The Villainess and I, her Zombie

Zombie, Cranberry, Baron, and Blueberry – together with a few other monsters tagging along after them – finally ended up back at the goblins outpost.

Though, the fort could not be called like that anymore.

Even though it was mere two weeks since the blue undead knight and the red-haired girl left to scout the way ahead, the frot was transformed into an actual fortress, including the stone wall – with two-feet radius magic stones atop of every corner, and deep moat riddled with razor-sharp spikes.

"They really went all out with that, didn't they?"

Zombie raised his brows and whistled, looking at the imposing outpost that wouldn't be out of place even in the Sloth's territory's second line of defense.

"That didn't look like this the last time I had to make a delivery..."

Plum – the teal-scaled lizardfolk walking by the side of a massive arachne with furry black carapace with venomous green accents and a shape of a horned skull on her abdomen – gasped in disbelief.

"It looks like a quite splendid abode – as expected of the lord of venom."

The arachne wasn't all that surprised and merely looked at Zombie's back and bowed her head with a soft smile.

"True. I expected nothing less of our chief."

The large minotaur woman agreed with the arachne and nodded her head vigorously.

"I don't understand why all of you like the enclosed spaces like that... what is it worth if our lord cannot use his full speed while inside?"

A massive centaur clad in the extremely heavy-looking armor scoffed and waved their armored hand dismissively.

"Oh, right! Coconut – I have a question!"

Plum the lizardfolk turned to the centaur and spoke curiously.

"Ask away, sir Plum."

The centaur nodded their head benevolently and responded with their voice being distorted by the horned helmet.

"You always seem to talk about speed, but honestly, how fast can you be with all of that metal? Honestly from all what I've heard about your kind, centaurs love speed but – you don't really strike me the same way..."

The teal-scaled lizardfolk asked tilting his head while carefully observing the equipment that must have wight the same as the entire centaur donning it.

"Oh, you would be surprised! I actually have an inborn affinity that increases my speed the more defense I have – steam engine!"

The centaur boasted reaching back towards their horse-torso and picked up the enormous tower shield that they then heald in front of them with much pride.

"With this, my charge skill, and the ram skill, the only being who ever outspeed me was our lord~!"

They cheered sounding was too happy over being slower than anyone – although it maybe wasn't that weird considering who they were comparing themselves to.

"Ooooohhhhh!"

The unanimous gasp of amazement spread amongst the group, making the centaur visibly happy even with all the armor on them.

"Hey... I might be seeing things incorrectly but... why does it seem like whoever is manning the fort isn't keen to open it for our master...?"

A young naga, a young beautiful man with the lower half being that of a giant rattlesnake raised his hand and pointed at the panicked silhouettes on the fort walls, running back and forth in obvious panic after seeing the group of monsters – that included a house-sized red dragon – approaching.

"Nonsense, Safou – this is our lord's base of operation, why would want to keep him away – I am sure that they are merely excited overseeing his return and are scrambling to throw a welcome party!"

Coconut, the armored centaur, waved their hand dismissively while looking back at Safou the naga.

"Coconut, stop...!"

"Eh...?"

The arachne reached out her hand trying to stop the centaur from taking another step, but she was too late, even though Coconut did turn to her to see why she was trying to stop them.

*clang*

...and they ended up walking into the blue undead knight who was standing still with his hand raised so that the others would stop...

"M-my lord! Please forgive me!"

Although nothing happened as the armors of the undead knight and the armored centaur touched barely enough for them to cause a creaking sound of metal bumping into metal – the centaur was in a panic as if they commit some grave sin by touching their sovereign.

"Hmm? Oh, hey, little Coconut, you want some attention~?"

Zombie glanced at them and smirked before he turned back to the outpost as his eyes were glowing murky red.

"Sorry, but you must wait a bit, there's something unexpected going on at our destination."

He added reaching out and patting the armor on the centaur's stomach.

"M-m-m-m-m-my l-l-l-lo-lo-lord...! I-I am not worthy of your time...!"

Coconut smashed their fist into their breastplate and backed of stuttering heavily from the embarrassment and backed off so much that both Plum and Safou had to scuttle to the sides not to get trampled under their hooves.

"...hmph... at least some of them know their place..."

The only human in the party – the red-haired Cranberry, glanced at the centaur and scoffed angrily before she kicked at Zombie's shin.

"...?"

"Hmph...!"

The blue undead raised his brow and glanced at her but the girl just pouted and looked away.

Right at that time...

****************

The closest magic stone shone with a bright light and unleashed a concentrated beam of a pale blue light straight at the arriving group!

*TING*

And yet, before it could deal any damage to anyone, the blue undead knight rushed at it head-on as his shield was shining with bright white light, and not only did he block the oncoming beam but straight-up reflected it right back at the magic crystal...

*BOOOOM*

*crumble*

...shattering into tiny pieces in the outcome...

"You...! YOU DARE TO ATTACK MY LORD?!"

*BOOOOOOM*

"???"

The sudden attack from a supposedly friendly location came as a surprise to almost everyone except Zombie – but the thing that surprised everyone equally and without any exception was the furious shout of the armored centaur, who started glowing with bright violet light and shoot forward like a speeding bullet straight at the fort's barricaded gate with their shield raised...!

Coconut wasn't just saying things out of empty pride before – their speed was basically that of a teleport skill!

*WHAM*

With the tower shield, the armored centaur became a living battering ram and destroyed the gate with ridiculous ease, sending the pieces of metal-reinforced wood everywhere.