Zombie Domination-Chapter 44- Ungrateful

The battlefield had fallen silent.

Smoke drifted lazily through the scorched air. The squad of soldiers, still tense, stood with weapons lowered but not relaxed. In front of them, Julian’s group remained calm, unshaken, as if they had done this a hundred times before.

Lieutenant Celestia Virelle narrowed her eyes.

She stepped forward, her silver braid slightly loosened from the earlier fight, voice as cold and unreadable as ever. "Thank you... for saving us," she said flatly.

Julian gave a light nod. "It’s nothing."

"Are you part of any known faction?" she asked cautiously.

Julian shook his head. "No. But we’ve been looking for someone." He glanced at Aya beside him.

Understanding his cue, Aya stepped forward and pulled a slightly wrinkled photo from her coat, a photo of a man and a teenage boy.

"My father’s name is Elien Claint, and this is my little brother, Claus Claint. We’ve been looking for them," she said softly.

Celestia’s eyes widened just slightly as she took the photo.

"...You’re his daughter?" she murmured.

Aya’s breath caught. "You know them?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes. They’re both safe. They’ve been living at our military base for months now. Your father is part of the Specialist Unit, a healer, quite a rare one. He’s saved dozens of lives."

Aya’s knees gave out as the weight of relief hit her.

"They’re alive... They’re really alive..." Tears spilled down her cheeks.

Julian caught her before she fell, pulling her gently into an embrace.

Aya burying into his chest, sobbing softly.

Julian looked back to Celestia. "Can you take us to them?"

Celestia shook her head. "We’re still on assignment. Our mission is to escort survivors to a forward outpost... and my squad is in no condition to move right now. We’re low on ammo and food. It’ll take us days to regroup."

Julian considered this, then said simply, "We’ll help."

Celestia’s expression darkened. "Why?"

He gave a small smile. "Because you just gave her peace of mind. That’s more than enough of a reason."

Still wary, Celestia gave a slow nod. "Our temporary camp isn’t far. I’ll lead you there. But decide again after you see the situation."

"Understood," Julian replied.

As the group began moving, Emma nudged Julian’s arm and whispered, "What about the crystal loot? Are we sharing it?"

Julian looked ahead at the battered squad, then replied calmly, "Keep it. They didn’t even glance at the crystals."

Emma grinned. "Fine by me."

Julian raised his hand briefly, and with a soft hum, the modified military jeep vanished into his inventory. Then they followed Celestia through the ruins.

Led by Celestia, Julian and his group passed through the ruins of the city until they arrived at what looked like an enormous, half-destroyed supermarket. Concrete barricades and scrap-metal walls surrounded the outer perimeter, a makeshift fortress.

"This is our temporary base," Celestia said.

Julian looked around. It was quiet.

They entered the supermarket through a side door.

Inside, the harsh reality became clear.

Dozens of survivors, men, women, and children, lay scattered across the cold floor. Blankets and tarps served as beds. Their eyes were sunken, their faces pale. Hunger and exhaustion had drained every trace of life from them.

The atmosphere was heavy.

A man with greying hair, dressed in worn civilian clothes, stood up as he saw Celestia arrive. His voice was hoarse with frustration. "Lieutenant, where’s the food you promised us? We rationed what little we had, barely enough to keep the children breathing."

Celestia stopped. "We’ve yet to secure new supplies. Our team just returned from a scouting mission—"

"Useless!" the man snapped, stepping closer. "What good are soldiers if they can’t protect or feed the people? You were assigned to serve us, not drag us to this graveyard!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd of survivors. Others stood, adding their voices to the protest.

"She’s failed us!"

"We should’ve stayed behind!"

"They only care about themselves!"

Celestia’s squad stiffened, some visibly angered. One of her subordinates, fists clenched, muttered, "We risked our lives out there while they sat and waited—"

"That’s enough!" Celestia snapped, raising a hand to halt her team.

She faced the angry crowd and said, voice firm but steady, "We’ll find a solution. But right now, our team is exhausted. We all need rest. Arguing won’t fill your stomachs."

But the man wasn’t done. He stepped forward again, pointing a shaking finger at Celestia. "You bi—"

He didn’t finish his sentence.

Click.

Three rifles were suddenly raised toward him, Celestia’s soldiers reacting on instinct.

The man froze. "H-Hey! Look! They’re pointing guns at civilians now!"

Gasps and cries echoed in the room.

"Stand down," Celestia said coldly. "Lower your weapons. Now."

Reluctantly, her soldiers complied.

Tension still hung in the air like smoke after gunfire.

As they walked past the restless crowd, Celestia turned to Julian. Her voice lowered, tinged with tired defiance.

"So? You’ve seen it yourself. Still want to help?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

Celestia said nothing at first. But for the briefest moment, her eyes softened.

After the tense encounter with the civilians, Celestia turned to her squad.

"Take a break. Everyone, rest," she ordered calmly.

The soldiers nodded, their fatigue and frustration clear on their faces as they dispersed throughout the shelter.

Celestia then led Julian and his companions down a dim hallway, accompanied by a tall man in tactical gear who walked silently at her side, eyes sharp, hand never straying far from his sidearm. A loyal escort... or a silent threat, just in case.

They entered a sparsely furnished room that had clearly been turned into a temporary command office.

"Please," Celestia said as she gestured to the chairs arranged in front of her desk, "sit."

Julian, Clarissa, Emma, Veronica, and Aya took their seats.

The man at Celestia’s side, remained standing just behind her, silent and watchful.

Celestia folded her gloved hands together on the desk and got straight to the point.

"So," she began, her tone neutral but laced with exhaustion, "do you have a solution? Any idea to help? If not, it’s fine. I won’t force anything. You’ve seen the situation yourselves, it’s not exactly pleasant."

Julian leaned forward, his voice calm but confident.

"We might be able to secure food supplies for your group."

Celestia raised a brow. "That’s what we’ve been trying to do. We’ve scouted every direction. Most stockpiles have already been looted by other survivors, or are overrun by hordes."

"We have... another method," Julian replied, vaguely but firmly.

Celestia stared at him for a moment, then exhaled slowly, as if releasing a weight she didn’t want to carry.

"Do what you want," she said. "You can use any of the empty rooms here to rest. Hike will show you where."

The tall man beside her gave a silent nod.

Julian stood, offering a polite thanks.

As he turned to leave with his team, Celestia’s voice suddenly stopped him.

"Wait."

Julian turned back.

A faint blush colored Celestia’s cheeks, almost invisible under the cold lighting. Her tone softened slightly, though it still carried her usual coolness.

"I don’t know your name yet."

Julian gave her a small smile. "Julian Deaw."

Celestia held his gaze for a second longer than necessary, then replied in a crisp, quiet voice.

"I’m Celestia Virelle. I hope... you’ll find some comfort here."

Julian nodded once more and left the room with the others, led by the silent escort.

Behind them, Celestia remained at her desk, staring at the door long after it had closed.

------×------

Inside their assigned room, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Veronica flopped onto one of the makeshift beds and crossed her arms, her tone sharp.

"What the hell was that back there? Those survivors... they don’t even know how to say thank you."

Emma huffed in agreement. "Yeah, what’s their problem? Acting like we owe them something."

She then looked over at Julian. "So... are we actually going to help those people?"

Julian leaned against the wall, his tone calm and resolute.

"We are. If we help them, Celestia can return to her base faster. And besides... I already gave my word."

Aya, sitting cross-legged with her back straight, smiled softly. "I can’t wait to see Dad and Claus again..."

Clarissa glanced at Julian, her voice gentle. "I’m also curious. I’d like to see what a military base looks like."

Julian nodded. "Then let’s head out and look for food supplies."

Aya tilted her head. "Wait... what about the meat we took from the butcher shop?"

Before Julian could respond, both Emma and Veronica immediately shouted in unison, "No way!"

"That’s our stockpile!" Emma snapped.

Veronica folded her arms tightly. "That meat is sacred. We are not sharing it."

Julian chuckled lightly and nodded. "Alright, You’re right. We won’t share that. We’ll find something else."

Clarissa tapped her chin thoughtfully. "There’s a mall nearby. I remember passing one when we got close to this area. We might have some luck there."

"Good idea," Julian said. "Let’s get ready."

Without wasting time, the group gathered their gear and exited the room. They walked through the dim hallways of the makeshift base, heading toward Celestia’s office to inform her.

As they approached, Celestia glanced up from her maps. Her tone was as cold as ever.

"Giving up already?"

Julian met her gaze evenly. "We’re heading out to scavenge supplies."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Do you need anything?"

Julian shook his head. "We’ll manage."

She studied him for a moment, then gave a curt nod. "Very well. Be careful out there... and come back safe."

Julian gave a short nod before turning away, his team following close behind.

As they made their way toward the exit, they passed by the same loud civilian who had argued with Celestia earlier. The man’s eyes followed them, narrowing as he noticed the group’s pristine gear and the lack of any visible wounds. Their clothes were clean, their weapons intact, and they moved with practiced confidence.

These weren’t ordinary survivors, they were elite.

The man’s opportunistic mind began to turn.

If we follow them... maybe we won’t have to starve anymore. Maybe we can finally live properly.

As Julian and the others walked past, the man stepped forward hesitantly.

"Hey... are you going out there? Why don’t we talk for a bit first? What group are you from? Maybe—"

Julian didn’t break stride. His sharp eyes cut through the man like a blade.

"Move."

His voice was flat, cold, and final.

The man froze in place, eyes wide. He stepped aside quickly, muttering,

"S-sorry... I didn’t mean..."

As Julian passed, the man clenched his jaw, his mutter barely audible.

"Tch... arrogant bastards..."

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