After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

Unfortunately for her, her attention was not appreciated by its target.

”Go away, Ramona. Work.” Louie heaved a deep breath, massaging his forehead.

He honestly didn’t know why he was so in love with this woman before. Every time he thought of it, he couldn’t help but shiver in disgust and shame.

Back then, he was just a pure-hearted guy looking for love amidst all the chaos and uncertainty. He didn’t even know she approached him on purpose. At the time, he thought they met by fate.

He was in his favorite affordable canteen restaurant—one that he went to every after work—when he noticed her for the first time.

She was quite pretty, and she was working as a waitress there in-charge of gathering the plates after use to take to the back room.

When he asked to clean his table, she smiled at him. But she was a bit clumsy and dropped a bit of the plate on him, messing up his shirt. ”Oh no, I’m so sorry,” she mumbled, her eyes teary and it lit up the urge to protect in Louie.

They saw each other every day since then, and she would often tell him how she wanted to eat this and that, and how sad to see it so close, yet not actually tasting it.

He thought the owner was too stingy for a young healthy woman to resort to dreaming to taste his food. At the time, he did not know that employees were entitled to a free meal during their lunch breaks.

Eventually, she cried on him, as if she had been wronged. She said she didn’t want to work there anymore but didn’t have a choice because she didn’t have anywhere to go. Louie, already smitten with her, assumed that she was being harassed.

Fighting was not allowed in Alterra so he only took her home after giving the owner a mouthful of how shameful he was.

In retrospect, that owner was really an innocent.

Louie returned back to the present and looked at the woman standing in front of him.

That same look used to make his heart soft, now it made him queasy.

The woman pursed her lips, teary. ”Please—”

”I can report you and lengthen your slave sentence, Ramona. Don’t annoy me.”

At this, the woman had no choice but to follow his orders. She looked at him pitifully, still hoping he changed his mind, but he didn’t even look at her!

Although she wasn’t a system slave whose body would follow other people’s words, she didn’t want anything to add to her debts! Every time they misbehaved, atonement points were added! She didn’t want to add another day in this misery!

However, Louie was her only hope—no one else would even think of helping her out. She was desperate, so she couldn’t find it in her to move away.

Maybe… maybe he would see her desperation and grit and feel pity for her?

Louie, in retrospect, was the most sincere among her exes. She found him poor and boring at the time, but now she was desperate for him!

Bart and the other saw the interaction. ”A slave?” he asked, very curious.

They had heard that this territory didn’t accept slaves—which was weird to them—but it seemed like it wasn’t entirely true?

”Prisoners of War,” Louie corrected him. ”She’s a traitor who sold important information to Guia Village back then.”

”Ah.” That made sense, and it was also a good compromise.

Louie then continued to explain Alterra’s ’prisoner’ system to them as he gestured for them to go ahead. ”She could earn her own freedom in a few years, as long as she works hard enough.”

”I see, how interesting.”

Ramona bit her lips as she heard them discuss her like a negative example in a history lesson. Her eyes pooled with tears. When he walked away, she just couldn’t stop herself.

”Please! Louie! Stop!” she yelled, running after him. She extended her arms in an attempt to get ahold of him, except something snapped in the air before she could do so.

ROARRRR!!

The large hooded thing exploded in force and Ramona fell back just by the wave he created. She also ended up peeing herself and crawling back, far away from Louie.

At some point, it seemed like the last bit of Baku’s patience ran out and the massive figure appeared in front of Louie.

Louie found himself being lifted from the ground by the back of his collar.

…eh?

”Where’s Gochi?” Baku asked with gritted teeth. He finally lost his patience and was now determined to get them to take him to his friend—whether or not he had to use force.

In the movement, his coat fell down, revealing his ’menacing’ features’. ”Tell me where Gochi is, NOW!”

At the sight of sharp teeth, Louie almost squealed like a girl.

”G-G-Gochi s-should be h-hunting outs-side Tiger s-sir!”

The appearance of the new aborigines and the large coated ’man’ had long captured the attention of the people. It was just that they were still civil (relatively) not to gape so openly, let alone interact.

When the coat dropped down though, they saw a large tiger man. He had humanoid features, but he had white tiger ears and tail.

He was also very muscular. This made women and a few men want to touch his pecks to see how hard it was.

Fred, the boss, happened to be hanging around nearby when he saw the odd new party. Curious, he followed them for a bit, not expecting to witness this!

He immediately interfered and went between them, despite being intimidated himself. ”P-Please put him down! I can help you!” he yelled, pulling Louie down.

Baku narrowed his eyes and let him go, causing the man to fall down a bit. Fred nodded and looked at Baku, trying to appear as convincing as he could.

”He has an aether letter. We can ask the Station to message him back.”

Baku’s eyebrows rose, surprised that such magic tool was in the hands of a half-orc like he was. He was cynical and his slitted eyes looked down at the man as if he could get him to speak the truth if he was lying.

Fred was now focused not to pee on his pants.

”It’s true! I swear!” he yelled. ”Uhm, w-why don’t you come with me and let’s message him together?”

”Fine,” Baku said after a pause, extending his hands with sharp claws toward him instead.

Poor Fred was carried by the collar and headed to where the Station was.

Fred could only cry silent tears.

What did he do to deserve this?!