I got stopped right in front of the captain’s office.
The road was blocked by a long line of carts.
Creak. Creak.
The worn-out carts groaned as if they were in pain.
They were loaded with sacks filled to the brim with something.
Soldiers, reduced to skin and bones, were dragging the carts along while panting heavily.
“These zombies… I mean, these soldiers are all going to drop dead at this rate.”
“Ah, it looks like they’re transporting materials for construction.”
In the direction Sergeant Jung pointed, something huge was being built.
A site where stone, wood, and even metal were being used.
It was still early in construction, so it was hard to make out its exact shape.
The only thing clear was that, despite being the size of a house, it wasn’t meant to be a building people could enter.
“What are they even making that they’re dragging in people who are practically dying?”
“Dragging them in is a bit harsh! They’re participating voluntarily, sir!”
“Right, so what are these voluntary slaves making?”
Sergeant Jung suddenly pointed his index finger at the sky and started shaking his hips.
It was the “prayer” I had to perform in front of the anti-aircraft gun.
“Are you insane….”
I turned my gaze away from his grotesque movements and looked back at the construction site.
Taking a closer look, the shape started to look familiar.
“Another anti-aircraft gun?”
“It’s a new symbol! We’re making it much bigger and more grand than before!”
Another one, and not even a functional anti-aircraft gun, just a model?
What the hell are they doing?
“Everyone’s on the verge of starving to death.”
“That’s why we’re gathering our strength. In times like this, the power of faith is important!”
They’ve all lost their minds.
“Why is all the equipment so outdated?”
“We’re almost out of power cores… The remaining ones are being allocated only to facilities that absolutely require electricity, and everything else is being handled manually.”
“If you’ve got labor to spare, shouldn’t you be sending people out to find food?”
“Well… there’s no more food to be found around here. No matter how much we search, it’s all for nothing, sir.”
I had expected things to turn out this way.
They’re probably too scared of running into government forces if they go any farther.
By cutting off contact for the sake of safety, they can’t even trade for food with the outside anymore.
“So you’re just going to sit around and starve to death? Instead of going out and trying to survive no matter what?”
“I’m sure the commander has a plan! All we have to do is keep our faith and strengthen our camaraderie…”
“Camaraderie my ass.”
If it’s all about dying together, what kind of camaraderie is that?
Camaraderie is about figuring out how to survive together.
The “faith” Sergeant Jung keeps emphasizing—
That faith is probably what’s kept them alive up until now.
Faith in that so-called captain.
The armed desertion he led was a success.
And they managed to establish this settlement.
Since then, they’ve somehow continued to survive.
Have they reached a point where they can’t live without that faith anymore?
Sergeant Jung limped along behind me all the way to the captain’s office.
Because of him slowing down more and more, I had no choice but to match his pace.
Maybe, in his condition, he can’t even imagine going outside.
Knock, knock.
I knocked on Captain Choi’s office door, but there was no response.
Knock, knock.
When I knocked again—
Creak…
The door slowly opened.
Even then, it only opened enough to fit a single hand through before stopping.
“…So you finally made it.”
Through the gap, I could barely see one of Captain Choi’s eyes and something felt off.
The confidence he had when I first met him was gone, replaced with clear wariness.
“No matter how slim I am, I can’t squeeze through a gap like this.”
“…The postman can come in. Sergeant Jung, return to your post.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sergeant Jung saluted Captain Choi.
Then he leaned in and quietly said, “It was good seeing you again,” before leaving.
On the desk in the office was a half-eaten piece of zombie meat.
Was he in the middle of a meal?
No wonder his complexion looks terrible, eating that stuff all the time.
“So, have you come up with an escape plan?”
Captain Choi spoke weakly as he collapsed into his chair.
He started picking at the zombie meat with his hands.
“I have.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“By the way, I haven’t had a chance to eat while running around…”
Before I could even finish speaking, Captain Choi quickly grabbed the zombie meat and pulled it close to himself.
“…Would you mind if I shared some of my own food with you?”
It felt awkward to take food out and eat outside.
Those skeletal soldiers were staring at me from all directions.
Inside here should be fine.
“Do as you like.”
Captain Choi resumed picking at the zombie meat.
There were a few unused chairs in the corner of the office, but they looked like they’d collapse the moment anyone sat on them.
In the end, I decided to eat standing and pulled out some powdered compressed rations.
Crunch.
“Before I explain the escape plan, should I address the leader of this settlement as ‘commander’?”
“That’s right.”
It’s clear Captain Choi has completely lost any attachment to this place.
He doesn’t object to calling the “headquarters” a “settlement” nor does he bother adding honorifics to the commander’s title.
That makes things easier.
“There’s no problem with proceeding, then.”
“You can pass this along to the commander. Tell him I requested assistance. As for what kind of assistance…”
Captain Choi didn’t look like he was listening at all.
He stared intently at my ration while absentmindedly tearing at the zombie meat.
Grrr…
At this point, I feel like I’d recognize that stomach growl anywhere and know he’s nearby.
“…Would you like to try some?”
“I wouldn’t refuse.”
I’ll give him this. He stays composed to the end.
He was the same when we first met.
Even when he dropped the bombshell asking for help escaping, his expression stayed calm.
I handed him one piece of the powdered compressed ration.
Since I agreed to help him escape, I can’t have him messing things up just because he’s starving.
Crunch.
I expected him to take a big bite, but instead, he nibbled just a small piece with his front teeth.
Almost like he was testing whether it was safe to eat.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had headquarters rations.”
“They never taste good, no matter when you eat them.”
After eating nothing but something as bizarre as zombie meat, even tasteless rations must start to seem appealing.
“True. It’s a delicacy. Truly awful.”
“It’s almost impressive how bad it tastes.”
After just a small bite, the captain set the ration down.
Then he went back to tearing at the zombie meat.
Is he saving it for later?
“Did you happen to see the monstrosity they’re building outside?”
He was talking about the anti-aircraft gun totem.
“Yes, but it wasn’t a monstrosity. Watching it made me feel almost reverent.”
“You’ve been here less than a day and you’ve already lost it?”
“Aren’t they basically building their own tombstone. The one that’ll stand over their graves?”
“…I see. I was mistaken. You’re the one seeing things clearly.”
While the captain ate, I looked around and noticed a large piece of luggage that hadn’t been there before.
It was big enough that a smaller person could probably fit inside, and it even had wheels attached at the bottom.
If that was something he prepared for the escape, that’s a problem.
It’s way too big.
“Have you been preparing to escape?”
“Well… you could say that.”
“Hmm.”
“What is it? It’s just a bag. Things we’ll need after we escape. We can’t go out there empty-handed if we plan to settle down.”
It was a simple question, but his reaction shifted ever so slightly.
That composure of his was gone in an instant.
There’s something here.
“What’s inside?”
“Clothes, trade goods, food, water, medicine… all essentials.”
“Sounds like essentials.”
“Exactly.”
“They’re things you’d need after escaping.”
“Exactly.”
“We’re leaving it behind.”
“Exactly—wait, what?”
As I slowly walked toward the bag, I saw the captain’s body stiffen.
“You can only survive out there if we actually make it out. Rule number one is to ditch anything that gets in the way right now.”
“I disagree. Acting without thinking about what comes af—”
Maybe I should check what’s inside.
Thud.
I gave the bag a light kick with my foot—
“Mmph!”
A muffled sound escaped from inside.
“….”
“Didn’t you hear something just now?”
“Not sure what you mean.”
Thud.
“Ghk!”
That sounded like a woman.
No way…
“Would you like to open it, Captain? Or should I? Or…”
Thud.
“Urk.”
“Why don’t you come out yourself.”
“Haah…”
The captain’s sigh didn’t go unnoticed by the one inside the bag.
Soon, a single finger wriggled out from the opening, widening the gap.
Once it was open enough, a pair of pale white hands emerged.
Ziiip.
“Haha… hello, Postman-nim?”
It was our first time meeting, but I could tell who she was right away.
“You must be Miss Jo Shin-hye’s younger sister.”
“Huh? You know my sister?”
Escaping with Captain Choi, huh.
Sergeant Jung… first love always hurts. And that crush never stood a chance anyway.
She kicked the bag aside, stood up, and clasped her hands together.
“Yes, I just came from seeing Miss Jo Shin-hye.”
“You can’t let my sister find out I’m here. Seriously, absolutely not!”
“She did ask me to tell her younger sister to come home if I happened to see her while she was out…”
“No, really, you can’t! Please, I’m begging you!”
Well, that’s not really my concern.
– Please. If you happen to see my sister…
– Of course! Leave it to me!
The one who said he would take care of it was Sergeant Jung, not me.
“So, should I understand that there are now two people to help escape, Captain?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
“With one more person, the compensation—”
“Understood.”
The captain pulled out a magazine from his pocket and held it out.
I took it and weighed it in my hand. It felt about half empty.
I wonder exactly how many rounds are in it.
The magazine is small and extremely simple in structure.
And I’ve handled countless identical ones, so using my ability is easy.
‘Probability that the magazine contains 15 rounds…’
[0%]
Tch, wrong.
“A magazine that isn’t full? That feels a bit light for the weight of a life.”
“…I put in what I considered a sufficient amount of ammunition. I wouldn’t call it stingy.”
How many did he load?
Let’s try again.
This time, I’ll lower the number by one.
Probability that it contains 14 rounds…
[100%]
“Fourteen rounds. I find that a bit underwhelming.”
“…Did you just guess?”
“Looks like I got it right.”
“Who knows.”
I lightly tossed the magazine up to eye level and caught it.
Click.
“This weight and sound. It’s definitely 14 rounds.”
“You sound very sure.”
“We can make a bet if you’d like. If you win, I won’t take any payment for the extraction. But if I’m right—”
“That’s right. It has 14 rounds.”
At that, a voice from behind went, “Whoa.”
“You really are just like I’ve heard… You’re no ordinary postman, are you? That’s a bit reassuring. Right, oppa?”
The woman spoke casually, calling the captain “oppa” in a familiar tone.
They were definitely a couple.
And “oppa,” really. Gives me goosebumps.
I’ve never been good with those kinds of terms.
“Hand me the magazine.”
The captain filled the empty space in the magazine with rounds and held it out again.
“Does it weigh about as much as a life now?”
“Let me see.”
Click.
I tossed the magazine once more and caught it.
Then I glanced at her, still halfway inside the bag.
“It’s still far lighter than a life.”
“……”
I slipped the fully loaded magazine into my inner pocket.
It had a satisfying weight to it.
“How about this? once the two of you make it out safely, a proper thank-you can make up the difference. What do you think?”
I extended my hand,
“Sounds like a fair deal.”
The captain took it and shook.
“I’m part of this deal too, right?”
She finally climbed out of the bag and placed her white hand over the two men’s joined hands.
Then the captain pressed a block of powdered ration into her other hand.
***
After hearing the full escape plan, the captain nodded.
“Walking out through the main gate… It makes sense.”
“It’s probably the safest method.”
“I’ll arrange the personnel we need. How many do you want?”
“I originally thought we’d need some support, but…”
Crunch.
When I looked over, she hurriedly swallowed the powdered ration in her mouth.
“Cough… I’m Anna.”
“Since Miss Jo Anna has joined us, I’ll revise the plan. There’s no need for you to assign additional personnel.”
“You’re saying the three of us are enough?”
“No.”
This works out better.
It’s best to gather people I can trust.
“I’ll recruit the remaining members myself.”
“From in here? Do you know anyone here?”
“Two people.”
Captain Choi rolled his eyes, thinking.
“One would be Sergeant Jung, and the other…”
There’s no way he wouldn’t know.
I came here in the first place to deliver a letter to Jo Shin-hye.
Crunch.
Jo Anna, completely carefree, was chewing on her ration.
I subtly signaled the captain not to say the name.
But—
“…Mask?”
The person the captain had in mind wasn’t the one I was thinking of.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“You’re a postman. You’d know each other, wouldn’t you? The other postman currently here.”
“…You’re saying there’s a postman wearing a mask here right now?”
The captain slowly nodded, his face full of wariness.
The same look he had when he first opened the door for me.
Mask is here right now?
Someone I have no connection to.
He’s not on my side, but I can’t exactly call him an enemy either.
But…
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
Better move up the escape.
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