When Jason heard those words, he was so surprised that he wanted to deny them immediately, but he stopped after thinking about it. He couldn't persuade Alicia to abandon this idea in front of Deanna—doing so would make Deanna think about situations that weren't true, which would in turn probably affect her final decision.
Was Alicia really willing to go to that place alongside Deanna, whom she had only recently met? For now, he couldn't refute Alicia's words, so the only thing he could do was speak with her in detail after this conversation.
But this wasn't something that would affect Jason in this discussion, so, with an unchanged expression, he asked, "Tell me, what's the reason? Wait—does your family know?"
"My family can't decide for me, and I understand I told you I didn't want too many responsibilities, but what I do know is that this organization needs to be guided onto the right path under the care of many talents. Deanna would be the spokesperson for our group, Monroe is a talented architect and teacher. Although I can't compare myself to them, I'm a survivor, and I've also led groups of survivors."
"In general situations, it would be better for Deanna to have someone she can trust within that organization if the initial plan fails. I can help Deanna manage her work and keep a close eye on her safety—you know my skills and what I'm capable of. Then we can slowly grow and join forces when the time comes. I want to help now because I see a future if we work together."
Hearing Alicia's explanation, Jason analyzed all the possibilities one by one in his mind, but there were too many unknown and mixed factors, so he kept silent about the complications that could arise along the way.
What he knew was only basic information about this force. The main reason for persuading Deanna to go was because of development. Maybe Deanna could accomplish something truly meaningful and useful for the future—a place where she could explore her leadership skills.
This wouldn't affect Deanna negatively at all. The Federation was, in fact, very suitable for her. Her status before the end of the world could give her a chance to start gaining power in those circles. Could this influence the leadership system there? After all, the selection and development process was strange, at least for survivors.
The good thing was that the Federation's foreign policy was much softer—once you passed their inspection, people joining wouldn't have to worry about their safety. So, in all this, he saw only wins.
Looking at Jason, who was silently lost in thought, Deanna assumed he was worried about Alicia, so she asked, "Jason, didn't you say there wouldn't be any danger there?"
Jason smiled but said nothing. He pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the table, signaling for everyone to take a look.
Deanna picked it up first, and then the three of them passed it around to read.
As she read, Deanna frowned. She hadn't expected the system in this organization to be so strange. How could such a system be supported by such a powerful force? Could it be due to the strength of their armed forces?
"There's no danger, but the most important thing is to tell you my plan. The Commonwealth's location is probably in central Ohio, but their defense zone should be along the Virginia border, right on that side. I'll need to investigate this thoroughly before giving you a full briefing."
"As for your background, you can say the following—you belong to a community called the Kingdom, a small group of farmers doing their best to survive, and your journey is because you heard from survivors about a huge shelter in Ohio."
"Later, someone will bring you envelopes with your background identities—you must learn the protocol properly, and if you think you can't lie, then speak the truth but omit anything about the S.T.C."
…
After Jason spoke with his management and intelligence team about the key points to keep in mind, he left with Alicia and headed to her house.
In Jason's room
"Do you really want to go to that place?"
"Jason, I know you think I'm pushing myself to change something, but that's not it. Before, I thought that responsibility was too much for me, but now I know we can take back the world we've lost. I've come to understand, in a short time, everything you've gone through so that people can survive, and I see you're still working hard to make that effort worth it."
"I don't want to stay here growing pumpkins while most of the group I belong to goes out to fight. I want to do my part, and I will, even if my mother doesn't agree."
Hearing Alicia's determined words, Jason stayed silent. He could understand her thoughts—he knew she was as good as, if not better than, Maggie, so he wasn't worried.
Sensing Jason's silence, Alicia stepped closer and said, "Jason, one of the reasons I want to go to the Commonwealth is to make sure your plan is carried out, and the other is to create a safe place without unnecessary deaths. After all, someone trustworthy needs to go there in case Deanna changes her mind."
Jason nodded at that. In fact, that was one of the things that worried him about all this. After all, even though he knew the Monroe family's history, he couldn't be sure if their behavior would vary from how it was in the original storyline, so it would be a good idea for Alicia to accompany her.
"Then you have my support, but this is something you should discuss with your family. Your mother would kill me if she thought I sent you there."
"Seems like you're very careful with my mother…"
"I'm just trying to be someone… that's just how I am."
That night, there wasn't much more to say.
…
The next morning, Jason woke up early, and the night's rest had left him feeling much better.
Alicia, next to him, also sat up. She was wearing light pajamas, flashed a bright smile, and after saying good morning, went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Jason felt a bit stiff about this relationship—he didn't know exactly when it had happened, it had just come about quickly and naturally.
The two finished breakfast together, and Jason deliberately stayed with her a little longer, discussing some things Alicia should keep in mind before going to talk with her mother.
After eating, it was already past seven in the morning. When he left the house, a group of people had already gathered in the central square.
Today, Jason planned to go to the seaside hotel with a large force and try to get in contact with this organization whose current state was unknown to him. In the original story, they had been a broken group due to their losses, but he wasn't sure what they had been like before The Saviors appeared.
With the mindset of giving it a try, he decided to bring members of his group to test the waters. It was fine if the other side was easy to deal with, but if they weren't reasonable, that was fine too—Jason didn't want to waste time. They would either be his allies or his enemies.
At the moment, the convoy was led by a modified RV and a bus with additional modifications.
As for personnel, Jason brought several experienced soldiers and his group, as well as about a dozen Alexandrian natives.
The distance to the seaside hotel wasn't very close. To be precise, the Kingdom and Hilltop weren't near each other. Everyone needed to drive dozens of kilometers, scattered across various corners of Washington.
The three vehicles drove for about an hour before reaching the area near the seaside hotel. It was said to be a seaside hotel, but in reality, it was on an island, not connected to the mainland by a bridge.
At that moment, Jason's team stopped on the other side of the bridge. The reason they stopped was that the bridgehead was completely blocked by several huge metal crates.
Several members of the team got out of the vehicles and stood behind Jason. Michonne looked at the crates and asked, "Jason, is this the survivor camp you mentioned?"
Her eyes were fixed on the iron boxes. After a few glances, she turned back, and Jason said, "That's right—their camp is here."
While several people discussed how to get in, a man's voice suddenly rang out from behind the metal crate.
"Who are you? Why are you here?"