Harem God: Leveling Up Yanderes in the Apocalypse

"I'm leaving for now." Auburn said to Leon after they finished up for the day, "I'll consider joining you, but my partner is male. So it doesn't work well."

"In the future, we'll create a subdistrict where chosen men can join." Leon said with a nod, "That way, we can attract people like you. So I'll contact you then."

"Okay. But… before I go. Why are you like this?" Auburn asked, "You're arrogant, but you're not correspondingly self-centered or ambitious. It's almost like… you're not driven toward this."

Leon shrugged casually. "I chose this power to develop relationships with powerful, trustworthy people. As you can see, that's what I'm doing. That's all."

"This is strictly practical? Is there nothing you desire?" Auburn asked in disbelief.

"Only to make two and a half women happy. Otherwise, I'm ambivalent about you and everyone else." He replied.

"So don't take it personally. I'll kill someone that's my enemy with complete apathy. But if someone doesn't get in my way, I see them with the same amount of indifference."

"You don't get a thrill in killing like a psychopath or act without mercy like someone that has become callus from life experiences? You really feel nothing?" Auburn asked in shock. "What made you like that?"

"What made me like that?" He chuckled, "I'm not someone that abandoned sympathy and became estranged after seeing the world for the cruel place it is.

I never had sympathy or idealistic notions of the world to begin with. I've never had an aversion to killing people either; I killed someone when I was five and felt nothing.

It is what it is; if you want a reason, I'm afraid I cannot help you with that."

Auburn opened and closed her mouth in shock.

"I need to go now. So I'll contact you later when the subdistrict is ready unless you arrive first." Leon said while walking back to the park. Caitlyn and Lindy looked at the woman mockingly before following him.

Auburn took flight with a wry smile, uncertain what to think about the strange man.

The haremites went back to the park once their mana was depleted. No one wanted to use their precious mana potions when they could recover. So they enjoyed the rest of their afternoon, and then night passed peacefully.

The next morning he awoke early to showcase how the group was making breakfast for hundreds of people.

As always, Caitlyn snapped awake the instant he woke up in the creepiest way possible and followed him around instantly. Lindy wasn't a morning person, so she always got up begrudgingly, using her desire not to be outdone as fuel.

It was five am, and the haremites hadn't awoken. However, Leon had a show to film, so he met up with the people who woke up early.

He strode to a tent on the other side of the park in the darkness, followed by his partners.

"Morning, Mindy." Leon said with a sleepy smile.

"Traxie!" Mindy cried while excitedly jumping into his arms.

His eyes widened in shock. He didn't know how the cat woman concluded they were close enough to touch him, let alone hug him or give him a nickname.

"I…." Leon said nervously, glancing at Caitlyn and Lindy to prevent them from trying to strike the woman.

Leon planned to peel the cute pink-haired cat girl off him until he felt her fluffy white cat ears on his cheek. He instantly perked up and was overwhelmed with the desire to pet them.

"Do you wanna pet them?" Mindy asked with a cheery smile.

"Yes…." Leon replied in a trance. He petted her cat ears and closed his eyes as the profound sensation washed over him.

"I'll get cat ears too." Caitlyn declared.

Leon gulped, fearful of how she'd acquire said ears. "I… I like that you don't have cat ears."

"If you think so." Caitlyn replied with a wry smile. She could tell how much he enjoyed them.

"Why are you hugging me?" He asked Mindy who hadn't released him.

She blushed and pulled away. "Sorry… I'm just happy you spared my sister."

Leon chuckled bitterly when he remembered the woman. Minx had walked up to him the night before to remind him that she was his pet.

Her gamble's wording was [pet] that would do anything he said. As a result, she felt drawn to him and wanted to sleep near him, but he ordered her away, not wanting to talk to her.

"Don't worry about it." Leon sighed, "At least she put that addiction to hers to good use."

"I'm glad you think that." Mindy said with a downcast expression.

"Mindy! What are you doing!? Your steaks are burning!" A cook cried.

"Sorry!" Mindy cried, running back to a grill in a panic. No one watching the broadcast would know she was running the kitchen.

Leon chuckled and began his tour. "Mindy, you're on God Display. What are you cooking?"

She flipped a steak. "I'm not sure, to be honest. This meat is from one of the monsters that the beast women and other non-native candidates felt food worthy."

Leon's eyes widened in surprise. "I wouldn't have believed that. It smells delicious."

"I think so to!" Mindy said with a bright smile, "These creatures are candidates from other worlds. So they're not much different than animals on earth."

"That's a great point." He chuckled.

"You want some?" Mindy asked while slicing a small amount off and offering a fork to him.

"Sure." Leon said with a slight smile. He took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

"This is delicious." He said in surprise.

"That's because everything I cook is amazing!" Mindy said with her chest puffed out in pride.

Leon, Caitlyn, and Lindy smile. They liked the cute cat girl.

"What else do we have on the menu today?" He asked.

"We have something like Kizleki, a dish from Clikisti." Mindy said, "It has a bunch of ingredients English speakers can't pronounce."

Leon laughed. "Thanks for saving us from the trouble. If there's something that English speakers excel at, it's avoiding other languages."

The human haremites burst into laughter.

"What are we doing once we don't have food from the Sanctuary Event?" Leon asked.

"Ask Petra. She's in charge of that." Mindy replied while pointing at a redhead in the corner. She had a freckled face and a kind smile.

"Hello, Petra." Leon smiled, "Can you let me know what we're doing about food supplies?"

"H-Hello, Mr. Traxler." Petra stuttered while bowing. She was one of the survivors, and she felt indebted to him.

"Leon's fine." He replied with a warm smile.

"Uh… okay, Mr., um, Leon." She stumbled, "I'll show you the supplies."

The redhead led Leon and his partners into another tent on the other side of the park, which housed their stockpile.

"How…." Leon asked in shock. There was a cube of can food boxes ten feet high and twenty feet across in the back of the tent.

"Mirth the retrieval team members toward Tibulion yesterday, scouring for resources." Petra explained, "They found a bulk food store and took as much as possible. They said a woman named Tricksie helped them."

Leon, Caitlyn, and Lindy laughed in bewilderment. "Well, we've solved the food and supplies problem."

Petra stared at him in confusion and embarrassment for her ignorance.

"You said they went scouring. What about the retrieval team members saving the survivors?" He continued.

"Ms. Kazz and Ms. Kern are taking care of that somehow." Petra replied nervously at his prying.

Leon gave her a warm smile. "That's all I needed to hear. Thank you, Petra. Please relay my thanks to the rest of your group, and I'll make sure to thank them later."

"T-There's no need to thank me, Mr., um, Leon." Petra replied sheepishly.

"Even if there isn't, it's still better to get praise, right?" He asked with a slight smile.

"I-I suppose so." She stuttered, "I mean, yes. It is. Thank you."

Leon smiled and turned away.

"Wait! I forgot." Petra called out.

He turned back to her, and his eyes widened.

"I was told to give these to you." Petra said nervously.

Light tears of happiness welled in his eyes. "Pudding."