I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl

The fire in the side pavilion crackled softly, consuming the dry wood the servants had prepared. The aroma of snow-deer meat filled the air, mingling with the simple spices Velthya had sprinkled before laying it on the grill. Thin smoke drifted toward the large open window, escaping into the night along with the warm air that pushed back the winter cold.

Sylvia sat beside the grill, her black hair falling loose over her shoulders. Her crimson eyes gleamed faintly, reflecting the embers, her hand steady as she turned over the slices of meat already blackening at the edges.

On the other side, Velthya looked positively thrilled, her silver tail almost never still. Her eyes sparkled every time she heard the sshhhhh of fat dripping onto the hot coals. "Look at that," she said, pointing at the browning meat. "This… this is incredible. Why did I never think of holding a feast like this before?"

Sylvia raised an eyebrow, spearing a piece of meat with a long iron fork. "Because you're too busy thinking about city reports and politics." She blew on it lightly, then bit into the meat with calm precision. "Hmm… not bad."

Velthya snorted. "Not bad? That's all? I smell heaven here." She reached quickly for another piece, but Sylvia was faster, her fork striking first.

"Hey!" Velthya protested, her tail going stiff. "That one was mine!"

"First come, first served," Sylvia replied coolly, though the corner of her lips curved faintly.

Velthya clicked her tongue, flicking her tail toward Sylvia, sending wisps of smoke clinging to her black clothing. Sylvia only glanced at her with half-lidded eyes. "Are you really going to spoil a feast over a piece of meat?"

"If it's tender snow-deer meat," Velthya shot back, "then yes, I'd go to war for it."

Sylvia sighed softly, then handed over the cooked piece. "Eat it. You sound like a child who's never been fed."

Velthya accepted it with a satisfied grin, biting eagerly. "Haaahhh… hot, but delicious!" Her voice trembled with delight. "Sylvia, I swear, you have to do this with me more often."

Sylvia regarded her while chewing, her expression still cool. "Perhaps. Unless I'm too busy figuring out how to deal with the Church."

For a while, the two were simply caught up in competing for meat, Sylvia always winning because her hands were quicker, while Velthya could only pout in mock annoyance.

But in between those playful battles, their conversation turned serious.

Velthya set down her fork, her golden eyes holding a steadier calm as she gazed at Sylvia. "Sylvia… I've decided something."

Sylvia turned, chewing lazily. "What is it?"

"I will fight beside you," Velthya declared without hesitation. Her golden eyes glinted, her tail falling still. "All this time I hesitated. I'm a leader here, I must protect Anarats… but after everything, after your arrival, I realized one thing."

She paused, staring into the crackling fire. "I have a warrior's soul. And I can't keep hiding behind city walls while you face everything alone. If you go against the Church, then I will stand by your side. As a lycanthrope, as a warrior… and as your friend."

Sylvia watched her in silence, a piece of meat still on her fork. The firelight reflected red into her eyes, sharpening her cold expression.

Finally, Sylvia chewed slowly, then said, "I never doubted your strength. You were born to fight. It's just… I know you've often restrained yourself. You've tried to be a measured leader, not just a soldier."

Velthya smiled faintly. "That's true. I've restrained myself… until tonight."

For a moment, silence lingered. Smoke swirled between them, carrying the scent of nearly charred meat.

Sylvia twirled her fork, spearing another slice. "Then listen closely. I've already planned the next step. My forces at the castle will soon move. I'll order them to strike several Church branches."

Velthya straightened, eyes sharp. "Branches, not the main seat?"

Sylvia nodded. "The Church's headquarters is on another island. The distance is too great, and the inter-island teleportation circles are surely under their control. If I rushed there now, I'd be walking into a trap."

She crossed her arms. "But their branches… they can be destroyed one by one. It will weaken their influence, and make the people see the Church is not as invincible as they claim."

Velthya exhaled deeply. "I like your plan. Simple, but effective. Strike their branches, crush their morale, sow doubt among the people. That'll break their foundation faster than storming the center."

Sylvia regarded her with her usual cold face, though her eyes carried a faint gleam. "I knew you'd understand strategy. That's one reason I trust you."

Velthya chuckled softly, her cheeks tinting faintly red. "You don't have to make me blush in the middle of a meat feast, Sylvia."

Sylvia shrugged. "You started it."

Velthya popped another bite into her mouth, then leaned back against her chair, the firelight casting a lively glow across her face. "So… when will you give your orders to the troops?"

Sylvia calmly dabbed her lips before replying, "Tonight. I'll contact Noir once we're done here. They're already waiting."

"So soon," Velthya muttered, though her tone carried admiration. "No rest, even after the long journey and the Church's attack earlier."

Sylvia glanced at her briefly, her gaze cold yet steady. "The enemy won't give us rest. So I won't grant it to them either."

Velthya laughed softly, spearing the last roasted vegetables. "You sound like an old general who's fought for decades. And yet… I feel safer hearing it from you."

Sylvia didn't reply right away. She simply picked up the final piece of meat, twirling her fork with a strange grace, and said, "Then entrust your back to me."

Velthya froze a moment, then smiled wide, her tail flicking unconsciously. "And you to mine."

The crackle of fire, the scent of meat, and their soft laughter filled the pavilion once more. The world outside might still be cloaked in storm and the Church's shadow, but that night between glowing embers and roasted snow-deer they found new strength.

Strength born not of strategy or sorcery… but of trust, simple, warm, and real.

The night grew late. Outside the pavilion, snow fell, blanketing the courtyard in thick white. But inside, the warmth of fire and the smell of grilled meat made it feel like another world.

Velthya lifted her wooden cup of red wine, poured earlier by the servants. "Tonight," she said, her eyes shining softly. "To our reunion, and to the steps ahead."

Sylvia regarded her a moment, then raised her own cup. "To the war we will win."

Tok! Their cups clinked gently, echoing in the room veiled by smoke and warmth.

They each drank, then laughed again as Velthya tried to snatch another cooked piece, only for Sylvia to be faster once more. "You truly never give me a chance," Velthya grumbled in mock sulk.

Sylvia chewed calmly. "In war and in feasts, the quick survive."

Velthya nudged Sylvia's shoulder lightly, nearly making her drop the bite in her mouth. The two laughed again, lighthearted laughter, hard to believe from women who had just been planning how to dismantle the Church.

But once the laughter died down, Velthya looked at Sylvia more seriously. "You know, Sylvia… I was never this brave before. For years I held myself back, tried to be the wise, patient leader. But sitting here with you…" She paused, her voice trembling slightly. "…I feel my burden lighten. I can be myself. A warrior, a lycanthrope, not just a mayor or a hidden princess."

Sylvia's crimson eyes gleamed faintly as she set her fork aside. "That's because you know I'll always be here. Even if everyone else leaves you, I won't."

Velthya froze, then smiled a rare, genuine smile. "That means more than I can ever say."

Silence settled again, not heavy but comforting. The embers popped, the wind rattled the windows, but inside the pavilion there were only two friends who truly understood each other.

When the last of the meat was gone, Velthya leaned back with a full belly. "Haaahhh… I think I can sleep soundly tonight."

Sylvia retied her hair and stood. "Then sleep. Tomorrow, we decide which Church branch to strike first."

Velthya gave a faint smile, her golden eyes reflecting the torchlight.

"I will not back down. Tonight I've decided who I am. Starting tomorrow, I will stand by your side not only as the mayor of Anarats, but as a warrior."

Sylvia only nodded. "Then prepare yourself as best you can."

They parted at the crossroads of the corridor Velthya heading toward her private chambers, Sylvia to the guest room prepared especially for her.

In Velthya's room, warmth greeted her from the small fireplace burning steadily. She removed her cloak, hung it neatly, then stood before the tall silver-framed mirror. The figure staring back was that of an athletic woman with silvery-blonde hair that shimmered, her lycanthrope ears and tail twitching restlessly.

Her hand touched the glass reflection, and for the first time that night, she smiled at herself.

"Tomorrow… I will no longer be just a mayor or a hidden princess. I will fight as who I truly am."

She opened a large wooden chest in the corner of the room. Inside lay her old gear: a set of light black-steel armor, a shoulder guard engraved with a wolf, and a longsword she had not wielded in a long time. Velthya ran her hand along the hilt, feeling the cold metal that nonetheless brought her calm.

Carefully, she began polishing the blade, each stroke of the cloth across the steel seeming to wipe away her doubts.

Meanwhile, Sylvia sat in a chair by her window. She left the curtains open, allowing the moonlight, filtered by thin mist, to spill in. Her hand rested on the armrest, her eyes gazing far into the darkness outside.

"Noir."

The telepathic call resonated softly yet firmly.

Within seconds, the deep, weighty voice answered in her mind.

"My Queen."

"Order the troops to prepare. The Church's branches will be our next targets. I want Celes, Alicia, and Stacia to lead the main vanguard. Strike the weakest branches first, but ensure multiple attacks happen at once. Let them panic."

Noir's voice rumbled like a restrained roar.

"As you command. The troops will move tonight. They have awaited your orders since the last assault."

"Good. Remind them not to touch the innocent. Destroy the branches, not the people. I want the Church to collapse from its own greed and rot, not because we became the monsters they claim we are."

"Your message will be carried, my Queen. Celes, Alicia, and Stacia will be pleased to hear it. They crave the battlefield, and they long to prove their loyalty to you."

Sylvia closed her eyes, letting the silence of the night absorb those words. In her mind, the faces of her companions and her army appeared one by one. She knew the true storm was only just beginning.

When the telepathy ended, Sylvia opened her eyes again. Snow still fell beyond the window, silent and white.

She stood, slipped off her black cloak, and lay down on the large bed with its thin canopy. Her face remained calm, but her crimson eyes glimmered in the dark.