We blocked one of the two entrances to the village with carriages. A mountain of them had been dragged from the local rental station.
At the other entrance, we piled up all kinds of furniture to obstruct the road.
Our goal was to block the monsters' view from outside, at least as a temporary measure. In the meantime, we planned to cut down trees from the forest to build a proper barricade.
We didn’t disclose the underground passage connected to the police station. Ethan, being a police officer, took charge of the station and ensured access was restricted under his supervision.
For added security, Ethan kept the door to the underground prison locked at all times.
The villagers were divided into teams—one to build the barricades and another to dispose of the monster corpses.
Truthfully, the village was in complete disarray and far from self-sufficient.
Even after ransacking the grocery store and general goods shop, there wasn’t enough food to sustain everyone for long.
We decided to take control of Brunel to prevent the Kint faction from seizing the remaining supplies. But now, with the survivors we’d rescued, it seemed unlikely I’d be able to claim all the food for myself.
Still, I couldn’t just abandon these people and hoard the food and supplies for myself like the Kint faction would.
‘Perhaps I’ve gained manpower instead?’
Unlike the village, Happy House was equipped with a self-sustaining system.
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
‘If I manage the available manpower efficiently, it might actually be better than surviving alone.’
Even though I had vowed I could survive alone, I wasn’t particularly talented at farming. The lifelong skills of these rural villagers would be far more helpful.
‘Or maybe I don’t need to micromanage them at all. Just set a few ground rules and let everyone fend for themselves, helping each other only when necessary.’
Out of all my options, this seemed the most viable. Saving their lives didn’t mean I was responsible for their futures.
Hmm. Standing in the middle of the village and watching the busy villagers, I deliberated for a while. After much thought, I made my decision.
‘Right. I’ll stop caring about this now.’
Once the entrances to Brunel were blocked, I would return to Happy House and stay there. I was already too busy keeping myself alive to worry about everyone else.
‘I’m not Ethan. I’ve done enough.’
Justifying my decision to myself, I began mentally drafting a to-do list for when I returned to Happy House.
Of course, interrogating the Kint prisoner for information was also on my agenda. There was always a chance they might send more people to Brunel.
*****
Even as carriages were being moved, monster corpses disposed of, and the village cleaned and organized, everyone’s eyes remained fixed on Cherry.
Her striking cherry-red hair, close to a vivid magenta, and her small, charmingly pretty frame made it hard to believe that someone like her could wield an axe and take down monsters so effortlessly.
Gary, the village butcher, couldn’t help but envy Cherry’s immense strength as he watched her easily dismantle a monster.
At that moment, Basilio, the priest of Brunel’s small church, sidled up to Gary and spoke.
“Amazing, isn’t it? How can someone so small have such strength?”
“Exactly. I heard she was quite famous in the capital.”
“She’s the heir to the Sinclair family,” interjected Philip, the young assistant at the antique shop, joining their conversation.
“What’s the Sinclair family? Nobility?”
“They’re not nobility; they’re bourgeois. But apparently, they have more money than most nobles.”
“Oh, come on. Bourgeois or not, they’re still commoners. How can they compare to nobles?”
Gary’s skepticism made Philip shake his head firmly.
“You don’t understand. The day the world fell apart, Cherry Sinclair made the front page of the newspapers. I got this information from the postman who came from the capital. The Sinclairs aren’t just any bourgeois family. They’re so influential even nobles bow to them.”
Gary and Basilio exchanged doubtful glances, but Philip wasn’t done.
“Remember that Southrumvale whiskey you love so much, Gary? That’s from the Sinclair family. And Basilio, your favorite cigarettes—Rosheks? Those are theirs too. Oh, and that massive hotel in Kint? Also theirs. They own dozens of hotels nationwide. Not to mention the train that runs from Kint to the capital—that was built with Sinclair investments. Most of the ships docked at Credence Harbor are owned by them too.”
Gary’s face went pale as Philip rattled off the Sinclair family’s extensive portfolio.
“Is... is that true?”
Why on earth would someone so extraordinary choose Brunel of all places? The only explanation was that Brunel had somehow been “chosen” by the Sinclair heiress. But why...?
At that moment, James, the owner of the carriage rental station and a coachman, approached with news.
“Did you hear? Emma, the tailor, and Victor, the inn’s head chef, are staying at that ruined mansion of hers. That little herbalist kid too.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t call it a ‘ruined mansion.’ Call her the ‘Sugar Star Miss.’”
Philip scolded James, and Gary immediately chimed in, his tone turning stern and protective of Cherry.
“Philip’s right. That’s no way to talk about our benefactor.”
Gary’s expression was grave and solemn as he reprimanded James, who scratched his cheek in embarrassment before clamming up.
“Well, I only said it because I’m jealous. That place looks so safe...”
“Calling it a ruin earlier and now saying you’re jealous—have you no shame, James?”
Gary’s words made James sigh deeply. Turning to leave, James muttered something about needing to get back to moving carriages.
It was then that Basilio, who had been quietly observing, spoke hesitantly.
“But how safe can that mansion really be? It’s still a ruin, after all...”
Gary, now lost in thought, remained silent for a moment before looking at Basilio and Philip.
"Sure, the Sinclairs might have been great, but what’s the point of that now? Everyone’s in the same boat these days," Gary remarked, his tone dismissive.
Philip stared at him in disbelief. How could someone flip their attitude so quickly, like turning a hand over?
Gary continued, "And about the people around the Sugar Star Miss. That cop and that lawyer—don’t you think it’s strange how they’re utterly devoted to her? Sure, she’s strong, but she’s just a young woman at the end of the day..."
At that moment, Cherry approached them. More precisely, she approached Gary.
"Hello. I heard you run the butcher shop," she said, her hands clasped behind her back as she tilted slightly toward him. The axe still strapped to her back gleamed ominously.
"Ah! Y-you startled me!"
Gary turned to her with a look of shock. He was especially flustered, having just been gossiping about her. Regardless, Cherry was still their savior.
Gary felt a pang of guilt. I’m older than her by years, yet here I am acting shamefully.
He glanced at Cherry nervously. Beside him, Basilio and Philip watched the interaction with curiosity, their eyes fixed on the exchange.
"Anyway, Ruskin brought in two deer the other day. Would you mind processing them for us?"
Deer... Deer?!
All three of them widened their eyes in astonishment and stared at Cherry.
In this ruined world, they couldn’t even remember the last time they had a proper meal. Most of the time, they had survived on scraps and emergency rations scavenged from wherever they’d been hiding.
"Of course, you’ll be compensated. I’m not looking to exploit anyone’s labor for free. But likewise, I don’t intend to give away something for nothing."
Cherry’s voice was firm, so much so that it carried an edge of finality.
The men swallowed nervously, their gazes fixed on her as they waited for her next words.
"As thanks for your help, we’ll share the venison with you. You’ve all worked hard today, so I plan to distribute it to the others as well."
"...!"
Deer! They could eat venison—if they worked hard enough today.
In that moment, Gary finally understood why everyone seemed to be so devoted to Cherry.
Not only had she cleaned up the village that had once been a monster-infested hellhole, but she’d also gotten rid of the marauders. And as if that wasn’t enough, she was reorganizing the village and swiftly establishing order with astonishing efficiency.
Even obtaining food didn’t seem to be a challenge for her.
At that moment, Gary, Philip, and Basilio all had the same thought.
We have to stay on Cherry’s good side!
Instinctively, they understood that being chosen by Cherry was their best chance at survival in this hellish world.