Chapter 4: A Graveyard’s Secrets and the Saintess’s Arrival

Though she had resolved to become an Undead Standard-Bearer, Eve did not impulsively abandon her coffin. The situation outside remained unknown, and a cautious approach was always the wisest.

After patiently waiting for some time, and receiving no further system prompts, Eve cautiously extended a hand to touch the coffin lid.

[Do you wish to leave the Novice Village Protection Zone?]

Eve drew a deep breath, her gaze hardening with resolve.

Just moments before, she had weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

While night was the dominion of the undead, day was not. Sunlight, though not lethal, would significantly diminish their mobility.

This meant the undead outside would pose no threat to her. But there was a crucial caveat!

Her own race was also undead!

During the day, the active entities would be living beings, not the undead.

Eve distinctly remembered this was a graveyard, and by then, humans would surely arrive.

If people discovered a large number of undead emerging from this graveyard, they would undoubtedly dispatch forces to exterminate them without a second thought.

How could the weakened undead possibly contend with humans in broad daylight?

Therefore, the chances of survival were distinctly higher if she were to contend with a brainless horde of undead rather than cunning, sentient humans.

With unwavering resolve, Eve nodded and declared, “Yes!”

Just as before, with the utterance of her word, the coffin lid flew open with a resounding thud.

At that instant, Eve scrambled out of the coffin and began to sprint wildly outward.

The positive boost from her recent upgrade had transformed the ‘Weakened’ status in her profile into ‘Excited’.

“The sound has already drawn the attention of the surrounding undead. I need to quickly find the quest item, and then… and then…”

“Huh?”

Still murmuring her expectations for this venture to herself, Eve involuntarily slowed her pace.

The number of undead in the graveyard far exceeded her wildest expectations. Their predatory, crimson eyes glowed like fireflies in the darkness, a multitude so vast it was despair-inducing.

Especially when every single pair of those eyes turned to stare directly at her.

In that moment, Eve felt her heart plummet.

‘Well, my heart is technically already cold anyway…’

Yet, the anticipated scene of countless undead swarming and pouncing on her did not materialize. The wandering ghouls merely turned their heads, opened their drooling mouths to emit unconscious “Ah-bah, ah-bah” sounds, and then resumed their aimless wandering.

Once the undead averted their gaze, Eve’s body went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground, clutching her chest and gasping for air, still shaken.

“Hah… hah… So, they won’t attack me after all…”

‘Right, we’re all undead. We’re all kindred spirits…’

Eve turned her head to look at the coffin she had emerged from nearby, then at the lid that had flown off. A wave of relief, coupled with a shiver of dread, washed over her.

Had the undead been hostile, the brief moment she was stunned by their collective gaze would have been enough for countless ghouls to swarm her from all sides, making escape impossible, let alone returning to the coffin.

“I was careless. I should have considered the worst-case scenario…”

Eve rose from the ground, dusting off her skirt, and silently committed the lesson to memory.

After that fright, Eve no longer had the inclination to ponder why the undead weren’t attacking her. All she wanted was to quickly gather the necessary items, complete her class advancement quest, and retreat to her safe little home to calm her racing heart.

She lifted her gaze to survey her surroundings and quickly spotted her first objective for this journey.

In the center square of the graveyard stood a conspicuous, straight flagpole. Yet, with no wind tonight, the flag itself drooped listlessly.

“A flag! Here it is!”

Eve’s eyes lit up, and she hastened towards the center.

****

At the gates of Yarokan City, the scene was brightly lit.

An army of white horses and silver lances approached the city walls. The silver-armored knight leading the charge, astride his horse, bore a long banner emblazoned with a six-winged angel. He now looked down upon the smiling, middle-aged man before him.

Xien Wells was the Lord of Yarokan City. Though he was the sole authority within his city-state, before this army of the Holy See, he amounted to less than nothing.

“Esteemed members of the Holy See, may I inquire if there is some matter that brings you suddenly to our borderlands in the dead of night?”

Yarokan City was a border city-state of the kingdom; ordinarily, a Holy See contingent would not be seen here even once in several centuries.

Now, a fully armed Holy See army had arrived with such an imposing display, making it difficult for Xien not to suspect that some heinous criminal from a wanted list had secretly infiltrated his small city.

The silver-armored knight dismounted, performed a knight’s salute, and spoke in a muffled voice through his helmet, “Lord Wells, please do not be alarmed. Our journey this time is not to execute judgment or uphold justice, but to escort Her Royal Highness, the Saintess.”

“The… the Saintess?!”

Upon hearing that title, Xien’s mind suddenly buzzed. Only then did he notice the luxurious carriage at the very heart of the army.

The Saintess of the Holy See was the most potent Light Mage on the entire continent, having once served as a cleric in the former Hero’s party and participated in the subjugation of the previous Demon King!

Her power was beyond question!

“My sincerest apologies for not having perceived Her Royal Highness the Saintess’s arrival!”

“I, Xien Wells, beg your forgiveness!”

Xien hastily knelt towards the carriage, prostrating himself to show his utmost respect.

Just then, an ethereal maiden’s voice drifted from within the carriage: “Is your surname Wells?”

“Yes, esteemed Saintess, I am the fourth son of the Wells family.”

“The current fourth son, you say…”

Inside the carriage, the maiden murmured to herself, then quickly asked again, “Since you are from Duke Wells’s family, have you ever heard the name Eve Wells?”

Xien, still kneeling on one knee, felt a flicker of confusion at the Saintess’s question, but he quickly searched his memory and replied truthfully, “My apologies, Saintess, but I do not recall anyone named Eve within our family.”

“…”

The air suddenly fell silent. Just as Xien began to wonder if he had misspoken, the maiden’s voice softly echoed once more.

“Is that so…”

“I understand. Thank you for your answer, Lord Xien.”

“Furthermore, you need not be so apprehensive. My visit to Yarokan City this time is merely to investigate some past matters. I will be temporarily staying within your territory for these next few days, and I may require your assistance, Lord Xien.”

Xien nodded profusely, exclaiming with excitement, “Of course! It would be my honor to assist you, Saintess!”

“I will arrange the finest accommodations for you, and I will also ensure suitable resting quarters are found for all the warriors!”

As for why the Saintess would journey to this remote corner of the border, or her previous inquiries, he no longer bothered to ponder them.

The thoughts of such an eminent figure were beyond the comprehension of a minor lord like himself; he simply needed to comply with the instructions of these great personages.