Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

Lately, the only assassins we’d been encountering were armed with bows and crossbows.
They’re the opponents I’m worst against. I have no means of long-range attack other than my howl.
The same goes for the other werewolves, which makes this problematic.
I considered having the werewolf unit storm into Zaria, but in urban combat where enemies and allies are mixed together, they would certainly struggle.

“There are enemies here as well.”

Using a hand mirror I had picked up to check around the corner, then I shook my head.
Buildings lined both sides of a long skybridge, and two unidentified archers stood on each rooftop. Almost certainly enemies.
If I were alone, dashing through would be easy, but I can’t do that while escorting Aylia and Shatina.
On the other hand, even if I try to eliminate them, taking them down simultaneously is impossible.
If I hesitate and they call for reinforcements, we’ll be surrounded.

Aylia, still holding her drawn saber, wiped her brow.

“It seems they have no intention whatsoever of letting Lady Shatina escape.”
“She is the heir, after all.”

Not just anyone can become governor.
Intelligence alone isn’t enough. Connections with the city’s influential figures are indispensable, as is public recognition among the citizens. One must also be well versed in the surrounding geography, history, and culture.
That inevitably limits candidates to the governor’s children or disciples.
For Zaria, Shatina is an extremely important asset.

However, rendezvous with the werewolf unit may prove to be difficult.
The rooftops of Zaria’s buildings function as watchtowers, so no matter which route we take, we’ll eventually be spotted.
The maze not only repels intruders; it is also a mechanism designed to ensure intruders never leave alive.
The moment we exit the city is especially dangerous. There’s no cover whatsoever outside, making it difficult to shield Aylia and Shatina from arrows.

I felt we might manage if we accepted some risk, but I quickly abandoned the idea of fleeing.

“Shatina.”
“W-What?”

Looking at the girl who was staring at me, I said:

“I am asking for your advice as the successor of the governor. If there’s a place that matches the conditions I’m about to specify, guide me there.”
“Understood.”

And so we began wandering through the labyrinth once more.
The passages grew narrower and more intricately intertwined, until they ended before a single door.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary private residence.

“Is this really the place?”
“Yes. It fits the conditions you specified, Sir Veit.”
“Good. Then we’ll settle this here.”

Together with Aylia and Shatina, I stepped through the door.

After casting the necessary spells on the two of them, I instructed them to hide in the shadows.
The rest is my job.
I carefully cast a detoxification spell on myself. Then I applied a rudimentary arrow-deflection spell as a precaution.
It automatically generates a burst of magical force to deflect the trajectory of a light, fast-approaching projectile.
However, it consumes more magical power than expected and vanishes after activating once, so it’s not very reliable. Depending on the arrow’s force and angle, it may fail to deflect it.
Lastly, I cast a silencing spell.
Now, from my immediate surroundings, all sound disappears. I cannot use spells that require incantations while it’s active, so I rarely employ it, but this time it will be crucial.

Just as I finished casting the necessary spells, the door opened.
This place has almost no windows, under the pretext of “protecting books from sunlight.” The small windows near the ceiling are all sealed with thick shutters, so the archive is pitch dark.
Thus, the pursuers cautiously light flames and enter while surveying the interior.
As expected.
I quietly sink into the darkness.
What I specified to Shatina was a “dark, enclosed space.” The more convoluted, the better.
This place fits those conditions perfectly.

This is Zaria’s grand archive. In a building the size of a gymnasium, tall bookshelves stand in rows. It resembles a maze.
However, in a world without proper printing technology, a poor city like Zaria could not possibly afford expensive books.
Most of the books here are dummies. Some shelves are disguised doors; others conceal hidden compartments.
This grand archive serves as the Zaria governor’s evacuation site and, at the same time, as an execution ground to lure in and assassinate enemies.
It is commonly known as “Zaria’s Fangs.”
Its true nature is a secret known only to the governor’s lineage.

The single entrance opens, and a group enters.
They are dressed as peddlers and pilgrims, but of course no ordinary person would come here.
From atop a bookshelf, I look down over the entire maze and observe while concealed in darkness.
It seems the enemy intends to split up and search.
The passages here are extremely narrow; they likely judged that moving in large numbers would be disadvantageous.
Then let the hunt begin.
This is a werewolf’s specialty.

There is only one correct route through the bookshelf maze.
However, even that route is deliberately circuitous, so I decide to begin with nearby targets.
If I leave corpses in irrelevant locations, the enemy will likely converge there.
Without a sound, I descend behind a lone man dressed as a pilgrim.
An instant later, blood spurts from his neck, and he collapses without a sound. I extinguish the flame of the candlestick he carried with his blood.
Then I vanish into the darkness once more.

I catch up from above with two men who look like peddlers walking along the correct route.
Ahead lies the hidden room where Aylia and Shatina are.
The bookshelf conceals the door, so it shouldn’t be easily discovered, but of course I can’t let them approach.
From above, I deliver a flying kick to the man in the rear, crushing his cervical spine along with his skull and killing him instantly.
Wrapped in silence, his body falls forward.
The remaining man turns as he notices his partner collapsing toward him.
His head flew through the air.

After I had eliminated about half the intruders, they finally seemed to realize they were under attack.
But they must have expected resistance, as they did not falter even upon seeing their comrades’ corpses.
Instead, they called in the companions waiting outside.
It appears they intend to overwhelm by numbers.
This time, they form squads of several and attempt to secure the area while calling out to one another.

However, the archive’s passages are narrow. The moment they hit a dead end, confusion arises between the front attempting to retreat and the rear trying to advance.
So I strike at that instant.

“Squad Five, another dead end!”
“Squad Two here! We found Yajim’s group’s bodies! They were taken out by a werewolf!”
“Squad Three, respond! Where are you!?”

Every squad that came under attack shouted toward their comrades.
But as long as I am nearby, no plea for help will be heard by anyone.

The assassins gradually descend into panic.

“This is Squad One! Hey, is there no squad still alive!?”
“We’re Squad Six! We’re at Squad Four’s—”
“Hey, what’s wrong!? Someone! Is anyone there!?”

I can hear someone shouting from afar, but Squad Six will never respond again.
I just killed them all.

“At this rate, we’ll be slaughtered! Let’s retreat!”
“No, we have our—”

And then the grand archive grew silent.

From atop a bookshelf, I looked down at the massacre I had wrought.
Roughly forty men lay submerged in pools of blood throughout the place. They were merely pawns of the Senate, but they brought this upon themselves.
I press my ear to the wall and listen to the outside, but all human presence has completely vanished. There are no living enemies inside either.
Returning to the hidden room, I tell Aylia and Shatina:

“There is no one alive here but us. For the moment, we’re safe.”

Shatina steps into the passage, illuminating the surroundings with a lamp, and gasps.

“Th-This… you—you did all of this!?”
“That’s right. Sorry for staining the archive with blood.”
“No, that’s not what I—”

I’ve grown rather numb since becoming a werewolf, but perhaps this was too much stimulation for a child.
Shatina lowers her gaze with a grim expression.

“If I had this much power, I could have protected Father…”
“Don’t say something unreasonable.”

It seems it was overwhelming in a different sense.
This girl’s temperament appears quite fierce.
Come to think of it, the governor’s daughter wouldn’t be shaken by mere corpses.

At that moment, a distant werewolf howl echoed. That’s Big Sis Fern.

“W-What now?”

To the frightened Shatina, I explain:

“Don’t worry. It’s an ally. They seem to be heading this way.”

Good. Now I can leave dealing with the women to Big Sis Fern and the others.
It seems I’ll finally be freed from escorting noble ladies.