“The nectar of a succubus, and its allure, is said to be truly overwhelming.
Even after being beheaded, the king continued to stare at Milphobia.
‘Truly impressive,’ I murmured, as I slowly picked up the fallen head of the king, which made a dull sound as it hit the ground. I then channeled my magic into it.
‘Human! What are you doing?! Make me face that woman, face that woman!’ the king shouted.
A zombie won’t die unless its head is destroyed. This king was no exception; even as just a head, he continued to make a racket. I turned his face toward Milphobia and observed.
‘Hmm… the brain structure is no different from other zombies or humans,’ I noted.
Since there was no resistance and I could easily grasp its structure, I used my magic to interfere with the brain’s section that governs desires. The king rolled his eyes back and lost consciousness. Instantly, the armored zombies he had created halted their movements.
‘Alaya-sama!’
Milphobia hurried toward me, covering herself modestly.
‘Are you hurt?!’
‘No, I’m fine. More importantly, I appreciate your assistance,’ I replied, expressing my gratitude to Milphobia. Then, I stripped the king’s body of its clothing and used the fabric to wrap his head like a melon.
‘Are you… taking that back with you, Alaya-sama?’ Milphobia asked, looking concerned.
‘Yes. It’s a valuable asset that we’ve acquired.’
‘I must say, Alaya-sama…’
Milphobia looked troubled, her face showing signs of inner conflict.
‘As my duty requires, I must report this incident, including that head, to my superior, Emeralda-sama.’
‘I understand. In fact, I’d appreciate it if you did.’
‘Really?’
The truth is, I’m not bringing this back for research purposes.
‘This king seemed capable of creating zombies from corrupted magic power and issuing simple commands. The Demon Realm currently faces a shortage of demonic beings… wouldn’t it be advantageous if we could increase the number of basic laborers?’
‘That… does make sense,’ Milphobia considered, crossing her arms.
‘I’ll speak with Emeralda-sama right away to see if I can present your proposal to the Demon King,’ she decided.
‘I’d appreciate that.’
‘Then let’s leave this dungeon quickly.’
Milphobia finally managed to adjust her attire and began walking toward the dungeon entrance, with me following behind her.
[Grr… uuuh…]
Trailing behind us, for some reason, was the Zombie Queen. Along with her were a muscular zombie, trapped beneath the weight of other zombies, and a mummy-like zombie that had been created by the king. All three followed behind me.
‘Alaya-sama…? What about these zombies?’ Milphobia asked.
‘Seems like they’re following us.’
‘Could it be that they’ve become attached to you, Alaya-sama…?’
‘No, that’s impossible,’ I declared firmly.
I glanced at the king’s head, wrapped in cloth.
‘These zombies were controlled by the king’s magic for hundreds of years. Even now, their bodies seem to obey the lingering command to follow the king, even though they’re free from his magic… like a snake that keeps moving even after its head is severed.’
‘That’s… rather tragic.’
‘I agree. It’s pitiful. At the very least, I should let them rest in peace above ground—’
Suddenly, the Zombie Queen grabbed my hand—the hand that wasn’t holding the king’s head.
[Uh… uuuh…]
‘What…?’
[Uuugh… uuh…]
‘Is she trying to convey something…? No, that’s impossible.’
Zombies are animated corpses. They shouldn’t have a will of their own. That should be impossible.
‘No… I see. I almost made a foolish mistake. Saying “impossible” is a thing of the past.’
It is exceptions like these that pave the way for revolutionary discoveries.
‘Haha… she doesn’t seem to pose any harm. I’ve already blocked any impulses related to hunger, so she’s not going to attack suddenly. Very well, follow me then! You’ll make a good research subject!’
‘Are you serious?!’ Milphobia’s voice was almost a scream, but I paid her no mind.
We exited the dungeon, a strange procession of a succubus, a human, and three zombies trailing behind.
‘I’m astonished, Alaya-dono.’
Later that night, after I had changed in my room, I visited the throne room. The Demon King, Rumak Ouglon, looked at me with wide eyes, genuinely surprised.
‘Who would have thought I’d hear a dungeon adventure tale at this hour?’ he remarked.
‘I’m as surprised as you. I never expected to find myself leaping out of a window with a zombie clinging to me in the dead of night,’ I replied.
‘Indeed, that must have been quite the experience,’ Rumak said with a wry smile.
‘I never suspected there was a dungeon beneath this castle… I couldn’t sense any suspicious magic power at all. It must have been exceptionally well-hidden, or designed specifically to conceal itself,’ Rumak pondered before looking back at me with a serious expression and bowing his head slightly.
‘I must apologize for the lack of oversight, and for putting you in danger. And I deeply appreciate you resolving the situation. We’ve confirmed that the mass outbreak of zombies has stopped—your efforts have been outstanding.’
‘I am truly honored by your words.’
‘I will arrange a reward for assisting Agito and the others. But if there’s anything else you desire, I am open to your request. Is there something that comes to mind?’
‘Yes, if it’s possible… an “infirmary.”’
‘Oh? You wish to open the infirmary you once managed in the kingdom here as well?’
‘Yes. This time, I hope to treat not only monsters but demons as well.’
‘Wonderful. I welcome it wholeheartedly and promise to support you.’
Yes! I silently celebrated my unexpected progress toward opening the infirmary.
‘I am deeply grateful for your generosity, Your Majesty.’
‘Think nothing of it. You may raise your head.’
I was so elated that I immediately looked up, but the Demon King and the blue-haired demoness secretary beside him didn’t seem to mind. In fact, the demoness even seemed to look relieved.
‘By the way, Your Majesty, it’s surprising that the cause of the zombie outbreak differs from what was previously believed,’ the secretary remarked, speaking up for a change.
‘As Alaya-sama suggested earlier, while it may be presumptuous to say so, we should consider utilizing the zombie king who claimed to be the ruler of the Land of the Dead as much as possible,’ she added thoughtfully.
‘Let’s not rush to conclusions, Emeralda,’ Rumak replied, shrugging.
‘I understand you’re struggling with an overwhelming workload due to the shortage of demons. I regret keeping you working so late tonight as well.’
‘N-No, not at all… though, it is a bit tough,’ Emeralda admitted quietly.
‘I’ll consider giving you some time off. I truly apologize,’ Rumak added, a bit flustered as he glanced at Emeralda’s downcast expression.
It’s clear that the current state of the Demon Realm is quite challenging.
‘But that aside, we must first determine how much we can communicate with this so-called king of the Land of the Dead.’
‘Indeed, Your Majesty,’ Emeralda agreed, as both she and Rumak turned their gaze to the severed head beside me.
It belonged to the zombie king who had claimed dominion over the dead, still unconscious due to my magic.
‘Alaya-dono, could you awaken his consciousness?’
‘I can, but… he might start acting violently as soon as he regains awareness. It could be dangerous.’
‘Thank you for your concern, but there is no need to worry.’
The Demon King smiled faintly as purple lightning crackled from his hand.
‘I am the Demon King, after all. Should he show hostility, I will put him in his place in two seconds flat.'”
