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At 8 a.m., a group of yawning women were called into the courtyard.
"Today, we start planting."
"The land's already been tilled. All you need to do is plant the seeds and saplings, then water them properly."
"It's not hard work. I hope everyone takes it seriously."
Nanami Kento stood on the steps, speaking in a steady voice.
The planting work had been assigned to the original residents, along with some of the elderly and women who had come with Kento.
Honestly, with dozens of people doing it, the workload wasn't heavy at all.
"Dragging us out this early… are we farmers now or what?"
"Exactly! I usually sleep until ten!"
"If I don't get enough sleep, my skin's going to suffer!"
A few women in their thirties huddled together, grumbling.
"Cut it out already," a voice snapped from the side.
"This isn't even that much work."
"They're watching our attitude, more than anything."
"Pull yourselves together and get it done properly."
The one speaking was Satsuki, a woman in her forties and the representative of the original residents.
She used to be a professional manager at a clothing company, experienced and sharp when it came to reading people. She also carried a fair amount of authority within the community.
"...Hmph."
The complaining women frowned but shut up.
Soon, under the guidance of a few experienced elders, the group got to work sowing seeds and transplanting saplings.
The morning sun wasn't too harsh, but working under it for a long time still wore people down.
Before long, some of the women couldn't take it anymore.
"My fingers used to play the piano!"
"At home, I don't even wash dishes!"
"And now I'm digging dirt and planting potatoes here…"
A woman with big, permed curls shook the soil off her hands in disgust.
"I'd rather go back to dealing with those disgusting guards…"
"Same. I'm used to being with men anyway," added a blonde-haired woman beside her.
"As long as I don't have to work, I'm fine with anything."
The two of them kept complaining while looking for chances to slack off. Sometimes they'd squat down for five whole minutes without doing a thing.
After the sowing came transplanting saplings.
The two were assigned to tomatoes.
The task was simple: move the whole tomato seedling from the pot into the soil. Loosen the dirt a bit, bury it, done.
The curly-haired woman glanced around. Seeing no one watching, she plucked a small tomato and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm… a little sour, but so good!"
"Here, you try one too."
Tempted, the blonde swallowed and grabbed one as well.
Since yesterday, all food had been rationed. Getting fresh fruits or vegetables wasn't easy. Now that they had the chance, why not sneak a few?
"Alright, that's enough," the curly-haired woman said after a few bites. "If we eat too many, someone will notice."
At that moment, a large shadow fell over them.
Kento's imposing figure had appeared right behind them.
"Slacking off during work. Stealing food."
"Are you openly breaking the camp's rules?"
His voice was ice-cold.
The two women froze.
Then the curly-haired woman quickly switched to a flirtatious smile.
"Hey there, big guy," she said sweetly. "We just don't have much experience."
"How about this—after work today, why don't you come to my villa and give me some… private guidance?"
She shot him a suggestive look.
She had originally been the kept mistress of a wealthy businessman who owned the villa. He had died during the security guards' attack, leaving her alone there.
If she could win over Kento, the leader of the newcomers…
Her future would be secure.
"No need," Kento said flatly. "You won't be going back to your villa anyway."
She blinked, confused.
What did he mean?
Was he going to take her somewhere else? Honestly… that might not be so bad—
Just as she was putting on her charm, Kento suddenly reached out and grabbed both women, one in each hand, lifting them off the ground.
"…That direct?"
"You want both of us? Right now?"
They were stunned—but not entirely resistant. Given his build, it didn't seem strange. Their thoughts were already drifting toward a more "comfortable" future.
Instead, Kento carried them straight up to the steps.
"Everyone, listen up!"
"These two deliberately slacked off during work and stole unripe fruit."
"According to the rules set by Boss Julian…"
"They will be punished with exile."
"At noon, our supply team will take them into the city and drop them off in a relatively safe location."
"We will give them at most one day's worth of food and a weapon for self-defense."
"After that, they're on their own."
"Let this be a lesson to the rest of you."
His voice remained cold and firm.
"WHAT?!"
The two women trembled violently.
Exile?
They were being thrown out?
"You've got to be kidding!"
"We're homeowners here!"
"We have property deeds!"
"What right do you have to kick us out?!"
The curly-haired woman panicked instantly.
Throwing her out was basically a death sentence.
She didn't know how to survive. All she had were the skills she used in bed—nothing else.
"These rules were set by Boss Julian," Kento said. "This is what happens if you break them."
"Don't bother resisting. You're not capable of it anyway."
He tossed them aside.
Ryuji and the others immediately stepped forward and tied them up.
"Sister Satsuki," Kento asked, turning to Satsuki, "do you have any issue with how I handled this?"
Satsuki frowned slightly at first, but her expression quickly returned to neutral.
"No. Your handling is appropriate."
"I agree."
She nodded.
Back in her old life as a professional manager, she had handled plenty of personnel issues.
What these two had done might seem minor, but in a larger sense, it affected the entire camp's atmosphere.
Just like in a company—once that kind of behavior spreads, efficiency plummets.
Action had to be taken.
The method… was a bit harsh.
But making an example early on was necessary—and effective.
So she chose to support it without hesitation.
"Sister Satsuki! How can you side with them?!"
"Please, save us!"
The two women were drenched in sweat, their makeup already running.
Satsuki looked at them for a moment, then turned away without wavering. She walked over to the people still working.
"Everyone, listen up," she called out.
"Since we've accepted their protection, we follow their rules."
"Things aren't like they used to be. You need to adjust your mindset."
"At least for now, Julian has shown both integrity and strength as a leader."
"In times like these, you won't find anyone better easily."
"So just focus on your work and do it properly."
Drawing on her professional skills, she delivered a short but effective speech.
The elderly and the women who had come from outside didn't have much issue—they'd already been through hardship, so this kind of work was nothing.
The real problem was the original residents.
They had their complaints, whether they voiced them or not.
But after seeing the punishment of these two and hearing Satsuki's words, they finally understood.
The world had changed.
The only way forward now… was to work honestly and keep your head down.
"....."