NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
“What kind of item are you looking for today?”
“Starting today… I’m trying to get items that are hard to find underground. Also, to gather information.”
“So you’re pushing the old man whose days are numbered and doesn’t care about radiation, huh.”
“T, that’s not it!”
“Just a joke.”
I’ve often heard that when grandmothers or grandfathers joke around with their ‘peer’ friends, they always kid about ‘living till today or tomorrow.’
Every time that happens, I struggle with whether I should laugh or cry.
And at the funeral, there they sit asking who’s next, so frustrating.
“By the way, are you really going above ground?”
“There are people who can go to the surface instead. They ask for a high price, though.”
“And where do you find those people?”
“There’s a… separate way to contact them. First, we need to secure the nearest exit here and have people or equipment to safely protect the camp…”
“Preparations like that.”
“Preparations like that.”
By the way, this newly established place is far more peaceful than the first one we settled.
Considering the size of the ‘King of Rats,’ it seems not only the settlers who set up camp in the D-10 warehouse were swept away, but other creatures too. So, in a way, it’s only natural.
“Still… quite depressing, isn’t it?”
“What part?”
“Think about it. My youth and health were shattered in the battlefield, my son’s happy marriage was long stained by duty and sacrifice. I hoped my granddaughter could live comfortably, but it seems, with something in our blood, that the nation cries out for protection. My granddaughter almost got taken by the army too.”
Holding a custom four-barrel shotgun on his shoulder, Mr. Curtis had a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
I took out a match and immediately lit it for him.
“…Thanks. So, I fought the Nazis with my own hands, then my comrades and juniors fought the red ones, those communists. Afterward, my son fought terrorists in the Middle East, bellowing about justice. Had my granddaughter joined the army as per the plan, she’d probably end up fighting those communist countries again under the name of justice.”
White smoke, as tall as his head, dispersed into the sky.
“All my life, I fought for justice, but in the end, I just wanted normalcy. My beloved’s son, that beloved son’s daughter… I wanted them all to live happily and worry-free. But, normalcy was always taken away piece by piece by the nation in the name of justice, until things became this way. Wouldn’t you feel depressed, too?”
The end of the cigarette turned red, and amidst the smoke, the face of the elder carried a faint smile.
“Did you love your country?”
“…Hmm.”
At least, when I last checked places other than game forums, all there were were curses directed at the country.
“There is nothing certain in this world. Always, it’s good to be suspicious, at least once.”
“Isn’t it contradicting to lecture when you’ve been bragging about war stories all the time?”
“That’s my life.”
The last puff was drawn, and the cigarette fell to the ground.
“Old-age lamentation works this way. Time passes, and both your brain and body harden, trapped in the old days. Moreover, since I have experienced war that broke both body and spirit, could I possibly move forward?”
The last glowing ember quietly disappeared as it was gently stepped on by an old military boot.
“The commanding officers maintained their sanity, challenged the political world, and proudly flaunted the stories of the soldiers’ blood they commanded. But me, we were soldiers. We could only feel relieved that the battle was over rather than rejoicing in the victory.”
“…”
“Anyway, this old man’s sermon is just that. Young people must move forward in their own way.”
“That’s… true.”
I nodded my head, but on the other hand, remembering how my son had tried to stop me yet I stubbornly persisted in sharing my stories, I barely held back my laughter.
“So, let’s hear a young person’s story.”
“…Please tell me.”
“You seem to be full of energy, don’t you?”
I was startled by a hand tapping my abdomen.
“W, where-”
“German women are famous for being fiery. You’ve even had my granddaughter captivated.”
“What do you mean ‘captivated’?!”
“Oh my, pretending to not know. Or are you really a fool? Let me see, I should check if they’re still attached properly.”
I shivered and fled from his outstretched hand, but the old man… no, the man kept laughing until tears streamed down his face.
I almost respected him just now, but why is he so unpredictable?
“It’s curiosity! I genuinely admire your ability to charm two women. Any lion with a harem full of lionesses deserves respect, right?”
“What lion, what? Am I an animal now?”
“Or are you not fulfilling your role? Hey, it’s pitiful for Sarah if you’re not…”
“What role?”
“I’m perfectly fine!”
“Then why are you not using this perfectly good item during your prime years? Or rather, these days the young people focus on enjoyment… Eh, forget it. You’re not one of those stupid hipsters, right?”
“Sir.”
“Even though the way you initiated this conversation was loud, it’s fairly serious, so answer properly.”
While gripping the gun in his hand…
His smile gradually subsiding…
“Do you know that Sarah likes you?”
“I… know.”
“What about Dr. Dieterich?”
“That’s… what should I do?”
“What should I do, indeed. True, I don’t know why anyone would like a monkey with jaundice, but… taking looks out of the equation… Yeah. Brave, plenty of guts, and a sharp mind. In fact, a manly engineer. Yes, you’re a sturdy groom-candidate! What about your salary?”
“Salary, you say…”
“Hohohoho!”
Turning serious, then eating jokes again.
What exactly is your goal here?
“Anyway, both are at their prime age. The Newman family, well, having someone else’s attention isn’t an issue as they have each other and avoid trouble unless it’s from those blasted hippies. My son couldn’t handle his wife, resulting in trauma so he’d never go near doctors anymore. So to reiterate.”
“I who… should take responsibility…”
“Ei, who said anything about giving you Sarah?”
My shoulder was tightly gripped, forcing me to bend down.
It was more like a headlock than a friendly shoulder pat, and I continued walking uncomfortably next to Mr. Curtis.
“Of course, these days with no social morality or laws, polygamy isn’t illegal either. Ahh… what a wonderful age. If only I were a little younger… Ah, if Mary heard me say this, she’d beat my butt, so I take it back. However… although there’s no law or morality, there are still lines we should not cross.”
He gifted me a shotgun and even engraved a splendid inscription.
The cold barrel of the shotgun pressed against my stomach.
… I was already feeling queasy from greasy food, and now it feels like I might vomit.
This isn’t why I brought Curtis along.
“And if, say, Sarah ever cried because of you…”
The gun tilted, but it wasn’t pointed at my head.
“Our granddaughter’s rescuer’s life is guaranteed, don’t worry. But in return, I solemnly promise on my life to make you grovel until you’d rather die. Got it?”
“…Of course.”
“Ah, but I’m not telling you how to handle Ms. Dieterich. Achieving double happiness, if possible, is a wonderful feat. W…hy, isn’t that what those Muslims do? If you have the ability, and, well, if the wife agrees? Isn’t that what the terrorists spout—72 women waiting for them in heaven when they conduct terror attacks or something…”
Mr. Curtis laughed again and patted my bottom with a ‘pang pang,’ then finally released me.
“The choice is yours. I don’t know much about the customs where you lived… but here’s the United States. Land of the free. And now, there’s no law.”
Stretching luxuriously, Curtis gave me a wink at the closed steel gate.
“Good luck. Alphamail.”
It seemed like I’ve gotten myself into quite a complex situation.
– Creak.
Opening the door by pulling the lever…
A place filled with wooden crates… mostly likely weapons.
“This isn’t the place.”
“…What a letdown, after you got all serious opening this door. Tsk.”
He relaxed from his stance, hunched over, and limped to open the second door.
“What’s here?”
“To find a military radio, we need to go somewhere packed with electronics.”
“Military radio? Hmm… where do we find that?”
“If there’s a studio, it might be better to take the whole thing.”
“Studio, studio… hmm. Anyway, searching the rooms thoroughly is one way, isn’t it?”
Holding a new flashlight, Mr. Curtis leaned his head toward the opened door.
“Oops. You’re alpha-male. However, ‘lady’ should go first.”
“What…”
“Don’t old people produce female hormones? You probably have more than me.”
“…”
“Hohoho!”
…Why did I even suggest searching with this grandfather?
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