[A/N: Another chapter, dear readers.
I won't give any sneak peeks of the story, but I'd like to ask you a favor.
Could you please hit the like button on my profile? Well, it's actually a heart.
I want to see if more interactions like that can get the novel back on track.]
----
In the kindergarten.
"I don't have any powers. What did you tell these kids?", I said to Mary and Nicol in a slightly angry voice.
"Hahaha… Just the truth, don't doubt it", Mary said, approaching me with small jumps, looking happy. Although, I don't know if it was because she saw me or because of my reaction to the children's questions. Nicol also approached, but in a more demure and timid manner.
"I didn't kill that many zombies. I only took out a few of them, and we got rid of the rest with some traps and using our intelligence", I told them to calm their illusions a little.
"But you didn't tell them you did all that alone. The two of us were hopelessly trapped in an isolated building. Many people saw us, but only Alex stopped to help us. First, he started killing several of those things, attracting the attention of half of them and leading them away. After a few minutes, he came back with a motorcycle he found somewhere and attracted almost all the remaining ones, drove them away in another direction, and then ran back and killed the rest… It was simply heroic", Mary recounted with devotion, while Nicol nodded occasionally, agreeing with her. From the look on Nicol's face, it seemed he was reliving at that moment while Mary told the children.
"Wow! … Incredible!", said one of the children, sounding very surprised.
"Yes! I hope I can be like him when I grow up", said the other child with the same enthusiasm. I couldn't believe how excited this group was, some telling stories of incredible feats and others dreaming of being the protagonists of those brave tales. I sat down on a nearby sofa, resigned. I knew I couldn't change the minds of this fanatical group, so I just mechanically answered their questions, but even that couldn't extinguish their enthusiasm.
"Guys, it's time to do your homework", Leon suddenly said in a bossy tone, but with a cheerful face.
"No... We want to keep hearing Alex's stories", the children chorused, while Mary and Nicol laughed.
"We all have to contribute to keeping this fortress standing", he said with a dramatic tone to get their attention. "And you have things to do too", he told the girls, nipping their enthusiasm and mockery in the bud.
"So, do we? But Alex just arrived, and we have a lot to talk about", Mary said with a downcast face and a pout. Nicol, beside her, nodded in agreement. "You can talk later. I don't think he's going to leave, is that right?", he said to both, then turned to me.
"I'll leave after lunch", I told everyone to avoid false hopes, perhaps tactlessly.
"What?! So, you'll only be having lunch with me today", Mary said in surprise, while Nicol tugged hard on her sleeve. Seeing Nicol's gestures and expression, Mary immediately changed her mind. "I meant… With us", Maru said, correcting herself.
"Okay, no problem. Alex will have lunch with you, but if you don't leave soon, you won't have enough time afterward", Leon told them, trying to reassure them.
"Well… See you later, Alex", Mary said happily, while Nicol looked at me with an excited expression, probably because of the lunch we would share later.
"Goodbye, Alex", the children said in unison.
"So, I have an unconsensual lunch I had no idea about", I said to Leon in an annoyed tone.
"Come on, Alex, don't get mad. You know that was the only way I could get them to leave you alone", he said, trying to calm me down.
"I know. And you, don't you have anything to do?", I said mockingly.
"No. I need to talk to you about something", he said with a sudden change of attitude. He seemed more serious than ever.
"Tell me", I said in a similar tone.
"First, I'll tell you the bad news", he said, trying to warn me.
"Okay", I said.
"Groups formed by state agents are trying to force people who still manage to survive in their homes to relocate to the settlements they control", he said.
"I don't see the problem. It might actually be beneficial for those people", I said in a dubious tone.
"That's not the problem. The problem is that those who refuse are shot, and if there are people in any of those homes who are sick, from whatever it is, they kill them anyway, without offering them asylum", he told me in a serious but sad tone.
"Are all of them state agents? I don't think police officers and firefighters do that", I said, showing great doubt about what he had said.
"No, it's just the military for now, but the problem is that the police and firefighter settlements have their own problems. On the one hand, you have the police, who are trigger-happy and waste a lot of ammunition. They don't go out on excursions to save people, barely maintaining the settlements they have so far, and only seek food and nothing else. On the other hand, we have the firefighters, who are gradually losing their numbers due to their excessive bravery. Unlike the police, they try to settle as many people as they can, and even if they don't have the resources to maintain them, they still take them in. And the worst part is that until now, the military has helped them with resources or assisted them in emergencies. If the military decides to take control of those settlements, or manipulates them to follow their directives, many people will perish, and not because of the zombies, but at the hands of those who swore to protect us", he told me in the same tone as he took a breath. "I see, the situation seems to be getting more complicated", I told him.
----
[A/N: This isn't my own idea. In many fictional works, whether movies or novels, soldiers are portrayed as people who simply follow orders. However, as far as I understand, they can make some decisions of their own accord, without having to abide by decisions that could harm the people. Or at least that's the case in my country.]
----
"Yes. However, there is one good thing about all this, and that is that they have confronted those criminal groups and calmed their rampage, at least for now", he told me, trying to find something positive in all this.
"It's good that they're taking care of them. I don't want to eliminate any more of those groups", I said in a somber tone.
"On the other hand, I have some news that's neither good nor bad", he said, trying to change the subject.
"What is it?", I said, joining in.
"David found a good spot just outside the city with a 9.5/10 rating. He'll help several groups of people move in, preparing a viable settlement within a few weeks. He told me it can house hundreds of people initially, and with county-level preparations and basic industrial tools, he'll be able to make his first move. Ideally, I'd like to find another nearby site with similar ratings for faster and safer progress. That's what he told me, but I'm not sure what he meant, but he said you'd understand", he said with an expression that sought my confirmation.
"I see. That's good news, the only problem is we won't be seeing him for quite some time. He'll probably want to make sure everything's okay until he can continue doing what he always does", I said in a confident tone, showing him, I understood what he meant.
"Could you explain it to me like you would to a child?", he said expectantly. "Well, the rating shows how secure, malleable, and optimal a location or building is for the formation of a new settlement. From the score you gave, it seems you found a building that's already easy to defend and modify with improvements, and that also has a large amount of space for housing or even plantations", I told him, trying to keep the explanation as simple as possible.
"I see, that's pretty good. What about county-type preparations?", he asked.
"Well, that has to do with establishing different types of small settlements within range of other, larger settlements. For example, the place David found, with careful expansion, will allow him to create small settlements around it that can serve as sentry posts, emergency storage facilities, farms, and even prisons if necessary. It's kind of like how counties worked in ancient times", I explained, avoiding going into unnecessary details.
"I see, I understand a bit. But that means there may be bigger plans, right?", he asked me expectantly. "I see it as impossible. It would be necessary for people to organize themselves for the good of all, not just a few", I said in a cutting but tactful tone. It was clear I didn't want to dash his hopes.
"Of course, that could be difficult", he said in a subdued tone.
"I didn't mean to sound negative, but you should know that resorting to a county-type plan is great news for the survival of many people", I said, trying to motivate him a little.
"Of course! That's what matters after all", he said with a renewed cheerful attitude. "By the way, do you have any recommendations for us? You know they'll be well received", he asked expectantly.
"Well… Things are good around here. It depends on your desire to expand", I said.
"Hmmm… We'll continue rescuing people, that's for sure, but I think making plans for about 50 people is enough for now", he told me, analyzing his situation.
"First and foremost, and as I've told you before, you must carefully select the people who stay with you", I tell him very seriously.
"I know, but so far everything's going very well", he said, trying to downplay the importance of my warning.
"Don't play with Mr. Murphy because he could destroy everything you've built. I know you like helping people, but I also know you're pretty good at reading them. I'm not asking you to kill them or leave them stranded. Instead, you could help them get to the larger settlements. If you want to keep the people who have trusted you safe, remember what I'm saying", I said in a very serious tone, letting him know the serious consequences of not being cautious.
"I understand. I'll do what you say. After all, if we didn't follow the advice, you've given us, we wouldn't be here", he said with a resigned tone.
"I just hope you keep this in mind and that you can prevent the inevitable. After all, the most perverse desires flourish, and the moral boundaries that were once imposed on us disappear over time", I said, a little sadly.
"Yes, some people fall into the abyss, and others are agents of it", he said in a somber tone.
"The other thing to keep in mind is that you need to help your people gradually adapt to eating things that won't be in good condition, or, if not, have a backup plan for gastrointestinal illnesses. You could set up a small greenhouse with medicinal plants that are easy to care for and will help them a lot in these types of circumstances", I said in a neutral tone, abruptly changing the subject.
"We have medicines for these situations. Is it necessary to build a greenhouse?", he asked.
"Resources are dwindling, you have to find a way to survive not only now, but also in the future", I said thoughtfully.
----
[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
It seems the protagonist is involved in more than one group.
David? Could it be someone we already know, or is it just a coincidence?
Please keep commenting and donating power stones. Although I prefer you actually comment.]