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The Afterglow Fortress, as large as it is and with its resident population, had facilities spread widely across the fortress, except for specific areas like the kitchen, the audience room, and the Duke’s office.

The Herb Room was one of them.

Rowan, living alone as a herbalist, had the Herb Room located quite a descent from the kitchen.

But right now, it was an emergency situation.

There was no time to leisurely go up and down the stairs.

Clink- grgrgrgrg-

Following Wallace’s lead, the group entered the room, and after a moment, the entire spacious room began to descend with the sound of clanking chains.

“An elevator?”

Feeling the vibrations of the ground and a slight weightlessness, Catherine muttered, looking down at the floor.

“It’s a stone-powered elevator,” Wallace nodded.

Afterglow Fortress was just too high, and often supplies had to be delivered up to the fortress while people got blurred out in the process.

“According to records, there was an invasion hundreds of years ago. At that time, supplies were delayed, and there are documents that mention monsters breached the fortress walls. Elevators were installed throughout the fortress to prevent this.”

“Using stones for that? Must have cost a pretty penny?”

Gordon’s question was quite understandable.

Still, the elevator they were in was large enough to send at least a hundred people up to the top of the fortress at once.

But to send that all the way up to the peak of Afterglow Fortress, which looked like it was carved directly from a mountain? They couldn’t possibly have had that kind of budget!

“Of course, initially, it used livestock for the lifting power.”

“So, what about the stones…”

“It was massively refurbished after Duke’s reign.”

However, Iceland had plenty of money now.

Wallace and the group, besides soldiers and knights, nodded, sharing the same question.

With that, the only sound reverberating was the clattering of numerous chains in the elevator.

When they arrived, the group headed straight for Rowan’s Herb Room.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Steward, the door is locked.”

“Oh, I have the key on me.”

Gordon, holding Rowan’s belongings, opened the door with a key from his pocket. Clunk! The door swung open.

As soon as the door opened, a rich scent of herbs wafted through. It seemed the term Herb Room was no exaggeration, as the ceiling, walls, shelves full of books, jars, and glass bottles were filled with countless flowers, stems, leaves, seeds, and mushrooms.

It served as a lodging, but being so close to a workspace, there was only a bed indicating it was a place to rest. Everything else was related to the herbalist.

Wallace, having secured the area with the soldiers he brought, led the group inside.

“First, let’s search everywhere!”

“Of course.”

With Catherine’s remark as a cue, everyone immediately scattered across the Herb Room.

Karem also moved in the same manner.

Particularly, he was drawn to the shelves filled with jars and bottles that had caught his eye upon entering.

“A faint smell of coffee is in the air. Maybe it’s this way?”

Finding evidence was crucial, but equally important for Karem was to find dried Alraune byproducts.

It was coffee, the partner of the soul he had completely given up on after his reincarnation.

A modern essential mixed half by choice and half by circumstances.

Whether it had any awakening effects was still unknown.

Of course, Karem hadn’t forgotten his current purpose.

He was presently searching for crucial evidence to determine whether the deceased Rowan had been a traitor or was simply someone disguised as Rowan.

Sifting through a jar full of unfamiliar seeds, Karem closed the lid and pushed the checked jars aside onto the shelf.

“Karem, find anything?”

“Just some seeds and mushrooms.”

“Hm, I should check this area too.”

“Weren’t you headed towards the pile of herbs?”

“The mage told me not to disturb her and to head this way instead.”

Karem turned his head toward Catherine. Mary had unfastened herbs hanging from the ceiling and was quickly examining, sorting, and discarding them outside the room.

“So, what do you think?”

“What about?”

“About the herbalist named Rowan.”

“Well, I suppose I’ve seen him at the portable shrine in the kitchen, but it was only once.”

Karem scratched his head.

“He was a former priest, now a herbalist. He was one of the few staying behind in the portable shrine while most priests were dispatched elsewhere. Oh, wait.”

“Right, I heard about it in the mage’s chamber.”

“Oh, then the scent I caught when passing through must’ve been the dried Alraune scent.”

“Didn’t someone mention it was used as a preservative?”

However, it was hard to see that as suspicious.

Even if it was highly toxic, it had long since lost its poison when dried and roasted, plus it smelled nice, so it might have been carried like a scent pouch. Karem, who had been chatting while examining a jar, whipped his head back.

The smell of coffee.

Dried Alraune byproduct.

“It was right here.”

“…Did you come here for this?”

“Oh please, why would I do that?”

“That’s rather hard to believe considering how excited you sound!”

Karem dragged out a large jar from the back of the shelf. As he opened it, a rich coffee scent wafted up; it was stuffed to the brim with Alraune crumbs.

Caught up in the alluring scent, Karem took a deep breath, momentarily losing himself before quickly focusing and reaching in to investigate.

Swish—

“Hmm?”

He felt something.

A slippery, peculiar texture that felt like leather yet jelly-like, something he’d never felt once even in his previous life?

“Suddenly frozen solid, did you find something?”

“Not sure what it is, but I think I have!”

“Really? What? You actually found something?”

“Yes.”

As Karem pulled out whatever he had grasped, Alraune crumbs spilled all over the floor. For a moment, Karem felt a strange thrill.

“…What is this?”

A thin, transparent object, wrinkled and slick, similar to leather, was pulled out from the jar with a hazy outline on the other side.

“Gross, what on earth is that smell?”

Gordon absentmindedly covered his nose. A faint rotting meat smell subtly mixed with the aroma of roasted Alraune previously tasted as dessert.

The unmistakable scent reminiscent of Rowan’s melted essence.

A smell that seemed concentrated.

“This is… wait a moment, why is this here?”

“Mage? Do you know what this is?”

“Shape-shifter.”

Catherine extended her hand. Karem silently dusted off the leather and handed it over.

“I’ve seen this texture and translucency before. And most importantly, it has magic. No doubt this is the leather of a shape-shifter.”

“Oh, seems serious. Is it really that bad?”

“Yeah. This is serious business for sure.”

“Why is that?”

Catherine looked up at Karem, as if questioning how he didn’t already know, and when she saw Gordon and Mary, who were both bewildered, she sighed softly.

“Because shape-shifters are demons.”

Wallace, dusting off a notebook he took from the shelf, explained the reason.

“Demons? If they’re demons then—”

“They were the key forces of the Demon Lord’s army, which nearly burned down the world before being assassinated by the hero party. Shape-shifters were known to be their best spies and assassins.”

Suddenly cut off with a history lesson, Karem felt a wave of disconnection from what he previously considered a vague legend as he stared at the leather handed over by Catherine.

“If this is the leather of a shape-shifter, then why is it here?”

“The leather of a shape-shifter can be used as materials for transformation cloaks and invisibility cloaks. But it’s definitely not something a mere herbalist should possess.”

Catherine shook her head.

“Shape-shifters shed their skin once each season.”

Catherine stared seriously at the leather in silence.

“And due to their unique shape-shifting ability, they’re particularly sensitive to divine power, and upon contact, they dissolve like lower Undead.”

Catherine frowned at the smell wafting from the leather. Just like the scent she had caught in the kitchen, it was the same as what emanated from the relic Gordon had brought.

“Indeed. The bed is also strange.”

At those words, everyone turned their gaze toward Mary. She effortlessly flipped the thick sheets and began digging into the insides.

“Just as I thought.”

Mary drove her arm into the bed sheets, rummaged around, then pulled it out. In her hand was a large leather pouch that produced a raucous noise inside.

The sound was similar to the crumbs that had fallen on the floor earlier.

Karem and the others exchanged glances in unison.

The leather pouch was modest in size.

But how could such an object be hidden in the bed sheets?

It looked suspicious from every angle.

“Ah, shall we open this treasure chest then?”

Gordon eagerly opened the pouch, reaching inside for its contents.

Alraune crumbs rained down like a shower and made a loud noise.

Thud—

And several smooth, moist leather pieces, resembling what Catherine was holding, appeared.

“Hm, just a thought…”

Karem scratched his forehead while disappointedly examining the dark brown grains.

“Could it be that a shape-shifter disguised itself as Rowan? Am I the only one thinking this?”

“Oh, I was having a similar thought too.”

Gordon raised his hand slightly.

“I’m becoming more certain after looking through the journal.”

Wallace snapped the notebook shut with a thud.

“The entries begin with Rowan’s retirement from priesthood a few years back. And then starting last summer, the pages are completely blank.”

“Then, that means the former priest Rowan has been gone since then.”

“Most likely, that fits the circumstances.”

If there was only one piece of leather from a shape-shifter, it wouldn’t be impossible to explain away. But several pieces?

“Once a season. That makes five total since last summer.”

“That’s precisely the number.”

“Then it makes sense why he melted so thoroughly in the holy water. Shape-shifters are known to have deadly reactions even to low-grade holy water.”

The Herb Room fell into silence.

Because all the circumstances aligned perfectly.

“Steward! Steward!”

The Herb Room door burst open, and a knight rushed in.

Before Wallace could even say a word, the knight shouted urgently.

“Undead in Present!”

“Another weird incident with Undead?”

“No! They are surrounding Present! Nearby residents are taking refuge behind the castle walls!”

Upon hearing the knight’s report, Wallace briefly closed his eyes.

And then he dashed out of the Herb Room.

The group followed immediately behind him.

The knight’s words proved true. As Karem trailed after the group, he could see hordes of Undead approaching toward the city of the fortress. Present, surrounded by its walls.

No, it wasn’t just a horde.

It was an overwhelming mass of Undead blanketing the snowy field.

Like a legion of ants drawn by the sweet scent of honey.

“But this seems awfully familiar.”

“What do you mean, you idiot!”

“Present. They seem to be responding quickly?”

At a glance, Present displayed effective evacuation and combat preparations amid the chaos unfolding outside the window.

“The invasions of Undead and monsters are common, after all. Though seeing the Undead rise so soon in autumn is unusual.”

After finishing those words, Wallace fell silent.

Once they took the elevator up to the highest point, the wind roared fiercely.

Karem, who had briefly lost his footing, could finally look down at Present after Catherine caught him.

Countless Undead hordes, darkening the bright white snowscape as they steadily approached the castle walls, were indeed reminiscent of a scene from a movie.

Unlike the thrill he initially found, Karem had no choice but to change his mind while watching the ominous black mass devour the village beyond the castle walls.

“Wow, so this truly is winter’s blessing.”

“Sir Atanitas, suddenly?”

“Look there. Can’t you see it?”

At this, Karem looked beyond the castle walls once more.

And he realized.

“There aren’t any running fiends?”

“Right. That is good news. We gained some time.”

Just as Catherine said.

The Undead, comprised of humans, beasts, and monsters, were all approaching consistently without a single exception, yet they were moving slower than an average person would walk.

The larger ones were closing the distance quickly, but—

“Adventurers returning from beyond the mountains! The Duke has returned!”

At those words, everyone on the castle walls turned, eagerly looking back.

Karem was no exception; he joined his companions in looking beyond the mountains.

The adventurers raced forward, kicking up a snowstorm.

And at the forefront.

With riders on fearsome beasts such as battle-horses, Snowrunners, and boars, there were armies of heavily armed barbaric warriors charging fiercely.

“GRAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“GRAAAAAAH—!”

Karem instinctively grabbed his eyes, and Gordon echoed his surprise, even shouting out at the sight.

“Open the gates! Open the gates!”

“Damn it, open it! Hurry! Hurry!”

Yet, reality did not change.

The barbarian warriors beside the riders drew ever closer to the fortress.

With each passing moment, the barbarian’s checkered knee skirts fluttered violently as their Lethal Absolute Territory became distinctly evident all around.

 

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