“How much longer can we keep going like this?”

Saya’s question pierced through both the present and the future. Countless thoughts flitted through my mind, but I pulled out the map and addressed the immediate concern first.

“First off, considering where the Dragon struck, we absolutely have to stop around here. If we keep going at this pace… maybe two days until we arrive?”

“But there’s a chance the tracks are severed somewhere along the way. Besides, stopping right next to ground zero wouldn’t do us any good either.”

“Right. So a bit further ahead… how about we stop here? There are plenty of farms around here, and a few small cities, too. We could drop by and stock up on supplies.”

“I was hoping we’d go a bit further, but it’s a shame.”

“Still, we’ve made decent progress. If we’re lucky, we might reach the port in no time.”

“Let’s hope so.”

“Let’s stay positive. Positive.”

Haru let out a long yawn, then stretched the foot she had draped over my arm toward my head. I irritably pushed away the wriggling toes right in front of my face, only to feel Saya’s hair brush against my cheek this time.

“Anyway, are you okay, Lope? You look tired.”

“I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well yesterday, that’s all. Anyway, tell Haru to move over a bit.”

“Don’t mind him, Senior. The only one I’m interested in right now is Saya. Ah, so this is what an elf’s underboob smells like.”

“It’s a bit warm.”

I let out a sigh and rested my head on the floor. Both Saya and Haru were clinging so excessively close to me that I was sweating despite it being winter. But if I moved, Saya, who was using my arm as a pillow, would get uncomfortable, and Haru, who was resting on my legs, would get irritated.

But Ms. Rebecca was not there with us. That subtle distance had persisted throughout the past three days we spent moving on the train.

It was hard to explain in words how things had ended up like that. Ever since that incident, Ms. Rebecca had confined herself to the driver’s seat, while the rest of us hadn’t left each other’s side for a single moment. With our trust in others already fractured, perhaps we had reached a point where we could no longer endure it—physically or mentally—without relying on one another.

I was especially guilty of this. Now, without Saya or Haru beside me, I couldn’t fall asleep for even ten minutes.

Without the warmth of their bodies, countless people kept flitting past behind my eyelids. 

“…Haru. Could you please move a little further away?”

“No. I told you before, this is my dream.”

“Um…”

Even so, Saya and Haru kept bickering. Sometimes I wondered if they were doing it on purpose to relieve each other’s tension. I couldn’t be the only one acting serious in that situation, so I tried hard to scatter the intrusive thoughts that surfaced in my mind.

“Alright. Then let’s stop at this point.”

“I have no idea where that is, but sure. I hope they have a clothing store there. The clothes I’m wearing right now reek.”

“Right. You stink. We need to get you some new clothes.”

“Don’t pretend you’re the only clean one. I bet everyone here except Saya reeks. That’s exactly why we keep sticking together.”

“Uh… is that so?”

With this hidden truth brought to light, Saya flushed red in intense embarrassment. The sight of her pointed ears, exposed to the open air for the first time in a while, perking up, felt somewhat endearing.

So, without thinking, I reached out and lightly pinched the tip of her ear. Saya, more startled than ever before, jumped and grabbed my arm.

“Hah… L… Lope!”

“Ah, sorry. I just wanted to touch them.”

“E… Even so, you can’t just touch them like that! Without permission?”

So it was a part that required permission. Of course, touching someone’s ears without permission was a bit rude even among humans, but it seemed to be a far more sensitive issue for elves. 

But her reaction only fueled my perverted desires. Perhaps it was because I wanted to savor this fleeting moment of peace a little longer. Feigning ignorance, I moved my hand back toward her ear.

“Touching your ears has a calming effect. At least, that’s what humans say.”

“Lope. I’ve lived in human society for a really long time, too, you know? That kind of lie… ah…”

“You really are sensitive, aren’t you?”

“The… the tips…”

As I lightly flicked the pointed tips, Saya twisted her body and pleaded with me. The more I touched her ears, the more her body moved of its own accord, her head continually drifting toward me. 

I somehow felt a strange, titillating sensation. Nevertheless, I didn’t stop and gently scratched the inside of her ear.

“St… stop it…”

“Should I really stop?”

“Ah… y-yeah…”

“Hm?”

“Lope…!”

“Excuse me, what are you two doing right now?”

Suddenly, Haru’s voice pierced through my rationality. I turned my head and saw that she had already jumped up from her spot, clasping her hands together.

“I… I asked what you are doing.”

“…Haru. I think you’re misunderstanding. We were just playing around while I touched her ears.”

“Ah, right. I’m sure you were. Sure.”

“I mean it, Haru.”

“Sure. I’ll give you that, ‘ears.’ It’s not like I can see anything, so how could I argue?”

“Hey…”

“I understand. You probably want to touch things here and there too, Senior. But please, at least do it where I’m not around from now on. I get that you might enjoy the thrill of it or whatever, but…”

“…”

Suddenly branded a pervert doing weird things, I quietly shut my mouth. I figured that from Haru’s perspective, who had only heard the sounds without seeing it herself, it was a fair assumption to make.

Meanwhile, Saya was peeking up at me, holding her ears with both hands. She even subtly pulled her collar up as if I had truly done something wicked. An awkward atmosphere wafted from our locked gazes for the first time in a while.

“Um…”

“…”

But it didn’t last long. Soon, the door at the front slid open, and a slow, metallic groan began to echo. At that moment, we all fell silent as if by prior agreement.

“…Sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

“Not at all, Ms. Rebecca.”

Her voice had dropped so low that even she seemed aware of it. I slowly raised my body and subtly guided the two girls behind me. Ms. Rebecca then stopped in her tracks and leaned against the opposite seat.

“I figured it’s about time we discussed our route. Is now okay?”

“Yes. We were actually just talking about that.”

“That’s why you had the map. Right, that makes sense. Have you reached a conclusion?”

“We were thinking of stopping here.”

I unfolded the map and pointed to the spot I had indicated earlier. Without meeting her eyes, I continued my explanation.

“Anyway, the tracks won’t continue uninterrupted like this. Plus, there’s a chance Hatchlings are lurking around ground zero… so I think it’d be best to stop here, near Ernen.”

“That’s a region with a lot of horse breeding farms. If we’re lucky, we might be able to secure a mode of transportation.”

“And we also need to procure supplies from the nearby cities. What do you think?”

“It’s very logical. I don’t see any flaws.”

She nodded impassively at my words. But I had a feeling she wouldn’t just accept it. Sure enough, she took a deep breath and spoke again.

“But I was also thinking… how about we stop even earlier than that?”

“Why is that?”

“The further we travel by train, the higher the chance we’ll attract the attention of the Hatchlings. I don’t know if we’ve just been lucky so far or if they simply haven’t shown interest, but the closer we get to ground zero, the less that luck will hold out. So how about we stop a bit earlier?”

“Could you point out exactly where?”

“So… how about around here? There are horse farms here, too, and plenty of places nearby to get supplies…”

For a moment, Ms. Rebecca’s voice trembled ever so slightly. I furrowed my brow slightly as my eyes traced the spot she was pointing at. Then, a region I had grown all too familiar with entered my field of vision.

It was the place she had been obsessing over ever since we were aboard the Anbert family’s ship. Even though detouring through there would skew our route slightly, it was the one location Ms. Rebecca had insisted on including. I already knew exactly why.

And I had no intention of hiding that fact. So I immediately opened my mouth to ask.

“Is that where your son is?”

“…”

“Ms. Rebecca.”

“…Yes. It is.”

Ms. Rebecca didn’t bother to deny it now. She swallowed dryly a few times before continuing to trace her fingers over the map.

“It’s a place I know very well. I lived there for quite a long time, so I know what’s where like the back of my hand. It’ll be helpful when we’re looking for the things we need.”

“But isn’t that before you enlisted in the military? You stayed on the battlefield for a long time after enlisting, and came to the island with the Academy not long after you were discharged. The landscape here must have changed a lot since then.”

“That’s true, but I also visited home frequently in between. So I think it’s unlikely there are any gaps in my memory.”

“I never saw you take a vacation while you were on the island.”

“It must just not be in your memory.”

“That can’t be. There’s no one who saw you as often as I did.”

“Lope.”

Ms. Rebecca looked up, her voice urgent. But the moment her eyes met mine, she immediately lowered her head. I hadn’t properly shared a gaze with her since that day.

And it was the same for me. Neither she nor I had the courage to look each other in the eye. Even Saya and Haru couldn’t open their mouths at this moment.

Suddenly, the skin on the back of my hand felt as if it were burning. There were still two Marks drawn there. Two tickets’ worth, still remaining on the back of my hand.

Scenes of the past flashed by, and twisted anguish tormented my mind. The faces of the girls who had passed me by danced like dust upon my pupils.

…

But they were gone now. Regardless, the person who had helped me the most in getting this far was Ms. Rebecca. Even if this delayed our journey a bit, she would surely take responsibility for it.

Still, I continued to trust her.

“…Anyway, you make a good point, Ms. Rebecca.”

I finally nodded slowly. Then, I turned my gaze toward Saya.

“What do you think, Saya?”

“The points you raised resonated with me more. But I think the decision is ultimately yours to make.”

“And Haru?”

“Well… since it’s come to this, let’s just get off quickly. It’s only a difference of a day or two, right?”

“Alright. Then it’s decided. Let’s do that, Ms. Rebecca.”

“Thank you, Lope.”

At my words, Ms. Rebecca let out a sigh of relief. Of course, she couldn’t meet my eyes until the end. She carried far too much unshakable baggage. Instead of obsessing over the byproducts of those emotions, she quickly set about her next task.

“Let’s make a detailed plan now. We’ll have to make every second count.”

“Then let’s start with a simple meal first. We can discuss how to distribute the food while we’re at it.”

“Alright. I’ll go get it. I’ll do some simple cooking as well, so wait here for a moment.”

“Ah, then I’ll go with you. I can’t be left out when it comes to food.”

“Alright, Haru. Understood.”

As Haru tagged along, a faint smile finally found its way to Ms. Rebecca’s lips. I watched the two of them before casting my gaze out the window. 

The train was still speeding past the surrounding landscape. Not a single bird flew in the sky, and occasionally, pitch-black ashes drifted through the empty air. I wondered just how many people in this world were racing toward the elven port.

Probably just us. Perhaps we would be the last passengers heading to the Land of Elves. 

Or perhaps we wouldn’t even manage that.

Amidst it all, the sight of gravel kicked up by the train embedding itself into the ground caught my eye. As time passed, the soil was growing increasingly soft. It felt as if the earth was grooming itself for an approaching guest.

How much time was left until destruction? By simple calculation, there were still two or three months left.

…

Of course, that was merely wishful thinking.