The Villainess and I, her Zombie

Their carriage passed through the village that Cranberry and Zombie interrogated a member of the Envy family during the first playthrough as if it was nothing and hurried towards the one known entrance to the Great northern forest.

|Huh... it doesn't look very abandoned yet.|

Zombie noticed, looking at the house in which they first learned about the presence of the administrators.

|Hey, Patience, so there really is no administrators left in this world now...?|

He posed a question inside his mind, looking up as if he was trying to glance at the overseer locked behind a seal inside of him.

|That's right. The only things that remain are the monsters known as the physical remnants. Like the phoenix, you and your villainess had fought and got rid off.|

Patience's voice made it sound as if she nodded, but her answer wasn't as simple as it seemed.

|Monsters you say... Did all administrators leave the remnant somewhere in the world?|

"...?"

The boy tilted his head and his hand momentarily stopped caressing Kopia's head, causing the crimson-haired girl to look up at him expectantly.

|Yes, they all did.|

Patience confirmed.

|Even you?|

Zombie furrowed his brows and pressed further.

|...|

Patience sounded as if she hesitated for a moment before answering.

|Yes, in our current playthrough the physical remnant of the god of wisdom, Patience, does exist in this world. It needs to since I wasn't originally a part of the world and was merely adapted to fit in by my creator. Very poorly adapted, but still.|

|Is there a chance for us to fight any of them? I don't seem to possess any memory about any event that requires their presence.|

Zombie's curiosity was piqued.

|A chance, and not a need, huh... well... maybe. If you will be nice to me, I'll tell you when you will be strong enough to have a chance with the remnants and guide you to them.|

|You promise?|

|Yeah, I promise.|

"Mister dwarf! We're here!"

The voice of Zombie's current employer interrupted the conversation inside Zombie's head and knocked on the carriage's door.

"Tsk...!"

Zombie clicked his tongue and frowned.

"Master, I can cut that human down for you if he makes you angry!"

Kopia hurriedly got up after using Zombie's lap as a pillow for the entire ride and exclaimed in a spirited voice while clenching her fists ready for a fight.

"Pfff...! Khahahaha!"

Zombie stared at her for a second before busting out into cheerful laughter.

"Nah. It won't be necessary, at least not right now. But thanks for the thought."

The boy shook his head while raising his hand to mess with Kopia's crimson hair.

"It's better for us to see what that guy is planning first. I'm quite curious which option it really is – or maybe he had prepared something even more surprising than we've expected him to!"

Zombie cackled before getting out of the carriage, while still connected to Kopia by a few strands of crimson red hair coiled around his right arm, and Kopia herself followed him outside right after.

The entrance to the forest was nothing special, just that the trees weren't as thick or tall as the ones further in, allowing for the occasional rays of light to pierce through their crowns.

The only other being in the area aside from Zombie and Kopia – and the two monster horses that pulled the carriage all the way there – was the plump man, Jackfruit Green himself.

It really didn't look like there was anyone waiting for them there.

|I really don't get it... Olive is the one protecting the elven village, right? Like, what does this guy think that he can do? Or were we wrong about the true purpose after all...?|

Zombie furrowed his brows and thought to himself.

|I'm honestly not sure. This isn't a part of any trivia that was ever accessible to me.|

Even Patience had to give up on the odd situation.

"Mister dwarf. Come with me for a moment, I need to discuss something with you, alone, if that's alright."

Suddenly Jackfruit waved at Zombie and walked behind the carriage.

"Huh...? Well, that's odd."

The boy furrowed his brows, but then shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

|That human is suspicious... Your level might not be bad for a beginner adventurer, but you're not raising your stats which makes you susceptible for surprise attacks and Kopia isn't very smart – stay on your guard.|

Patience warned the boy, sounding as if the whole situation wasn't to her liking.

"Hey! You're mean!"

"Shhh."

Kopia pouted but was pacified by Zombie putting a finger up to his lips.

|Yeah... I agree... Now that I think about it... I'm sure that I told the guild staff member that I will be taking this mission alone. Why didn't Jackfruit say anything when both Kopia and I showed up... Something is off.|

Zombie silently nodded to Patience's words and grabbed Kopia's hand.

"I know I've said that you can travel with me in your humanoid form, but I need you to turn into a sword for a moment."

He said to Kopia in a hushed voice after making sure that their suspicious employer walked behind the carriage and was waiting for him there.

"No problem, master!"

Kopia only smiled brightly, and her body flashed with white light for a split second – the next moment, Zombie was already holding a simple one-handed short sword in his right hand and there was no trace of the short girl anyway – aside from the few strands of crimson hair sprouting from the sword's pommel and wrapping around Zombie's arm.

"Good girl."

The boy nodded and sheathed the weapon.

"Mister dwarf?"

"Don't worry, I'm going already, human."

Jackfruit called out and it looked like he was about to go check to see what is taking the supposed dwarf so long, but Zombie was slightly faster and made sure that the man didn't notice Kopia's 'dissaperance'.

"Ah, good."

As soon as Zombie walked over to him, Jackfruit's wide face brightened up with a smile, and the man nodded with satisfaction.

"Yes, the more I look at you, mister dwarf, the more I am satisfied with the adventurer's guild fulfilling my request."

The man said.

|His request...?|

Patience sound as if she frowned.|

"Your request?"

Zombie furrowed his brows, echoing Patience's question.

"Yes."

Jackfruit nodded.

"I asked them to get me the most innocent-looking adventurer that they can – and here you are!"

He laughed and clapped his hands, brimming with joy.

"Don't take it the wrong way mister dwarf, but without a beard, you look like a very young human child – and that is exactly what I need to lead out my merchandise..."

Jackfruit's smile turned sinister.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Zombie responded with a similar smirk, raising his brow with interest.