Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 104 Steel Is Mine, Your Life Optional
"Hold on, Magnus, I have something to say," Liana raised her hand.
"Go ahead, Miss Jabbar..."
"I have a question." She stared straight at Magnus. "Have you ever seen the underground granary in Ashbrook Town?"
Seen it? Magnus had. Once, back in the previous life, when the Ice Regiment went there to trade food.
"Yeah, I’ve seen it," Magnus nodded.
"How does it compare to the air-raid shelter we’re using now?" she pressed.
He thought for a moment. "It’s a lot bigger than ours here. Not sure exactly how big, but it doesn’t have any exhaust system and no diesel generator either."
"Then we need to take our current generator and exhaust equipment along," Liana said immediately. "Also, the big door at the shelter’s entrance. And we’re out of steel coils - so in the next few days, we have to find some coils, steel bars, and a cutter!"
She went on, "Ever heard of that transparent steel board they use for basketball backboards? A female team member came to me - she used to manage finances at the transparent steel section of the factory. That steel plant is only 10 kilometers away. There’s still machinery in there we can use."
"Transparent steel?" Magnus raised an eyebrow. "You mean we could maybe use it as a windshield?"
"Exactly. That’s what she meant," Liana nodded firmly. "Right now every vehicle in the convoy has iron bars in front of the windshield - sightlines are terrible. With transparent steel, that’d be solved."
"Alright then. Miss Jabbar, tomorrow Sophia and I will head to that steel plant. Can you spare two trucks for us?"
Before he finished, Sophia cut in, annoyed, "Why is it always me going with you?"
Charlotte chuckled, "Same reason Liana said earlier - he likes you."
"Hmph! As if. Keep dreaming," Sophia snorted and looked away, muttering to herself.
*****
Next morning, Magnus was up early. But Sophia had risen even earlier, already gathered sixty people, all fed and ready to move. The vehicles were prepped for departure.
Magnus crunched down two biscuits and climbed into the war wagon. Someone was already in the passenger seat.
"You riding with me today, Sophia? Who’s driving the bus?"
"Giggle..." Grace held back a laugh, then straightened her face. "I gave it to Chloe. She can handle it just fine."
"You..." Magnus narrowed his eyes. Something felt off. Sure, Sophia had toned her temper down these days, but she’d never smiled at him like that before. What was going on?
"You... You’re her sister?"
"Hmph!" Grace’s face went cold. "What’s this? You call my sister Sophia, but I’m just "her sister"? Magnus, you’re something else!"
Shaking his head, Magnus started up the Mongoose truck. He opened the door and glanced at the bus behind. Its hazard lights blinked twice. They were ready. He flipped his own hazards on. One of the women guarding the shelter door saw it and pulled it open fast. Four others were already spraying the cracks with bug repellent.
Once down the hill, Maeve Lewis took the rear seat and started giving directions. She was the one Liana had mentioned - the former steel plant accountant. Ten kilometers out, forty minutes of rough road, and Magnus saw their target.
"Captain! That’s it, right there! That’s where I used to work." Maeve pointed ahead, her voice tense.
Her husband had worked there too. She’d seen him die with her own eyes, ripped apart by those centipede spiders.
"Place is already occupied," Magnus muttered, braking then sighing as he stared at the steel plant’s courtyard.
Grace caught on quick and nodded. "Yeah, bunch of people in there. Must be at least twenty vehicles in that yard."
Magnus exhaled hard. "I’ll go take a look. Maybe we can trade for the steel. If not..."
"You’re gonna rob them?" Grace grinned sideways.
"Rob? That’s not the word for it." Magnus’s expression turned firm. "Is that stuff even theirs? Did they pay for any of it?"
"Magnus!" she snapped. "You sound just like that lawyer who tried to jack our truck. Maybe even worse."
"I’m not gonna loot their bodies..." He strapped on his bulletproof helmet and moved to get out.
Grace raised a brow. "You say that now. But what if there’s some pretty face in there? You already kissed my sister without warning. Who knows what line you’ll cross next."
Yeah, that one still burned a bit. Magnus knew he’d acted on impulse. Chose not to respond. "Wait here. Won’t take long."
He stepped out. Behind him, Sophia followed with fifty armed women. Magnus triggered his Metal Crystal, holding them at the line as he moved forward alone.
"Magnus, wait a second!"
Sophia grabbed his arm. "Check out those vehicles. Don’t they seem... modified? Like ours?"
Magnus paused, eyes narrowing. She was right. A few of those rigs looked just like their custom jobs. His voice dropped as he muttered, "Were our trucks stolen?"
"Not sure. You’ll need to ask Liana about that."
"You all stay here. I’ll take a look first."
The steel plant was on the outskirts, plenty of land just like the wood processing plant. A big open yard surrounded the facility. Magnus stepped through the front gate. Workshop on the left, a three-story building straight ahead, warehouse to the right. A few cars were parked near the warehouse. He headed straight there.
The warehouse was locked. Magnus crouched by the door, picked up a rock, and hurled it at one of the nearby cars. No alarm went off, but the loud clank echoed. Footsteps scrambled from within. A side door creaked open.
Magnus jumped out fast, gun leveled right at the man stepping out. The guy froze, slowly raised his hands, backed away. Magnus kept the pistol to his head and moved inside.
"Call out your people," Magnus said, lowering the gun and lighting a cigarette.
"You - " The man only got one word out before turning and bolting to the back.
The warehouse was huge - over 800 square meters. Stacks of steel plates were arranged neatly, with narrow aisles in between. Magnus scanned the layout, then heard pounding footsteps from the right. Around thirty people came running, makeshift weapons in hand - mostly steel bars.
"What do you want? This is our place," barked the man in front. He pointed a watermelon knife at Magnus.
"We’re from the area. Just need some steel, hoping you’ll let us trade," Magnus said flatly.
The man - Glen Knight - looked surprised. "You’re after... just the steel?"
"That’s all. We just want the steel." Magnus tossed his pistol to Glen. "Three of these. Plus thirty magazines."
Glen caught the gun, felt its weight. Real stuff. He used to be a worker here - had never handled anything like it. Temptation flared in his eyes.
"Alright. Deal. Bring your people in. Just stay out of our business, and we’re good," Glen said, grinning.
The thirty men behind him all relaxed, lowering their weapons. To them, the steel plates were dead weight - couldn’t eat or drink it, just took up space. They’d wanted to get rid of it for a while but didn’t bother.
Now it could get them guns.
"No way!" A sharp shout cut through the air.
Figures emerged from the back - another dozen or so. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
"Glen! You’re not giving him a single piece of that steel! He’s the one I told you about - that’s Magnus!"
