The office was already in the middle of chaos when the party "Dawn Bell" visited the guardhouse.

"Hey mister. I thought you might be missing my face by now, so I'm here.
"Oh, Eladio!　Welcome aboard!

　The warrior Eladio called out, and Manfred, the captain of the guard, greeted the four adventurers with a show of gratitude.

　"The Bell of Dawn is a party of Adept adventurers based in Teiralare, the royal capital of Ciel-Teira. The party is led by Eladio, a fighter, and consists of a thief, a priest, and a wizard. It would be ideal to have both a priest and a wizard, but it was difficult to achieve since it was very rare to have someone who could use magic at a level that would allow him to be a viable adventurer.

　"The Dawn Bell is not only a skilled adventurer, but also has a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness.
　He has been asked by the guards to assist in criminal investigations, and has even taken down violent criminals that the guards could not defeat.

I heard there were undead in the area.
Yes, that's right. Apparently, some of the executed men became undead.
There's a wide range of undead. What did they find?　I even heard some stupid rumor about a Dullahan.

　Pierre said with a look of disgust on his face.
　Pierre, a Thief, is the youngest, just over 20. He is the youngest thief, just over 20. He is a goody-two-shoes who acts like a jerk to his superiors and elders, but he is good at what he does, and he only listens to Eladio.

I don't know. I don't know. I'm still confused. ......
It's so boring.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

"There was a knight on the scene, wasn't there? Can't you at least kill one of the undead?
I'm sure they could, but ...... there's no word on whether they escaped unharmed.
You're a knight, after all. There's no undead strong enough to reap them .......

　Eladio crossed his arms and pondered.

"What do you think, old man?
"Well, well, .......

　An old man with a white beard, holding a long staff and wearing a high hat, nods his head.
　A wizard. Real name unknown. He calls himself by many other names. Not even Eladio knows his name. He seems like a good-natured old man, but he's not who he seems to be. But to Eladio, he has been a friend for ten years and a valued companion.

It's hard to believe that such powerful undead could spontaneously emerge from an executed corpse,......, but it's possible that some kind of curse was planted in the corpse beforehand. It's the fault of the Knights for executing him without noticing.

　The old man was unusually harsh and condescending.

I understand. So it's not surprising that there is.
"Hmm, but Dullahan is at most a fifth level adept, so we should be able to get there.
Well, if you're ......, let's just assume that Dullahan is out there and act accordingly. Okay?
Mm-hmm.
Yes.

　The last person to respond was Vyssa, a priest. He is a priest in the service of the god of the hearth, with thread-like eyes and a sober appearance.
　Although he wears vestments, he is a man with the physique of a fighter, and his mace-like staff can be used as a bludgeoning weapon. It is especially effective against the undead, and with Vyssa's power, he can destroy about two dozen skeletons without magic.

"Wretched one, who even in death cannot rest in the bosom of the gods. It must be destroyed as soon as possible so that it will not suffer any longer.

　Vyssa said, as serious as she looked.
　The undead are often thought of as objects to be hated and destroyed (even by the clergy), but to a reasonable person like Vissas, they are to be pitied.

Whatever the problem, there's a panic. People running for their lives are folding and collapsing, and even if the demons aren't doing anything, there are casualties.

　Manfred looked vulnerable.
　No matter how hard the guards tried to stop them, they were no match for the panicked crowd. The demon alone is a threat, and it would be unbearable for people to die because of it.

"Hmm. It's impossible to cast it on everyone in the city, but if I come across one, I'll cast Callum on it at random.
"Good luck, old man.

　As Eladio said this, one of the guards came running into the office.

We have a location, sir!　West Avenue!
All right!　All right! I'll lead the elite into battle. Eladio, sorry to postpone your payment as usual, but ......
Don't worry about it. But if it's Dullahan, play the reward!
Sure.

　Manfred hurriedly left to call his men.

"...... Execution, yes. What do you think of this today?

　I'm not sure what to make of that.
　The way he said it, without asking anyone, was meant for everyone.

It's barbaric. I wonder if it was necessary to go this far.



　Vissa condemned it outright. His belief in the goodness and justice of humanity should not have been allowed to happen.

Is that so?　I guess it's outrageous or not outrageous.
　Everyone had their own feelings about the Union and the Unionist king. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

　Vissas and Eladio are drifters, the old man is of unknown origin, but Pierre was born in this country.
　Pierre smiled sarcastically with his hands folded behind his head.

"You two are not even soldiers.
"Same old, same old. So what about all those people who were picked up by the Federation and suffered so miserably? How many have died?　And all the while, they've been living off the government's dime. ......
You think you know ......
Come on, old man. That's enough, Pierre.

　Eladio admonished the old man. Eladio admonished him. The old man was more emotional than ever today.

I'm not so much worried about today's incident as I am about whether we can keep our jobs. For example, I don't want Manfred's head to be cut off because he's an official from the previous king's time.
That's true, but I don't think that's going to happen.

　Eladio cautiously avoided expressing his own opinion on the execution.
　It was Eladio's opinion that it was not advisable for the leader to take sides when there was a difference of opinion among the members.

　Eladio was relieved when Manfred came back just then.

"Thanks for waiting. I'm counting on you, .......
"Yeah.

　They exchanged a few words and clapped their fists together.

　I'm sorry.

　Through the screams of the city, the elite of the guards and the Dawn Bell raced.

There he is!

　The guards ahead of them shouted.

　Ahead of them, at an intersection, a large number of people were lying dead. Some torn, some charred.
　In the center of it all stood a girl.
　No, I don't know if I'd call her a girl.

　Beautiful silver hair, silver eyes. Skin like the petals of a white rose, a Ciel-Teira specialty.
　Her body was wrapped in rags like a cloak, on which was inscribed a rose emblem that seemed to have been drawn in human blood.
　In her right hand she held a bright red sword that looked like it had been pressed with blood, and in her left she held her own neck.

"Hey, seriously, Dullahan? ......!
"Oh ......!

　Pierre swore, and the old man sounded impressed.

"Consecration!

　Vissas uses sacred magic. As light radiated from the tin wand, everyone's equipment began to glow with a faint light.

"All right, boys!　We're good to go!
　Your swords, blessed by the gods, will slay any undead, and your shields and armor will keep them at bay!　Don't be afraid!　If you show your backs, you'll be in danger!　Worst case scenario, you'll have to hold out until the Knights are dispatched!
"Yes!

　As Eladio encouraged, the guards around him responded.
　They had already drawn their swords and were slashing at the undead girl.

"Come on!

　Manfred took the lead.
　He was a captain of the royal guard, and would have been a fifth-grade adept if he were an adventurer. He usually works at a desk or investigates crimes, but when it comes to rough stuff, he is second to none, even among experienced adventurers.

　But...

"What ......?

　Eladio couldn't believe what was happening in front of him.

　The moment the girl swung her crimson blade in a dance.
　Like a bundle of straw used for sword practice, Manfred had been sliced clean off.
　Manfred's sword, shield, armor, and body were all sliced through without any resistance.

　The next two or three were torn to pieces, and the surviving guards moved away.

"Vissas!　Are you sure the Consecration is on?
It's on!　But ...... why?

　Vyssa shouts back, looking confused.

　≪It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　As Eladio said, armor that has been blessed is highly effective against the undead.
　It was supposed to be impervious to undead attacks and make it easier for the blade to penetrate hard opponents.

　Of course, if your opponent is too high level, you will be pierced with more attack power than your defense. ......

　--But wait!　It's not like you're a vigilante in the countryside, you've got the proper equipment even without the consecration.　I'm not sure what kind of weapon is going to penetrate that!

I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.



　Vyssa unleashed a divine magic attack.
　From the tin wand, arrows of light were created, branching out and rushing towards the girl's undead.
　A useful magic attack. Effective against demons, even more effective against undead.
　But the girl glanced at it and took it ...... completely unprotected.

　The light flashed.
　The cloak-like rag was pierced and further tattered.
　Beneath it, the girl's skin, like flower petals, burned.
　But it was reborn as if time had turned back.

"Nonsense!
"This much damage is no problem. ......

　The girl stroked her body as if confirming something.
　It's not uncommon for undead to have the ability to regenerate. But to take a direct hit from divine magic and remain unconcerned? It's not damaged enough to begin with.

　--Oh my god. ......!　What kind of level of undead is this?

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

I'm not sure what to say.

　A number of dark-colored thunderbolts shot out from the girl's arms.

　When he thought, the dark lightning struck Vissas.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Only Eladio, who was too late due to his heavy armor, and the old man, who had fallen back, were out of range and safe.

I'm not sure what to do.
Oh, my God!

　Both of them collapsed after scratching their whole bodies in agony.
　With anguish plastered on their faces and the whites of their eyes peeled back, they were done for.

　At the same time, there were several screams.
　The lightning that had branched out in the air had struck the guards and killed them as well.

Hmmm, I can still kill them. You can still kill them with this. You can also use low grade magic to save energy while fighting.

　The girl's carefree evaluation of her own actions was terrifying to Eladio.

　≪I'm not sure what to do.
　Eladio knows its magic. It's a spell that causes extreme pain through the power of a curse. The pain is so great that even Eladio cries out, and it's on my personal list of spells I'd rather not have again.
　However, its main purpose is to limit your actions through pain. I don't know how much magic power is needed to inflict such pain that you die of shock in an instant.

　--d*mn it. ......!　Pierre!　Vissa! ......!

　I'm sure you've heard of it.
　Eladio's never heard of such a thing.

Can you think of any Dullahan that uses magic? Maybe a higher species.

　Eladio asks, keeping an eye on the girl as she approaches him step by step, sword at the ready.
　No answer.

"...... old man?
"Your mother's likeness. You've become beautiful. I pity you, old man.

　The old man stepped forward with his staff at the ready. The girl never stops moving.

"...... Rene. Please rest in peace!　≪"Cleanse Fire!

　The old man's staff blew fire.
　≪I'm not a fan. It's a high-level fire elemental magic that is highly effective against undead and other impure things and can even damage spirits.
　A huge flame that seems to have been created with as much magic power as you can possibly put into it fills your field of vision and rushes towards the girl's undead.

　But.

"Ice Storm!
Aaaaah!
Jijii!

　The flames were easily consumed and blown away by the freezing storm of ice and debris.
　The ice magic that was blown at the old man in a fit of pique tore his five bodies apart and turned them into icy mincemeat.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to use it. ......
　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.　The earth attribute seems to have a lot of physical-like magic, so it's a little hard to cancel it out with wind.
　There is also sandstorm magic, but I don't know what the theory behind that is. ......

　Muttering to herself, the girl was analyzing her battle.
　It was too leisurely an attitude on the battlefield, but it was just the comfort of a strong man.

"Well. This guy's got some good gear, but can he cut it properly?
"Hee!

　The girl looked at Eladio, who was finally alone.
　Holding his head in one hand and a bloody sword in the other, she was coming towards him.
　Eladio shivered as he had when he first encountered the goblin in his early days as an adventurer.

"No, showing your back is more dangerous than ...... showing your back is more dangerous than .......

　Eladio was repeating his own words as if they were an incantation.
　A scarlet, flashing light.



"Back ......, front ......, middle .......
"Okay, perfect.

　A froth of blood spilled from Eladio's mouth. In an instant, the girl had stepped close to Eladio and plunged her sword deep into him.
　After piercing through the orichalcone armor and skewering Eladio's stomach, the girl swung the red sword upward without any resistance and cut Eladio in half.