Chapter 46

After returning from gathering supplies, I was on the rooftop with Oda's subordinates, helping to transport food to the city hall using drones.

The city hall originally had some emergency food supplies, but they were running low, so we had to transport food there frequently.

Initially, when Oda decided to make this place a new evacuation center, an old man who always came down to the sunshade roof of the city hall lobby offered to help in exchange for food supplies.

At first, the evacuation method was just to hang a ladder, but after many sacrifices, it evolved into the current method.

The lookouts on both rooftops, of course, serve as a warning, but their main purpose is to spot new evacuees quickly and implement the current evacuation method. I can't help but bow my head in respect.

Oda mentioned that it was a form of atonement, but I don't think that's the only reason. The compassion of the police officers here and the staff at the city hall is truly remarkable.

Incidentally, regarding drinking water, both buildings have water tanks on the rooftops, and we can still use the water supply for now. However, even with considerable conservation, especially at the police station where there are many people, Oda said it might run out soon.

Suddenly, the zombies below all looked up at the sky in a different direction from the drones. Their hearing, enhanced by magic, made them react faster than the people on the rooftop. I could hear it too, and then I saw it.

"That is..."

The bald man next to me seemed to have noticed it too.

A shadow could be seen floating in the distant sky, making a flapping sound as it flew toward us.

"Military helicopter!"

He confirmed the aircraft with binoculars and immediately contacted Oda via radio.

The Self-Defense Forces were alive.

I didn't think they had all been wiped out by the zombies, but since there had been no movement according to Oda, it was a relief to know they were still active.

The helicopter seemed to have detected us, and it appeared to recognize us. Could we expect rescue?

Oda arrived, opening the rooftop door with an unusually loud bang. He looked up at the sky, peered through the binoculars, and trembled.

"Can we be saved...?"

If we are protected by the Self-Defense Forces, the safety of the evacuees won't be 100% guaranteed, but it will be secured. At this moment, I was deeply moved by Oda's concern for others rather than himself.

The helicopter approached and eventually reached the city hall. It slowly descended.

The rooftop of the city hall is spacious enough. I don't know the details, but a regular-sized helicopter like that should be able to land.

The helicopter successfully landed on the rooftop of the city hall, and a Self-Defense Force member with an assault rifle emerged. By then, most of the evacuees had gathered on the rooftop.

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Oda spoke with the Self-Defense Force member via the radio connected to the city hall.

To summarize, the helicopter was indeed a rescue helicopter sent to pick up survivors, but it could only make one more round trip today.

They had been conducting rescues in the nearby area, and this was the first time they had sent a helicopter to our location. Many evacuees had already been rescued.

The reason they could only make one more round trip was due to time constraints. If they returned to the base and came back here again, it would be too dark and dangerous to operate.

Indeed, landing a helicopter on the city hall rooftop without electricity and proper lighting at night would be very dangerous. The police station's rooftop doesn't have enough space for a helicopter to land, so if they were to rescue people, they would have to hover and use a rope ladder, which would be even more dangerous at night.

The helicopter's capacity is five people, including the crew, but with some effort, it could transport everyone at the city hall in two trips. Initially, they suggested prioritizing women and transporting them from the police station, but due to the time it would take to use the rope ladder, they decided to transport everyone at the city hall first.

The evacuees at the police station were worried about what would happen, but contrary to expectations, there wasn't much resistance. The mood around them improved when someone said, "They'll come back anyway, so it's the same."

The city hall side had a few staff members who stayed on the day of the pandemic and some civilians who had fled there. In contrast, the police station had many police officers. Given the situation, with the fighting force on our side, it's not surprising that the Self-Defense Force decided to transport the people at the city hall first. Some of the evacuees must have thought the same.

Despite this, the smooth operation without significant trouble was a testament to the trust and gratitude the evacuees had for Oda and the police officers.

At the same time, I realized once again that the evacuees here are not bad people at all.