Chapter 45 - Last Bastion [3]
"That's one steep fence..." I examined the walls that restricted my access to the outside.
It was a little too excessive for a hospital...
But just because there was a wall in front of me doesn't mean it could stop me.
—Vooom...!
As if it were the most natural thing, Ichor flowed from my fingertips, forming stairs for me to walk on.
The inside of the stairs was hollow, allowing me to extend them until they reached the top of the wall.
Every day, my proficiency with Ichor increases, allowing me to do something as nonsensical as this.
"Haaap…!" I jumped over the fence as if it were nothing, landing perfectly on the other side.
In the distance, I spotted a guard stationed by the gate, so I dashed away before they noticed me.
It was odd that there was only one guard outside instead of inside, but I chose to overlook that for now and focus on what I was about to do next.
"Not like they were going to see that anyway. Heh." I snickered.
Finally, outside of that stuffy hospital, I found myself in a crowd of people—something I didn’t think I would miss after all this time.
This city resembled a small district, with compact and crowded buildings.
But that's what made it so lively, brimming with people, as if this were their new reality.
Judging by the crowd, there might be a festival happening. Many people were going about, and street vendors were selling food and clothes.
People from other countries were present too—Demiurge, Yorselania, and Trestkania, major nations on this continent, coexisted within Ancrel.
The diverse crowd around me fit the atmosphere of a world where the outside is dangerous, forcing people to stay in converge into one place.
This was nice and all, but I guess I should've expected an odd reaction from people who haven't seen me before.
"Mommy! Look at her hair!"
"Whoa... she's so pretty!"
"I haven't seen the likes of her before..."
Without my knowledge, people were looking at me as if I were some sort of spectacle, judging by their reactions.
"Mmg..." I felt a little flush, realizing that I had forgotten how different I looked now.
If I, who was tired of seeing beautiful people every day to the point where they all seemed the same, was captivated by my own reflection, how would others react?
They would surely flock to me like doves.
"Hey, little lady!" Someone called out to me, waving their hand.
"...Me?" I tilted my head, surprised that someone would address me.
"Yes, you!" He smiled and kept waving his hands.
Though I would have been suspicious under normal circumstances, the enticing smell wafting from a nearby food stand—selling meat skewers, of all things—lured me in.
"What is it?" I approached him, eagerly eyeing the skewers.
I expected this place to feel more dystopian, but the effects of the world ending hadn’t been severe enough to wipe out an advanced society if an old man was still selling meat skewers.
"Little lady, you want one?" He asked, noticing that I was staring and drooling from hunger.
"A-Ah... It's alright. I don’t have any money." I replied awkwardly, as if I hadn't spoken to a stranger in months.
"It's fine, it's fine, I know what I'm doing!"
As if it were the right judgment, the man handed me a couple of meat skewers, all of which smelled so delicious that I lost all sense of reasoning.
"Are you sure...?" I asked.
Without replying, he gave me a thumbs-up, signalling that I had permission to enjoy them.
"Ah, but you have to eat them here. That's my only condition."
"Sure...?" I nodded, agreeing to the condition, not realizing it would benefit him in some way.
'Here goes nothing...' I braced myself, forgetting to ask what kind of meat it was.
—Chomp...!
My teeth sank into the tender meat, which melted in my mouth. It was so well-seasoned and cooked that this perfectly prepared piece of beef was incomparably better than the canned goods I had eaten before.
A warmth radiated from the dish, causing my eyes to water—maybe from the heat, or it was simply the sheer delight of such a phenomenal taste.
Either way, I came to one conclusion.
"S-So yummy!!!" I exclaimed, so moved by the flavour that I couldn't hold back my thoughts.
The crowd watching me looked at me more intently, and those who weren't focused on me were drawn in by my voice, their stomachs rumbling from the commotion.
But I didn't notice what was happening around me, as I was too busy savouring the meat.
"Hahahaha! I'm glad you like it!" the kind old man laughed heartily, as if his plan had worked.
"Alright, little lady! You can go now, unless you want some more. Haha!"
The moment I heard that, I nearly asked for more, but since he had already given me four skewers, I stopped myself. This body could only hold so much, which was unfortunate.
"It's fine, this is plenty enough. So can I go now?" I asked him, smiling brightly, an expression unbefitting the person inside me.
—Murmur...
I heard even more people swarm around me, but I kept munching on the skewers in bliss.
Nothing could beat pure, meaty goodness after all.
"Yeah, you were a big help. Have a good day, miss!" He waved his hand again.
I waved back as I walked away from the stall.
All this time, he had been using me to promote his store, which worked so well that he was busy all day soon after that.
Now it was time for me to go somewhere else.
I don’t have any specific plans, really. All I want to do is see how badly humanity has been pushed back.
I also want to return to a functioning civilization, one that wasn't just ruins.
This time, I won't sit in the back anymore.
Whether I’m doing this for myself or for humanity…
...
...
...
Eh, I’m mostly doing this for myself, so there’s no need for any grandiose ideas.
If humanity is destroyed, how else would I find a place to belong?
There’s no need for fancy words or anything like that.
Saving the world is just a bonus.
That's the kind of person I am, after all.
"As expected, as thriving this city was, it was still in a world on the brink of destruction." I thought, gazing into the distance.
Before me stood a giant wall, reaching high into the sky.
Something like this wouldn't obviously stop Eldians, which could break through it effortlessly.
From my observations, this wall wasn't built to keep outsiders out but to shield those within from the harsh reality that lay beyond.
Living conditions here weren’t terrible, though certainly not ideal. Some essential resources were scarce, and some people were not in good health.
Surprisingly, food wasn’t an issue.
Thanks to magic and advanced technology, trade with other nations was stable, although I still had much to learn about conducting trade in a barricaded city like this.
The population remained steady, and most of the inhabitants had jobs. Even teenagers contributed, creating a clockwork-like routine to stabilize the city.
That may be why the people here were both happy and weary after a long day of work.
To be honest, I expected this city to be corrupt at its core, much like the clichés depicted in shows. However, the reality here wasn’t half bad.
From an outsider's perspective, at least.
The one ruling from above must be competent, which was something I didn’t think possible, given the immense pressure they faced.
"Well, that's one way to speed things up." I sighed with relief, glad that I wouldn't have to waste time in this city and could instead focus on my main objective.
The Last Bastion, a walled city named Kleinford. Evening.
A few hours had passed since my escape, and I found myself perched atop a building, swinging my legs.
I had expected someone to capture me by now, but as I walked around without arousing suspicion, I was enjoying the new atmosphere.
Having lived at the top of the food chain as a member of the Historia family, experiencing this somewhat new world was fascinating.
It reminded me of when I first transmigrated into this world, only to find myself in a similar situation once again.
Can my situation be described as being transformed into a girl or as being reborn as a girl in another world?
Either way, both scenarios were amusing.
"Haaah... white hair, huh." I murmured, running my fingers through my hair.
I hadn't checked for myself until now, but since my escape, I've noticed that my hair is a mix of black, gold, and now white as well.
The white hair wasn't prevalent, mainly present at the tips of my hair.
The gold hues were more prominent, giving my hair a shiny lustre.
While my original black hair was present for the most part.
Given that mana influenced humanity as a whole, it wasn't surprising that people had a variety of hair colours. However, pure black and white was relatively rare.
To avoid standing out, I created a hoodie from Ichor before something like that could happen again with the skewers.
It was late, but I noticed the meat skewer owner's hidden scheme was to attract customers by using me as the mascot. Clever one.
“Well, I got free food, so that doesn't matter.” I thought as I swung my legs around, humming a tune, taking in the sunset for a while.
Although my mood was good, it soured when I began thinking about the future, recalling a particular person who still refused to tell me anything.
“Tch, that damn quack.” I muttered, completely doubting their credentials as a nurse.
...
...
...
"You called?" a voice came from behind me. I felt hair brush against my face as I looked up while stretching.
"Mgyah!? How the hell did you get here?" I yelped, startled by a feather-like touch on my nape.
"I just arrived. I was walking back to the hospital and happened to find you here. Just a coincidence, of course."
...
...
...
"By coincidence?"
"By coincidence."
"Are you sure?"
"I am sure."
"..."
"..."
Without saying another word, we stared at each other.
The green-haired nurse’s deadpan expression looked at me as if that was the most believable excuse for finding me on top of a building.
Meanwhile, I thought it was the most ridiculous excuse ever and was baffled that she went along with it.
...
...
...
"So how did you manage to get out?" she finally asked, shifting the focus to how I had escaped.
"Oh… uh." I struggled to find a proper excuse.
"I jumped over the fence?" I responded to her question with a half-truth.
The hospital’s fence was steep, and there weren't any railings to climb. Unless you're Camila, who was a gorilla in disguise, it's impossible.
"Hmm… I see." She nodded, seeming to accept my explanation.
To solidify her excuse that we had met by coincidence, she convinced herself that I had escaped by jumping.
"You really believe me?" I scratched my head and looked away, blurting out that thought.
"…Yeah, I believe you," she replied. "For now, let's move somewhere else. You must be hungry, right?" Her aloof nature made it hard for me to predict her next move.
Actually, I was feeling quite peckish after running around from place to place.
"Oh, okay." I agreed, feeling like I didn't have much of a choice.
If she had managed to find me here, it felt more like a warning than a request.
"Good, follow me." she said, turning around and walking ahead, leaving me in a dazed state.
"...?" I remained silent, unsure how to react to the events that had just unfolded.
This person... I don't think she's a nurse at all.
Why does it feel like she's deliberately playing dumb?
Do I have a talent for encountering people with a screw loose in their heads or something?
I don't know anymore.
