novelraw Chapter 164: What Happen to Eugene
Chapter 164: What Happen to Eugene
Several days passed, and winter crept steadily closer. According to the newspaper Gideon had read that morning, the first snowfall would likely arrive within the next few days.
The temperature had already begun to drop sharply, especially at night when it hovered near subzero.
In preparation, every tent in the territory had been replaced with sturdy four-season models designed to withstand the brutal conditions ahead.
Unlike ordinary tents, these were built with reinforced frames and thick, heavy-duty fabric capable of enduring strong winds, heavy snow, and extreme cold without tearing or collapsing under the weight of ice.
The insulated material also retained heat far more effectively than standard canvas, making the interiors significantly warmer. Each tent was large enough to accommodate up to eight people comfortably.
To organize the residents, Gideon divided them into family and non-family groups. Families were generally assigned their own tents, though smaller households were sometimes paired together.
A couple with only two members, for example, might share a tent with another two-person family. Those without families were housed in larger communal arrangements, with more occupants per tent but still enough space to remain comfortable.
Each shelter had already been stocked with everything necessary to survive the harsh season. Inside every tent were oil-fired heaters, compact stoves, storage containers, cans of aberrant oil to serve as fuel, thermostats, rechargeable lanterns, sturdier sleeping bags, and numerous other essentials.
The apartments were now expected to be completed sometime during the second month of winter, which was longer than Gideon had originally hoped, but he preferred that delay over forcing the workers to exhaust themselves.
For the moment, his attention was focused on distributing additional necessities. Thick winter clothing was being handed out to every resident, including parkas, face masks, scarves, and mittens.
Wool blankets were considered indispensable, and each household also received shovels so they could clear snow from around their tents.
Food rations were being distributed as well. For now, each package contained a simple but reliable supply of oatmeal, dried aberrant meat, and canned food of the sort commonly stored in underground bunkers and military facilities.
Standing beside Gideon were Aria and Daphne, helping him manage the operation. Aria held a clipboard and carefully checked off the names of residents who had already received what everyone had begun calling the Winter Package.
"Thank you, Chief, for all your help."
The speaker was Nelly, the frail widow of the former leader of the traveling group that had eventually joined the territory.
Daphne handed her the heavy bag, and the elderly woman accepted it with trembling hands.
Gideon frowned slightly as he watched her struggle under the weight.
"Don’t worry about it," he said, his tone gentle. "But are you sure you’re alright carrying that by yourself? Where is your son?"
Nelly let out a weary sigh. Her shoulders slumped, and she slowly shook her head before looking up at him with tired eyes.
"Actually..."
***
"Eugene, you need to start helping with the construction. You know how important this is for all of us, don’t you?"
"Why would I work for that arrogant bastard?" Eugene spat with a scowl. "Tch. He doesn’t deserve to lead this group. I do!"
With that, he stormed out of the temporary settlement and disappeared to somewhere Nelly did not know.
Since arriving in the territory, her son had become little more than a lazy burden. He refused to help with any of the work, spent his days doing nothing, yet never failed to show up shamelessly at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Even then, he would sit among the others and speak grandly to what he called "his father’s subjects," insisting that they should rightfully be his.
At first, the people tolerated him and even welcomed him warmly. After all, thanks to the efforts of Eugene and his father during their journey, many of them had survived long enough to reach this safe haven.
But as the days passed, Eugene’s behavior only worsened.
He began speaking ill of Gideon at every opportunity, criticizing him as an unfit leader and claiming he was rarely in the territory because he was always living with different women. What had started as bitter complaints gradually turned into open attempts to stir rebellion.
Most people did not take him seriously at first. They dismissed his words as the ramblings of a grieving son. Yet over time, they grew tired of his constant bitterness.
Eventually, whenever Eugene approached, conversations would die and people would quietly move to another table.
Then one evening, her son finally snapped.
"Are you all avoiding me on purpose?" he shouted in the communal dining hall, his voice loud enough to make everyone turn and stare.
"Why? Because I’m the only one telling the truth about your angelic new chief, who turns out to be a degenerate?"
"Eugene! Stop it! What are you saying?"
Nelly grabbed his arm in panic, but he slapped her hand away.
"Stop it, Mother!" he barked. "Did you see the way they all look at me? I’m not some freak, alright? If any of you have a problem with me, come and fight me!"
Nelly felt her face burn with humiliation.
Never in her life had she been so embarrassed by her son. Eugene had once been patient, thoughtful, and gentle, the kind of young man his father had always been proud of. Now he had become someone she barely recognized.
She rose shakily to her feet and bowed toward the room.
"I’m so sorry. Please accept my apology."
Her attempt to smooth things over only seemed to infuriate Eugene further.
"What are you doing?" he snapped. "Stop apologizing! We’re not the ones in the wrong!"
He turned to the others, his eyes blazing with resentment.
"That man is corrupt! Do any of you even know why he helped us in the first place? No?"
He let out a bitter chuckle. "Of course not. You’re all fools. If my father were still alive, he’d be disappointed in every one of you."
"Eugene!" Nelly cried, but he ignored her completely.
Before he could continue, someone slammed a hand against the table hard enough to make the dishes rattle.
"Shut up, you moron!"
The speaker was Aaron, one of the members of Freebound.
"You ungrateful bastard! Is this how members of your travel group repay kindness? By insulting the hand that feeds you?"
Eugene sneered. "Huh? You weren’t even part of the travel group, so you have no right to—"
"He’s right, Eugene."
Another voice cut through the tension. Johan stepped forward from his seat.
He was one of the oldest surviving members of the travel group and, aside from Nelly’s late husband, one of the most respected men among them.
Johan looked at Eugene with a mixture of disappointment and pity.
"Don’t you feel sorry for your mother?" he asked quietly. "Just look at her. She’s deeply embarrassed."
He sighed before continuing. "And you’re wrong about your father. His greatest joy was finding a safe place where all of us could live. If he saw you acting like this, he would not be proud. He would be disappointed."
Eugene’s eyes widened. For a moment, it seemed as though he wanted to argue, but before he could say anything, Nelly clutched his arm once more, this time with trembling hands.
"Stop it," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please."
Eugene opened his mouth, then slowly closed it again.
His face twisted with anger, grief, and helplessness. He shook off her hand one final time, but instead of continuing the argument, he turned and walked out of the communal dining hall.
Left behind, Nelly could do nothing but bow repeatedly and apologize to everyone for her son’s behavior.
She did not understand when or how her sweet boy had changed so much. Perhaps the loss of his father had broken something inside him. Perhaps grief had consumed him in ways she could not reach.
All she knew was that no matter how many times she tried to talk to him, Eugene refused to listen.
Then Eugene began spending more and more time with several of the construction workers, and before long, trouble followed.
When Nelly first heard that a fight had broken out at the construction site, her immediate thought was that it had to be because of her son’s sharp tongue.
At the time, she had been helping in the communal kitchen prepare dinner, but the news sent a wave of panic through her.
Terrified that Eugene might have been injured or, worse, had provoked the conflict, she quickly asked for permission to leave early and hurried toward the construction area.
By the time she arrived, however, everything was already over.
The workers had dispersed, and there was no sign of Eugene anywhere.
Anxious and confused, she returned home, only to find him there in his room, laughing to himself as though he had just witnessed something wonderful.
"This is it!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with unsettling excitement. "This will be the end of this territory! People will finally realize how corrupt that man and all his followers really are!"
As he spoke, he began hurriedly gathering his belongings.
"What are you doing, Eugene?" Nelly demanded, her voice trembling with both fear and frustration. "And stop talking nonsense right now."
Eugene let out a disdainful snort.
"Hmph. You don’t need to worry about me anymore, Mother. I’m leaving this territory with those men and..." He hesitated for a brief moment before finishing in a colder voice. "You can stay here."
Before Nelly could say another word or grab his arm to stop him, Eugene brushed past her roughly, his shoulder striking hers hard enough to make her stumble. Then he disappeared into the night without looking back.