Chapter: 144. Necessary Guidance (6k4)
“Child, would you like an apple?”
The train slowly traveled along the tracks.
The creaking sounds and the swaying sensation seemed to remind the passengers that this was an old train.
Today marked the third day that Nagine and Kanade had escaped from the Special Area SEMA, continuously changing their locations along the railway of each city.
Unlike high-speed and convenient railways, the two fugitives preferred to take old trains that didn’t require tickets, just a fare, which often only passed through small towns in remote geographical areas.
The “Maple Leaf Train” that Nagine and Kanade were currently on was one of them.
“Thank you, but there’s no need to be so polite; it was just a small help…” Kanade smiled and waved his hand to politely decline the apple offered by the elderly woman in front of him.
Before boarding this train, Kanade and Nagine had helped the elderly woman lift the package she was carrying onto the train, which led to the following scene.
“What a polite child, but who is being polite here?” The elderly woman smiled kindly, as if she thought the dark-haired boy wouldn’t appreciate her goodwill, and turned her attention to the girl sitting next to him.
Although the girl wore a cap and large sunglasses that obscured her face, the exposed contours of her face revealed an extraordinary beauty.
At such a vibrant age, she chose this disguise to hide her beauty; the elderly woman quickly realized that this kind-hearted pair of young people had untold secrets.
Thinking this, the elderly woman decided to take out another apple from her bag and handed it to the dark-haired girl.
At first, the girl intended to refuse, but she seemed to understand the elderly woman’s intentions and accepted both apples, thanking her candidly.
With this exchange, an opportunity for communication arose between the elderly woman and the two young people.
“So you two are students? Old me is really getting old and forgetful!” The elderly woman exclaimed upon learning that they were a pair of traveling university students.
This was one of the identities Nagine and Kanade had assumed.
During their days of fleeing, they had been introducing themselves this way.
However, after the elderly woman heard Nagine and Kanade’s self-introduction and learned that they were siblings, a look of surprise briefly crossed her wrinkled face, swiftly replaced by a look of relief.
This little detail didn’t escape Kanade’s eyes.
Moreover, he knew what misunderstanding the other party had.
At this point, Kanade wasn’t sure if it was intentional on the Academy’s part, but the identity of “siblings” combined with the obviously close interactions between him and Nagine, which surpassed normal sibling behavior, led everyone they encountered to assume that they were in some forbidden relationship.
As a result, the fact that a pair of young adults were traveling under the pretext of “travel” on a weekday when students should be at school became reasonable.
Clearly, in the eyes of others, he and Nagine had become a pair of siblings who had crossed taboo boundaries.
“By the way, where are you two planning to go? There isn’t anything interesting ahead on this railway!” The elderly woman, realizing it was inappropriate for her to say too much as an outsider, skillfully changed the subject.
“No, we just want to look around; we don’t have a specific destination.” Kanade took over the conversation.
This was also his genuine thought.
Although they had escaped from the Special Area SEMA, neither he nor Nagine had a clear destination; they merely continued to keep moving like driftwood on a river.
This was also a safety consideration; even if these people were investigated by the Special Area SEMA later, it would be difficult to trace them as they couldn’t pinpoint their destination.
“In that case, would you be interested in visiting my little town? Although there are no places that would interest young people, I can at least provide a warm dinner.” The elderly woman smiled kindly as she invited them.
She seemed unwilling to watch this young pair fall into a state of despair, wanting to extend her hand as much as possible to repay their kindness and warmth.
At first, Kanade planned to refuse, but he sensed Nagine next to him yearning to accept the invitation.
However, she didn’t answer on her own but quietly turned to look at him, as if waiting for him to make the decision.
Since they began their escape, every time faced with a choice, Nagine would look at him with that gentle gaze, making Kanade acutely aware that every decision he made affected not just himself.
The elderly woman also noticed this small interaction between the two and added, “Actually, my home isn’t far away; it’s just at the next stop.”
Upon hearing this, Kanade followed her gaze and looked at the map of train routes inside the train.
The next stop was a small town called “Shitetetsu.”
“Although the town thrived once because of mining, after the mines depleted, very few people visit it anymore; soon this railroad will also cease operations.”
The elderly woman revealed a nostalgic expression as she spoke.
“Cease operations?”
“Yes, due to the decrease in passenger flow, besides a few people who need to travel back and forth between the town and the city for work, almost no one rides this train anymore. So, at first, I was curious about why young children like you would be on this train!”
Just as the elderly woman said, Kanade had noticed that apart from himself and the elderly woman, there were hardly any other passengers on the train after boarding.
Moreover, everywhere in the train car there were signs of fading and damage, and the windows were somewhat blurred.
If the situation was as the elderly woman described, then her small town might be a good place for Kanade to settle temporarily.
Thinking this, Kanade took another good look at the elderly woman in front of him, who had a gentle demeanor and eyes filled with kindness. Her hair was white and neatly tied up, and her simple clothing gave off a quiet and comfortable aura.
He didn’t sense any false emotions from her.
Although they were in the midst of an escape, if he had to constantly doubt others, he would only fall into an endless cycle of suspicion.
Understanding this, Kanade decided to trust the elderly woman.
After all, he knew that Nagine had been following him these past few days, traveling from town to town. Even with the cash given by the Academy to stay in small inns and order takeout, there hadn’t been a true opportunity to relax and rest.
Both he and little Nagine’s spirits were likely reaching their limits without them realizing it.
After all, they were experiencing the first time they had ever been away from their familiar environment, thrown into a completely strange world.
So, Kanade accepted the elderly woman’s invitation.
…
…
Since Kanade and Nagine boarded the train in the afternoon.
By the time this old train slowly rolled into Shitetetsu Town.
The sun in the sky had already begun to set.
As they followed the elderly woman off the train, what greeted their eyes was a peaceful and serene town.
The buildings bathed in the sunset’s afterglow were outlined beautifully by the golden rays.
Just as the elderly woman had said, it truly was a town with a small population; there was only a tiny supermarket in the town, and along the way, not even a convenience store could be seen, making it hard to spot a few pedestrians.
Most of the people Kanade and Nagine encountered in this town were elderly, similar in age to the elderly woman, and they greeted her warmly upon seeing her.
“We’ve arrived.” Finally, the elderly woman stopped in front of a simple two-story house.
The door had a plate displaying the owner’s surname “Inoue.”
Through the yard, Kanade caught a glimpse of a small workshop behind the house.
Just as he was curious to ask what it was, he was interrupted by a youthful voice.
“Ah, Grandma!” A small girl who looked like she had just come back from playing outside, appearing to be of preschool age, ran in.
“Let me introduce her; she is my granddaughter, named Wakana.” The elderly woman smiled and introduced the two behind her to the small girl.
But before she could finish speaking, the little girl, named Wakana, suddenly shouted, “Grandpa! Grandma brought home a strange man!” as she entered the house.
“W-Wait!? What do you mean by that!?”
“Subaru-kun, could it be that you agreed because you actually like him….”
Nagine quietly pulled away.
“Why has it turned into such an explanation!?”
“I didn’t expect Grandma’s charm hasn’t faded over the years!” The elderly woman played along with a smile.
“Definitely not!”
—————–
In these past few days.
Nagine had been following Kanade, engaged in a directionless journey of escape.
However, she didn’t care where their destination was, as the meaning of this journey was simply to create beautiful and happy memories for Kanade, enough to help him through a painful and lonely time after she was gone.
—Before the fantasy monsters and Special Area SEMA found her, she aimed to lead Kanade to appreciate the beauty of this world as much as possible.
So she would find ways to guide Kanade into accepting and feeling the goodwill from others.
Just like the elderly woman they encountered today.
At a glance, it seemed like a chance meeting with a fellow passenger on the train, but in fact, this was information relayed by Garuda, who was monitoring everything from above.
After initially understanding and judging her to be kind, Nagine strategically made it so that Kanade would intersect with her.
Everything was arranged under Nagine’s plan.
To let Kanade feel the kindness of this world and experience its beautiful side.
This was necessary.
Because soon, the girl who had always been by his side, giving him kindness, would permanently leave him.
This goodwill had to be gradually transferred onto him through other means.
If possible, Nagine hoped that in the future, Kanade would be the hero who would say, “She definitely wouldn’t want me to do this,” rather than the avenger who thinks, “Just let you feel the same pain as she did.”
Conversely, all the beautiful encounters in this world would dissect into mere calculations before her—perhaps this was the price she had to pay.
“How wonderful! Subaru-kun, this shiny necklace is so beautiful~”
Following the elderly woman into the house, Nagine pretended to be surprised by the jewelry displayed on the walls.
According to the information provided by Garuda.
Nagine already knew about the situation in the elderly woman’s home from early on.
The reason she hoped to host them here had to do with another person inside the house.
At that moment, someone in the living room seemed to have heard her admiration, coughed, and opened the living room door.
A short but very sturdy elderly man stepped out, his face marked by deep wrinkles. Although his eyes were somewhat hazy, their corners still hinted at a sharp light from his youth.
“Cough, cough, this little girl has a good eye, cough—”
The elderly man displayed a joyful expression upon hearing Nagine’s praise for the jewelry on the wall, enough to make one immediately understand that these were his handcrafted masterpieces.
“Um, are you okay?!” Before everyone had the chance to exchange pleasantries, Nagine, after waiting for a moment intentionally, stepped forward and supported the old man upon noticing his intense coughing.
This was a dying patient.
According to information collected by Garuda, this elderly man used to be the best blacksmith in town, but due to excessively harsh working conditions, his body contracted an incurable disease that modern medicine couldn’t treat.
After the elderly man coughed out blood mixed with phlegm, he finally caught a moment to breathe.
“Sorry, little girl, I got your clothes dirty, cough cough…” The elderly man seemed entirely unconcerned about his own coughing up blood but began to worry about the bloodstains that splattered on Nagine’s clothes, indicating he was aware of his own condition.
“Please don’t worry about it; more importantly, your health—”
“Ah, ah, this has already been part of my daily routine; no need to worry.” The elderly man explained.
The elderly woman stepped forward as well, taking over Nagine’s supportive aid, and said with a bitter smile, “I’m sorry; I didn’t expect you to witness this scene and make you worry.”
“Clearly, the old man has been feeling much better these past few days… Hey, could it be that he saw a lovely girl and wanted to garner sympathy!”
“Cough? Would I need to do such a thing? I was quite popular with the ladies back in my day; in fact, I heard little Wakana talking about bringing home a man!”
“Sigh, it seems even though I’m old, my charm is still unmatched!”
A young child, deceased parents, a patriarch facing a countdown to death, and a grandmother who was also gradually aging.
This was Nagine’s reason for choosing to interfere with their family—“salvation.”
After this little commotion, Nagine and Kanade sat at the table in the living room.
“So that’s what the workshop was behind the house…”
After they sat down, the elderly woman went to prepare tonight’s meal while the elderly man enthusiastically welcomed the two rare guests.
After introducing himself, Kanade learned that the elderly man was once the most famous ornament blacksmith in town, especially known for his exquisitely beautiful rings. Countless customers traveled long distances to secretly have a delicate ring crafted by him for proposals.
It was said that if one proposed with a ring made by this blacksmith, the proposal would surely succeed, and the couple would share unparalleled love after marriage.
The elderly man continued to reminisce about his glorious achievements from the past.
It was at this moment that Kanade realized what kind of building he had seen in the courtyard earlier.
He looked around curiously.
On the walls of the living room hung many beautifully crafted jewelry pieces and rings.
Kanade found it hard to imagine that these exquisite pieces could come from the seemingly carefree elderly man in front of him.
However, the wooden and metal scents permeating the room were the best proof.
The elderly man finished proudly introducing the ornaments on the wall, appearing very proud of his past as a blacksmith.
“But now I’m an old man who can’t even lift a hammer anymore, cough, cough—”
At the same time, the elderly man seemed to accept his current situation, even using self-deprecation to conclude his past boasting, making it not feel uncomfortable.
And this topic provided Nagine the perfect opportunity to ask that question:
“Um, about this, are you really okay? Shouldn’t you go see a doctor?” Nagine asked with concern.
Upon hearing this, Kanade nodded his head while looking at the elderly man. Although he wasn’t a doctor, his instincts told him that without treatment, this elderly man in front of him would soon enter a countdown on his life.
However, the latter merely shook his head and chuckled lightly, “Cough, there’s no need to worry about this; it’s just old issues left over from my past work, cough cough.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the elderly woman and Wakana also entered the living room with the finished meal.
At this point, the elderly man seized the opportunity to steer the conversation away: “Let’s not talk about such dreary things. It’s been a long time since there were guests in this home; let’s eat well, cough cough…”
The elderly man invited the two to sit at the table, jokingly saying, “Once dinner is over, I’ll take you to see some good things in the workshop, haha—”
Although the elderly man’s body was already riddled with ailments, if left unattended, he might still have a few months to live.
And Nagine could not afford to stay here for so long.
So she sincerely apologized to the elderly man and elderly woman in her heart—“I’m sorry.”
In that instant.
An invisible breeze wafted in through the open window and brushed over the elderly man’s body.
In an instant.
The elderly man, as if feeling suffocated, collapsed to the ground in pain, coughing violently.
A large amount of blood stained the old tatami beneath him.
This horrifying scene was clearly something the elderly woman and Wakana had never encountered; scared, they dropped the freshly made meal they were holding but completely ignored it as they rushed toward the elderly man.
—I’m sorry.
Seeing this, Nagine also mentally apologized to the elderly woman and the young child.
Quickly, she rushed forward with a worried expression, deliberately letting Kanade feel the flow of her magic within.
Almost simultaneously.
Kanade had already jumped in front of Nagine, tightly grasping her hand.
“No.” Kanade knew what Nagine was about to do, but this risked exposing their positions due to the magic fluctuations.
Kanade’s reaction did not surprise Nagine; just as he once said, he only had himself in his world, so the lives of others would never take precedence over his own safety.
And this was what Nagine wanted to change.
“But, but, if this continues, the old man will—” Nagine showed a look of anxiety, attempting to break free of Kanade’s hold.
Their interaction drew the elderly woman’s attention; although she was worried about the elderly man’s constant coughing, she curiously looked up at the kind young guests.
“We can’t save everyone! Some natural consequences are beyond our control.” Kanade’s opening words seemed to be directed at himself.
Once, he had heard this notion from another person and did not agree with it, yet now he found himself voicing it out loud, which was ironically poetic.
Kanade thought.
However, he was resolute about this point.
Prioritizing Nagine’s safety above all, placing others’ lives secondary.
This was a rare moment of disagreement between Kanade and Nagine.
Although it stemmed from Nagine’s deliberate guidance, it nonetheless left a deep impression on Kanade.
For he would soon face his own moral dilemma—”self” or “world.”
Nagine hoped that when that time came, Kanade could provide a satisfactory answer befitting a “protagonist.”
“I know that with only my strength, I can’t help everyone, but if I can help someone right in front of me, that is enough—”
Even if he became a protagonist, he wouldn’t be able to save everyone in the world.
Thus, Nagine hoped to lead Kanade to understand the most important bottom line—“That is to save everything you can in front of you.”
After saying this, Nagine broke free from Kanade’s grip and rushed to the elderly man.
“W-What do you plan to do—” The elderly woman also realized what the girl intended to do.
“Don’t worry, I can make the elderly gentleman healthy again…”
As Nagine spoke, she gently placed her hand on the heavily coughing elderly man’s shoulder.
At the same moment.
High above the town, in the sky.
A storm rolled up the clouds, severing the entire town’s connection to the outside world.
Even the magic fluctuations could not escape.
Nagine only intended to use this “urgent choice” to give Kanade a revelation, not to truly expose herself.
Of course, she was not worried about being found by fantasy monsters or the Special Area SEMA.
She simply did not wish to see this kind-hearted family of three caught up in danger because of her mistake.
She did not want to witness the trope of the protagonist being taken in and then facing dire consequences the next day.
If sacrifices must exist to trigger the protagonist’s power, then this sacrifice should only involve herself.
—To save everything that can be saved in front of her.
“Subaru!” Kanade seemed to be preparing for a final persuasion.
But Nagine paid him no heed, continuing to show a resolute expression as she drew upon her internal magic under Kanade’s watchful eyes.
The Phoenix’s ability was being activated by her.
Golden flames ignited within her, and the glow of this regenerative fire flowed through her hand and into the elderly man’s body.
Interfering with the natural outcome using extraordinary power, regardless of whether this power is used to help or save others, was undoubtedly an act of evil because it was unfair to those not saved by transcendental power.
But this was also an evil that every protagonist seeking to save the world had to bear.
Nagine had never cared about “fairness”; what she wished for was the “result,” a result where someone was saved because of her.
As the power of the Phoenix flowed into the elderly man’s body.
The man’s body, once riddled with ailments from his smithing life, healed at an astonishing speed; his organs and internal systems began to recover, and every cell in his body became full of vitality.
Not only the elderly man, but this power also passed through the hand she used to support him and into the elderly woman as well.
—Consider this compensation for worrying you.
Nagine quietly said in her heart.
Within less than half a minute.
The two elderly individuals became unprecedentedly spirited, as if every part of their bodies was filled with strength.
Conversely, Nagine collapsed to the ground with a painful expression, luckily, Kanade quickly caught her from behind.
Thus, even though the completely oblivious elderly couple did not know of the existence of any extraordinary abilities, they understood that this dark-haired girl saved them by some means.
Moreover, judging from her tired expression and Kanade’s anxious face, it was clear that this assistance came at a considerable cost.
