"Yùichiiii!"
"Hi Shiro, long time no see."
"It hasn't even been a week and yet it feels like a month since we last saw each other." Says my father apparently happy
"Yeah, but that didn't stop you from hitting me as soon as we got together."
"Yeah, I had to make up for lost time."
Finally, after these five days of hell, part of my goal had been accomplished, now I just had to find my mother and Nomiko.
"Are you the only two?
That was the first question that came to mind, though on further reflection, others came almost naturally.
"Yeah, you're the first one we've found. Nah, the first two."
Well, apparently they noticed Alia was with me, which isn't so bad, since at least I don't have to force her presence on them.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Shiro asked, staring at me with his bright red eyes, still clinging to me.
"Yes, it's true Yùichi, it's the first time you bring us a girl, you could introduce her to us. Ohlala, your mother and your sister will have tons of questions to ask her. Poor thing, I've already got plenty.
Of course, my father had to add one more.
Even if he was right about one thing. Alia will be interrogated by my mother and sister. They have been wanting me to introduce them to a girl for so long. They're not going to miss a chance like this.
"Well, dad, Shiro, this is Alia and Alia, this is Shiro, my little sister, and Angelo my dad."
"Hello, after what Yùichi told me about you, I was looking forward to meeting you." She added while looking at me furtively.
"Oh, and what did he tell you about us? My father continued.
"Don't worry, only good things. She replied with a big smile.
"Say, Yùichi, is she your girlfriend or not? Shiro repeated while continuing to stare at me.
"Nah, she's not my girlfriend. She's just been with me for three days and she helped me to find you.
"Pff, you still don't have a girlfriend, you suck." She replied disappointed, while letting go of me.
"Excuse me, but what made you want to follow a guy as boring as him? My father continued with his obsessive desire to put me down.
"Oh you know, when you spend three days with him and get to know him, Yùichi is not at all boring, as you say. On the contrary, these last three days, I had the time of my life. And if not, I went with her, because I wanted to see what her family is like and also, because I feel that this war will be fun if I get to know him.
"Yeah, in the 16 years I've known him, he's always been very neutral, boring. In any case, your reasons are rather atypical. But if I were you, I wouldn't stay with him. He's a real sissy, he'd never dare to hurt anyone, let alone kill someone. I'm sure he'll be in hiding all through the war." He said while laughing out loud.
"Oh, but you know Yùichi he's already..."
"Yeah, I'd rather die than have to hurt a human being. I replied to my father while motioning to Alia not to say anything to him.
He or anyone else can never know what I did in the bar and if they find out I already have other people, I can't imagine their reactions.
"Oh Yùichi, you could let her finish. He replied, glaring at Alia.
"You know, he's already thought about this question, and he confided in me, well it must have been a secret, but I'm obliged to tell you. He told me that if your lives depended on it, he would be ready to defend you. Alia replied while looking at me.
Well, she's managed to create a lie believable enough for my father or Shiro to believe her.
"And again, I'm sure that if he sees an opportunity to flee, he won't hesitate for a second. In any case, I would never rely on him to get me out of a complicated situation."
I think he's forgotten that it's thanks to me that we ended up here. Anyway, I'm getting used to this incessant sarcasm.
"If not, don't you want to go somewhere quieter to talk, because everyone is listening to our conversation.
I'm willing to keep talking with them, but I have very little desire to hear the people around us whispering and commenting on absolutely everything they hear.
"For once you have a good idea. Well, follow us, we'll take you to a great hotel."
Strange, given how little money they had to begin with, they shouldn't have a "super hotel", but barely enough to sleep under a gite for 6 nights.
So we followed them to their hotel.
And indeed, it was a really nice hotel, if not the nicest hotel in Dorta.
I don't know how they managed to get enough money to rent a room, but it must cost them a lot of money.
Well, thinking about it a little bit, several hypothesis come to my mind, the first one, they begged, the second one, they stole, which is not possible since they would be dead otherwise, the third possibility, they worked, but I can't see Shiro doing a job or my father doing a job and leaving Shiro alone. Or fourth possibility, the one that seems most likely to me, they got that money from someone they recruited, like Alia did with me, that would be the scenario that would suit me the most, as it adds a pawn to the chessboard and our chances of success will only increase.
"Tell me dad, how did you get enough money to afford a hotel like this?"
"Oh, you're interested? Why?"
"Just a question that bothered me. But you don't have to answer me.
"Admit it bothers you, because you didn't know your father was able to afford such a luxury room.
"Yeah, well, in my opinion, you got help from someone in exchange for a favour.
"If you say so. Anyway, you'll find out soon enough, our room is at the end of this hallway, we'll be there soon."
I think I see the door leading to their room, a large double door, ornamented with gold around the edges with a white background.
But still, I have a funny itchy feeling. My father was never the type to be a big spender, even when he made a lot of money before the war, he never overindulged, he always preferred to save rather than spend.
So to see him strutting around in a hotel like that really surprises me.
After this reflection, we arrived in front of this door.
My father took the keys out of his pocket and opened the door.
Indeed, it didn't look like my father at all, everything was golden, shiny, there was an indoor swimming pool, even though he can't swim, a big terrace with a pool too.
In short, a rich man's apartment.
But after a few seconds of looking at this filthy place, one, no two details caught my attention.
Around the table, two people were sitting, looking at us with a drink in their hands.