Chapter 154: Silent Verdict
The entrance of the Coral Cave Shelter.
Gordon, the shelter chief, silently watched the pouring snow with a hardened face.
His mind was in considerable turmoil.
As of this morning, all contact with his acquaintance at Coral World Shelter had abruptly cut off.
’...Nothing’s happened over there, has it?’
An ominous feeling suddenly welled up.
Maybe it was because he had heard the hardline hunters might rise up in revolt, but his unease only deepened.
Still, it lasted only a moment.
Gordon shook his head.
’No, everything’s probably fine.’
He decided to believe that for now.
Besides, he would find out soon enough what was happening at Coral World.
His student Aria and Walfred, who had recently become the center of attention, had headed to Coral World together. And so, as he waited for everyone to return.
Flash!
Without any warning, an intense burst of light suddenly flooded the shelter entrance. Gordon reflexively raised his arm, squinting.
"Gah! Wh-what the?!"
Startled by the sudden phenomenon, he instinctively readied [Call Lightning]. Poised to bring a bolt crashing down the moment he saw an enemy.
But there was no need.
When the light faded, what appeared were faces Gordon knew well.
"...!? W-Walfred?"
Walfred, Aria, and Alice.
And even some children he had never seen before. Gordon’s expression went slack with disbelief.
He had hoped they would return soon, but he never imagined it would be this soon.
"Why are you back so ear..."
"Teacher! I’ll explain later!"
Before he could even finish.
Aria darted past him and ran into the shelter. She looked to be in a serious hurry. In that moment, something caught Gordon’s eye.
’That’s...’
A schoolgirl carried on her back.
And then Walfred’s expression, frozen stiff as stone.
From that, Gordon knew instinctively. That girl was Walfred’s niece.
Around that time, the group passed through the long corridor and entered the common area, where they ran into a familiar face. A teacher who happened to be out collecting her food rations.
The school nurse of Brooklyn Girls’ Academy, Emily.
"Nurse Emily! We need your help!"
"A-Alice? What’s going on?"
"It’s my friend! She was buried in the snow for a long time. I got her body temperature back up with my skill, but I don’t know what to do next...!"
Alice cried out, on the verge of tears.
Seeming to grasp the gravity of the situation, Emily turned to the students nearby.
"Girls! Lay out some blankets. Thick ones!"
The students scrambled into motion.
Following her instructions, they layered the blankets as thickly as they could. Once everything was ready, Emily turned to Aria and said,
"Lay her down here. Slowly, carefully."
"...Okay, got it."
Aria gently lowered Jenna onto the blankets. Emily then checked Jenna’s pulse and pupils, examining her condition.
Meanwhile.
Walfred watched the scene from a distance. He wanted nothing more than to help save Jenna, but he couldn’t.
Shhhaaaah!
Extreme cold, released every ten seconds.
It was because of [Cold Emission]. And so the agonizing, nerve-wracking minutes crawled by.
"...Whew."
Emily wiped the sweat from her forehead.
After exchanging a few brief words with Alice and Aria, she walked straight over to Walfred.
Walfred, who had been desperately waiting for the verdict, immediately peppered her with questions.
"H-how is she? Is Jenna..."
"...Honestly, I’m a little surprised."
Surprised? By what?
At Walfred’s puzzled expression, Emily answered with a faint smile.
"When I heard she’d lost consciousness from hypothermia, I was worried, but she’s in better shape than expected. Her temperature is back to normal, and her pulse is stable too."
"...!"
"Maybe it’s because Alice handled the emergency treatment well, or maybe she was just healthy to begin with. Either way, you don’t need to worry anymore."
What a relief.
Only then did Walfred let out the breath he had been holding.
He grasped Emily’s hand firmly and bowed his head again and again.
"Thank you, ma’am. Thank you."
"It’s nothing. I didn’t really do anything special."
Emily smiled awkwardly.
Just then, Gordon, who had been watching the situation from a short distance away, came over.
"If there’s anything you need for her recovery, please just say the word. We’ll provide whatever we can."
"Oh, really? In that case..."
The moment Gordon finished speaking.
Emily, seizing the opportunity, listed off the supplies she needed. Gordon called Aria over and had her fetch them.
Leaving the two busy figures behind.
"..."
Walfred silently watched Jenna.
Her color had already returned to normal. As he stood there, his face steeped in worry.
A familiar voice reached his ears.
"Jenna’s going to be okay."
It was Alice.
Having come up beside him at some point, she smiled brightly, as if telling him not to worry.
"I’ll stay right by her side and keep watch."
"...Thank you, Alice."
Walfred bowed his head with heartfelt sincerity.
But even so, the face he turned toward Jenna remained dark and troubled.
The regret lingered. If only he had arrived a little sooner, wouldn’t she be in better shape than this?
’If I’d at least gotten Elsa’s help...’
He could have arrived before Jenna ended up like that. He kept regretting that he had traveled on foot because he hadn’t wanted to reveal Elsa’s identity.
Had she seen through his thoughts?
Alice suddenly spoke up.
"Don’t blame yourself so much."
"..."
"You did everything you could, mister. And you really did save Jenna."
Warm comfort that struck a chord in his heart.
Walfred soon realized.
Wallowing in guilt here would only burden the people around him with needless worry. Letting out a long breath, he nodded quietly.
"...Yeah. Thanks, even if it’s just words."
Once their brief conversation ended.
Having said her piece, Alice returned to Jenna’s side. Walfred watched her for a moment, and slowly regained his composure.
There was nothing he could do here right now.
[Cold Emission] made it impossible to even get close to Jenna, and it wasn’t as if he had any medical knowledge that could help her recover.
’But...’
Outside, instead of in here, it was a different story.
There was something he could do. No, something only Walfred could do. His gaze settling into cold resolve, he quietly rose to his feet.
Then he approached Gordon and Aria, who were deep in a serious conversation, and said,
"I’m going to step out for a while."
"Yes? Ah, of course, understo..."
"While I’m gone, please look after Jenna."
The moment Gordon saw Walfred’s face.
A sense of wrongness flashed through him.
When Walfred said he was stepping out for a while, Gordon had assumed he meant to get some air, but the look on his face said otherwise.
"W-Walfred, sir!"
So he hurriedly caught hold of him.
And carefully asked,
"Um, where exactly are you planning to go..."
Walfred didn’t answer.
He only stared silently toward the south.
Gordon’s eyes went wide, as if he had realized what lay in the direction of that gaze.
"D-don’t tell me! To South Key West...!"
"...Chief."
Cutting off the stunned Gordon.
Walfred answered in a cold voice.
"If there’s anyone at Coral World Shelter who must not be killed, tell me now."
A single chilling sentence that sent shivers down the spine.
An expression hardened like stone, without the faintest trace of humor. And in his two eyes, a vicious murderous intent, surging like waves.
"...!"
Gordon swallowed dryly.
"P-please wait just a moment!"
The instant his eyes met Walfred’s.
He knew in his gut.
No one could stop Walfred as he was now. So instead of a clumsy attempt to dissuade him, he chose to accept the small mercy Walfred was offering.