Chapter Number 187 – Landlord

If a man works for a living and cares for those who are dependent upon him, then this man is a provider.

A father who cares for his children.

A husband who cares for his wife.

A son who cares for his elderly parents.

In all of these cases, there is one consistency.

There is giving of oneself without the expectation of being repaid.

A father will not care for his children expecting to get anything out of them. Rather, he wishes merely to build them up into people who will one day enter the world and do the same for others.

A husband will not provide for his wife with the expectation that she will do the same. Instead, out of love for her, he will endure the harshness of a career each day, ensuring that she won't have to endure such a thing.

A son will repay his parents for the care he was given in his younger days, purely out of gratitude - knowing full well that those parents will never give anything more to him past what they have already given.

What then, of the man who takes in another person, who is not related at all by blood - and still provides for them?

This man too, is a provider.

For what reason would a man do such a thing?

If such a question can be answered, then the man in question is no provider.

The man in question would be a landlord.

----

"How are you doing, Margaret? Another lovely day, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is, William. When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about what would have happened to me if I hadn't been taken into this place."

"Ah... of course. What a relief that we were accepted here. Truly."

"Do you think that Sir Donovan will appear today? I wanted to thank him again for the generosity he's extended to us."

"Ah... of course. Should we not do so every day?"

"Indeed... it saddens me that he doesn't appear all too often so that we can thank him. Why, if I could, I would offer my gratitude at every moment of the day... but his time is all too precious, and he is so busy working to protect us."

"Truly, he is nothing less than a saint. I cannot imagine what this world would be like without him."

"Would it not be in complete shambles? Why, I'm sure that the outside world is in tatters wherever he hasn't reached. How fortunate it is that someone like him is going around fixing the world."

"Indeed. I'm sure that everywhere that he hasn't been is broken beyond repair - yet even so, his mere presence will turn everything around. Wherever he goes, no matter how hopeless, he will inspire hope in that place."

"Ah... what a blessing it is. Truly, there is no greater man in this world."

This was but one of the numerous conversations that took place throughout the common area.

Many people, all of whom had eyes that seemed to be in a sort of daze, spoke grandly about the man who had saved them in one way or another, as if he were some sort of king.

"I heard that he saved a group of children from a group of zombies, and that he's going to be introducing them to us today."

One young woman approached the two with a smug grin, intruding their conversation with a piece of gossip.

"Is that so? My... how wonderful. That means we'll get to see him today, doesn't it?"

"Such good news... thank you for sharing it with us, Josephine. Ah! I need to prepare myself for his arrival."

"Ah, I do as well. Please excuse-"

As the two suddenly became flustered on hearing the rumored arrival, the door opened, stealing the attention of the dozens of people present in the room.

All eyes seemed to become glued to that door, and the moment a man entered, strangely tranquil smiles came across the faces of all the people.

"Welcome, Sir Donovan."

With a greeting that was almost certainly rehearsed, the people spoke in unison at the appearance of the man, who stepped inside with a grand smile.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope I'm not intruding on you?"

"Nothing of the sort, Sir Donovan!"

"Please do as you like! As a matter of fact, it is we who should be apologizing for wasting your time!"

"To think that you would grace us with your presence even in these busy times..."

Fanaticism.

A wave of fanaticism seemed to sweep over the crowd, intensified with the presence of the man for whom the fanaticism was directed.

The people seemed to gather around, desiring to come closer to the man yet cautious not to approach him, as if to reverently respect his personal space.

'I am not worthy to be even this close to him.'

'Ah... how wonderful... he's right in front of me.'

"I'd like to introduce a few more people. You three can come in if you please."

Turning back to the door, the man called out, at which the three children entered the room.

One boy gazed around him with a nervous expression, while the other two seemed to carry themselves with confidence, entering quickly ahead of the other.

"This is Shane, Stella, and Gordon. Please get along with them. William, Margaret, Josephine, can you three show them around?"

"Of course, Sir."

"Anything for you, Donovan."

"I'd love to!"

As the man called out three people in particular, the crowd seemed to part as these three approached.

Two of the three - William and Margaret - appeared to be nobles of some sort - people who were dressed in luxurious outfits unlike anything that would have been standard in this world.

The third, Josephine, wore the uniform of a soccer player with cleats and full gear, and her hair was tied up.

"Thank you. Ah, everyone. Please make sure to let me know if you need anything. I'll be in the Casino with my brother, so you'll know where to find me."

"Understood, Sir!"

"Thank you!"

With shouts of gratitude aimed at him, the man waved at the crowd before taking his leave, at which the three children were left in the crowd.

"Good afternoon. I am William. Per Donovan's request, I'd like to show you around, but before that, would you like to have a seat and tell us your story?"

The nobleman approached the three with a smile, at which they seemed to look to one another before nodding in agreement.

"Sure."

The man notioned to a set of couches, at which the group of six took their seats, three facing three.

"I've heard about you three. You were about to die when Sir Donovan showed up and saved your lives, right?"

The one who spoke first was the sporty girl, Josephine, who quickly took the attention of the three.

"Er... yeah. That's right. How did you hear that?"

Raising an eyebrow at the strange amount of knowledge the girl had, Shane couldn't help but be suspicious.

"Oh, you know. Word gets around in this place. Especially when it comes to Sir Donovan's endeavors. He's amazing, isn't he? I heard that before the world ended that he gave up all of his personal profit to help impoverished families."

"Ah, is that so? Well I sure didn't receive any of that charity."

With a snarky attitude, Stella was irked at the immense amount of respect the man had gained, and through mere rumors at that.

"If that's just something you heard, how do you know it's true?"

Recalling her own experience with her real parents, the girl wasn't exactly enthusiastic about entertaining such things.

Yet as Stella made such a comment, the expressions of the three immediately stiffened.

No - perhaps not just the three in front of them, but almost every person in that room.

Gordon was the only one who noticed, given how self conscious he was, but he immediately sensed that numerous glares were centered on him. Their conversations didn't cease, as if they were skilled at ensuring that nobody noticed the shift in the atmosphere.

Even so, Gordon could tell immediately - every single person was focused on the three.

'This is... familiar.'

It was a feeling that Gordon knew well - the sensation of being the odd one out.

'We're being ostracized. We're being judged. We're being deemed as outsiders.'

Closing his eyes, the boy took in a deep breath.

'We're being deemed as a threat to their way of living.'

He needed to tread carefully - and he needed to take control of Stella and Shane before they said anything else.

"Ah... sorry about her. She's not very bright. Of course, it must be true, right? If it's about Donovan, then I'm sure it is. He risked his life to save us, you know."

With these words, the tension seemed to lift slightly, but Gordon noticed that there was a tinge of anger as if something he said had triggered these people.

'What did I say wrong?'

"Is... is that so? So... what about Sir Donovan captivated you exactly?"

'That must be it.'

"Ah, well Sir Donovan was so selfless in the way he risked his life for us. We were surrounded by more undead than you could possibly count, and he managed to slay all of them in one fell swoop with a rocket. I can't imagine what would have happened to him if he had missed... though it would be hard to imagine him missing."

Reading the mood quickly, Gordon praised the man, at which the expressions of the surrounding people seemed to lighten further - and his referring to the man as "Sir Donovan" seemed to be his previous mistake.

Stella looked at Gordon with a confused expression, unable to understand why he was speaking so well of that man.

"Is that so? How wonderful. Indeed, it would be difficult to imagine someone like that failing at anything. He seems to embody success itself, don't you think?"

The one who spoke up was the woman - Margaret, and as she crossed one leg over another she took an elegant pose.

"Success itself..."

Gordon muttered these words under his breath, as if to mull on them.

Just what did it mean to be success itself?

[Success is to cut off anything that will result in failure.]

The words of his father once more resounded in the mind of Gordon, who shoved them aside into a corner of his mind.

'This isn't the time or place to be thinking about such things.'

"Haha... I suppose you're breathless. Indeed, Sir Donovan can do that to a person. Incidentally, are you three related to one another in any manner? Siblings? Friends? Or perhaps you all merely met after the Calamity in a scramble to survive?"

With an inquisitive expression, the man known as William leaned forward, gazing upon the three as he probed for information.

"Ah... we didn't really know each other before all this. Although me and Stella did go to the same school, I don't think she even knew who I was.", Gordon replied.

"Hmm... so that means you knew who she was?"

With a playful grin, Josephine seemed to insinuate that Gordon was some form of stalker, at which he immediately denied the notion.

"No, that's... she was just very popular. Someone that everyone would know."

"Ah! I see. Isn't that interesting?"

The girl didn't seem to relent, but Shane interrupted the two.

"Everyone here... are you all relying on that man and his employees to go outside and deal with the undead?"

At the boy's words, once more the people in front of them seemed to tense up.

"That... man... you say..."

With a vein forming in his forehead, William seemed to be struggling to control his temper as he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"Ahem... Sir Donovan is a man of utmost character. In a sense you could say that his selfless actions have turned him into our... provider."

The man spoke with a great amount of respect for the one he mentioned, fighting back the irritation which was evidently overwhelming within him.

"And you're willing to just accept that?"

Yet even though the glares of many were now focused on the young boy, only 12 years of age, he didn't seem to back down for a second as he continued his questioning.

"I understand the desire of wanting someone to provide for you. I can comprehend it, since I lived my entire life with a father who gave me and my sister everything we needed. But that life is over. We live in a world where even a child can't rely on someone else to give them what they need."

Thinning his eyes in disgust, the boy spoke his mind freely - without any fear of reproach.

"So how can you adults just accept that someone else is getting their hands dirty while you sit here and do nothing?"

"I see... so you are not questioning the generosity of Sir Donovan, but rather our lack of willpower in allowing him to provide for us?"

The nobleman seemed to take a deep breath, some of his anger having been released as he realized the intention of the boy's statements.

"What you are saying is largely correct. It is indeed shameful that we cannot even obtain our own food or pay for the shelter we have been given in some way. But there is a reason for this."

With a bitter smile, the man fixed his hair as he continued.

"We are mere civilians. In a time of war, civilians have no place on the battlefield. Sending untrained men to fight will only result in unnecessary casualties, and it is the duty of the civilians to provide what services they can to support those men."

With an inquisitive gaze, the noblewoman spoke up as well.

"You all learned that yourselves, didn't you?"

"We did. And I owe... Sir Donovan... my life for saving us. But I intend to pay him back for what he's done. Don't you?"

Suddenly, a strange atmosphere enveloped the room.

Even Shane and Stella were able to pick up on it, and a silence filled the air - yet it was not a silence produced from tension.

Rather, it was one of confusion.

"I'm sorry... I don't understand."

Closing his eyes, the nobleman nodded his head, just as confused as almost every other person in the room.

"Pay him back? Sir Donovan would never want such a thing. He has reassured us numerous times that there is no need for that."

"Wouldn't it be rude to pay someone back who is so magnanimous and kind hearted? Sir Donovan wishes for nothing more than to assist as many people as possible.", Josephine added.

"And at any rate, he wouldn't be doing this if he expected repayment. He knows full well that we are incapable of paying him back, given the state of the world.", Margaret said.

As numerous people nodded, almost everyone present in the room seemed to agree on these points, which Shane found unfathomable.

These people had lived in the world of adults their entire lives. Did they not understand that people expected to be repaid for their efforts?

Even if such a saint were to exist who expected no payment in exchange, did that exempt people from the obligation to pay him back? It was as if such a thing didn't even exist within their minds.

'What the hell... is going on here?'

"You seem to be confused. Very confused. But perhaps he hasn't reassured you yet."

With a grin, William placed a hand on the shoulder of Shane, who sat perfectly still, unsure whether to move or not.

"There is absolutely no need to pay him back. For all of these things... he does out of generosity."

"Indeed."

"That's right."

"Of course."

"He's wonderful, isn't he?"

More and more people began to chime in as a disturbing atmosphere of reverence and lack of responsibility overcame the people.

"With him around, we'll never have to worry about anything."

"How truly... reassuring."

It was as he was surrounded by these people that Shane realized something.

'Why do these people have such a fundamental lack of fear?'

----

It was more than just off putting.

Something was wrong with these people.

No matter how much they trusted Donovan, their reactions to the idea of paying him back was unfathomable.

If they truly revered Donovan as they seemed to, would they not have desired with all their hearts to pay back the kindness they had been shown?

Yet such a thing didn't even seem to register with them as an option. It was as if the very action of paying him back was something that had never even come to mind.

'Why?'

Surely, these people had been in situations time after time where they would have to pay someone back for something.

Surely they understood that receiving anything for free was a rarity, and that there was almost always a catch.

Yet they accepted a home, food, water, clothing, and everything they could need - handed to them on a silver platter - without so much as a thought to what would come next?

'We need to get out of here.'

This was the decision that Shane came to.

"I need to go back to my room to get something. Hey, could you two come with me?"

"Ah. Sure, I'll come."

"Mhm."

Fortunately, Stella and Gordon seemed to be able to read Shane's intentions, and the three got up to leave.

"Now, now. Why so hasty? We just met, and Sir Donovan did tell us to welcome you."

Yet the voice of the woman in front of them cut them off, stopping them from doing such a thing.

"Why don't we get to know each other a bit more?"

With this shift in the mood, Shane immediately understood what was happening.

'So we can't leave... eh?'

Closing his eyes, the boy let out a light sigh, turning around as he approached the seat once again.

"Perhaps you're right. We did just get here, after all."

Stella and Gordon seemed to be confused by Shane's actions, but reluctantly followed as they took their seats as well.

"Haha... so tell us, boy."

Standing up, the woman walked over to the three, gazing down at Shane in particular as she spoke in a sensual manner.

"What are you so worried about?"

----

'What am I so worried about?'

These words seemed to replay in the mind of Shane, who struggled to find an answer.

What wasn't he worried about?

He was worried about his sister. He was worried about where she was, what she was doing, who she was with.

He was worried about Marcus and Sylvia, and why they hadn't returned at this point.

He was worried about who these people were, and why they acted so strangely. He was worried about who exactly Donovan was, and why they revered him in such a strange way - while at the same time taking advantage of him.

He was worried about his own ability to survive in this world. He was worried that he wouldn't be capable of becoming strong enough to fend for himself. He was worried that he would be strung along into whatever shady mindset that these people had been brought into.

Worry, worry, worry, worry, worry.

He was worried about everything.

He felt his heart rate increase as he sat there, surrounded by people who seemed to intently focus on his every movement, judging him and awaiting his reaction to every question that he was posed.

'Is this what it's like to be an introvert?'

Shane had been relatively outgoing most of his life, and found it difficult to relate with Gordon, who was so terribly fragile when it came to social situations.

Shane could speak his mind. He could easily reject things that he didn't want. He had no issue going against people that had an issue with his way of doing things.

'But why... have I lost even that?'

In that moment, surrounded by those people, Shane found himself unable to reject their offer - and thus, he found himself sitting in this chair of interrogation.

'What do I do?'

What was the right decision? What was the correct decision?

He had to take the position of the general - of the leader. He had accepted this responsibility from the moment that Marcus and Sylvia had left, and he had led those two into danger.

'Have I made a single right decision from the moment that we left that school?'

And suddenly, the worries piled up - and Shane's mind began to crumble.

'I made the wrong decision when my sister tried to save them as well... I've... I've been such a coward, haven't I?'

'A weakling who can't do anything.'

'A coward who runs.'

'A failure of a leader who steps right into danger without any concern for those around him.'

As Shane thought these things, a terrifying thought overcame his mind.

'Have I even improved... at all?'

Perhaps he had become more bold in his actions since his sister was taken away, perhaps he had become more confident in his abilities, or perhaps he had become more cautious in his decisions - but in the end, it had failed him.

'Results.... those are the only things that matter... in the adult world. Isn't that something that Marcus had once said?'

As he recalled the words of his mentor - or someone that he would consider like a mentor, the boy looked down with shame.

'I haven't achieved anything... except for throwing myself into danger.'

So what should he do now?

How did he respond to this situation?

'Do I run?'

'Do I fight?'

'Do I stay silent?'

'Do I say something?'

But suddenly, as Shane lingered in these thoughts, a voice shook him out of his lament for just a moment.

"Who wouldn't be worried... after all that's happened in this world?"

As if he had found his resolve, the other boy now spoke in response to the words of the woman, who seemed to tilt her head in confusion at the response.

"What a sad thing... the three of you."

Closing her eyes, the woman merely smiled lightly, speaking with a condescending yet gentle tone.

"You still have worry in your hearts... could it be that Sir Donovan's presence does not reassure you - that there is nothing in this world to be concerned with?"