After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Small Help
“What if we add other fruits?” Another diner wondered out loud, and his companion shook his head.

“Then the cost is even more expensive. Gouji fruit is still the most practical.”

The Gouji Fruit (Lv1) was the most common fruit in the area. Basically, at least 50% of all fruit trees were Gouji Fruit.

It tasted quite decent, like a small less-sweetened pear without the core.

Eating a few would be fine for a few days and a person wouldn’t starve to death.

Of course, just this was not enough to meet half of the lifestyle requirements they used to have.

In the end, she shook her head, placing the problem for another day.

Today she was determined to find a place to set up her territory, so she had made ample preparations. For one, Fufis’ space was filled with cooked food.

It wasn’t that she asked for it. It was just that when Harold and the others found out Fufi had his own space, they were determined to give her all the comfort she could get from such travel.

However, before they could reach the gate, someone with a megaphone announced some news, requiring everyone to go to the Square (which was basically an open space of rocky path located in front of the Lord’s Castle).

Everyone must attend, it claimed, or they would be blacklisted.

Because the others still had to stay in the village for a while longer, Althea and her party had no choice but to follow the crowd.

They took an inconspicuous position almost hidden by the buildings next to the square, just watching the commotion in the square with detached interest.

“I have received a mission from the system!” Bobby King said with a tone mimicking a certain politician. Althea could tell that what he was going to say next was utter bull.

“One is to collect a thousand units of wood and stone. And the other is to increase residents!

“That is, everyone must register as a resident! Temporary or not, or else they will be kicked out.”

Murmurs exploded all around, even Althea found herself frowning. The cost of temporary residency was 1 gold, with a month of validity. It was nothing to her, but it was at least half of the savings of many others.

What was this guy up to this time?

Naturally, complaints from the crowd exploded, some were furtive while some were blunt, and each decibel heard irked Bobby to no end.

“Don’t think you’ll find another territory before monsters maul you to death!”

This quieted down the cowardly crowd. Bobby smirked, satisfied with the effect and went to throw in the carrot.

“If we do as the system instructed, we will have stronger walls!”

“From then on, the territory will be better and better. And what does this mean? Each and everyone resident will also be better!”

He stared down every resident for impact, as if he was looking at each of them as a person, daring them to disagree.

This was a ‘power move’ taught by his favorite TV personality. He thought he was quite dashing when he applied it.

However, his stare soon ended up on Sheila, making his eyes brighten. And then he saw Althea, and his eyes shined.

He excitedly went down the podium and passed the wave of people who cleared the way for his fat self. “Ladies!” He said in a tone he believed was suave and charming.

He stared leeringly at Althea, pointedly ignoring her very big belly “You can be permanent residents immediately. You just have to follow me home, how about it?”

And without waiting for her response, he turned to look at Harold with an unfriendly expression. “You’re so old. Surely you’re not the husband of any one of these ladies?”

Harold shivered in fear at the mere thought.

“No… I was a housekeeper.”

This answer satisfied Bobby, and his stare directed at Althea turned even hotter. She had the temperament of a young lady, and he misunderstood Harold to be her servant.

“No, thank you, we’re not planning on staying here.” She said, with relative politeness considering her annoyance.

However, her tact was not appreciated by the people as she immediately heard a number of aghast gasps in the crowd as soon as she finished speaking.

Bobby was also taken aback and his mild lascivious expression twisted to one of annoyance.

“I like hard-to-get plays occasionally, but sometimes I don’t.” He paused, breathing heavily.

“This is one of those times.” Bobby couldn’t help but look at the crowd watching and he gritted his teeth.

‘How dare this woman disagree with me? And in public!’

Althea could see what he was thinking. This guy was obviously a rich kid spoiled rotten and turned into an adult man-waste.

She did not hate this type specifically, but she hated it when they got in her way.

She just looked at her people and signaled for them to go. Anyway, they always brought their things in their space, there was nothing left in the rented house, and they could just leave when they had to.

But this lord was very arrogant and was set to making her be his woman. How could he let her get away? “Pregnant woman wants to be arrogant with me?!” He yelled, extending his grubby hands to grab her.

However, before he could reach her, an arm quickly touched his flabby arms.

“My Lord, it is not good to hit the weak. Don’t put yourself at their level.” The soft voice said, and Bobby visibly calmed down with it.

The owner of the voice was Mina, and it seemed whatever she promised Bobby to ‘do’ last night satisfied him very much.

Mina went to them and looked them in the eye. “Lord Bobby was kind enough to give you shelter, but you dare disrespect him like this.

“For the sake of you being women, we will not punish you heavily, but you must leave this territory.”

They were a bit surprised by the unexpected help, but nodded cooperatively anyway.

Mina looked at them for a moment before she raised her arm and handed them some silver.

The sight of the money made Bobby’s face darken, and he grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? That’s the allowance I gave you!”

“My Lord, it is not good to be too harsh in punishment especially to women. They didn’t do you any harm did they?” She calmly explained, slipping away from him.

“She carried the progeny of our Terran race. How many of us died in that disaster and how many continue to die after we went here. Killing a child is a sin. I don’t want that burden on you, my Lord.”

Bobby paused for a moment and his shoulders slumped in relaxation.

Obviously, he was very much pacified by her words. He turned to Althea and her group and just waved his hand to let them leave in peace, looking like the most benevolent ruler.

“Be thankful I’m a gentleman.” He said, “But if you beg me later, I can still take you in.”

As they left, Althea turned her head and her eyes met Mina’s.

Before their sights separated, the other girl mouthed a short request:

Help him