Khalifa: Queen in the Apocalypse

Chapter 107: Soldier Town

The next day, Khalifa’s team began to announce their route. Sid stared at them for a while, hesitating, before gathering his knowledge to ask. "Are we going to pass by Grewald Town?"

Khalifa blinked and looked at the map before nodding. Sid looked a bit constipated but he pointed at a villa area in the town. It was only a few hundred meters away from the planned path.

"I… my sister could be here. Can we see?"

He was very embarrassed to ask for this from them—after all, this was akin to asking a stranger to risk her life for him.

But there was no way: He had to go see his sister.

Khalifa thought for a while before nodding. Anyway, it wasn’t that far. Passing by the town without checking would be too callous.

But someone scoffed beside her, and she turned her head with a frown. "What do you want to say, Trina?"

"Why do we risk our lives for him?" The redheaded woman said, with poise and confidence. "I hate to be callous, but a hundred meters difference in trouble.

"You can’t risk everyone’s lives for someone who may not be there." She said with narrowed eyes, "We can’t always succumb to beauty, Khalifa."

She was implying a little color between her and Sid.

Khalifa answered seriously, "Because he’s our cook. And he can defend himself. He is part of the team, and he is not a burden."

Not like you, came an unspoken follow-up.

Trina pursed her lips, trying to make a comeback, but Khalifa already drafted the map incorporating the change of plans, ignoring her.

Trina frowned, while Sid hid a smile, happy that Khalifa stood up for him.

After a few more preparations, Khalifa’s group was finally ready to go. They decided to just use the monster truck this time. It was a little narrow for those at the back, but bringing another SUV in an unfamiliar place may not be practical.

They were already packing up when she received the call from Caius. She went a few meters away to answer the call.

"Khalifa!" It was Kaize who actually spoke first.

She could already imagine Cauis calling but Kaize taking the headpiece instead.

"How are you two?"

"We’re fine." He said, with Cauis taking the phone and asking various questions about her well-being.

Kaize then took the phone back and told her about the latest very surprising update:

He could now control fire.

Khalifa’s eyebrows rose at the news, surprised to find out that Kaize already activated an element.

So fast? Clearly in the book it took at least a couple of months for most of the population to awaken.

The fastest recorded awakening—Ryo’s unnamed uncle—was still over a month later.

Perhaps it had to do with his fire mage self in another world?

Whatever the case was, she took advantage of this time to be as updated with them as she could, continuing to speak with the two men with a lovely smile on her face.

Trina frowned when she looked at Khalifa looking all soft and cuddly as she spoke on the phone. She then looked at Hugo who was pointedly ignoring the scene as he set up his guns.

However, considering how harshly he was setting up everything, it was obvious that he minded it, very much.

"She has so many men. You’re happy with just being one of them?"

"None of your business." He said, walking past and preparing the car.

Trina watched his back with teary eyes and clenched fists. Instead of being angry at him though, Trina turned her eyes to Khalifa’s direction instead.

"This is all your fault!"

***

Grewald Town.

The group continued on their way some time later, passing through a couple of villages and towns, finally arriving at Grewald Town a few hours later.

The place was a suburb area with one of his properties where his sister stayed.

Passing through zombies, using guns as needed, they reached his neighborhood safely. After a few more minutes, they reached the house itself. It was quite a large villa, obviously owned by a woman.

"You’re quite generous to your sister." Hugo said, looking at the house. Sid should be rich, indeed, but not so rich as to buy such a house for his sister.

"She’s the only family I have left." Sid said with a sad smile, "Who else was I to spend money on?"

Hugo chuckled, looking at the rearview mirror. "I dunno. Women?"

Sid blushed and unconsciously looked at Khalifa, his beautiful face showing shyness and the woman—who had just turned to look back—ended up staring at him.

Hugo’s eyes twitched and he just continued driving, wanting to get this over with.

They got to the house and Sid was pale in nervousness, praying that he would rather not find his sister there than see her become a zombie.

They went down with their weapons, planning to check out the house. They only had to deal with two zombies: the housekeeper and the gardener.

No sister, thankfully.

The group entered the house and studied its contents.

Hugo whistled at the luxurious decoration that reeked of nouveau riche. He looked at Sid. He didn’t spoil his sister too much, right?

Anyway, they went room after room and found no traces of blood, and no signs of struggle but the trash explained life.

"This is actually good news." Khalifa said with a smile, and Sid’s complicated heart was comforted.

Indeed, it was very likely his sister survived for a while. And with its proximity to the military base, perhaps she had gone there as well.

They would probably reunite eventually, and that was good enough.

This was a relief to Sid. Jojo felt a little envious, because all he had was his grandparents and they died a few months prior, almost next to each other.

This was also a relief though, because they didn’t have to suffer more.

This world had gone insane after all.

***

After hours of travel, they finally reached the final town nearest the military base, just passing by the large signage on the side of the road.

Soldier Town!

They looked at each other with a smile. Almost there!