Ch.179179. That’s why they say you’ll suffer if you leave home.

“Who’s attacking?”

“I don’t know. There was a commotion at the entrance of the mansion, and when I went to check, I was suddenly attacked. You need to evacuate!”

“How many are there?”

“Just one person, but they’re extremely skilled!”

“But why should I run away?”

I tilted my head in confusion, and Riden Sollis, seeming to realize his mistake, struck his own head hard with his fist.

“I-I’m sorry. I’m just so flustered…”

“Anyway, I just need to go check it out, right?”

“…Yes.”

I grabbed the Raiden Sword from the study and immediately headed outside the mansion.

The situation was extremely chaotic.

Screams filled the air from the knights and mercenaries guarding the mansion.

-AAAAARGH-!

And then.

There was a woman surrounded by them.

Her striking red hair was quite impressive.

Anyone could tell she was Enna, whom Dernis had been desperately searching for.

Currently, she was facing off against Rebecca, having returned to the mansion from the Succubus Sanctuary at some point.

‘Fortunately, it seems there are no casualties.’

I immediately looked at Riden Sollis.

“Where did Dernis go?”

“I’m not sure why you’re suddenly asking about Dernis… I don’t really know.”

“I’ll handle things here, so gather some people and find Dernis.”

“Ah, understood!”

Rebecca spread her palms as she created distance.

“Ice Arrow!”

Crackle-!

With one Ice Arrow, Enna’s legs seemed to freeze, but they thawed instantly.

Monstrous recovery ability.

Yet the fact that she maintained her sanity suggested she hadn’t fully progressed into a murderous ghoul.

That was a small blessing amid the misfortune.

Drip-! Drip-!

Enna’s fingers were covered in blood, dripping onto the floor.

This meant she had faced the knights and mercenaries of Alphonse territory using only her strength and agility, without any weapons.

I slowly walked toward the battle scene.

“Enna!”

At that, Enna shifted her gaze from Rebecca to me.

“…Who are you?”

“The person who kidnapped Dernis.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Enna charged at me.

Her agility was truly chilling.

I gave Rebecca a reassuring glance when she tried to intervene, then clenched my fist with force.

WHAM-!

She tumbled to the ground.

I didn’t enjoy it, but it was necessary to stop the overly excited Enna.

Well, Dernis would probably go ballistic if he found out about this…

CRACK-!

I stepped hard on Enna’s leg with the sole of my shoe.

That made her scream for the first time.

“Ugh-!”

“Have you calmed down now?”

“…Where is my husband?”

“Husband? Weren’t you the one who abandoned Dernis?”

“Give me back my husband!!!”

Just when I thought I could relax after breaking her leg, she seemed to recover quickly and struggled to get up.

“Why are you looking for Dernis now after abandoning him?”

“I never abandoned him… I just left briefly for my husband’s sake…”

“Dernis doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Kuhuk!”

Enna struggled desperately to get up, driven by rage.

Just then, Dernis’s voice came from behind.

“E-Enna!!”

Enna spotted Dernis and whipped her head around.

Realizing he was safe, she desperately tried to move her body to escape.

I glanced at Dernis running toward us, then leaned down to speak to Enna lying on the ground.

“How would Dernis feel if he were abandoned a second time?”

Enna flinched, trembled, and began to cry.

At that moment, Dernis rushed over and shoved my shoulder with all his might.

“W-what are you doing?!”

This bastard…

I arranged this meeting despite the damage to the knights and mercenaries, and he dares to push me?

There wasn’t even time to get irritated.

Dernis was already embracing Enna and sobbing loudly.

‘Perhaps it’s best to give them some time alone?’

I looked around.

The floor was covered with bright red blood because of Enna.

Plus, there were injured knights and mercenaries lying on the ground.

I sheathed the Raiden Sword and looked at Rebecca with a sigh.

“Rebecca, please treat these people.”

*

“Have you calmed down now?”

I nodded my chin while sitting on the reception room sofa, and Enna stood demurely and bowed.

“I behaved rudely. I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s fine, no one died, and Rebecca will treat the injured.”

“…Still, you’re my husband’s benefactor…”

“Frankly, this happened because I told you I kidnapped Dernis.”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

“Just sit down.”

“…Yes.”

At my words, Enna hesitantly sat down on the sofa across from me.

Her wounds had already disappeared due to her recovery ability.

I leaned forward to focus.

“I told Dernis to wait outside so we could talk comfortably. When did you become a zombie?”

Asked directly, Enna was startled.

“H-how did you know I was bitten by a zombie?”

“Because of how you moved when you charged at me outside the mansion earlier.”

“Just because of that…?”

“Dernis said his wife was an ordinary person. It’s strange, isn’t it? From what I heard, you haven’t been separated for long, yet in that short time, you’re moving like that.”

Despite my casual explanation, Enna’s expression showed she still didn’t understand.

Of course she wouldn’t.

I knew she was a zombie because I had read the original novel as a reader.

“…I was bitten by my younger brother who had become a zombie.”

“I see, so that’s it? Dernis told me you’re from the Western Continent. Did you kill your brother?”

Tears welled up in Enna’s eyes.

“My brother begged me to kill him. He said dying was better than living as a zombie…”

“I see.”

“I left my husband because I wanted to die too…”

I already knew what came next.

Her monstrous recovery ability that kept her alive even after falling off a cliff.

Yet seeing herself maintain her sanity, she began to harbor a tiny hope.

Could she become human again?

Could she reunite with her husband? That kind of hope.

I leaned back against the sofa and twitched my eyebrows.

“Well, how you got bitten isn’t really important. What matters is what happens next. Have you killed anyone besides your infected brother?”

“…What?!”

“Have you killed any normal people?”

“N-no, I haven’t.”

I tilted my head and checked her status with ‘Eye of Insight.’

‘Eye of Insight’

*Ding* ♪

Name: Enna [??]

Passive: ??

┗When insufficient, ??

Current Status: Confused, Sad, Surprised.

Compared to Luna, the spots where “Color Demon,” “Affection Deficiency,” and “Blood Massacre” would be were marked with question marks.

Is she not yet awakened?

If so.

There’s a possibility that her murderous urge could be replaced with something else, like Luna’s was.

I nodded slowly and continued.

“There’s a way for you to return to being human.”

“To become human…?”

“Yes, from now on, just stay by Dernis’s side. I’ll definitely make you human again.”

“B-but no matter how much I searched, once bitten by a zombie, there’s no way to return to being human…”

This wasn’t a lie to keep Enna around.

In the Western Continent, a dark mage creates zombies, and this dark mage is also a villain in “The Youngest Son of the Brilliant Family.”

Therefore.

Serion Rykus and his companions set out on a journey to defeat the dark mage.

During this process, Rio unfortunately gets bitten by a zombie.

The protagonist’s cheat item, the hourglass, has already used up all its charges.

Finally, half-giving up, they raid the dark mage’s laboratory.

And then.

After dealing with the dark mage, they discover a single potion in the laboratory, which is the one-of-a-kind cure the dark mage created as a contingency plan in case he himself became infected.

This means if Rio doesn’t get bitten, the potion could be given to Enna.

It wasn’t an impossible plan.

I looked at Enna and smiled gently.

“Have you heard anything about me from Dernis?”

“Yes, briefly, but he said you’re a truly strong and amazing person…”

“Then believe me. I have nothing to gain by lying to you.”

Enna trembled and covered her face with her hands.

Tears flowed between her fingers.

Her clothes were in such a pitiful state, showing how much she had suffered.

‘That’s why they say you’ll suffer if you leave home.’

I sighed deeply and raised my voice.

“Dernis!”

As if he had been waiting, Dernis opened the reception room door with a clunk and entered.

“…Did you make my wife cry again?”

Despite having been possessed as Selden Alphonse and never being intimidated by men except for crazy women…

I felt strangely intimidated.

“No, these are tears of gratitude for what the young master told me.”

I tilted my head sarcastically and mouthed “See?” which finally made Dernis bow.

“I-I’m sorry!!”

That’s right.

I was displeased that he doubted me, but as they say, give an extra rice cake to the one you dislike.

I threw the pouch from my waist toward Dernis.

“This is money… Why are you throwing it at me?”

With my arms crossed and an indifferent expression, I spoke.

“Go shopping.”