If it ever came to that, he might start quantifying lives, even adopting UMP45's way of thinking—deciding which Tactical Dolls had to be sacrificed, coldly abandoning them in exchange for greater gains.
Doing so wouldn't be wrong in this world. In fact, UMP45 was better suited to be a leader.
But he didn't want that.
Every Tactical Doll was unique, and he didn't want to give up on any of them.
Moreover, when Tactical Dolls were summoned, their affection level started at eighty. Through daily interaction, it would eventually reach the maximum. If he ever gave an order that ended in sacrifice, the Tactical Dolls would still carry it out, because they had entrusted everything—including their lives—to him.
Giving such an order would be a complete betrayal of their trust and affection.
The best solution, then, was to never give himself that chance—to never give himself the chance to become corrupted, and to act cautiously.
So he laid all of this out plainly.
As expected, once Lux said this, the women hesitated again.
At least if they stayed in the bar, they wouldn't be in immediate danger. Following Lux might mean living longer—or it might mean being pushed out to feed zombies.
"Hey, take me with you. My name is Lianne. Whether you want me to sleep with you, or one day are forced to push me out to feed zombies, or trade me to another man—whatever you decide, I won't resent you. I'll cooperate obediently."
The school beauty whose chin had been held by UMP45 suddenly spoke.
A hint of surprise appeared in Lux's eyes.
"Oh? Commander, looks like this girl fell for you at first sight. What will you do? She's willing to accept whatever path you choose for her."
UMP45 released her hand playfully and looked at Lux with a meaningful gaze.
"Why? I don't believe you'd fall for me at first sight."
Lux looked at Lianne in confusion.
"I can tell you the reason—but can I talk to you alone?"
"Come."
Lux turned and walked deeper into the bar. He couldn't understand why Lainne was so determined to follow him.
Even if it was love at first sight, when her life was on the line, she shouldn't want to be pushed out to feed zombies. There had to be some reason behind her words.
Besides, using her body to seduce him was something all the women here were already doing. There was no need for her to talk to him alone if that was her intention.
So Lux believed she wasn't trying to seduce him with her body.
Lianne quickly stepped out of the private room and followed behind him.
"Hoh hoh, 416, are you really fine with it? That little girl basically threw herself at him. The commander's first time might get taken by her, you know."
UMP45 leaned against the doorframe and said with a grin.
"If the commander wants to do it with her, I won't interfere. I want to stay by the commander's side and protect him. That's enough for me."
"I'm a Tactical Doll. I don't have the right to choose a partner for the commander. If I only bring trouble to him, one day I'll be discarded."
"I don't know what you're planning, 45, but I will always stay by the commander's side and protect him. No matter what, I won't let you hurt him… this is… my affection."
HK416 replied coldly, not reacting to UMP45's provocation.
However, from the way she tightly gripped her weapon, it was clear her heart was far from calm.
"Hehehe, looks like you've matured too."
UMP45 smiled.
---
"This should be far enough. I don't think anyone can hear what you're saying anymore."
Reaching the bar counter, Lux sat down on it and looked at Lianne calmly.
"You're not as bad as you claim to be. That's what I think. In fact, you're not like the people outside who just want to sleep with me."
Lianne spoke seriously.
"I did say I want my first time to be with someone I like. That doesn't mean I'll like you. You could still be pushed out to feed zombies at a critical moment."
Lux shrugged and looked at her indifferently.
He admitted Lainne was extremely attractive—if rated purely on looks, she was almost on par with HK416—but he didn't want to let lust ruin his current relationship with HK416.
"You won't do that."
Lianne said confidently.
"And your reason?"
Lux was a little surprised. She seemed very sure of this, even though he was deliberately avoiding such choices.
"If you really wanted to use us as bait, or treat me as a commodity to hand over to other lecherous men, you wouldn't have needed to say all that."
"If I wanted to live, I would have had to follow you anyway. Whether you slept with me or sold me to someone else, I wouldn't have had any right to decide at that point."
"The scar-faced woman is the one who truly wants to do that to us. If you really had that plan, you wouldn't have spoken up back then."
"So from the very beginning, you never intended to do that. I don't know why you said those things, but to you, we women are probably burdens."
"Give me a chance. Teach me how to kill those monsters outside. I'll prove my value. I scored 168 on an IQ test. I won't be a decorative vase to you. Of course, if you end up liking me, I won't mind that either."
"I didn't say all this back there because once I did, the other women would try every possible way to climb into your vehicle. The number of people you can take is limited, and the more burdens you have, the harder your journey ahead will be."
After finishing, Lianne looked at Lux nervously, waiting for his response.
Although she had roughly guessed what he was thinking, she still couldn't be sure he would take her with him.
"Pfft. As expected of a high-IQ talent. I used to think being smart only went so far, but now I see you really are something else. Kid, you pass."
Lux smiled faintly.
Only women who were beautiful or intelligent could survive in the apocalypse.
In just a short conversation, Lianne had recognized her own fear, judged that following him was more advantageous, and immediately laid out all the bargaining chips she had.
Taking her along wouldn't be a loss.
Providing food and security for one person wasn't difficult, but someone with such exceptional intelligence was rare. If he ever built his own settlement in the future, she would likely grasp technical matters far faster than he could.
Besides, if she were just a bookish type, she would have died long ago. The fact that she survived until now—especially since the disaster broke out during school hours—proved she had some real ability.
More importantly, she had not only seen through his intentions, but also remained calm without causing him extra trouble. That meant her emotional intelligence was high as well.
Lux reached into his hiking bag, took out a set of camouflage clothing from the system space, and tossed it to Lainne.
"Put it on. I'm taking you with us."