NOVEL NEXT chapter 6
6 – Ruins, Albyon (6)
DH-11.
Scarlet Peridot was gasping for breath.
Her dizziness had clearly subsided.
The senses that had been gone were gradually returning.
However, for some reason, the trembling did not stop.
“How could you…?”
“I wandered around. Hoping to find something, anything. Luckily, there was something buried among the debris. A stroke of luck, I suppose.”
“But, it’s impossible to easily come across something like that! Did you really find it all within a week?”
It didn’t make sense from the beginning.
She was only taught the diagnosis, so how did he figure out which medication to find and bring?
“You’ve given me data before. Everything you’ve read.”
“…Ah.”
Scarlet Peridot flinched. Those words were true.
The books he had given her were all books she had read, including ones about her own condition.
“But, outside is Harvest…”
“There was. Of course, not too many though.”
“B-blood…”
“Scarlet.”
He smiled.
Only now did Scarlet Peridot realize that none of this was a fantasy.
“How’s your body? Are you alright? Just in case, I brought everything I could… Thankfully, it seems I brought the right things.”
“Ah… The pain isn’t mine…”
“It’s okay.”
He laughed casually.
“Vampires are strong, you know.”
Scarlet Peridot bit her lip.
He was a mess, his clothes covered in red. His body looked as if he had fought in numerous battles, covered in wounds.
Nevertheless, he was still smiling. As if none of this mattered.
This is why Scarlet Peridot asked one last question.
“Why… did you come back?”
“You’re here.”
Idiot, she thought.
Scarlet Peridot confirmed her first impression of him.
“Don’t cry, Scarlet.”
What an idiot.
…Seriously.
Ouch! It hurt where the bandage was wrapped. Without even realizing it, I groaned.
Scarlet Peridot rolled her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it was obvious that you’d overreact.”
“…Would’ve been nice if you’d at least left a note.”
Wham!
I screamed inside. I was barely able to wrench out a single word.
“Th-that…”
“What’s that?”
“What if you can’t come back…I thought it was better to leave…”
Screams!
“Ugh…!”
“Who in the world would think of such an insane thought?”
Scarlet Peridot sat down beside me.
“Fortunately, there are no bullet remains in the body. All the wounds are superficial…So it was the janitors of Harvest that you ran into?”
“…hahahaha.”
“From looking at the wounds…you must have met at least dozens. of them.”
Her gaze was scary. Janitors.
But well, I didn’t wander around and get hit like I did on the first day here.
Harvest’s janitors. I was eventually chased away, but I smashed those footwalking bastards on sight. Thanks to them, I felt stronger.
The battle was extremely difficult. It was different from what I had planned in the simulation. What I was aiming for in the subtle feelings of unease didn’t always go as I had expected.
But humans are creatures of adaptation.
Eventually, it became all right. It might have been a problem of desperation. I only searched the entire underground facility with a lantern and a knife for her.
“When I dealt with Titans and swept them away in the game, it was different from now, where I’ve been wounded… But still, well, I guess I fought well since I’m alive.”
“How about some medicine? Are you okay? Can you see again?”
“…Yes.”
A curt response. But for some reason, I didn’t feel like she was angry.
The distance between us is very close. A pleasant fragrance emanates right by my side.
“…Please don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Never do something like this again. Understand?”
“I can’t promise that.”
“…Why?”
“If this happens again, I’ll act the same way.”
“Why would you go to that extent?”
There isn’t a valid reason that comes to mind. She just grew bigger in my heart than I had expected.
But if I speak frankly, she might feel burdened. I also don’t want to create an awkward situation where we are alone in this narrow underground facility.
So…
“…To repay a debt?”
Let’s beat around the bush.
“Stubborn.”
“That’s right.”
“Thunder gorilla.”
“That’s a bit much.”
“Fool. Idiot. Get out of here!”
Her slapping hand was gentle. I accepted her venting without avoiding it.
It wasn’t until I endured her weak hits for a while that her hand stopped. Scarlet Peridot rested her face against my chest.
“…I’m hungry.”
“You haven’t eaten yet?”
“No.”
She sniffled.
“…I’ll make something. Including your share.”
I chuckled.
“I’ll do it. The patient should rest.”
“But you’re the patient.”
With unnecessary movement, the bandages were tightened even further.
It hurts.
…
Scarlet Peridot’s body condition had improved. However, she was worried about the fact that if the medicine ran out again, she didn’t know when it would relapse.
In the end, one way or another, we had to leave this place. Among the stories she shared, there were also discussions about the limitations of emergency power.
“…There are four months left. To be exact, three and a half months.”
“That’s right.”
“And when that time comes, this facility will be completely incinerated, right?”
“Yes.”
Scarlet Peridot glanced at me briefly. I wiped my face with my hand.
“Even knowing that, you wanted to stay here?”
“…That’s the pride of our race.”
“It doesn’t seem like a very smart thing to do.”
To think she tried to commit suicide along with the facility.
I looked at her quietly.
“You’re staying here? Really? Is Scarlet so determined to die honorably?”
“……”
“Tell me honestly.”
“…Yes… That used to be the case, but…”
She hesitated for a moment.
“Now… I don’t think so.”
I was relieved to hear that there was a change in her state of mind, though I didn’t know the reason behind it.
“Then let’s go together.”
“…Will that be alright?”
“Of course.”
“But my father…”
“Scarlet, your father hid you here, remember?”
“……”
“If they thought you had to die, they wouldn’t have hidden you here.”
The persuasion took a while, but eventually she agreed with my opinion.
“…Let’s go together. But I have conditions.”
“What are the conditions?”
“Even if we leave here, I don’t want to be a burden to you. So…I want to study and develop the remaining medicine. Since there is a research facility here, let’s try to stay as late as possible. Analyzing the original medicine should not take too long.”
“That’s good.”
Whether it was because of the will to live or something else, she actively took action in everything. In between researching the medicine, she called me to make an escape plan.
“This is a map of Albion.”
Using a 3D map, we thoroughly searched the surrounding terrain.
“Once you get out of the city wall…the forest starts from the 10km mark.”
“There will be Harvest soldiers wandering around nearby. We can’t let our guard down until we’re far from Albion.”
“…Hmmm.”
“And most importantly.”
She turned the map over quickly.
“To escape, we have to move along the river in the southeast of the city. There is a neutral city where the waterway ends.”
“A neutral city…”
“It’s a city where various races live together. Once we reach there, we won’t have to worry about Harvest anymore.”
“There’s also a city to the northeast?”
“It’s a city founded by elves. It’s currently in conflict with human forces further north.”
“…Elves?”
“The head of that place, High Elf, is famous for being a little crazy. Only those who believe that blood and iron alone will appeal to the elves.”
A warlike elf city.
Certainly, the southeast looked like the better option.
Scarlet Peridot didn’t rest for a moment after she made up her mind. She just came to see my face before meals and going to bed.
“Why are you standing there?”
“Just because.”
Sometimes she just stood by the door without saying a word. I was a little scared at first, but since she disappeared as soon as I looked back at her, I didn’t say anything.
I, too, dedicated myself to preparing for escape like she did. There were also things I learned from fighting with janitors.
Simulation and reality are different things.
Although defeating over 100 enemies in that machine, the actual fight with enemies was completely different. The sense of urgency when facing a janitor was beyond description.
And that’s probably the same for Titan warfare as well.
So, I increased the difficulty and entered into battle simulations. Pushing myself to the limit by setting up various situations.
Sometimes even Scarlett Peridot participated. Although she had no experience in real combat, under the premise that she did not get incurable disease, Scarlett Peridot was nothing less than a born fighter.
Fighting power to match mine. It was very interesting to see her move as if predicting ten steps ahead, rather than acting somewhat instinctively like me.
“If you analyze the opponent, you can predict the future.”
“Can I do that too?”
“Just do as you always do, Drakan. Finding the instinctively right path is a talent I do not possess.”
We fought together. Scarlett Peridot’s preferred weapon was a long-range sniper rifle.
“I wasn’t aiming, was I?”
“It’s tempting from behind.”
“Don’t shoot.”
What I couldn’t do on my own, I could easily handle the situation when I did it with her, even to the point of being tongue-tied.
If I moved according to her orders, it flowed naturally as if a puzzle piece was fitting.
Time continued to pass. 5 months turned into 6, and 6 turned into 7.
Suddenly, it had been 8 months since arriving here.
“…I found it. The recipe.”
Scarlett Peridot found the recipe for the incurable disease cure. Although it couldn’t be completely cured, with the ingredients, she could lead a normal life.
I was also able to sharpen my skills and combat techniques alongside Titan maintenance. Thanks to the daily torture.
“Can we bring anything… other than basic military equipment?”
“This place originally served as a Titan maintenance center. It’s not a warehouse for weapons. The Titans here are just being maintained. This is just in case of emergency.”
We had plenty of bullets and guns for two people to share.
“…It would have been nice to have armor.”
“Yeah. But we can’t wish for something that’s not there.”
We packed our bags for the last time. There was only one thing left to do.
Escape from this dreary place.