Chapter 11
After their meal, Souta gathered the group together to explain their plans.
"As I promised, we will provide you with food, shelter, and weapons," Souta began, looking at each person attentively. "Now, we need to make some arrangements. The children will come with us to the farm to assist in our operations there."
He continued, "You girls have three options. Options one is to join the training and be a soldier. Option two is to accompany the children and help take care of the animals. Option three is to learn skills such as medicine, crafting, and cooking. You can choose which path you prefer."
"We'll return before lunch, so make your decision," Souta concluded, giving them time to think.
Souta took the children with him towards the mansion to prevent them from scaping. What he said was just an excuse.
As Souta and the others made their way back to the mansion, Amy couldn't help but voice her concern. "Do we really need to separate the kids and girls? Can't we just bring the animals here?"
Steff replied firmly, "Showing power is necessary to prevent betrayal, Amy. It's unfortunate, but it's for the greater good."
Lily joined the conversation, questioning the approach. "But couldn't we be kinder? Are we being too harsh on them?"
Shana chimed in, "When we first arrived, they accepted us easily because of the food. That means they trust us easily. But if someone were to tell them we're that there is no longer food, they might betray us."
Nana, her voice fragile, added, "It might seem cruel, but it's about ensuring their loyalty and hard work. We need them to be dedicated to our cause."
Andy, Amy, and Lily paused and looked at Souta, Steff, Shana, and Nana, seeing them not as devils but as heroes. They felt motivated and wanted to become like them.
Souta gathered all the melee weapons and a pistol, distributing them among the group. After a couple of hours, they returned to the farm, where they're all prepared.
"Alright, who wants to take care of cooking, medicine, crafting, and other tasks?" Souta asked, observing as four women stepped forward.
"And who will stay and train to become soldiers?" Souta inquired, as three women joined him.
"Alright, those who have chosen to stay will be given these weapons," Souta said, showing them the array of weapons. "As you show improvement and loyalty, you'll be granted better weapons."
"H-hey..." he hesitated for a moment, "How come the girls have to choose what they want to become?" One of them spoke up.
"Yeah, he's right!"
"It's unfair!"
"Now, now, I did ask you all to write down your occupation the other day. Two of them stood out as useful - Jacob, the engineer, and Roy, the vet," Souta explained.
Jacob and Roy stepped forward, each with their own concerns. "Um... Souta, correct? Though I wrote engineer, what I actually specialize in is electrical engineering. I'm afraid you might have mistaken me for a civil engineer who builds houses," Jacob clarified.
Souta nodded, taking in the information. "I see... that's still useful enough. And Roy, human bodies and animals are mostly identical, right? So I'll put you in charge of the medical tasks here," he assigned.
Roy gave a confident nod, appreciating the opportunity.
Souta then addressed the group again, trying to address their worries and concerns, "You all don't have to worry. As soldiers, you'll receive more food than the others, considering the risks you'll be facing. That's the new rule here now."
The group absorbed the new information, some looking relieved while others seemed to contemplate the implications of Souta's decision.
Souta turned to the retired mercenary, handing him a pistol. "I'll be expecting great things from you. You can call me Souta."
"Call me Roger," he said
"Okay, Roger, I'll be expecting things from you," both of them shook hands
With the preparations complete, Souta informed them they would return the next day to deliver food. They boarded the pickup truck, along with the girls, and children who would join them, and headed back to the mansion.
Once there, Souta showed them to their rooms and introduced Jenny as their leader. They had lunch, and then Jenny approached Souta with a concern.
"Souta, the food for the animals is running out, though using the dead crops as substitute we can still feed them for 2 months, but im worried that it won't last long" Jenny informed him.
Souta contemplated the situation. "If that's the case, we should loot a nearby village first. If they don't have animal food, we'll head to the shopping district."
Amy, curious, asked, "Are we going to the shopping district?"
Souta explained, "Not immediately. It's too dangerous for us right now. We need more manpower, so we'll spend the next three weeks training everyone before we attempt to loot the shopping district."
Amy responded with joy, saying, "Alright!"
After lunch, they spoke to the new arrival and asking if they knew of a village with skilled hunters. All of them pointed to a village near the forest, a few kilometers away from theirs.
Intrigued, Souta planned for them to visit the village the following day. The next morning, they prepared for the journey, loading into three vehicles—a motorcycle and two cars.
Before going to their destination they first arrived to the farm and give then their foods, "You seems to be well equipped, are you going somewhere?" Roger asked
"Don't you think doing something funny" Souta said with a cold stare at him
He laughed, "Like hell I would, you already expect this that's why you came here first, and you wouldn't leave your base wide open"
"Hmp" it was a bluff, he need more man power for the journey, and left the mansion wide open as he walk away and continue their journey.
They drove until they reached the village described by the girls.
Upon arrival, they found the village nestled near the forest. Taking a break for lunch, they then ventured deeper into the forest. Although the forest was eerily quiet, zombies still roamed the area. They proceeded cautiously, following the road.
As they delved further into the forest, the number of zombies increased. Finally, they reached the village they were seeking. It was a small village with a population of less than 300.
Exiting their vehicles, they encountered a swarm of zombies. They swiftly engaged, employing their combat skills to stab, slice, and shoot the undead with their guns. After approximately half an hour, most of the zombies had been eliminated, and they began looting the houses.
Splitting into three groups, they proceeded to loot five houses. Within that short time, they discovered two guns. Their search continued, and after looting around ten houses, they obtained five more guns, two air guns, and five daggers.
"This is quite a haul," Souta remarked, pleased with their findings.
While Souta complimented their progress, a zombie suddenly appeared behind him. Nana swiftly shot it down with her crossbow.
"You're getting better with that crossbow, Nana," Souta commended her.
Nana replied "It's because my teacher is good at teaching"
Amidst their loot, they stumbled upon a large house. Amy asked, "Is this the landlord's house?"
Breaking through the gate, they entered the house, which had two floors. They explored the first floor, encountering a lone zombie they quickly dispatched. However, they found nothing of value. Moving on to the second floor, Souta opened a door and discovered a group of people hiding, some ready to fight.
One of the men pointed a pistol at Souta, demanding, "Hands up!"
Souta complied, raising his hands. The man ordered his companions, "Search him."
Two men approached Souta, confiscating his weapons. However, Souta smiled confidently.
Meanwhile, Steff swiftly climbed up the house and sneak to approached the people who were hiding, causing a child to scream. Steff immediately take the child as a hostage and warned them, "If you don't want this child to die, put your guns down."
Shana and Amy entered the room, pointing their guns at the group. Only one man still held a weapon.
"Alright I lose" The man said and drop the gun while putting his hands in the air
Sensing an advantage, Souta ran towards the armed man and delivered a punch to his stomach, rendering him unconscious. The others swiftly restrained the remaining individuals.
Souta singled out the man who had pointed a gun at him, slapping him to wake him up. The man regained consciousness, acknowledging Souta's tactics.
"I see you know what you're doing. For being just a hunter, you're quite knowledgeable. I suppose you're not really a hunter, are you?" Souta inquired.
The man laughed and responded, "You're right. I'm not a hunter; I'm a soldier. I'm here on vacation."
"So everyone is in vacation now, I'll cut the chase, I want to make this easier for you guys. I want you to work for me," Souta proposed. "In exchange, I'll provide you with food, safe shelter, and weapons. How does that sound?"
"Hmm? From the sounds of it, it seems you've already offered this deal to a few people, huh?" the man observed.
Souta grinned. "Yes, you know the retired mercenary in the next village? He's already working for me."
The man laughed again. "That guy? Alright, if he's really working for you, then I'll join as well."
Surprised, Souta asked, "You two know each other?"
"We used to protect the same person in the old days," the man revealed.
"I see" Souta then untied him
"Well, nice working with you. My name is Souta. Roger will fill you in on everything when we get there," Souta introduced himself.
"Alright, my name is Rex," the man—now known as Rex—responded.
Fan fuct, Souta already know that there's an ambush because of the one zombie on the first floor, the zombie was a indicator that if he reacted people from the second floor will get ready for the people who will come.