[Earth, 2034]
Inside a room which seemed like a metal pod, sat two individuals with solemn looks on their faces. Their tattered clothes and the way they were sticking close even when there was a lot of space in the shelter signified the situation in the outside world.
"Do you think...she will return?" The short black-haired woman asked in an emotionless voice while staring at the metal door of the shelter.
"I don't think so...she went out almost a day ago and hasn't returned ever since." The man with a brown beard and a bald head responded as he also continued to look at the door with a blank gaze.
The last bit of ration they had came to an end yesterday. Just a few mouthfuls of water were remaining for their survival. The area where they had taken refuge was a military camp—a place which was regarded as safe by the government. However, five days ago, a total of more than two thousand zombies suddenly attacked the base from one side and everything went haywire.
Now these two and one more girl have been living in this bunker for the past three days somehow. The man had lost his left hand after getting bitten and the woman looked fragile enough to actually be called a reliable support.
In the time of crisis, they could only rely on 'her' to help them survive. However, she went out yesterday and hasn't returned. Given the situation outside, she most likely had died.
"Anna...do you think we would die as well?" The man's voice trembled as he looked at his wife in trepidation.
The woman wasn't able to console her husband any more. She herself was on the verge of breaking down. She couldn't discern how they would survive now when they were surrounded by thousands of zombies with nothing but water and a metal bat in possession.
Anna was about to say something when suddenly, the metal lock of the bunker twisted.
"----!!" Anna immediately sprang to her feet and took hold of the metal bat. Although her hands were trembling in fret she assumed a stance that declared her clear intention of bashing anything that entered.
The bald man also got on his feet and stood beside his wife. If things were going to end here then he would be the one who would die first. All his life he couldn't be a good husband to his wife, but in these last moments, he wanted to shield her as far as he could.
*CLING*
The rusty door of the bunker twisted once again and this time swiftly, it was opened—surprising Anna since no zombie had such a deliberate mind to open a metal door...unless....
"B-Bella..." Anna's eyes moistened upon seeing the familiar face of the young girl who went out to bring some food for them.
*Clang*
The metal bat from her hold dropped as she advanced towards Bella and embraced the girl as hard as she could.
Bella didn't reciprocate the hug and remained standing with a blank look. However, that didn't bother the sobbing couple since they had long gotten accustomed to her temperament.
Once the reunion was done, Bella dropped the goods she had brought—along with a short dagger which she had tucked in her leather cross strap.
The man was startled to see such an intimidating dagger. Its handle looked like it was made of some expensive fabric with a cross pattern on it and the blade was glistening with a terrifying silver shade under the dim light of the bunker.
With her whole body coated in blood, Bella didn't bother to clean herself, rather she sat down on the ground and began to clean the dagger with a piece of cloth she tore from Anna's shirt.
"B-Bella...where did you get that weapon?" The man asked in a stutter while his wife began to look inside the bags which Bella brought.
Suddenly, for the first time, the couple found the frosty expression on Bella's face melting. A very soft smile that made the man's heart skip a beat, she softly mumbled under her breath,
"My brother gave it to me." Her cheeks adapted a rosy shade and the feverish look she was giving to that piece of weapon made the man gulp in fear.
For some reason, it seemed if he tried to touch that dagger then zombies would be the last thing he would need to fear.
********
[Ding!]
[Sabertooth Dagger]
[Rank- E]
[Special abilities- Paralyze the opponent with poison]
[Status- Delivered!]
Seeing the status, Richard heaved a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the system allowed him to share all the rewards with his sister. In this life, Richard was rich enough to afford Special-ranked weapons. But in that world, the dagger would be quite useful for Bella who knows how to use weapons better than her brother.
'Haah...I hope she can protect herself.' Once he was done checking the system panel, he decided to head towards the adventurer's guild to take some free-lancing jobs of monster hunting.
Thankfully, he had brought a large hood that could cover his hair and partially his face. Richard's hair was unique and his face was well known here in Cravenford as well.
"Do you have to come with me?" In an exasperated tone, Richard asked the brunette maid who was following him.
"I was commanded by Madame Duchess to always be by Young Master's side." Her quick response irked him even more as he irritatingly asked,
"And what good would it bring to me? Can you even fight?"
The maid remained silent for a moment, unsure whether she should reply or not, but in the end, she spoke up, "Before being recruited by Madame Duchess, I used to serve in the army, my lord."
Richard smirked as he glanced at the maid and said, "Boasting now, are we?"
"N-No...I apologize if I have offended you, my lord." While walking she bowed her head, which attracted quite a few gazes in their direction—much to elevate his annoyance.
"Argh, now stop bowing and continue walking." He grumbled before speeding up toward the guild.
The maid heeded her master's words and sped up her pace as well.
En route, suddenly, Richard smelt something off in the air. It was a peculiarly sweet scent coming from his left.
His feet came to a gradual halt as he turned himself in the direction and found the scent to be getting condensed in the direction of the establishment a few meters away from him.
"Can you smell it, Lilia?" With a frown, Richard asked.
The maid's expression didn't change much as she responded, "It's aphrodisiacs, my lord."
"And that drug is prohibited to be used even in a brothel right?" Richard asked, only to get affirmation in response.
Much to his shock, he found a little girl being led inside the building in daylight and no one was bothering to ask the men who guided the little one in there.
"Lilia, where is the nearest city guard council?"
The maid didn't take much time before responding, "Around an hour on foot, my lord."
"Hmm~so it seems they are running an illegal establishment and the authorities know about it huh?"
A menacing smile appeared from behind the hood with all his teeth visible. His golden eyes glistened under the sun and instinctively Lilia took a step back.
"My lord...about the adventurer's guild?" Hearing her words, Richard cracked his knuckles and said,
"Why go to the forest when we can hunt within the city, my love?"
The maid's cheeks flushed hearing the last part. However, she soon collected her thoughts upon seeing her lord's distancing back before she followed him.
What both Lilia and Richard failed to notice while they were conversing was a pair of round violet eyes that were looking at them from afar.
The person scoffed upon seeing Richard entering the brothel as she muttered under her breath, "Somethings never change...."
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A/N:- Yandere sensed? Drop some PS and comments.