#058. Companions (1)
A sunny afternoon.
The eastern outskirts of Sector 49.
Where the rows of scrap metal ended and the wilderness began, a small white vehicle stood.
Philip, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and said,
“I guess they’re not coming after all? They haven’t shown up yet.”
Only piles of scrap metal were reflected in the rearview mirror; no sign of anyone.
Ray, slouched in the driver’s seat, glanced at the blinking time on the dashboard and replied,
“It’s 12:57 PM. There are still three minutes left.”
“You’re sure about the time, right?”
“No way I’d forget. I’ve told them several times. We’re leaving at 1 PM today.”
Ray and Philip were fully prepared to leave Sector 49.
They had stocked up on enough food and water in the trunk for crossing the wilderness.
They had also packed tools for vehicle maintenance and cooking utensils, ensuring they had everything needed for their journey.
Earlier that morning, they had bid farewell to the children from their respective groups.
“We’ll wait here for you, Captain! We’ll carry out your tasks every day!”
“There’s never been anyone as cool and skilled in fighting as you, Captain!”
“Have a safe trip!”
“Can I give Hunter some juice?”
“Philip. It’s a shame, but since it’s your decision, make sure you achieve what you want and come back!”
Thinking of the kids waving outside the hotel still made Philip’s eyes sting with emotion.
I’ll miss them a lot.
Leaving Sector 49 was never an easy decision.
After all, it meant giving up almost everything they had built there.
The hotel system they had worked so hard to establish.
Their extensive network with shop owners.
The information they had gathered over the years within Sector 49.
And their bonds with the children at the hotel—all of it.
At first, fear took hold.
Can I really give all this up and leave?
Can I really step into an unknown world outside?
But the desire for a “purpose in life,” something he had yearned for since childhood,
along with his keen eye for judging people, honed over a lifetime,
eventually tipped his thoughts in one direction.
I’ll accept your offer. I’ll leave this place with you.
With Ray by his side, he felt confident they could achieve their goal.
Even though he hadn’t been fully briefed on all aspects of their journey,
the strong conviction that they could succeed was undeniable.
And not long ago, he had heard that another companion might join them.
“Veronica. You’ve met her before, right?”
“Yeah. I saw her that time.”
The day Ray fought an unidentified man at an abandoned factory,
a red-haired girl suddenly appeared at the hotel,
saying Ray might be in danger and asking for help.
From Philip’s perspective, there was no reason to hesitate.
If she was a mage like Ray, she would undoubtedly be a great asset to their journey.
Plus, she had stood by Ray when he was consumed by flames,
building a small bond between them.
But since she hadn’t shown up until right before departure,
it seemed she had decided not to come after all.
The kids who went welding said she was like an elegant lady. Hmm… but from what I saw… I don’t know if that was true.
Philip scratched his head.
Still, it wasn’t hard to understand why Veronica hadn’t shown up here either.
He had heard that Veronica also had reasons for wanting to leave Sector 49.
But no matter how strong her desire was,
taking action was an entirely different matter.
She must have things she couldn’t bear to leave behind. Just like me. She probably didn’t have much time to think it over either.
Philip turned his gaze from the rearview mirror to Ray and said,
“Ray, it’s 1 o’clock.”
Ray silently started the engine.
Drrrrrr—
The vehicle, which had undergone thorough maintenance, started much more smoothly than before.
“Let’s go.”
“Alright. Whew, I’m really nervous.”
The wheels began to roll slowly.
The car moved forward gradually, preparing to pick up speed.
Just then, a shout came from behind the vehicle.
“Take me with you! Let me come too!”
Reflected in the rearview mirror was Veronica, dragging a suitcase as she chased after the car.
Philip smiled.
“She must have been hiding nearby. It seems she struggled until the last moment.”
“Seems like it.”
As Ray slowed down, another shout came.
“No! Don’t stop! Keep going! Just open the door!”
“Uh… she says not to stop?”
“……”
Ray slightly lifted his foot off the accelerator, maintaining speed.
Turning around, Philip reached out and opened the rear door on Veronica’s side.
“She seems like she wants to jump in while we’re moving. Why did she say not to stop?”
Even though they weren’t going very fast, the distance between Veronica and the car wasn’t closing easily.
Veronica, too, was struggling to keep up while dragging her suitcase.
Ray kept his eyes on the rearview mirror as he stretched his hand out of the window.
Whoosh—
Red mana surged from his palm, swirling through the air before enveloping Veronica’s body.
In that instant, Veronica’s running speed increased.
“Yah!”
Her voice grew closer too.
As Veronica neared, she lifted her suitcase with all her might and tossed it into the backseat.
She tried climbing in herself but struggled due to her awkward position.
Philip also reached over but couldn’t help much.
Hwoosh—!
A gust of wind blew.
Wrapped in its force, Veronica tumbled into the backseat like she was being rolled inside.
Thud!
Philip quickly closed the door.
For a moment, silence filled the air.
Ray muttered,
“It’s not easy. Lifting someone with wind is much harder than lifting objects.”
“Wha—what?!”
Veronica, unintentionally subjected to extreme mental stress, blushed furiously.
As Veronica adjusted herself in the backseat, the car slowly prepared to pick up speed again.
Turning around, Philip spoke to Veronica, who was catching her breath.
“So you decided to come with us after all. Good choice. But why did you tell us not to stop?”
“Ah, that.”
Veronica finished catching her breath before answering.
“If we stopped, I thought I wouldn’t be able to leave.”
“……”
Understanding her words slowly widened Philip’s mouth in surprise.
In that one sentence, he could feel just how much weight Veronica’s hesitation carried.
She must have been conflicted until right before getting into the car.
From the driver’s seat, Ray said,
“We’ll have to stop anyway though. We need to hand over Malta and Yulphin at Hotel Veritas.”
“That’s fine. They’ll go there themselves and explain everything.”
Veronica said she’d spent days talking with her two younger siblings.
About how they felt after their grandfather’s death.
What they wanted to do.
How they planned to live moving forward.
And what would happen with their bookstore and grandfather’s estate.
“They said their dream is becoming hunters now.”
Hearing this made Philip chuckle softly while shaking his head. Boys will be boys.
“Ah—we decided we’ll keep running the bookstore too. We’ll ask Hotel Veritas for help since managing such a large place alone would be too much for just two kids anyway.”
Philip nodded.
“I already gave my assistant a heads-up about Malta and Yulphin coming by, so he can take care of them properly. He’s sharp and works well under pressure—he’ll handle things fine.”
After finishing speaking, Philip casually asked,
“Still though… aren’t you worried? They’re still pretty young, aren’t they?”
“…They’ll manage fine. I realized during our talks how mature they actually are. I think I’ve been overprotective, seeing them only as kids.”
This time, it was Ray who asked,
“So this means we don’t need to stop?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
With those words, Ray firmly pressed down on the accelerator pedal once more.
The white-bodied car gradually increased its speed, heading off toward the vast wilderness ahead.
Ray glanced briefly back toward Veronica.
The heavy burden of responsibility that had weighed on her now seemed lighter than before.
Feeling Ray’s gaze, Veronica asked,
“So… was I really that heavy?”
“This is incredible! I’ve briefly ventured beyond the sector outskirts before, but I’ve never gone this far out!”
“Same here. I didn’t even know a world like this existed outside!”
Veronica and Philip marveled enthusiastically while looking out the window at the scenery unfolding before them.
The endless expanse of wilderness and rolling hills stretching beneath the blazing sun was enough to captivate the minds of a boy and girl who’d spent their entire lives within the confines of sector walls.
“If I had to cross such a vast place alone, I’d die trying.”
“Me too. It takes days to travel through this.”
Both felt newfound appreciation for Ray’s capabilities.
If they’d started the journey alone, they might’ve suffocated under the endless monotony of the landscape, panicked, and likely turned around to retreat to the safety of familiar surroundings.
The fear of being alone in the middle of nowhere was beyond imagination.
“Ray, be honest—you’re not really sixteen, are you? You’re actually way older, right? Why are you so mature?”
“Uh, well… Judging by height alone, you still wouldn’t call me an adult yet…”
“Most likely sixteen years old, just tall for his age.”
Ray answered mechanically, continuing to drive.
Part of his mind focused on watching the Elton River winding along the right side of his vision.
All sectors were connected to the Elton River, so as long as they followed it upstream, they wouldn’t get lost.
The other part of his mind kept watch for possible variables in the wilderness ahead.
Thus far, nothing unusual had happened.
Bwaaaaaaaang—!
The car raced onward as the crimson sun sank below the horizon.
“Ugh… the scenery isn’t changing.”
“Urk… I think I’m getting carsick.”
“Ve—Veronica! Wait! Here’s a bag! A bag!”
By the time fatigue began to hang from Philip and Veronica’s eyelids due to the endlessly repeating landscape—
Screech.
The car came to a halt quite a distance away from the road, beneath the shadow of a massive rock.
Drdrdrd—
The engine, having absorbed the midday heat, complained after hours of hard labor.
Ray stepped out of the car and said,
“We’ll camp here tonight and set off again tomorrow morning.”
The vehicle, perfectly maintained prior to departure, could’ve gone a bit further without issue, but it was better to err on the side of caution.
Philip and Veronica creakily followed Ray out, stretching their stiff bodies and looking around in disbelief.
“Guess we really left the sector behind, huh.”
“Yeah, guess so.”
Afterward, Ray assigned roles.
Philip went to gather firewood down the hill near the riverbank, while Veronica opened the trunk to take out food supplies and prepare a meal.
Ray checked over the vehicle’s condition.
“Here! I got enough. This should do, right?”
“Plenty enough.”
Whoosh!
Flames rose from the gathered firewood.
A pot was placed atop, and soup soon boiled.
The children sat quietly around the campfire and began eating their meal.
Clink. Clink.
Ray’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
“My goal is to find the rainbow.”
The other two paused mid-bite and turned to look at him.
Veronica wasn’t particularly surprised.
Ray had always shown great curiosity about magic since they’d first met, so she’d naturally assumed his goal was related to that field.
Philip, though unsure what the rainbow represented, had guessed Ray’s objective wasn’t ordinary.
Philip cautiously asked,
“Mind explaining what the rainbow is?”
“A seven-colored band that appears in the sky. They say finding it grants one wish.”
“There’s even a theory about a giant turtle living beneath the Elton River that sprays seven-colored streams!”
“Ignore Veronica’s comment.”
The latter sounded far more interesting, but regardless, Philip pondered Ray’s words.
A seven-colored band that grants wishes… Is that a metaphor, or real?
“The possibility of both exists equally.”
Veronica added to Ray’s statement,
“True. There are tons of rumors about rainbows but nothing concrete. For example, some say they’re eyes that shoot seven-colored lasers—”
“Ignore this too.”
Veronica gave a disappointed look, unable to finish her story.
