#063. The Old Man and the Rock Deer (1)
—
“Huh, that thing…”
“Uh…!”
In the tense situation, everyone had completely forgotten about the baby Rock Deer.
─Kurook?
Perhaps sensing the attention suddenly directed at it, the creature tilted its head in curiosity.
When Veronica set it down from her arms, it didn’t wander off but stayed close by the group’s legs.
Philip remarked, “It doesn’t seem wary of humans at all.”
“Shouldn’t we return it to its herd? There might be other family members nearby,” Veronica suggested as she knelt and gently patted the baby Rock Deer’s head.
There was still a lingering guilt and regret in her demeanor.
She seemed to feel partly responsible for the deaths of the Rock Deer.
Philip nodded and murmured in agreement, “If we leave it like this, it’ll probably die. I don’t think its herd will come back for it, and a predator might get to it before then.”
“Yeah, Fran will definitely die if left alone,” Veronica said firmly.
“Fran? That sounds like a boy’s name. How do you even know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Philip questioned.
“Because it follows me so well. It must be a boy,” Veronica answered confidently.
“……”
The two glanced at Ray, the de facto leader of their group.
Ray finally spoke. “What do you think about what we heard earlier?”
“Huh? Oh!”
“Ah…”
They immediately caught on to Ray’s train of thought.
“You mean that story about the blue-skinned Rock Deer! Fran is blue too!”
“If it were a gemstone, it might have some connection to the rainbow. Its body turning into water could also be explained by magic.”
The two added their thoughts in turn.
“But Fran doesn’t have a gemstone on its forehead. And its skin is a bit too pale to be completely blue.”
“Yeah, and the story itself hasn’t been verified. It could just be a made-up tale.”
Objectively, the idea of a Rock Deer walking on air seemed implausible.
It felt like a whimsical story an old woman like Viola might tell children.
They knew better.
The world wasn’t so kind as to simply drop the clues they sought about the rainbow into their laps.
“When I climbed on the roof of the car earlier, I saw a Rock Deer that looked like its mother. Its skin was deep blue,” Ray noted.
They also knew that what seemed like destiny was often just cruel coincidence.
It was probably just a simple mutation.
And yet, the boy couldn’t shake the lingering attachment to the story.
He turned his gaze to the direction where the mercenaries’ vehicles and the Rock Deer herd had disappeared.
“The Rock Deer migration is moving closer to Sector 48, right?”
That’s what the mercenary captain had said.
He also mentioned there seemed to be a final destination for the herd.
*”Once they reach their destination, they’ll scatter throughout the mountains, making hunting more difficult. So we’ve been deliberately driving them in the opposite direction to extend the hunting period.”*
If that were true, the herd would gradually move closer to Sector 48.
The mercenaries couldn’t hunt all day, every day.
“I need to meet the client first,” Ray thought.
If the story turned out to be true, they’d head back to the wilderness and approach the Rock Deer herd.
To search for the blue-skinned Rock Deer.
To confirm that it wasn’t the creature from the tale.
“The baby Rock Deer might help us find the herd.”
It was just a possibility, but there was no harm in being prepared.
“Let’s take it with us. I think it’s better if we find its herd ourselves,” Ray decided.
Philip and Veronica’s faces brightened at Ray’s words.
—
—
**The next morning.**
After reaching their destination, the group stepped out of their vehicle and walked deeper into the sector.
“Wow, there really is another sector!” Philip exclaimed.
“Yeah. The place we lived wasn’t the whole world after all,” Veronica agreed.
The existence of another sector left Philip and Veronica in awe.
Though they’d known about it in theory, experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.
However, while the sector was larger, its streets carried the same dreary atmosphere as the ones they had left.
It felt as though they had returned to their old home.
The initial awe faded quickly, and they refocused on how to pursue their goal.
Philip pointed out, “I think the way to Street 22 is over there. There’s a sign.”
Their primary destination was the *Gallet Hotel*.
*”Located on Street 22 at the sector’s center, it’s a high-end hotel catering to outsiders.”*
They already knew the location and appearance of the hotel through Skyle’s information.
The plan was to meet their client, gather information, secure accommodations, and begin their activities in Sector 48.
Their plan was to first meet the client, gather information, and then secure accommodations to begin their activities in Sector 48.
A Few Moments Later
“Hey, you there, stop for a moment.”
A group of boys approached, looking for trouble.
Their clothes were worn and unkempt, but their sharp gazes revealed their confidence. The boys were bigger and tougher than most their age.
“Never seen you before. Where are you from?”
“Who gave you permission to walk into our territory, huh?”
The trio of strangers caught the attention of local street urchins, who lived off their turf.
It was a situation Ray had predicted.
As a result, Philip and Veronica remained calm.
*”They really should’ve picked their target better.”*
*”Take it easy on them, Ray.”*
All they could do was silently pity the boys as they were led into an alleyway.
Ironically, it was the local boys who began to feel uneasy.
*”Why are these guys following us so confidently?”*
And then—
**Thud! Crack! Aaagh! Spare us!**
The sound of blows landing, things breaking, and bodies falling echoed through the alley.
In less than a minute, the street gang was kneeling in front of Ray.
Their noses were bleeding, eyes swollen, and hands clasped together in a display of submission.
“Tell me. Who’s the leader of your gang?” Ray asked.
The boys exchanged uneasy glances but, as Ray took a step closer, they panicked and shouted,
“L-Leonard! His name is Leonard!”
“He’s 176 cm tall! W-weighs 86 kg!”
“He hates cheese! He’s got a birthmark on his butt! Oh, and he recently got rejected by Alice at the general store for the sixth time!”
…Not all of that information was necessary.
Ignoring the irrelevant details, Ray continued,
“Tell your leader to meet me in front of the Gallet Hotel on Street 22. I’ve got a job for him.”
The “job” was to gather information from across the sector.
Although the trio could investigate on their own, Ray figured they needed local help to cover more ground.
The boys hesitated until Ray pulled out a handful of coins from Philip’s purse.
The golden shimmer of the high-value coins widened their eyes.
“Bring your leader to the Gallet Hotel on Street 22. Understood?”
The boys nodded furiously and scrambled out of the alley.
Ray watched their retreating figures with a dry gaze.
Their leader would show up, most likely intending to rob him.
Greed was a powerful motivator.
—
The group continued moving.
Every few streets they passed, another group would pick a fight, and Ray repeated the same routine.
By now, Ray had summoned the attention of five different gangs.
“I really hope this is the last one,” Ray muttered, watching yet another group of boys approach them.
The sector was large, and the number of gangs dividing up and claiming its streets was just as extensive.
The sound of cracking joints and flesh being struck echoed through another alleyway.
With the addition of a sixth gang summoned to their cause, Philip, lost in thought, made a suggestion.
“Why don’t we change our clothes?”
It was an idea that had just struck him.
In Sector 49, they could go anywhere without issue because everyone there recognized them. But here, they were complete outsiders.
The locals could only judge their status by appearances, such as their clothing.
Having lived his entire life in Sector 49, Philip had never considered this before.
“Change clothes?”
“If we dress in something fancier, they might stop picking fights, thinking we’re from one of the lower-numbered sectors.”
All three of them were wearing plain, casual outfits.
They hadn’t changed since crossing sectors, and their clothes were noticeably grimy.
To Ray, though, this was nothing unusual.
Clothes were simply for protecting the skin and keeping warm; unless they were entirely worn out, there was no reason to change them.
This was an unspoken rule for street children everywhere.
The clothes Ray was currently wearing were the same ones Veronica had prepared for him after his first shower in the bookstore. He had been washing and mending them ever since.
“…Do you wear the same clothes every day?”
“…? Don’t you change your clothes every day?”
Veronica had made several attempts to diversify Ray’s wardrobe.
She had once left fresh clothes outside the shower for him to change into or tried explaining the joy of wearing a different outfit each day.
But all her efforts ended in vain. Unless the clothes were torn to shreds or burned into rags, Ray steadfastly refused to wear anything new.
Philip added, “Think about it. We’re heading to a fancy hotel, right? It might be better to freshen up, get cleaned, and then buy some nicer clothes to change into.”
Ray hesitated for a moment.
He never acted unless he had a clear reason he could accept.
*In Sector 50, everyone dressed like this.*
Shopkeepers.
Gang members.
Miners. Orphans on the street.
When it came to clothing, everyone’s attire was faded, worn, and more or less the same.
Even if someone wore new or freshly washed clothes, it didn’t change how people treated them.
Everyone was equally guarded toward one another.
Besides, Ray had never even seen what “fancier” clothing looked like.
His range of activity in Sector 50 had been so narrow that he only ever encountered the same small group of people.
So naturally, he wondered, *Would changing clothes really make a difference? Wouldn’t it just be a waste of money?*
“A formal suit or something like that might be worth getting. I doubt this will be the last time we visit a place like this during our travels,” Philip said.
Veronica eagerly nodded along.
The mere mention of clothes had filled her with a thrill of excitement.
“Alright. Let’s do that,” Ray agreed after some thought.
So far, every piece of advice Philip had given had turned out to be effective.
After securing a room and settling in, the group showered and headed out.
On their way, they entered a high-end clothing store Philip had spotted earlier.
*Ding!*
“Welcome—”
The employee, who had greeted them in an upbeat tone, frowned.
*What now? More local kids wandering in just to gawk?*
Like the hotel, this store catered primarily to wealthy visitors from outside the sector, those traveling for business or leisure.
Wealthy customers always exuded an air of refinement, from their attire to the way they walked.
The three who entered were undeniably attractive but dressed in nothing but plain, unremarkable clothes.
*Ugh. Know your place.*
The clerk felt a wave of irritation.
Though they had never left Sector 48, they believed that serving wealthy outsiders had elevated their own status.
They thought they were different.
Unlike the locals who struggled to scrape by each day.
“Kids, this isn’t the kind of place for people like you—”
The clerk’s voice, dripping with disdain, was abruptly cut off.
*Clatter.*
Ray emptied a pouch onto the counter.
High-denomination coins spilled out, shimmering brightly.
The clerk stood frozen, speechless.
Ray’s monotone voice cut through the air.
“We’re here to shop.”
The stunned clerk, snapping out of his daze, quickly exclaimed, “R-right this way!”
