Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Chapter 340

Nearly a month had passed by the time Paige Summers learned what had happened at Mount Gorrow.

Of the one hundred people who went, only half returned.

When she learned the total number of casualties, Paige found it difficult to feel much joy, even though Marcus Monroe and his men had won a great victory.

The base held a funeral for the fallen team members. Their ashes were buried at the highest point of the cultivation area, where a small cemetery was built and tombstones were erected. Paige took the opportunity to bury the ashes of the researchers that had been collected when the base was first cleared out.

At the end of the day, they had all sacrificed themselves for Astoria.

She supposed they would have a lot to talk about in the afterlife.

Paige Summers stood in the courtyard, gazing at the cemetery with a heavy heart.

Wendy Lowell patted her hand and shook her head, silently telling her not to be so sad, or it wouldn’t be good for the baby.

Paige was seven months pregnant. Her belly grew larger each day, and by now it was quite prominent.

Wendy Lowell had been worried sick about it. She felt the base was too rudimentary and feared Paige would have complications during childbirth. Sometimes, she was so anxious she couldn’t sleep at night. Yet, she couldn’t let it show while she was with Paige during the day. She’d probably grown countless gray hairs from the stress.

Fortunately, Claire Chapman had returned for a visit, bringing two obstetricians and various pieces of medical equipment for the delivery.

This finally put her mind at ease, at least a little.

Paige, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as worried. She knew her own body. While it didn’t show on the outside, she was incredibly strong on the inside. Giving birth shouldn’t be a problem.

Her mind was on something else. Calculating the days, she knew the time was near.

Sure enough, only a few days after she’d been mulling it over, a report came from the main gate: people from Central City had arrived.

’They’re finally here,’ Paige thought.

There are no secrets that can be kept forever. Besides, she hadn’t made a huge effort to keep things watertight. Whether it was her selling grain in the south or sending seeds to Central City, there were ways to find out if someone was determined enough. The one thing she hadn’t expected, however, was that the person who came would be Shawn Monroe...

At first, she didn’t know.

Mason Hayes went to receive them.

At her stage of pregnancy, it was best to take precautions.

However, not long after Mason Hayes had welcomed the visitors, he rushed to find her. ”They insist on seeing you,” he said. ”He says he’s Regiment Commander of the First Regiment, First Division of the Central Army. His name is Shawn Monroe...”

Paige was stunned.

Under the circumstances, she had no choice but to meet him.

「In the reception room.」

Paige looked at the man before her, his features restored to what they once were. She recalled what Mason Hayes had said—that he had brought about eighty Central Army soldiers with him—and her heart filled with uncertainty.

If he were still using his identity as Seth Howell, then neither the title of Regiment Commander nor the accompanying Central Army soldiers would be surprising. But he had announced his true name—Shawn Monroe. That made the whole situation rather intriguing.

Though a thousand thoughts raced through her mind, Paige offered a faint smile. ”Regiment Commander Monroe,” she said, ”please, have a seat.”

Shawn Monroe had thinned considerably since his coma, but he seemed to be in good spirits. He was as handsome as ever, though his expression had lost some of its former gloom and impulsiveness, replaced by a calm, inscrutable air. His face remained impassive as he nodded to her. ”Long time no see.”

After taking a seat, he added, ”You left in such a hurry last time. I never got the chance to thank you for saving my life.”

Paige offered a polite smile. ”It was nothing.”

Shawn Monroe’s gaze drifted impassively to her swollen abdomen. A complex mix of emotions stirred within him. After a long moment, he exhaled. ”You... look like you’re doing well...”

Paige arched an eyebrow. She was in no mood to reminisce with him; whether she was doing well or not was none of his business. They may have cooperated against Nora Lowell, but she remembered all too clearly how things were in The Dead City, and even when she first arrived in Central City. Back then, they would have sooner seen each other dead!

Instead of acknowledging his comment, she changed the subject. ”Are you here on official business or for personal reasons?”

Shawn Monroe turned his head, his eyes no longer on her. ”I thought you would have known,” he said coolly. ”I’m here for the grain, of course.”

”Oh? I’m afraid I don’t. Please, elaborate.”

Shawn Monroe raised an eyebrow at her. ”I never knew you were so good at playing dumb.”

”Thanks. It’s a required skill for survival these days.”

Shawn Monroe fought the urge to roll his eyes.

Still, he felt a strange stirring inside.

After his narrow escape from death, it was as if he had been reborn.

Toward the end of his coma, he had actually regained a faint sense of consciousness.

He’d had many dreams about the past.

He dreamed of meeting Paige Summers for the first time, of meeting Nora Lowell, of all the little moments spent with them. He dreamed of The Dead City, of Marcus Monroe, and of their father...

Then, he woke up.

He had expected to still hate Nora Lowell, perhaps even more so, for all the humiliation she’d put him through. But whenever he remembered that she had turned into a Zombie, the hatred seemed to evaporate. He even found it laughable.

He knew she was incredibly ambitious, but now that she was a Zombie, all of it had become a joke.

She was fated to stand in opposition to all of humanity.

She was alive, yet as good as dead.

’Later,’ he thought, ’by some bizarre twist of fate, my revenge was complete after all!’

As for Marcus Monroe... when he thought of the man, of the name, he realized that Marcus now felt like a stranger to him.

With a clear mind, he realized that if he had been in Marcus’s shoes, he would have been even more ruthless.

So now, it was a case of winner takes all. There was nothing to complain about.

Rather than dwelling on The Dead City for the rest of his life, it was better to start anew and carve out a new path for himself in Central City!

’Once I’m truly powerful, what does Marcus Monroe matter?’

He could let go of his feelings for both of them. But not for Paige Summers.

In those jumbled dreams, he saw scenes that differed from reality.

In his dreams, Paige Summers had loved him. A desperate, fawning kind of love. She had tried everything to please him.

But his heart belonged to another—Nora Lowell was the one he truly cherished.

Paige had been mad with jealousy over Nora, even to the point of wanting to kill her.

But in the end, tragically, she was the one who died.

He watched the fragmented scenes unfold until the very last one: a dazed Paige stumbling out of the city and into a horde of Mutant Beasts. Her terrified, desolate cries seemed to echo in his ears even after he woke up.

He touched his tear-streaked face and sat there, stunned, for a long time.

The greatest fear is regret, yet it’s something people can never seem to avoid.

’If only I had been more sincere when we first met... would everything have been different?’

He didn’t dare to dwell on it.

All he could do was bury it deep within his heart.

But just because he didn’t want to think about it didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

That was why, when the mission to Bloodfall Base came up, he’d volunteered for it on pure instinct, his body moving faster than his rational mind.

He... wanted to see her.

Of course, it was a good mission in its own right.

Shawn Monroe took a breath, pushed aside his distracting thoughts, and returned to the matter at hand.

”I’m here on official orders. The Government wishes to purchase your cultivation methods. As you know, ever since the soil became contaminated, Central City has relied on soilless cultivation, but the crop yields are very low. It can only feed a small portion of the population. Even within Central City, most people don’t have access to it and have to subsist on Nutrition Cakes instead. You know as well as I do that those things have almost no nutritional value. If this continues long-term, people’s health will become a serious problem. So, as soon as it was confirmed that you were able to grow crops here, Consul Eustace went to the military commander and gave the order: obtain the cultivation method, no matter the cost.”

He paused, then continued, ”I’ll be straight with you. Both the Consul and the commander hope to resolve this matter peacefully. After all, it concerns the welfare of the people. As fellow Astorians, I’m sure you wouldn’t hoard this for yourself. Of course, the Government won’t be unfair to you. Crystal Cores, or anything else you need—you can name your price...”

Paige couldn’t help but smile as she listened.

It seemed that after the incident with Sheldon Reid, both the Government and the military had adopted a much more peaceful approach.

At least in this case, they preferred a soft touch to a heavy hand.

She smiled and nodded. ”If I intended to hoard it, I never would have sent seeds to the Research Institute. However, as for the specific arrangements, allow me to think it over.” ’Which really means I need to figure out the right price!’

”Of course.” A flicker of relief showed in Shawn Monroe’s expression.

He had guessed Paige would agree, but he hadn’t expected her to be so direct about it! Still, this outcome could only be to his advantage.

Paige smiled. ”Then I’ll have to trouble you to stay for a few days, Regiment Commander Monroe.” With that, she called Mason Hayes back in. ”I’ll have Captain Hayes show you around. If you’ll excuse me.”

Shawn Monroe opened his mouth to say something, but his gaze fell on her stomach, and in the end, he remained silent.

’The cultivation method...’

Paige pondered the issue as she walked back.

In truth, there was no special method; it was all about the seeds.

’Should I just give them the seeds directly?’

But that wouldn’t be a one-time deal. It would become a long-term supply arrangement, and the quantity they’d need would be huge. She wasn’t sure if she could even meet that demand.

Of course, that was a secondary concern.

The crucial point was that they would definitely ask where the seeds came from. How was she supposed to spin that story?

Paige was undecided. After thinking it over, she concluded she had to discuss it with Marcus Monroe.

Luckily, Sweetie had stayed at the base since returning last time.

She quickly wrote a short letter and sent Sweetie on its way with it.

She didn’t directly ask for Marcus’s opinion. Instead, she asked if he could arrange a trip back to the base, depending on the military situation in the south.

Anything involving the Central Government had to be handled with extreme caution.

It was best for the two of them to discuss the specifics face-to-face.

Additionally, she sent someone to Southreach with a letter for Claire Chapman.

She had been rather annoyed with him lately.

She’d heard long ago that the situation in Southreach had stabilized, yet he continued to linger there. Even if he had really fallen for Maisie Joyce, he should at least remember he was Bloodfall’s Base Chief!

’When he gets back this time,’ Paige mused, ’I’m going to have to lay it all out for him.’

Meanwhile, Mason Hayes was leading Shawn Monroe to the base’s trading area.

He first carefully inspected the crops on the shelves, then moved to the weapons section. After a moment, he nostalgically picked up a crossbow. He could tell it wasn’t Paige’s handiwork, but it inevitably brought back memories of the old days...