Ch.205Chapter 21. The Art of Deceiving Each Other (17)

Virginia had visibly wasted away. Her hair had become brittle, her eyes and cheeks sunken, and her arms were marked with multiple needle punctures.

It’s not my fault.

Her noticeable weight loss was because she barely ate, and the needle marks on her arms were from Cassandra poking around saying, “Hmm, I can’t find the vein. Is it here?” like some trainee. She was clearly doing it on purpose. Not that she was maliciously stabbing her with needles, but rather as a means to collect as many of Virginia’s cells as possible and analyze her blood.

Virginia must have received “some modifications” just like Cassandra. She had considerable resistance to the Crow virus, which is why extreme proposals like “lock her in a pheromone chamber to infect her” or “just inject Johan’s Crow virus directly into her body” were rejected.

So the remaining question is how to deal with Virginia.

“As I see it, there are two possibilities. One is that soldiers loyal to Virginia come to rescue her. The solution to this problem is simple. We just leave early for somewhere else.”

“And the other?” Camilla asked.

“The other is that ambitious individuals emerge and form warlord factions. Should be interesting to watch, right? Some siding with Römer, some with Minsk, some just opposing rival factions… Elza would be torn to pieces down to the smallest districts.”

“That’s a depressing alternative,” Leticia said.

She’s right.

Neither scenario is particularly good. And there’s also an unspoken third option: Virginia returning to the presidency. Of course, in that case, ensuring the safety of the four of us would be difficult.

“Anyway, we can’t keep dragging this out. The longer we waste time, the more likely Elza will fracture. So, let’s bring Virginia over to our side.”

“I don’t like that,” Camilla immediately objected. Leticia and Cassandra felt the same. So I brought up what I had prepared to say.

“There’s something good about bringing her in. Since she’s the youngest among us, we can bully her all we want.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?” Camilla was slightly annoyed.

“I’m offering you the chance to torment her up close for everything she’s done to us. Like tickling the soles of her feet with a feather while she’s sleeping…”

“Johan?” Leticia crossed her arms. I shrugged.

“Anyway. I’d like to think of it as something like taxes. Nobody likes paying taxes. But if someone says, ‘Pay just ten thousand a month and we’ll protect you from external invasions and safeguard your property and life from all sorts of criminals,’ isn’t that worth it? Virginia, as the head of state, could protect us… and by extension, Elza.”

“How could she possibly do that?” Camilla remained skeptical. I explained what Virginia could do—not what the four of us could do, but what she could.

“…What do you think?”

All three women were displeased, but they eventually nodded. I’m grateful they at least listened to me.

“This is only if she cooperates. If she continues to be uncooperative, then I’ll just leave her here. We’ll hide from the war, and continue living enjoyably like we do now. Infecting zombies, occasionally having a beer with fanatics. As long as shells aren’t falling on our heads.”

“That’s no fun,” Camilla pouted. But her hands were carefully cradling her lower abdomen.

* * * * *

I once worked the night shift at a convenience store in an entertainment district. You see all sorts of people, but different as they were, they all had one thing in common—not seeing the part-timer as a human being. So Virginia glaring at me was almost like a reward.

“Oh, you’re awake? Did you sleep well?”

She deliberately refused meals, only occasionally drank water, and stubbornly kept her mouth shut, desperately trying to sleep. There wasn’t much she could do while completely restrained anyway. Virginia rattled her chains and mocked me.

“Ah, is it torture time now?”

“We’ll see.”

I placed a barbecue grill on the floor and filled it with charcoal. With a click, I lit the torch, setting the charcoal ablaze before it settled into a gentle heat. I also took out the metal skewers I had brought.

“How classic.”

Virginia was smiling, but her face gradually crumpled as she saw what I was taking out of my bag. Diced onions, carrots, beef. Beef that had been miraculously found in cold storage—perhaps the last remaining beef in this world.

And green onions. I deliberately placed the green onions on the grill over the charcoal. They’re quite tasty when well-roasted and peeled. I skewered each prepared ingredient and placed them over the charcoal fire.

“Classic, you say?”

The ingredients began to cook over the charcoal, giving off a savory aroma. I even poured a bit of brandy and swirled it.

“Is that from Minsk?”

“…I know that!”

“I was going to give you a sip if you didn’t know the taste, but since you already know it, I don’t need to. I’ll drink it myself. Bon appétit.”

In front of the tightly bound Virginia, I leisurely enjoyed my meal. Of course, I slightly opened the window since using charcoal in an enclosed space risks poisoning.

Thanks to that, the smell of grilling meat wafted strongly. A festival was also happening outside. Though it wasn’t beef but processed meat like sausages, it was still good enough for a party.

“Your subordinates who came with you are eating out there too.”

Virginia groaned, but her eyes were already half-rolled back. Between the characteristic hunger of the unprotected zone and her pointless fasting, it looked to me like nothing more than a tantrum.

So I brought out my secret weapon.

“I have something for you too.”

“I don’t need it.”

“I think you do.”

I brought in a small box I had prepared in the hallway. Marshmallows from Minsk. There were more than five different kinds, so I had prepared them all.

“You haven’t eaten for days. If you suddenly eat something, it might upset your stomach. Better to start gradually with something sweet. And didn’t you spend your childhood in Minsk?”

“……”

For the first time, Virginia didn’t respond sharply. Instead, she closed her eyes and turned her head to the side. Well, this is enough. I skewered a marshmallow and roasted it carefully, turning it to prevent burning. The surface sizzled and browned nicely.

And then I ate it bit by bit right in front of Virginia.

“Delicious. So this is what the children of Minsk grow up eating?”

Virginia seemed quite flustered. Pretending to give in, I tested her.

“If you don’t want to eat, don’t eat. But this isn’t a meal, it’s a snack. Isn’t this much okay?”

Gulp.

Though her mind was still rebellious, her body was honest. Virginia really wanted to eat this. But I wasn’t going to offer it first. So I quickly ate it. Virginia’s pupils dilated. Something like a sigh escaped her lips.

“It doesn’t taste as good as I expected. I wonder why?”

“…!”

Yes. You’re dying to tell me, aren’t you? I know how to roast marshmallows. I can even read the instructions on the box. But I deliberately roasted it poorly to annoy you more.

“…You should roast it more slowly until it’s gooey.”

Virginia finally spoke. I quietly did as she instructed.

“I can’t tell if it’s done right. Would you like to try a bite?”

“…If I bite it, are you planning to stab my throat with the skewer?”

“No. I’ll put it on a plate for you. I’m more hygienic than I look.”

I cut about half of it, placed it on a plate, and held it up to Virginia’s face. Considering her dignity, she slightly turned her head and peeked from the corner of her eye. Virginia seemed to be seething a bit, but eventually stuck out her tongue and licked the plate.

“Ugh.”

“Hot?”

“Ah. No.”

Of course not. After starving for so long and then tasting something sweet. Her expression looked like she was in heaven. But the amount I gave was just enough for a taste. I took out three more marshmallows and roasted them in front of Virginia. Subtly, I could hear the sound of chains rustling. She was getting impatient.

“Ah. Sorry. You must be very thirsty. Here. Whiskey. Should I add some water?”

“……”

No answer whether you want it or not? Feeling a bit annoyed, I mixed in more whiskey and offered it. Looking somewhat more docile than before, Virginia drank the alcohol.

“Haah…”

Her complexion seemed to improve a bit, as if she might survive now. But her tantalized body seemed to want more.

“It’s funny. You like Minsk marshmallows, yet you declare war on them.”

This time I offered a whole marshmallow. Virginia squeezed her eyes shut and stretched her neck to take it into her mouth.

“And you’re trying to attack Römer too.”

“…You know nothing, Johan.”

“Of course I don’t. It’s a crazy plan by anyone’s standards. What can a small country do against two superpowers?”

“A small country, you say?”

Virginia laughed at my words. Of course, she’s laughed at many things I’ve said, but this time she seemed somewhat proud.

“Isn’t it a small country?”

“It is a weak country. But it’s not strong countries that survive. It’s the surviving countries that are strong. And Elza has always survived. Through countless ages, countless times… thanks to the Goddess of Hunger.”

An unexpected name.

“What? Have you been here as governor so long that you’ve gone native?”

“No. Not at all. This is a story that all the high nobility of Römer know. Minsk knows nothing about it. In Elza, only archaeologists or so know about it.”

This was the first I’d heard of it, and my curiosity was piqued. I pulled up a chair and sat in front of her.

“Really? Tell me about it. What is it?”

“…That’s difficult. I’m so hungry and thirsty, it’s hard to speak…”

Well, well. Negotiating even at this point.

But it’s not bad. It means she’s opened up enough to make a deal.

“Well then. Would you like some Römer sausage?”

“…I’d prefer something from Elza.”

“Wait.”