Chapter 39

The Empty Supermarkets (3)

A can with three puppies drawn on it. It wasn’t hard to guess what that picture meant…Pet food.

“So those kids. Looks like they’ve been getting by eating this.”

“Seems like it, right?”

When we were searching the mart, I was surprised that even the pet food aisle had been completely cleared out. Turns out its whereabouts were found pretty quickly.

“They looked like kids. Kind of makes you feel sorry for them for no reason.”

A soldier standing next to me said that.

We were lucky enough not to go hungry all this time, but.

I’d heard that food on the surface was getting scarcer and scarcer.

To the point that the place with the most survivors was the military. Because it was the place with the most zombies and monsters, and also the most food. From those kids’ point of view, even having pet food to eat would be something to be thankful for.

“Still. It’s only been not even half a year since the monsters appeared.”

That the world had already changed this much.

It made me realize it all over again. Judging by the circumstances, it seemed like those kids had been hiding without being able to eat proper food.

Honestly, as a human being, there was no helping the pity I felt

But that was separate from the things I had to think about rationally.

“Corporal Seo Su-hyeok. Could you come over here for a moment?”

Corporal Seo Su-hyeok called me.

I could more or less guess what he wanted to talk about.

I nodded and followed him over to a corner. It was about time the effect of the ‘Sensitive Hearing’ that had been granted by my cooking wore off as well.

Corporal Seo Su-hyeok opened his mouth in a low voice.

“What do you plan to do about those kids, may I ask?”

The question I expected.

The first survivors we’d encountered since coming down to the surface.

We had to decide how to handle them.

“What do you think?”

“They’re children, and they look pitiful, but…”

He let out a sigh before continuing.

“I think that and whether we can actually protect them are two separate issues.”

“That’s true.”

After coming down to the surface. We’d somehow managed to settle into the officers’ quarters as a temporary base. But…To put it bluntly, we didn’t have much leeway.

‘Even if we have food, it’s only monster meat. If we can’t secure more, it’ll just keep decreasing.’

We already had over a hundred mouths to feed.

The speed at which the food was decreasing was faster than expected. Even the base we were using was temporary in the truest sense of the word.

Honestly, it didn’t have the stability of a proper base. So much so that the survivors who had joined us still hadn’t even awakened yet.

‘If we only look at it from the perspective of protecting survivors. The environment is worse than when we were staying with the 423rd Battalion.’

At least the 423rd Battalion functioned properly as a base.

“On top of that. They look like young kids. If we end up having to move, stamina will be an issue. Especially if they get sick, it’ll become a big problem.”

“The healers’ healing abilities aren’t omnipotent either.”

Even though we had priests and healers, they had their limits too.

Powerful healing skills had usage limits. Treating ordinary illnesses was possible, but without medicine, even that wasn’t easy.

Just like how I, as a cook, couldn’t use even half my abilities if I didn’t have ingredients. With medicine in short supply, their healing abilities weren’t complete either.

If even one person got sick. It wouldn’t end as just that one person’s problem.

One person’s illness would put shackles on the entire group’s movements. There were already children mixed in among the survivors we’d accepted. But increasing that number also meant increasing the risk.

“Accepting survivors and increasing our numbers is something we’ll definitely have to do someday, but it’s not necessarily something we have to do right now, is it?”

“Hm.”

We might be able to protect those two without problems for now.

But then what about the next survivors we meet?

Unless the situation improves, we can’t protect everyone.

“I’ll think about it.”

“A wise choice. I’ll be looking forward to your decision.”

Since it wasn’t an easy thing to decide, I fell into deep thought.

I glanced around at other parts of the mart.

I could still see soldiers rummaging around, looking for anything that might be usable.

‘The other soldiers probably have opinions similar to his.’

It wasn’t that the others were selfish or anything. It was just that, based on what I’d observed recently, that seemed likely.

As we fought together in the unit, the camaraderie between the soldiers had grown quite solid. Even if opinions differed, the sense of being comrades had become firm.

This had its advantages, but also its downsides.

While feelings toward allies had grown stronger. Interest in things outside of that had actually diminished.

‘It’s been a few days since we came down to the surface. But none of the soldiers have brought up going to rescue other people or anything like that.’

The same went for those two kids.

Some soldiers did seem to feel sorry for them for the moment. But it was likely that only a minority of soldiers thought we should accept them even at the cost of taking on extra risk.

‘If I take even that into account. Leaving them behind is the right choice.’

Those kids had managed to survive somehow even before we arrived. Even without our protection, they might be able to hang on using their own know-how.

But…There was one thing that bothered me.

‘The pet food scattered on the floor.’

It wasn’t cheap. From the perspective of caring for dogs or cats, it would have been valuable food. But…

‘It’s not food for humans.’

Taste aside. There was no telling what kind of effect it would have on their health. Especially at a young age, when proper nutrition is important. If we left them like this, they’d have to keep filling their stomachs with the remaining pet food.

‘…Hmm.’

I made my decision.

“Let’s at least feed them one proper meal.”

“Pardon?”

Since I’d kept my mouth shut, saying I needed to think, suddenly saying that made it confusing.

“Feed them a meal? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to bring them under our protection?”

“It’s not that.”

I shrugged and said.

“Even if we’re going to send them away, let’s at least give them one proper meal first.”

“Mm.”

It was true that ingredients were lacking, but. It wasn’t like we couldn’t spare one meal for two kids.

“…Being half-heartedly kind can actually be poison. If you’re going to cut them off, I think it’s better to do it decisively.”

“That’s not wrong either. But I’m not doing this because I particularly want to be kind to them or anything.”

“Then for what reason—”

“For my own satisfaction as a cook.”

“What?”

Feeling sorry for them, and, wanting to help as a human being, sure.

But…

“If that were the main reason, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

That wasn’t the main point. The reason I wanted to give them one meal was simple…First of all, I’m a cook.

‘It makes me uncomfortable.’

Pet food instead of proper cooking.

Seeing people fill their stomachs with that made me feel strangely stifled and uncomfortable. Giving them one proper meal before sending them off wasn’t for any grand reason.

It was just me…My own self-satisfaction.

“Self-satisfaction…”

After hearing my explanation, Corporal Seo Su-hyeok looked dumbfounded.

But then…

“Well, can’t be helped.”

“Hm?”

The one who joined the conversation from the side was.

Private First Class Lee Minjae.

“It’s not really my place to say this, but shouldn’t we stop him?”

“No. You’re the guild leader, and food management is also your job. I don’t have the right to stop you. You should do what you’re comfortable with.”

At Private First Class Lee Minjae’s words.

Corporal Seo Su-hyeok bowed his head and stepped back.

“You’ve been working hard here and there managing the soldiers’ mental states, but it seemed like you weren’t really managing your own stress very well, so I was worried.”

Minjae was speaking from the position of giving me advice. And I usually listened to his advice carefully, but…

“If you can resolve your discomfort with two portions of food, that’s not a bad deal. Do whatever you’re comfortable with, Guild Leader.”

It seemed that what Minjae prioritized most was my judgment as the guild leader.

‘That’s a bit unexpected.’

Aside from minor rank differences. All of us, except for Lieutenant Kim, were soldiers from the same unit. Outside of the military, we’d be on casual terms with each other.

Naturally, I thought the hierarchy wouldn’t be that strict.

The position of guild leader was the same.

I’d thought of it as nothing more than a burdensome armband.

‘Maybe it’s not like that after all.’

Some of the soldiers seemed to respect the authority of the guild leader. Otherwise, there was no way they’d respect a decision made purely for my own peace of mind.

“So, Su-hyeok. You’re okay with it too, right?”

“If that’s your judgment as the guild leader, then I suppose I have no room to interfere.”

Well, either way, it was fine…In the end, they were supporting what I wanted to do.

‘If that’s the case.’

I decided to go do what I wanted to do with a clear conscience.

To prepare some food.

* * *

A little while later….I headed toward a corner of the mart with a large bowl in one hand.

“Commander?”

Someone who noticed me approaching came over.

Team Leader Lee Sang-ah. And the sibling survivors we’d just encountered.

They were sitting there. Perhaps she’d done her best to lighten the mood. It looked like there had been some small talk going on.

But as I came closer…

Flinch!

‘Haha. Kids are difficult’

Mood or no mood…The kids were still wary of me. My delicate heart took a small scratch.

Do I really look that scary?

But well, it didn’t matter anymore.

‘This time, I came prepared.’

I set down the bowl I was holding in front of them.

Then, when I lifted the lid of the bowl.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Whooo!

A rich meat aroma spread through the mart.

“I brought some food. Go ahead and eat.”

Thankfully, we still had a fair amount of seasoning left. It was soy sauce braised meat, simmered sweetly to suit kids’ tastes.

As for what kind of meat it was made from, there was no need to mention that, so I decided to gloss over it.

‘They say food is the best way to lure kids, after all.’

There’s a reason people say not to follow strangers who offer candy.

That’s how powerful the temptation of food is.

“…”

But contrary to my expectations.

The two kids didn’t immediately pick up their chopsticks.

For a moment, I wondered if it didn’t look tasty. But that thought quickly vanished.

Drip…!

I could see drool dripping from the boy’s mouth as he stared at the food.

His sparkling eyes too.

He clearly wanted to eat it badly. But it seemed like he was restraining himself with all his might because of lingering wariness.

“There’s no poison in it, so you can eat it.”

“…”

“If you don’t eat it, I’m taking it away. There’s no one else to eat it, so I’ll have to throw it away.”

“Ah…”

Only then did the kids cautiously pick up their chopsticks.

That level of wariness was something else. They carefully picked up a chunk of meat with their chopsticks and put it in their mouths.

“…!!!”

They didn’t say anything. But there was no need to ask whether it was tasty or not.

‘Should I say they’re kids. Their expressions change so dramatically, it’s entertaining to watch.’

The younger one took a bite of meat and made a surprised expression.

Then he kept moving his chopsticks. The older one didn’t say anything either, but she also looked quite surprised.

‘Of course. Who do you think cooked it?’

Of course it had to be good. The meal, which the kids had initially been hesitant about, properly began.

After confirming that, I stepped back slightly to let them eat comfortably.

Seeing that, Team Leader Lee Sang-ah followed me out.

“How were the kids’ moods?”

After moving a little distance away from the kids who were eating.

I asked Team Leader Lee Sang-ah.

“At least we managed to talk. It seems there was some kind of misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

“They thought we were monsters.”

“What?”

‘Monsters?’

“Do we… I mean, do I really look that vicious?”

“Pfft. It’s not like that. There can be humanoid monsters, or monsters that steal other people’s appearances, right?”

“Ah.”

“They thought we might be that kind of monster.”

So that was why their wariness toward other humans was so sharp.

“Remember how your ability enhanced the soldiers’ hearing to a ghostly level? We detected the kids’ location by sound too.”

“They thought humans couldn’t possibly have that kind of hearing, something like that.”

“Yes.”

Humanoid monsters. The criminals who’d infiltrated our unit came to mind.

‘Well, those guys were human at least, even if their professions were shady.’

If people like that mixed in as enemies within the group, they could grow into a tremendous threat. But on top of that, if monsters that looked like humans actually existed.

“That kind of monster… you haven’t actually met one, right, Team Leader?”

“No. I’ve never met one. I’ve never even heard rumors of them.”

Among our unit, she and the survivors were the ones most informed about what was happening on the surface. But even that was information from a month ago.

“It’s been about a month since we climbed the mountain. In that time, it seems the information circulating among survivors has been updated quite a bit.”

In just two months, civilization had collapsed.

One month was already half that time. The information she had was definitely useful, but we had to understand that some of it might be outdated.

“Anyway, after talking it out, they at least seem to believe we’re not monsters now. It’s still too much to expect them not to be wary at all, though.”

“That’s good enough. You did well.”

When I glanced over at the kids eating.

“Sis, this is really good! Right?”

“Yeah. It is.”

They were now eating without even paying attention to us.

『Special Sauce of a Calm Mind』

I’d added a bit of sauce so that they wouldn’t be too tense to eat properly.

That effect probably played a big role too.

At that moment…The kids were still energetically chewing on the meat.

I made eye contact with the younger one.

“So, how is it? Is it good?”

“Y-Yes. It’s good.”

Since we’d made eye contact, it felt awkward to just ignore him, so I spoke to him, and he answered.

To think I could get an answer, that alone was a huge improvement in our relationship.

“Actually, your hyung… I mean, this guy cooked it.”

“Ajusshi*, you did?”

TL/N: Ajusshi is a korean word that refers to middle-aged men (30-50 years old)

‘Hey, Ajusshi?’

‘You little brat.’

As I was having that ridiculous exchange, the older sister was also looking at me.

“…It’s delicious. Thank you for the meal. Thank you.”

The ‘thank you for the meal’ came a little late, but this was still something.

I could see that her eyes were slightly red. She must have gone through a lot.

“Ahem.”

“If you need more, say so. Sorry that it’s only meat. But for now, we’ve got plenty of meat.”

Feeling a bit awkward, I said that. Feeding two kids until they were full wasn’t a problem.

“But… only meat…?”

However, the older sister looked a bit puzzled by my words.

“Usually people suffer because they can’t get meat. Are you all the opposite?”

“Well. It just kind of turned out that way.”

Since we’d successfully lured them with food, the atmosphere had relaxed a bit.

So I decided to answer casually.

“We came to this mart hoping we might find ingredients other than meat, or other necessary items.”

“Ah…”

“But unfortunately, that failed.”

When I shrugged and said that, the older sister nodded. Maybe she was thinking about something after hearing that. Her chopsticks slowed down.

‘The younger one too, but the older sister seems like the type who thinks a lot.’

Whether the world forced her to become like that or whether she was originally that kind of personality, I couldn’t say.

* * *

That was how the meal ended without any issues. Seeing them eat well made me feel inexplicably good. The uncomfortable feeling I’d had was resolved too.

Now it was time to talk seriously.

“What are your names?”

“I’m Lee Su-yeon. My younger brother is Su-hyeok.”

“Alright. Su-yeon. Let’s talk for a moment, big bro, ahem. Ajusshi.”

I opened the pouch at my waist. And took out what was inside and handed it to her.

“Take this.”

“Yes? This is…?”

“It’s nothing weird, so don’t worry.”

What I handed her was jerky…The combat rations I’d made.

“If you open it, you’ll see. It’s some simply made jerky. It tastes pretty good.”

“Are you just giving us food?”

“As I said earlier, we’ve got plenty of meat for now.”

I’d also collected some from the other soldiers, so there was quite a lot of jerky.

Since it was manufactured as combat rations, it was practically non-perishable.

“And from here on is the important part, so listen carefully.”

“Yes? Ah, okay.”

“From here to here. Eat these jerkies when you’re eating other things and really can’t hold on anymore. They’re small, but they’re high in calories. Even half of one should be enough.”

The ones I pointed to were the jerkies with traits that were useful in combat. But since stat increases probably wouldn’t apply to these kids. It would be better for them to use these when they absolutely couldn’t stand eating that pet food anymore or when they ran out of food altogether.

“And from here to here. Don’t eat these jerkies under normal circumstances. You can even hide them somewhere.”

“Then when are we supposed to eat them?”

“When you leave this place.”

These ones weren’t related to stat increases or combat power. They were jerkies with traits that could help survivors. The dish of Alaur that increased hearing was a representative example.

“When you’ve been hiding here and can’t endure it anymore, and you have to move. Eat them then. They’ll help.”

“Can’t you soldiers protect us?”

I’d expected that question, but the answer was already decided.

“I’m sorry, but that’s going to be difficult”

“Why?”

“Even though we’re soldiers, all contact with other units is cut off. The base we’ve set up on the surface is unstable. It’s hard for us to add another element of instability right now.”

“…”

“I’m sorry, but for now, hang in there as best you can with that food. When our situation stabilizes someday, we’ll come back to this area—”

It stung a bit in my chest, but there was nothing to be done…Just as I was continuing.

“I know a place.”

Su-yeon, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

With a determined expression, she continued.

“What are you talking about?”

“I heard you wanted to find other ingredients, not just meat, so you came here. And it failed.”

“Hm.”

Only then did I realize what she was getting at.

“The place where you can get the ingredients you want. I know one. It’s not far.”

“Why bring that up all of a sudden?”

“There’s a condition for telling you the location.”

A condition, in other words…

“You want to make a deal?”

“…Yes.”

‘Huh…To suddenly propose a deal.’

I’d been treating her as just a kid. But it seemed my feeling that she wasn’t an ordinary child was spot on.

I didn’t expect her to suddenly show such boldness…It was a bit bewildering, but.

“Heh.”

“Interesting.”

It was also kind of intriguing…I decided to hear her out for now.