#058. Companions (1)
—
A sunny afternoon.
The eastern outskirts of Sector 49.
At the boundary where rows of scrap metal ended and the wilderness began, a small white car stood motionless.
Philip, seated in the passenger seat, glanced at the rearview mirror and muttered,
âLooks like sheâs not coming after all. Still no sign of her.â
The rearview mirror reflected only heaps of scrap metalâno sign of a person.
Ray, slumped in the driverâs seat, glanced at the blinking clock on the dashboard and replied,
âItâs 12:57 PM. Weâve got three minutes left.â
âYouâre sure she knows the time, right?â
âShe does. I told her multiple timesâdeparture is at 1 PM today.â
Ray and Philip were fully prepared to leave Sector 49.
They had stocked the trunk with enough food and water for the journey across the wilderness.
Tools for vehicle maintenance, cooking utensils, and other essentials were meticulously packed.
Earlier that morning, theyâd bid farewell to the children from their group.
> “Weâll wait here for the boss! Weâll complete the missions you assigned, every single day!”
> “Thereâs never been anyone as cool or skilled in combat as you, boss!”
> “Have a safe trip!”
> “Can I give the hunter some snacks?”
> “Philip, itâs hard, but since youâve decided, make sure you achieve what you want and come back!”
Thinking of the kids waving goodbye outside the hotel brought a lump to Philipâs throat.
âIâll miss them a lot.â
Leaving Sector 49 was by no means an easy decision.
They were abandoning nearly everything theyâd built and enjoyed.
The hotel system they painstakingly established.
Their extensive network with shopkeepers.
The valuable intel theyâd gathered over years.
And, most importantly, the bond with the children at the hotel.
At first, fear dominated Philipâs thoughts.
> *”Can I really give all this up and leave?”*
> *”Am I brave enough to step into the unknown world beyond?”*
But the yearning for a âpurpose in lifeâ that heâd carried since childhood,
and his finely honed ability to judge people, tipped the scales.
> *”Iâll accept the proposal. Iâll leave this place with you.”*
With Ray, Philip felt he could achieve his goal.
Even without full details of the journey, he was convinced.
Recently, they learned they might have another companion.
> *”Veronica. Youâve met her, right?”*
> *”Yeah, Iâve seen her before.”*
The red-haired girl who had suddenly appeared at the hotel, asking for help, saying Ray might be in danger.
It was the day Ray had fought a mysterious man at the abandoned factory.
Philip had no objections to her joining.
Another mage like Rsy could only be a valuable ally.
Besides, theyâd built some camaraderie during the incident when they restrained a raging Ray together.
But as departure approached, there was still no sign of Veronica.
âPeople who met her said she carried herself like an elegant lady⊠but based on what I saw⊠not so sure.â
Philip scratched his head.
Still, he could understand Veronicaâs hesitation.
She, too, had reasons for wanting to leave the sector, but desiring something and taking action are entirely different matters.
âShe probably has things she canât bear to leave behind. And not much time to process everything, like I did.â
Philip turned from the mirror to look at Ray.
âRay, itâs 1 PM.â
Ray silently started the engine.
*RumbleâŠ*
The car, thoroughly serviced in every way, purred softly as it started.
âLetâs go.â
âAlright. Gosh, Iâm so nervous.â
The wheels began to roll, the car picking up speed as it moved forward.
Suddenly, a voice shouted from behind the vehicle.
âTake me with you! Wait for me!â
In the rearview mirror, they saw Veronica chasing the car, dragging a suitcase behind her.
Philip smiled.
âShe mustâve been hiding nearby, debating until the last moment.â
âSeems like it.â
As Ray slowed the car, Veronica shouted again.
âNo, donât stop! Keep going! Just open the door!â
âUh⊠she said donât stop?â
ââŠâŠâ
Ray slightly eased off the accelerator but maintained speed.
Philip twisted around and opened the rear door on Veronicaâs side.
âSheâs planning to jump in. Why wouldnât she want us to stop?â
Despite the carâs moderate speed, the gap between Veronica and the vehicle wasnât closing quickly.
Dragging her suitcase slowed her down.
Rsy extended his hand out the window, focusing intently.
*Whoomâ*
Red mana emanated from his palm, enveloping Veronica in a soft glow.
Suddenly, her running speed increased.
âYahh!â
Her voice grew louder as she got closer.
With all her strength, Veronica tossed her suitcase into the backseat, then tried to climb in herself. But her awkward position made it difficult.
Philip stretched his arm to help but couldnât offer much assistance.
*Whoosh!*
Then, a gust of wind surrounded her, lifting her into the backseat in an ungraceful tumble.
*Thud!*
Philip quickly shut the door.
A brief silence followed, broken by Rayâs quiet remark.
âLifting a person with wind⊠not easy. Theyâre much heavier than most objects.â
âW-what?!â
Flushed red, Veronica glared at him, feeling unintentionally insulted.
As she settled into her seat, Philip chuckled and asked,
âYouâve decided to come with us after all. Good choice. But why didnât you want us to stop?â
Catching her breath, Veronica replied,
âBecause if you stopped, I mightâve changed my mind.â
ââŠâŠâ
Hearing that, Philipâs mouth slowly opened in surprise.
Her one statement revealed the heavy weight of her internal conflict.
She mustâve wrestled with her decision until the very last moment.
Ray commented from the driverâs seat.
âWeâll have to stop eventually. We need to hand over Malta and Yulfin to the hotel.â
“Thatâs fine. Theyâll find their way to the hotel and explain everything on their own.”
Veronica said she had many conversations with her younger siblings over the past few days. They talked about how they felt about their grandfatherâs death, what they wanted to do, how they planned to live from now on, and what to do with the bookstore and their grandfatherâs inheritance.
“They said their dream is to become like the hunter.”
Hearing that, Philip chuckled and shook his headâboys will be boys.
“Oh, and they decided to keep the bookstore running. Theyâre planning to ask the hotel for help since it might be too much for the two of them to manage that large bookstore alone.”
Philip nodded.
“Iâve already given a heads-up to my assistant. I told him Malta and Yulfin might show up, so he should help them out as much as possible. Heâs sharp and efficient, so heâll handle it well.”
Philip then asked cautiously, “Still, arenât you worried? Theyâre just kids, right?”
“…Theyâll manage. Talking to them, I realized theyâre quite mature. Maybe I was overprotective and underestimated them.”
Ray then asked, “So, we donât need to stop?”
“Yeah, thatâs right.”
With that, Ray firmly pressed the accelerator.
The sleek white car gradually picked up speed and raced toward the vast wilderness.
Ray glanced at Veronica. The heavy sense of responsibility she had been carrying seemed to have lightened compared to before.
Feeling his gaze, Veronica asked, âWas I⊠that heavy?â
—
—
“This is incredible! Iâve been outside the sectorâs outskirts briefly before, but Iâve never been this far out!”
“Me neither. I didnât even know such a world existed out here.”
Veronica and Philip marveled at the scenery outside the window.
The endless wilderness and rolling hills under the scorching sun were enough to captivate the minds of the boy and girl who had spent their entire lives within the sector.
“If I were told to cross such a vast place alone, I don’t think I could do it even if my life depended on it.”
“Same here. It’s not just a dayâs journey; it takes several days.”
The two looked at Ray with newfound admiration.
If they had set out alone, wouldnât they have been overwhelmed by the endless scenery, suffocating and panicking?
And most likely, wouldnât they have turned the steering wheel around to retreat back to their familiar home?
The fear of being alone in a vast, uninhabited space was far greater than they had imagined.
“Ray, be honest. Youâre not really 16, are you? Youâre way older, right? Why are you so mature?”
“Uh, well⊠judging by my height, I wouldnât exactly call myself an adultâŠ.”
“My age is probably 16, and Iâm still growing.”
Ray answered mechanically, continuing to drive. Part of his focus remained on the Elton River winding along the right side of his view.
Since all sectors were connected to the Elton River, following the river upstream meant they wouldnât lose their way.
Another part of his attention stayed on the wilderness, keeping an eye out for potential unforeseen variables.
So far, nothing unusual had occurred.
**Vrooooom!**
The vehicle sped on.
The crimson sun sank below the horizon.
“The scenery doesnât change.”
“Ugh⊠I think Iâm getting carsick.”
“V-Veronica! Hold on! Hereâs a bag! Take the bag!”
As the repetitive landscape stretched endlessly, even Philip and Veronica began to show signs of fatigue.
**Screeeech.**
The vehicle came to a halt.
It was far from the road, in the shadow of a massive boulder.
**Rumbleâ**
The engine, having absorbed the midday heat, groaned in protest after hours of labor.
Ray stepped out of the car and said, “Weâll camp here for the night and set off again tomorrow morning.”
The vehicle had been perfectly maintained before leaving the sector, so it could have gone further without issue. However, Ray saw no harm in being cautious.
Philip and Veronica creaked out of the vehicle, following Ray. Stretching their stiff bodies, they looked around.
“We really did leave the sector behind, huh.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Still finding it hard to believe, they looked back at the path they had traveled.
Afterward, Ray assigned tasks.
Philip went down to the riverside below the hill to gather firewood, while Veronica opened the trunk to take out food and prepare a meal.
Meanwhile, Ray inspected the vehicle.
“Here! I brought back everything. This should be enough, right?”
“Itâs plenty.”
**Whoosh!**
The fire sparked to life atop the gathered firewood.
A pot was placed over the flames, and soup began to boil.
The children sat around the campfire and quietly began their meal.
**Clatter. Clatter.**
“My goal is to find the rainbow.”
At Rayâs sudden words, the other two paused their eating and looked at him.
A rainbow.
Veronica wasnât particularly surprised. Ray had always shown a keen interest in magic since they first met. Naturally, she had guessed his goal would be related to that.
Philip, too, although unsure what a rainbow was, had suspected that Rayâs objective would be anything but ordinary.
Philip cautiously asked, “Can I ask what the rainbow is?”
“Itâs a seven-colored arc in the sky. They say that if you find it, you can make any wish come true.”
“Thereâs also a legend about a giant turtle under the Elton River that sprays seven-colored streams!”
“Ignore Veronicaâs comment.”
The latter sounded way more interesting, though.
Regardless, Philip mulled over Rayâs words and tried to imagine the rainbow.
A seven-colored arc that could grant wishes?
“Is it a metaphor? Or is it real?”
“Both possibilities exist.”
Veronica chimed in, “Yeah. Rainbows are surrounded by a lot of rumors, but thereâs no definite account. For example, thereâs a story about shooting seven-colored lasers from your eyesâ”
“Ignore that too.”
Veronica looked disappointed that she couldnât finish her tale.
