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#058. Accompanying (1)
A sunny afternoon.
Eastern outskirts of Sector 49.
At the point where the line of scrap metal ended and the wilderness began, a small white vehicle stood.
Philip, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and said.
“I guess he’s not coming after all? He hasn’t shown up yet.”
In the rearview mirror, only a pile of scrap metal was reflected, and no human figures were visible.
Ray, who was buried deep in the driver’s seat, glanced at the time blinking on the dashboard and answered.
“It’s 12:57 p.m. There are still three minutes left.”
“You know the time correctly, right?”
“There’s no way I didn’t know. I’ve told you several times. The departure time is 1:00 PM today.”
Ray and Philip were ready to leave Sector 49.
We filled our trunks with plenty of food and drinking water to last us through the wilderness.
We packed all the necessary items for the trip, including a toolbox for vehicle maintenance and cooking utensils.
This morning, we had also finished saying our final goodbyes to the children in each group.
“We’ll be waiting here for you, Captain! Carrying out the missions you told us every day!”
“There has never been anyone as cool and good at fighting as the captain!”
“Have a nice trip!”
“Can I give you some juice, Hunter?”
“Philip. It’s a shame, but it’s your decision. Be sure to get what you want and come back!”
Philip still felt his eyes get teary when he recalled the faces of the children waving their hands as they came out of the hotel.
‘I’ll miss you a lot.’
Leaving Sector 49 was never an easy decision.
After all, it was something that required me to give up almost everything I had enjoyed before and leave.
A hotel system that was established with difficulty.
Extensive network of shop owners.
Information from sector 49 that has been collected over a long period of time.
And that includes the bond with the hotel kids.
At first, I was afraid.
“Can I just give up all this and leave?”
“Can I dare to step into the outside world where I don’t know what will happen?”
But the desire for a ‘purpose in life’ that I have had since I was very young.
And the ‘eye’ that judges people that I have been working on my whole life eventually made me lean towards one side.
“I will accept your offer. I will leave this place with you.”
With Ray, you can achieve your goals.
Although I haven’t been given all the information about the trip yet, I have a strong feeling that it will be possible.
And I heard recently that there may be one more person accompanying us.
“Veronica. Have you met her before?”
“I know. I saw it before.”
The day Ray fought an unidentified man in an abandoned factory.
A red-haired girl who suddenly came to the hotel and asked for help because Ray might be in danger.
From Philip’s point of view, there was absolutely no reason to hesitate.
A wizard like Ray would definitely be a great help on the journey.
They also developed a bit of a bond by blocking Ray together while he was on fire.
But judging from the fact that he didn’t show up until just before departure, it seemed like he had made up his mind not to leave in the end.
‘The guys who went out to weld said she was the epitome of an elegant wife. Hmm… From what I actually saw… I’m not sure if that was the case.’
Philip scratched his head.
In any case, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand Veronica not showing up here.
I heard that Veronica also has her own reasons for wanting to leave the sector.
But no matter how strong the desire is, putting it into practice is a completely different matter.
‘There must be things you can’t just leave behind. And you don’t have much time to worry like me.’
Philip looked away from the rearview mirror and looked at Ray.
“Ray, it’s 1 o’clock.”
Ray started the engine without saying a word.
Ddddddddd──
The car, which had undergone a full overhaul in all areas, started up much more smoothly than before.
“I’m leaving.”
“Okay. Oh man, I’m so nervous.”
The wheel began to roll slowly.
The vehicle slowly moved forward, preparing to pick up speed.
Then a shout was heard from the back of the vehicle.
─Come with me! Take me with you!
In the rearview mirror was Veronica chasing the car, dragging her carrier bag.
Philip smiled.
“I guess you were hiding nearby. You must have been worrying about it until the last moment.”
“I guess so.”
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As Ray tried to slow down the vehicle, another shout was heard.
─No! Don’t stop! Keep running! Just open the door!
“Uh… I told you not to stop?”
“… … .”
Ray lifted his foot off the accelerator slightly to maintain speed.
Philip turned around and stretched out his arm to open the backseat door in the direction Veronica was running towards.
“It looks like he’s just going to get in the car. Why are you telling me not to stop?”
Even though the speed was not that fast, the distance between the car and Veronica did not easily close.
Veronica also couldn’t exert her full strength because she was trying to turn off the carrier.
Ray looked in the rearview mirror and reached out the window.
Woof─
The red mana that shot out from his palm fluttered and flew through the air, seeping into Veronica’s body.
At that moment, Veronica’s running speed increased.
“Hey!”
The voice also became much closer.
Veronica, who was standing close to the door, lifted the carrier with all her might and put it in the back seat.
I also tried to get on, but it wasn’t easy because I didn’t have the right posture.
Philip also stretched his arm across the seat, but it was of little help.
Phew──!
The wind that blew then.
Veronica, her body wrapped in the wind, rolled into the back seat.
widely!
Philip immediately closed the door.
In the midst of the silence that followed for a moment.
Ray’s muttering could be heard.
“It’s not easy. Lifting a person with the wind. It’s much heavier than most objects.”
“What, what?!”
Veronica blushed as she was accidentally subjected to a severe mental attack.
Veronica sat up straight in the backseat, and the car slowly started to pick up speed.
Philip turned his head and spoke to Veronica, who was catching her breath.
“So you decided to come with us after all. That was a good decision. But why did you tell us not to stop the car?”
“Oh, that.”
Veronica finally caught her breath and answered.
“Because I felt like I wouldn’t be able to leave once I stopped.”
“… … .”
The moment he understood the meaning of the words, Philip’s mouth slowly opened in surprise.
Because in that one word, I could feel the weight of the worries that Veronica had been carrying.
Perhaps there were many conflicts right up until the moment they got into the car.
Ray said from the driver’s seat.
“We have to stop anyway. If we want to hand Malta and Yulpin over to the hotel.”
“That’s okay. They’ll go to the hotel and talk.”
Veronica said she had had many conversations with her two younger siblings over the past few days.
How did you feel about your grandfather’s death?
What you want to do.
How to live from now on.
Also, things like what to do with the bookstore and my grandfather’s estate.
“They say that the hope of the future is to be a hunter.”
At those words, Philip chuckled and shook his head. Boys, really.
“Oh, we decided to keep the bookstore open. We decided to ask the hotel for help. It might be difficult for the two of us to run such a large bookstore.”
Philip nodded.
“I told the deputy commander that Malta and Yulpin might come to visit, so he should be very considerate. He’s quick-witted and has a great work ethic, so he’ll handle it well.”
After finishing speaking, Philip asked slyly.
“But aren’t you worried? I know they’re young.”
“… I’m sure you’ll do well. I felt like you were very mature while talking to me. I guess I was just looking at you as a kid and overprotecting you.”
This time Ray asked.
“Are you saying we don’t have to stop?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
With those words, Ray stepped firmly on the accelerator of the car.
The white naked vehicle slowly gained speed and raced toward the vast wilderness.
Ray glanced back at Veronica.
The heavy burden of responsibility that had been weighing heavily on Veronica’s vessel had become lighter than before.
Veronica felt Ray’s gaze and asked.
“Was I… that heavy?”
*
“Wow! I’ve been outside the sector for a while now, but this is the first time I’ve been this far out!”
“Me too. I didn’t even know there was a world like this out there.”
Veronica and Philip looked out the window and exclaimed in admiration.
The endless wilderness and hills stretching out under the blazing sun were enough to steal the souls of the boys and girls who had lived their entire lives in the sector.
“If I had to cross such a wide place alone, I would die trying.”
“Me too. I have to run for several days, not just one.”
The two people were once again impressed by Ray.
If they had set out alone, wouldn’t they have panicked and suffocated at some point in the endless scenery?
And there’s a high probability that he would have turned the steering wheel and retreated to where he was living.
The fear of being alone in a vast, empty place was greater than one could imagine.
“Ray, be honest with me. You’re not 16, are you? You’re actually much older than that. Why are you acting so mature?”
“Uh, um… If you just look at his height, he’s still not that much of an adult… .”
“He is most likely 16 years old and is tall.”
Ray answered mechanically and continued driving.
One part of his mind was devoted to the River Elton, winding along the right side of his vision.
All sectors border the Elton River, so there was no need to worry about getting lost as long as you went up the river.
Another part of my mind was devoted to watching the wilderness, where unexpected variables might appear.
As of now, there have been no significant abnormalities.
Boooo …
So the car ran and ran.
The crimson sun is sinking beyond the horizon.
“Phew, the scenery hasn’t changed.”
“Ooooooh… I think I’m getting motion sickness.”
“Hey, Veronica! Wait a minute! Here’s the bag! Here’s the bag!”
As the scenery repeated endlessly, even Philip and Veronica’s eyebrows began to show fatigue.
Squeak.
The vehicle stopped.
Located quite far from the road.
It was under the shadow of a huge rock.
Dddddd─
The engine, which had sucked in the midday heat, complained of the hard work it had performed for hours.
Ray said as he got out of the car.
“We’ll camp here today and leave again tomorrow morning.”
The vehicle is fully serviced before leaving the sector.
I thought that it would be okay to run a little more, but it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
Philip and Veronica followed Ray down the steps, creaking.
I straightened my crumpled body and looked around.
“We really did leave the sector.”
“That’s what I mean.”
The two people looked back at the path they had taken with faces that still showed disbelief.
After that, Ray distributed the roles.
Philip went down the hill to the river to gather firewood, and Veronica opened the trunk, took out food, and prepared a meal.
Ray had been inspecting the vehicle for some time.
“Here! I picked them all up. Should this be enough?”
“Enough.”
Hurrah!
A fire broke out on the gathered firewood.
The pot was placed on the stove and the soup began to boil.
The children sat around the campfire and began to eat quietly.
Dalgrak. Dalgrak.
“My goal is to find the rainbow.”
At the sudden sound of Ray’s voice, the other two stopped eating and looked at Ray.
rainbow.
Veronica wasn’t all that surprised.
Ray has always been very curious about magic since we first met.
Naturally, I had been guessing that the purpose would also be related to that.
And Philip, although he didn’t know what a rainbow was, guessed that Ray’s purpose was not ordinary.
Philip asked cautiously.
“Can I ask what a rainbow is?”
“It’s a seven-colored ribbon hanging in the sky. They say that if you find it, you can make one wish.”
“There is also a theory that it is a giant turtle that lives under the Elton River and spits out seven-colored streams of water!”
“Ignore what Veronica says.”
The latter part sounds much more fun.
Anyway, Philip thought about Ray’s words and imagined a rainbow.
A seven-colored belt that will grant your wish if you find it.
“Is that a metaphor? Or is it real?”
“Both possibilities exist.”
Veronica added to Ray’s words.
“That’s right. There are a lot of rumors about rainbows, and no definite stories. For example, the one that shoots seven-colored lasers from its eyes─.”
“Ignore this too.”
Veronica looked very regretful as she couldn’t finish her story.