Chapter 6
Ben was standing at the fence line.
Looking left, then right, he was honestly surprised.
For a feudal city, it had an oddly modern look to it.
Which if he was being honest, wasn’t all that surprising when he considered it.
Most of cultures he was familiar with grew out of feudal roots that would have established what were likely to be similar systems.
Curbs, stone streets, partially raised sidewalks, gutters, houses lining either side, even two and three story buildings that went upward.
Many of them looked even as if it were more akin to three separate dwellings stacked up, rather than one home with three floors.
Akin to a duplex or condo living.
Some of those buildings had small brushes, trees, or bushes in front of the buildings or hanging from windows on the upper story.
There were few people on the stone lined street in front of him. Those that were walking the street, were doing it in the dead center of it. Far away from the slightly raised stone sidewalks on either side and away from the buildings that lined it.
“They look like they’re trying to move past without being seen… or… caught?” Ben mused to himself quietly. It reminded him of how he had often moved through the city when he was on resource runs.
Staying near windows, doors, or alleys was asking for a zombie to lunge out at you. To drag you down or pull you off from where you couldn’t see them.
Two men who had been walking nearby flinched at the sound of Ben’s voice and then just about jogged away from the area. Moving quickly and not looking back at all.
Well that’s fucked.
It’s just like home.
Looking around, he found that there were even fewer people around him now. He’d startled two by talking and those had startled others.
Everyone fleeing in short order.
Only a young man near a tree was currently near now.
Like birds on a power line, they all scattered.
Just like home.
I shouldn’t have said anything.
I need to be more careful.
Lifting up the tablet, Ben tapped at the phase shift button and then looked around for the young man who’d been nearby.
Only to find he was gone as well.
Those that’d been lingering were now actually running away. Vanishing down the streets and alleys at speed.
Uh… oh… yeah… birds… birds on a power line.
They all fucking scattered the moment the building appeared.
Shit I’m just being a dumb-ass all the way around today aren’t I?
I guess I’ll just sit here and wait.
“Hey Stacy, how would you feel about selling meat and vegetables to others for a price? Not charity. A price. Not eye-gouging high but… higher than normal,” Ben murmured. “That’d be kind of nasty, wouldn’t it? Selling food at a higher price than normal in an apocalypse?
“That’d appease your little demon heart? Or not heart? Demon… spirit? Soul? I’m trying to think of ways to refill your power source while also figuring out a good way for us to barter and make friends.”
There was a message pop-up in the corner of the tablet.
“I wouldn’t mind that. So long as the prices are reasonably above normal market value I would be appeased. Though if you tried to do anything through charity, you’d have to pay in whatever I owe you or other resources.
“That’d be listed in the ‘Currency’ tab at the top.”
Ben’s eyes flicked to the tabs at the top.
He’d noted them earlier, but hadn’t really wanted to delve into them.
They looked weighty, each one promising so very much more that he just hadn’t had the mental capacity to even try to look into them.
Along the top edge of the tablet read the following tabs: Building, Currency, Warehouse, Tenants, Prison.
Not clicking into any of them, Ben just stood there.
Waiting.
He expected at some point people would reappear. Curiosity, concern, or something else would drive them to come take a peek.
While he waited, he began to let his mind wander. Moving from idle thought to idle thought without any actual urgency.
It was, truly, the first time in two days that Ben just let his mind wander along in whatever path it chose. To the point that he was blankly staring at a small puddle in the stones of the road.
Not thinking of survival, finding resources, or dodging zombies.
No trying to appease a group so that he could stay, no letting others step all over his ego just so he can remain.
Right now his mind was more akin to a muscle used for too long.
It was uncramping.
Several people came, peered at Ben from further down the street, then ran off. None of them stayed for longer than a glance.
Even when he’d called out to them to try and get them to come closer when he’d actually noticed them.
What finally pulled him out of his thoughts though, was a change in the sound-scape.
A sound Ben couldn’t identify was growing louder.
Closer.
It reminded him of hammers pounding nails into frames and sheet metalwork being done. A clatter, clang, and pop that was in and out of rhythm at the same time.
Growing louder by the moment, Ben had the thought and realization that whatever it was, was coming straight for him and the apartment building.
The noise was so strange and loud that it left him feeling a bit less confident than a moment ago.
“I wanted attention like a half-drunk bar-fly with an outfit that looked like a suggestion more than clothes. Now it seems like I’m going to get that attention and then some,” Ben mumbled, his attention now directed toward the cobbled road that went in the direction of the castle.
Chewing at his lip, Ben stood there.
Waiting.
Then around the bend in the cobbled stone street came a group of people.
Many of them were dressed in what Ben felt like was chain mail or some sort of it. Along with leather armor underneath that and padding.
Additionally there were a handful of people with crossbows and three individuals at the dead center of the formation.
A large individual in heavy armor that was leaning towards plate-mail, but not quite. There were plates, but it was something that wasn’t quite that.
With strips and chain between it all in some type of in-between that Ben simply couldn’t identify, despite playing more than his fair share of video games set in a similar era.
The man was carrying a large misshapen club that might’ve been a ‘two handed mace’ if one squinted at it and ignored the bend in the hilt.
With this monster of a person were two women.
One was a red-head with a long braid hanging down behind her head with strange golden eyes. She was wearing a robe that was somewhat clean, though it looked quite threadbare. In her hands was a long wooden staff with a strange gem at the end of it.
Beside her was another woman who had pale blond hair, long thin ears that stuck out from her hair in a surprising way, and bright blue eyes.
Dressed in a long habit that covered her modestly, it was likely once a black and white color, now it was beige and faded grey.
Held in her hands was a gnarled and twisted staff that pulsed with a pale white light.
Only now did Ben notice that some of the people with arms and armor that made them look like some form of medieval man-at-arms had tails, strange ears, and different body types.
Holy shit that’s an elf?
What’s the golden eyed one?
This is amazing!
I totally got Isekai’d and instead of Truck-kun it was brimstone and zombies.
They’d all stopped at the bend in the street where Ben had seen them and they had clearly seen him as well.
The group stared at Ben.
Ben stared at the group.
No one did much beyond that.
“Uhm, hi?” Ben called and raised a hand up to wave at them. “How ya doing?”
The blonde haired elf tilted her head to the side in a way that reminded him of his old dog. Her pale gold brows moving toward one another in surprise.
Apparently that wasn’t quite tame enough as the ones with the crossbows lifted them up, those with spears or swords readied them, and the group began moving forward toward Ben at a slow walk.
“I’m Bernard. You can call me Ben,” called Ben to the approaching group. They were still closing on him, which was good. Though they were on high alert, which was bad, of course. “Sorry about just appearing, here. I was forced into a deal with a spirit to come here to dodge uh… I don’t even know how to describe it.
“Evil spirit of chaos made out of shadow seems kind of small when I try to explain what it really was. Cosmic horror kaiju?
“Anyways, ended up here, didn’t mean to, my building, myself, and my spirit, are here for a time before we have to move on.
“Though hey, there’s no zombies immediately outside, which is a bonus. The zombies in my own world were just about everywhere. No walls.
“Coincidentally, I like the walls you’ve got.”
“Spirit?” asked the Elf as the group got within casual speaking distance.
“Yeah, spirit,” Ben admitted. “I made an agreement to be their contractor so they’d have a tie to the world, and they’d provide me with power and resources at a cost.
“As an example… bites don’t turn people to zombies if they come through the front door of my building.”
Ben held up the two bites he’d received earlier.
It looked entirely normal now, outside of being a bite. The infection and oozing had long sense healed up.
“Still sucks to get bit but—”
There was a twang as one of the people with the crossbows fired a bolt at Ben.
It slammed into the barrier around the building directly in front of Ben’s forehead.
Blinking several times, Ben looked at the person who had fired, the crossbow bolt on the ground, then back to the person who had fired.
“Alright then,” Ben murmured, wondering if this conversation was already over. He couldn’t blame them for their anxiety and fear, but killing someone out of hand, and so casually, was a bit more extra than he wanted to handle. “I guess that ends the conversation. A shame but—”
The hulking mound of a man with the ‘mace’ had acted even as Ben spoke.
He’d raised it up and brought it down with a horrific overhead swing. It slammed straight down into the helmeted head of the man who’d fired at Ben.
So strong was the blow it somehow pushed the man’s head down into his shoulders and made a disgusting crunching noise.
It knocked the body of the man down and to the ground in a hideous way in the same stroke.
Blood had sprayed out of the man and splashed against the barrier.
It clung there and began to drip downward.
Floating in mid-air like a horrible art piece regarding ketchup.
Or tomato soup.
“Apologies, Sorcerer,” said the massive knightly looking individual. Lifting the giant mace back up and setting it to his shoulder. “They acted out of turn and without orders.”
Despite the bulk of the man in armor’s disposition by way of his attire and weapon, Ben felt like they had a proficient and clean way of speaking.
Intelligent, yet not sophisticated.
“Sure? Sure. No… worries,” Ben muttered and looked to the shuddering dying man on the ground. “Do the dead turn to zombies here? They all turned to zombies in my world. Is it different here?”
“They do turn,” confessed the Elf, a pained look on her face. “Often, quickly.”
“I could get rid of the body if you want me to. Do you want me to? Will only take me a moment,” Ben offered up. “I’ll just put it in a cage for now and burn it later.”
“Yes, please,” interjected the red-haired woman, who Ben assumed was some type of magic user. “How would you… burn it?”
“Instant matter decomposition,” Ben over-explained, yet leaving out the crucial details that it would be sacrificing the body to Stacy for materials.
Which really would be instant matter decomposition.
Ben then realized this was an opportunity to give them the possibility to see inside the building. A chance to show off a bit and maybe start laying the ground work to invite people in.
Or trade.
Beyond that, it might give them a bit more ‘peace of mind’ in dealing with the wild sorcerer who just appeared in their domain.
“Did you want me to do it now?” offered Ben. “I could invite you past the barrier, and some of you into the building, if you wanted to see that I’m truly alone.
“There’s no army hiding inside or zombies. Just me and my building. Well, and my spirit, but they don’t count amongst the living. No physical body.”
Ben pulled up the tablet, and tapped at it.
He was expecting that Stacy would have told him who he has to invite in first by this point.
That was their bargain after all.
If she hadn’t told him who yet he’d have to ask her aloud but he was confident she’d caught his statement a moment ago.
“The priestess should be invited first,” read the message from Stacy.
“I’d be happy to invite the priestess, knight and… I’m sorry… how do I address you?” Ben said, tucking the tablet under his armpit and looking to the red-head. “Actually, kinda presumptive of me. Are you a knight? Are you a priestess?”
“A priestess is a fine assumption,” agreed the Elf.
“Knight works,” deadpanned the knight.
“Magician,” offered the red-head and quirked a bright red eyebrow at him.
“Right, I invite you three formally into my building,” Ben said and reached down to grab the dying man. Before anyone could respond, Ben pulled him across the barrier. “The rest of you are invited into this courtyard area, but not further in.”
Ben began struggling to drag the body of the armored and fully grown man back toward the door.
“Holy hell,” he hissed and kept pulling. “Fuck I’m out of shape.”
“I’ll… handle that,” stated the knight who took a long step over the barrier point, crossing the fence line directly, and then was in the small patio area.
It was obvious he was being cautious given that the blood was still partially suspended against the barrier.
To be fair, Ben wasn’t sure how he’d respond if he was in their position. This would be a lot to take in. Almost too much in a way.
Actually, I’m kinda rushing things along myself.
Rushing everything.
Nothing is the same and everything is different in the span of one day and I’m just… sprinting… sprinting madly ahead at full speed.
I haven’t even taken a moment to eat, or breathe, really.
Or take a shit.
I could take a good shit right now.
A safe one.
Or a nap.
“Ah, really? That’d be great, thanks!” Ben said and stood up. “I’m not much of a physical person I’m afraid.”
The knight moved over to Ben and went to grab the still trembling body.
In doing so he knocked the body’s arm to the side and it went to strike Ben.
Only for it to rebound backward as it was repelled.
Apparently Stacy was taking his personal and private space as sacrosanct, because there was no other reason it would’ve been thrown back.
“Well, so… again, I’m Ben,” Ben said and gestured to the front door. “I’m the owner of this building, I can cure zombie infections, so long as they’re not a zombie, by just bringing people inside these doors.
“I also can sell food and water. Vegetables and beans, really, but I’m working on getting other things. We’ll see how it goes.
“Before you ask prices, just take whatever the market value is and add five or ten percent. I don’t mind selling to the uh… king? Queen? Royal family?
“Anyway, I don’t mind selling directly to them, the military, or the people directly. You can handle it however you want if you’re trying to keep a handle on what’s available as far as food goes.”
Ben wasn’t about to miss out on this opportunity.
Rushing ahead or not, throwing everything at them including the kitchen sink, he was not going to sit and wait.
He was done being Ben the rat.
Given what he’d managed to acquire, he wasn’t going to be passive. Nowhere near as passive as he might’ve been just a day before.
This was a chance to chart his future, take power, and leverage it.
He’d be active when he felt he should be and right now, it was time to plant all the seeds he could.
With any luck, harvest would come quickly.
Tired or not, mentally exhausted or not, hanging to a thread or not, now was the time to work.
These were people who likely had things they wanted, that he could probably provide. Where there was a need, there could be a sale.
If they wanted him to heal people, he’d do it with a smile.
If they wanted him to dispose of corpses, he’d do it in a heartbeat.
If they wanted to buy food, he’d gladly sell it.
If they wanted water, he’d be right there with a ladle and a bucket.
“I’ll speak with his majesty regarding that,” stated the red-head. “And my name is Narin. The priestess is Saba and the knight is Morgan.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ben. Do forgive us… as… this is all very strange to us, even despite our circumstances this is still odd.”
“Yes! We’ve been under an unholy siege! The Devils have joined hands against the world,” breathed out Saba and grabbed at the front of her habit. “By the grace of the Light and the Gods we’ve survived as long as we have.
“Though its clear many of the Counties have fallen into darkness. We’ve seen many of their surcoats at the walls. The world has long since left the guidance of the light and this is our penance.”
“I dunno about that. My world was pretty fucked in comparison to how you’re doing,” Ben countered and led the trio of people into the house. The large and imposing knight had picked up the corpse and flung it over his shoulder with ease.
The man was an absolute behemoth of bulk and muscle and seemingly impossibly so. Ben couldn’t imagine the amount of protein, vitamins, and exercise the man would have to go through to maintain a body that large.
Leading them into the lobby, down the stairwell into what was his own apartment now, Ben picked up the dried out soup bowl and spoon and dumped them into the sink on the way through.
Moving along he led the trio into the room with the cells and gestured at a nearby cell. It was directly beside the one that held Mr. Leery.
Sorry, Mr. Leery. I promise to bury your corpse the moment I can do so.
“That’ll do right there, thanks,” Ben said as he watched the big knight carry the corpse into the open cell. He stuck the body into the cell, then shut it and then looked to Ben.
Ben had already pulled up the tablet, locked the cell, and then looked to the three people once more.
“Well, there ya go,” murmured Ben and let his tablet move back down to his side. “So, uh, what would you like to know? To ask? I’m sure you’ve got questions.
“Though, before you ask about the building, please understand a lot of it I just won’t answer or can’t answer. Secrets are secrets. You wouldn’t want me asking what your military strength is after all.
“But I’m alone. No zombies or others. We can confirm that if you need to.”
Morgan grunted at that, then turned and looked to Narin at the same time she looked at Saba.
Morgan’s here to protect them, technically Narin is probably the ranking individual but… she wants to know if Saba thinks?
“It isn’t unholy,” Saba said when she realized that both Morgan and Narin were now looking at her. “This whole place feels odd. Off, even. But not unholy.
“If I’m being honest, this is the first time since this penance of ours has begun that I do not feel the rot of taint in the air. It is pure, here.
“Though I sense no one else other than Ben. He is indeed alone. There is no lights of the living here but him.”
“Well,” Narin said with a pursed mouth as she looked to Ben. It was obvious she didn’t like that answer, or the situation as a whole. “It seems I’ll be heading back to speak with the King about your offer.
“I don’t think we should remain here however. There is much for us to do and its imperative that we return now that we have as much information as we have.
“Do forgive us for rushing out as quickly as we are.”
I mean, I get it.
Appearing suddenly, offering things that I shouldn’t be able to, even the things they would most likely crave.
It’s the same response I gave Stacy.
“Great,” Ben said, fighting down a yawn by clenching his teeth. His day had been long and exhausting. “What time is it here?”
“It is the fifth bell in the evening,” Saba said with a dip of her head. “Services will begin in two hours if you’d like to join us in prayer.”
“Ah, I’ll think on that,” Ben offered with a slight smile. “I’ll walk you out to the door and we can go from there. I’ll assume you’ll be back in the morning one way or the other, and we can pick up there.”
In other words, I’m not entertaining again tonight, see you in the morning.
“Before you go are there really no questions you’d have to ask?” Ben pushed, wanting to confirm they were really content with what they knew.
It’d just seemed too quick to him.
“None at this time,” Narin answered rather smoothly. Almost in a practiced way. “We’ll prepare any we have in written form and return in the morning.”
He noted that she’d dodded her head as she spoke.
There was a flicker in her brow as if it wanted to hold a furrow
If Ben had to guess, she was uncomfortable with appearing as he had. Just as he’d been uncomfortable with Stacy.
They’d seen what they wanted to see, what they were sent to see, and now wanted to leave.
Likely to think about it, just as he’d read the entirety of the contract Stacy had presented him.
It made sense.
“Well, let me see you out,” He said instead, wanting to get them out of here. He was figuratively, and thankfully not literally, dead on his feet.
The first thing he’d do though was use the restroom.
A safe bathroom break without the possibility of an interruption or someone demanding he go fix something.
King of my own damn castle.