“My lips hurt every time I wake up lately. I wonder why.”

“Could be mouth ulcers. Given the environment, it’s possible.”

“Maybe…it’s because I’m tired…? We’ve been walking a lot lately…”

“Hmm. Sore lips. How fascinating. I wonder whose fault that could be.”

“…”

My single remark triggered wildly different reactions. Ms. Rebecca offered common sense, Erika offered speculation, and Haru dished out sarcasm—while only Saya remained silent. When I cast her a questioning glance, she feigned composure and stroked Haru’s hair.

Meanwhile, Haru reveled in that touch, practically melting into Saya’s embrace. The sight of her grinning and shaking her head looked particularly unsightly today.

“Is annoying people your hobby?”

“Me? I’m just asking Saya to do my hair. A lady must maintain her dignity even in circumstances like these. And Saya enjoys doing this for me too. Right?”

“Ah…yeah. That’s right, Lope. I do this because I enjoy it.”

“See? I told you.”

“What in the world…”

I started to scold her again but gave up and closed my mouth. Judging by that smug expression, nothing I said would get through. So instead of wasting effort on a futile cause, I sighed and rose from my seat.

“Never mind. Let’s get moving. We’re almost there.”

“You’re right. How much further?”

“Close enough to see the city right before our eyes.”

With those words, I lifted my head. A desolate cross-section of a city cloaked in corroding metal filled my vision.

Our days-long journey had led us to Bellentel, a city south of the Capital. Once regarded as the pinnacle of Magic Engineering and the crowning achievement of modern technology—the Empire’s second heart. Whenever talk of relocating the Capital arose, it was invariably the top candidate, the undisputed largest metropolis in human civilization.

But such a storied name proved worthless beneath Dragon fire. As the Capital—the heart of the Empire—crumbled, the lifeblood flowing to Bellentel was severed, and the city fell into ruin far more wretched than its accumulated reputation would suggest. The exact circumstances remained unknown, but at present, it looked no different from any other ghost town.

Still, it hadn’t lost all of its former scale, so traces of people were visible here and there throughout Bellentel. Smoke rising from various spots. Swarms of flies roaming the streets. And crucially, faint lights flickering in scattered windows.

We had only just entered the outskirts, but the premonition that we might encounter survivors for the first time gradually swelled within me.

“I don’t hear anything yet. But there are definitely people here.”

“We probably need to go deeper inside. The railway and military base are on the far side anyway, so we’ll have to cut straight through the city. We can stop by the Student Council President’s house while we’re at it.”

“…Thank you, Ms. Rebecca.”

“From the sound of it, this place is fairly intact. No sounds of anything collapsing.”

“No strange smells either. It probably wasn’t directly hit by the Dragons. More likely, frightened people fled elsewhere and left the city empty.”

“Then how about we raid a restaurant on the way? I’m starving to death.”

“From what I can tell, most of the shops have already been looted. That’s the natural order of things given the chaos. We’d have better luck finding a group of survivors and asking them to share supplies. That’s why we’re heading to the Student Council President’s house.”

“Well, let’s hope those people are actually there.”

Haru wrapped up with a remarkably flippant tone given the gravity of the situation. It was somewhat callous, but truth be told, such cynicism was the only viable attitude in circumstances like these. Erika seemed to understand that, merely lowering her head in silence.

One positive thing, at least, was that the streets weren’t lined with corpses like in other cities. Being the foremost metropolis after the Capital, it seemed law and order had been maintained until the very end. With military facilities positioned throughout, riots would have been difficult to spark.

Though even accounting for that, the streets were suspiciously clean.

“…”

Only then did I sense something amiss and survey our surroundings. For a city staring down annihilation, Bellentel’s streets were immaculate. The absence of corpses was certainly a positive sign, but not seeing so much as a single stray cat’s carcass was a little strange.

Even the supposedly looted shops gave more the impression of having been simply emptied rather than forcibly ransacked. If that were the result of police authority, a patrol should have appeared by now. But there was no sign of even that.

Meanwhile, lights drifted through various buildings. Those faint signs of presence no longer felt welcome. I tensed slightly and gripped my sword’s hilt.

“O-over there!”

“Erika…!”

But just then, Erika bolted toward a large mansion. After wandering for so long, the wayward daughter’s steps toward home were unstoppable. That was how desperately she craved the unfamiliar yet warm concept of a sanctuary.

No one here could fail to understand that feeling. So instead of stopping her, we stayed alert for any threat that might arise. Whether she knew it or not, Erika called out to her family in a clear, ringing voice.

“Mom! It’s me, Erika!”

“…”

“I’m here, Dad. Please open the door. It’s me, Erika.”

“…”

“You’re in there, aren’t you? I know you’re there. So please…”

“…”

“So please open the door. Please…”

“…”

The desolate cries gradually transformed into desperate pleas. But no matter how hard she knocked, God did not answer her prayers. Eventually, her hands realized reality before her mind could, losing their strength and falling limp.

“Mom…Dad…please. You’re there, aren’t you? Mom…”

“…”

“Pl…please…I…”

“…”

“…Erika?”

At that moment, a faint voice drifted from somewhere. Even Erika had half-given up, so everyone’s gaze snapped toward the door at once. But still, not a single footstep came from within.

The footsteps came from behind us.

Naturally, Saya was the first to realize it. I only followed her gaze after she turned her head, and even Ms. Rebecca looked back with visible alarm. There, pushing through the gaps between buildings, a middle-aged couple came into view.

The sight of them delivered another shock. I had expected them to be disheveled, but the couple’s faces were immaculate beyond all expectation. Even their attire was impeccable to an almost awkward degree. Without knowing better, one could have believed they had just returned from a noble’s social gathering.

Yet the emotion on the mother’s face was unmistakably genuine. After hesitating for a long moment, she opened her mouth toward her miraculously returned daughter in a trembling voice.

“Erika…?”

“Mom!”

And Erika, without a moment’s hesitation, unleashed all the emotions she had bottled up and threw herself into her mother’s arms. She buried herself tightly in that embrace, as if to confirm that the person before her was real.

“Mom…Mom…”

“Erika…”

“Mom…”

“…”

Soon, a single tear slipped between her parted lips. Unable to control her emotions, her trembling hands couldn’t even grasp her daughter’s shoulders. She couldn’t—terrified that the girl before her might vanish like dust. Terrified that this would prove to be a dream.

Instead, she lifted her head and met our eyes. Her gaze swept past Saya, Ms. Rebecca, and Haru’s eye patch in turn before finally settling on me. After studying my face for a long moment, she spoke in a voice she barely managed to squeeze out.

“Please come inside, everyone. It’s cold out here.”

Once Erika explained everything that had happened, the wife’s wariness dissolved instantly. She shed the tears she had been holding back and thanked us repeatedly. But we couldn’t drop our guard, merely nodding awkwardly.

Meeting friendly survivors was a welcome development, but there were far too many questions. The couple’s suspiciously pristine appearance. The way they strolled through the streets as if nothing were amiss. And the fact that not a single servant remained in this enormous mansion.

But even those doubts had no choice but to fade before the lavish feast the couple laid out. The instinct of hunger was too powerful to keep doubting and staying on guard. In the end, the moment the couple picked up their utensils first, we surrendered to our first proper meal in ages.

“Then allow me to introduce ourselves properly. I am Marie Lopez, Erika’s mother. And this is my husband, Edmund Lopez.”

“A pleasure, ma’am. My name is Lope. This is Ms. Rebecca, formerly a security guard at the Academy. The girl with the eye patch is Haru. And this is…Saya. She’s wearing a hood because she’s feeling unwell, so please forgive the appearance.”

“Everyone, it is so wonderful to meet you. And thank you once again, from the bottom of my heart, for bringing our Erika all the way here.”

“We simply traveled together, that’s all.”

“Even so. To us…this is nothing short of a miracle. Truly, thank you.”

Mrs. Lopez lovingly stroked Erika with tear-stained cheeks. The maternal instinct that even annihilation couldn’t extinguish was palpable in every gesture. Erika leaned against her without touching her food.

Mr. Lopez was different. Unlike his wife, he showed not a trace of paternal affection, merely staring holes into his plate. Come to think of it, he hadn’t uttered a single word from the moment he met Erika until now.

That wasn’t to say he had a speech impediment. He casually emptied his plate, then cleared his throat abruptly and spoke.

“In any case, you must all be exhausted. Perhaps you’d like to retire to your rooms and rest.”

“Honey, what’s gotten into you? Everyone is still eating.”

“Fair point. Then we’ll be excusing ourselves, dear. You too, Erika.”

“What? But Dad, that’s…”

“I hope you don’t take it as rudeness. We simply have family matters to discuss. Please finish your meal at your leisure and use the guest rooms upstairs. There’s plenty of space, so you shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

“Dad…”

“What are you doing, Erika? Get up.”

It was an overly cold reaction for a man reuniting with his daughter after so long. Before Erika could add another word, he took his wife’s hand and rose from his seat. His demeanor was so unhesitating that none of us could find words to add.

Yet his hand trembled faintly. Combined with his anxiously wandering eyes, he gave the impression of someone gripped by urgency. I feigned indifference, picking up a piece of bread while scrutinizing him from the corner of my eye.

That was when a pitch-black line drawn near the back of his hand caught my eye. Just as I tried to make out what it was, he covered it with his sleeve and urged Erika on.

“Let’s go. Now.”

“But…”

“Honey, you should get up too. I’m sure our guests have things to discuss among themselves.”

“Then…yes. Very well. I’m sorry, but we’ll be excusing ourselves first. Please enjoy your meal, everyone.”

She bowed to us, then trailed after her husband, the hem of her pitch-black dress dragging along the floor. I waited until their retreating figures disappeared before speaking in a low voice.

“That was practically an invitation to be suspicious.”

“True. But that’s not our concern. What happens from here is their business. We’ve escorted the Student Council President home, fulfilling an obligation we never even owed. Time to be on our way.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“Our purpose for coming here was always to gather equipment and check whether the trains are still running. The Lopezes are said to be well-informed about the railway, so once we get that information, we leave.”

“Then we just need to decide whether to leave immediately or tomorrow morning. It’s fairly late, though, so staying one night would make it easier to accept their hospitality. There’s some risk involved, of course.”

“Agreed. And there probably won’t be any danger. If anything happens, it’s more likely to happen to the Student Council President than to us.”

In other words, that too had nothing to do with us. Ms. Rebecca had seamlessly excised Erika from the concept of “us.” To her, Erika was just another risk factor.

But even Ms. Rebecca couldn’t remain entirely cold, letting out a thin sigh. Then she continued heavily.

“Then let’s unpack in our rooms and check the surroundings. If we spot anything suspicious, we need to eliminate it as quickly as possible.”

“Sounds good. You two okay with that, Saya, Haru?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Just a…urk…moment. I’m…!”

Meanwhile, Haru was stuffing food into her mouth, making keok-keok sounds. I grabbed the scruff of her neck without hesitation.

“Get up. No time to dawdle.”

“Urk…ah, come on, just a moment…”

“You’ve eaten enough. And you’ll have time to eat tomorrow morning too.”

“Enough, my foot. I can’t even see what I’m grabbing…this is seriously unfair…!”

Genuinely indignant, Haru poured out complaints without even bothering with polite speech. She kept flailing even as I dragged her along. Then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, she urgently tapped my arm.

“Wait! Just a moment! At least let me use the bathroom. That’s fine, right?”

“Hold it a little longer.”

“Is this because I was clinging to Saya earlier? How petty…ah, I really need to go! My bladder’s going to burst!”

“There’ll be a bathroom in the room.”

“And if there isn’t, I’ll just pee on the bed! Would that be okay with you?”

“Ha…seriously. Fine. I get it.”

I finally stopped walking. Haru exhaled the breath she’d been holding and grabbed my wrist.

“Phew. So you do have a shred of humanity left. Let’s go to the bathroom.”

“With me? Why not go with Saya…”

“This happened because of you, Senior, so you need to take responsibility. Saya would agree too. Right?”

“…”

At Haru’s words, Saya could only nod without uttering a sound. No matter how I looked at it, there seemed to be something between those two that I wasn’t privy to.

“Fine. Let’s find it quickly then.”

“Yes. I think…it’s this way. The smell is already overwhelming.”

“This way? I’d say it’s more likely…”

“I’m telling you, it is! Hurry up and follow me!”

Haru suddenly perked up and dragged me swiftly toward somewhere. I had the feeling I was being led astray, but since I didn’t know where the bathroom was either, I had no choice but to follow. In an instant, we had separated from the group and were heading deeper into the mansion.

Once Haru’s sprint began, it showed no signs of stopping. Despite being blind, she kept wrinkling her nose and pressing forward. I made sure she didn’t crash into walls while discreetly surveying our surroundings. I couldn’t tell exactly where we were, but one thing was certain: this was a very remote part of the mansion.

After walking for quite some time, the smell that had caught Haru’s nose began reaching me as well. Only then did I let out a dry laugh and a sigh. Before I could turn back, Haru urgently threw herself against a door on the left.

“It’s here, Senior. I’m sure of it.”

“Right. I’m sure it is.”

I had no choice but to open the door. And of course, it wasn’t a bathroom.

It was the mansion’s massive food storage.

Befitting the mansion’s scale, the storage room was enormous. And to our fortune, it was packed with all manner of food. Bread. Meat. Vegetables. Even sweet snacks. Amidst the aroma of food filling the enclosed space, Haru spoke in a blissful voice.

“Yes. This is exactly what I was looking for, Senior.”

“I should have seen that coming. Were you really that hungry?”

“You must have noticed on the island. I eat more than you’d think. Maybe because I’m still growing.”

“Why bring me instead of Saya?”

“Saya’s a picky eater, so she wouldn’t appreciate something like this. Plus, you’re the one carrying the bag, so obviously I had to come with you.”

“The bag? Don’t tell me you…”

“It’s not stealing, it’s collecting payment. We delivered their daughter safely, so this much is only fair.”

Haru casually dropped that line, then snatched the bag from me before I could stop her. She opened it wide and urged me on.

“Come on, Senior. Where’s the conscience in a situation like this? And I told you, this much is fair game.”

“You’ve truly lost all sense of restraint.”

“I left all of that back at the Academy. Now, let’s get started.”

Though her conscience hadn’t been particularly evident at the Academy either. Still, Haru had a point. We had delivered Erika safely, so maybe this much was justified. And we did need provisions for the journey ahead.

In the end, I started packing food into the bag. Haru hummed cheerfully, as if she were out grocery shopping.

“More, more. Pack it full, Senior. An opportunity like this won’t come again.”

“Don’t rush me. And keep your voice down.”

“Oh? Is this candy? This is candy, isn’t it? We absolutely have to take this.”

“Put that in your pocket.”

“Don’t you like candy too? You always carried one around. But more importantly, the meat smells incredible. And it’s raw meat.”

“…You’re right. There’s a lot of raw meat.”

I looked up at Haru’s words and found countless slabs of meat hanging from the ceiling. The storage room was large, but the quantity was difficult to explain by size alone. Moreover, some appeared freshly slaughtered, blood still dripping from them.

And naturally, swarms of flies buzzed around them. But most of the meat had been left unprocessed, simply abandoned. As if it made no difference whether flies landed on it or not.

“Raw meat in a situation like this? Wouldn’t dried meat last longer?”

“Doesn’t look like that’s the plan. It’s even still dripping blood.”

“No wonder the fishy smell was so strong. What could the reason be?”

“Hmm. How about we ask them directly?”

“Ask them directly?”

“You were so focused on the food that you didn’t hear the footsteps.”

It seemed I was the only one who had anticipated the conclusion of this brazen theft. I handed the bag to a startled Haru and slowly turned around.

There stood Mr. Lopez, already positioned at the entrance to the food storage.

He regarded us with the same stoic expression as before. He could have rightfully lashed out at these shameless thieves who had disguised themselves as guests, but he showed no sign of it. He simply watched us quietly as we held his food.

I glanced down to check whether he might be carrying a weapon, but instead of a knife, his hand held a large travel bag. It was sizable enough to comfortably fit one or two people.

Why the owner of the house would bring such a thing to his own food storage was a mystery. Still, as the one caught stealing, I needed to explain myself first. I steadied my voice as much as possible and spoke respectfully.

“Mr. Lopez.”

“…”

Even when I called his name, he didn’t respond. He simply set the bag he was carrying down on the floor. After hesitating for a long moment, he dropped a single line.

“You’re all the same, too.”

It was a statement devoid of clear meaning. Just as I was about to ask what he meant, he raised his hand and pressed it against his fatigue-ridden eyes. As he did, his sleeve naturally slipped down, revealing the image that had been concealed beneath.

It was crudely drawn, making it difficult to identify at a glance. But as luck would have it, I had seen something of a similar shape not long ago. Days ago in a field, and between the wreckage of a fallen carriage.

…

It was a wing.