28 – S1.5. A Thousand-Mile Escape -1
Desolation includes the meaning of decline.
Among the rubble of collapsed buildings, the random clutter hinting at past inhabitants, and the monsters striding over the earth swallowing an ancient civilization, there lay stars obscured by the sandstorm.
In an era when once-resplendent things perished one by one. Even if one clutch at what’s left and held on tightly, it would eventually slip through one’s fingers.
In such times—a time when the once-savory hope has soured and lamenting approaching despair is a luxury amidst survival struggles—a young boy was crossing the desolate earth.
His name was Espero. Everyone called him Pero in short.
Only three things moved in this era: monsters, the inertia-driven unintentional movements, or, very rarely, those carrying hope.
The boy had hope.
He had come across a compass by chance from a peddler crone who claimed it pointed to paradise. A place where hunger was unknown, a peaceful life assured not only for oneself but for the next and after generations.
It could have been a cruel prank by the crone facing her impending death, or perhaps paradise had already been claimed by another. Yet, the boy believed and held onto hope.
Because people cannot live without hope.
—
The boy walked through the wilderness.
At times receiving help from strangers, evading raiders, or hiding in the sand pits from monsters. The journey was arduous but not in vain—as the distance indicated on the compass steadily decreased.
But it seemed this journey was reaching its end.
“Grrr… Growl.”
“……”
A mutant wolf. A large, badly-walking biped wolf was drooling in anticipation.
The trouble with mutant wolves was their extraordinary tracking skills and speed. The boy’s chance to escape was next to none. It was as good as a death sentence.
For a small boy with no combat skills or artifacts, it had been lucky just to survive this far—the boy knew this.
He also knew that luck does not last forever. After luck comes misfortune, like two sides of a coin, alternating their appearance.
Therefore, he felt no injustice.
“It looks like my luck ran out, Dad. Mom.”
With a casual complaint, the boy began to prepare for the next ‘lucky one.’
He took off the compass, which he had fashioned into a necklace with chains. If he kept wearing it, it would end up in the belly of the mutant wolf along with him. It would be difficult for someone else to find, or it might even get destroyed.
So, he decided to take it off and throw it as far as he could.
Hoping that some fortunate survivor would find the compass and reach paradise. Hoping they would live a happy life on behalf of everyone who had perished.
With that wish, he threw it.
The compass flew in a short arc.
And then, it was caught by a scarred hand.
“……?”
“Does the little gentleman over there require assistance?”
A mellifluous voice reached out.
A beautiful woman with faded golden hair. A characteristic shawl wrapped around her neck, and a deep, plunging crimson dress. It was an attire that seemed wholly unsuitable for battle — and yet.
The very fact that she was still alive while dressed that way was testament to her strength.
For a moment, the boy gazed at her, stunned—then frantically nodded his head.
“Please save me!”
“hehehe, that’s not too difficult.”
“GYaaaH-!!”
The mutated wolf bared its colossal maw, capable of swallowing a child whole. Its menacing teeth clamped together like a guillotine. But the woman in the dress simply took a step forward to evade the wolf’s onslaught.
Thud!
With a casual backhand strike, she smacked the wolf’s jaw. It staggered and collapsed to its knees. That’s when its chest, pulsating with a purple glow—that weakness—was exposed.
“It seems every one of you has a core somewhere. Neutralize it for a moment, and it reveals itself.”
The woman in the dress plunged her hand into the wolf’s chest and tightened her grip. A burst and scatter of magical residue. The wolf met its end all too easily.
Looking down at the boy now squatting on the ground, she spoke.
“My name’s Elaine. What about you, young sir?”
“Espero… just call me Pero!”
“Alright, Pero. I’m not familiar with these parts; I’ve come from a very far place… Wanted to gather some information. Perhaps a gentleman like you wouldn’t ignore the distress of a lady, right?”
Wink.
Pero nodded as if under a spell.
It looks like the boy’s luck might last a little longer…
————-
Behind the shelter of a rocky outcrop, the two had kindled a fire and were seated.
The boy, Pero, was thrilled by the warmth of the blazing red embers. Lighting a fire while on his own was dangerous, as it could alert the mutants and attract their assault. Thus, for him, this was the first glimpse of firelight in several months.
Even the sizzling wolf meat was truly exciting. Having barely survived on beetles gathered from beneath rocks, well-cooked meat held an irresistible temptation for Pero.
“…hehehe.”
“…”
Elaine watched Pero swallowing his saliva with an odd smile. Somehow, under her gaze, Pero felt a peculiar sense of embarrassment, though he wasn’t sure why.
In a fluster, Pero picked up a wolf meat skewer from a twig and offered it to Elaine. Blushing at eye contact, he quickly averted his eyes, then glanced down to a deep valley on her dress, abruptly turning his head away, only to think it polite to face her when speaking, and turned back to her—ultimately, he closed his eyes tight and offered the meat skewer in an awkward posture.
“Ahahahaha…!”
Elaine burst into laughter. Pero’s face reddened even further, his head now bowed deeply. It was an endless cycle of embarrassment. A faint tear glistened by the boy’s eyes.
Eileen spoke in a soft voice.
“Sorry, Pero. I’m afflicted with a disease that makes me laugh when I see handsome gentlemen…”
Pero circled around, looking for the handsome gentleman. Predictably, no one was there. Shadows flickering in the bonfire and long cast shadows were all that accompanied him.
“Was there someone else… besides me?”
“Yes, a small handsome gentleman.”
“No, that’s not true.”
“It is true, isn’t it?”
They say as rice ripens, it bows its head. So did Pero, his face turning redder and his head falling lower. Eileen wore an expression of great satisfaction, as if she might bust from joy.
What a wonderful world it would be if the second prince, or the third prince possessed this amount of charm.
With a twisted desire to see this boy cry, Eileen decides instead to switch to a more productive topic. There was much to learn.
After a day of wandering around the world, Eileen deduced it was in a pretty bad shape. Everywhere she looked, she saw monsters. The few remnants of humanity she occasionally caught sight of were nothing more than ruins.
Naturally, she had no way of knowing whether it was just this region at risk, or if the whole world was a mess. The monsters she’d confronted up until now had been easy enough to deal with, but who knew what other kinds there were.
A more trivial concern was a possible misinterpretation of words or gestures. Figuring out how she might dig for information from this small boy… Eileen considers it for a moment before deciding to bring up her ancestry.
“Pero, would you think… I’ve lost my memory?”
“Yo, you’ve lost your memory?!”
Amnesia cosplay.
It was a powerful tool that agents of the Empire defense department would use in wrapping up their identity when interacting with civilians of other places. Like any proven weapon, it seemed to have worked on this boy.
“Yes. I remember my name… but I almost don’t remember anything else.”
“I’ll help you! So, um… where should I start explaining from?”
The boy began to explain hesitantly. His explanation was disorganized and messy as he narrated everything that came to his mind, but his sincere desire to help was clearly felt.
Eileen was summarizing and organizing the information in her head.
1) Humanity is on the decline due to the monsters known as mutants.
2) Nation-states had long since fallen, with society reduced to tribal-level organizations.
3) Few surviving humans stay in hiding, mostly in forests and caves.
After hearing a rough explanation, Eileen turned her attention back to Pero.
“You’re the first person I’ve met after wandering around for a whole day. Pero, is this place usually… so devoid of people?”
“Ah, yes. Because this is a terrain where mutants roam frequently. Unless they’re hunters who’ve wandered far for food, people don’t usually venture into these desolate areas.”
“So, what were you doing here, Pero? You don’t seem like a hunter.”
“I’m searching for paradise.”
“Paradise?”
“Yes, a place that’s safe and abundant with food. I’ve heard that if we follow the direction that compass points to, we can find it!”
Elaine examined the compass she had been fiddling with. The red arrow was indicating a direction, and the distance remaining was marked with numbers below the arrow.
It seemed to be a well-crafted artifact. The construction was too fine for something made just to trick someone as a pastime, suggesting the stories about paradise were quite credible.
A promise of safety and food in a world where humanity’s survival is threatened—such a sweet tale indeed. But then, a question arose.
“If that’s real… it must be a very precious thing. Then why… why throw it away at the last moment?”
“To prevent it from being consumed by a mutant. That way, it would be harder for anyone else to find the compass.”
“…After dying, what does it matter what happens to others? Even if you consider others, who will appreciate that?”
After all, nothing makes sense if you don’t survive yourself.
To that question, the boy, Pero, answered with a smile.
“Because someone lucky will be able to be happy on my behalf!”
“…Then, it’s alright for me to have a share of Pero’s happiness as well?”
“Of course! You saved me. And since there’s enough food in paradise to last until the generation after the next, even if two people were to go in and live there, there would be plenty to spare!”
“What if that’s not enough depending on the circumstances?”
“…?”
Elaine looked at the tattoo of a watch on her wrist and set a temporary goal. Regardless of whether this world was a fantasy or reality, arriving at paradise and securing safety seemed like a decent option. And the journey promised to be a pleasant one.
Moreover, in case of danger along the way…
It was necessary to have bait.
From Noble mtl dot com
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Distance Remaining to Paradise: About 400km.
ohoho, is this gonna be another short lived love?
Getting a Mad Max vibe here.