Chapter 95
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Uninvited Guests
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I was some distance away from the soldier, but I could still see his face from an angle. I watched him swallow nervously, his expression tense.
“I-I can't tell you. You'll have to see for yourself.”
“I saw people being dragged away earlier. What are you going to do to them?”
“That wasn't us. I don't know the specifics, but it looked like they were trying to enslave this town's survivors.”
Slaves. The shocking news left me a little stunned. Just then, Ethan questioned the soldier.
“‘They’? Who are ‘they’? Are you talking about the ones you're fighting in this town right now?”
“We don't know their exact identities either. We were attacked the moment we entered Brunel. All we heard was that they came from Kintne.”
The Kintne survivor camp.
According to the original novel, there was a fairly large group of survivors in Kintne as well.
Hadn't I mentioned it before? The novel *Love in a Ruined World* was primarily about a turf war, a survival game where survivors consumed each other's camps to expand their own.
Of course, the ultimate victor was Crown Prince Theodore's camp, where the heroine, Aurora, resided, so Kintne wouldn't stand a chance.
So, to sum up what the soldier said—
The guys from Kintne, who infiltrated Brunel for some unknown reason, ran into the soldiers who were posing as the royal army to kidnap Ethan, resulting in a shootout between the two groups.
What the hell are they doing on my turf?
Brunel is my territory, plain and simple. Of course, no one ever actually said that, but...! After all the effort I've poured into this town...!
Those soldiers were one problem, but first, I decided I had to teach the Kintne crew a lesson.
He said their purpose was 'unknown,' but wasn't it obvious? They were probably trying to secure the remaining food and supplies in Brunel.
The soldier still had the muzzle of Ethan's revolver pressed to the back of his head.
I drew the axe from my holster and looked at him. His face turned deathly pale when he saw it in my hand.
“I can't let you have Sir Ethan. If you think you can take him from me, go ahead and try!”
I made my declaration with all the confidence I could muster, but Ethan's expression was unreadable.
But what did I care? I was serious. I didn't kidnap(?) Ethan just to see him get snatched away by the likes of them. The only person I'm willing to hand him over to is Aurora!
“I had no idea you were so fond of me, Miss Cherry.”
“No. It's not that I'm fond of you. I just want your body, Sir Ethan.”
His blood, with its antibodies, to be precise.
The soldier now looked at me as if I were some kind of lunatic, and Ethan was clicking his tongue in disapproval.
“So the pervert was here all along…”
*Bang—!*
Ethan couldn't finish his sentence. A bullet flew through the police station window, piercing the heart of the soldier standing before him.
Ethan, standing at an angle, narrowly avoided the bullet. We both ducked at the same time.
*Bang! Bang—!*
More bullets rained into the police station. The soldier on the floor appeared to be killed instantly.
“We need to get to the basement, Miss Cherry. Can you move?”
Ethan asked, his body pressed low to the ground. Crouched down just like him, I nodded.
We had no choice but to crawl. And we had to do it before those men outside stormed the building.
I crawled across the floor. I had to give up on burning the monster's corpse. It would reek, but there was no helping it.
Ethan and I managed to open the door to the basement and slip inside.
*Click.*
Only after closing the door did I straighten up and let out a sigh. I could see Ethan sitting on the stairs, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
It had been one bewildering event after another, and I felt dazed for a moment. I sat on the stairs in silence before asking Ethan a question.
“The ones who just killed that soldier... they must be from Kintne, right?”
“I think so. It looks like they're trying to take over Brunel. From what I saw, they were clearing out the town's monsters.”
“Hm? Clearing out the town's monsters? Well, they were doing us a favor, then.”
I stroked my chin, thinking. Should we wait until they've cleared all the monsters from Brunel and then stab them in the back?
*But how?*
They clearly outnumbered us.
The only cards we had were the underground passage to the police station and the catapult at Happy House...
“We need to hit them from behind before they completely take over Brunel. We can't let them take our food supplies.”
At my muttering, Ethan, who had been resting his chin in his hand with a weary look, lifted his head to look at me.
“We know this town better than they do, don't we? We can use the terrain to our advantage. We even have the underground passage.”
“Use the terrain?”
“We'll herd them.”
Ethan grinned at me.
*Herd them.* I understood him instantly. I grinned back.
“We'll have to teach them a serious lesson.”
“It's a shame they haven't heard the rumors about the mad lady of the abandoned house.”
“They'd be shocked to find out the Mad Dog of Benton is here, too.”
As I retorted instinctively, I realized something was off.
“Wait, why are our nicknames like that? It's a bit of a problem if we're both crazy.”
At my words, Ethan crossed his arms with a grave expression and nodded in complete agreement.
“I really should have been your partner, Miss Cherry…”
“Excuse me. If we're going to be partners, shouldn't one of us be sane?”
“If there are two crazy people, it might just look normal.”
For one, Ethan definitely didn't seem sane. That much was certain. Still, I thought I was a little better off than him.
“Where do you think those men who tried to kidnap Ethan came from?”
“Given they were disguised as the royal army, one thing is certain: the royal family isn't behind this. It's likely someone who *wants* it to look like they are.”
“Someone who wants it to look like the royal family is behind it... That's highly suspicious. Could it be related to the virus?”
“There's no way to know for sure yet.”
But I was convinced it was.
After all, they went so far as to try and kidnap Ethan, of all people—the one man with antibodies to the virus.
Anyway, I got to my feet. The problem was, we'd left the lantern back at the police station. The thought of navigating that pitch-black underground passage without it gave me goosebumps.
“Let's head back to the mansion first and come up with a solid plan.”
Ethan stood up, offering me his hand. I looked at him, puzzled.
My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, so I could faintly make out his face, but I couldn't quite read his expression.
“Take my hand. We have no choice without the lantern.”
At his words, I obediently took his hand. *Right. I'm only taking it because we have no lantern. It can't be helped.*
With my vision completely obscured, my other senses felt heightened. I was unusually aware of the hand holding Ethan's.
“End of the stairs. Watch your step.”
Ethan said. Just as he'd warned, the stairs ended, and the entrance to the underground cells appeared. Suddenly, he pulled me toward him, almost into an embrace.
“You almost ran into it.”
He was right. If he hadn't pulled me, I would have hit my shoulder on the doorframe. I nodded, practically in his arms.
“Th-thank you.”
*What is this?* I didn't know why I suddenly felt so awkward and embarrassed. I gave a needless cough and carefully took a step, still holding his hand.
Ethan somehow managed to find the entrance to the underground passage. He leaped down first, then told me to jump.
I was a little scared to jump down into the pitch-black void below.
*What if I misjudge the height and break my leg?*
As I hesitated, worrying, Ethan spoke.
“Miss Cherry, I'm a soldier professionally trained in swordsmanship and marksmanship. My senses are sharp, even without my sight. Trust me and jump.”
His words were convincing. Or maybe they were convincing simply because it was Ethan who said them.
“...So, I should jump?”
“Yes, jump.”
“One, two... three!”
Tense, I leaped down. And just as he'd promised, Ethan caught me with ease and stability. I landed squarely in his arms and took a moment to catch my breath.
“That was scarier than killing those damn monsters.”
As I muttered, clutching my pounding heart, Ethan burst out laughing. I could feel the slight tremor of his body against mine.
Inappropriate for the situation, it felt strangely intimate.