Chapter 149: Farewell (Patreon)

Barring anything unexpected, we'll have you two back home the day after tomorrow.

"Really?"

"Of course it's real."

Could they really go home now? Saito felt oddly dazed for a moment. He'd only spent a few days in Valley No. 4, yet it already felt like a lifetime had passed — maybe because the two worlds were simply too different from each other.

Or maybe... it was because someone wasn't there with him.

"Get yourselves ready and head back to the Dijiang. Long-range Protocol Teleportation takes plenty of preparation, so don't go wandering off these next two days."

There was still a note of lingering fear in Perlica's voice. Running into enemies would be one thing, but if they were actually pulled into the Hyperdomain, people could really die.

The odds weren't high, but they weren't zero either — and she had to rule out that possibility entirely.

Perlica had clearly come to see Saito as something enormously precious. If it were up to her, he'd never leave the Dijiang at all — but that was obviously impossible.

If that was the case, then it was better to send him back to Terra. At least there, he wouldn't be threatened by the Hyperdomain.

Born on Talos II, Perlica had read plenty of old texts, but her understanding of Terra clearly wasn't thorough enough. If she'd known what Terra was really like, she probably wouldn't have thought that.

"Sure."

Saito gave a simple reply. With this group taken care of, the Landbreakers likely wouldn't dare act rashly again anytime soon, and with Endfield now fully on guard, it wasn't likely the Landbreakers could slip into Valley No. 4 unnoticed.

Unless they pulled off something like reinforcements dropping out of the sky.

"I'll leave this to you all. Little Chen and I will head back first."

After exchanging a word with the Operators cleaning up the battlefield and the two from the Pack, Saito and Little Chen teleported back to the Hub base.

Mudrock was still there, after all.

When Saito found her, Mudrock was sitting on a small hillside beside the Hub base, her hands fiddling with something.

The Sarkaz girl was so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn't seem to notice Saito approaching. Getting closer, he saw she was cradling a clay figure about the size of her palm.

"Mudrock, what are you up to?"

"—!"

Saito's voice startled Mudrock. She instinctively shielded the clay figure with her body, but once she realized who it was, a flush crept up to the tips of her ears.

"Did I interrupt you?"

Saito hadn't gotten a look at the figure, but Mudrock's slightly flustered reaction still made him apologize on reflex.

"No, you just startled me a little."

Mudrock shook her head slowly, then drew the clay figure out from where she'd been holding it and offered it to Saito.

"What's this?"

"A thank-you gift."

Saito took the little figure. It was a small chibi-style figure sculpted entirely from clay, and the craftsmanship was impressive — from the clothes and hairstyle, he could tell right away that it was meant to be him.

And beyond that, Saito could faintly sense some of Mudrock's own power woven into the clay.

"It's a wonderful gift. I'll treasure it."

Saito's response clearly pleased Mudrock; the corner of her mouth curved up just slightly.

These two days at the Hub base were probably the most relaxed she'd ever felt in her life. No one kept their distance because she was Infected or Sarkaz, she didn't have to worry about how to survive, and everyone she met had been kind.

"Was there something you needed from me?"

"Yes — we'll be able to go home in a few days."

"Home?"

Mudrock blinked, then quickly realized Saito meant they could return to Terra.

"Is there anything I need to do?"

"Endfield's teleportation system needs your help with some preparations, so we'll need to head up to the Dijiang."

"Okay."

Mudrock nodded and got to her feet, but then something occurred to her, and she pulled out another clay figure from where she'd tucked it away — this one a Lupo girl wrapped in a cloak.

"Could you pass this along to Rossi for me?"

In fact, she'd made clay figures for Rossi and Chen Qianyu too, as thanks for taking care of her these past few days.

"Won't you give it to her yourself?"

"No."

Mudrock shook her head. In truth, she wasn't very good at handling farewells like this, and she wasn't especially close with Rossi either — she worried she might startle the girl.

"All right."

Saito took the clay figure and agreed to pass it along.

"Was there something you needed?"

Saito's sudden return caught Rossi off guard — she'd just been working with the Wulfgard to trace the Bonekrusher Clan members' origins.

"Mudrock asked me to pass along a gift for you."

Saito handed the clay figure to Rossi. Holding the small figure of herself, she went still for a moment, clearly caught off guard.

"Of course, this one's from me too."

Saito pulled out a small box as well. Inside sat a silver-white pendant shaped like a wolf's fang, into which he'd tucked a Protocol Originium inscribed with an Arts skill — something that could help the girl once more, if she ever needed it in a pinch.

"Why are you suddenly giving me all this?"

Rossi's cute face was written all over with confusion.

"We're getting ready to leave."

"Leave?"

The word 'leave' seemed to snap something into place for Rossi.

"That's right."

"Are you going somewhere far away?"

Rossi seemed to have caught some hint from the tone of Saito's voice. She didn't know where Saito had really come from, but Endfield worked with the whole Civilization Band — maybe he was heading somewhere very far away.

The thought dimmed the light in Rossi's eyes a little. After a moment's thought, she drew a dagger out from behind her and held it out to Saito — its hilt end was engraved with a small crest.

"This is a weapon I used to carry. It bears the Luppino family crest — if you ever run into anyone from the Pack, you can show them this."

After Saito accepted the dagger, Rossi asked, almost without meaning to.

"Will we... get the chance to see each other again?"

"No, no, don't get the wrong idea — it's only because you saved my life. The Luppino family always repays its debts!"

Rossi realized how odd that had sounded and quickly tacked on an excuse.

"Of course. We'll definitely meet again."

"When we do, I'll take you to meet the Administrator."

"Really?!!!"

At the mention of the Administrator, the girl's eyes lit up instantly.

"Of course — like I told you before, the Administrator and I go way back."

"Then it's settled! If you dare lie to me, there'll be serious consequences!"

Rossi glared fiercely at Saito, then turned on her heel with a show of cool detachment.

"I won't see you off. Don't forget to thank Mudrock for the gift."

Watching Rossi's hurried footsteps as she walked away, Saito could no longer hold back the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.