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ABZ 25
“...Are you saying a war will break out?”
The first to react to my words was Duke Heresden, who had single-handedly hung up all the laundry I had abandoned and was just returning to his room.
He opened the half-open door and looked at me.
“Yes. That’s what I think.”
Idorian said that the zombies must be annihilated to restore the Empire's safety.
But soon after the zombies are annihilated, the Empire will quickly disappear into history.
“I don’t know the exact situation in other countries, but since Zombification started here, we’ve suffered the most damage.”
Lumi had definitely said that too.
The Kingdom where her family is would not be as dangerous as the Empire, so her family would all be safe.
“Are you saying that the surrounding countries will covet the damaged and weakened Empire?”
I nodded.
From then on, the surrounding countries would start fighting over the Empire, which had become a good prey.
“...That’s plausible enough.”
Heresdon, who had been pondering for a moment, soon agreed with me.
In the novel, they couldn't eliminate all the zombies until the cure was developed.
In the novel, there had never been a suggestion to lure and kill zombies with blood.
Come to think of it, this situation was practically caused by my intervention.
‘I’ve given them a way to kill zombies more easily and quickly.’
The thought that the original story had gone awry made me clench my fist without realizing it.
‘At this rate, all the zombies will be annihilated before a cure is even developed.’
Moreover, if the situation is suppressed quickly, the main characters might not even feel the need to develop a cure.
“If the surrounding countries haven’t suffered as much damage as we have, they will definitely try to attack the Empire, as you said, Penelope.”
“Yes, but if we, on the contrary, keep the zombies alive, no country will easily try to start a war with the Empire.”
Since ancient times, no one has bothered to touch a country plagued by epidemics. Even during wars, they would retreat if an epidemic broke out.
Sometimes, that epidemic protected the country from war.
And the zombies we have captured will play that role.
“They won’t want to start a war and bring zombies into their own country again.”
As long as the zombies are kept alive, the Empire can be safe from foreign invasion.
They won’t wage war while taking that risk.
“......”
Heresdon, who had been quietly looking at me, turned his head towards Idorian.
“Your Highness.”
Idorian, with a face that seemed lost in thought, finally looked at Heresdon.
“It’s worth considering.”
Hearing Heresdon’s words, I felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, the persuasion to keep the zombies alive seemed to have worked to some extent.
“...Yes. It could be a means of protecting the Empire from other countries.”
Just as I was about to relax a little, Idorian added an unexpected remark.
“At least until we regain our strength.”
I gasped without realizing it. His words meant that the zombies should be kept alive only until the Empire regains its strength.
In other words, they would no longer be needed once the Empire regained its strength.
“The cure....”
“You’re right, Penelope.”
Just as I was about to emphasize that they should be kept alive until the cure is developed, Idorian, who was rubbing his eyebrows as if in thought, opened his mouth.
“I hadn’t thought that far, but it’s true that eliminating the zombies doesn’t solve all the problems.”
“Yes. The cure....”
“It might be good to keep them alive for a while.”
Idorian cut me off again.
“No, the cu....”
“Until the Empire regains the same strength as before.”
Damn it!
It was so difficult to get a chance to speak because I was slow to speak.
“Safety measures must also be prepared.”
“Yes, we need to think about everything from the location to the management method.”
Especially now, when both Heresdon and Idorian seemed to have a lot to say, I didn’t even get a chance.
“Let’s briefly think about a plan and convey it to His Majesty.”
I couldn’t even find the timing to jump in.
“Let’s send the letter tomorrow morning and make time again after dinner.”
While I was just watching, Idorian finally said the words to dismiss the meeting.
“First, it would be good to think about this issue individually and then discuss it again.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Heresdon turned around as if he was about to leave the room.
No, what’s the rush!
I felt like I wouldn’t be able to say anything if things continued like this, so I was about to raise my hand.
“Penelope, can I see you for a moment?”
Idorian gestured as if to say let’s go out.
“Duke Heresdon. Please help me with this.”
Lumi called out to Heresdon just as he was about to leave the room.
“I fell a little while ago and hurt my shoulder.”
Idorian looked at Heresdon, who had stopped in front of him, and then avoided him and left the room.
“Are you in a lot of pain? I’m sorry because of me.”
“...It’s not a big injury, so I’ll be fine if Grand Duke Heresdon helps me.”
Heresdon let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded by Lumi passing the work on to him, but he turned around, perhaps because of Lilia’s apologetic expression.
“Lady Swedi, do I hang this pole here?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ll do this side. Oh, but then we have to hang curtains in Uven’s room too....”
“Yes, I understand.”
Heresdon nodded as if it wasn’t a big deal. Then, Lilia smiled brightly with a thank you.
“Penelope.”
Only after Idorian urged me to follow him from outside the door did I stop watching Lilia and Heresdon and leave the room.
“Can we talk in your room for a moment?”
As I came out into the hallway, Idorian, who was looking around as if searching for a suitable place to talk, asked.
When I nodded, Idorian gestured as if to say I should lead the way.
‘What is he calling me aside to talk about?’
I glanced at Idorian, who was following behind me, wondering if I could say what I couldn’t say earlier.
But Idorian, who turned around to check, was also looking back. Lumi, who had passed the work on to Heresdon and left the room, was where his gaze was directed.
“I’ll go with you too.”
“What?”
“The two of you are talking. Am I not supposed to hear it?”
Before Idorian could say anything, Lumi spoke again.
“If not, I’ll just stay with you.”
“...Okay.”
Leaving behind Idorian’s lukewarm answer, I opened the door, and Idorian and Lumi entered in turn.
They looked around my room for quite a while.
Even though it had the same structure and the same furniture as their rooms.
“Can I sit here?”
Lumi said, pointing to the bed closest to the door.
Since there was no chair to sit on other than the bed, I nodded, and Lumi leaned back against the head of the bed as if she had been waiting for it.
On the other hand, Idorian just stood by the bed and looked at me. He didn’t seem to have any intention of sitting down, so I spoke first.
“Your Highness, what did you want to talk about?”
“I thought you would be the happiest if we could annihilate the zombies.”
Idorian, who had been pondering for a moment, finally opened his mouth.
“You said you were scared of them. So scared that you would be afraid even at the smell of blood.”
Idorian looked at me with an expression that he didn’t understand well.
“But you’re saying we should keep the zombies alive.... I can’t quite understand your judgment. Is there a good reason for it? Do you... really believe there is a cure that can turn them back into people?”
“...Yes, even if not right now.”
“So, it’s just a belief without reason.”
I wanted to refute Idorian’s words, but I couldn’t come up with the right words and hesitated before closing my mouth.
His eyes narrowed noticeably, as if he couldn’t understand why I was being stubborn.
“Then....”
It felt like he was about to tell me to just give up.
“That cure, maybe we can make it.”
Lumi, who was sitting behind me, opened her mouth.
When I turned around, I saw him straightening up from his leaning posture.
“What?”
“That, when we return to the capital, I’ll take charge of it.”
For some reason, Lumi, who had been negative about Lilia and my opinions, suddenly changed her words.
“If we don’t want this choice to be remembered as an irresponsible massacre in later generations, we should try.”
Idorian’s face contorted even more miserably.
“...I might be able to do it.”
Unlike the content that showed confidence, Lumi’s voice lingered in her mouth and disappeared like smoke.
“Do you really think you can make a cure?”
“Maybe? That’s the feeling.”
The way she trailed off made it seem like she herself wasn’t sure.
“Ha, Lumi. This isn’t an issue to be dealt with by belief or intuition.”
Idorian, who seemed frustrated with the current situation, finally let out a deep sigh and ran his hand over his face.
“If you both really want to keep all those zombies alive, bring a solution with clear evidence.”
He looked at me and Lumi in turn and then spoke again.
“Penelope, just like you brought up the necessity of zombies by talking about war, do it in a way that can convince everyone.”
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