After a series of apologies, it was agreed that this whole matter had come to an end. Although some people in Jason's group were still upset, since their leader had said the issue was closed, no one else decided to pursue it further.
When things calmed down and everyone lowered their weapons, Carson, who had been worried about something beyond just their safety, broke the silence. They had been out for a long time but hadn't found everything they needed.
If he thought about it carefully, there were still many people in Hilltop waiting for medicine to recover, and they needed to return as soon as possible.
Thinking of this, Carson, who stood next to Ezekiel, couldn't help but ask:
"Your Majesty, I wonder if you have any specific medicines. You should know that several people in our community urgently need that medicine; otherwise, it will be difficult to control their body temperatures."
At that moment, Ezekiel felt completely relieved that Jason was a reasonable person and that his group listened to his words. Hearing this, he smiled and said to Carson:
"I had a little of what you requested, but if you ask Jason's group for help, they can give you what you need. His group is looking for communities to support and, at the same time, to complete some of their plans, which I cannot fully share."
Carson looked at Jason's entire group, who not only saved Wesley but also seemed to belong to a much larger and stronger community.
Jason didn't respond to these words; he looked at Ezekiel and said:
"Your Majesty the King..."
Before Jason could finish his words, Ezekiel interrupted him and pointed out:
"Just call me Ezekiel. For someone as understanding as you and a great friend, don't use honorifics with me."
"Then I will take your word, Ezekiel. I don't know this people's refuge, and I need your help. How do you evaluate these people? Do you think it's worth making contact with them?"
Ezekiel looked sincerely at Jesus beside him and said:
"Actually, Jesus and the others are very good business allies, and our two communities have been trading for a long time. I think it's worth it. They also have a lot to offer beyond material things."
Jason nodded and then sought Daryl's gaze. During this time, he not only gave orders as if he knew everything that would happen but always sought answers and listened to his group's thoughts. That was what kept them strong and united.
Daryl looked at Jason, squinted, and finally nodded. If they could help one person, they should. If they could save lives nowadays, that was important — something they had been doing since they traveled.
Tyreese agreed; a great and noble man would agree with whatever decision, and his sister would follow him. Glenn also accepted and agreed. Seeing this, Jason nodded.
In fact, he didn't need to explore Hilltop since they had been to that place before. But if they allied with the Kingdom of God, they could obtain more information about both communities' situation and act accordingly.
Jesus, on one side, also invited:
"Jason, I'm glad our previous misunderstanding turned into an opportunity to build relationships. And I hope you don't have a bad impression of our nature because of my reckless behavior. Our doors will always be open to good people like your group."
Carson also said:
"Yes, I hope you can come to our settlement. We still haven't repaid your help. For a group like yours, who can rescue strangers without hesitation, you are absolutely welcome in our community."
"That's right. Even though I lost my hand, I survived — all thanks to your help, which nowadays few are willing to offer," Wesley said gratefully.
Jason looked again at the dozen team members behind him. They all had the same expression on their faces: they just needed to make a decision.
Without saying a word, Jason nodded toward Jesus.
"Then let's go, no need to wait any longer."
...
In the modified RV, looking at Hilltop's main gate, Jesus proudly said to the crowd:
"Everyone, welcome to our community, Hilltop!"
Daryl whispered, "What a strange name…"
A convoy of six vehicles slowly stopped in front of Hilltop, and several people got out of the modified RV that led the way. Immediately, over the main gate of the shelter, a guard shouted:
"Jesus! Who are those people?"
Jesus walked straight to the front, leading the group, and shouted at the two guards holding spears on the wall:
"No need to worry, these are our friends. They saved Carson and the others. Open the gate."
To Jason's surprise, the other side didn't hesitate long, so the gate opened almost instantly. Seeing this, Jason looked at Daryl and both stepped aside for everyone to enter.
The atmosphere here was much bigger than in the original drama. The point was that people around saw Auron and his group enter the yard with their full team, but they didn't feel too afraid. Most of them were fighting with Jesus because of this.
Jason guessed this was because the Salvation Army had not yet appeared, so they didn't distrust strangers as much.
The yard looked very simple, many of which were sheds made of logs. It seemed there were no decent carpenters here, and the buildings were very basic. Only one side of the yard had some rooms that looked like they had been converted from containers, and the rest were full of chickens, a barn, a pigsty, and farmland.
There were no loafers in this shelter, and everyone was busy with their work. This made the team members behind Jason think of Alexandria. Compared to this place, the people there were just a bunch of folks waiting to die.
After walking a few steps, Jason heard Jesus point out a more European-style building ahead.
This used to be an old Barrington mansion, which formerly served as a tourist attraction. It is currently used as a shelter. Due to its fertile soil, farming and raising animals like chickens, pigs, and cows are the residents' main activities.
Michonne asked curiously:
"How did you find this place?"
Jesus showed a somewhat emotional expression and pointed at those working around him.
"This place is very famous in the neighborhood. All students within 50 kilometers have visited here. Before the end of the world, it operated as a tourist center. After the end of the world, people probably thought of coming to this place."
Jason didn't have time to listen to this, so he said to Carson at his side:
"What about the patients you mentioned? Bob will go see them and make a list of the medicines your people need."
Carson greeted Jason with a happy face and walked toward a trailer beside him.
While walking, Jason said to Michonne, who was behind him, and Maggie:
"You can start the initial negotiations while I accompany Bob to see the sick patients."
Jason didn't want to see that old Gregory before checking if they had what was needed here. Otherwise, they would have to wait until the group reached Alexandria.
Upon arriving at the trailer, Carson put on a white coat hanging on the wall, hung a stethoscope around his neck, and led Jason to the container beside it.
...
Jesus guided a group of people to the gate of the Barrington Mansion. As soon as they entered the house, everyone's first impression of the place was that it was exquisite. Indeed, they had lived in the last days for more than a year. It had been a long time since they had seen such an exquisite room as well.
But everyone's eyes didn't linger on those exquisite decorations for long. Maggie looked at Jesus and asked:
"Where is your leader?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a bald elderly man in a clean suit came out of the room.
"Jesus, you're back. Do you have guests?"
"This is the leader of our community, Gregory. He is practically in charge of our community's development."
Gregory opened his hands and said proudly:
"Yes, I am the boss here!"
Seeing the leader finally come out, Maggie said:
"We are the S.C.T. community, currently operating in Washington. I heard you need some supplies."
"Who said we needed supplies? We're fine, haha."
Gregory looked at the group several times. These guys aren't simple! Gregory was definitely very observant and quickly analyzed basic information about the people in front of him through simple contact.
First, from the shine on their skin, it was clear that this was a team with extremely rich resources who had never gone hungry.
Second, the other side's bodies were only stained with a little zombie blood, but overall there was no sweaty odor that other survivors could smell from afar, nor did they pay too much attention to the place's luxurious decorations, which proved that this group had a very solid base.
But most importantly, their clothing and weapons. Looking at those Humvees with machine guns, men in military uniforms, and overly armed, this was a large group of people.
Thinking about this, Gregory showed a confident smile on his face, which made Maggie and Michonne frown.
"Listen, although we are not short of materials at the moment, we have always been very interested in trade. I wonder if you can talk about that in detail."
Glenn, who accompanied Michonne and Maggie, looked at the old man. He knew dealing with him would not be easy.