ESMLT 44

Chapter 44

As someone who has experienced a wide range of apocalypse content, there’s one thing I am certain of: villains must be dealt with preemptively.

“Especially in places like shelters, where ownership of items is unclear and there are many ways for privacy to be violated.”

To prevent problems, this area—essentially a crime-prone zone—must be governed with rules and principles.

The same goes for chores.

Until now, I had distributed them as needed, but with more people now, even a few days of stay required a proper rotation and assigned duties for fairness.

For example, a kind of “Shelter Rules.”

“Everyone, gather around.”

As evening fell, I called everyone together for a meeting.

I pinned a sheet of paper to the corkboard on the wall next to the window.

I read it aloud to the additional survivors sitting at the table and to the male protagonists who were observing from a distance, one by one.

[<Shelter Rules>

1. Shared items and facilities must be used neatly and cleaned afterward.

2. Personal items must be clearly marked, and do not touch others’ belongings without permission. (If damaged, the owner’s consent must be obtained for compensation.)

3. Chores, night watch, hunting, and patrols are to be divided among everyone except children under 10. (Absences require valid reasons.)

4. When going outside the shelter, inform at least one person and carry a weapon.

5. Meals should be taken only in the designated portions.

6. Go gathering or hunting in groups of two or more.]

I skimmed the craft paper with the rules and felt satisfied.

“Well, we’re not staying long, this should be enough.”

Within ten days, we would find the mausoleum of the former commander and decide who would escape first using the warp scroll.

“If anyone has additional rules or objections, please speak up.”

Since most things were unwritten but generally accepted, the male protagonists didn’t seem to have any objections.

However, the Crown Prince raised his hand.

“I have a question, my lady. Are we hunting now too?”

“Given our numbers, we have about two weeks’ worth of food left. It’s good to gather and hunt while we still have energy, just in case.”

The Crown Prince scanned Zenta’s frail frame and looked a little troubled.

“Then training will be needed as well.”

“Probably.”

I glanced at Danha.

When our eyes met, he smiled gently.

“Sorry, but this isn’t the time to be smiling.”

You’re going to be part of hellish training too.

I plan to teach Danha the preservation method for manifesting arrows with aura.

When we go to the forest at dawn to find the mausoleum, the most reliable Danha will be entrusted with overseeing the shelter… which makes sense.

Beasts and humans alike tend to look down on those weaker than themselves.

“Especially Count Lafran,” I thought.

A mere count wouldn’t dare oppose an Eastern prince, but recently, the Empire had supplied half a year’s worth of food due to a poor harvest in Jehaguk.

The cunning man, full of male supremacy and elitism, would surely act arrogantly because of the handouts he received.

“So I need to teach Danha the aura preservation method and intimidate him.”

For such a person, brute force, though crude, was the answer.

As I organized my plans, I suddenly realized:

“…Why am I acting like the community leader?”

On second thought, I could understand Count Lafran’s feelings. Four high-ranking Imperial men were here, and yet a daughter of a count was taking charge—it would understandably rub him the wrong way.

But would I do it just because I wanted to?

“I’m only doing what’s necessary to save them.”

I had to comply if I wanted to secure a pardon through achievement.

I wore a face that screamed “I don’t want to do this” and said:

“Any objections? If not, let’s assign chores—”

“There is.”

Count Lafran raised his hand.

I gestured for him to speak, and he stood, covering his mouth with a fist.

“Ahem! My lady Arios, I dare offer counsel as a representative of these gentlemen.”

Counsel?

“You should reconsider the shelter rules for the sake of their ranks and dignity.”

What?

Ignoring our confused expressions, Count Lafran gestured nobly at each male protagonist.

“These men are noble members of the Empire. Chores? Returning to the Empire, this would be treated as an insult to the royal family.”

He seemed very proud of the logic of his argument, lifting his head with a satisfied smile.

“What a ridiculous character.”

The male protagonists had no complaints, yet here was someone else inserting themselves and acting high and mighty.

“He’s just using someone else’s authority to stir things up because he doesn’t like men doing chores.”

But what could I do?

“What exactly is the problem?”

The male protagonists clearly weren’t going to play along.

Count Lafran turned to the Crown Prince, flustered.

“No problem?”

The Crown Prince, looking confused, glanced at Jaeger.

“Problem?”

Jaeger, sitting on the sofa armrest polishing a dagger, said:

“No.”

“Problem?”

Danha said:

“No.”

“Problem?”

Then Xien said:

“If Ria tells me to roll, I roll.”

The Crown Prince shrugged and looked at the count one last time.

“Everyone says it’s fine. Why can’t you do the dishes with your delicate hands, Count?”

“No, it’s not that…”

The Crown Prince blinked widely, staring, and the count started sweating.

The Crown Prince winked at me, and I gave a thumbs-up with the hand folded across my chest.

“How reassuring when that annoying mouth is on my side.”

Count Lafran finally managed to explain:

“I was concerned for Your Highness. You wouldn’t be able to do the dishes, would you?”

The Crown Prince’s expression turned colder than I had ever seen.

“I do the dishes well.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I said, I do them well.”

“Oh, no…”

I smirked at the flustered count.

“You really don’t understand. The Crown Prince is now the best at doing dishes among the male protagonists. And he takes pride in it.”

Seizing the moment, I stepped forward with a sly smile.

“If it really bothers you to have His Highness do the dishes, Count, then you can do them instead.”

“Oh, no, that’s not—”

Count Lafran looked around, silently pleading for help.

He realized there was no one to support him, and he clenched his fists in frustration.

The Crown Prince is doing the dishes, yet I don’t? That would prove my previous argument self-contradictory.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Count.”

I mocked him openly.

“Those plates will be needed soon, so scrub them thoroughly. Thoroughly!”

“Huh? This part isn’t clean.”

“What’s this? Did you clean properly? Scrub harder.”

Count Lafran glared at me as he scrubbed, nitpicking everything.

“I’m cleaning them properly! Scrub, scrub!”

Even admitting defeat would bruise his pride, so he immediately resisted.

Since telling him to do something only made him more reluctant, I teased him while asking whether he had finished yet, when he would finish, etc.

Once I stopped giving him excuses to pick on, he pouted and huffed even more.

“This is secretly fun,” I thought with a smirk as I organized the sink and dusted my hands.

“Alright, I’ve teased him enough; time to start preparing lunch.”

I handed the dishes he had cleaned to Zenta and headed to the pantry.

Seeing me go behind the upper cabinet after cleaning the sink to a shine, Count Lafran threw the cloth.

“Ugh!”

Hands on his hips, he huffed like he was staging a coup against me.

I just peeked from the pantry doorway, arms crossed.

Zenta, arranging dishes near the pantry, looked awkward at the adults’ power struggle.

Creak—

At that moment, the Crown Prince and Jaeger, returning from mushroom gathering, opened the front door and came face-to-face with the count.

“…Gasp.”

Count Lafran froze, inhaling sharply.

Seeing his suspicious behavior, the Crown Prince noticed the cloth on the floor.

Understanding the situation, he tilted his head as if asking, “What are you doing?”

Count Lafran quickly grabbed the cloth and blew on it, scrubbing the sink frantically.

“I… I’ve been cleaning it this whole time! Scrub, scrub!”

Once the Crown Prince moved away slightly, the count slumped like a deflated balloon and muttered:

“It’s all that woman’s fault…”

“What?”

“Ah, never mind.”

See? Careless people bring trouble on themselves.

There was no need for me to intervene after all.