Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 120 She Refused. He Shot Her.

The losses were heavy, and morale in Cliff’s unit was crumbling fast. Left with no choice, Cliff decided to push forward a plan he’d kept to himself. He needed to boost morale, and fast.

He pulled out a small notebook. Standing beside him, his adjutant read aloud the decision written inside.

"From this moment on, all company commanders of the Seventh Sovereign Vanguard are entitled to one personal female companion to handle their daily needs. Battalion commanders, and those of equivalent rank, may have two. Regiment leaders, four. Vice division commanders, six. Division commanders, ten. And vice army leaders - fifteen."

"Platoon and squad leaders will receive fixed stipends, food rations, and basic entertainment items. Ordinary soldiers who perform exceptionally or earn significant merits may be granted one exclusive companion, with promotion chances included..."

The rules spelled out exact terms for officers clearly. As for the "basic entertainment items" for regular troops, things were intentionally vague. Cliff wasn’t shameless enough to write it out directly, but everyone knew what he meant.

"Commander! We can’t go through with this!" An older officer shot to his feet, visibly shaken. "Most of these women have families. If we do this, how are their relatives supposed to react? It’ll be chaos!"

"Chaos?" Cliff narrowed his eyes and let out a cold grunt. "Our men risk their lives every day. Meanwhile, folks in the city are out there screwing around without a care. You’re not worried that will ruin our troops?"

"I agree!" another officer chimed in quickly. "In extreme times, we need extreme measures!"

"Extreme?" the older man snapped. "What happens when the Central Army shows up? What the hell do we tell them? How do we explain this to the nation? To the civilians? Sir, you must reconsider!"

"Central Army..." Cliff scoffed, lifting his teacup for a slow sip. "Thaddeus, you really think the Central Army still exists?"

Thaddeus hesitated, lost for words. "If we’re still alive... they should be doing better - better equipped, better funded... surely they’re still around."

Cliff’s smile was thin. "But can they still command us?"

"Exactly!" one of the younger officers chimed in. "Thaddeus, you think they’d leave the capital and swing all the way up to Northreach Province just to deal with us and our little problems?"

"You - " Thaddeus’s hand trembled, pointing not at Cliff, but at the younger man. "And what about these women? Their families? Does this mean nothing to you? Do any of you understand what you’re doing? What this leads to?"

Cliff’s face darkened, voice cold. "Thaddeus. Because you were once my superior, I’ll act like I didn’t hear that. But I don’t want to hear it again. Is that clear?"

The mention of their past broke Thaddeus’s restraint. He jabbed a finger straight at Cliff’s face. "You remember I trained you? That I stood behind you back then? Fine. Not training you right - that’s my mistake. But if you insist on pushing this monstrous, inhumane order... then shoot me first. Because if you don’t, I swear by dawn I’ll defect - me, those women, and their families!"

Thaddeus slammed his sidearm onto the table with a loud thud. With a single push, he slid it straight to Cliff. "Go on, Cliff. If you’ve got the guts, shoot me yourself! If I die by a soldier I once trained, then I guess it proves I was blind all along."

Nobody expected things to spiral like that. Even a few officers who’d just voiced support for Cliff were stunned. Thaddeus might’ve been rigid, sure, but the man was honest to the bone. The soldiers respected him, so did most of his men. No one thought he’d be this stubborn.

"Sir, please, sit down. We can talk this out - " a nearby officer tried to calm things down.

But before he could finish, a gunshot cracked through the air.

Cliff snatched up the pistol faster than anyone could react and fired right at Thaddeus’s face. The bullet tore into his cheekbone, and blood spurted from the wound.

Thaddeus’s finger still pointed accusingly in the air, frozen for a second - then he slowly collapsed backward.

*****

Magnus had something nagging at him now. The Ice Regiment had over a thousand people. Could the underground granary in Ashbrook Town really fit them all?

Back in his last life, no one knew the exact number of people Vulture had under him. What they did know? Most of Vulture’s men stayed above ground, in the residential blocks of the town.

Magnus had never seen the entire granary himself. Could people even live in there? That was unclear.

He kept the thought to himself. Now wasn’t the time to raise doubts. No point in stirring up meaningless worry.

The next few days, the convoy kept moving in stops and starts. They ran into other survivor groups a few times, raided a few sites near a small township, then kept moving.

It had been eleven days since they left the Ironvale air-defense tunnel. They’d only made 580 kilometers. If they pushed harder, they could make Ashbrook in two more days.

At 2 p.m., Magnus was lounging with Emily and the others in the RV’s lounge when the convoy stopped again.

Grace came rushing in with three other women.

Sophia looked surprised to see her sister. "What’s going on, Grace?"

Grace pulled her sister aside and said, "Three vehicles from Brightmoor Town just arrived. They want to negotiate."

"Negotiate?" Emily frowned. "Negotiate what? Are they looking to trade?"

"No idea. They’re outside now - asking to speak with whoever’s in charge." As she spoke, Grace turned to Magnus.

"Bring them in," Magnus said, standing and brushing off his coat.

Liana snorted. "Fine. But let’s make it clear - they’re not touching our sofa. Molly, go grab some stools for our guests."

"On it!" Molly jumped up without protest. She was Liana’s right hand now, though no one really knew how they’d gotten so close.

Moments later, Grace led five men into the RV. They all froze for a beat as they stepped inside, clearly caught off guard by the lavish setup. One by one, they took off their ragged hoods, awe written all over their faces.

Magnus personally handed them each a bottle of mineral water. The men mumbled grateful thanks as they took the drinks, nervous and unsure.

He pulled over a chair, sat across from them, and cut to the chase. "Let’s not waste time. Tell me - what are you really here to negotiate?"