Chapter 61: Picturing That Day
His conversation with Bauer ended like that.
With a parting note that they should share any new information they came across down the line. Having left the chat room, Walfred closed his connection to the community.
’With this, I’ve said everything I had to say.’
Now he could leave without any lingering regrets.
As he wore a refreshed smile, Elsa, who had been wandering around the turnstiles, came scampering over.
"Daddy! Are you all done?"
"Yeah. Shall we get going now?"
"Yeah! Let’s go!"
Elsa answered briskly.
Walfred took her hand and went down past the platform onto the tracks. Then he stepped out, following the Northeast Corridor rails that stretched straight ahead.
It was their first step heading south.
---
Meanwhile, around that time.
A corner of the Financial District Station platform, The 9 Line.
Lauren sat hugging her knees, curled up tightly. She could see a can and a bottle of water set in front of her, but she didn’t so much as glance at them.
She had no appetite.
Or, to put it more precisely, she wasn’t in any mood to swallow anything down her throat.
"..."
After a full day had passed,
Lauren finished sorting out her thoughts.
’I don’t want to be here anymore.’
The people here had sacrificed Walfred for their own survival. And the way they justified it and looked so relieved was utterly sickening.
’Someday I’ll be thrown away too.’
If she was no longer needed.
Or if the whole group fell into danger, they’d use her as bait without a moment’s hesitation.
Just like they had with Walfred.
’So, I have to get stronger.’
Strong enough to survive on her own.
After she left this place down the line, she’d go to Philadelphia and search for her sister’s whereabouts. Setting a concrete goal, Lauren clenched her fists tight.
’...I should’ve leveled up while the mister was around.’
Recalling the days when she’d done nothing but be protected by Walfred, regret welled up out of nowhere.
If she had, she wouldn’t have to feel this helpless. She could have gone with Walfred when he headed to the surface instead of staying behind here.
As she was being crushed under the weight of self-reproach,
"Lauren."
a familiar voice suddenly spoke up.
The representative of the Silicon Alley Shelter, Chief Jonah.
Lauren ignored him. She wasn’t in any mood to talk with Jonah right now.
He, on the other hand, plopped down close to Lauren, as if he had something to say. And he whispered, quietly enough that only Lauren could hear.
"I’ve gotten in contact with the Hunter Walfred."
"...!"
The instant the words left his mouth,
Lauren snapped her head up. A faint spark of life returned to her cloudy eyes.
"From, from the mister...?"
"That’s right. To be precise, I heard it relayed through the Hunter Bauer, though."
Jonah laid out everything he’d heard from Bauer through one-on-one chat, holding nothing back.
That Walfred, taken captive in the White Dome, had gotten lucky and gained a fortunate break to exterminate the drake. And that he’d safely escaped the White Dome too. All of it.
After hearing the whole story,
’Whew, thank goodness.’
Lauren felt genuinely relieved.
Thanks to the strong-enemy extermination alert, she’d guessed Walfred was probably safe, but deep down she’d been worried that he might have been badly hurt.
In the midst of that, hearing the news that he’d escaped the White Dome finally put her at ease.
"That said, he says he doesn’t intend to come back."
Jonah said carefully then.
Watching for Lauren’s reaction.
Lauren, on the other hand, nodded with surprising composure. It was something she’d expected.
"But the Hunter Walfred had a message he wanted me to pass on to you, Lauren."
"The mister, to me...?"
"Yes, I wrote it down beforehand."
Jonah held out a notebook.
On it, Walfred’s message, which he’d heard through Bauer, was written out in an easy-to-read way.
-----
[To Lauren.]
Something personal has come up, so from now on I’ll have to move separately. Sorry to leave so suddenly without even saying goodbye.
Like I said before, I’m heading to Key West to find my niece. If I end up passing through Philadelphia on the way, I’ll look into where your sister is.
Take care of yourself, and stay well.
-----
Right after reading Walfred’s message,
Lauren’s eyes wavered faintly.
He had to be plenty busy with his own affairs, yet he’d offered to stop by Philadelphia and look into where her sister was. At that kindness, her eyes grew hot before she knew it.
’...I want to help the mister too.’
Not be a burden, but be of help.
She wanted to repay Walfred for all he’d done for her. As she clenched her fist with that thought,
"Oh, and..."
Jonah spoke up again.
"The Hunter Walfred asked me to give you his community nickname, Lauren."
"Nickname...?"
"Yes, I mean the nickname the Hunter Walfred uses in the community. If you know his nickname, you can add him as a friend later."
Lauren knew about the community too.
Walfred had checked the community every day while traveling with Lauren, after all.
"Then, the mister’s nickname is..."
"FrozenMan."
It was a nickname just like him.
A very faint smile formed at the corner of Lauren’s mouth, then vanished right away. Whether he noticed it or not, Jonah went on with his explanation.
"For your reference, to use the friend-add and one-on-one chat features, you need to reach Level 30."
"...Level 30."
For an instant, Lauren’s eyes flashed.
As if she’d found a new goal.
Having said what he came to say, Jonah dusted himself off and stood up. Then he spoke in a quiet tone.
"We owe the Hunter Walfred a debt."
It may have been the best decision, but the fact that they’d abandoned Walfred was undeniable. And it was also a fact that everyone had survived because of it.
Jonah looked at Lauren.
"I’d like to repay that debt, at least to you, Lauren. If there’s anything you need, please tell me whatever it is. I’ll support you with everything I can."
"..."
Lauren didn’t answer.
To be honest, she didn’t want their support or help in the slightest.
’But...’
If she wanted to level up, relying on her own strength alone had clear limits. So she decided to suppress her seething emotions and think calmly.
At least until she achieved her goal, she’d use whatever she could to the fullest. As she steeled her resolve with that thought,
"Ch-Chief! We’re under attack!"
Two men came running over breathlessly from a distance.
Men who looked, at a glance, to be a scout team.
They shouted urgently toward Jonah.
"Monsters! A pack of Poison Scorpions has shown up by the connecting passage to The 5 Line!"
"The first barricade’s been breached too!"
"Understood. Let’s go at once."
Jonah turned quickly.
But he couldn’t take a step. It was because Lauren had suddenly grabbed his arm.
"...Lauren?"
"Take me with you."
At those words, Jonah’s eyes widened.
"But you, Lauren..."
"You said to tell you whatever I wanted, didn’t you?"
To level up, she needed experience.
And to gain experience, there was no way other than exterminating monsters. So Lauren steadied her heart and renewed her resolve.
Did he pick up on it?
Jonah spoke with a hardened expression.
"It’ll be dangerous."
"I know."
"...All right. Come with me. But during the fight, you have to follow my instructions."
"Yes."
Lauren nodded.
She headed into the darkness after Jonah. Picturing the day she’d meet Walfred again.