Building a Safe Zone with My Harem In The Post-Apocalyptic World

Chapter 167: The Travel Group’s Story

Eugene swallowed hard and slowly nodded. For the first time since they met, he did not dare throw insults at Gideon. Only now did he truly understand why people could be terrified of him.

The three men walked toward the nearby canyon, where massive rocks blocked the sunlight and cast long shadows across the sand. Eugene stayed in front while Aaron walked beside him, and Gideon followed quietly behind them.

The atmosphere felt less like they were heading toward a peaceful conversation and more like a criminal being escorted to his sentencing.

Once they reached the shade beneath the canyon wall, Gideon finally stopped walking.

He did not waste any time. "Why were you insulting me back then?"

Eugene instinctively backed himself against the stone wall. His eyes lowered to the ground as he struggled to answer.

"It’s because... because..."

The words refused to come out properly. The truth was, he did not even fully understand it himself.

Insulting Gideon, mocking the territory, stirring conflict among the people, somehow all of it helped him release the frustration festering inside his chest. Even if only for a moment, it made him feel lighter.

But it was impossible for someone like Gideon to understand that.

Slowly, Eugene lifted his head.

Only then did he realize again just how overwhelming Gideon’s presence was. The man towered over him, broad and imposing, carrying an aura so heavy it made Eugene feel as though the air itself had thickened.

In Gideon’s hand was the very sword that had slain the Verdant Devourer. If he wanted to, he could cut Eugene’s head off right here without the slightest difficulty.

Instinctively, Eugene grabbed at his own throat.

"Because I hate you!" he blurted out desperately. "Isn’t that enough? Just let me go already..."

His voice faltered before he added more quietly, "But don’t hurt my mother. She’s innocent."

Gideon let out a tired sigh. "You know, this wouldn’t look very good for me as a leader if I simply let you leave." Then his gaze narrowed slightly. "More importantly, I don’t think you hate me. I think you hate yourself."

Even through the fear crawling beneath his skin, Gideon’s words irritated Eugene instantly.

"What?" he snapped. "What the hell do you know about me?"

"Do you want me to say it directly to your face?"

Gideon crossed his arms. The sword in his hand disappeared without warning, vanishing so naturally that it still felt bizarre to witness.

Then he chuckled softly. "You hate yourself because your father died, because you can’t protect him. You’re angry at the people you once called family because they continued living their lives, you realize they were all fine without you or him."

His voice remained calm, but every word struck directly at Eugene’s chest.

"You’re furious because everyone else managed to move forward while you’re still trapped in the moment your father died."

"Am I wrong?" Gideon asked.

Eugene’s eyes widened.

For a brief second, it felt as though he had been dragged back into the past. He could still remember that horrible day clearly, the chaos, the blood, the destruction that shattered the traveling group his father had built from nothing.

His throat tightened painfully.

"S-So what?" Eugene’s voice trembled. "Can you resurrect my father? Can you bring him back to me and my mother?"

"No." Gideon answered immediately without hesitation.

Eugene scoffed bitterly. "Of course you can’t." He lowered his head and gripped the rifle tightly enough for his knuckles to pale. "Even this concern of yours feels fake. Just let me go. I’ll apologize to you for my mother’s sake."

Deep down, he already understood Aaron was right. There was no way he could survive the journey to Climber Rift alone.

If Gideon abandoned him here, then this desert would become his grave. At most, he would end up killing himself with the same rifle he had foolishly thought would protect him.

"You’re right, I don’t care about you personally. But I do care about my people. And honestly, people like you are easy to understand because your pain is obvious."

He tilted his head slightly. "What happened inside that building before I arrived? What happened to your father?"

Eugene frowned. "What exactly do you gain from hearing my story?"

"A way to help the others let go of their pain too. Do you think because they didn’t shout out their hatred to the world or God, not even once cry or show their struggle, they are all not in pain just like you?"

Eugene froze. Only then did he realize something he had completely ignored all this time.He had become so consumed by his own grief that he forgot everyone else had suffered losses too. They had all been trapped in that same hell together.

Finally, Eugene let out a shaky breath and lowered his rifle.

"Fine," he muttered. "That day... it was supposed to be just another normal day for us."

***

"Alright, if everything goes well, we should arrive at Climber Rift today. Our friends from Freebound will guide and protect us along the way, so make sure to follow their instructions carefully."

Robert’s voice echoed across the campsite in the cold morning air.

It was barely four in the morning, but everyone was already awake and preparing to move. Their schedule had always been strict, especially during winter migration, so nobody complained despite the exhaustion written on every face.

The thought of finally reaching a safe settlement where they could rest for several months was enough motivation to keep everyone moving.

That has always been the culture among surviving settlements in this world.

Traveling groups like theirs would be given temporary shelter during winter, and in exchange they would help however they could.

Some cleaned snow from rooftops and roads, others maintained heating pipes that carried warm air through the buildings, and some took care of the more unpleasant jobs that locals avoided, including cleaning toilets or disposing of waste during blizzards.

They worked for free in return for food, water, and a place to sleep.

Their traveling group was not particularly large either. There were only seventy-eight members, and fortunately most of them were still healthy enough to work.

That mutual relationship had allowed groups like theirs to survive for years.

Among all the settlements they had visited, Climber Rift had always treated them especially well. They had even sent members of Freebound to escort and protect them through the desert.

Although Robert still paid for their services at a discounted rate, it was considered an incredibly generous act in this world.

"Let me introduce them properly," Robert continued while gesturing toward the armed men standing nearby. "This is their leader, Igor, and their co-leader, Aaron..."

He introduced each member one by one before turning back toward the group with a more serious expression.

"Be respectful toward them and don’t create unnecessary trouble, alright? There are only fifteen of them protecting more than seventy of us."

At that moment, Henry, one of the newer members of the traveling group, slowly raised his hand.

"Are we going to use the route I suggested?"

Robert sighed slightly. "About that... changing our usual route is dangerous, and even Igor advised against it."

Igor nodded immediately. "It’s true that the route would shorten travel time, but if we encounter strong aberrants, we don’t have enough manpower to deal with them safely."

"Oh?" Henry tilted his head innocently. "I thought members of Freebound were supposed to be strong."

The atmosphere shifted subtly.

"Aren’t pathfinders like you sent specifically to travel through dangerous areas like the Deliric Desert to map routes and monitor aberrant activity?" Henry continued calmly. "Since this is a newly discovered path, wouldn’t it be beneficial to establish a safer route to Climber Rift?"

The argument sounded reasonable enough. Even Eugene silently agreed with him.

Everyone in the traveling group was exhausted. Normally, they would remain in one settlement for a month or two before moving again, but because winter was approaching rapidly, they had barely been allowed a single day of rest before continuing the journey.

"Huh?" Aaron narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

The tension instantly thickened.

"Please calm down, Mr. Aaron." Eugene stepped forward before the argument could escalate further.

"Henry isn’t good at choosing his words sometimes, but he doesn’t mean any harm. Most of the members of this traveling group are much older now compared to when it was first founded seven years ago. I think trying a more efficient route makes sense."

"Hm." Robert looked toward Igor and the others. "What do you think?"

"Let me see the route first."

Robert reached into his coat pocket and handed over the folded map. Igor opened it carefully while the other Freebound members gathered around him to examine the proposed path.

They discussed it quietly among themselves for several minutes. Surprisingly, none of them seemed particularly concerned.

Finally, Igor folded the map shut.

"Alright," he said flatly. "We’ll take this route."

Then his gaze sharpened as he looked directly at Henry.

"But if something goes wrong, the responsibility is yours."

Henry remained perfectly calm under the pressure. "Of course, not only will I take responsibility, but God will also protect us."