Ethan and I stepped out of the laundry room.
My heart had been racing for a while now. I placed a hand on my chest and took a deep breath.
Ethan seems to be misunderstanding something, but I can’t bring myself to ask him what it is...!
Because it felt like my heart was about to explode! And if he really is misunderstanding, I have no idea how to clear it up!
Just then, Jose spotted us and came over quickly.
"The attorney told me to keep an eye on Sir Ethan. They said to report back immediately if he shows any strange behavior. Sir, what exactly did you do wrong?"
Jose asked Ethan with a puzzled look. There was a hint of pity and sympathy in the way he looked at him.
Since we decided to keep Ethan’s potential infection a secret for now, Jose was left clueless and tasked with keeping a watchful eye on him.
Ethan deflected the question smoothly.
"If the attorney said so, they must have their reasons. By the way, shouldn’t we take care of the monsters on the fifth floor?"
With that, he drew his sword from his belt.
"Miss Cherry, I’ll handle clearing the fifth floor."
"Oh, so that’s why I was told to follow you? Are you going up right now?"
Jose loaded his rifle as he prepared to accompany Ethan. Seeing this, Harrison, who had been speaking with Nick, returned. This time, he didn’t try to stop Ethan. Instead, he took it a step further by handing Jose the crossbow slung over his shoulder.
"It made sense to use firearms earlier given the situation, but now it’s better to use this, don’t you think?"
Jose, about to follow Ethan, nodded in agreement and swapped weapons with Harrison. Being a weapons expert, Jose wouldn’t have any trouble using the crossbow.
In truth, Ethan could have handled clearing the fifth floor on his own. His reason for bringing Jose along was obvious.
He probably believed that if he turned into a monster, Jose was the best person to kill him.
At the moment, Harrison and I had to focus on negotiations, and Nox was busy treating people. Practically speaking, Jose was the right choice.
"See you soon," Jose said, heading up the stairs with Ethan.
After watching them disappear, I turned to Harrison.
"Then shall we talk while they’re away?"
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
The Sinclair Hotel Kintner branch was located in the heart of Kintner. In other words, it was a building isolated amidst a swarm of monsters. But that also meant it was easier to secure supplies from outside, assuming we could handle the monsters.
More importantly, the camp had started to achieve a level of self-sufficiency, farming on the rooftop.
The camp had an astonishing amount of supplies stockpiled, reportedly gathered through the sacrifice of many people under Elliot’s leadership.
"In a world like this, promises made with words or written agreements are meaningless. We need something more concrete to ensure the people here won’t betray us and can coexist with us."
A tyrant like Elliot might have ruled through fear, but that only breeds future trouble. That was why Elliot’s end was so unfortunate.
Harrison nodded, understanding.
"In that case, exchanging personnel might be effective. For example, Kintner people could assist with searches and scouting for Brunel, and Brunel people could do the same for Kintner."
"You mean fostering camaraderie?"
"Exactly. By overcoming the threat of death together, they’ll lower their guard and form bonds."
"But what if the people who grow close end up conspiring to betray the camp...?"
"Miss, anyone inclined to betray will do so eventually, sooner or later. What we must do is make the best possible choice right now."
"Do you think the Brunel people will agree? Forcing them would be no different from what Elliot did."
"They’ll agree. They don’t really have a choice."
I struggled to understand what Harrison meant by "no choice."
"I didn’t take the Brunel people in, though."
"Exactly," he replied.
"Which means they’ll soon realize they need to find their own way to survive. They’ll feel lost, but if we explain the benefits of an exchange, why would they refuse?"
Ah.
"It’s about offering fair compensation for their work. They still have the freedom to choose. This is clearly different from the exploitation Elliot practiced."
"And if they refuse...?"
"Then we’ll consider alternative options. But I assure you, they’ll agree."
Harrison was confident. He was my father’s attorney, who had overseen much of the Sinclair family business. If Harrison said so, I had to believe him.
So, strictly speaking, this isn’t charity—it’s a transaction.
To be honest, I had plenty of plans to secure food for Happy House. Exchanging personnel for scavenging wasn’t strictly necessary.
This was purely a diplomatic effort to bring Brunel and Kintner camps under our influence in a peaceful and friendly manner.
Now, the remaining issue was how to handle the secret passage in the laundry room...
My gaze caught sight of Nox wandering through the lobby. He was busy checking survivors for infections and treating wounds.
"A doctor...! Can you believe it?"
The hotel’s residents were relieved and deeply moved by the presence of a doctor. They seemed to think it might be their last chance for medical care and refused to let him go.
Nox tugged at his cravat, loosening it roughly, and ran a hand through his hair in exhaustion.
"I’ll be fine. Go ahead and finish your discussion."
Peeling open the wrapper of a lollipop he’d found somewhere in the hotel, he popped it into his mouth and let out a sigh of relief.
Is there some kind of drug in that candy I don’t know about?
I shook my head, dismissing the thought.
"Don’t push yourself, Mr. Rutherford."
"I’m only doing what’s necessary," he replied, rolling up his sleeves, the candy still in his mouth.
This was something Ethan and Nox had in common: they always put others first.
It doesn’t seem like it at all, given their looks and behavior, I mused.
Their personalities gave off the impression they wouldn’t spare a glance for anyone else.
It’s strange. Was it their respective professions—doctor and police officer—that made them this way? Or were they naturally inclined to these roles? Either way, I was grateful they weren’t like me.
"To be blunt, I don’t think you need to push yourself so hard for the people here. I can’t stand the thought of you overexerting yourself because of them."
It was better for Nox to focus on our group at Happy House. He was irreplaceable.
For some reason, my words elicited a peculiar expression from Nox.
After a moment of hesitation, he stepped closer to me.
"Why..."
I couldn’t finish my question.
His large hand reached out and gently brushed my hair aside.