As expected of a new car, the engine sound was smooth.
In the silence, Noctane glanced at the rearview mirror. The faces of the group reflected in the mirror were all frozen in place.
'Oh my gosh. This is so uncomfortable.'
If you think about it, the people who led the conversation while moving were Kim I-hyeon and Asterike. Even though they only spent a day together, they were able to get a grasp of the various aspects of the group called Dustborn.
More than just the title of CEO, Kim Lee-hyun seemed to be an important focal point. When we separated them, they didn't seem to fit together very well. It was like a gathering of friends of friends.
He coughed in vain and opened his mouth hesitantly.
"Excuse me, you guys are surprisingly not on good terms…?"
"It's noisy."
"Keep your mouth shut."
"Be quiet, you."
The sound of a warning to shut up flew in like a bang.
My body flinched at the nervous tone.
"...You lost your temper just because I said one word."
He grumbled timidly in a crawling voice.
These gentlemen, in fact, may be a good match for death.
Is it because Noctane's nonsense opened my mouth to speak?
Chelsea, who had been driving with a serious expression on her face the whole time, let out a sigh.
"Is both of you okay?"
"I can't say anything."
"You said you were from Legion. Have you heard anything?"
"The old man, no, the godmother hated small talk."
Edwin was raised by his godmother, but he didn't really know much about her. It wasn't a horizontal relationship where he could comfortably ask her questions, and he himself was very reluctant to reveal his past.
"All I know is that my godmother is a mutant named Vidia, and that she hates her own kind."
"I don't know who the godmother is. In context, she must be the same Deborah that the woman mentioned earlier. A community that hates someone who can turn a country into something like that…"
Echidna snorted.
"I don't think it's a peaceful place."
"Ha- Me, really."
There was an obvious tongue-clicking sound.
"Ms. Echidna. Are you saying that the president is doing something wrong right now?"
"I just stated my personal opinion. I think it's closer to the facts."
"I see. So you were always that kind of person who actively expressed your opinions? I thought you were timid when the boss was around because you couldn't even say anything."
Despite the criticism, Echidna did not lose her characteristic chicness.
"When it's hard to refute the message, attack the messenger, that's typical."
"Who wanted logic? I have a brain and thoughts too. Of course it's dangerous. But what can we do? The intention was to trust each other and stick together and do our jobs well."
"You're young, you're young. The more urgent the situation, the more important logic becomes─"
"You too, just keep your mouth shut."
Chelsea gave up on the conversation.
Even though the way of thinking was different, it was too different.
'How is it that there is no normal person?'
From Asterike to Noctane, who just came in. Chelsea herself was no exception. In fact, she was somewhat self-objectified, and was aware that she was a bit of a hands-on person.
'Is it because the boss is a psychopath?'
In the end, the crazier one controls the less crazier one. Chelsea desperately hoped that Kim Hyun would return safely.
Because she really likes her current nest.
Tick, tick!
A decoration that looked like small pieces of stone were glued to the windshield. It seemed to be drawn somewhere like a magnet. I turned the steering wheel to follow the object that was moving more and more to the left.
Chelsea's eyes were sharp as she drove. Her usual boredom was nowhere to be found. She could sense with her skin that a great era of change, unprecedented in the past, was approaching.
You are part of an incredibly important operation.
My shoulders felt heavy, but I felt strong for no reason.
'… … By the way, our boss, what if we get lost because we can't find a car?'
I was worried like a mountain.
* * *
Even though the two cars were each pulled by Lab and Dustborne, there were no problems moving. As we left the center of Shamalshina, a place that was less damaged appeared.
The road was littered with cars. It looked like a pileup had occurred. Devastated corpses were commonly found inside the cars, like guards at a checkpoint.
Most of the keys were still in place. I picked one that was in good condition and got on. I looked at the dried blood stains on the seat for a moment and then asked Altair a question.
"You said you were here for two weeks."
"That's right."
"Are there any survivors?"
"It's not that there aren't any. There are just very few of them."
"okay."
Kim Yi-hyun couldn't find a way to describe the emotions he was feeling. Relief? Desolation? Or maybe anger? It was a strange lump, mixed together like a bomb shot with a wrong ratio.
But emotions took a backseat to reason.
"Tell me where to go."
"Wouldn't it be better not to look for survivors?"
"It's unfortunate, but it's not the time for that."
If you are seriously injured anyway, you can't save them even if you help them. If you are lucky and your limbs are intact, there is no need to help them. It is your choice whether to evacuate or live like a scavenger.
Before I leave, one last thing.
The cityscape of the end of the world was engraved on my retina.
'I guess I'll have to get used to it in advance.'
When the torrent of the scheduled era came crashing down,
From then on, it won't be someone else's business.
"If it's long, I'll open it for you."
Altair, sitting in the passenger seat, pulled out a dagger from his bosom. Asterike, who had been watching him in case, quickly got up. Her eyes widened at what had just happened.
It was because Altair cut my palm.
"What, what are you doing?"
"The reason I was sent as a messenger is because I was born with the right power. Although I am not pure and cannot be baptized like Deborah, I can still borrow a little of the power of the sanctuary."
A curse flowed from her mouth. The dripping blood became more viscous. The sticky mucus flowed out to the outside of the car, covering the entire body.
"It's harmful to your mind, so please close your eyes."
"Didn't you need to get a car?"
"No, you have to drive. As I said, I'm just opening up the 'road'. Walking is fine, but it takes a lot less time this way."
"That's amazing."
Kim Yi-hyeon stuck out his tongue. He had seen it once in a game, but it was still a strange spell.
'It's a shame.'
Altair was a character who had no possibility of joining the lab. Not only him, but all of Vidia. The only heretic was the godmother who ran wild in the secular world.
I closed my eyes, swallowing my regret.
I drove straight ahead without seeing anything. Strangely enough, no matter how fast I drove, I didn't even feel the car shaking, which gave me the illusion that it was actually standing still.
How much time has passed?
"I have arrived."
When I opened my eyes after hearing the voice, the surroundings had completely changed. It was not a human city, but the middle of a forest with thorn trees growing thickly.
The forest, which received little sunlight, had a dreary atmosphere. Especially the one in front of me. At first glance, it seemed like a cylindrical tower with a long history was casting a shadow over the forest.
"Please follow me, I will take you straight to the priest."
Altair got out of the car first. Kim I-hyeon and Asterike looked at each other for a moment and followed Altair. Their gait was calm, but strangely, the distance between them grew longer and longer.
"Why does it feel so fast when I'm just walking?"
"Your legs are long."
"I like the ratio better."
"You're competing in a strange place."
It was embarrassing to even compare, so I just let it slide.
Squeak.
When I reached the main gate, it opened by itself.
The interior of the tower was equally dark. Torches danced in the antique torchlights placed on the walls.
"When climbing stairs, be careful not to look down."
"What happens if you look down?"
"It won't work. It's just common sense advice, so don't worry about it too much."
"Ah, yeah…."
It was a truly implausible statement.
─Sisisisi.
As I was climbing the stairs, I heard an unidentifiable sound coming from below. It sounded like a child's laughter. It sounded like someone writing with a fountain pen. It sounded like someone was scratching a blackboard with their fingernails...
The urge to turn her head and check was overwhelming. Every time, Asterike would tightly grab Kim Ihyeon's sleeve. She had always been averse to ghosts and such.
Fortunately, the destination wasn't too far.
4th floor hallway.
Altair stopped in front of the room. This time, he didn't even knock. The arched door opened automatically.
As we entered, there was a woman in a shabby office.
"Our distinguished guests have arrived."
Kim Yi-hyeon unconsciously frowned. It was because of the woman's appearance. It wasn't because she was so ugly that it was unpleasant to look at, but because she looked so familiar.
'I knew they looked alike…'
When I actually looked at it, it wasn't at the level of resembling anything.
The priest's face was almost perfectly identical to the godmother's.
"They say you have a bad relationship with Deborah. Is that really true?"
She smiled as if she found Kim Yi-Hyeon's displeasure rather pleasant. A smile that felt even more inorganic than Altair's. It seemed as if it had been weathered by time and had lost all its emotion.
It was understandable. According to the setting, the priest is a monster who is over 200 years old. Normally, he would have been in the back room long ago, but due to Deborah's escape, he is forced to keep his position against his will.
I bowed my head out of respect for his age.
"My name is Kim Lee-Hyeon. This is Asterike."
"Thank you for the polite introduction, but, um, this has put me in a difficult position."
Her appearance was timeless. But she held the bear's tail with the slow movements of an old man.
"I don't have a proper name to call you. You can call me whatever you want."
"I guess a priest would be fine."
"That answer is not funny at all...."
I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't something I expected. At over 200 years old, it wouldn't be strange for your brain to grow mold. The generation gap is too big to hang out together.
"Please get to the point first."
"Yeah, yeah. I plan to do that even if you don't whine."
Smoke rose from the pipe.
"Although we live in seclusion in a land beyond the world… I am not unaware of worldly affairs. I have been closely watching your movements, especially since Deborah ran away. I have also heard about the kind of work you do."
Swoosh, hoohoo.
A smell of burning plastic or rubber, something that didn't smell like cigarettes at all, wafted over me. My eyes, dull and weary from weariness, became a little clearer.
"Child of the world. I will entrust my request to you."
Her eyes, which seemed to be encrusted with amethyst, gave off a cool light.
"Deborah, kill my daughter."
"Do you have any compensation in mind?"
The priest's hand stopped moving when he first asked about the salary.
"...Aren't you curious about the circumstances?"
"If you ask, you may be curious. The fee is separate."
"You're a peculiar child, just like I've heard."
She put down the bear's paw.
"You asked for a fee. I will pay you in advance. You will also need a means to suppress Deborah. If you use the relics we have, you may be able to influence the sanctuary."
He looks at me intently, wondering what to do.
It seemed like he had no intention of being rejected.
Kim Yi-hyeon was busy, so he was going to accept it with gratitude. However, he couldn't open his mouth. Maybe it was because he looked exactly like his godmother, but he was feeling annoyed for some unknown reason.
So I changed my words.
"Do we look like fools to you?"
"What, what?"
Altair, who had been standing like a screen, was silently shocked. The priest, who rarely showed his emotions, stuttered. It was a rare reaction, one I had never seen before.
Even in the midst of all this, Kim Lee-hyun did not stop.
"You're telling me to kill someone, and you're offering the things that will be used to kill them as compensation. What kind of immoral behavior is that? Normally, that's called necessary expenses. Don't even think about hitting me."
"Wasn't Deborah a troublemaker to you too?"
"Then you should seek cooperation, not a request. If that's what you want, I will treat you as an equal from now on. Since you are no longer a client."
"I'll ask in advance, what's the difference?"
"I'm going to have to be a little less polite in my speech, and first of all, you're going to have to put that thing away. In what country is it considered etiquette to smoke something that you don't even know is a cigarette at a business meeting?"
The priest was momentarily speechless as they fired like machine guns.
"That, that's enough..."
It's been a long time since I've had a headache.