The Royal Palace of Graydon.
The servants' quarters were under strict lockdown.
The Graydon royal palace, surrounded by formidable walls, had only three gates.
One was the main gate, used by everyone.
Another was a secret gate known only to the royal family.
The last one was the supply gate, used by servants to transport goods into the palace.
Of these three, two had already fallen, now overrun by monsters.
The only gate still intact was the supply gate connected to the servants' quarters.
Crown Prince Theodore had focused heavily on securing this gate, designating the servants' quarters as the base camp due to its proximity.
On the top floor of the building, Theodore sat in the chief steward’s office, letting out a sigh.
"Lloyd’s set up a survival camp at the Devonshire estate, hasn’t he?"
His only younger brother’s movements were unsettling.
It was hard to believe Lloyd had built a camp purely for survival, especially considering the kind of people gathering at Devonshire.
The Marquis of Devonshire, Count Adler, and Viscount Hanworth.
These were Lloyd’s strongest supporters—powerful nobles with considerable influence.
In contrast, Theodore’s own camp was...
‘Nearly wiped out.’
Who could have predicted things would turn out like this?
Most of Theodore’s supporters had been annihilated, with Duke Ronteil seemingly the only one left alive.
‘But it’s strange. Why isn’t the Duke of Lancaster at Lloyd’s camp? Could he already be dead?’
When the disaster struck, the palace had been the first to fall.
The king and queen were dead—or rather, they had likely turned into monsters and were now wandering the ruins of the palace.
Theodore tapped his fingers on the desk, then turned to his aide, Elderson, who stood before him.
"What’s the status of the advance toward Brunel? Any word on Ethan?"
"Communication was cut off near Westmore Station. It doesn’t look like we can push past Westmore."
Reaching Brunel required traveling by train from Benton, through Westmore, Honderf, and Kintne, then switching to a carriage for the final stretch.
But they hadn’t even made it past Westmore, repeatedly blocked at that point.
"So you’re saying we’re completely cut off here?"
"...It appears so."
"Damn it. I wonder if other countries are in the same situation."
"Given the speed of the spread, I doubt other nations are faring any better. We can’t be sure about the Western Continent, but Briwood, which borders Graydon, is almost certainly facing the same crisis."
Elderson was probably right.
At least the nations on this continent were likely either already overrun or close to it.
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But Theodore wasn’t ready to give up.
He couldn’t stand by and watch the world collapse.
They needed to figure out the cause of the outbreak and stop its spread—quickly. After that, they’d have to wipe out the monsters.
With the king dead, Theodore was the only one left who had the power to protect the kingdom.
He had to keep his head clear and lead them through this crisis.
"I need Ethan."
Theodore murmured, his expression grim.
Ethan wasn’t just the heir to the Lancaster Dukedom.
He was also one of the most capable men Theodore knew.
Ethan had once declared that he would rise through the ranks starting as a low-level officer, but Theodore already knew that his swordsmanship and marksmanship were the best in Graydon.
Back in the Royal Academy, Theodore often claimed the top academic position—though only when Ethan wasn’t paying attention.
Ethan excelled at everything. There was nothing he couldn’t do.
A natural genius who didn’t need to try—that was Ethan.
During their time at the academy, there had been a large-scale student riot sparked by a cheating scandal during entrance exams.
The academy’s military department students had been deployed to suppress the riots.
Ethan quickly identified the ringleaders and destabilized the protest by striking at its core, subduing the rioters in a matter of hours.
He had played the most significant role in ending the riot without any casualties.
In terms of ability alone, Ethan seemed more suited to being a soldier than a police officer.
He possessed sharp tactical thinking and excelled at leading groups to execute operations.
That was precisely why someone like Ethan was indispensable in a crisis like this.
"What about Lady Lancaster?"
"She’s resting with the other ladies who arrived with her," Elderson replied.
Theodore rose from his chair.
There was no time to rest.
The palace and the capital were already flooded with monsters, and even holding their current position was becoming increasingly difficult.
The sudden collapse of society had been devastating.
It was proof of how catastrophic the situation was that even the leaders of the kingdom were left powerless and trapped like this.
"I need to have a proper talk with Lady Lancaster. We need Ethan."
"Shouldn’t we confirm Sir Ethan’s survival first?"
"You can’t even get past Westmore, and yet you’re full of doubts," Theodore snapped.
Elderson fell silent, unable to argue.
"Besides, Ethan’s alive. I’m certain of it."
Not only was Ethan in Brunel, but Nox and Cherry Sinclair were there too.
Nox was one of the most skilled doctors in Graydon, and Cherry Sinclair’s mansion—Happy House—was fortified and stocked with supplies.
And if Cherry was there, then Harrison Howard was likely with her as well.
Even if Cherry herself wasn’t necessary, Nox and Harrison were valuable assets.
Assuming they were still alive, of course.
But if Ethan was there, then the chances of the others surviving were high.
Theodore once again reaffirmed his reasons for going to Brunel.