GBF had said they would send a small but elite team and they had kept their word. The team they had sent consisted of 10 people, all dressed sharply and standing alert.

Their leader was Alex, Madam Yao’s eldest daughter and her unwavering gaze met the questioning looks she was getting.

Before the tension could rise further, Rin stepped forward and welcomed them inside.

"I hope the journey here hasn’t been too dangerous. Would you like to rest in your assigned rooms first?"

Rin greeted his guests with a pleasant smile, but the girls of GBF only scoffed at his hospitality. Hostility and uncertainty shone in their eyes, so Rin kept his distance so as not to make them uncomfortable.

"Our journey here was uneventful, just as mother predicted. She also cautioned us to rest before taking you up on your offer of a tour."

Alex spoke in a light and airy voice, making sure her words came across clearly.

Rin nodded and turned toward his butler.

"Collin, please show our guests to their rooms—"

"I’m sorry, but can we get a female guide instead? We will feel much more comfortable with a female guide instead?."

"Reri-!"

Someone from the back of the group spoke up of the GBF group causing everyone in Rin’s settlement to frown at the request. Rin quickly changed the mood by agreeing to their request.

"In that case, I will ask Amelia to show you around."

The reason Rin chose Amelia was because she had helped Collin around and knew where the guest wing was. He trusted her to be a good host

But Amelia looked nervous and pointed to herself.

"Are you sure you want me to show them around? Somehow, I don’t think I am the best person for this job..."

Rin walked toward Amelia and placed his hands on her shoulders. It prompted her to look at Rin with curiosity in her eyes.

"I trust you to do a good job, Amelia. Interacting with different people would also help with your social anxiety. Just trust me this once and do as I say."

Rin told her and Amelia nodded with a determined look on her face.

"Alright, I will show our guests around."

Amelia walked a few steps back and Rin pulled his arm back to his side and watched Amelia leading their guests inside.

"Please follow me. If you need anything, then you can approach me."

She was doing a good job of being a host so Rin left the task to her. Instead, he decided to focus on the other preparations.

"Let’s head to the training hall and make sure the necessary preparations are made for later."

Rin told his butler and Collin bowed and followed after him.

__________

"These will be your rooms. Please let me know if you need anything while resting. Since you are a group of 10, we prepared five shared rooms for you all-"

"Excuse me, but can I get a single room? I don’t feel comfortable with other people around me."

Amelia looked at Alex, the beautiful leader of their guests and immediately accommodated the request.

"Of course. This is not a problem. We prepared an additional room in case this happened. Please use this room."

Amelia opened the extra door to show a room with a single bed. It was decently sized and Alex looked it over before nodding.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I know that our side has been rude to you and your people and I would like to apologize for it."

Alex gave a bow to Amelia, causing the female to become flustered and wave her hands.

"S-Stop! There is no need for you to bow to me like this. Honestly, my impression of your group was not a positive one so far, but I’m willing to give you a chance because of Rin."

Amelia spoke confidently, taking the group in front of her aback. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Alex took advantage of this situation to clarify her position further.

"I see. Since both you and mother praised him, we will make sure to keep an open mind about him."

Amelia nodded and left their guests. She needed to head back to her post and help her sister out. She walked past the common corridor and ran into Albus.

Things were awkward between them. The crush that Amelia had on Albus had long faded so she no longer saw him as the ’only one for her.’ But that did not change the fact that he did save her and she owed him a debt

But when she closed her eyes and tried to recall the day of the apocalypse when she collapsed, the face that helped her was not Albus, but Rin.

’I wonder if this is because I have a crush on Rin?’

But her heart did not race like crazy when she thought about Rin. Besides, how could she like the same person as her elder sister?

Rin felt like a reliable elder brother to her (even though they were the same age.)

Anyway, she forced her attention back on Albus, who was walking past the corridor in a hurry and followed him to the training ground.

’Is Albus up to something? Should I report this to Rin?’

Amelia questioned as she kept following Albus, only to end up at the training grounds. It was...disappointing to see that Albus was just training and nothing more, and Amelia decided to head back to her room when she noticed Shelly coming from the direction of the abandoned outdoor shed.

It made her curious and Amelia decided to check things out. She carefully opened the door, only to be met with the smell of rotten flesh.

She looked around and noticed a familiar-looking body that had died of dehydration. Amelia felt a scream rising in her throat and her stomach churned

She turned around to walk out, but a hand immediately grabbed her shoulder.

"What are you doing here? Did you see something you should not have?"

Shelly’s voice sounded foreign and scary when she asked this question. Amelia felt her throat becoming dry and her mind going blank with fear

"I-I did not see anything!"

She forced the words out and Shelly patted her shoulder.

"Good girl. Now forget all about this and live a carefree life."

Amelia nodded and ran out of the storage. Her heart threatened to escape her chest and she slowly calmed it down.

She looked at the abandoned storage shed and decided to erase what happened from her mind. Otherwise, she would end up the same way as that body.