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Chapter 9 - Findings

(For this novel, updates are every day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (there is another novel that the author is currently writing and will be released in the near future)

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"Come on everyone let's have breakfast together" in a cheerful tone Shizuka said to the others.

"Emmm, it smells really good," Alice, the little girl who was rescued by them, said hopefully

Even though she had lost her father, with help from the others and the cute presence of Zero, Alice wasn't too sad.

"Woof...woof...woof..." the voice of a small dog barked beside Alice, as if agreeing with what she said.

"Alice, you are awake, have you brushed your teeth and washed your face?" Saya who had also woken up from sleep, asked Alice in a gentle tone.

"Erm, I've washed my face and brushed my teeth, Neesan, I was helped by Neesan Saeko," replied Alice with a gentle expression.

"Then let's go to the dining room, they will definitely be waiting for us." Then Saya invited Alice to immediately have breakfast with the others.

In the dining room, the table was now covered with the warm and delicious breakfast that Saeko and Shizuka had cooked.

After everyone was seated, they began to eat breakfast quietly, not wanting to talk much, as they all still felt like they were in a dream.

To be in a place like this, under such circumstances, yet seeing the faces of their friends before them and the food they were eating.

Everyone seemed to be reminded that the world they knew had completely changed, replaced by a terrifying one.

Even so, everyone felt a desire to survive in this world and live a better life.

Hirano and Takashi, facing each other at the dining table, seemed to have something to share with each other.

Finally, they made a gesture indicating that they should immediately talk about what they had discovered today.

Hirano's sudden interruption, "Ahem," immediately caught the attention of the others.

Stared by so many pairs of eyes, Hirano, though they already knew each other well, still felt embarrassed.

However, seeing Takashi's firm gaze, he quickly spoke.

"There's something important I want to tell you, and it's something I discovered accidentally with Takashi this morning." Hirano began, explaining what they had discovered.

"What did you find? Why don't you just say it straight away? Can't you just say it clearly?" Saya complained to both of them, glaring at them and urging them to quickly explain what they wanted to say.

"The number of zombies around our current area has decreased drastically, and we haven't found a clear reason for it," Hirano quickly explained to me what they had discovered.

"The number of zombies has decreased, isn't that a good thing?" Rei asked, responding to their conversation.

"That's not entirely true. If we don't know the real reason for the decrease in zombies, we can't consider it a good thing," Saeko said in a probing tone.

"What Senpai said is right. We can't jump to conclusions. When the world has changed as it is, only by knowing the cause can we overcome the problem." Saya agreed with Saeko's opinion.

"So what should we do about this?" Takashi finally asked.

"Can't we just stay here or head to Saya house?" Rei suddenly said, expressing her opinion.

"No, I feel like it could be dangerous if we don't know the real reason for the decrease in zombies around us.

Just imagine if there's an ambush when we leave this area and end up cornered by something we don't want.

Wouldn't that just make us suffer in the end? So before making any decisions, it would be better if we first investigate what really happened." Saya disagreed with Rei's suggestion.

"Then let's take a vote. Who agrees to investigate this matter further and determine what's going on, and who agrees to go straight to my house?" Takashi finally suggested.

"I agree with Saya's suggestion," Saeko voiced her opinion.

"Um... I also feel this needs further investigation," Hirano also expressed his opinion while adjusting his glasses.

"I have no opinion. Whatever decision you make, I will support you." Shizuka didn't think too much and simply stated what she thought.

"I also agree with Saya's suggestion, and if so...That's decided, we'll first investigate why there have been fewer zombies in this area.

"And after we've successfully investigated, we can safely go to my house to evacuate further," Takashi announced his decision.

Hearing Takashi's decision, the others agreed, and no one objected. This also applied to Rei.

After all, he was outvoted and didn't want to argue further about the matter, simply following his friends' plan.

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"5 meters ahead, turn right, it's empty," Hirano's voice was heard telling Takashi over the intercom they were wearing.

This time, Hirano and Saya were tasked with providing direction and backup to Saeko, Takashi, and Rei.

They were tasked with investigating the zombie situation around them.

This was based on the three of them being considered the best among them all in close combat. Hirano, with his excellent long-range shooting skills, served as support, moving in when the situation worsened.

As for Saya, she acted as the brains of the team, giving commands and They also analyzed the data they saw and discovered.

"Look around the area and make sure the zombies have truly diminished. And if possible, check the nearby house. Are there any signs of life inside?" Saya spoke through the intercom to the three of them, giving them instructions.

"Okay, wait a moment," Takashi replied.

Then Saya informed Saeko and Rei of my arrangements.

What they didn't know was that the house they were currently inspecting was the one where Akira was resting.

And Akira, asleep on the second floor, was unaware that the house he was currently occupying had attracted the attention of the protagonists.

"The door is locked from the inside. It looks like someone is staying here," Rei informed the two of their discovery that the house was locked from the inside.

"Let's check again for any signs of life. It could be a house abandoned by those who were working or traveling the day before," Saeko asked them to investigate further.

"Okay, I'll check the back door," Takashi replied.

The two then cautiously moved to the back door of the house. When he went to the back of the house, he found muddy footprints that appeared to be leading from outside to the back door.

After checking that the door was locked, Takashi returned to inform the others.

"There's something, I found behind the house. I found muddy footprints from a shoe," Takashi informed the two of his discovery.

"So someone entered the house through the back door," Saeko immediately said, with an amused expression.

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