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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Zaped
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Somehow, after applying the medicine, the pain subsided quickly.
It didn’t heal at a ‘game-like’ speed, but the recovery was still fast.
Kibele might make terrible canned food, but their pharmaceuticals were renowned.
The tooltip simply said it activated cells and enhanced healing, and it seemed to work the same way in this world.
It was a bit unsettling, but there were no alternatives.
Kibele held a monopoly on pharmaceuticals.
It wasn’t surprising, considering they were a company created to exploit Elza and generate substantial profits for Römer.
Of course, it wasn’t a panacea.
While it could heal the rescued people’s minor wounds, it had no effect on tendons.
It couldn’t fix old injuries or physical defects.
It also didn’t significantly impact immunity, meaning it didn’t cure diseases.
It only aided in the recovery of physical injuries.
Perhaps that was why my lips hurt more than my body.
They were swollen and burning, probably slightly torn.
Not to mention the sweet, foreign feeling on my tongue. The memory of the sensation wouldn’t fade.
“Why did you do that? You’re a terrible kisser.”
Actually, Camilla had pinched my lips, claiming it was punishment for asking unnecessary questions.
“Like you were any better?”
“Well, it was my first time!”
“Mine too!”
We both realized too late that it wasn’t something to brag about.
Embarrassed, we continued the conversation while looking away from each other.
“You said you were popular.”
“I was. I was a model. But you know what? I almost developed a phobia of people. There were so many creeps. After shoots, I’d change clothes and live in the pool. That’s how I relieved stress.
So, yeah. In college, I was busy shooting pictorials and exercising to pay for tuition and living expenses. After graduation, I was busy running around, shooting guns, and filming propaganda ads. I didn’t want to date anyone, and I didn’t have time.”
She dabbed ointment on my wounds and asked,
“…Johan. Have you never dated anyone?”
“Uh, about that.”
“Never mind. Seeing your personality, I can guess. I wonder if you even had human friends, let alone a girlfriend.”
What did she take me for?
“No way. I had tons. At least a hundred friends I shared life and death with.”
It was true.
I even had a list.
The ‘Friends List’ in the game, with a limit of one hundred, was full, and the two-hundred-person block list was also full, so I had over three hundred friends.
Most of them were either people who used the ‘Find Friends’ feature to stalk and try to kill me, or people I hunted down and killed.
Wasn’t that what friends were for?
“…Anyway, I don’t have any friends now, so let’s leave it at that. Johan, don’t you have any hobbies? Besides killing zombies.”
Camilla asked relentlessly.
“I like animals.”
“Really? What do you like about them?”
“It’s easy to become friends with them once the hierarchy is clear.”
“I’m sorry, Johan.”
“For what?”
“My bad for asking.”
Camilla didn’t ask any more questions after that.
I didn’t bother explaining either.
After applying the medicine, I got dressed and geared up for watch duty while Camilla slept.
I left the door slightly ajar, but it was still awkward being in the same room, so I placed a chair in the hallway and sat there to keep watch.
“All this for what?”
Like having a nightmare about reenlistment, a sticky sense of reality washed over me.
A partnership. I remembered Camilla staggering with the MREs.
‘You’re a coward, you know? You act tough, like you don’t care about being alone, but you’re just afraid of being betrayed!’
She didn’t remember saying it, and I glossed over it because I didn’t want to think about it, but it stuck to me like residue.
Maybe because what she said was true.
But how many people enjoyed that kind of thing?
And how many could remain unfazed even after experiencing it?
“…All this for what?”
Time to switch.
Camilla was sleeping so soundly, I felt bad waking her.
But I needed to rest too.
I had to spend all day tomorrow moving things, and although the chances were slim, I might have to engage with any remaining zombies or gang members.
I needed to be well-rested to handle any unexpected situations.
“Camilla.”
She groaned and turned over.
The distorted moonlight outlined her silhouette.
I pulled the blanket over her, afraid I’d be drawn in if I kept looking.
Thump.
She gently took my hand without opening her eyes.
“Time to switch?”
“Yeah.”
“Is your body okay?”
“Much better.”
Camilla sat bolt upright as if she hadn’t been sleeping at all.
Before I could say anything, she threw off her robe and quickly changed into the clothes she had prepared.
It was so bold, it was embarrassing to watch.
Saying anything felt like it would make things weirder.
“Johan.”
“Yeah.”
“We’re leaving tomorrow, right?”
“We have to.”
“Come with me. No, wait. I’ll follow you. This is a notification.”
“Why say something so obvious?”
“So you can shoot me if you want. And… one more favor. You know the 8th Corps’ number, right?”
The 8th Corps’ number?
I did. It was probably still saved in my phone. But why… could it be?
“You’re going to call the National Guard?”
Camilla, her movements much smoother now, put on her body armor.
“I’ve thought about it, and there’s nowhere else that would take these people. If I tell them they were held as slaves, they’ll be happy to have them. Those bastards are good at using it for propaganda.
I thought about staying, but no. These people need professional care. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t provide that level of care.”
It was unexpected. To Camilla, the National Guard was something she would gladly destroy.
So, this seemed like a change of heart.
“Does it sound like a strange plan?”
“No. I think it’ll work. I heard on the radio that they took credit for rescuing the hostages from Lambert. They’ll probably do the same this time.”
“They’re experts at manipulation and fabrication.”
“But I didn’t expect you to think of the National Guard. I thought you were uncompromising when it came to them.”
“We have to save people. What’s the point of Elza without its people?”
When she said “Elza,” Camilla’s entire demeanor changed.
Her emotions seemed much richer. If I had to define it, love?
No.
It wasn’t love.
It was something different.
“Camilla. What is Elza to you?”
“Huh? To me?”
I nodded silently.
The moonlight filtering through the curtains illuminated her.
She looked like someone sitting on a stage, waiting for her cue, her turn to speak.
“…A homeland I’ve never seen.”
“That’s poetic.”
“My parents always said that. Elza is a homeland we’ve never seen. We stand on Elza’s soil, we were born and raised here, but this isn’t the place we wanted… the place we dreamed of. So, we’ve never been to our homeland.”
Camilla stood up. The moonlight still shone on her, as if urging her to continue.
“People say Elza doesn’t exist. That it’s a fiction. That historically, Elza has never been Elza. But, no. They don’t know how much blood has been shed to reclaim Elza’s true name. It’s not a name to be taken lightly.”
The moonlight faded.
Camilla whispered,
“…Never.”
Taking a deep breath, Camilla crossed the room.
She picked up her rifle, and I untied my boots.
They were new but fit well.
“Johan.”
The woman, a warrior once more, looked back at me.
“Yeah, I’m listening.”
“I don’t know your whole story. And I won’t ask you to go that far with me. But… when our true homeland returns, when Elza, under the Goddess of Hunger’s blessing, lives up to its name… then. I hope you can be like you are now.”
Camilla’s eyes glistened.
“We’re business partners, right? I’ll save your share.”
“Okay.”
I took off my boots and lay on the bed, too tired to get dressed again.
I suddenly remembered the motorcycle she had been riding.
The Warmonger.
It belonged to one of the Exploding Angels gang members, probably chosen to look cool.
I didn’t know much about the previous owner, but it seemed to have found a good new one.
Footsteps.
Camilla.
She didn’t come in, but opened a drawer and quickly closed it again.
“Did you forget something?”
“Oh. I had something to say, but I forgot.”
“What?”
“Not tomorrow, but starting the day after, exercise with me. I’ll teach you. You’re too weak. In exchange, you’ll cook for us. Fair?”
“No.”
“Just so you know, this is also a notification.”
Then she closed the door and left.
A bad feeling crept over me.
I opened the drawer. The
She was kind, but a bit… eccentric.
Probably from hanging out with bad friends like Hans for too long.
People should choose their friends wisely.
…Besides, there was no rule saying things could only be used for their intended purpose. Sometimes, those ultra-thin things could be useful.
In a famous movie, a priest filled them with holy water and turned them into vampire grenades.
But there were no vampires here.
“Whatever.”
Time to sleep.
A few days later.
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8th National Guard Special Operations Group, Medical Unit.
The day began as usual.
Virginia, with her usual smile, visited the special confinement room.
Dismissing her subordinates, she spoke with Cassandra privately. And, as usual, Cassandra remained silent.
But today, this routine was about to change.
“Congratulations. I have two pieces of good news. No bad news, everything is going very well.”
Cassandra’s eyes were lifeless.
Completely dead.
Only emptiness remained. Virginia stared into those cold eyes.
“The first piece of good news is that your long quarantine is finally over. You and everyone else will be discharged in three days. That’s all.”
“…What’s the second?”
“Huh?”
“You said there were two pieces of good news.”
Cassandra’s voice was chilling.
Anyone confined to this ward would become like this.
Their spirit drained, leaving only a shell.
A room completely isolated from all stimuli.
That’s why Virginia liked these rooms. They easily broke people’s will.
“Oh, right. After this interview, you’ll be staying in the medical unit’s living quarters. Freedom is guaranteed, but in exchange, a little ‘humanitarian medical service’ is required.
Our glorious Special Operations Group rescued slaves oppressed by a certain gang. You’ll be able to leave this place. However, you are an exception.”
“Why?”
“Now for the second piece of good news. This is the last time I’ll ask you these worthless, meaningless questions. Come to think of it, it’s good news for me, not you.
Choose. Cooperate and take the name Cassandra Wilson, or keep acting like this and return as Ophelia Osborne. Going back as the only daughter of the war criminal Osborne family will attract quite a bit of attention.
You graduated medical school, so you can count to three, right? This is your last chance to choose. If you miss it, I’ll choose your name for you. Three. Two. One.”
“I’ll cooperate.”
“Oh. Finally?”
“Yes.”
Cassandra’s voice was almost a whimper.
Humiliation, frustration, and defeat seemed to cling to her like mud.
The humiliation of betraying someone to keep the name she had chosen.
But on the other hand, the hope that only by surviving here could she find him again.
‘…He definitely took the fake jewels. And the real ones too.’
Cassandra knew the maker of those jewels.
In this harsh world, such valuables only gained more value.
And she knew where and how those jewels were circulated.
Everyone knew that her father had been wrongly accused of war crimes and unjustly killed.
Her housekeepers, in hiding, still supported her in every way.
If he, if he reappeared and sold the jewels he’d gotten from Lambert.
Then she could find him again.
“Yes. I’ll tell you everything you want to hear.”
Another victory, of course.
Virginia was satisfied.
“Good. I’ve prepared writing materials. I’ll take notes this time. So, what happened with V? What did you talk about?”
“He touched my breasts.”
It went off the rails from the first line.
Virginia stared at the pen that slipped from her hand, then at Cassandra.
“…He did what?”
“My breasts. He touched them. Fondled them. He gently caressed my breasts through my clothes. Cassandra’s body tensed, and…”
“Are you… are you daring to mock me…!”
Virginia’s face flushed crimson.
It was more shock than anger.
Her hands trembled.
But Cassandra remained impassive.
“Cassandra was that desperate. She wanted someone to believe her. So she gave what others coveted only to him.
He, the one who smelled so good… he was different from you. Cassandra trusted him, and he trusted Cassandra. They even exchanged tokens of faith. He was the only one in the world who believed Cassandra’s words without question.”
Virginia wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.
She couldn’t concentrate.
“…And then?”
“But he tried to abandon Cassandra and run away. Cassandra wanted to be with him, so she got into the driver’s seat with him. She grabbed his chest, straddled his lap, rubbed her body against his…”
“I can’t listen to this anymore!”
Virginia jumped to her feet.
Her violet eyes darted around frantically.
“Didn’t you want to hear Cassandra’s testimony? Cassandra is being honest.”
Still, those dead green eyes.
Long, black hair gleaming darkly.
Virginia felt suffocated.
She couldn’t bear it.
“Why, why don’t you reflect on why people don’t listen to you! Lewd… vulgar…! Shameless and presumptuous…!”
Virginia slammed the door and stormed out.
Cassandra stared blankly at the empty chair and muttered,
“…Viruses mutate. Constantly. They regress and evolve, searching for a breakthrough. They never stop. So why won’t anyone listen to Cassandra?”
But the commander didn’t hear her.
She was gasping for breath in the hallway.
The guards stared at Virginia in alarm.
“Commander, are you alright? Did something…?”
“No. No. I…”
Virginia’s ample breasts heaved.
She glared at the patient room and hurried out of the medical unit.
Letitia happened to be there.
“Ah, Commander. I was just looking for… Commander? What happened?”
The iron-willed commander was pale and trembling.
She was so flustered that her hands were clammy.
“…I, Intelligence Officer?”
“Did something go wrong during the interrogation?”
“Officer. I, I’m not usually one to ask for this… I’m really sorry, but…”
Letitia’s eyes widened.
What could have happened to make the commander act like this?
“Should I take over the interrogation?”
“W, would you do that?”
Asking with clasped hands?
It was even more unsettling.
The fear that she might not be able to handle this hit Letitia belatedly.
But this was an opportunity.
A chance to make a strong impression on the commander.
“I will. Leave it to me.”
The commander handed over the pen and interrogation forms.
Or rather, she was about to, then ripped off the top sheet.
“S, sorry, but please write it from the beginning. I’m really sorry.”
Then she disappeared like the wind.
Even then, her ample bosom swayed enticingly.
Thinking it was strange, Letitia approached the special confinement room.
The guards had similar reactions.
“…I wonder what horrible things she said to make the commander like that.”
“Don’t you know what happened?”
“You know how it is. Once that door closes, the soundproofing is perfect. We wouldn’t even know if the patient smashed their head against the wall.”
“…I see. I’ll have to brace myself.”
Letitia opened the door.
A gloomy-looking woman with vacant eyes tilted her head and looked at her.
“Hello. I’m Intelligence Officer Letitia. I’m taking over Cassandra Wilson’s interrogation. So… ah. You just need to tell me what happened with this ‘V’ person.”
“…Again?”
A lifeless voice.
Letitia decided to try a gentler approach.
“Ma’am. I understand you’re going through a lot. But please, just help us a little. As you know from working at the CDC, we’re also a bureaucracy. We have to follow orders from above…”
“Alright.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
Smiling, Letitia held the pen.
It seemed to be going better than expected.
“So, what happened?”
“He touched my breasts.”
Letitia almost broke the pen, but she was an elite officer.
Crossing and uncrossing her legs, fidgeting, she meticulously recorded every word.
“…Intelligence Officer?”
The guards were even more alarmed.
Letitia was drenched in sweat.
Her underwear was visible through her white shirt.
Her face was flushed, her breath hot, and she was restlessly crossing and uncrossing her thighs.
“M, move her too. T- t-to the, the living quarters. With the others.”
Letitia practically stumbled down the hallway.
‘Is she sick?
What’s wrong with them?’
the guards whispered, but she gritted her teeth and pretended not to hear.
Back at her desk, Letitia waited until everyone had left, then worked overtime to complete the report, sealing it more securely than usual and placing it in the commander’s locked cabinet.
Sleepless, Letitia drank all night and ended up taking two consecutive sick days.
Virginia, looking equally haggard, approved her leave without question.
She chain-smoked as she read and reread the report.
When she left work, she smelled of cigarettes, liquor, and strong roses.
Her secretary didn’t blame the commander for neglecting her duties.
She was simply terrified of the contents of that report, something so appalling that it had shocked and enraged even those two formidable women.
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damn