Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World-Chapter 83: No Time to Lament

Gideon walked along the hospital hallway before eventually drifting outside toward the open space that was supposed to be a garden.

Instead of greenery, he only saw hardened orange sand covering the ground so the patients could walk more easily.

A few benches were scattered around, and several patients were doing light exercises while a nurse stood in front of them, guiding each movement.

He sat down on one of the benches and tilted his head up to look at the sun. Even though evening was approaching and the light had started turning orange, the sun still felt twice as hot as the one from his old world.

His mind wandered as he wondered how so many people here still kept their skin pale instead of turning tan like Summer.

Then Gideon remembered the time Delilah scolded Summer for standing under the sun too long.

"Summer! Get back here! The sun has ten times more UV rays than normal. You won’t just get tanned, you’ll get skin cancer!"

It made sense. Most people here usually wear long robes that cover their entire bodies, including their heads.

Gloves and boots were common too whenever they needed to leave the settlement. Only the early morning and late evening sunlight was considered somewhat safe.

Gideon sighed and covered his face. "What am I even thinking about?"

He hated uncertainty. He already knew this world was full of it, but hearing Johan’s words made him realize just how little control he actually had.

This world was far from simple, and many things could not be solved with the system alone.

If Johan was right and the Lord of the Scion truly wanted another apocalypse, then Gideon had to prepare for the worst.

Building his territory would not be enough. He would eventually need military power as well.

But reality quickly hit him when he remembered that the system had locked that part at least until he leveled up both himself and the Safe Zone.

"I need more residents... more houses... agriculture... urban planning... economics... defense..."

Gideon continued muttering to himself, listing everything he needed to build. He was so deep in thought that he did not notice someone standing behind him until she leaned slightly forward to look at his face.

Red wavy hair, hazel eyes. Jade.

He sighed. "What is it, Princess? Do you need something?"

Her brows twitched slightly as she sat down beside him on the bench. "And what are you brooding about here? Was Johan’s information too much for you to handle?"

"It’s not easy, yes. But there will always be a way. I just need time." Gideon straightened his back.

"Well, time isn’t always on everyone’s side. Not even the Lord’s side," Jade said with a shrug. "Especially the one who chooses to sit around overwhelmed without doing anything."

She pulled a pair of sunglasses from her pocket and put them on.

"It’s easy for a Lord who already has everything in her hands," Gideon replied calmly.

"You didn’t have to build your territory from scratch while zealots are trying to start another apocalypse and the government is kidnapping children left and right."

"Oh, Gideon." Jade lowered her sunglasses slightly and looked at him. "How many people do you think live in this town? How many small factions turn this place into a market hub? And how many conflicts and agreements do you think I have to deal with every single day?"

"A lot?" Gideon answered.

Honestly, he did not care much about Jade’s problems. He understood how difficult it was to manage a large population. No leader could ever be perfect.

But she already had everything. And he had started with nothing.

"3,500 people. Yes, not many compared to the old world, but a lot considering how few survived the apocalypse," she said.

"There’s a lot to fix, a lot to build. But the hardest part is the people. They come from different states, different cultures, and even different countries. Conflict is unavoidable, and believe me, those conflicts can turn into something worse than any disaster."

She glanced at him before continuing.

"But Gideon, as a leader we don’t have the luxury to sit around lamenting or even take a proper breath. Maybe those government dogs seem far away, but before you realize it, they could already be standing at your front door."

She tapped his shoulder. "That’s why you can’t do everything alone."

Gideon narrowed his eyes, already knowing where this was heading.

"Jade, are you worried about what I said yesterday? That I don’t fully trust you?"

"Of course." She answered without hesitation. "Your first mistake was saying that to my face. Next time, move quietly and keep those thoughts to yourself."

Her seriousness made him laugh.

"Do you know why I said it directly to you?" he asked. "Because that night I saw you as a friend, not just a lord. But now I know how you actually see me."

Jade frowned. "You’re messing with me, aren’t you?"

"Yup. And your reaction says a lot." He grinned. "It means Pathmadre needs me more than I thought."

For a moment she was stunned. Gideon could clearly see the emotions flickering in her eyes. Disbelief, worry, and the realization that she could not easily fool him.

It also means that he could ask even the impossible and many other possibilities that he wasn’t sure to ask considering their newbuilt relationship.

"Anyway, I need to bring Freya to the mercenary guild," he said while standing up. "If you’re that worried I’ll make a good deal behind your back, you can always send your men to follow me."

Jade sighed and ran a hand through her hair before grabbing his arm and pulling him back down to sit.

"You know what? Let’s get married. If I can’t fool you, then I might as well be honest with you."

He smirked, her desperation was funny to him as he slowly slumped down again.

"Nah." Gideon shrugged. "You just want to take advantage of me even more, and I don’t like that kind of unbalanced relationship."

Jade groaned. "Fine. What do you want from me? I’ll help you as much as I can."

"Don’t push yourself like that, Jade. I know you’re desperate," he replied calmly. "But you still haven’t given me the information I asked for."

Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered what he meant.

"Right... the factions." She rubbed her temple for a moment. "You know Freebound doesn’t usually handle work like that, right?"

"We mostly assign jobs involving psychics. Like the construction workers you requested. Their work should be finished tomorrow, and they’ll arrive at your territory either tomorrow or the day after."

Gideon nodded. That meant he no longer needed to worry about housing or water sources. After that, he could focus on agriculture and other infrastructure.

"Good. Now tell me about the Scion of the Lord. Everything you know."