The Military Chef of a Ruined World

Chapter 40

“I’ll tell you the location, but there’s a condition.”

She bargained boldly.

And indeed, the deal was something we needed too.

Given the shortage of groceries and medicine.

“Seems like she remembered what I said earlier.”

About having plenty of meat but lacking other items.

She must have remembered the casual remark I made.

And now she’s bringing it up for a reason.

“Probably testing if we’ll protect them.”

She took out the card she had saved for that moment.

Maybe that’s it.

Thinking like this feels wickedly cynical.

Indulging her as a child might lead to trouble.

So, I decided to approach with more caution.

“Let’s hear it first. What are your conditions?”

“Please protect us.”

Well.

That was expected to be the only condition.

“Your offer is indeed attractive, but, as I said, it’s tough. Firstly, whether we can fully trust your words is uncertain.”

“I understand if you can’t trust us. But really-”

“Oh, that’s not all. There’s also what’s best for you.”

Interrupting her, I began to persuade.

“I’m saying this now. We, as a group, have a different nature compared to survivors who mainly hide and survive.”

“What do you mean?”

“We aim to build up our power and grow our influence, gradually.”

Unlike survivors whose main goal is day-to-day survival.

We aim beyond that.

“…Influence, power?”

“Well, for now, it’s a bit of a struggle.”

The world has changed.

The law it presents is domination.

Expand your influence and seize territory.

That’s the rule of this game.

Even if it’s tough now, the ultimate goal is clear: we must grow our power and expand our influence.

“In this process, there will be frequent clashes with monsters or zombies. Having more people isn’t always a good thing. It means being more easily exposed to enemies.”

Even the barracks we currently hold is like that.

A structure not built with battles in mind.

It wouldn’t be strange if it caught the eye of monsters and turned into a battlefield.

“Staying hidden here might be safer than following us.”

“…”

“If you decide to join us after securing safety, we might accept you then. And if you feel the food we gave you isn’t enough, we might add a bit more.”

To trade, we need clear conditions.

It’s hard to be sure that following us is safer than hiding here.

I wanted to clarify that point.

There was no change in her answer.

“It might be safer here, and we could come back once our situation stabilizes?”

“I don’t want that.”

Seems like a firm decision.

Now I’m curious.

“Give us a reason. Why do you want to join us so badly?”

“Well…”

Just wanting to join a safe faction wouldn’t make us such an excellent choice.

Even after explaining that, she didn’t waver, which was a bit strange.

Listening to my question, Lee Suyeon seemed to ponder for a moment.

Then, taking a deep breath, she answered.

“It was terrible.”

“What?”

“Hiding in here.”

I was puzzled by her words.

What she said next was quite grim.

“Do you know? We had to close all the doors and stay still, afraid of making any noise. Terrified that if we were discovered, we’d die in vain. And… not being able to see or move… As time passed, it became unbearable.”

As if recalling those moments.

A shadow crossed her face.

“Every time we heard strange noises outside, we’d worry. What if it’s a monster? What if that monster finds us? Is that how we’ll die? We’d agonize over it.”

“…”

“Even when we managed to sleep through the day, we’d wake up at the slightest unfamiliar sound. Holding our breath, trembling with fear, praying for the noise to fade away.”

I hadn’t considered that aspect.

Just thought staying hidden would be safer.

“I realized it now…”

We, in the military, were relatively fortunate compared to surface survivors.

Looking at me, she said, “It was more horrifying than you can imagine. There hasn’t been a single day where I haven’t thought of suicide. If we had to endure more of those days, we’d probably lose our minds and die sooner.”

“Hmm.”

“Even if we end up dying in battle someday, I think following you would let us live longer.”

Their determination seems firm after all.

It seems pointless to persuade further.

So, the problem lies here.

Even if the kids want to join us, it’s okay if we refuse.

The issue lies in the conditions they set.

“They know where the goods are.”

And it’s not far from here.

I glanced back at Lee Sang-ah, our leader.

“….”

She, too, seemed to be contemplating something, furrowing her brows.

She met my gaze and spoke up.

“What do you think?”

“Well, no matter how small a town is, there isn’t just one supermarket or warehouse. There are many other places besides this place. “I can’t even guess where Suyeon is talking about.”

“But you suggested we come to this mart instead of all those other places. There must have been a reason for that, right?”

“Well, yes. This mart is relatively small and remote, so there weren’t many visitors. Other places are more famous, and more people know about them.”

In other words,

“Since most likely, survivors have already passed through those places, then it’s better to guide us to a place where there’s a higher chance of finding goods…”

“That’s the idea.”

Her judgment was probably correct.

Initially, this mart wasn’t difficult to conquer.

The problem was the lack of supplies because people had already passed through.

“I’m sorry, but that’s how it is. Since the place you know is likely to have been visited by someone else, it may not be valuable to us…”

“No. That’s not true.”

The girl countered, shaking her head.

“The goods there are still intact. Maybe not everything, but I’m sure most of them are still there.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I saw it with my own eyes.”

“What?”

Both of us were surprised hearing after hearing the words from her mouth.

The girl continued.

“All the adults there were dead.”

***

To sum up Suyeon’s words briefly:

“Your group visited there to get supplies, and except for you and your brother, everyone else perished?”

“Yes.”

If that’s true, then it will become the basis for the claim that goods are still there.

She really saw that the goods were still there.

“It’s a bit surprising that the two kids managed to survive until now…”

It makes sense if they didn’t act alone from the beginning.

They joined a survivor group and survived with them.

And not long ago, they lost them.

“Wait.”

At that moment,

Lee Sang-ah stepped forward and asked.

“Can you tell us who were in that group?”

“…? Yes. Besides us two, the leader was-”

Suyeon’s explanation continued.

Listening to the explanation, Lee Sang-ah nodded slightly.

“Do you know them?”

“They’re not close acquaintances. Just heard their names here and there.”

Since survivors had to hide, they couldn’t expand their group much, but they exchanged information whenever they met.

It seemed like a group they had heard of during such exchanges.

She thought deeply as if recalling something.

“My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I heard that the leader there was a considerably strong awakened. And there was another awakened besides.”

“Ah, it must be the story about Suni ajumma. The one who awakened as a warrior… The second awakened one must be the story about Cheol oppa.”

A warrior.

Lee Sang-ah is quite good at fighting, but her occupation, like mine, is more in the production category.

She can’t match a pure combat awakened like a warrior.

The group led by that woman Suni, who awakened as such, would likely be stronger than Lee Sang-ah’s group.

Especially if they had a warrior known to be very strong.

And not just one Awakener, but two.

“Did such a group really perish?”

I wouldn’t know if it were just the deaths of survivors.

But the annihilation of a group with two awakened is not something to be taken lightly.

Of course, our guild, with more awakened than civilians, wouldn’t be comparable to those survivors.

But it’s hard to ignore how powerful the entity could be that wiped out their group.

At least enough to handle two awakened.

And at most, maybe, it can wipe out our entire guild.

The monster we encountered in the hardware store, ‘Mac,’ was also incredibly powerful.

There could be monsters of that level.

And.

Listening to Suyeon’s story, one thing bothered me.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Yes, anything.”

“Is telling us about that place the only condition you gave?”

“Yes. There were definitely plenty of goods there for all of you.”

That alone sounds quite appealing, but you know…

“But that condition… Is it really for our benefit?”

“What?”

Just making sure.

It seems like these two siblings and their group members had a very special relationship.

Their former group saved them at the cost of their own lives.

And the place where she is guiding us is the place where they all perished.

So…

“Are you trying to use us for your revenge?”

“….!”

“Just a moment. Leader?”

Not only Suyeon, but others were also surprised to hear my words.

I intervened to prevent Sang-ah from speaking.

“This is an important point. If it’s a trade of information, we must verify it.”

“…There really isn’t a single lie in the story about the goods still being there, and you can confirm it by visiting that place.”

“Even if everything else is true, it’s hard to agree if the motive is false.”

The place that she knows is not a safe place.

A place where a monster lurks, capable of killing at least two awakened individuals.

That’s the information they wanted to pass on to us.

Not because they wanted to endanger us by leading us to such a perilous place out of a desire for revenge from our group members.

How can, we be sure?

Upon hearing my question, Suyeon seemed momentarily at a loss for words, as if pricked by a flaw.

Her gaze wandered aimlessly, lost in thought.

“…To be honest.”

After a brief pause, as if organizing her thoughts, she spoke up.

“I can’t say I’ve never thought about wanting revenge.”

“Suyeon?”

“Mm.”

“It’s just… they were good to us, that’s all.”

If that’s the case.

We can’t agree to this deal.

The guild can’t risk danger for the sake of revenge on the survivor we met today.

However.

Her words didn’t end there.

“It’s all in the past.”

“What?”

“Not now. I don’t desire revenge anymore.”

“That’s surprising. Why? It’s not like you’re just trying to avoid the situation.”

“Well…”

Looking at her younger brother sitting beside her.

Suyeon glanced at Suhyuk.

“Suhyuk and I… we survived… you see.”

“Hmm?”

“There were people who died trying to protect us. If we were to die chasing after the revenge of those who sacrificed themselves to save us…”

“…”

“That would make their actions meaningless. I don’t want to trivialize something they sacrificed their lives for.”

Suyeon looked me in the eye and spoke firmly.

“I have only one goal. Mine and Suhyuk’s survival. Even if we die here, it would be quicker to die from something like a mental illness. I only mentioned that information as part of the deal. I didn’t have any intentions of revenge.”

“Hmm.”

“Really. Please believe me.”

Survival is the top priority.

To survive.

“You’re like me.”

“Like you?”

I thought it was a bit audacious when you proposed the deal, but I liked that part.

The best mindset for surviving in this world… is to make a good companion.

If you cling to what’s already passed and suffer consequences, it’s pointless.

“Let’s change one condition.”

“What, what is it?”

“It’s difficult to allocate resources for protection. There’s no room to protect someone.”

“Then what’s the point of the deal?”

“Join the unit.”

Suyeon’s expression was questioning the meaning upon hearing my proposal.

You might wonder about the difference between joining and being protected.

But Lee Sang-ah, who was listening beside me, seemed to understand the meaning and sighed.

“As a recruit… Must it be that way?”

“It’s partly what you desire, and as long as you awaken, being young isn’t a problem. You won’t be thrown into dangerous battles.”

There are also children in the survivor group led by Lee Sang-ah.

Those children were going to awaken someday too.

If you think about being included in that, it’s not a big loss.

It’s not about being protected, it’s about becoming a member of the unit as an awakened individual.

That’s a reasonable compromise.

“I’m not sure, but you’ll accept us, right?”

“For now. But it’s not just about receiving protection, you have to fight alongside as well.”

“That’s fine. I wasn’t just playing around when I was with the adults.”

“Okay.”

The deal is made.

“Now, let’s start with the information about the place you mentioned. Or rather, is there information about the monsters that killed the adults?”

“Oh, that… um…”

“Hmm?”

She hesitated when asked about the monsters that wiped out the group.

The reason became clear soon.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Don’t know?”

“Even though I watched all the adults die… We couldn’t see the monster. Suddenly, people were being pierced and slashed without anything there.”

“What?”

Her description reminded me of something that I hadn’t encountered yet but it was somewhat familiar.

“It was as if a ghost had appeared.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translator: One Force

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