The Villainess and I, her Zombie

A few hours later when the city guards were going around the city, lighting up the lanterns along the main road, Zombie together with Kopia and Monty were all hiding near the Envys mansion – the luxurious building perched above the rest of the city as if looking down on all the other buildings- which basically encapsulated how the Envy family felt about the people from their territory outside of their own family.

Well, that wasn't all truth actually, and Zombie was well aware of that.

Simply said – the Envys didn't want to be anywhere near the people from outside their family strictly because of their looks – their real looks.

If their mansion was any closer to the other buildings, they run the risk of being their real looks being spotted by someone.

After all their family mansion was supposed to be the place where Envys could feel safe enough to deactivate their skills and just be themselves...

...which of course wasn't the case since the only people from the Envy family despised and felt jealous for more than someone outside their family were other Envys...

That became even more relevant when Rambutan – the current avatar of envy – went ahead and had a child with the elf he brought with him while his wife was gravely sick and the said child was born naturally beautiful.

"...why aren't we moving, master...?"

Kopia shimmied closer to Zombie and nudged his side.

"Today we are here only to gather some information, that's it – I told you that you could stay with Raika if you want."

Zombie shrugged his shoulders and said dismissively.

"She's just a little kid and she somehow managed to function all on her own for two weeks, even opening the shop and selling the sham merchandise... Now that I'm thinking about it, is it okay to leave her in that shop all alone? You said that she is an important character, what if some cheated customer will try to have revenge for scamming him? People of Envy territory aren't very merciful."

The blue undead furrowed his brows and added after a moment of consideration.

"She will be fine. Raika is level 1 but she has the enchantment+ affinity and is using it to reinforce the building at night. Master, Rakia doing relatively well for herself even two weeks after her grandfather was taken is not a coincidence."

The crimson-haired humanoid sword raised her head and declared with so much pride as if she was boasting about her own achievements.

"...sure..."

Zombie rolled his eyes – glowing with a reddish glow – and continued staring right down.

"I expected the old kobold to be kept with the elves in the first layer of the basement, but there are only life signatures of the elves there."

He added with a sigh.

"And I really can't pinpoint the location of the remnant of Saint... It's either because my life signature detection skill is still too low or because the monster is too weak and isn't showing up, just as it was with the Saint himself during the first playthrough."

Zombie added with a bitter expression.

"Then why don't we go and look for it?"

Kopia asked, tilting her head.

"Sssss? (Yes, why don't we go there now, master?)"

Monty hissed into Zombie's ear similarly confused.

"...haaa..."

The blue undead closed his eyes and released the heaviest sight of the night.

"We can't do that because Rambutan Envy is in the mansion just as almost every single Envy from the main family."

He opened his eyes and explained, looking with his red glowing eyes towards the chamber that was either Rmbutan's office or bedroom, and squinting his eyes at the lively life signature.

"During the last playthrough, he knew instantly when somebody entered the basement."

Zombie added, taking a deep breath to explain things further.

"Even though I remember Rambutan to be a rather weak avatar, he still is the avatar of envy with the full access to the sin-based skills that come with it. I think that with the high-level superbia that I have now I have the advantage over him, but I am not certain... What can you tell me about it?"

He frowned and turned to Kopia.

"..."

The crimson-haired girl tilted her head and furrowed her brows trying to recall whatever knowledge she copied off of Patience.

"You are right. If he will try to steal anything from you, he will receive the penalty from the system... but that means that he could die... and that would be bad... If he dies now, the one who will get the title of avatar will be Fillia - and if that happens, the ending you want, master, will be blocked."

She spoke slowly, making sure that she remember things correctly.

"...I was not aware of that..."

Zombie clenched his fists so hard his knuckles became pale blue underneath his gloves.

"So, that gives us even more reason for not going for it today – let's make sure that Rambutan will be nowhere near the mansion so that even if he learns that we entered the basement, he will not return in time."

The blue undead sighed, massaging his forehead.

"Though, in the first place – would he even go there alone and not take literally all of the available Envys with him? No. just no. We have more than enough time to do things slowly."

He added shaking his head so had that Monty almost fell off his ear.

"Ssss...! (Master, be careful...!)"

The golden snake hissed grumpily and slithered down the hood and Zombie's shoulder, going as far as to coil itself and jump onto Kopia's arm and slithering to her ear.

"Oh, hello there, gold."

The humanoid weapon welcomed him slightly surprised.

"Ah! Now that I think about it – gold, you made that door with the colorful things, right? Does that mean that you could make other things from different materials? Could you make swords?"

She perked up and asked curiously, trying to have a look at the golden serpent despite it wrapping around her ear.

"Sssss... (Making a weapon...) Ssss... (Would be hard...) Sssss. (I can make decorations and jewelry, making a weapon is out of my ability.) Sss. (For now.) Ssss. (My transform skill is too low for now.)"

Monty explained with a thoughtful hissing.

"..."

Kopia furrowed her brows – she had a few threads of her crimson hair coiled around Zombie's right arm and hence could understand the golden snake by reading Zombie's thoughts, but it looked like it wasn't quite enough for her.

Therefore, she went ahead and made a single crimson hair move and coil around the golden snake too.

"Repeat."

"Sss... (Okay, so...)

She said with a serious expression and Monty complied without a second thought.

"Oh! You will be able to make weapons! Master, you heard that! Gold will be able to make food for me-UGH!"

She jumped up with excitement – before Zombie reached out to her shoulder and forced her down.

"Master...?"

The humanoid sword tilted her head, looking at the blue undead with confusion.

"..."

But he didn't even look at her, staring at one particular window of the mansion instead...

"Hey, look – isn't this our lucky day?"

Zombie's grip on Kopia's arm lessened and he even smiled with relief.

"That life signature on the second floor above Mason's – it's Fig."

He added happily.

"If things go well, she might help us create the distraction! I'll go talk to her, you stay here."

The blue undead patted Kopia's arm and started stealthily approaching the mansion.

"Master...! Tha-that's not a good idea - you've said...!"

"It will be fine, she's an ally confirmed by Pati."

Kopia called out after him, but Zombie nodded to her reassuringly and continued the approach."