Ch.153Chapter 20. Patriot (5)

The sharp observation from Camilla aligned with the concerns I’d been pondering.

Currently, we’re fighting while transporting zombies in a cargo truck. It’s essentially guerrilla warfare, which wouldn’t be an issue with human soldiers, but becomes problematic when the passengers are zombies.

“We’ve been ‘pioneering’ together for a week now, right? Those guys have been growling at you more frequently. I’ve been counting since three days ago, and it’s definitely increasing.”

“Are they rebelling? Should I discipline them again?”

I meant it as a joke, but Camilla took it seriously.

“Johan. Those creatures were originally human. And humans sometimes act impulsively when overcome by emotions. Even I’ve done that, and so has Leticia. How much more would zombies?”

Zombies are beasts. Beasts show affection when they’re fond of you, but when triggered, they awaken their wild instincts.

Moreover, the pheromones from my body aren’t the kind that “make everyone, human or zombie, fall for you unconditionally.” They tend to amplify existing emotions.

If someone liked me, they’d like me more; if they hated me, they’d hate me even more intensely; and if they were indifferent, they’d remain indifferent.

“But Camilla, in our current situation, this is the fastest way to spread it. Making zombies fight each other to inflict wounds, then spraying them. Just spraying is dangerous and less effective for transmission.”

“I agree with the method itself. It’s hard to think of another approach. What I’m saying is that you’re exposing yourself to too much risk in the process.”

“Then what should we do?”

“I’ve been thinking…”

Despite waiting for a while, Camilla struggled to speak. Pitter-patter, raindrops began hitting the truck window, as if they too were eager to hear what she had to say.

“What were you thinking that made your face so red?”

“I’m infected with your virus too, but I can’t produce as much pheromone as you, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I thought, if I accepted you deeper inside me, maybe I could become like that too.”

It took passing another block before I understood what Camilla meant. She turned away from me, her ears flushed red, and I was so distracted looking at her that I nearly hit a trash can in the middle of an intersection. Yet, I wasn’t angry.

“Don’t… don’t look at me like that.”

Camilla cleared her throat, covering her lower abdomen with both hands.

“Ahem. But thinking about it, it seemed a bit… inappropriate. I think our trailer life will end soon, but getting pregnant in this situation might be uncomfortable for others, and… commuting with zombies probably isn’t good for a baby in the womb.”

“That’s… true.”

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely speak. Camilla kept fanning herself as if she was hot. But she seemed to have more to say.

“…And, well. I don’t want to be like… someone who does it everywhere like an exhibitionist. I want my first time to be… romantic. Is that too girlish?”

Leticia doesn’t do it just anywhere either, but that’s beside the point. Camilla hung her head low.

The rain poured down harder. I drove the truck slowly as visibility was poor. Suddenly, the view cleared up. A large, grand awning with the word “Department Store” written on it. The inside of the store was dark, but it seemed like a decent place to stop briefly.

“Why are you stopping?”

I gently caressed Camilla’s surprised cheek and kissed her. The scent of rain-soaked hair mixed with sweat wasn’t unpleasant at all.

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

Despite her words, Camilla’s hands fumbled with my clothes. Just as she was about to slip her hand through the gap, the cargo compartment rumbled with ‘thump thump’ sounds. Groans of complaint also emerged.

“Those guys really have no sense of timing.”

I sighed involuntarily, but Camilla laughed and ruffled my hair.

“Camilla. Let’s get out.”

“Get out?”

“It’s a department store after all. I don’t know what’s left, but pick something. I’ll buy it for you.”

“You’re buying it?”

“Of course.”

I finished loading the magazine and checked my gun. Camilla also adjusted her weapon and tidied her outfit. We turned off the engine and got out, leaving the zombies to their complaints.

“By the way, Camilla. Before shopping, just one thing. So, what were you suggesting we do?”

“…I was going to suggest you ask Leticia for advice.”

Camilla keeps surprising me today.

“I thought you hated Leticia?”

“Of course I do.”

Camilla’s face immediately turned hostile.

“I hate how she seduces you at every opportunity. I hate how she pushes her big butt around, not knowing her place. I hate how she sucks on you like a piece of candy in her pocket. Sometimes I even hate you because of it.”

“Yet you want me to ask Leticia for advice?”

“…As an ‘officer,’ she’s okay. This isn’t my judgment but was in the Liberation Front database. Of course, that data mentioned Leticia having an older brother in Römer, but didn’t mention her being a hopeless pervert, so its reliability is questionable.

I’m confident I won’t lose to anyone when it comes to protecting you, Johan. But commanding and directing others is a different matter. I’ve only worked with people I get along with, but Leticia practically managed an entire unit, stuck between incompetent subordinates and superiors. So she’s probably better than me at organizational management.”

As I gazed at her in admiration, Camilla added one more thing.

“…Don’t tell her I said this. I can’t stand seeing that woman get all smug.”

“I’ll keep it between us. Shall we go in now? Just the two of us.”

“It’s been a while since I went shopping.”

We entered with our guns ready. A growling sound was heard. Time to check out.

* * * * *

When we opened the trailer door, Cassandra was eating cereal, and Leticia was flipping through radio channels.

“Why are you so late? I was worried! You didn’t even answer the radio!”

Leticia started nagging as soon as we closed the trailer door.

Camilla, who would normally argue back, was in a good mood as she removed her gear. She seemed pleased after changing into pretty new underwear and bringing more back. One she chose herself, one I picked for her, and one we selected together.

“We were being careful. Any good news on the radio?”

“There’s one. My former superior has become the commander of the Integrated Army’s South-Central Region.”

“…Virginia? What’s the Integrated Army?”

Camilla sat on the bed with a serious expression. Leticia summarized what she heard on the radio. In short, Elza had become a massive garrison state.

“The government is gathering Elza’s people into cities. It makes controlling supplies and manpower easier and allows for more effective resource utilization. The Integrated Army probably means they want to combine these cities into one massive collective.”

“Will this affect us?”

“Beitrasi falls under the South-Central region in operational divisions. So this area is also under Virginia’s jurisdiction.”

Cassandra dropped her spoon. It didn’t fall to the floor but made a clanging sound against the bowl. Leticia rubbed her brow.

“Don’t worry. They won’t invade right away. This place is quite far from Hampton and has been designated as an unprotected zone for a long time, so it’s practically irrelevant. However…”

“However?”

Leticia’s face grew serious.

“There’s a separate reason for giving even civilians ‘soldier’ status. Civilians are prohibited from entering unprotected zones, but soldiers can. This means they intend to secure civilian resources.”

Leticia was right. When civilians take resources from other civilians, it’s ‘looting,’ but when the military takes civilian property, it’s closer to ‘requisitioning.’

If you have to take an elderly couple’s last can of food, saying “It’s a national order, hand it over” causes less guilt than “I need to survive too, so I have no choice.”

Virginia will probably start organizing the surrounding areas step by step, as she’s already been doing under the name of the ‘volunteer army.’ But now that it’s expanded to the ‘Integrated Army,’ she can conduct these operations on a larger scale than before.

“We need to move quickly too. Anything else?”

“Nothing much. The rainy season starts in three weeks? But who can trust the weather forecast?”

“Oh, Leticia. I wanted to discuss something. No, Cassandra, you should listen too. You too, Camilla.”

Leticia listened quite seriously to my concerns: the problem of me taking on too much risk, the growing discontent among the zombies, our slow progress, and finally, “Since you were a soldier, wouldn’t you know more about these command issues than we do?”

“Seems easy to me.”

Her answer was more straightforward than I expected.

“Really?”

“Human subordinates might shoot their disliked superiors with guns, but zombies have to come close to bite. So you can avoid them.”

“You’re joking, right?”

But Leticia shook her head.

“No. I’m thinking we could use their frustration. Sometimes putting pressure on subordinates can be helpful?”