I Got Reincarnated as a Zombie Girl-Chapter 154 – Shaken Tranquility

In the study of Nocture’s now-magnificent castle, the gentle sound of a pen gliding across paper fills the air. The noise is soft, almost melodic, echoing through a room stacked with documents, maps, and tall archive cabinets. Candles line the walls, emitting a warm light that touches the serious face of a young woman writing tirelessly.

Sofia sits behind a massive black stone desk, carved with undead flora. Her expression is solemn almost empty. Her usually bright, gentle eyes now seem dim, like clouds withholding rain. Since Sylvia and Celes left for another world, Sofia has taken on the mantle of protector of Nocture. She coordinates logistics, manages factions, and ensures food and magic supplies remain stable.

Yet underneath it all lies a silence inside her not born of responsibility, but from the void left by the one she admires, trusts, and... misses.

"Sofia, why don’t you rest a bit?" asks Rina, her friend and now more like a sister and protector. Her voice is calm, tinged with concern. "You’ve been sitting there since morning. It’s already night."

Sofia slowly lifts her head. Her long hair is slightly disheveled, and for a moment her eyes drift toward the tall window beside her desk. Beyond the glass, the night sky stretches wide, its stars dimmed by Nocture’s glow.

"Ugh..." she stretches, a faint snap echoing from her shoulder after hours of stooping. "I lost track of time... Okay, I’ll tidy up—"

But Rina has already taken her hand gently yet firmly.

"No. You can put things away later. You know your version of ’tidying up’ takes over an hour. Come on dinner first. Remember, you’re not a zombie. You need to eat."

Sofia falls silent, then nods resignedly. Even though her expression remains calm, a faint smile tugs at the corner of her lips—a rare warmth in recent days.

They exit the castle. Nocture’s nightscape now feels far from its past darkness. Rows of blue and yellow magic lights hang along the main streets, replacing crude torches. These lights are powered by core crystals, harvested by research teams and transformed into sources of electricity.

Nocture has truly evolved. District after district now buzzes with life. To their left, zombie-run stalls line the road, selling raw materials, weapons, even potions from their labs. To the right, booths filled with life—humans, beastkin, elves, and other minor races sell food, crafts, and nightlife. Though an unspoken boundary remains, there is no tension. It’s two worlds united under a shared purpose: survival.

Sofia and Rina pass through the food district. The aroma of warm soup and toasted bread mingles with the scent of mushroom broth and herbs grown in greenhouses. Some zombies, accustomed to living alongside the living, even dine at restaurants seeking a taste of memory, not necessity.

"Finally... I can leave that room," Sofia murmurs.

"You work like a ceramic cat statue," Rina jokes with a light laugh. "Silent, beautiful, and unstoppable until someone forcibly picks you up."

They arrive at a small, bustling yet clean eatery. The sign crafted by hand reads: Vivi’s Table – Tastes Left from the Old World.

Vivi, the owner, loves food. Though many ingredients are lost, she’s created dishes from local produce and new experiments. A human, yet so brave and warm that even zombies become regulars.

"Vivi, the usual, please," says Sofia as she pulls out a chair in a corner booth.

"Me too," adds Rina.

Vivi beams from behind the counter. "Of course, Sisters Sofia and Rina. Take a seat and I’ll bring your food~"

Her cheerful voice feels like a warm breeze on the night. She soon places their dishes.

Sofia glances around. Patrons fill the eatery newcomers from distant towns, Nocture’s resting guards, and a small beastkin family laughing over vegetable soup. The scene calms Sofia’s heart.

Soon, their food arrives: a bowl of mushroom-mixed soup, freshly baked flatbread with herbal spread, and a small glass of light fermented fruit drink. Not like the pre-apocalypse world, but enough to warm belly and soul.

Sofia takes a spoonful, blowing gently, savoring the first bite. Warm. Soft. A faint taste of home, even though home has long been lost.

"Not quite as good as it used to be," Rina says while chewing slowly. "But somehow... it’s still delicious."

"Because we know it’s the product of struggle," Sofia replies quietly. "Not luxury, but perseverance."

Rina looks at her. "You look... more mature since Sylvia left."

Sofia offers a small smile, though her gaze drops. "Because we had no other choice."

They continue eating in peaceful silence. Outside, the night breeze grows colder. Clouds accumulate overhead, as if holding back unspoken threats. And in the distance in places unseen by human eyes something stirs within the shadows of this world.

Nocture’s peace has become a pillar of new strength.

But even tranquility... can be rattled.

In a seldom-traveled corner of the district stands a small store with a faded wooden sign. It resembles a curio or junk shop windows lined with stacks of cloth, aged maps, and seemingly worthless crafts. Yet behind the false storefront, among dusty shelves and piles of odds and ends, is a hidden door leading to a small basement sheltered from all eyes.

Inside, dim torchlight dances across stone walls. The air smells of dirt, dust, and metal. Several figures in black cloaks sit around a simple round table. Their faces obscured in shadow. They are not Nocture residents, nor mere spies. They are the hidden hands of human military headquarters.

One of them speaks in a calm, trained whisper:

"Report. It’s been a week since Queen Sylvia’s castle showed no major activity. We can confirm she’s absent... or hiding."

A voice on the left, heavy and cold, responds, "Have her undead troops weakened?"

"No. They remain active. But patrol patterns have changed. No complex orders. Looks like they’re on auto-pilot."

A silence fills the room.

Then the figure in the center seated slightly higher than the rest speaks

"Report received. Sent to Central Military Headquarters. The Stealth Conqueror Unit will move in two nights. Their target: infiltration and destruction. Not the city, not civilians, but the castle the undead control center."

A chill seems to seep into the space.

One murmurs, "Are you sure? Nocture has elite forces. Even without the queen... her followers remain strong."

"That’s precisely why Sylvia’s absence matters," the leader says. "This is the only opening we’ve ever had. We’re not trying to win a war they’ll retreat reinforcement. We want to kill the heart. Without Sylvia, this will collapse like a headless puppet."

Others nod slowly. The silence now isn’t doubt, but a tense anticipation.

"Preparations are done. The unit moves in silence. This is an infiltration not frontal war."

A final voice hidden by a hood murmurs, "What if Sylvia returns before they finish?"

The leader stares at them, cold and clear. "Then... we’ll ensure they can’t report failure."

Meanwhile in Nocture, peace holds. Streetlights still glow late. Vendors sell food under night skies. Children chase lanterns in playful laughter. Citizens discuss new vertical farms being trialed. Patrols stand guard unaware.

And above, in the dark star-filled sky, a single ash-gray crow glides across the city. Its eyes faintly glow pale blue. In a side tower of the castle, Zark the highest undead commander opens his eyes and watches the crow. He senses something.

"...Movement," he rasps.

He stands slowly and activates a hidden magic circle beneath his feet. In seconds, a thin black glow spreads along the castle walls. The ancient sensor network Sylvia planted during security upgrades... now reactivated.

Meanwhile, in the world where Sylvia stands, she’s conversing with Celes when her laughter abruptly halts. She closes her eyes as a flicker in the far edge of her mind stirs like someone touching the line of magic she left behind.

"Ah..." she murmurs softly. "Someone wants to touch Nocture."

Sylvia rose from her chair, the rustling of her gown echoing softly through the gust of wind blowing in from the castle window. The twilight of this foreign world briefly dimmed in her gaze, replaced by a dark and tense aura that suddenly enveloped her entire body.

Celes watched from the other side of the room. "What is it?" she asked quickly, sensing the shift in energy.

"...The detection spell net in Nocture has activated on its own. Zark wouldn’t do that without reason," Sylvia replied, closing her eyes. Within her mind, flickers of faint energy passed an unfamiliar presence, something not from within Nocture.

"An intruder," she murmured. "They seek to touch my land."

A thin veil of black aura began to wrap around her arm. The air in the room changed not explosive, but tense, like a bowstring pulled too tight.

Celes narrowed her eyes. "Are we going back?"

Sylvia shook her head slightly. "Not yet. But I will send a telepathic message to Zark to take command of the forces."

"Zark, take over and lead the troops to be on high alert. Secretly assign more protectors to Sofia so there won’t be a repeat of what happened before."

"Understood, my Queen."

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