A lingering sense of excitement still lingers in Duke Dragnaut's mansion as the gleaming moon hangs over the spire of the castle.

　It was that night when Claudia recovered - an astounding level of recovery that can be called a "recovery".

　The recovery of the second daughter, who had been in bed for a long time, was enough to delight her father, her sister Astrid, and all those who served the duke's family.

　But the duke's physician and the elven spirit user (Lunamaria) assured him that she was suffering from severe fatigue and would be fine once she had rested.

　Hearing this, both Lord Dragnaut and Astrid, as well as Claudia, who had recovered, were relieved to hear this.　


　Afterwards, a small banquet was held at the Duke's residence.

　The banquet was just a slightly lavish affair compared to the usual dinner, and there was no music for the sleeping Sora, but the fact that it was still more than enough to liven things up is proof of the love of Claudia's family.

　Even Lord Dragnaut and his daughter Astrid, who are usually known for their honesty, decorum, and modesty, usually do not take a sip, or if they do, they take a sip or two of grape wine, and their cheeks turn red.

　For the two of them, who had been wearing out their bodies and minds for the past year due to the curse that had suddenly struck Claudia, this day was a miracle that they had literally dreamed of.

　The situation is not so different for the servants and the knights directly under the duke's house.

　The banquet held at the residence of the leading nobleman of the Canary Kingdom did not reach beyond the walls and gates to the neighboring houses and streets, but the overflowing joy must have been the best thing about this night in the royal capital.



　If the day had gone on, it would be remembered as one of the best days in the history of the House of Lords.

　But.

　It was precisely on this night that the disaster that engulfed the King's City was revealed.



◆ ◆ ◆



I'm sorry, sir.


　The moment she heard his voice, Astrid's consciousness, who had been sitting in a chair in a tipsy state, was instantly awakened.

　It was already late in the evening, and Claudia had retired to her room. Astrid was also thinking about going to sleep soon, but such thoughts were blown away when she saw the soldier's face in front of her.

　Astrid's face naturally tightened as her voice and expression, filled with a sense of urgency, looked as if she had been taken by surprise from directly behind on the battlefield.


''What's going on?''


　At last, with a calm voice, Astrid rose from her chair.

　If you look at the face of the one who rushed in, it was unlucky enough to be one of the soldiers serving as tonight's gate guard.

　The reason why I know this is because during the banquet, Astrid personally offered him some meat and drink.

　The soldier's face, which had been flushed with gratitude and emotion at the reception of the duchess' own offering, now turned an earthy color, just like that of the dead.

　The soldier reported in a gasping voice.


'Shh, it's a raid!　The undead monsters that have overflowed from the National Cemetery are attacking houses in droves.　We suspect it will be coming here soon!

...an undead monster?


　Astrid raised an eyebrow at the soldier's words. The bad news was predicted, but its content was unexpected.

　Not only in King's Capital Horus, but also in the cemeteries of large cities, without exception, the cemeteries are warded by temples.

　This is a measure to prevent disturbances caused by necromancy.

　In particular, the warding of the National Cemetery was established by the Temple of the God of Law, which mobilized more than a hundred priests and priestesses to put its prestige on the line. In order to break it, more than a hundred necromancers were needed to break it.

　A different voice flew from beside Astrid, who was pondering on the matter.


''Who has seen the undead?''


　It was Pascal, Lord Dragnaut, who said that. Like a nobleman accustomed to things, he instantly sobered up and asked the soldier for details.


''Ha!　I've heard from an old man who said he escaped from the cemetery, and I've seen it with my own eyes!　Already the main street is overflowing with quite a number of defectors!

"The number of the departed,

'It wasn't a hundred or two. It was at least a thousand or more. If there were to be an overflow of them outside of the main street, the total number might be ten times greater!

Thank you. Hurry back to your posts and tell your men to guard the gate. We'll send reinforcements to you at once.

All right!


　A soldier who saluted ran off at a run.

　By this time, everyone in the Duke's mansion was drunk and waiting for the Duke's orders.

　　Lord Drugnot left the mansion with them and his daughter in tow.

　He thought it was best to check out the outside anyway.

　And the moment he stepped out of his mansion, Lord Drugnoth realized how unusual the situation was.




　The moment he stepped out of his residence, he realized that something was wrong.

　A strong chill and a stench that went bad. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one.

　Astrid frowned and called out to her father, "Father, this is...


'Father, this is....'

It's a spell that has a chilling effect on me. And this smell of death. The enemy is a necromancer.


　The face of Lord Dragnaut is grim as he says this.

　They are the kind of people who play with the dead. There is no doubt that he has a devious plan.

　But even so, this is not an unusual opponent to produce such a strong indication. I'm sure this conviction brought a grimace to the Duke's face.

　But then a voice called out to them from the direction of the mansion, "Father, sister!


'Father, sister!'

Clough!


　Astrid exclaims in surprise.

　As she said, there was her sister who should have been taken in to the room.

　How that sister came here - considering Claudia's character, it was easy to predict.

　Astrid reflexively opened her mouth.


'Klau, you--'

"No more shut-ins at home!　Father may have to go to the palace at once, and your sister may have to go out to defend the city. If that happens, it will be my job to protect the house, right?


　Apparently, the maids in the mansion had told her approximately what was going on, and Claudia had already grasped the situation.

　And that point was correct.

　Lord Dragnoth has a role as a senior vassal and Astrid has a role as a dragon knight.

　The father and the eldest daughter looked at each other unconsciously, finding the same answer on each other's faces, and let out a sigh at the same time without a term.

　Thus, when the Duke and Duchess of Dragnaut arrived at the main gate with all the dukes of Dragnaut, the commotion in the main street was already enough to reach everyone's ears.



　The screams of people and the roars of the departed echoed in the wind. It seemed that there was already a fire, and the red light that scorched the night sky could be seen in many places.

　Fortunately, the scale of the fire was not yet large, but now that the outbreak of the deceased made it difficult to put out the fires, if the sparks of fire spread on the night wind, it could develop into a huge fire that would burn down the royal city.


If the sparks spread in the night wind, it could devastate the city. And the National Cemetery. If the source of the deceased is really that place, then there is a good chance that the chief ringleader is there. We must send troops there as well.


　Lord Drugnoth said, and Astrid gave her approval.


''Yes. ─ Yes, but our troops are not enough. Father will go to the royal palace with his cavalry and ask His Majesty for permission to send his Kingsguard. In the meantime, I will head to the cemetery with my own dragon to find out where the enemy is.

Mm. I'd be very careful. With a technique of this magnitude, there's not one or two of them. Not one or two of them.

Yes, sir. I want you to watch over Crow while I'm gone.

Yes!


　That was when Claudia nodded widely at her sister's words.

　Suddenly, an untimely laugh rang out, startling all present.


''Baboon!　This voice, this presence. This, this is ... well ... you're really getting better.


　Turning back to a somewhat familiar voice, a lone old man holding a biwa was sitting there, leaning against the wall of the Duke's mansion.

　Seeing the old man smiling pleasantly in this situation, Lord Dragnaut and Astrid raised their eyebrows suspiciously.

　The only person who knew the old man's face was Claudia, who called out to him suspiciously.


''Grandfather?　Why are you here?

...Clough. Who is this man?

Well, he's the guy who plays music for the people who died at the National Cemetery.

Song?　Oh, perhaps the old man who escaped from the cemetery that was reported earlier--

That's right, it's about my boy. To be precise, he didn't run away, but attacked us. It was a mistake to let him into the mansion on the assumption that he had escaped, Astrid Dragnaut.


　Saying that, the old man stirred his biwa with his beven. At that moment, Astrid frowned as a strange sound rang in her ears.

　The reason for the frown included a bit of discomfort at being called names by a nameless old man.

　The people who expressed more anger at this rudeness than Astrid were the soldiers of the duke's family who were around. They surrounded the old man with a change of blood.

　But the old man's attitude didn't change, perhaps because he was blind, or perhaps he didn't perceive the soldiers as a threat at all.

　Astrid opened her mouth again, unconsciously putting her hand on the sword at her waist.


'They're here at least - they're attacking us?　Does that mean they attacked you, old man?

Goodbye, goodbye. It is my business to use music to calm the raging gods and to purify the evil spirits that deceive mankind. It is my business to drive the gods of peace into a rage, and to curse the dead who are quietly asleep. The ghosts in King's Landing are all my work.


　At this point, Lord Dragnaut spoke to the old man for the first time.


He said, "You've done nothing wrong. No matter how good you are at using them, you cannot break the wards in the cemetery by yourself. Wandering musicians like you, old man, sometimes speak illogically because of your greed. I am aware of this, but please be careful of the time and place. Ranting at the moment will invite the whip of punishment.

'Baboon!　Warding, warding!　It's true that there was a great curse in it, but it was only created by a continental magician. No matter how many dozens or hundreds of twenty or thirty level monsters there are, they can't block my magic!　My level is seventy-three.

...a madman.

'The baboon!　The Lord of Thunder, Pascal Jim Dragnaut, who sounded like a sound, is just a duck in a well. He neither noticed nor acknowledged the fact that there was someone stronger than him in front of him. For a man of this level of strength, the Canary Kingdom is as lukewarm as hot water!


　It was not Lord Dragnaut who was enraged to hear this, but the soldiers in his service.

　They did not try to cut the old man's withered limbs, but still they had to give him a beating, and a few soldiers brandished their swords with their sheaths.

　The old man's lips were twisted up and he let out a high pitched biwa.

　At that moment.


''Gahhhh!


　The soldiers screamed and fell to the ground, covering their ears.

　The old man clawed his biwa two or three more times, and the soldiers' bodies jumped despite the fact that they were holding their ears.



　This causes Lord Dragnaut and Astrid to move at the same time, seeing the old man as an enemy.

　Astrid's level was thirty-seven, and for Lord Dragnaut, it was a high level, almost reaching fifty. The two men's serious slashes, however, the old man blocked them without any difficulty.


''It's a fortress of no fall--Gagangzhai.''


　It's the earth positive magic equivalent to the eighth circle.

　The slash of the Dragnaught father and daughter was easily repelled by the black wall that appeared to protect the old man.

　A startled look of astonishment escaped the mouths of the Dragnaught fathers and daughters.


''Wha........magic from the eighth circle?

And that's not even skipping the chanting...

'Baboon, what did I tell you?　In front of Unura is a man who is stronger than Unura. Even if you bring your prized dragon with you, you will not be able to hurt me.


　He said, and the old man began to play his biwa violently.

　The old man played as if he was trying to tear out the strings.

　In what could be described as a gentler voice, the old man said to everyone present, "This is a requiem for Unura.


This is a requiem for Unura. This is a requiem for Unura, a gift from me, a souvenir of death. Enjoy it to your heart's content.


　--Cry out, Gozen, Shizuka (death mound).