Chapter 21
“LADY MIRA, forgive me!”
The morning after Mira had delved into a dungeon and thwarted an attack on Karanak, Garrett prostrated himself on the floor of the hotel lobby. It seemed that the carriage would need repairs after his night of defending the city
“Oh well, I suppose I’ll find some way to pass the time.” She gave him a cold stare as she donned her coat.
Standing back up more quickly than she thought possible, he bid her off into the morning with a chipper “Take care!”
Karanak was alive and bustling. Restoration work had begun here and there, and craftsmen were coming and going as they assessed and repaired damages. Processing of the zombie piles seemed to have also started in earnest, with members of the Knight Patrol and adventurers helping to load carts to carry away the bodies.
At this rate, they should be cleared away in no time.
She aimlessly strolled along the street as she checked on the state of the city. The citizens proved to be surprisingly resilient and in good spirits.
The Valkyrie sisters were the topic on everyone’s tongues. The sight of them descending from the heavens like angels, dispatching the zombies in the blink of an eye, and then vanishing had stirred the imagination of all who had seen them.
More importantly, everyone had witnessed their new attack, which was both awe-inspiring and tremendous. The art of summoning was sure to come roaring back in short order with a PR campaign like this.
Convinced that her efforts had been a success, she triumphantly made her way into the crowded Mages’ Guild offices. The guild was currently issuing a special quest titled, “Help the City’s Recovery Efforts.” The quest remuneration itself wasn’t much, but it came with an additional class-specific reward and was proving to be quite popular.
Mira paid it no heed. After a wave to Eurica, who was busy at the counter, she showed herself in and headed toward the guild leader’s office. Within a few moments, she was on a couch with a selection of cakes arrayed before her, and all was right with the world.
“I see… Altering the land through the power of death, eh? That could be a possibility,” Leoneil muttered as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “So you think the demon hadn’t been trying to use the zombies to accomplish a task; rather, it was just gathering them for another purpose?”
It was just a hypothesis, but it was the best one she had. “I don’t know for sure, but given the circumstances, we can’t discount it, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, and this is useful information even beyond the immediate situation. Thank you.”
Mira selected a tantalizing slice of chocolate cake next while Leoneil looked on, happy that he had a connection at the bakery to keep his little informant coming back for more. Their talk shifted to the wonders of summoning and the rumors spreading through the city before Mira made her exit.
The lobby seemed even noisier than when she arrived, and the Valkyries were a common topic of discussion. She smiled, glad that her efforts were bearing fruit. Leaving the guild hall, she spotted a line of people marching along while carrying large sacks—no doubt assisting in the removal of the zombie corpses—and all of them were all discussing which of the Seven Sisters they preferred.
Boundless success! Watching them pass, Mira stepped lightly as she headed back along the main street.
Garrett must be wrapping things up by now.
It was approaching noon. She picked up some snacks from a nearby bakery to eat while on the road. As she made her way back to the hotel, she gazed around at the city of Karanak and was filled with a sense of hope.
Scattered bits of rubble lay around the road, no doubt knocked off the buildings during the commotion. But the people were undaunted, and the bustle of city life undisturbed by last night’s attack. How could the demons prevail over such determination?
Just then, Mira stopped dead in her tracks.
It was a shop—the Karanak branch of Moon and Silver Towers Specialty Goods. Samples of their wares hung from the awning, and one item in particular called to her.
At last! A use for this money and freedom from the oppression of the maids!
She laughed and wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before. Grabbing the item with both hands, she unfurled the robe like a victory flag. It looked like the robe Danblf wore, albeit simplified and in her size. Having achieved fashion nirvana, she checked the price tag. Labeled the Wise Man’s Replica Robe, it was priced at five thousand ducats. That seemed like a reasonable ask.
Selecting the Wise Man’s Replica Robe (Summoner) from among the different patterns, of course, Mira held it before her in front of the full-length mirror. Confirming the fit, she rushed to press money into the merchant’s hand before hurrying back to the hotel.
The moment her suite door slammed shut behind her, she stripped off every bit of frilly, girly clothing forced onto her by the maids. Beaming, she pulled her new robe over her head and took a long look at herself in the mirror. Head to toe, left to right—then she took a half-step back and spread her arms wide.
“I am reborn!”
She cheered and struck a victory pose. After admiring her reflection in the new robe, she rolled up the hem to her knees and loosened the collar.
“Not bad… Not bad,” she muttered as she smirked suggestively and toyed with her options.
Half an hour later, she was finally satisfied with her adjustments, and she left her room to check on the state of the carriage repairs.
“The repairs are complete and we can leave as soon as you like,” Garrett said when she found him walking back from the carriage house. “Shall we?”
Without any particular reason to stay, and with the benefit of having Control Terminals instead of luggage, Mira jumped into the carriage.
“As you wish,” came Garrett’s immediate reply as he carefully closed the door behind her. He then took his position on the driver’s seat.
The carriage left the stables, then pulled up to the gate to the hotel. Garrett dismounted, completed the checkout procedures, and returned to drive them out onto the main street. Gazing out the carriage window at the City of Requiem, Mira reflected on the eventful few days she’d just experienced.
Tact’s wish to see his dead parents and the revelation that they were somehow still alive.
Meeting Emella and the other kind-hearted members of the Écarlate Carillon.
Finding Cyril, their captain and another former player.
Discovering clues as to the whereabouts of Soul Howl.
Battling with a demon.
The connection between the zombie uprising and said demon.
She daydreamed and let the memories melt into the scenery flowing past the window.
A few days after Mira left the city, the Adventurers’ Guild Union and local Knight Patrol jointly announced an end to the zombie incident.
The official statement declared that excess undead magical energy had spilled over from the nearby Ancient Temple Nebrapolis. As a result, the site was elevated to A-Rank access and the wards were strengthened. The public was never informed that a demon had been killed in the depths of the dungeon.
The Union checked the identity of the humanoid zombies against their missing persons list. Most were identified, and the bodies were returned to their bereaved families.
Throughout the city, a rumor spread…a rumor of seven maidens, all noble, beautiful, and incredibly powerful. There was much argument as to which guild the women belonged to.
The recovery of the summoning arts might take a while longer, it seemed.
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