Possessed a Healing Game, but It’s a Zombie Apocalypse - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 37

 

6. Welcome. This is your first time with something like this, isn’t it?

 

Ishanka continued speaking, ignoring Sam who looked like he’d been punched in the face.

 

“If you die around the farm, my soft-hearted employer will secretly regret kicking you out. That’s why I saved you.”

 

In those sunken light purple eyes, there was no anger at being insulted, no hostility toward the Kingdom people. Seeing him look directly at him without any emotion whatsoever, Sam could clearly understand just how insignificant he was to this man.

 

“Don’t get the wrong idea and think carefully about your reality. The reason you could be safe in this collapsed world wasn’t because you were special, but thanks to someone’s sacrifice. Thanks to Mr. Lindbergh who was your retainer, and Nana who accepted you at the farm, you’ve been able to stay alive with all your limbs intact.”

 

“…”

 

“Get lost. Go far away from here and try living alone in this collapsed world, Your Royal Highness.”

 

His figure turning away without any lingering attachment was utterly cold. Sam could only stare blankly at Ishanka’s retreating figure.

 

* * *

 

Ironically, the place Sam headed to afterward was the library’s basement.

 

The thought of going far away as Ishanka had said did cross his mind briefly. But he didn’t have the courage for that. Surviving on the desolate black lands while avoiding zombies that could appear at any moment was practically suicide.

 

Especially for Sam, who had no survival-specialized items like now and didn’t possess superhuman martial prowess like Ishanka, it was even more impossible.

 

But going back to the farm somehow hurt his pride.

 

“It’s just because my situation is like this right now. If I could just get to the capital…”

 

But his pointless stubbornness quickly crumbled when he saw the endlessly vast desolate black lands spread out before him.

 

Given this situation, the only place he could go was this basement. The safest place since the disaster struck. Sam familiarly tore open a bag of emergency rations remaining on the shelf.

 

The emergency rations were originally dry and tasteless, but today they seemed even more unappetizing.

 

As Sam mechanically stuffed the emergency rations into his mouth just to fill his empty stomach, he suddenly remembered the mince pie that Nana had planned to make today.

 

Though it was one of the common foods that commoners ate, even such common food was precious in this disaster-stricken world. Especially food made with fresh crops.

 

‘…I should have eaten dinner before causing trouble.’

 

Startled by the thought that arose without him realizing it, Sam shook his head roughly.

 

‘No! What am I thinking right now?!’

 

No matter how tasteless the emergency rations were, still. To be thinking about food from some country bumpkin who sided with barbarians!

 

But his body was more honest than his head. His mouth, accustomed to food made with fresh crops, refused to eat more, as if saying ‘You’re putting this trash that I wouldn’t eat even if given to me into your mouth?’ In the end, Sam barely chewed a few emergency rations before putting them away.

 

Sam suddenly thought of the royal palace.

 

Was the royal palace safe?

 

Were Queen Mother and Father alright?

 

If this place was in such a state, would the capital be any different? It might even be worse.

 

But.

 

“Still, the royalty and nobles would have stepped forward to protect the people. Queen Mother always cherished the people.”

 

Along with words muttered like self-consolation, Sam’s memories flowed to the past.

 

His departure to study in the Grinnish Principality was due to Queen Mother’s recommendation.

 

Someone who always thought of the people first.

 

The Kingdom of Helvetia was still dependent on magic and hadn’t properly accepted mechanical engineering.

 

There’s always resistance to new things.

 

So if royalty stepped forward first, wouldn’t the people be less wary?

 

That was Queen Mother’s thinking.

 

Sam at that time just wanted to escape the royal palace and have fun freely.

 

So he accepted that proposal without much thought, and that was the beginning.

 

But once he actually encountered mechanical engineering, he became completely absorbed.

 

A world of logic and creation different from magic.

 

Sam became increasingly deeply absorbed and eventually ignored even Father’s order to return home, trying to pursue even a doctoral course.

 

The result was as expected.

 

The enraged Father immediately cut off all support.

 

So in anger, he headed to Sweet Little Village where Broderick Lindbergh, whom he had long followed like an uncle, lived.

 

Brody asked nothing when he suddenly visited.

 

He just welcomed Sam with a smile beneath his magnificent mustache.

 

Suddenly Ishanka’s words came to mind.

 

“Think about your reality. The reason you could be safe in this collapsed world wasn’t because you were special, but thanks to someone’s sacrifice.”

 

Brody Lindbergh.

 

The person who acted like an uncle without asking anything and hid his identity.

 

Mrs. Paisley.

 

The kind person who willingly gave up the basement when he said he needed a laboratory and never once laughed at the strange machines.

 

If Brody hadn’t told him about the secret passage—

 

If Nana hadn’t entered the library—

 

I probably wouldn’t exist in this world.

 

A single tear quietly fell onto the back of Sam’s hand.

 

Followed by another drop, and then another.

 

The tears were mixed with emotions difficult to name.

 

I didn’t survive alone.

 

* * *

 

Sam returned to Nana’s farm several days later.

 

Before Nana, who was just silently looking at him, Sam slowly knelt down.

 

For someone who had lived as royalty their entire life to voluntarily kneel was a rare scene difficult to see anywhere. However, to Nana, who didn’t know Sam was royalty, Sam kneeling while grimacing was just annoying.

 

“You still don’t really know what you did wrong, do you?”

 

“…I know.”

 

“Someone who says they know but has an expression like they’re very dissatisfied but enduring it?”

 

“Then what am I supposed to…! No, no. I was wrong. This is sincere.”

 

Actually, it wasn’t completely sincere. The reason Sam came back wasn’t because he reflected on his mistakes while eating tear-soaked emergency rations, nor because his heart changed after shedding tears of repentance that day.

 

It was because he was hungry. There were still emergency rations left in the basement, but he really didn’t want to eat them. But he couldn’t starve just because he didn’t want to eat.

 

He did force the tasteless and dry emergency rations into his mouth, but that was only for a day or two. After several days passed, just looking at the emergency rations made him nauseous, and later he didn’t even want to look at them.

 

In the end, hunger and taste buds broke his pride. That’s why he was here now. And Nana wasn’t completely unaware of this either. Honestly, she thought he had lasted quite long given that personality.

 

“Right. It’s fortunate that you know you were wrong. Then you also know that I’m not the one you should apologize to, right?”

 

Sam made a puzzled expression with question marks floating above his head.

 

See. I knew this would happen.

 

Nana decided to bestow kindness upon him.

 

“You need to apologize to Ishanka. You insulted him with your ridiculous prejudice.”

 

Only then understanding her words, Sam’s face crumpled again. What was wrong with calling a barbarian a barbarian!

 

“If you don’t understand that, just stay there like that. Let’s go, Isha.”

 

“Ah, no wait! Who said I wouldn’t apologize?”

 

Sam hurriedly grabbed Nana as she was about to leave, but his mouth wouldn’t open easily as if glued shut. Only after a long time did he finally open his mouth very reluctantly.

 

“…Sorry.”

 

“Sorrrrry? Is that an attitude for apologizing?!”

 

“Adrien. I’m fine…”

 

“I’m not fine!”

 

“I’m sorry!”

 

“To whom?!”

 

“To, to that bar—, noble person over there!”

 

Sam habitually started to call him a barbarian but quickly changed his words. Thanks to Sam’s instincts quickly warning him that if he called him a barbarian again while coming to apologize, this time it wouldn’t end with just being kicked out.

 

“There’s no need to go that far…”

 

Nana muttered with a pleased expression.

 

‘I didn’t want to say all that either!’

 

Sam wanted to slap his own mouth for blurting out whatever came to mind following his stream of consciousness.

 

He was royalty by birth. Even though he had knelt on the dirt floor unable to bear his hunger, whatever he had become, he was still royalty.

 

It was already quite humiliating that he couldn’t endure just a few days of hunger, but to babble on like that. If other royals saw this, they would be horrified and say he was worse than a beast.

 

Especially if Abamama saw him like this, he would be quite disappointed.

 

Nana watched Sam trembling with shame for a moment, then sighed.

 

“I’m not particularly interested in what kind of life you lived outside or what thoughts you have.”

 

“….”

 

“But on the farm, I am the rule. If I hear one more word about discriminating between barbarians and Kingdom People on my land, whoever it is will be banished.”

 

Though she said whoever, the subject of her words was clearly pointing at Sam. Sam seemed to notice this too and looked displeased, but his answer was obedient.

 

“…Got it.”

 

“Your words are short?”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Is that all you can do?!”

 

“I understand, my lady!”

 

“…I think the last part would have been better left unsaid. It’s creepy.”

 

“Even when I try, you complain.”

 

When Sam muttered quietly, Nana glared at him sideways.

 

“What?”

 

“I misspoke to you, lady. Please forgive me.”

 

“You know I’m only accepting you because the alcohol brewing machine isn’t finished yet.”

 

With the situation roughly settled, the three people scattered to do their respective tasks. Ishanka went to the Eastern Forest for gathering and hunting, Nana went to the warehouse for selling harvest and farm management. And Sam, who was heading to complete his unfinished machine.

 

“Adrien. Wait, look at me for a moment.”

 

Instead of heading straight to the workshop, he came to Nana.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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