<Episode 27>

 

“Do you have the backpack? Hand it to me.”

Jaeger obediently handed over the bag that was slung over his shoulder.

I fumbled around, opening it and feeling for what I needed. I pulled out cotton, disinfectant, and a special ointment from the temple by touch.

“Give me your injured leg.”

Once again, he offered his leg without protest.

‘That’s strange, I thought he’d snap at me to mind my own business and take care of myself.’

It seemed like the wound was bothering him more than he let on.

“Do you still have the light stone I gave you?”

I heard the sound of him rummaging through his pockets, and suddenly the space brightened.

I blinked a few times until my blurry vision cleared and objects came into focus.

“…!”

Jaeger’s face was right in front of mine.

His pale, flawless cheeks, the sharp bridge of his nose stretching from his furrowed brows, and his tightly closed lips—all perfectly composed.

‘…The definition of a handsome man.’

Just as I was silently admiring him, Jaeger’s eyebrow twitched, and he quickly turned his head away.

“…”

I felt a bit awkward.

‘Still, he did hold my hand when we were trapped in the cave. Couldn’t we at least say we share some camaraderie?’

But his reaction didn’t seem like a big deal anymore. I took the light stone from him and shone it on his wound.

Blood was seeping through the torn fabric of his clothes.

I soaked the cotton in disinfectant and repeatedly wiped away the blood.

The gash kept oozing blood like a fish gasping for air.

‘How did he endure this?’

Just as I was about to apply the ointment, a deep voice suddenly broke the silence.

“Why…”

Jaeger’s lips moved slightly, as if hesitant to speak.

I glanced at him and continued applying the ointment, waiting for him to continue.

Jaeger wasn’t a talkative person. He was rigid and not very good with words. And although he seemed cautious, he was also secretly emotional, so he likely had moments of saying the wrong thing.

People like him don’t ask questions easily—you have to wait for them.

Come to think of it, he was more of a man of action in the original story too.

[Jaeger, do you even love me?]

Despite the romance developing over just a few pages, he never said “I love you” even once, leading the saintess to misunderstand him until the very end.

He was the type of man who condemned even his natural desires for the woman he loved, seeing them as sordid and base.

Being a holy knight while the saintess held a sacred status must have influenced him somewhat.

Betraying someone like that could only lead to terrible consequences.

Once he formed a bias, it wouldn’t be easy to change it.

“May I ask you something?”

His voice was softer now as he spoke from above me while I worked on his leg. It seemed he had gathered his thoughts because there was no more hesitation.

“Go ahead.”

“Why didn’t you run? You could have escaped while I couldn’t, and you wouldn’t be trapped here.”

I paused, looking up at Jaeger in surprise.

‘I expected it to be a difficult question since he hesitated, but I didn’t think he’d be curious about my reasons.’

As I wrapped a bandage around his thigh, I answered nonchalantly.

“Do I seem like the type to run away and leave my comrades behind?”

“…”

“Do I?”

“…”

“Do I?”

“…”

Answer me already.

I said it three times.

But even after my somewhat forceful prodding, Jaeger still didn’t give a response.

I glanced at him sideways, silently glaring at the man who seemed to have his lips glued shut.

Well, it made sense for him to think that way.

If this were the Redria from the original story, she would have grabbed the backpack and fled alone.

I pondered for a moment.

‘How should I answer so he can let go of that damn hatred and start cooperating with me?’

And then I felt a bit guilty.

Even now, I was trying to figure out the best answer, thinking only of what would benefit me.

In the end, my intention was to save him and, by extension, myself…

‘Can I really say it’s all for a good cause?’

Surely, someone as sharp as Jaeger would have sensed something off about my intentions.

‘There’s no way they’ll ever take my sincerity at face value.’

I never expected them to offer genuine thanks, but a strange bitterness still washed over me.

Luckily, before I could dwell on my thoughts any further, I finished treating him.

I tightly tied off the ends of the bandage and started organizing the medical supplies.

“All done.”

“You still haven’t answered. Why didn’t you run?”

“I missed the timing.”

“…”

I wasn’t sure if he noticed I was making excuses or if he simply didn’t care to press further, but he remained silent.

That was a relief. I didn’t want to get into a pointless argument.

I pulled the strings on both sides of the backpack to close it and glanced up at the sky.

Zombies were trying to force their way in through the gaps.

“…This is a good opportunity to observe zombie behavior.”

“Behavior?”

Yes, their behavior.

The original story never explained the characteristics of zombies in detail.

The male leads were too far gone, consumed by madness, as they hunted zombies relentlessly.

Peace was nothing more than a fleeting breeze for them.

They organized scouting parties, built watchtowers, and tried to establish a way of life, only to tremble in fear at the brutality of the zombie attacks and the monsters that followed.

The zombie howls echoed through the night.

Food shortages, weapon shortages, and the constant exhaustion caused by Redria were common.

They fought without sleep, without satisfying their basic needs, and there was no way they could think rationally under such conditions.

‘That’s why it’s a good idea to study the zombies while we have the chance.’

Life, after all, is about being prepared for unexpected variables.

I used the light stone to scan the ground, searching for the one that had fallen.

‘There it is.’

I found it quickly enough.

I removed the noise-canceling sticker and held up the light stone.

Groooaaann!

Zombies were pushing their hands and heads through the narrow gaps.

Jaeger, looking a bit bewildered, asked, “What are you doing?”

“Just watch.”

I picked up a small stone and tossed it among the zombies.

Thud. Clatter. Thud.

The stone bounced outside the cave, but not a single zombie turned to look at it.

‘Then how about this…’

I threw the light stone into the midst of the zombies.

Thud—roll.

The sound was duller this time as the light stone rolled down the incline.

But again, none of them reacted.

They couldn’t have sensed the bait.

In other words, they weren’t aware of it.

‘…It’s clear now. Zombies can neither see nor hear. So how do they sense us?’

Just then, something soft and warm pressed against the back of my hand.

I shone the light stone and saw a rabbit.

“You’re still here?”

“Squeak!”

As the rabbit twitched its ears, a thought struck me.

‘Could it be…?’

I picked up the rabbit and held it right in front of me. It was a rather primitive method.

“Sorry about this.”

“Squeak…?”

I raised the rabbit.

“Squeeeak!”

It kicked at me with its hind legs, fiercely resisting, but I pressed on.

Eventually, the rabbit wriggled free and squeezed out through the gaps in the cave entrance, but none of the zombies followed it.

Watching that, I let out a long, weary sigh.

“So that’s it.”

Whatever the mechanism, zombies seemed to ‘sense’ without sight or hearing.

‘…Damn.’

They only recognize living ‘humans.’

* * *

I shared my hypothesis with Jaeger, and he seemed to believe it without resistance, likely because he had witnessed my experiments firsthand.

I continued to explain.

“I think the horse got infected because it became agitated by the zombie howls and was bitten by a zombie that mistook it for a human.”

I couldn’t explain exactly how or why zombies recognized humans yet, so I left it at that.

‘Still, being trapped in this cave wasn’t a total waste.’

At least we had safely learned more about the zombies’ traits.

I glanced up at the zombies still trying to force their way in.

The pre-dawn darkness of the forest was unpredictable, but it only lasted 24 hours.

If we could just hold out until the day broke, we could get out of here and use the tracking brooch to find the others.

Tying my disheveled hair up, I spoke.

“We won’t be able to get out until the terrain shifts again, so let’s take turns standing guard and try to get some rest. Can I rest first?”

I was exhausted from all the tension and emotional strain.

Thankfully, Jaeger didn’t object, remaining silent.

‘Good.’

I curled up against the narrow wall.

The terrain would change once dawn arrived.

We’d have to move quickly again, so I needed to conserve my strength until then.

As soon as I closed my eyes, sleep came easily.