Thanks to the captain’s kind cooperation, I was able to enter the building set up at the target coordinates.
Judging by the interior, it seemed to have been used as a bar, but the shelves were completely empty.
Then there was a poster on the wall that immediately caught my eye.
– We’re going to Mars~
It’s a poster from the old world, but you could commonly find it in bars.
Usually used as a target for throwing darts or knives.
The image on the poster showed a manned Mars probe launching toward space.
Many people believe it was the symbolic event that ultimately led to the world becoming what it is now.
Back then, the launch was broadcast live all over the world.
I’ve even seen a recording of that historic countdown.
– Three… Two…
The CEO who used to sing about Mars was also said to be on board the probe.
But there’s a rumor that he only pretended to board and wasn’t actually on it.
Believe it or not.
– One…
When you think about it, it was an incredible idea.
A person goes into space.
Then travels even farther to reach Mars and settle there.
It’s already hard enough to establish a settlement on perfectly good land, yet they thought about crossing space and settling there.
Of course, it was only the idea that was impressive.
There was no way something like that would actually work.
– Zero.
The cheers didn’t last long.
The probe exploded before it even reached space, turning the sky red.
Later analysis revealed it had been struck by something that came from space.
Right after the explosion, all satellite signals were lost.
And then—
– What the…!
The live broadcast ended along with the old world.
It was the beginning of the first air raid.
“It feels strange to keep calling you ‘postman’.”
The captain who had been watching me work from behind spoke up, apparently bored.
“Don’t worry. I’m used to it; everyone calls me that.”
“…I’m saying it feels strange for me to say it.”
“Oh, then you should’ve said that.”
“I know full well that a postman isn’t supposed to comment on whether our shelter will survive or not. Still, something like exchanging names should be fine, right? My name is—”
This measuring device they issued me this time has especially stiff joints.
If I put a bit too much force into it, it feels like it might snap.
I need to unfold it carefully…
Damn, I’m going to waste all my time just setting this up.
“…Actually, never mind. I’ll just call you postman.”
“Hmm?”
“So what exactly are you doing right now?”
“Oh, this?”
I finally managed to unfold the legs of the device.
I set it down on the ground and turned it on, and a red light began blinking on the indicator.
“This exact spot is the predicted impact point for the air raid.”
“This exact spot…”
The captain tilted his head up and looked at the worn-out bar ceiling.
“It’s a device that measures the scale of damage. It checks how much the actual result differs from the predicted data.”
“We built a thick roof to withstand air raids. Wouldn’t that reduce the measured values?”
“Apparently it measures accurately without being affected by things like that.”
“How is that even possible?”
“You’ve got a talent for asking only things I don’t know.”
Right after impact, the device will transmit the measurement data to me.
Communication equipment, after all, costs a fortune.
Even so, since all it does is send a few numbers to a postman who’ll be relatively nearby, it’s considered cheap for communication gear.
Still, it easily costs as much as several fully loaded rifle magazines.
Well, it’s not like it’s my personal property anyway. It’s issued by the state.
After the air raid ends, I’ll enter the site and check whether the device somehow survived.
They’re built tough, so sometimes they actually make it.
If I manage to recover it intact, I get extra pay.
After receiving the transmitted measurements, I run them back to headquarters on my own two feet and return the recovered device. That’s the end of the job.
That alone makes the issued survival pack worth it.
And then comes the bonus.
I get to stay for a few days in the second safest shelter in the country.
They feed me and give me a place to sleep.
For a few days, at least.
“Captain, there’s 1 hour and 51 minutes left.”
“I know. I have a watch too.”
“So you’re staying here, then? Like a captain going down with his ship.”
“Hmm, an expression from the old world?”
“I used to know an old guy. Anyway, I just do what I’m assigned. I don’t want to get involved beyond that. Thanks for the cooperation.”
With the job done, all that’s left is to move outside the air raid zone.
But with some time to spare, I might as well kill a bit of it.
I headed straight to the center of the settlement, and sure enough, residents had come out to trade.
It always happens when an outsider shows up.
In other words, it happens everywhere I go.
“Three cigarettes? What are these made of?”
Do they think they’re homemade?
“Th-This is top quality?”
Nothing beats military-grade.
They’re made in actual factories, after all.
In the end, though, I decided not to sell the cigarettes. Their value was low in this settlement.
In places where quality of life has hit rock bottom, necessities are the most valuable, and luxuries aren’t treated well.
Then I just trade necessities for luxuries.
The antibiotics I took off the defeated soldiers caused a frenzy. Everyone wanted them.
For people who have to go outside the walls, antibiotics are basically extra lives.
Thanks to that, I was able to trade three bottles of antibiotics for a decent amount of usable coffee beans and cheap cigarettes.
Once I get back to headquarters, the leisurely types will be dying to buy them.
There was even a guy who kept insisting on trading me a bottle of whiskey from the old world.
It was definitely top quality, but because of the weight and bulk, I usually avoid taking alcohol.
And no one offered any ammunition.
“Excuse me! Mr. Postman!”
Just as the bartering was wrapping up, a kid showed up in front of me for the first time.
“What is it?”
“Ah, my name is Kyun-gsoo! Park Kyun-gsoo!”
“I didn’t ask for your name, I asked what you—”
“Oh! I was on guard duty earlier. I dropped my rifle like this, then picked it back up really quick—”
“I asked what you want, kid.”
“Ah!”
The captain, who had come up behind him, answered for him.
“He says he wants to come with you.”
“Come with me?”
The kid tightened his grip on the rifle slung over his shoulder.
“Yes! You’re heading back to headquarters, right? Then please take me with you—”
What a troublesome kid.
Let’s see what’s actually inside that toy of his.
“Uh… sir?”
“Hold still. No wonder you dropped it, the way you’re holding it. Like this…”
I focused as I carefully handled the rifle.
It was my first time touching this exact one, but since it’s a standard-issue rifle, I’d used the same model countless times before.
That makes it easier to activate my ability.
And that’s not all.
Inanimate object.
Small size.
Simple structure.
All conditions that make the ability easier to use.
And finally, I need to be able to touch it like this.
“Like this…?”
“No, like this. Move your hand.”
After fiddling with the rifle for about ten seconds,
It finally began to emit a faint blue glow.
Of course, it’s a light only I can see.
Got it. Let’s see.
It’s clean with hardly any signs of use.
Since he just carries it around for show, he might not even realize it’s malfunctioning.
Probability it functions properly…
Blue numbers appeared before my eyes.
[99.8%]
Looks like there’s no malfunction, at least.
But more important than that is the magazine.
Even from a light touch, I can tell it’s empty, but it’s better to be sure.
Probability there’s even a single bullet inside…
[0%]
Figures.
“I don’t take tagalongs.”
I don’t take along soldiers with fully loaded magazines, or hunters who just got their abilities and lost their sense of fear.
And a kid who can’t even hold a rifle properly and doesn’t have a single bullet?
“I won’t be a burden! You can just go your way, and I’ll quietly follow along! Just until headquarters, please. I have mail that absolutely has to be delivered!”
Of course, he could hand the mail directly to me, a postman.
But the delivery fee would be ridiculously expensive.
If he takes it to headquarters himself, it gets much cheaper. That’s clearly what he’s aiming for.
“Get lost. The only thing allowed to follow me is my shadow. Honestly, I don’t even like that, but I can’t get rid of it, so I put up with it.”
“Then I’ll follow you like a shadow!”
“I just said I can’t get rid of it. If you can separate it from me right now, I’ll let you take its place. Go ahead.”
I stomped on the ground a few times, stepping on my shadow’s feet.
“Go on. Try and pull it off.”
“Just a second!”
The kid immediately pulled out a flashlight and shone it on the ground.
“There! That did it, right?!”
“You idiot!”
I quickly snatched the flashlight and turned it off.
The captain, who had been watching from behind, smacked his forehead.
“You’re wasting battery on something like this? Are you out of your mind?”
“But the shadow—”
“Rejected.”
“But still!”
“Re-ject-ed.”
If I dragged someone like that around, I’d end up dying in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise.
He’s the kind of fool who’d never survive outside the walls.
“Kyung-soo, give it up. I told you it wouldn’t work, didn’t I?”
The captain shook his head and let out a small, amused scoff.
I can pretty much guess what kind of conversation they had.
That idiot probably went to the captain and said something like:
– Please talk to him so the postman will take me along…!
But after exchanging a few words with me, the captain must’ve realized there was no way that would happen.
He seems like a pretty perceptive guy, after all.
Still, it seems he didn’t give up and came at me anyway. Maybe now this kid has realized that the world outside the walls isn’t so easy.
“Um, Mr. Postman, then at least this….”
“Hey! Park Kyung-soo!”
Before the captain could stop him, the kid suddenly pulled something else out from his chest.
A magazine.
At times like this, you need a poker face that pretends you’re not interested.
What should I go with?
Yeah, I’ll casually bring up some top-grade food and play dumb.
“What is this, a cornucopia? Stuff just keeps coming out. Got any beef jerky too?”
“Uh, well….”
What, why is he flinching? Does he actually have some?
The captain smacked his forehead again and walked over to the kid.
“Park Kyung-soo, you little….”
“Don’t worry! Even if the postman looks like that, I’m sure he’s not a bad person—mmph!”
“Kyung-soo, a person needs to know how to keep their mouth shut.”
“Mmph….”
Looks like it’s a magazine loaded with ammo.
I don’t know how many bullets are in it, but this doesn’t look like a settlement that can afford to entrust ammunition to a kid like him.
Did the captain or one of the officers, who chose to stay behind, hand over something that might end up being a parting gift?
“If you don’t have any business left, I’ll be on my way.”
“Mmph…! Ugh.”
“Ah!”
The captain, who had been covering the kid’s mouth, quickly pulled his hand away and started wiping the dampness on his clothes.
The kid spat a few times, rinsed his tongue, and continued.
“I’ll give you this! Would this work somehow?”
“Hmm, is there at least something in it?”
Meanwhile, the captain smacked his forehead for the third time.
I naturally and smoothly snatched the magazine.
The weight hit me right away.
It’s almost full?
A standard magazine missing just one bullet.
That means a total of 29 bullets.
Furthermore, the ammunition visible at the very top is clearly state-made military ammunition.
Which means top quality.
If you only think in terms of cost-effectiveness, it’d be better to sell this and buy a bunch of cheaper, privately made ammo.
The frequency of gun malfunctions would go up, but you could arm several times more people for the same price.
Malfunctions or not, immediate firepower matters more.
And yet, the reason this poor settlement is holding onto top-grade ammunition is obvious.
Because it’s the best for trading.
An asset no one would ever refuse.
In the old world, it was gold. Now, it’s the Republic of Korea military ammo.
This magazine was probably the settlement’s emergency fund.
Of course, the proper thing to do would be to take out every round and check whether they’re all military-grade.
They could’ve filled the bottom with cheap rounds and only placed top-quality ones at the very top where they’re visible.
But I don’t need to go through that hassle.
The probability that all the bullets in this magazine are the same is….
[100%]
All of them are top quality.
That said, I don’t always use my ability.
When trading with someone for the first time, I deliberately show myself taking out each bullet and inspecting them one by one.
You can’t afford to look like an easy mark.
But with someone I’ve dealt with a few times and have judged to be trustworthy, I just check the magazine with my ability.
Then the other party usually asks, “Aren’t you going to take them out and check?”
That’s when I say, “I trust you.”
Just like that, I secure a solid trade connection.
The problem is, I’ll have to take this kid along in exchange for the ammo.
Of course, it’s definitely risky.
But on the way here, there wasn’t anything particularly dangerous.
At most, I ran into three scattered enemy soldiers.
And the distance is much shorter compared to my other assignments.
For 29 bullets, it’s well worth hauling around an extra piece of baggage.
“Man, standing around this long is making my legs hurt.”
“…Huh?”
With the magazine still in my hand, I casually lowered myself into the shade beneath a large roof nearby.
“Wow, it’s so cool under here it’s almost cold.”
“Um, you need to give me an answer….”
“Guess my shadow doesn’t like the cold. It ran off.”
***
30 minutes before the air raid.
In the end, the captain and five of his officers remained in the settlement.
Everyone else left.
They had come outside the walls to survive, yet their faces looked like they were being led to a slaughterhouse.
The postman and his companion settled in the nearby ruins outside the settlement.
It was far enough to avoid the air raid’s damage, and there were walls to block any stray debris that might come flying in.
While the postman sat with his eyes closed, conserving his strength, his companion stayed by his side like a shadow, just as promised.
“Captain.”
“Yeah.”
One of the officers spoke, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
“Captain, this shelter is your whole world, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”
“…Do you think our shelter can withstand the air raid?”
“Why, are you afraid?”
When the man hesitated without answering, the captain raised his gun and pointed it at him.
“Get out. Now.”
“…What?”
“There’s less than five minutes left. Move.”
“But….”
Click.
“I’ll count to three. One.”
“I-I’ll evacuate! I’m truly sorry!”
In that brief moment, he quickly glanced at the backs of the other officers who had turned away.
Then he started running toward the outside of the walls.
Of course, he knew the captain’s gun wasn’t loaded.
“…Captain.”
“What now.”
“Got anything to chew on? I’m bored.”
“Hmm, a bit of beef jerky—”
Even the officers who hadn’t reacted when their comrade left all turned their heads at once to look at the captain.
“…I did have some.”
“You’re saying you had something that valuable?!”
“I gave it away.”
“Huh?”
“Are you really going to be like this till the end?”
Shaking their heads, the officers turned their gazes back toward the distant hills.
“Kyung-soo must be full.”
“I didn’t say who I gave it to.”
“Oh! My mistake!”
This time, the captain shook his head, and the officers burst out laughing.
Their laughter burst out freely and carried on.
Then, at some point, it began to fade, before slowly and very awkwardly cutting off altogether.
Silence followed.
A silence where one second felt like six minutes lingered on, until ten seconds stretching like an hour finally broke.
“Captain, I’m just asking out of curiosity.”
“Three minutes left. Make it quick.”
“Did the postman say anything? Like giving information about the air raid?”
The captain had heard nothing but “I don’t know” from the postman.
Still, there was one remark that stuck with him.
“He said I looked like a captain about to go down with his ship.”
“He said that…? That’s practically telling you to die!”
At the officer’s growl, the captain let out a small chuckle.
“Is it? That’s not how it sounded to me.”
“Not how it sounded?”
The captain mulled over what the postman had said when they first met.
– The state of your defenses is pretty rough… You might be better off rebuilding from scratch.
“No. Whatever he meant by it, only he would know. Two minutes left. Stay sharp, everyone.”
“Yes, sir!”
The clouds covering the sky slowly began to drift apart.
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