After returning to the camp.  

I and the squad leaders were sitting in one of the ammunition depot buildings, looking out from the window.  

We could see the scenery outside the camp.  

And the sight of a few people wandering around out there.  

“Who are those people?”  

“Not long after the team left to conquer the dungeon, those people showed up.”  

“At first, we thought they might be attacking, but that’s not the case. Instead, they went into the buildings around our camp and have just settled in there.”  

The soldier spoke with a troubled expression.  

At first, I thought there might be a problem.  

We already need to increase our camp’s headcount.  

If survivors come, wouldn’t that be a good thing?  

“But it’s not quite like that.”  

“What’s going on then?”  

“They’ve settled near the camp… but they’re refusing to join our unit.”  

Min-jae, who was also listening to the report, nodded and said, “So they just want to reap the benefits without doing any work.”  

Those who have settled near our camp but refuse to join us.  

Their intentions are obvious.  

For the survivors right now, the most important thing is safety above all else.  

And the area around here has been cleared of monsters and zombies by our patrols.  

It’s the perfect place to settle.  

“But they don’t want to actually join our unit, they just want to enjoy the safety without the risk.”  

However, their decision puzzled me a bit.  

Until recently, the survivors we met were all trembling in fear.  

The result of mistaking us for the deserted soldiers causing trouble in the area.  

But now,  

trying to settle near our camp like this means…  

“Looks like the word is spreading that we’re a normal, functioning unit.”  

“I’m not sure if I should be happy about this or not.”  

Jeong Soo-ah had spread information about our unit to the group she was in contact with.  

So, the word about our unit has been spreading through those groups.  

The rumor of a normal military unit that hasn’t turned into plunderers.  

“Let’s drive them out.”  

At that moment,  

Corporal Seo Su-hyeok, who had been listening, firmly said,  

“Drive them out?”  

“Aren’t we already struggling to increase our headcount? If we just ignore those people, more survivors will think they can enjoy the safety without joining us.”  

“Hmm.”  

“We can’t just completely disregard them either… If something happens, we’ll have to protect them too. It’ll just mean more mouths to feed. I think we should let the ones who want to join in but drive out the rest from our territory.”  

It’s a bit harsh, but  

Su-hyeok’s point isn’t entirely wrong.  

But still…  

“Hmm.”  

“I feel like you’re hesitating for a reason.”  

As I mulled over Su-hyeok’s urging words, I decided,  

“Well, do we really need to drive them out?”  

“What do you mean…!?”  

“Actually, it’s not a bad idea.”  

Drive out the survivors trying to settle near us?  

Are you crazy?  

Why would we waste such an opportunity?  

***  

A few days later.  

The survivors trying to settle around us.  

“My name is Cheol-wook.”  

“I’m Kim Jung-sook.”  

We invited them to the camp.  

They’re our new neighbors.  

We should at least talk to them first.  

“Hello, I’m Lieutenant Kim Hyun-seok, the acting battalion commander of the 423rd unit.”  

Of course, the decision to invite them was mine.  

But Lieutenant Kim was the one who stepped up to represent us in the conversation.  

He looks fit and capable.  

His eloquence is decent too.  

Those who haven’t directly experienced him tend to see him as the perfect model of a soldier.  

An absolute knockout at first sight.  

In reality, at the unit, he’s utterly useless at his duties, and gets an earful of abuse from time to time for being so greedy.  

‘But he’s such a talented guy, there’s no one else like him to become the fake boss of our unit.’  

I even considered stepping up myself.  

But excluding the position the system has granted me, my official rank is that of a Sergeant Chef.  

Not a very trustworthy position.  

“They say I could be promoted to Staff Sergeant in wartime conditions.”  

In wartime, it’s common for capable soldiers to receive special promotions.  

And Lieutenant Kim, the sole officer, is still alive.  

Officially, it wouldn’t be strange for my position to be upgraded to Staff Sergeant.  

But somehow…  

“From a regular soldier, to suddenly being promoted to a non-commissioned officer…”  

‘Even in this already disrupted daily life, I’d feel even more distant.’  

What’s important isn’t whether I’m a Sergeant or not, but my position as the Legion Commander of the guild.  

I declined the promotion to Sergeant.  

And recently, I’ve also felt…  

That my first impression isn’t very trustworthy.  

‘Lieutenant Kim should handle the public-relation role of the battalion commander.’  

The other reasons are just secondary.  

That way, at least one of my annoying tasks can be reduced.  

Anyway.  

Lieutenant Kim, after eating the meal I prepared, had his [Enhanced Hearing] activated.  

He’ll be handling the basic conversation,  

but I’ll be guiding the direction.  

“Lieutenant Kim…”  

“Please, just call me Lieutenant Kim.”  

“Then, Lieutenant Kim, may I ask you something?”  

The man who introduced himself as Cheol-wook was a middle-aged man of considerable build.  

“If we’re not mistaken, the common understanding is that the military has been completely wiped out. At best, there are a few deserters who abandoned their units.”  

“We’re aware that such rumors are circulating among the survivors.”  

“And from what I know, the name of this military unit wasn’t something like the 423rd Battalion. Are you all really soldiers?”  

The man’s face was laced with tension as he asked.  

Is he someone who lived in this area?  

I didn’t expect there’d be someone who would notice the difference in the unit’s name.  

“You’ve managed to settle near the unit, despite harboring such suspicions.”  

“In this world, the options aren’t abundant.”  

“I believe I can answer your questions clearly. Although we’ve lost contact with the higher command, and the battalion commander has passed away… We still consider ourselves soldiers.”  

One of the survivors seemed to let out a relieved sigh at that response, but the questioner, Cheol-wook, still had a doubtful expression.  

“But you all aren’t the original soldiers of this unit, are you? The military uniforms you’re wearing aren’t the same black ones.”  

“You’re correct. Our barracks are actually in a different location.”  

“Then… what happened to the soldiers who were originally in this unit?”  

“By the time we arrived here, the entire unit had been overrun by the monsters. The soldiers had already…”  

“…I see. So that’s what happened.”  

Hearing Lieutenant Kim’s response, Cheol-wook let out a deep sigh.  

He must have lived in this vicinity.  

Maybe he had someone he knew in the ammunition depot.