Chapter 71: Civilization

We were directed by the lady in front of the "clubhouse" to a room inside the building.

"Wait here for now... Are all three of you hungry?"

"Uwah! Starving!"

The ever-energetic Sakaeda.

"Alright then, here's some congee made from the leftover hotpot from yesterday."

The lady handed us a full bowl of congee.

"Whoa! I love congee made from leftover hotpot!"

I feel the same.

"By the way, do you smoke?"

"You've got cigarettes? Awesome!"

"After dinner."

And so, in a room slightly too small for three people, we end up having an early dinner.

"Man, this is good... Seriously... Damn, I can't believe how good this is—haven't eaten anything since yesterday..."

Sakada says, spooning up the congee.

"Since yesterday?...There's plenty of food left at the station, isn't there?"

"Are you kidding me? This place is a nest for 'those guys.'"

Ah, right, that's true.

The zombies were all wiped out by Ayaka-chan one by one, so it should be completely empty now.

As I was thinking this,

"Hey, you,"

Sakada suddenly bowed slightly, seriously.

"Anyway, I just want to say thanks for earlier."

"Huh? Earlier?"

"Cut the act. You saved me from 'those guys,' didn't you?"

Ah.

I wasn't pretending—I'd genuinely forgotten.

"...But you were just meddling, weren't you? I was about to break the 'zombie's' neck myself, from here."

"Hmm."

"...You don't believe me, do you?"

"Yes."

I'll be honest—truthfully, if your help had come just a few seconds later, there would've been a clear bite mark on his neck.

"Young, yet so bold."

"Age doesn't matter, does it?"

Here, it feels like abilities are valued more than age or background.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have suddenly brought me on board like this.

In fact, I sensed that织田-san, who's a senior member here, doesn't seem much older than Mr. Sakaeda.

"……Hmph"

Then Mr. Sakaeda turned away with a bored expression.

At that moment, I stood up.

"Toilet."

"Ah, then I'll—uh—"

Walking together to the restroom.

Even after being alone, Ayaka's relaxed expression remained unchanged.

"Hehehe~"

"Alright, enough with the act already."

"It's just getting fun now, you know?"

"Just don't go overboard and make it real."

"Ehehe~"

The girl with a cheerful smile.

"So, what now?"

"For now, let's wait until nightfall. Once we figure out where the boss is, we'll head there..."

I'll try focusing on my right hand.

My hand instantly became enveloped in white light.

The skill I borrowed from Amamiya-kun—“Slave Master.”

"——I'll use 'Subjugation.'"

"And then?"

"First, I'll command the release of the captured women, then return together to the air park. There, we'll calm down and talk with him once more."

"Talk?"

"I'll make him swear not to threaten people in the surrounding area from now on."

"Hmm..."

Saya pouts her lips.

"Will that really work out so smoothly?"

I don't know.

To be honest, I'm not sure myself.

"What if he refuses to listen no matter what I say?"

"In that case..."

Sighing deeply.

I have a feeling it'll come down to this after all.

"There's no choice. We'll have to eliminate him—the so-called boss around here."

▼

After finishing our conversation, we accidentally run into Sakaeda-san as we exit the restroom.

"What are you two doing?"

The blonde-haired youth exclaims, eyes wide.

"Sure, it's a restroom..."

"Are you both in the girls' bathroom?"

Ugh.

Right, I completely forgot.

I'm in a guy's body right now, aren't I?

"Hahaaan... you two must've been having fun, huh?"

"N-no, not at all... I mean, that's not it..."

"Just kidding. If you were, I'd hear you're a real quick shooter."

Sakata bursts into laughter.

I really can't stand this guy.

Still, guys might actually always get so excited over topics like this.

As Sakata and I pass each other in the doorway, it looks like Oda has just returned.

"Hey."

"……Hi."

"Can I get started on some work right away?"

"Of course."

"Go burn that woman—'zombie'—you took down."

"...Is that all?"

"Just that?"

It's too easy.

Oda looks away, as if unsure how to interpret those words.

There's no actual danger, but still, some people find that unsettling enough to avoid such work....In short, that's what counts as your "punishment."

Ah...

"But then again, there are also good things to be happy about. The boss apparently thought it was about time to deal with that 'zombie' once and for all. And when I mentioned you, he seemed quite taken with the idea. Depending on how things go, you might even meet him someday."

Even hearing that, I still feel a bit conflicted.

That person plans to either enslave or kill me by tonight.

"For now, let's focus on work. Work, work. Here, I can advance much faster than in the previous world. After all, there are few humans to begin with. There's always something to do."

"Yes, sir."

"We plan to use this place as our base and restore this country's civilization....So, you understand, right?"

"Is it 'don't defy the boss'?"

"Yeah....So, you heard it from Aoi, huh?"

"Yes."

"Regardless, the boss has that talent—the talent to build a strong nation. Things like this weren't even imaginable in the previous world. It's a meaningful job, isn't it?"

I looked away.

Oda chuckled dryly and continued.

"Really, aren't you enjoying this 'end of the world' yourself?"

I didn't know how to respond.

Without a word, I left the spot.