I Reincarnated Into a Healing Game… and It’s a Zombie Apocalypse?! - Chapter 75

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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 75

In Ratnagara, each household doesn’t bake their own bread.

It was a habit left from their long nomadic life.

When they decided on a land to settle, they first built a huge kiln in the center, and there they shared freshly baked bread, filling themselves with the vitality of life.

Now they had established a proper nation and settled down, but the bustling scene of gathering in a circle around the kiln, tearing bread and sharing laughter remained the same as always.

Central Sahrat, in front of the large kiln where white steam rose like cotton clouds.

Nana blew warm breath into her frozen hands while scanning the food stall with eagle eyes.

‘What should I eat to spread rumors that I ate well?’

The freshly baked breads lined up in rows caught her ankles with their savory smell.

Then Nana’s gaze, which had been choosing meal bread, fixed on honey bread glistening with shine.

‘Right, sugar is essential in cold places.’

It absolutely wasn’t because it looked delicious. It was securing essential calories for surviving the harsh winter.

Just as Nana, having finished her self-rationalization, picked up the honey bread without hesitation.

“Oh my, miss. You’re from the kingdom?”

The owner who was packing the bread narrowed her eyes.

When Nana unconsciously nodded, the surrounding atmosphere changed as if a signal flare had gone off.

“Oh my, she’s really from the kingdom?”

“She came from Helvetia, but how did she get here?”

“I heard the King brought her personally?”

In an instant, the women flocked around and Nana suddenly became the center of attention.

“What kind of place is the Helvetia Kingdom? They say flowers bloom there all year round?”

“It’s just in the south, so it’s a bit warmer than here. It’s not that amazing of a place.”

“Oh my, look at how she talks. They say kingdom people are snobbish, but she’s not like that at all?”

“Right. She doesn’t even avoid us when she sees us.”

The women looked at Nana curiously. They say southern kingdom people look down on and despise minority ethnic groups, calling them barbarians.

But Nana showed no signs of being wary of or looking down on them. Rather, she was taking a bite of bread from the kiln with curious eyes.

“Wow, but the bread here is really delicious. It’s much more savory than kingdom bread.”

Nana’s appearance, genuinely admiring and brightening her eyes, was enough to disarm the women’s hearts. Soon after, northern warmth poured out in a quantity offensive.

“Oh dear, she has good taste! Yes, eat a lot!”

“Here, take this too. It’s dried fruit, you haven’t seen this in the kingdom, right?”

“Huh? Wait? Hold on!”

Nana waved her hands in confusion, but it was no use. In an instant, all sorts of items piled up in her arms and she was struggling when.

“Nana! What are you doing not coming? This old woman is freezing to death!”

At the booming scolding voice, everyone turned their heads in unison to see Rosha at the kiln entrance with her arms crossed, glaring with sharp eyes.

“Ah, yes! I’m coming now, Grandma!”

Nana bowed to the women and ran out struggling to carry the bundle of gifts. Pleasant laughter followed her waddling figure.

“Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you, Grandma.”

Rosha glanced at her and lightly patted her back.

“People here rarely leave the north. It’s natural that you’re curious to them. Don’t worry about it unnecessarily.”

Rosha spoke bluntly, but her face showed subtle satisfaction.

Nana was grateful for that casual consideration and burst into giggles as she followed behind Rosha with quick steps.

* * *

She encountered Ishanka again when the sun was setting and warm lights were lit in the kitchen.

“Huh? What brings you here?”

Nana, who was preparing dinner, opened her eyes wide seeing Ishanka who suddenly appeared.

“Well, that is… I mean…”

Behind him, who was hesitating and couldn’t even make proper eye contact, Ateruna poked her head out.

“Hello, Sister Nana! Grandma told us to eat dinner before going, so we followed along!”

“Ah, I see. Come on in.”

Nana let the two people inside and suddenly tilted her head.

“But did I ever mention that my nickname is Nana?”

When she muttered this, Ateruna’s shoulders flinched slightly.

‘Oops. People always say Nana, Nana, so I unconsciously…’

“Gr-Grandma Rosha! When Grandma talks about you, she calls you Nana, so I thought that was your name! We siblings are really close with Grandma Rosha, you know. Haha.”

Ateruna laughed awkwardly while making excuses.

Nana nodded and was quickly convinced. Ateruna’s words seemed quite plausible.

“Grandma went out to get some fresh air for a moment. I’ll do the cooking, so you two rest in the living room.”

“I’ll help too.”

He said that, but Ishanka’s attention was focused on the cook, not the cooking.

He moved like a shadow, following Nana’s movements. When water splashed on her, he reflexively handed her a towel, and when their eyes met, he hurriedly turned his head away.

Ateruna, who was watching this, leaned crookedly against the kitchen doorframe and chuckled.

“Brother, if you’re going to help, help properly. Don’t just stare at Sister Nana.”

“…I wasn’t staring.”

“If you weren’t looking, why did you hand her the towel?”

“Because I saw sweat on her neck.”

“Didn’t you think that sounds even weirder?”

“Be quiet, Ateruna.”

Even amid the siblings’ bickering, dinner preparations continued busily. During this, Nana’s hand slipped while trying to take out a small plate from high up in the cupboard.

Crash!

With a sharp shattering sound, the dish broke into pieces on the floor.

“Oh, I’ll clean it up!”

“It’s dangerous!”

The hands of the two people who reflexively bent down met over the fragments. Ishanka’s hand touched over Nana’s white hand as if overlapping.

“…!”

Ishanka, startled, hurriedly withdrew his hand as if electrocuted.

“I’ll finish cleaning it up.”

“No. You might hurt your hand, so I’ll do this…”

He desperately kept his head down to hide his face that had reddened up to his neck, silently gathering the pieces.

Ateruna, who was watching this with great interest, had her lips curl up mischievously.

“Are you two dating by any chance?”

“Wh-what are you saying?!”

“That’s not it!”

Both people’s voices burst out simultaneously.

“Puhaha! Who said anything? Why are you both so urgently saying no?”

The dinner menu hadn’t even been put on the fire yet, but the kitchen temperature was already heated up like midsummer.

* * *

The moment they stepped out the door after finishing dinner, snow began to fall quietly from the sky.

“Oh? It’s snowing.”

Nana smiled brightly like a child and held out her hand. Ishanka, who was watching this, hesitated a little before carefully speaking.

“Would you like to walk together for a bit? Since it’s snowing and the air is nice…”

“Hm?”

“Ah, if it’s burdensome since I’m asking suddenly…”

“That sounds good. I was just wanting to walk right now.”

Then, Ateruna from behind awkwardly clapped her hands and began her poor acting.

“Oh, right! I had an appointment, didn’t I? That was almost a disaster. I’ll go ahead first!”

Ateruna passed by the two of them faster than anyone else. The sound of giggling laughter carried along with her retreating footsteps.

Ishanka was staring blankly at her retreating figure when he suddenly noticed snowflakes quietly settling on Nana’s shoulders.

“Wait a moment. At least take my cloak…”

“It’s okay. You’ll be cold too.”

“If I shivered from this level of cold, I wouldn’t deserve to be called one of the minority ethnic groups.”

Nana chuckled at his serious words.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Ishanka carefully draped his cloak over her shoulders, and the two walked quietly side by side on the snowy path. Then Nana stopped walking.

“Wait a moment.”

She then crouched down by the roadside and gathered snow with both hands.

“What are you doing?”

“Making a snow duck.”

Nana declared confidently as she rolled, packed, and shaped the snow with her hands. But the result looked more like a fluffy snow potato than a duck.

“It’s cute.”

“…You don’t have to comfort me.”

Ishanka quietly crouched down beside Nana, who was pouting.

“Are you going to make one too?”

“It looks fun.”

Ishanka gathered snow and carefully shaped it.

And before long, a fairly decent snow duck complete with wings was completed in his hands.

“Wow, Isha, you’re really good with your hands? How did you do that?”

Ishanka looked down at his creation indifferently and answered.

“It requires technique. You can’t hesitate. Before the warmth of your hands touches it and melts it…”

He clenched and opened his hand while adding matter-of-factly.

“You have to handle it all at once, roughly and quickly. That’s how it becomes firm.”

“…Huh?”

A strange silence flowed between them.

Nana’s gaze went back and forth between Ishanka’s large hands and the firm snow duck. Her face instantly turned red like a ripe apple.

“You know that sounded kind of strange just now, right?”

“…?”

Seeing Nana looking at him in confusion, Ishanka stood there dumbfounded for a moment before realizing a beat too late what he had said.

“No, no! I meant you have to increase the cohesion before the snow melts! I absolutely didn’t mean it with any other impure intentions…!”

Ishanka’s ears instantly burst into flames as he frantically made excuses. Nana couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into laughter at his strangely innocent appearance.

“Ahahahaha! I know, I know. It was a joke. Why are you so flustered?”

“…Don’t tease me. I was being serious.”

“I know. Our Isha is serious even about making a snow duck.”

Nana looked at her own crude snow duck with lingering laughter.

“Still, I think this one is cuter. Even if it’s ugly, it grows on you.”

“That’s true.”

Ishanka nodded more seriously than anyone.

“It’s cute because it resembles you.”

“What? Are you indirectly calling me ugly right now?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…!”

Nana giggled as she watched Ishanka get flustered again.

Like the gently falling snowflakes, their innocent feelings also settled side by side over the two snow ducks.

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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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