The Villainess and I, her Zombie

"..."

The black wolf refused to further comment on the matter, no matter how much Mary pressed him to do so.

"Haa... We can do something about it later – you all need to get out of here – I'll contact Baron and tell him to get the rest of Zombie's subject and help me stop this mess."

Cranberry waved her hand dismissively at the brown-haired girl glaring at her familiar.

"Huh? What about Blueberry? You made her stay with Baron while we were supposed to escape."

The blond prince pointed out with surprise.

"Nothing, the rest of them can protect her better than I could, even with the werewolves' attack."

The red-haired girl shrugged her shoulders and her eyes started glowing white.

"(Baron! Wake everyone up! We're under attack!)"

She sent out a message to the red dragon back in the cozy cave next to the Prides mansion that Olive and Mirabelle made for him the last time they came to visit their daughter.

"(Sorry. There's nothing we can do.)"

"HA...?!"

"Wha... what did he say...?"

The answer came instantly – it was a direct telepathic message so Roan and Mary looked at each other in confusion witnessing Cranberry's reaction.

"He said no..."

She explained, utterly shocked.

"Eh?! Why?!"

Mary gasped and asked in disbelief.

"(Why?!)"

Cranberry forwarded the question since it was exactly what she wanted to know too.

"(Kopia told us that we can't mess with this event because it has nothing to do with us – don't worry, I'll at least keep your pigeon safe.)"

Baron sounded as if he wasn't completely fine with the sentient sword's decision, but at the same time, it was clear that he will not go against her.

At least he was willing to keep Blueberry out of harm's way...

"(Come on! Can you at least wake everyone up?! They will die!)"

Cranberry clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white and asked, biting her lips so hard that she drew blood.

"(...)"

But only a hesitant silence responded to her.

"(Please! Baron!)"

Cranberry cried out, but the answer still did not arrive.

"And...?"

Roan gulped down his saliva and asked in a hushed voice.

"...you three should just run away. It's a backstory event for my family, and there's no reason for you to risk staying here."

The red-haired girl said, wiping the smudge of blood from her chin and turning away.

"Raor!"

"...?"

The black wolf barked in a rather serious manner, making her glance at him questioningly.

"Arion is right! We will not leave you in this time of need!"

Mary clenched her fists and declared with a steel gaze.

"Exactly."

Roan nodded, reaching for the massive sword... that wasn't on his back since he did not take it, as the visit wasn't supposed to encompass any combat situation, even the training one.

"...though maybe you should use the telepathy and contact your elven parents?"

He added looking slightly more concerned than before.

"...haa... You are severely overestimating on what distance I can use it..."

Cranberry glanced at him and breathed out shaking her head.

"...not to mention that it was the first thing that I tried after this weird backstory quest popped up..."

She added in a much more concerned voice.

"...oh..."

The blond prince flinched and looked away awkwardly.

"Anyway. We should..."

"GHRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!"

Roan was about to say when a deafening heaven-and-earth-splitting roar tore through the air, so incredibly loud that every living being in the area felt it reverberating through their bodies.

"Baron! He did help!"

As soon as the horrifying roar subdued, Cranberry straightened her back and cheered.

"Since you want to stay, let's go!"

She added, waving at her friends and they all rushed back towards the mansion that they sneaked out of just a few minutes before.

---

The surprise attack was going well for the werewolves, they got the first few stragglers right outside the mansion completely unaware and were about to go into full offensive when...

"GHRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!"

A deafening heaven-and-earth-splitting roar tore through the air, so incredibly loud that every living being in the area felt it reverberating through their bodies.

"!!!!!!"

Only the jet-black leader of the pack, Sapotle, and a few strongest werewolves managed to stay on their feet – their senses, heightened by their beastly transformation, worked against them - basically incapacitating most of their members.

"What the hell was that...?! A tamed monster...?! Our informant said nothing about it!"

Sapotle growled furiously, not even trying to lower his voice – there was no longer a need for stealth after all...

"What the..?! Werewolves...?! ATTACK! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! GET EVERYONE OUT HERE!"

The voice of an unknown beast had woken up probably everyone in the mansion – and those who weren't asleep looked for the cause of the voice – and ended up spotting the group of werewolves trying to pass through their backyard on their way to the mansion...

"DAMN IT! EVERYONE STILL ABLE TO MOVE- CHARGE!"

Saptole roared the command and launched himself head-first towards the window where he knew that lady Raspberry's room was supposed to be while the people from the mansion were scrambling to fight back the night attack.

*GRAB*

"URGH...!"

But the black werewolf didn't leap nearly as far as he was supposed to – he coughed in shock while an invisible force took a hold of his body and stopped him mid-air.

"Sapotle."

A bespectacled man walked out of the mansion and asked while buttoning the sleeve of his shirt while his raised palm was shining with intense white light.

"Big brother Blackberry...!"

The werewolf growled, trying to break out of the skill but failing.

"What is the meaning of this, Sapotle?"

Lord Blackberry asked, furrowing his brows and glaring at the jet-black beast.

"Urgh... This is not how I imagined this going down..."

Sapotle groned, baring his teeth, trying to keep the air from being squeezed out of his lungs.

"Same – I never imagined anyone from the Gluttony family raising their hand against the Pride family. I thought of you as a friend and a brother... That's why I ask you again – what is the meaning of this, Sapotle?"

Lord Blackberry took off his glasses and his eyes became four-times more fierce.

"A rescue mission, big brother. We're trying to rescue you and your daughter...!"

The jet-black werewolf growled through his sharp fangs.

"Ha? Rescue me and Cranberry? From what? You and your pack are the only danger here!"

Lord Blackberry scoffed, shaking his head with a grim expression.

"Yeah... That's what that woman made you think...!"

Sapotle growled and his body suddenly shone with a blinding light – making him grow twice as big as before – allowing him to break out of Blackberry's skill.

"...and that's the problem..."

The massive werewolf scoffed and opened his fists, making the long dark claws shine threateningly in the light coming from the mansion's windows.