is still young—”
777
778
779“—Shut up.”
780
781
782Her father coldly interrupted her mother’s impending criticism.
783
784
785“However young she is, she is still royalty.”
786
787
788The King’s gaze was cutting as it turned to her. Frightened, Keno glanced pleadingly to her mother.
789
790
791“She is a girl—”
792
793
794“—She is more than a girl, she is a princess, she is royalty. While there is no need to outdo everyone 
795else, being overshadowed will be troublesome. After all, you are a better magic caster than I am.”
796
797
798Her father turned to look at a place without anyone and he coughed. “Which is why we got married, 
799didn’t we,” he muttered. Then, he looked at Keno again with his steely eyes.
800
801
802“For that reason, I gave this child to you so you could teach her, but you have been too lax with her 
803education, I think. Live combat is the best form of training. While she is a child and not yet fully 
804grown, surely she ought to start weapons training too, no? It’s important to see if she’s gifted in that 
805field too.”
806
807
808It was true that Keno’s father was inferior to her mother as a magic caster. However, given that her 
809father was able to fight with a spear, he was the better combatant.
810
811
812“I am opposed to that. According to what I have seen, I don’t think this child is like you — gifted with 
813weapons. Until she awakens an affinity for one of the four great powers, we ought to keep on 
814training her as a magic caster. More importantly, I forbid her to take part in anything as dangerous as 
815live combat.”
816
817
818“Back then—”
819
820
821“—Things were different. Rather than learning to write with both hands—”
822
823
824“—It’s faster to learn to do it with just one, I know that’s what you want to say. However, we don’t 
825know where her talents lie. Don’t you think it would be better to let her try everything? I feel that 
826would be better to help this child prepare for her future.”
827
828
829“I agree on that point. However, I feel that it should wait until she’s at least reached the second tier 
830first. If you want her to take part in martial instruction, then it should at least wait until her body is 
831fully developed first.”
832
833
834The two of them locked gazes, neither of them letting up.
835
836
837A while later, her father looked away.
838
839
840“I understand. I’ll continue leaving it in your care.”
841
842
843“I am deeply grateful, my King.”
844
845
846“—Keno.”
847
848
849Keno jumped as she heard her father’s steely voice. Her father noticed it, but ignored it and began 
850speaking.
851
852
853“As the royal family of this country, we enjoy luxurious lives, and the loyalty of many people. And all 
854that is because we have done our duty as the nation’s royalty. Therefore you must learn and absorb 
855everything and make good use of it. It is true that our country is peaceful now. But who knows, we 
856might be invaded some day. Therefore we need a wealthy nation and a strong army.”
857
858“...I don’t want to invade other people.”
859
860
861Her father’s face twisted slightly.
862
863
864Was he angry, or was he laughing, or perhaps sad? It was a nuanced expression that was hard to 
865make out. However, there was no severity in what he said next.
866
867
868“There is no need to invade others. A strong army is a deterrent force. However, thoughtless 
869intimidation will lead to conflict. It is the duty of a leader to gain information on other nations, strike a 
870balance, and seek the growth of his country’s strength. Do you think military might is unnecessary?”
871
872
873“No.”
874
875
876Keno shook her head.
877
878
879Among the many races — the Rainbow-Eyes making up 90% of this comparison — a nation of five 
880million people was not too big. However, it was only because the surrounding countries were roughly 
881the same size that a balance could be achieved. In the recent half century, there had not been any 
882large-scale wars in the nearby nations either. However, that simply meant that there were no wars of 
883conquest. When a monster with great individual power showed itself, that was when the fate of a 
884nation would be decided — and depending on the circumstances, an alliance might need to be 
885formed.
886
887
888For example, there had been over 50,000 casualties when a Behemoth appeared, and the memory 
889of it was still fresh in the hearts of many. Keno knew very well how important it was to gather the 
890mighty together to deal with such opponents.
891
892
893“You do not need to do everything by yourself. Gather the people you trust and borrow their strength. 
894I am not unique in strength among the many kings of history, but even I have people that I trust.”
895
896
897Even if one looked through the history of the royal family, one would probably only be able to find 
898people comparable to her father — who had been hailed as stepping into the realm of heroes — 
899within its first generation.
900
901
902“Therefore, gathering the strong and seeking strength that lies in a different direction from your own 
903might be the right way. But what does that mean? Perhaps learning spells that make everyone 
904happy might be one way to do it. However, this is a suggestion from your father. You cannot neglect 
905your own strength. People feel at ease under the protection of the strong. Being a member of the 
906royal family, is a form of strength that draws the masses to you. Naturally, such strength implies 
907possessing charm, wealth, and authority. But if you take it to an extreme, then the king’s personal 
908power is the most easily understood strength of all — and it can better ensure your safety. After all, 
909charm, wealth and authority can sometimes fail to ensure everyone’s safety.”
910
911
912“Yes, Father,” Keno replied.
913
914
915“Good”, the King replied as he picked up his fork again. In other words, it meant that he was going to 
916continue eating. Her mother also hastened to follow and Keno began eating again as well.
917
918
919After they had finished, the maids served up three light purple drinks. This was purple tea with a hint 
920of milk added to it. It was accompanied by lightly sugared biscuits.
921
922
923The three of them looked at their rings and then helped themselves.
924
925
926Keno — who had a sensitive tongue — sipped the tea that had cooled down. It was only then that 
927she realized two people were looking at her.
928
929
930Had she breached some form of etiquette? Keno had no idea what was going on. However, this sort 
931of thing happened from time to time. Keno would eat in silence but they would stare at her. It 
932happened more often with her father, whom she rarely got to meet.
933
934
935She tried glancing upward to take a look, but he did not look angry. So what on earth was going on? 
936Keno tilted her head — or at least she did so in her heart — and drank her purple tea. She let the tea 
937wash away the sweet biscuity taste which lingered in her mouth. However, drinking too much would 
938be greedy. She could not misjudge the balance between tea and biscuits. 
939
940
941Keno focused on feeding the biscuits and tea into her mouth in sequence, and her father’s gaze left 
942her.
943
944
945“—So what else do you have planned for Keno today?”
946
947
948“After this meal, we will be learning about magic in my room until lunchtime. After that, Balen-sensei 
949will instruct her as usual.”
950
951
952“I see. In that case, let me sit in on the lesson today. I’m quite interested in how Keno takes her 
953lessons.”
954
955
956Keno could not help her surprise.
957
958
959This was probably the first time her father actually wanted to watch her learning.
960
961
962“...Hehe.”
963
964
965Her mother smiled, and the wrinkles between her father’s brows deepened.
966
967
968“What’s so funny about that?”
969
970
971“I was wondering why you’d say something like that all of a sudden. Heh…”
972
973
974“It just occurred to me. There’s no other reason.”
975
976
977“Alright, alright. Hehe… then I shall quietly await your arrival, my King.”
978
979
980“There’s no need to wait for me. I don’t want to disturb Keno’s education.”
981
982
983“I know. However, I still think that it’s best to select a suitor for Keno first. It’s somewhat late for a 
984princess… even for a noble heiress. I remember I was eight back then.”
985
986
987“No. You were nine.”
988
989
990“Oh, is that so? I can’t believe you still remember.”
991
992
993Her mother smiled, while her father frowned.
994
995
996“Ahem! I know what you’re trying to say. However, Keno is the only child of our bloodline. We cannot 
997be sloppy about this. Should we not wait longer?”
998
999
1000“If we do not start thinking about this early on, all the good candidates will have found spouses by 
1001then. Our child will then become a leftover woman that nobody’s willing to buy.”
1002
1003
1004“Don’t talk about buying and leftovers… Being a few years younger shouldn’t be a problem, no? I will 
1005carefully consider that matter. Understand? That’s all for this topic.”
1006
1007
1008“Yes, yes, yes…”
1009
1010
1011You need to work hard on this, she heard her mother whisper. Her father wrinkled his brow, looked 
1012around at the maids, and then reached for the desserts.
1013
1014
1015After dessert was over, Keno returned to her own room, where she took various textbooks before 
1016heading over to her mother’s room. 
1017
1018
1019She knocked on the door of her mother’s room, and the person who answered was her mother’s 
1020personal maid, who was both the assistant head maid and the number two maid in the castle.
1021
1022
1023She entered the room and began her lesson with her mother.
1024
1025
1026Regardless of which tradition of magic one was studying, the important thing when one was starting 
1027out was to get a feel for it. Most of the people who had learned to use magic had done so through 
1028the feeling of making contact with the world. Anyone without that experience would be unable to cast 
1029spells. However, there were no teachers who could teach this part to their students in sufficient 
1030detail, and so many people stumbled here.
1031
1032
1033However, Keno had already crossed that hurdle.Therefore, she was learning about what she would 
1034need to know for future professions.
1035
1036
1037Keno’s mother was a wizard, and so she focused on improving her arcane magic casting ability, 
1038while Keno had talent as a sorcerer, so the lessons she received were focused on improving her 
1039sorcerous ability.
1040
1041
1042Compared to wizards, sorcerers relied much more on feeling. Therefore, Keno’s training focused on 
1043closing her eyes and using her heart to sense the waves her mother emanated when casting spells.
1044
1045
1046She did not know how much time had passed since the lesson had started.
1047
1048
1049—Suddenly, Keno felt something.
1050
1051
1052It was difficult to describe that sensation in words. However, it was more powerful than her mother, 
1053like a great wave, something that defied description.
1054
1055
1056This was a sensation she had never experienced before, and Keno could not help opening her eyes.
1057
1058
1059She saw her mother, who was surprised by her daughter suddenly opening her eyes. And at that 
1060moment—
1061
1062
1063Pain stabbed into Keno.
1064
1065
1066It was an agony she had never experienced before, which made no sense to her.
1067
1068
1069Keno collapsed to the ground amidst the pain, as though something had been ripped out of her.
1070
1071
1072It hurt so much that she could not speak. Keno could not believe anything could hurt this much in the 
1073world.
1074
1075
1076She wept tears of pain. In her tear-dimmed vision, she could see the two maids collapsed on the 
1077ground as well, their faces distorted from pain and agony. Beside her, her mother was going through 
1078the same thing as well. 
1079
1080
1081Her mother’s face was twisted in agony and her forehead was slick with sweat. But even so—
1082
1083
1084“「Reinforce Armor」”
1085
1086
1087Her mother cast a spell on Keno.
1088
1089
1090However, it did nothing for the pain she was feeling. It did not decrease in the slightest. Her mother 
1091should have noticed that from the expression on Keno’s face.
1092
1093
1094“「Anti-Evil Protection」“
1095
1096
1097Keno grit her teeth against the pain and tried not to moan, and as she did she felt her mother cast a 
1098spell on her again. However, it did nothing for the agony racking her.
1099
1100
1101“Spi...rit? Or flesh? 「Undead Form」”
1102
1103
1104As an advanced version of 「Mind of Undeath」, this spell could briefly grant its target various 
1105properties of the undead, both beneficial and baneful. This spell now took effect on Keno, but even 
1106so, it did not help with her pain.
1107
1108
1109“Ooog! Just, this… girl!”
1110
1111
1112Her mother bit her lip — bright red blood immediately spurted out — and grabbed Keno’s arm. 
1113Surely Keno would have moaned from the pain since her mother had used too much force. But the 
1114full-body agonies she was experiencing were too strong and Keno did not feel the pain in her arm at 
1115all.
1116
1117
1118Her mother walked as though she were dragging Keno — no, she was dragging Keno — over to the 
1119door. No. It would be wrong to say that she was walking. Her mother was on all fours, desperately 
1120crawling forward.
1121
1122
1123“Uwaaaaahhhhh!”
1124
1125
1126She heard a howl of pain. The source of this deep sound that she had never heard before was 
1127Nastasha. It was completely different from her usual subdued and elegant voice. Nastasha was 
1128rolling on the ground and had reached the door.
1129
1130
1131“Uuuooooohhh!”
1132
1133
1134She roared in a thick, coarse tone, then stood up to lean against the door, grabbing the handle and 
1135pushing it open slightly. However, after just that much, Nastasha whimpered quietly and collapsed.
1136
1137
1138She did not move after that, as though she had passed out from the pain, or as though she were 
1139dead.
1140
1141
1142Her mother advanced toward the tiny gap that Nastasha had sacrificed herself to make. The pain 
1143coursing through Keno was enough to make a man faint or even die, and it was so powerful it even 
1144stole the strength to scream or cry. However her mother was enduring that pain while still working to 
1145take her and run.
1146
1147
1148Although it had taken who knew how many minutes just to travel a few meters, her mother showed 
1149no signs of giving up. 
1150
1151
1152The door opened slowly from the other side, and then stopped when it hit Nastasha’s head.
1153
1154
1155Her mother grabbed Keno’s hand and tightened.
1156
1157
1158Perhaps her mother believed that the culprit behind this incomprehensible deed was about to show 
1159themselves, but it was not to be.
1160
1161
1162The person who appeared before her was her father.
1163
1164
1165He looked like he had aged decades in an instant. He used his spear as a crutch as he moved in 
1166front of the two of them.
1167
1168
1169“My… king…”
1170
1171
1172“Ke — alright…?”
1173
1174
1175Her father looked like he was suffering too. Even so, he had managed to come all this way here 
1176because he was strong beyond the realms of man.
1177
1178
1179“Throughout... the city. Use… teleportation…”
1180
1181
1182“Under… stood…”
1183
1184
1185Her father’s speech was broken as he withstood the tremendous pain. But Keno’s mother seemed to 
1186have fully understood her father’s meaning.
1187
1188
1189The desperation on her mother’s face turned to terror. It was not just because of the pain afflicting 
1190her. Higher-tier spells demanded greater focus. Naturally, a spellcaster who could cast said high-
1191level spells would typically have developed similarly potent powers of concentration. It would not be 
1192a problem under normal circumstances. But there were times where they would need to focus even 
1193in special circumstances like this.
1194
1195
1196Perhaps it was because of the pain or because she needed to focus herself for a spell, but more 
1197sweat beaded on her mother’s forehead. And then—
1198
1199
1200The spell did not go off.
1201
1202
1203“Ooogh. Not… failure. This is — interference!”
1204
1205
1206“What—”
1207
1208
1209In Keno’s blurred vision, she saw her father’s face shift into puzzlement as he forgot his pain. After 
1210that, the two of them moved over Keno as though they were trying to squash her flat.
1211
1212
1213It was heavy. 
1214
1215
1216But Keno understood the feelings of the couple.
1217
1218
1219Keno could feel how strongly they loved her, and the tears flowing from her eyes were not because 
1220of pain.
1221
1222
1223But the agony did not change. It seemed to ignore their love, tormenting Keno with the same 
1224suffering it had from before.
1225
1226
1227It hurt so much that she lost her sense of time.
1228
1229
1230She could not even feel the weight of their bodies on her. She had lost all sensation in her body. All 
1231that remained was the ever-intensifying pain.
1232
1233
1234She should have died.
1235
1236
1237Why—
1238
1239
1240Why would—
1241
1242
1243What—
1244
1245
1246Who—
1247
1248
1249Would do such a terrible thing—
1250
1251
1252Questions kept bubbling up in her mind, but like bubbles — they burst. At the same time, her 
1253consciousness also — just at that moment, Keno suddenly sensed herself making contact with 
1254something huge. It felt a lot like the moment when she cast a spell, but it was not the same.
1255
1256
1257That sensation was also impossible to describe in words. However, Keno could feel her father, her 
1258mother, Nastasha, and all the people working in the castle.
1259
1260
1261That was all.
1262
1263
1264And with that, Keno passed out.
1265
1266
1267By the time she came to, she did not know how much time had passed.
1268
1269
1270The pain from before had vanished, as though it had all been a lie. It even made her wonder if she 
1271had been dreaming.
1272
1273
1274Keno suddenly wondered about her parents.
1275
1276
1277She shifted her vision and instantly spotted them.
1278
1279
1280Her mother and father were there. Both of them were standing in the room.
1281
1282
1283“Mo—”
1284
1285
1286Keno only managed to utter half of the word. The other half stuck in her throat and refused to be 
1287said.
1288
1289
1290That was because she saw the strangeness of her father, her mother, and the two maids. But the 
1291terror welling up in her was promptly extinguished.
1292
1293
1294Keno bit back the deeply unpleasant shift in her mood and looked at the faces of the four of them.
1295
1296
1297It was not dementia. The four of them were wobbling as they moved, as though they had lost their 
1298senses. The way they did it strongly resembled a certain kind of undead being Keno had learned 
1299about during her monster lore classes.
1300
1301
1302Keno touched her face.
1303
1304
1305—It was cold.
1306
1307
1308She checked her pulse.
1309
1310
1311—There was none.
1312
1313
1314She suspected that she might have felt at the wrong place and shifted the finger on her wrist, but no 
1315matter where she checked, she could not find a pulse.
1316
1317
1318Panicked, Keno looked around the room and found a dressing mirror. She looked at herself. At a 
1319glance it seemed as though nothing had changed. Yet there was one area which was completely 
1320different.
1321
1322
1323It was her crimson eyes.
1324
1325 3
1326
1327
1328“This is my — no, the story of the Red-Eyed Undead, Keno Fasris Invern. Or at least, the day when 
1329it began.”
1330
1331
1332Keno had started speaking clearly at some point, and that was her summation. Her garbled speech 
1333when they had just met was probably because she had not spoken for too long. That said, as one of 
1334the undead, her body would not age, and so she would recover quickly once she started speaking.
1335
1336
1337“I see,” Suzuki Satoru replied, and then Keno continued narrating her tale of what happened since 
1338that day.
1339
1340
1341After realizing that it was not just the people in the room, but the castle, and the entire city who had 
1342become mindless undead — Zombies, in other words — Keno had two paths available to her.
1343
1344
1345One was to leave this city and ask someone else for help in saving her people.
1346
1347
1348The other was to stay here and wait for help from other cities to arrive.
1349
1350
1351Evidently, Keno had chosen to stay.
1352
1353
1354While Keno did not hate the living, the undead were fundamentally beings who hated the living. How 
1355could a being like that ask the living for help? If they saw Keno, there was no doubt that they would 
1356attack with the intent of destroying her. Then, there was the fact that even after becoming undead, 
1357Keno could not simply abandon her family and leave.
1358
1359
1360More importantly, Keno was weak and could not withstand the attacks of monsters and beasts, so 
1361the chances of her reaching a nearby city were low. In addition, she held on to a faint thread of hope 
1362that the other cities would come to investigate, given that this was the royal capital.
1363
1364
1365However — nobody came.
1366
1367
1368After one, after two years, she had not seen anyone around the city gate.
1369
1370
1371Perhaps this strange undead conversion phenomenon had spread to the nearby cities and even 
1372affected the entire country. When that thought came to mind, Keno began working in earnest, and as 
1373she waited for rescue, she studied the undead residents of her country in order to understand the 
1374undead conversion phenomenon, so that she might help everyone recover.
1375
1376
1377She had also thought “What can I do? I’m just a child,” once, but Keno had no choice.
1378
1379
1380Keno occasionally ventured out of the castle to bring back various books, which she would study. At 
1381the same time, she trained herself to use more potent spells. As one of the undead, who did not 
1382need to rest, Keno could literally work through the night in her endeavors.
1383
1384
1385Years passed, or possibly decades — it had been long enough that even her sense of time had been 
1386thrown off. It would seem Keno had lived all by herself, looking for a way to restore everyone to their 
1387original selves.
1388
1389
1390During this time, Keno had seen migratory birds which had not yet been converted to Zombies, 
1391which made her certain that there were still living beings in the outside world. However, when she 
1392observed the city gates, all she saw were the occasional corpses of animals which had been 
1393attacked by Zombies, and in the end she had not encountered any live human visitors.
1394
1395
1396After hearing Keno’s story, Suzuki Satoru finally realized why there was such a huge difference 
1397between the solemn way in which Keno spoke and her youthful appearance.
1398
1399
1400When he thought about it calmly, it was a perfectly understandable situation. Since she was undead, 
1401it was only natural that there would be a disconnect between her apparent age and her actual time 
1402spent alive (leaving aside the matter of whether that was accurate for now). In other words, her body 
1403might not have changed, but her mind had grown. It was impossible to completely erase fear and 
1404other emotions from one’s heart, and so, in the fullness of time, her mind had gradually changed as 
1405well.
1406
1407
1408That being the case, would it not be rude to treat her as a child? Suzuki Satoru thought. I’ll just wait 
1409until she makes her preference known, he concluded. All of his life experience to date had told him 
1410that it was better to treat women as younger rather than older.
1411
1412
1413And then, her story came to an end.
1414
1415
1416Keno, who had been conducting her research in the castle, now lived in the sewers.
1417
1418
1419That was because — she had fled.
1420
1421
1422At that time, she had felt a powerful undead being appear outside the city, one that was more 
1423powerful than herself or even her parents, and it had then entered the castle. She had no faith 
1424whatsoever in her ability to triumph in battle, and so she took everything she could carry and ran 
1425from the castle to here.
1426
1427
1428And then, the events of today had taken place.
1429
1430
1431Just as she was planning to head out to retrieve some magic-related literature from the castle, she 
1432suddenly saw an incomparably powerful undead being in the air — Suzuki Satoru — and this had 
1433led to the present circumstances.
1434
1435
1436“I see…”
1437
1438
1439He now understood her current condition and the state of the city. However, he had no idea why he 
1440had appeared here, or why she and the city had ended up this way.
1441
1442
1443However, it did not seem like this world had been generated in response to Suzuki Satoru’s arrival. 
1444As expected, it would be better to think that there was probably some reason — though it was 
1445unclear — that Suzuki Satoru had been brought to another world.
1446
1447
1448Speaking of which...
1449
1450
1451Suzuki Satoru stared at Keno, that undead being in the shape of a little girl.
1452
1453
1454I’m really lucky that I managed to meet someone who knew how this world worked. Doubly so that 
1455she’s undead.
1456
1457
1458She had mentioned it in her story, but it was only after he had asked her about it in detail that he 
1459learned that the undead were universally reviled by the living, and it would not be unusual for them 
1460to be exterminated if found. Therefore, it would be very difficult for him to gain assistance. That 
1461would mean that Keno was a very important person.
1462
1463
1464It was true that Suzuki Satoru most wanted to know about his former friends and the Great 
1465Underground Tomb of Nazarick. However, Keno knew nothing about them. That said, it did not make 
1466her worthless. After all, it was only to be expected that she would not know about them. It made 
1467more sense to think that Suzuki Satoru alone had come here and that everything else had vanished 
1468with the game.
1469
1470
1471I’d like to gain her trust and learn more about this world, if possible. At the very least, I’d like to fill in 
1472the gaps between what I know and how this world works… that might take a long time. Taking her 
1473out into the world of man would shorten that time, and I’d be able to gain experience and knowledge 
1474too… but how could I indebt her to me to such an extent?
1475
1476
1477Just as Suzuki Satoru was agonizing over that problem—
1478
1479
1480“—Everyone, everyone is important to me.”
1481
1482
1483Keno went to her knees in front of Suzuki Satoru and then bowed her head low, her palms flat on the 
1484ground.
1485
1486
1487“Please, I beg you. Please change everyone back to how they used to be.”
1488
1489
1490“—Eh?”
1491
1492
1493What exactly did she mean by that?
1494
1495
1496No, even if you say so — that was Suzuki Satoru’s first reaction.
1497
1498
1499In the game YGGDRASIL, Momonga was an undead arcane magic caster. He ought to possess the 
1500same power in this incomprehensible otherworld.
1501
1502
1503However, he did not have the ability to restore the undead.
1504
1505
1506If the city’s people had become Zombies because of some negative status, then perhaps killing and 
1507then resurrecting them with magic might work.
1508
1509
1510While it could not be used that way in the game, such a tactic apparently existed in other games; 
1511namely, killing someone who had gained an incurable status affliction — strictly speaking, they would 
1512be beaten into a near-death state and then resurrected, which would eliminate the negative status 
1513effect. 
1514
1515
1516However, in the absence of such circumstances, none of the spells in Suzuki Satoru’s repertoire 
1517included the ability to restore people who had become undead. It might sound strange, but even 
1518resurrective items and spells which could be used on undead creatures who had been reduced to 0 
1519HP some time ago could not restore them to their state before they had become undead.
1520
1521
1522That said, race-change items might have a chance here. Unfortunately, once one became an 
1523undead creature, most race-change items would not be able to change one’s undead status. If it was 
1524possible, the only things which could do that would be on the level of World-Class Items. 
1525
1526
1527If one was a player, it would be quicker to delete one’s character and start a new one.
1528
1529
1530While I don’t have any and wouldn’t use them even if I did, perhaps the “Seeds of the World Tree” 
1531could allow even the undead to freely change their race — assuming, of course, that World-Class 
1532Items had the same effect here as they did in the game. Or would using 「Wish Upon A Star」 allow 
1533me to change back some of them, even if it wasn’t all of them?
1534
1535
1536In any case, Suzuki Satoru had no intention of expending any of his limited-use trump cards.
1537
1538
1539As Suzuki Satoru continued thinking, Keno also continued her spiel, as though she was weeping 
1540tears of blood.
1541
1542
1543“Why, why did you do this to us? I have no idea. Maybe it was my fault. I’ll pay for my sins, so please 
1544spare everyone!”
1545
1546
1547“—Hm?” He had heard something he could not pretend to ignore. “I did this to you?”
1548
1549
1550Had Suzuki Satoru turned everyone in the city into undead beings without realizing it? No, he had 
1551never done such a thing before, not even in YGGDRASIL.
1552
1553
1554Confused, Suzuki Satoru stewed in silent shock. Keno raised her head a little and peeked at Suzuki 
1555Satoru.
1556
1557
1558“...Excuse me. In truth, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Did I do something like this?”
1559
1560
1561“—Huh?”
1562
1563
1564Much like Suzuki Satoru had done just now, Keno made a baffled sound.
1565
1566
1567“Huh?”
1568
1569
1570“Huh?”
1571
1572
1573Both of them looked at each other.
1574
1575
1576The girl froze, as though the power to her had been cut off. He waited a while, but she did not look 
1577like she planned to answer him. That being the case, Suzuki Satoru began to talk about his own side 
1578of things. Still, he could not say he was a resident of another world or whatnot, of course. Therefore, 
1579he altered his story into one where he was conducting a magical experiment and had suddenly been 
1580teleported into the air above the city.
1581
1582
1583“So, if you’ve lived in this city for a long time, I trust that means it has nothing whatsoever to do with 
1584me?”
1585
1586
1587“Ah, uh, so it wasn’t because of your power then, Satoru-sama?”
1588
1589
1590“By power, do you mean turning everyone in this city into undead creatures? No, I don’t know 
1591anything about it — ah, I really don’t, you know? Now then, can it be my turn to ask you a question? 
1592Do you have any proof or basis that I am the cause for all this?”
1593
1594
1595In truth, Suzuki Satoru’s memories had only just been awakened. If his body had been 
1596unconsciously brutalizing its surroundings until then, he would truly have nothing to say in his 
1597defense.
1598
1599
1600“...”
1601
1602
1603Her expression slowly changed, from shock to hurt. 
1604
1605
1606Like a child, she could not hide the changing of her face. Even though she had lived so long — 
1607Suzuki Satoru’s words had still — despite the emotional suppression of the undead — had a great 
1608impact on her.
1609
1610
1611“A-Ah, when I was alone in the city, a powerful undead creature appeared… I was scared and so I 
1612ran.”
1613
1614
1615It was the undead creature that Keno had mentioned just now, the reason why she had shifted her 
1616base from the castle to this place. He had not yet heard the details about this undead being—
1617
1618
1619“—Ahhh, I see, so that undead being was very similar to me… and that’s all, is that it?”
1620
1621
1622“Yes.”
1623
1624
1625Keno’s voice, so faint it seemed to be on the verge of disappearing, combined with the look of 
1626understanding on her face and lifted a great weight from Suzuki Satoru’s heart.
1627
1628
1629It was not Momonga — without Suzuki Satoru’s mind — who had done this. That made him even 
1630more certain that he had only appeared in this world at that moment. At the same time, Suzuki 
1631Satoru could not help but be surprised at the extent to which Keno believed what he said.
1632
1633
1634Of course, Suzuki Satoru had been very frank and honest with her in the hopes of gaining her 
1635acceptance. However, she was the one who would make the final decision of trusting him. In other 
1636words, she had believed the words of an undead being she had met for the first time.
1637
1638
1639If she had placed so much trust in him, then he ought to do the same for her. That was necessary for 
1640building a healthy relationship between two people. 
1641
1642
1643”A-Ah, are you angry? I’m sorry — I’m so sorry I got it wrong, Satoru-sama!”
1644
1645
1646“Ahh, no need for that. Don’t worry about it. Speaking of which — are you sure that undead creature 
1647is the mastermind behind the transformation of this city’s people into Zombies?”
1648
1649
1650“No, I’m not sure. But I think there should be a connection, otherwise it would not have appeared at 
1651this city of the undead.”
1652
1653
1654“I see, it does make a certain degree of sense.”
1655
1656
1657While he had verbally agreed with her, Suzuki Satoru still had doubts in his heart.
1658
1659
1660That conjecture was full of holes.
1661
1662
1663It might have been more likely if that undead creature had appeared right away. But Keno had 
1664almost lost her sense of time by the time it had shown up — on the order of years, at the very least. 
1665Would that not mean it was very likely to be unrelated to the incident?
1666
1667
1668Also, regarding its reason for coming, surely the most likely reason would be because it wanted to 
1669take up residence here, no? As an undead being itself, it would not be attacked by low-level undead, 
1670and the living would avoid this region. If one set aside the problem of the living attacking it, would a 
1671place like this not be the most comfortable living environment for one of the undead?
1672
1673
1674However, he did not intend to tell Keno about those theories.
1675
1676
1677There was no way she could not have noticed something which even Suzuki Satoru had surmised 
1678right away.
1679
1680
1681It was very likely that she was still wanted to believe that said undead creature was the mastermind 
1682behind all this. That was why she had apologized to Suzuki Satoru for mistaking him for that entity.
1683
1684
1685She still wanted to believe that there was a way to save everyone.
1686
1687
1688Suzuki Satoru looked through the stacks of books in the room. All of them were stained, which was a 
1689sign of her hard work. However, she had probably clung to such a belief because she understood 
1690that she could not save them, or because her research had not shown her a way to do so.
1691
1692
1693Her narration of what happened that day was very detailed.
1694
1695
1696The first half of her story, her description of the day’s events, was very specific and she had clearly 
1697illustrated the situation, even going so far as to include her own feelings at the time. In contrast, the 
1698latter half of her story — after she had become undead — seemed to blend together. Perhaps to her, 
1699there had been little change in the days after that, so there was little for her to talk about.
1700
1701
1702But of course they would be different. 
1703
1704
1705The last time she was human was during breakfast.
1706
1707
1708Those were the most brilliant memories she had, which was why she could speak of them at such 
1709length and in such detail.
1710
1711
1712Suzuki Satoru stroked the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. He heard Keno gasp in surprise, but he did not 
1713mind. 
1714
1715
1716He felt a hard coldness. 
1717
1718
1719Yes, that’s how it is.
1720
1721
1722He could understand how Keno felt.
1723
1724
1725Keno felt the same way about the city which contained her parents and which had helped raise her 
1726as Suzuki Satoru did about the guild Ainz Ooal Gown. If there was someone who could help Suzuki 
1727Satoru return to those brilliant days, he would gladly prostrate himself before them and beg for their 
1728help.
1729
1730
1731The feeling which rose up in him was called guilt. 
1732
1733
1734It was simple enough to say that she was wrong for expecting so much out of Suzuki Satoru.
1735
1736
1737However—
1738
1739
1740“Ahh, yes,” Suzuki Satoru said as he squeezed his staff. “—Keno-san.”
1741
1742
1743He saw Keno’s shoulders twitch, but  Suzuki Satoru ignored it and continued speaking.
1744
1745
1746“If destroying that undead creature will reverse the transformation of the people in the city, then I will 
1747gladly assist you.”
1748
1749
1750Suzuki Satoru’s earlier theory had been based purely in his knowledge of YGGDRASIL. If that 
1751undead being really was the culprit, then it might be possible to restore the people by defeating him 
1752or using some other means.
1753
1754
1755If every living thing in a city had turned undead, then one could not conclude “Who could have done 
1756this?”
1757
1758
1759“If it is as you believe, Keno-san, and the opposition is someone who can turn an entire city of 
1760people undead, then surely they will not be easy enemies. For that reason, I feel that capturing them 
1761in one piece will be difficult, but annihilating them might still be possible.”
1762
1763
1764As Suzuki Satoru told Keno that, he mentally chided himself, Are you a moron?
1765
1766
1767At best, an undead being similar to Suzuki Satoru would be an Overlord™. If all of his YGGDRASIL 
1768knowledge was applicable, he might be able to think of a way to deal with them. However, in this 
1769world it was entirely possible that the local equivalent of an Overlord was a Level 1000+ opponent. 
1770
1771
1772That said, it would seem it was not likely that this opponent would surpass Suzuki Satoru’s 
1773expectations.
1774
1775
1776The reason for that was because of the way Keno described her parents. Her father, heralded in 
1777song and story, was able to cast fourth-tier spells, while her mother, who could cast fifth-tier spells, 
1778was considered a genius. From that point of view, there was little change with YGGDRASIL, or 
1779rather, there were more weaklings here than in YGGDRASIL.
1780
1781
1782That said, whether he could beat them remained to be seen.
1783
1784
1785His self-mockery had been directed at the foolish words he said after he had equated experience at 
1786a game to real-life combat experience, in addition to his lack of knowledge.
1787
1788
1789If possible, he would like to take Keno away from this city for a while and contact people in this world 
1790who were familiar with the undead, in order to gain as much information on his foe as possible 
1791before preparing a flawless strategy with which to challenge his adversary.
1792
1793
1794For starters, he did not know the power of his opposition. Perhaps Keno had only seen the one 
1795undead creature, but it might have continued improving its fighting strength within the city after that.
1796
1797
1798In that case, his first priority was to collect information, and then — he would need to spend a lot of 
1799time and effort on preparations.
1800
1801
1802However, he did not think Keno would accept that idea. Surely a girl who refused to leave a city full 
1803of the terrifying undead would not accept a simple “Let’s get out of here,” from a third party that 
1804easily. Still, it was worth a try.
1805
1806
1807“However, I would like you to think carefully about this. Is it really alright to destroy it? It’s possible 
1808that even if you destroy that undead creature, the townsfolk might not return to normal, no?”
1809
1810
1811Keno shook her head and pulled out a book from the piles of literature.
1812
1813
1814The books stacked on top of it collapsed and fell, but she brought it back without a second glance 
1815and opened a page to show Suzuki Satoru.
1816
1817
1818His first thought was — it’s not Japanese after all.
1819
1820
1821As Suzuki Satoru fumbled for a magic item, Keno pointed to a passage in the book and read it out.
1822
1823
1824“This part says that resurrecting a slain undead creature requires extremely powerful resurrection 
1825spells, and even after resurrection they will still be undead. But if the master undead is wiped out, 
1826the possibility exists that his victims may be restored, if they are lucky. That’s what’s written here.”
1827
1828
1829For the most part, this was the same as YGGDRASIL. However, in order for a YGGDRASIL
1830character who had become undead to become a human again, they would need a World-Class Item, 
1831while it was not so in this world. The more he realized the differences between both worlds, the more 
1832Keno’s importance grew.
1833
1834
1835Dammit, Suzuki Satoru thought.
1836
1837
1838If Keno had answered, “Maybe they might not turn back,” Suzuki Satoru could have guided the 
1839conversation to “Then let’s not destroy it first and find another way. Since we don’t know enough, 
1840why don’t we leave this city for a while and head outside to gather information?” That was how he 
1841had planned it.
1842
1843
1844That plan had gone awry. Still, it could not be helped.
1845
1846
1847In that case, he would just have to destroy it.
1848
1849
1850Destroy that undead being.
1851
1852
1853Of course—
1854
1855
1856—Only if I can manage it.
1857
1858
1859“I understand. In that case — ahhh, yes, there has to be payment.”
1860
1861
1862“Yes.”
1863
1864
1865“And the payment shall be — I want to know all sorts of things. I want to know everything you know.”
1866
1867
1868The look on Keno’s face seemed to say “Huh?”
1869
1870
1871“Will you be satisfied with that?”
1872
1873
1874“Yes. I feel that the knowledge you have stored up until now is very valuable.”
1875
1876
1877Suzuki Satoru turned his eyes from the book Keno was holding to the stacks of other books in this 
1878room. What he wanted was basic information about the world, but Keno would probably be disturbed 
1879if he said as much. Therefore, he had feigned an attitude which would make her mistakenly believe 
1880he was looking for magical knowledge. Given Keno’s reaction, she had completely bought it.
1881
1882
1883“A-Alright, but all that knowledge couldn’t save everyone, you know?”
1884“It’s fine. Even if that’s the case, it’s still valuable to me.”
1885
1886
1887“Nk you”, Keno muttered, and bowed to him.
1888
1889
1890“Also — any money or magic items you could spare would also be very good,” Suzuki Satoru said as 
1891he nonchalantly produced a YGGDRASIL gold coin. “Can I spend these in this country?”
1892
1893
1894Keno took the coin and spun it round and round in her hands before returning it to Suzuki Satoru.
1895
1896
1897“Yes, you can. Or at least, you could. While I don’t know exactly how much it’s worth without 
1898checking its gold content…”
1899
1900
1901“I see. Then, I’d be happy to obtain more gold coins like these which are usable in the surrounding 
1902region.”
1903
1904
1905“I, Keno Fasris Invern, do hereby swear to you that I shall pay you whatever you desire, Satoru-
1906sama.”
1907
1908
1909Suzuki Satoru quietly sucked in a breath.
1910
1911
1912Such was Keno’s regal, princess-like demeanor that it established her as superior even to the most 
1913successful salesman that Suzuki Satoru knew.
1914
1915
1916“Then, I am very grateful. Thus our compact is formed. In that case—”
1917
1918
1919In order to learn how to use his might, he would need to learn how YGGDRASIL’s magic interacted 
1920with the magic of this world.
1921
1922
1923“By the way, Keno-san. I should mention that I can cast spells of the tenth tier.”
1924
1925
1926“—I see.”
1927
1928
1929Keno smiled in a way that seemed mildly distressed.
1930
1931
1932Why, why is she smiling like that? ...Aren’t you considered a genius if you can cast fifth-tier spells? 
1933I’ve gone and doubled that, you know! Why are you so calm — is it because she’s undead?
1934
1935
1936After becoming undead, Suzuki Satoru had experienced how his emotions would be suppressed 
1937once they reached a certain threshold. Did the same thing apply to Keno as well?
1938
1939
1940Don’t tell me tenth-tier spells are nothing much? What if the tiers start at ten and get more powerful 
1941as the numbers grow smaller? Wait, wouldn’t that make me a first-tier caster?
1942
1943
1944“Ah… is there a third-tier spell called 「Fireball」?”
1945
1946
1947“Huh? Yes. there is such a spell, although I don’t know how to use it.”
1948
1949
1950“Your parents were able to cast fourth and fifth-tier spells, so they shouldn’t have problems casting it, 
1951right?”
1952
1953
1954“Mother might not have learned it, but my father could cast it.”
1955
1956
1957“I see. Incidentally, the spell 「Lightning」 is also of the third tier, right?”
1958
1959
1960Keno indicated that this was so.
1961
1962
1963So it would seem spells in this world occupied the same tiers as YGGDRASIL. In other words, 
1964Suzuki Satoru’s knowledge of magic could be directly applied.
1965
1966
1967This was excellent news, but he had to verify it.
1968
1969
1970“In that case, Keno-san, could you cast one of your spells — how about this, could you cast a first-
1971tier spell on me? An attack spell would be best.”
1972
1973
1974“Ehhhh!?”
1975
1976
1977It was only when he saw Keno’s wide eyes that he realised he had not explained in sufficient detail.
1978
1979
1980“Ahhh. I would like to see if my powers are functioning as normal. I would like to use your attack 
1981spells as an indicator, Keno-san.”
1982
1983
1984After all, it would be troublesome they were only similar in name and tier but completely different in 
1985effects and destructive power.
1986
1987
1988“Eh, ah, I see. I understand.”
1989
1990
1991Keno gathered up her determination and stood up, then faced Suzuki Satoru.
1992
1993
1994Her lack of hesitation gave Suzuki Satoru the chills. Surely most people would waver for a moment 
1995or be disturbed, would they not?
1996
1997
1998Was that an undead trait too? As he was contemplating that question, Keno cast her spell. A brace 
1999of 「Magic Arrows」 lanced out at him with the same special effects as in YGGDRASIL. And then — 
2000they vanished in the instant they touched Suzuki Satoru’s body.
2001
2002
2003“Ehhhh!?” Keno exclaimed in surprise.
2004
2005
2006Suzuki Satoru — no, Momonga possessed an ability known as High-Tier Magic Immunity. It was a 
2007power that nullified all spells of the sixth-tier and below. While it was in effect, a mere first-tier spell 
2008was completely useless.
2009
2010
2011“It seems the power that protects me is functioning without any problems. Now then, try again. This 
2012time, I will lower my defenses.”
2013
2014
2015He deactivated the passive skill. For some reason he felt like he was naked under the barrel of a 
2016gun.
2017
2018
2019A guild member had once said that he felt afraid to have a gun pointed at him even when he had 
2020implanted subdermal bulletproof fibers. He could understand how they felt now. While the powerful 
2021emotions of the undead would be suppressed, it would seem emotions that did not reach that 
2022threshold would be left untouched.
2023
2024
2025“I understand,” Keno said, and once again, she cast her spell at him without a moment’s hesitation.
2026
2027
2028“「Magic Arrow」.”
2029
2030
2031The bolts of light lanced out again and struck Satoru dead center. 
2032
2033
2034It did not hurt. No, there was something that might have been pain, but actually calling it pain would 
2035have disgraced the word.
2036
2037
2038Were his senses dulled because he was undead? But when he thought about it, he wanted to scoff 
2039at how a body made solely of bones without flesh, nerves, or even skin, could feel pain in the first 
2040place. On that note, how the hell did a body without vocal cords or lungs even manage to speak?
2041
2042
2043It was the same way for Keno, who did not breathe. That was just how things worked, and he had no 
2044choice but to accept them.
2045
2046
2047He peeked at her, and in the end, Keno’s face — even after attacking Suzuki Satoru twice — was 
2048calm. Rather, her expression seemed to say that she had expected this all along.
2049
2050
2051What’s with her...
2052
2053
2054How could she attack her helper, Suzuki Satoru, with no hesitation whatsoever? Was it because she 
2055was a psychopath, or because she was undead, or was this just the way this world worked? 
2056Countless possibilities swept through his mind.
2057
2058
2059Don’t tell me… she felt that it was a chance to kill me? Or no, was it because she was thinking, if you 
2060die, that’s all there is to you, something ruthless like that?
2061
2062
2063The matter of whether he was strong enough to be her collaborator must have been very important 
2064to Keno. That was why she could attack him with no hesitation whatsoever.
2065
2066
2067Still, I am an ally of hers… so I figured a bit of hesitation ought to be expected… oh well.
2068
2069
2070No amount of thinking would give him an answer. He would just have to regard her as a creepy little 
2071girl for now. He could not allow himself to be taken in by her youthful appearance and pretty face. 
2072She was a girl who had something dangerous inside her.
2073
2074
2075In any case, he now knew that engaging in combat without performing more experiments was a very 
2076dangerous thing. If this world was different from YGGDRASIL and death was a final ending, then he 
2077needed to know what it felt like to take damage — to be in pain. A fear of pain in battle might lead to 
2078him losing a fight that he could have won.
2079
2080“Keno-san, you said you could use second-tier spells in the past, but what about now? Is the second 
2081tier still your best?”
2082
2083“Yes… I focused on broadening my knowledge rather than improving my spellcasting abilities, so…”
2084
2085
2086“I see. That means…”
2087
2088
2089While Keno’s level and ability scores were unknown, no matter how she tried to attack with the 
2090second-tier spells that she knew, she would not be able to cause him any pain compared to the 
2091attack spells employed by his foe — estimated to be on the level of an Overlord. She was completely 
2092useless for that purpose.
2093
2094
2095“In that case, I apologize, but I still wish to continue my tests. I need to use attack spells centered on 
2096myself. Therefore, can you tell me if there are any open areas where doing so will be relatively 
2097safe?”
2098
2099
2100Suzuki Satoru’s own spells ought to be able to do some degree of damage to him. In addition, there 
2101was one thing he had to clarify.
2102
2103
2104That was to see if friendly fire was in effect. His fighting style would change depending on whether 
2105the answer was yes or no. Things like how to use area-effect spells and so on.
2106
2107
2108“An open space, you say? How big does it have to be? The biggest space I know of in the sewers 
2109is… yes, around 50 meters across.”
2110
2111
2112“50 meters, huh…”
2113
2114
2115He would have to avoid spells with area-effect knockback and spells which were exceptionally 
2116effective against walls and other objects. Only then would such a size be considered adequate.
2117
2118
2119It would have been wiser to teleport outside the city and carry out his tests. However, he had not 
2120expected the situation to end up like this, so he had not memorized any teleport destinations outside 
2121the city.
2122
2123
2124In YGGDRASIL, one would leave a marker, but in this world it would seem one memorized the 
2125location instead. 
2126
2127
2128What was the state of the inside of his head after knowing this? Speaking of which, did he even have 
2129a brain in this body? As he began contemplating this digression, Satoru shook his head and 
2130banished this useless topic from his mind before answering Keno.
2131
2132
2133“Hmm. I see. Could you take me there?”
2134
2135
2136The place he had been taken to was indeed quite spacious. It was probably a central collection tank 
2137for sewage flowing through the main trunk and branch sewer lines. However, it was empty now, save 
2138for marks left over from decades ago.
2139
2140
2141He activated his ability to check for the presence of Zombies.
2142
2143
2144It would be troublesome if there were zombie rats or the like around. If they got killed during the 
2145experiment, he might end up aggroing all the Zombies in the city.
2146
2147
2148Incidentally, there were no such things as slime Zombies. While every race could be turned into 
2149Zombies or skeletons, there were certain exceptions. Races without a skeletal system could not be 
2150zombified or skeletonized. That was how it worked in YGGDRASIL, and after checking with Keno, 
2151that was how it worked in this world too.
2152
2153
2154After finishing his checks, he stole a glance at Keno, who had remained in a higher place.
2155
2156
2157She showed no signs of fleeing. Was it because she trusted him, or because she felt she was useful, 
2158or because she felt that there was no point in escaping?
2159
2160
2161—Let’s begin, then.
2162
2163
2164“「Call Greater Thunder」!”
2165
2166
2167This ninth-tier spell was the highest-tiered single-target lightning spell. While a flame-type spell 
2168would have worked just as well, he was mildly afraid of fire — it was one of his weaknesses, after all 
2169— which was why he had chosen this spell instead. Of course, he could have used something 
2170weaker, like a fifth-tier spell or something, but he had chosen a high-tier spell because he wanted to 
2171know how much damage a ninth-tier spell would do to him, as well as how much it would hurt.
2172
2173
2174Also, this was one of the spells that an Overlord would commonly use, and he also wanted to see if 
2175he could direct single-target spells against himself.
2176
2177
2178A thick pillar of lightning coursed down, illuminating the interior of the sewer with a dazzling light.
2179
2180
2181And then — while he felt pain, Suzuki Satoru also realised that this pain was not unendurable.
2182
2183
2184His sense of pain seemed to be suppressed as well. Was that an effect of being converted into an 
2185undead being too?
2186
2187
2188Suzuki Satoru could not help but laugh.
2189
2190
2191While gaining an undead body had shocked Suzuki Satoru a little, it was because he had such a 
2192body that he could bring forth his full abilities. 
2193
2194
2195If he still had his fleshy body that could feel pain normally, surely Suzuki Satoru would have feared 
2196battle more, and he might even have chosen to avoid fighting.
2197
2198
2199Following that, Suzuki Satoru took out a scroll from his inventory. He had to check if he could use 
2200scrolls normally.
2201
2202
2203He unleashed the power contained within the scroll, and scorching flames charged skywards.
2204
2205
2206It was 「Napalm」.
2207
2208
2209
2210
2211
2212There was a heaven-splitting stroke of thunder.
2213
2214
2215It was followed by a sky-scorching blaze.
2216
2217
2218A wave of excitement and fear washed over Keno Fasris Invern.
2219
2220
2221The words “magic caster” or “undead” were no longer sufficient to describe this. This was a power 
2222that only a being superior to both of them could employ. In other words, this magic was of the gods, 
2223or similar beings, Keno fervently believed.
2224
2225
2226The Invern royal family followed the Na Bel faith that had believers in the surrounding countries. It 
2227was a pantheon headed by the sun god Bei Niala who held a gem in his hand, and the moon 
2228goddess Lu Kinis, who wielded a jewelled staff. 
2229
2230
2231Ultimately, however, it was not a belief born of an inner devotion but because it was the state 
2232religion. People other than the Rainbow-Eyed lived in this country too, and the Na Bel faith, as the 
2233state religion, was used to strengthen the bonds between the various ethnicities. One could even go 
2234further and say that they were using religion to establish ties to the surrounding nations.
2235
2236Back then, Keno had been young and did not know these things, so she had believed in the gods 
2237with all her heart.
2238
2239
2240However, on that day, and every day that followed, the gods had not reached out to save them. 
2241Therefore, Keno no longer believed in the gods. However, the power of the gods was a different 
2242matter.
2243
2244
2245The existence of divine magic casters proved the existence of the gods’ powers. Therefore, Keno 
2246had done research to borrow, seize, or steal the power of the gods, in order to try and restore 
2247everyone to normal. However, nothing she tried had any effect — perhaps she was not talented in 
2248that field — and so she had halted her research into the topic.
2249
2250
2251After abandoning that research and years of work, as she was returning the books she had 
2252borrowed from a temple, Keno witnessed an undead being entering the city.
2253
2254
2255It was a skeletal undead, without so much as a scrap of flesh on its body, and both the robe it wore 
2256and the magic staff it held looked like powerful magic items. It radiated an aura of might found only 
2257among the strong, and it seemed to be more powerful than Keno’s father.
2258
2259
2260Keno immediately fled with several books in hand.
2261
2262
2263After reaching a safe place, she began to regret what she had done. Should she not have tried to 
2264negotiate and seek salvation for her people?
2265
2266
2267Her regret had not faded since that day. Surely it wouldn’t be too late to try now, wouldn’t it? 
2268More than once, that thought had made her chest feel like it was going to burst. 
2269
2270
2271But then, today had come.
2272
2273
2274In that moment, when she saw the figure floating in the night sky, Keno had fled once again.
2275Even from a distance, she could tell his stately robes were brimming with magical power. And then, 
2276those clothes that could not possibly have been made by human hands were dwarfed by that golden 
2277staff. Its sheer presence blew away the bitter regret and determination in her heart, until nothing 
2278remained. 
2279
2280
2281Keno believed that he — Suzuki Satoru — commanded overwhelming might. Therefore, when he 
2282had asked her to cast a spell, she had done so without any hesitation. She believed that her puny 
2283spells could not possibly harm him in the slightest — and indeed, that had been the case.
2284
2285
2286“Father, Mother, Nastasha. There might be a way to save everyone after all.”
2287
2288
2289Keno’s time until now had been wasted.
2290
2291
2292She had studied all manner of magical grimoires and conducted research, making full use of her 
2293unsleeping body to further her learning. While it had been self-taught, she ought to have possessed 
2294more knowledge than the average magic caster.
2295
2296
2297Perhaps Keno Fasris Invern would not have been able to save everyone by herself, no matter how 
2298hard she worked in this city. 
2299
2300
2301But if that great man could save everyone, then as the sole surviving member of this kingdom’s 
2302royalty, she would accede to any request he made, even if it meant destroying herself.
2303
2304
2305Still, I don’t think I have anything worthy of offering to him… did he ask for knowledge because he 
2306pitied me? I don’t understand. All I can do is believe.
2307
2308
2309Keno Fasris Invern bet everything she had on that powerful undead being.
2310
2311
2312She did not know if this would end in triumph or tragedy, or if this would become a heroic saga never 
2313before seen in the world. 
2314
2315
2316In any case, a new chapter began in Keno’s story.
2317
2318
2319Previous Chapter || Main Page || Next Chapter
2320Nigel at 8/25/2019 04:40:00 PM
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23221 comment:
2323
2324Jerome SamsonAugust 27, 2019 at 5:24 AM
2325Being a vampire has certain limitations, but it can also be a ton of fun. Your extra strengths and abilities can make you successful in almost every endeavor you participate in and before you know it the money and acquaintances will come streaming in. You can build wealth and gain prestige and notoriety and attempt things you may never have even considered as a human. One thing you will definitely have more of is time. Beef up your education and learn all you every wanted to. Travel the world to see things most people only ever see on TV This is going to be especially fun if you turned to share your life with one of us. Let us show you the wonders of the world. Learn new languages, go skydiving or scuba dive with sharks, visit the African safari. You no longer need to be scared of nature or wildlife – you will have become the worlds strongest predator. Have fun with it and your life as a vampire can be more fulfilling than you ever dreamed. Explore, experiment, experience and get excited. There’s a big world out there with lots to see and do and as a vampire, you can do it all. If your dream is to become a powerful person in life contact: Richvampirekindom@gmail.com
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