Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Fortifying the Happy House
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“How did you know I’m the type who seeks out fun?”
How could I not know? In the original novel, Knox was always described as someone who pursued entertainment.
But instead of saying that, I offered a bright smile.
“It’s written all over your face, Mr. Ludpersher.”
“Oh dear, you’ve seen right through me.”
“Seen through you? It didn’t seem like you were trying to hide it.”
“Hahaha.”
Knox laughed slyly. He seemed genuinely amused.
However, I knew that Knox was even harder to read than Ethan.
*It’s always the ones with a smiling face who are the darkest inside.*
For now, I managed to get a promise from Knox to help me catch bugs at Happy House tomorrow.
Honestly, if the Elpinus Herb problem was solved, you could say that eighty percent of my apocalypse preparations were complete.
*It’s a vaccine, after all.*
Anyway, after sending Knox off, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the old bed.
*Ugh. I’m exhausted.*
For the first time, I found myself wishing the world would just end already.
Somehow, the preparation is harder than the real thing…!
* * *
The Sinclair townhouse in the capital.
Harrison sat in his office, quietly reading a letter. The sender was Cherry Sinclair. The recipient was Harrison Howard.
The postman who had gone missing was recently found dead, and the letters from his bag were finally being delivered.
Beneath a brief greeting, an urgent message was written.
[Harrison, you didn't actually prepare something like a firearm when I asked you to send weapons, did you?]
Harrison looked at the letter with a troubled expression. The weapon he had prepared was, in fact, a firearm. Illegally imported from the Briwood Kingdom.
*I thought she’d be happy, since she said there was someone she wanted to shoot dead.*
In the past, she would have been delighted without a second thought. But for some reason, Cherry’s reaction was unusual.
This wasn’t the only time. She had changed quite a bit lately.
After the Sinclairs passed away in a car accident, Cherry had been living listlessly. Like a person with no goals in life.
The only things that interested her were parties and splurging the money she had inherited. That was it.
But a while ago, she changed.
Her eyes sparkled as if she had found a purpose in life, and she was overflowing with motivation. And she began to bombard Harrison with requests she had never made before. It wasn’t like Cherry at all.
It was as if she had become a different person.
Her continued eccentric behavior, which went beyond anything predictable, was highly suspicious, but Harrison decided to watch over her quietly for the time being.
In any case, the fortunate thing was that he hadn’t sent the firearm to Brunel yet.
*Has that Jose fellow not arrived yet?*
He had sent an instructor to Brunel to teach Cherry how to use weapons, but her letter made no mention of it.
[If you really did, I think you should bring it yourself instead of using someone else.]
He read further down the letter.
[Ethan Duncan Lancaster is here. He said he was assigned to the Brunel police station. He seems to know something about the gun smuggling and suspects I’m behind it. It looks like he wants to dig up some dirt on the Sinclair family. Is there any way to get this man sent back to the capital?]
Ethan Duncan Lancaster? Harrison’s sharp eyebrows furrowed slightly.
*The Mad Dog of Benton?*
Come to think of it, he had recently received information that Ethan had been digging into his background.
He didn't mind being tailed, but it was a different story if that trail led to Cherry.
Cherry was precious family to him.
When Harrison was fifteen, despite his brilliant mind, he couldn’t apply to the royal academy because he had no money.
The ones who sponsored and raised him were none other than the Sinclairs.
The day his sponsorship was decided, Harrison met Cherry for the first time.
She was a child as small and sweet as a sugar star, hiding behind Mrs. Sinclair’s leg, peeking her head out to look up at him.
“Does this mean we’re family now?”
The five-year-old child asked Harrison in a cute voice.
Family. It was the first time he had ever heard that word.
“Cherry needs a big brother.”
The child’s golden eyes, looking up at him as she clung to his trouser leg, were tinged with loneliness.
He recalled then that the Sinclairs were always busy with their business.
“Big brother is handsome, so he’s qualified to be in Cherry’s family.”
“Oh, my. Look at you. Cherry, didn’t Mommy tell you not to judge by looks alone? A person’s character is more important.”
“But Mommy, you told Cherry you live with Daddy because he’s handsome. For a man, looks are important.”
“Oh, dear heavens, child. That’s true, but…”
Mrs. Sinclair blushed, seemingly embarrassed. She tried to soothe Cherry, glancing uneasily at Harrison.
Although the Sinclairs sponsored Harrison, they hadn’t adopted him. And there were many other children receiving support under the Sinclair family’s name.
In the end, he had no choice but to keep his distance from Cherry, mindful of her parents.
But hearing Cherry’s words, Harrison made a vow. They may not share blood, but Cherry was his little sister. A sister connected by a bond thicker than blood.
Recalling the past, Harrison let out a weary sigh.
*I’ll have to take the firearms myself.*
He had originally planned to head down to Brunel tomorrow as she wished, but Cherry’s letter changed things.
If he were to move the weapons himself, he would need to be much more thorough with security.
*It’ll be delayed by a few more days.*
* * *
16 days remaining until the end.
*Susanna said she’s coming tomorrow.*
I marked the date on the calendar and sank into worry once again.
Harrison still hadn’t given me a precise date for his arrival in Brunel.
*He needs to get here soon.*
Placing the calendar on my desk, I glanced out the window. I saw a man walking into the garden with a log slung over his shoulder.
It was Ethan, who had shed his uniform jacket.
He had the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up from the manual labor, putting his firm forearms on full display.
On top of that, his navy-blue uniform trousers fit him perfectly. And in the holster strapped to his thigh rested a revolver.
Effortlessly setting the log down on the dirt ground, Ethan swept back his neatly styled blond hair. I found myself staring, mesmerized, at his sharp jawline and his prominent Adam’s apple.
*His looks are totally my type.*
I composed myself and went outside.
“You’re here.”
As I greeted him, he pointed to the log.
“Where would be the best place to move this?”
“Let’s turn it into firewood first, then move it. We’ll put some inside and leave some outside.”
At my words, Ethan’s gaze shifted to one side of the garden. A large pile of firewood was stacked there.
He let out a scoff, then planted his hands on his hips and asked me again.
“Just how much firewood are you making? With this amount, you could set the whole town on fire.”
“Hey, that’s not true. Why such a wild exaggeration?”
When I nudged his side with my elbow, he stared at me intently. His expression alone was cursing me out, so I yelped and took a small step back.
Ethan crossed his arms, adopting an uncooperative stance.
“Ah. Perhaps, Miss Cherry, you just wanted to see me get exhausted?”
“Pardon?”
“If not, this makes no sense.”
“Why doesn’t it make sense?”
“This is hardly enough. I don’t tire easily.”
Huh? What was he suddenly on about? It seemed Ethan thought I was making him toil away as some form of punishment. I watched him silently for a moment before speaking.
“Just hurry up and make the firewood.”
Undeterred, Ethan swung the axe with a dazzling flourish, as if to say this was no challenge at all, and caught it firmly in his hand.
*Crack.*
Soon after, I watched in admiration as the log split cleanly in two. Wow, look at those muscles.
I watched him chop wood for a moment, clapping a few times, before I snapped back to reality.
*This is no time to be standing around. There’s still so much to do to turn this mansion into a fortress.*
Just then, the repairmen who were going to help with the wall came through the main gate. I greeted them and then headed up to the second floor of the mansion.
*There was a way up to the roof around here somewhere…*
Then, I spotted a cord hanging from the ceiling in the left hallway where the nursery was.
*That’s it!*
I jumped lightly and pulled the cord.
*Clatter—*
A ladder descended from the ceiling. I climbed it and went up onto the mansion’s roof.
The slanted roof was a bit dangerous, but the view was excellent. Since Happy House was on a hill, I could see the entire town at a glance.
*This will be a good spot to monitor the monsters’ movements.*
I made an additional request to the wall repairman to install a railing on the roof so I could keep watch safely.
*And I need to build a catapult.*
It was better to build a weapon like this before the world ended. It was something I’d have a hard time making on my own.
The catapult was also to be installed on the roof.
There were many types of catapults. The more complex the design, the safer it would be, but it would also take more time.
Everyone’s made a simple wooden catapult in science class at some point, right? So it shouldn’t be a problem.
Of course, since this one would be on a larger scale, the pillars and rubber bands would need to be much stronger to maintain a good center of gravity.
In truth, it was closer to a lever than a proper catapult.
I drew a simple sketch of a catapult based on the principle of the lever and handed it to the head repairman.
“You want me to install a catapult here? I don’t deal in weapons, ma’am.”
The repairman asked again.
“But you can build it, right?”
At my question, the man narrowed his eyes and looked at the sketch again.
“Well, I suppose I could build it, but…”
“I’ll pay you four times the amount we agreed on for the wall.”
“Just you wait, ma’am. I’ll have it built in a jiffy.”
The man beat his chest, telling me to trust him.
Right. I took out a 100-million-gold loan. I have to use it at times like this. What else would I spend all that money on?