Chapter 58 – New Official (2)

I shared our concerns with Seo Eun and her husband.

I told them that the current decrease in undead numbers might be a signal that the Demon King’s army was planning a major attack.

Seo Eun sighed at my words.

“Even if it’s a sign of dangerous things to come, there’s nothing we can do right now. We can only trust that the sanctuary will protect us.”

She meant they would trust the safe zone that had protected them so far rather than the words of someone who just came from outside.

That would be the right answer for Seo Eun and the people in the safe zone.

After all, the safe zone had protected them even when the Demon King’s army swept through Daejeon.

Actually, her words weren’t wrong.

I didn’t have any other way to protect people instead of the safe zone either.

I hadn’t spoken with any alternatives in mind anyway. I just shared past experiences because my conscience demanded it.

Seo Eun, who had been sighing, quickly brightened her expression and said cheerfully.

“Anyway, this is fortunate. If zombie numbers have decreased, we can send collection teams right away.”

It seemed they had temporarily stopped sending collection teams outside due to many casualties.

“With food running low, this is really, really fortunate.”

She muttered quietly with a relieved face, then bowed to me.

“We’ll send collection teams tomorrow, and though it’s shameless to ask, I request that you go with them.”

I frowned at her words.

“I think we’ve done enough just by going on reconnaissance today…”

We risked our lives going outside today, and now they want us to go out again tomorrow.

Actually, it wasn’t difficult or dangerous for us, but from their perspective, it was clearly an unreasonable request.

“Setting aside other promises, asking us to go with the collection team means we’d be escorting ordinary people. Plus, whoever leads the collection team, we’d have to follow their orders.”

Following orders from ordinary people was quite uncomfortable.

Moreover, when those being protected give orders, they prioritize their own lives, making it several times more dangerous for those protecting them.

At my words, Jaeha spoke up.

“I’ll be in command. And I won’t give you separate orders. You can act as you see fit.”

Seo Eun was surprised at the psychic’s words.

“What? You’re going out, Jaeha?”

Apparently, this hadn’t been discussed between the couple beforehand.

“We’ve run out of time to hide behind escort duties. There’s been a lot of talk behind our backs. Now that Seo Eun seems settled in her position, and Ihan has learned his lesson the hard way, he’ll probably stick close to the priest.”

Jaeha held his wife’s shoulders and persuaded her step by step.

“Me staying in here might actually harm Seo Eun now.”

His staying in the safe zone wasn’t just for the priest’s protection.

It seemed he had remained in the safe zone to protect Seo Eun.

“Isn’t this the best time if I’m going to go outside?”

At Jaeha’s words, Seo Eun looked at me and my party members and sighed.

“That’s true, but… even for a psychic, outside is dangerous.”

Even after sorting out my emotions, watching their behavior was irritating.

So, in my irritation, I decided to be contrary.

“We haven’t agreed to go yet.”

“Ah…”

At my words, Seo Eun and Jaeha, who had been facing each other, turned to look at me with awkward expressions.

Their looks were useless.

I hadn’t come all this way to watch them flirting in front of others.

It wasn’t just because I was upset.

Though the man’s suggestion was reasonable in its way, there was nothing in it for us.

We had enough food and supplies.

Though we needed to scout the area more, there was no reason to escort ordinary people besides reconnaissance.

At my words, the two showed awkward expressions.

Since we had already completed our tasks and returned, they had no way to force us to work.

While the two were struggling with this situation, an unexpected person spoke up.

It was Yerim who spoke.

“I’ll go with them. Not just this time, but I’ll continue going with you all. In return, please help us while you’re here.”

She had been lost in thought during our return, and now, as if having made a decision, she bowed deeply to us with her request.

“So you noticed.”

Hoffman scratched his sparse-bearded chin at Yerim’s words.

“Well, she’s an awakened one too, so it’s understandable she’d notice.”

Even during our return, we continued testing Yerim’s abilities.

How wary the undead were of her, if she could actually purify during fights,

Though we couldn’t confirm healing abilities since no one was injured, we could verify other aspects to some extent.

While testing, we didn’t deliberately make her notice, but we didn’t completely hide it either, so there was enough possibility for her to realize.

In fact, we somewhat guided her to naturally notice.

She would need to know about her awakening to suggest traveling with us like this.

I had planned to discuss this later, but Yerim was more perceptive than expected.

She realized both her mana awakening and that I wanted her.

Plus, she was smart. She knew exactly when she needed to step forward.

“Travel together? What do you mean?”

Yerim explained to the puzzled Seo Eun.

“I figured out why I didn’t become a zombie. It seems I’ve become a psychic too.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know before because I didn’t become physically stronger like Teacher Jaeha. I realized it today while going outside with them. That zombies avoid me, and I can weaken them.”

“Really? Are you okay? Nothing strange?”

Surprised Seo Eun examined Yerim’s body with a worried face.

“I’m completely fine. Since I’m a psychic too, I can go instead of Teacher Jaeha. Sir Yeager won’t object either, right?”

I shrugged at Yerim’s words.

As she said, there was no way I would object.

Getting a potential cleric as a party member in exchange for escorting ordinary people a few times was no small benefit for us.

Yerim probably said that thinking we would stay in this safe zone anyway, but that possibility was almost none.

The safe zone wasn’t as safe as they thought.

“That’s not happening! It’s dangerous. I only allowed today because you wanted to lay your father to rest. But going out again? You said you didn’t even get stronger like Jaeha!”

Seo Eun burst out angrily at Yerim’s words.

“But they won’t provide escort unless I go.”

At Yerim’s following words, Seo Eun glared at me.

Glaring wouldn’t change anything.

Now that I had sorted out my emotions, my former lover’s expression attacks couldn’t damage me at all.

When I stared back, Seo Eun sighed.

“Haa. No choice then. Jaeha, please take care of Yerim.”

“Leave it to me.”

It seemed that instead of sending Yerim as a replacement, both she and Jaeha would be going.

Seeing her sending her worried husband outside, it seemed Seo Eun cherished Yerim as much as Yerim followed her.

Eventually, we agreed to go out again with the collection team.

Though we were to head out the very next day, none of the party members objected.

Zahina nodded in agreement, and Hoffman clenched his fist, muttering quietly.

“Good heavens, a cleric party member. Now we can use all our potions!”

However, his words were more like the cheers of a potion addict, quite different from my thoughts.

We hadn’t even confirmed if Yerim had healing abilities yet, and he was already this excited.

I seemed to have underestimated the potion addict.

The next morning, we were to meet the collection team in the student center’s first-floor cafeteria.

Entering the cafeteria, dozens of men were shoveling food inside.

From middle-aged men to those who looked like late teenagers.

Men with gloomy expressions were filling their trays with food and stuffing it into their mouths.

They were eating a bit away from Seo Eun, Yerim, and the Personnel Management Department staff.

As we entered the cafeteria, all eyes turned to us.

Since it wasn’t departure time yet, we had removed our armor and wore casual clothes obtained here, but we still stood out.

“Are those the people who came from outside recently?”

“They really are foreigners. I heard they might be U.S. military.”

“All the U.S. military returned to America though.”

“Wow, she’s really beautiful. But are those long ears real?”

“I heard they’re all psychics, wonder if it’s true?”

“We’ll see today. Anyway, if it’s true about reduced zombie numbers, with a psychic leader and psychic escorts, it should be safer than before.”

“Damn, everyone came because of that story. If it weren’t for that, no one would’ve come even if they died!”

“Well, most of the last collection team died, so it’s understandable.”

My mana-enhanced ears picked up various conversations.

From expectations about us to worries about today’s task,

Various emotions swirled around the cafeteria.

Seeing us, Yerim stood up and approached.

“Everyone looks great dressed like this. Hoffman looks like a stylish elderly gentleman too.”

Hoffman sighed at Yerim’s words.

“I heard they have easy-to-use hair dye here, maybe I should use that…”

Though it didn’t seem to be about his gray hair, I couldn’t argue with his words.

After sinking Hoffman, Yerim guided us.

“Put yesterday’s coupons in this container, and you can get food on the trays in front.”

The meal system wasn’t different from the rations I experienced in my previous life.

Since military rations in the other world weren’t much different either, Hoffman could get his meal comfortably too.

Zahina also managed to fill her tray by observing others,

While we were getting our food, Yerim continued talking.

“People who patrol or do management work can eat here with coupons. It’s a consideration for those helping maintain this sanctuary.”

After saying that, she covered her mouth and whispered quietly.

“Actually, since it’s hard work, nobody would do it without such privileges.”

While listening to her, I looked at the people eating food on the other side.

Yerim immediately noticed who I was looking at.

“Collection team members can also eat here with coupons when going outside. Besides eating here, they can receive more rations than others.”

After saying that, Yerim let out a small sigh.

“Actually, more than coupons or rations, what helps the collection team most is what they smuggle out.

Everyone knows but turns a blind eye. Even with that, people don’t want to do it, so we have to force them.”

During our time in the cafeteria, I understood why Yerim was in the Personnel Management Department.

Yerim seemed to enjoy explaining things. Her explanations didn’t stop until the meal ended.

After the somewhat enjoyable meal, we equipped our gear and headed to the museum.

It was to receive the priest’s blessing before the collection team’s departure.

But moments later, instead of giving his blessing, the priest stared at Yerim with burning eyes.