The Cloud-Raised Brave Man's Travels

"Mashiro, you did a great job just now."

Shinomiya Kaguya looked at Mashiro and praised him. She didn't expect that Shiina Mashiro, who always looked dull, would be so powerful at the critical moment.

"Ok?"

"Wait...you can't really think that's what people think?"

Kaguya's face suddenly turned red, and no one knew what this imaginative Miss Kaguya was thinking about.

"This is the first time you two have met, how can you become lovers?"

"The system says that Koya is the lover!"

"B-but."

Kirisu Madoka glanced at the two young girls next to him, then looked towards the study. The door blocked her view and prevented her from seeing or hearing what Katsura Hinagiku and Koya were saying in the study.

"I see... The main purpose of calling me here is to rescue your family."

Koya and the others have figured out the situation. Daisy and the others are actually very safe now, and they have enough supplies. However, with Daisy and the others' strength, it is still a bit difficult for them to enter Tokyo where there is almost a zombie with every step.

"Yes! Please, Mr. Koya."

"I understand, but I don't know the way, and your family won't trust me for no reason, so you need to send someone to go with me."

"Of course I will go with Mr. Koya."

"Also, I need a handy weapon."

Koya was clear about his role: he was here to help, so he readily agreed to Daisy's request. Of course, the main reason was that he knew this world posed little threat to him. According to the system's background information, these zombies were about as powerful as the goblins on the first level, and the strongest were about the same as the special species he had killed.

The girls moved quickly, storing food, water, and weapons in Koya's mobile warehouse. Incidentally, Koya hadn't realized he'd acquired a new skill, and a very useful one at that, until Kirisu Mafuyu mentioned it. It looked like the call for support could be postponed indefinitely. From now on, he could enjoy delicious, hot meals with Hatsune Miku in the dungeon.

"Is this the means of transportation from your world? It looks similar to the ones from the Doctor's world... but there seems to be a little difference."

"Answer! Cars in our world are powered by burning fossil fuels, among which..."

Of course, there was a difference. Cars in Terra were essentially powered by Originium, and could travel tens of thousands of kilometers in the wilderness without requiring refueling or maintenance. Their strengths lay in their long range and durability. The car in front of Koya was a simple gasoline-powered car, used to transport guests up and down the mountain.

"Is Daisy really okay?"

"It's no problem. Everyone knows Mr. Koya's strength. I'm safe with him around."

"No, I'm actually worried about your driving skills... Hinagiku, you really can drive, right? You're not lying to us, right? Otherwise, why don't you let Kirisu-sensei go?"

"No need, I often drive my sister back home after she gets drunk, don't worry."

"Okay, stay safe."

"I want to go with you, too."

"Just stay home, Mashiro. We'll be back soon. You can watch the live broadcast if you want."

"Ok."

The goodbyes didn't last long. After Hayasaka Ai filled up the car's tank, Hinagiku said goodbye to her friends. It was about a two-hour drive from here to Tokyo, and considering the highways were probably all paralyzed, that would take even longer. It was now around 1 p.m., and Hinagiku and Koya had to try to reach Tokyo before sunset and find a temporary shelter...

Time is of the essence, so – get started.

Chapter 60: Still alive?

"Daisy, the buildings in your world are so tall! Any single one of them seems as tall as the Tower of Babel!"

As they got closer to Tokyo, Koya was increasingly amazed at the development of Katsura Hinagiku's world. While this world was somewhat similar to Terra's, it was generally considered more developed. At least on Terra, there wouldn't be so many cars or roads this wide...

Of course, for Koya, who lived in the Middle Ages, everything about Terra and this apocalyptic world was magical.

"Mr. Koya, our first destination is the Shinomiya family's main residence. It's located in the suburbs of Tokyo and is sparsely populated. If the road is clear, we can arrive in an hour."

"I understand. I will do my best to save Kaguya's family."

"...Actually, our target this time is not Kaguya-chan's family, but Xiao Ai's mother. Kaguya's father doesn't live here, and Kaguya doesn't know where he is exactly. The eldest and second brothers are currently with Ying-chan, and the third brother is with Hans Cat."

"Ah this..."

Koya opened his mouth, not knowing what to say. Although he didn't know where Eagle Sauce and Hans the Cat were, he could tell from Daisy's tone that they might be a bit far away.

"Is there a portrait of Miss Hayata's mother?"

Koya no longer worried about where Eagle Sauce and Hans the Cat were. Although he had some strength, he was not an omnipotent being like a god. Instead of asking about their location and causing trouble, it would be better to focus on the current situation.

"…I'm sorry, I forgot something so important."

Gui Chudaisy never expected that the biggest omission was here. It was like doing a task while playing a game. You accepted the task and set off, but the person who issued the task didn't even tell you who the target of the task was... If this happened in a game, the planner would definitely be scolded to death by the players.

"I've seen photos of Xiao Ai's mother. She looks very similar to Xiao Ai, with beautiful blonde hair and about the same height as Xiao Ai."

"Well, actually, I don't have much impression of Miss Hayasaka Ai. After all, we didn't really have much contact just now. I'll stay with you later. I came to this world just to protect you—"

"...Don't be so ambiguous...something about coming to this world to protect me."

"But I did come here for you guys~"

Koya could see that Daisy and Lefiya were of the same type, both shy and tsundere girls; the only difference was that Daisy was more outgoing and capable.

About three hours later, Daisy arrived at her destination. Two hours later than expected, but the sun was still high in the sky, so it was still within acceptable range. Countless abandoned vehicles had completely clogged the road, and every detour and re-route was a hassle. Simply reaching her destination was a significant achievement.

Fortunately, this is the suburbs far away from the city. Even if the main road is blocked, there are always small roads to pass through. However, if even the main roads in the suburbs are so congested, what about the situation in the city... Maybe it would be faster to walk in the city?

The main residence of the Shinomiya family covers an area of 20 acres. Within the walls, a series of buildings that should not exist in the concept of home, such as a gymnasium, a golf course, a private hospital, etc., appeared in front of Koya and his friends. Koya didn't quite understand what these buildings were used for, but he knew that the land under his feet belonged to someone else.

"This place is even bigger than the settlement of Loki's family... Could it be that giants live here?"

For Koya and his team, the more buildings there are, the more troublesome it is. First, it makes it more difficult to search for Hayasaka Ai's mother. With so many buildings, who knows where her mother would hide. Second, so many buildings also mean that there must be a lot of staff. It doesn't matter to Koya and his team, but for ordinary people like Hayasaka Ai's mother, it is a deadly danger.

Gui Chui Daisy [Xiao Ai, where do you think your mother is most likely to be?]

Hayasaka Ai [My mother should be at the house.]

It must be said that this chat group is really useful for the five people living in the doomsday, including Kirisu Mafuyu. For example, even when the Internet and communication are cut off, Katsura Hinagiku can still communicate smoothly with Hayasaka Ai in the chat group. And with the presence of Koya, who has a "head-mounted camera", Hayasaka Ai can fully understand everything in real time.

Hayasaka Ai [The gate code is XXXXXXXX. You can drive directly along the main road to the main house. The main house door lock code is XXXXXXX. My mother's room is on the innermost floor of the third floor. There aren't many maids in the main house. Including my mother, there are only ten, plus a housekeeper.]

Daisy: [Okay, I understand. By the way, what should I call your mother, Little Love?]

Ai Hayasaka [Nao, Nao Hayasaka. 】

The car pulled into the Shinomiya family's mansion, a four-lane road running straight from the main gate to the main residence. On one side of the road lay a lush garden, where a variety of rare and beautiful flowers competed for beauty. On the other side, shrubs were cultivated into various shapes, although they had become somewhat deformed due to long-term neglect. This kind of residence made Koya involuntarily utter two words: luxury.

The two of them got out of the car. Although the search area had been reduced from 20 acres and several buildings to a single house, which was a lot easier, the house in front of them was still quite large! If they really had to search room by room, they would never finish even after sunset!

"this--"

Koya had never imagined a house could be so large. Not even the settlements of Loki's family existed. Only castles like the kings in stories could be this large. How many people lived in this house? Wouldn't the next time I opened the door, I'd be met with a horde of zombies?

"Daisy, follow me later. This house is so big, there must be a lot of people living there. We have to be careful!"

"what?"

Daisy looked at Koya, who was already on alert, with some confusion. There were only eleven zombies in this house at most. If I gave me a knife, I could chop them all off in three seconds. How could it be dangerous?

"Mr. Koya, there are only eleven people living in this house, including Xiaoai's mother. There's no need to be so cautious."

"what?"

Now it was Koya's turn to be confused. What kind of family is this? Only eleven people live in such a big house? We, the Hestia family, only have three people living in a small basement!

“…Only eleven people live here?”

"Ah."

Koya silently took out his and Daisy's weapons from the mobile warehouse, and then shouted towards the mansion.

"Hayasaka Ai's mother, are you still alive?"

Damn it, there are only ten zombies, what’s there to be afraid of? Just be reckless!

Chapter 61: Emptying the Shigong Family

In a maid's room on the third floor of the Fourth Lord's house, a blonde woman in camouflage combat uniform was resting on the bed with a pistol in her hand. She was awakened by a sudden sound outside and subconsciously tightened the gun in her hand.

The Shinomiya residence was well-stocked, as the Shinomiya family provided meals for their employees. There was a staff cafeteria behind the residence, and the food in the cafeteria's warehouse was enough for one person to eat a feast every day for a year. Even for some reason, the Shinomiya family's few security guards were allowed to carry guns. Hayata Nao had been enjoying a comfortable life lately. After a quick cleanup of the zombies in the Shinomiya residence with her pistol, the place had become her own paradise.

On the first day, I cleaned up the cinema and found two movies I liked to watch while eating steak. On the second day, I sipped drinks and basked in the sun by the pool. On the third day, I went karaoke. On the fourth day…

Hayata Nao had actually considered contacting her daughter and Shinomiya Kaguya, but the Shinomiya family's head maid had one flaw... she couldn't drive. Not just a car, but even a bicycle or an electric scooter, so she had no chance of making it to the holiday villa.

Hayata Nao's idyllic days continued until yesterday, when five strangers sneaked in...

The Shinomiya family was simply too large, and even the most comprehensive defenses would always have loopholes somewhere, and these five strangers had gotten in through these loopholes. These five guys weren't good people, and this was the conclusion Hayasaka Nao came to after discovering them and following them for a whole day.

In reality, whether they were good or not didn't matter at this point, but Nao still followed her most basic moral values and only shot them after confirming that they were bad guys. The arrival of these five people made Hayasaka Nao realize that the Shinomiya residence was not a truly safe place. It was built on a plain, surrounded by high walls on all sides. The large area made it extremely unlikely that intruders would be discovered. If there were enough security personnel, there would naturally be no problem, but now there was only one survivor in the entire Shinomiya residence, Nao Hayasaka...

Last night, Hayasaka Nao fell asleep with a restless heart. The Shinomiya residence was no longer safe. All the survivors knew that there was a Shinomiya family mansion outside Tokyo. There was definitely enough supplies here, and all the survivors would do everything they could to get there...

"Mrs. Hayasaka, are you still alive? If you are, make a sound."

A clear voice echoed in Hayasaka Nao's ears again. Hiding behind the curtains, she peered through the crack in the curtains toward the source of the sound. She saw a man and a woman, both strikingly handsome, armed. But the important thing was that the woman was someone Hayasaka Nao knew: Katsura Hinagiku, the student council president of Shuchiin. Hayasaka Ai had been on vacation at the mountain villa with the student council.

"Ok?"

Keya suddenly looked up at a room on the third floor with all the curtains drawn. There was someone there. Keya believed in his perception. He stared straight at the room and shouted to the inside.

"Is the person in the fifth room on the right on the third floor Hayasaka Ai's mother? We are Hayasaka Ai's friends and came here specifically to see you!"

If there was still no response from his calls, Koya would rush into the house, ready to fight. After all, if someone didn't respond, it was probably not Hayata Nao. And there was something strange: zombies rely on sound to determine the location of their prey, but Koya had just called out so many times, but there was no movement from the zombies...

"There's something wrong with Daisy. I've been shouting for so long and not a single zombie has appeared."

Someone has cleared out the zombies nearby. Koya doesn't quite believe that a maid would have such fighting ability. This means that there are either surviving security personnel in the Shinomiya house, or there are foreign invaders. Considering that the security personnel should know Hayasaka Nao, the person who occupies the house now and does not respond to the sound is most likely a foreign intruder!

"Xiao Ai is proficient in shooting, fighting, and assassination... If she's her mother, she should also have these skills."

"Huh? Isn't Miss Hayata Miss Shinomiya's maid?"

"She's a maid, but Xiao Ai has learned a lot. She can also do hacking, electrical work, locksmithing, and carpentry... If it weren't for the apocalypse, we might never know how much Xiao Ai really knows."

"...So maids are so powerful?"

Hinagiku's reasoning was instantly overturned. There was something wrong with this maid. Aren't maids supposed to be good at cooking, cleaning, and warming the bed? Why did the Hayasaka mother and daughter become so good at shooting, fighting, and assassination?

"As a maid of the Shinomiya family, I should be able to withstand all dangers for my master, just like this zombie crisis. If I hadn't learned that, I wouldn't have survived until you came to find me."

She pushed open the door to the house. In the two or three minutes that Koya and Hinagiku were discussing, Hayasaka Nao had already arrived at the door from the third floor. The moment he pushed the door open, Koya was certain that the woman in front of him must be Hayasaka Ai's mother. That same indifferent expression, that basically identical delicate appearance, if this woman wasn't Hayasaka Ai's mother, Koya would wash her hair upside down!

"Aunt Zaoban, are you leaving with us?"

"Well, I'm the only survivor in this Shinomiya house, and it's not safe here anymore. If it weren't for the difficulty in moving supplies, I would have left here long ago."

"Where are the supplies? Let me move them."

"Come with me. By the way, there's a truck in the staff dormitory. I checked it and it's in good condition."

"Don't worry, we don't need a truck."

Standing at the cold storage door, Hayasaka Nao rubbed her eyes. In just a moment, a whole head of frozen beef had vanished from her sight. The supplies in her cold storage dwindled until not even a block of ice remained.

"Superpowers? Is this the essential superpower in zombie apocalypse novels? Surely there's a story behind the crystal cores in zombies?"

"Aunt Zaoban, Mr. Koya's situation is somewhat special. Also, the crystal core cannot awaken superpowers. It is mainly used as an energy source."

"what?"

Nao Hayasaka's face was full of disappointment. She didn't know why her wife, who was already so old, was so childish. Although the situation in front of her was indeed a bit strange, she could instantly associate it with supernatural powers. It seemed that Mrs. Hayasaka must have read a lot of novels and watched a lot of movies.

"Are there any other supplies?"

"Hmm—I remember there's a home power station here with a lot of diesel engines and oil."

"Let's go! Take them all away!"

"Oh, right, is there enough space? How about bringing a few more computers? There are also many useful books in the library."

"No problem, I still say that, you can take everything away!"