In the royal capital of the Kingdom of Sacrifice, the city of Selephis, Third Princess and Brenda sat together in the princess's chambers, leisurely enjoying afternoon tea.
Ever since they had returned to report news of the undead invasion, the kingdom's entire army had been placed on high alert. After all, from Cypher City heading north led straight to Selephis itself.
The upper nobles were taking no chances. They feared that the Kingdom of Sacrifice might soon share the same fate as the Free Nation.
But the undead never marched toward the capital.
One group had stopped on the open plains northwest of Bloom City, while another surged into the Mandrake Duchy, clashing head-on with the beastmen.
Rumor had it the undead even smashed through the beastmen's legions and advanced directly into Mandrake Territory.
The kingdom's high officials had sighed in relief at that.
As long as the undead weren't attacking them, it didn't matter who else suffered.
Besides, the Mandrake lands—ravaged and weakened by the beastmen—were worth far less than the rich heartlands of the kingdom.
No one had the slightest intention of coming to Duke Mandrake's aid.
They even concealed the truth from Lady Brenda, the duke's second daughter.
But in the days since she had taken up residence in the princess's palace, Brenda had begun to sense something was wrong—through servants' gossip, through the nobles' attitudes toward her.
A deep unease about her homeland had taken root in her heart.
All the same, with information sealed off, she had no way to learn what was really happening in Mandrake Territory.
The third princess sighed softly, watching Brenda's distracted expression.
She knew exactly what the girl was worrying about—though she herself was hiding the truth as well.
Brenda was the candidate she had chosen. She didn't want her to rush back home to die.
And if the rest of House Mandrake perished? All the better.
Without the old duke in the way, Brenda's rise would be that much smoother.
Still, a little comfort cost nothing. After all, Brenda was a valuable subordinate.
"Brenda, you don't need to worry so much," the princess said kindly.
"Mandrake City has tall, sturdy walls. Even if some undead have appeared nearby, they can easily be held off."
"You say that…"
Brenda stared blankly into her teacup.
"But I can't shake a bad feeling."
"A bad feeling? You've probably just been sleeping poorly."
The princess smiled gently and went on soothingly,
"Don't fret. Once winter passes, the kingdom will begin a full-scale purge of the undead. You'll be able to return to Mandrake Territory then."
"I hope so…"
Brenda sighed and lifted her cup to take a sip—but paused.
The surface of the tea was rippling in widening circles.
She blinked in confusion, then gave a weak laugh.
"I really am exhausted. My hands are shaking so much I can't even hold a cup steady."
But even as she spoke, the cup trembled harder.
The princess noticed too. Both women's faces tightened as they looked at the rippling tea. An ominous feeling rose in their chests.
Then, before they could react, the window before them flared—
a violet pillar of light speared into the heavens in the distance.
"That direction… it's the Snowveil Duchy."
The princess's tone turned grim.
Brenda frowned, her eyes narrowing.
"The wind is carrying something foul—corruption, malice. Something terrible has happened in Snowveil."
"Perhaps."
The princess shook her head helplessly.
"But Snowveil Duchy fell months ago. Whatever happens there now… is beyond our knowing."
Her words had barely left her mouth when a second crimson-violet pillar rose in the far north.
Then a third.
And they were getting closer to Selephis.
"Wait—the pillars… they're moving this way!"
The princess shot to her feet, staring out the window.
All across the city, people who saw the pillars felt the same dread.
What if the next one erupted inside the capital itself?
Men clenched their fists and held their wives close, steeling themselves for death.
Mothers hugged sleeping children tight, their eyes full of silent good-byes.
Families clung together instinctively, as if physical closeness might spare them from loneliness on the road to the underworld.
And then—under the city's collective, trembling gaze—
a fourth pillar rose, illuminating the sky.
A sigh of relief swept through Selephis.
The new pillar hadn't appeared within the city, but in the forest just beyond its walls.
"We… we're still alive?"
The princess and Brenda exchanged looks, both overwhelmed by the feeling of having narrowly escaped death.
Only then did they notice that their teacups had already spilled half their contents during the tremors. Their skirts were soaked through.
Meanwhile, far away, the Third Prince of the kingdom—who had fled toward the Free Nation—dragged himself out of a muddy pit, caked head to toe in filth.
He glanced around warily with bright, nervous eyes before exhaling in relief.
To escape the undead swarming Mandrake Territory, he had endured days that hardly seemed fit for a human being.
He had slept in pigsties, burrowed into haystacks, and—just now—spent an entire day and night hiding in a mud pit to avoid a passing undead troop.
He had never known hardship like this.
His rations and water had been lost long ago.
Even his loyal guards had perished one by one, covering his retreat.
Now, Duke Ducane felt utterly adrift.
Had fleeing Golden City really been the right decision?
Most of the undead he had seen weren't heading toward the city at all.
Instead, they were all converging west—toward the Mandrake River.
Maybe his assumptions had been wrong.
Maybe Golden City hadn't been attacked. Maybe there had been no two-front siege at all.
But as that thought crossed his mind, a pillar of violet-red light burst into the sky.
Even from this distance, just one glance filled him with visceral disgust.
He knew instinctively—whatever that was, it was evil.
Then came a second pillar.
A third.
A fourth.
And when the fifth pillar ignited—his pupils contracted sharply.
Because it was rising from the direction of Golden City.
At once, the prince spun on his heel and ran, not daring to look back.
"Damn it… cursed place. You can't survive in Mandrake Territory anymore!"