On the base's training ground, several new Defense Force members were in the middle of training.
The ground had turned into a muddy mess from the melting snow and all the feet trampling over it.
Leo moved swiftly through the obstacle course.
His advantage was no longer something he had to prove in winter. It had become a recognized strength.
During one simulated combat drill, Leo used his astonishing burst of speed to instantly "kill" two National Guard soldiers playing walkers, drawing gasps of admiration from his teammates.
For the young people who, like him, had come from the Norris community, Leo was no longer just their impulsive companion. He had become living proof.
Here, as long as you had the ability and were willing to push yourself, you could earn respect and protect the people you wanted to protect.
David was even more striking.
The man who had once nearly dragged the entire community into disaster out of humiliation and anger was now wearing a standard combat uniform, standing in one corner of the training ground and practicing thrusts with meticulous focus.
David no longer questioned orders. Instead, he held himself to even harsher standards.
At the same time, two men who had just shed their prisoner status, Wagner and Jason, also appeared on the training ground.
Wagner was undergoing weapons disassembly and combat proficiency tests.
As for Jason, his movements still carried the rough, self-taught style of street fighting, but the desperation and focus he showed while learning combat techniques were impossible to ignore.
Watching all of this, some ordinary residents who had once only dared to stay in the rear doing jobs like hauling, farming, and cleaning began to waver.
Among them were the first group of captive weapons production line workers Rock Fortress had taken in.
There were men and women from the Norris community who believed they had no skills beyond basic labor.
There were also survivors taken in during the winter who had always felt like outsiders.
People began whispering among themselves.
"Look at that kid Leo. He's fast. I heard he earned merit at the ranch last time..."
"Even David got trained up. We used to laugh at him for being reckless..."
"Even those two prisoners... Wagner and that Jason. They're throwing themselves at the Defense Force. It can't just be a place where people go to risk their lives."
"Yeah. Look at them after training, when they go eat. No one dares look down on them..."
"But... can we do it? We've never even touched a gun, and we can't run fast..."
"What's there to be scared of? Didn't you hear Commander Maya and Lieutenant Welles? The reserves start from zero. Leo and the others got through it too, didn't they?
It's better than hauling bricks for the rest of our lives. At least... if something really happens, we can hold our own instead of just waiting for someone else to save us."
At first, these discussions were only faint ripples, but under the constant impact of those examples, they gradually gathered into the courage to act.
...
Finally, on a bright, sunny afternoon, several people gathered around the wooden table at the Defense Force recruitment office.
Clifford had been one of the main fighters of the former Norris community. After seeing how well Leo and David had adapted to the Defense Force, he had been thinking along the same lines for some time.
He was not Marcus or Knox, and he was not one of the Dam System workers. He had no special skills. Before the apocalypse, he had only been an ordinary office employee, though he worked out often and was in decent shape.
Clifford was the first to walk over.
"I... I'd like to sign up and give it a try."
Next came a young farmer, rubbing his rough palms together as he lined up behind him.
Then came two brothers who had survived the winter wandering together. They exchanged a glance and walked over side by side.
Gradually, more people gathered.
Most of those signing up looked anxious and hesitant.
But they were no longer satisfied with only being protected. They wanted to become part of the force that protected others, and they wanted the sense of recognition that came with being able to walk through the base with their backs straight.
The team member in charge of registration looked at the small line forming in front of him, surprise flashing through his eyes. Then he began registering them one by one and asking a few simple questions.
Just then, a woman walked hesitantly to the side of the line.
Brenda was one of the survivors Rock Fortress had rescued from Lorenzo.
She was around thirty-five or thirty-six, broad-framed and strong-armed. Years of labor had given her a sturdy body, yet the fear on her face looked out of place with her build.
Brenda was still wearing her kitchen helper's apron.
"I... can I... try too?"
Her voice was a little tight, and her hands nervously twisted the edge of her apron.
The Defense Force member in charge of registration looked up. Judging by her build, she actually seemed more reliable than many thin, weak men.
He asked in a businesslike tone, "Name? What did you do before? Why do you want to join?"
Brenda took a deep breath. "My name is Brenda. Before... I was just a housewife."
She paused, her gaze passing over the training ground. Then she spoke a little faster, as if trying to convince herself.
"But I'm strong.
Really! Back home, I was the one who repaired the roof and carried the rice and flour. My husband... he couldn't be counted on."
Brenda did not say much about her dead family. She only pressed her lips tightly together.
"When I first came to the base, I thought I couldn't do anything except cook and clean, so I kept helping in the kitchen."
Her voice gradually steadied, carrying a plain but firm resolve.
"But I've been watching for a long time. I watched Leo run fast and David train hard. They're all ordinary people.
So I thought... I may not have anything else, but I do have strength, and I'm not afraid of hard work. I don't want to spend my whole life stuck behind the kitchen.
Maybe this strength of mine could be used somewhere it's needed more? I want to sign up. Is that okay?"
She spoke plainly, without any grand declarations, only a stubborn refusal to give up.
The team member nodded and wrote her name in the register.
"Brenda, signed up for the reserves. Next."
Brenda let out a long breath, untied her apron, and silently took her place at the end of the line.
Not far away, Merle stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene. He lowered his voice to Daryl.
"See that, Daryl?
That big woman's built for heavy work. Wall-building, hauling ammunition, she'd be good at that. But..."
He shook his head.
"Strength alone isn't enough. React half a beat too slow on the battlefield and you're a sitting duck. If she can be trained into a decent engineer or support hand, that'll already be pretty good."
Daryl glanced over, not quite agreeing.
"Not everyone needs to be a killer."
At the edge of the training ground, Leah stood with her arms crossed, quietly watching the scene.
There was no expression on her face, but inwardly, she was fairly satisfied with the situation.
Brenda's decision to join represented a more common possibility.
Not everyone was destined to become a legend, but as long as they were willing, everyone could find a place of their own and contribute something solid to the group.
And it gave Leah an idea: organize regular training for ordinary residents.
They did not all need to receive training as intense as the Defense Force's, but at the very least, they should practice shooting targets or basic cold-weapon self-defense. They could not afford to fall apart at a critical moment.