Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 57: First Encounter with the Undead
[Hey hey, I just shared some outdated tech from my side. Don’t forget, you’ve done far more for Bianshu Town. Compared to your efforts, my help is insignificant—and I was selfish too. I only did it so I could study your world more easily.]
To Winston, Owen was the only connection he had to this magical world. Helping him didn’t feel like a big deal—at most, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
[That might be true for you, but to us, your help is incredibly precious.]
Owen replied.
[Alright then, I’ll accept your thanks.]
Winston said, no longer pretending to be modest.
Suddenly, a shout rang out nearby.
“Movement spotted! Over there—look!”
One of the scouts raised his arm, pointing off into the distance and shouting urgently.
[Undead?!]
Winston’s voice sparked with excitement in Owen’s mind.
That’s way too early, Owen thought, frowning.
“Where?”
Owen took a few quick steps forward, placing his hands on the battlement and following the scout’s gaze.
Out in the wasteland, a small dark figure could be seen moving slowly toward the city walls.
Just one?
“My Lord.”
The nervous scout asked cautiously.
“Should we blow the horn?”
Clearly, this young scout had never encountered the undead before. Lacking experience, he was panicked and unsure of what to do.
“Follow the protocol from the drill.”
Owen replied calmly.
“You should already know whether or not the horn is necessary.”
After hesitating a moment, the scout quickly ran toward the nearest tower.
Soon, he returned with a knight in tow, pointing to where he had spotted the figure and explaining the situation. The knight immediately loaded his crossbow and stepped forward to observe the shadow’s movements more closely.
Owen nodded in approval. For such a small number, the knights were perfectly capable of handling it. The real test would be seeing if the rest of the troops could follow the drill and rush to the wall if a horn ever was needed.
As the dark figure drew nearer—about a hundred meters from the wall—Owen could finally make out its appearance.
It was a humanoid skeleton, with scraps of tattered cloth clinging to its frame. Its empty, black eye sockets were fixed on the people atop the wall as it slowly raised its bony arms and jogged forward.
By this time, Viscount Jarvis had likely received word and brought along Lusha to observe.
Considering the lizardmen had only heard rumors of the undead but had never seen them, it was important that their chief personally witness the kind of enemy they’d be facing this winter.
“That’s an undead monster? Looks weak as hell.”
Lusha scoffed without a trace of restraint.
“It is weak. That one’s just an undead soldier—the lowest tier of undead.”
Mapel said, standing nearby.
“One on its own isn’t a big deal. The real problem is when they move in groups. You can break its body apart easily, but it’ll take a while to reform. The best way to finish one off is by smashing its head to destroy the magic core inside.”
“Looks like this one got separated from the main horde.”
Viscount Jarvis added.
A moment later, the undead soldier reached the base of the wall. It lifted its skull, extended two skeletal hands, and began scraping at the stone, seemingly attempting to climb up and attack.
The knight atop the wall raised his crossbow, aimed carefully, and fired an arrow.
At such close range, there was no chance of missing. The arrow struck the undead creature squarely in the head, piercing through the skull and pinning it firmly to the ground. Its skeletal body instantly collapsed into a heap of bones.
A cold northern wind blew, carrying off a tattered scrap of cloth that had been draped over the bones.
[Useless skeleton soldier.]
Winston remarked.
At Dongsheng Fortress, Captain Bray Geger of the Second Order of the Holy Knights stood atop the northern wall, gazing off into the distance.
For over a month, they had been making preparations—similar to what they’d done at Bianshu Town in the past. Barriers were placed beyond the wall to guide enemies, adventurers were recruited to help with the defense, and knights and soldiers were stationed on the wall to watch for movements from the north.
Duke Eddie had handed over full command of military operations to Bray, while he himself stayed cozy in the warm castle to wait out the winter.
The river route heading north had been completely sealed off. Before that, countless cargo ships had passed through daily.
According to Duke Eddie, the ships were full of civilians from Bianshu Town, all of whom were being safely relocated—so the Holy Knights could focus solely on preparing for war, without worrying about other matters.
However, Bray had noticed something odd. Few ships ever stopped at Dongsheng Fortress, and the people on board were surprisingly few. It didn’t quite add up.
Still, the Duke had assured him he was handling matters in Bianshu Town, and it was true that many refugees from there had shown up recently.
Strange as it seemed, Bray simply did as he was told.
“Captain!”
A squadmate approached and leaned casually on the wall across from Brey.
“What is it?”
Bray asked.
“Don’t you think this Duke of Dongsheng Fortress is a lot worse than the Marquis of Bianshu Town?”
At that, Bray quickly glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he glared at the man.
“This is Duke Eddie’s territory. Even if we’re Holy Knights, we must be careful what we say.”
“Oh!”
Realizing his mistake, the man covered his mouth, then continued in a whisper.
“But seriously, Captain… look at Duke Eddie. All he does is party in his castle. He hasn’t checked on our defenses once. Back in Bianshu Town, Marquis Eisen used to inspect the northern wall almost every day during undead season.”
“That Marquis Eisen passed away last year.”
Brey reminded him.
“His son has inherited the title and the territory of Border Town.”
“Ah! I didn’t mean to disrespect the dead.”
Last year, it had been the Third Order of the Holy Knights who were dispatched to assist Border Town; the Second Order, Brey’s unit, had been stationed at Red Sand Fortress at the time.
Even now, some knights mistakenly thought Marquis Belik Eisen was still the lord of Border Town.
“So what’s the new Marquis like? Do you know, Captain?”
Brey thought for a moment and replied,
“I’ve heard he’s a very selfish and self-serving lord.”
“Really?”
The knight looked skeptical.
“The late Marquis Eisen was such an upright and brave man. Would he really raise a son like that? Maybe he spoiled him? But I don’t think he was the type to do that. Who told you this?”
“Duke Eddie told me. And a baron from Bianshu Town backed up his claim.”
“Huh. But… what if Duke Eddie’s lying? What if that baron was just playing along?”
Why would the Duke lie? After all, the undead were enemies of all mankind—especially of the Kingdom of Dawn, which suffered their southern invasions every winter. Surely, everyone should be united against such a threat and work to minimize casualties.
“Impossible.”
Brey said, shaking his head.
“He’s still a Duke of Dongsheng Fortress. He must understand that stopping the undead invasion is a top national priority.”
“Alright, if you say so…”
The knight shrugged and turned his gaze northward.
“I wonder how long we’ll have to wait here this winter before the first wave of undead shows up.”