RE - Chapter 313: A Little More at Ease (Patreon)

Alan had just finished searching the place when he heard footsteps approaching. He raised his gun, ready for trouble, then lowered it once he recognized who was coming.

“Alan, it’s me.”

Leon quickly walked over, glancing around at the surroundings as he did.

“Find anything?”

Alan pulled the syringe from his pocket, then shook his head.

“Just this. Everything else was medical records. Nothing particularly useful.”

With that, Alan and Leon left the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center through the main entrance.

As Alan opened the driver’s side door, he gave the care center one last look.

“I hope Anna’s okay. I didn’t find her body in there.”

“I hope so too.”

Leon climbed into the passenger seat. As Alan started the car, he asked, “How long have you been back?”

“Just got back today. I stopped by the safe house to see Grace, dropped off my luggage, then came straight here. I also recovered the missing part of my memory from before I was knocked out. I came here alone to have Victor treat my nightmares, and he drugged me under the guise of treatment.”

Alan checked the information Hunnigan had sent him about the care center’s history, forwarded it to Leon, then shifted into gear and slowly pulled away.

“So now we know. Those nightmares back then were probably caused by you and Grace somehow sharing memories, right?”

“That’s probably it... Kind of surreal, isn’t it? Oh, right. Hunnigan found something about the care center’s background. I sent it to you. Take a look.”

Alan kept his eyes on the road and gestured toward Leon with a glance.

Leon pulled out his phone and opened the message.

“...No wonder. The care center originally belonged to the Spencer Foundation. It was only transferred to Victor after Umbrella went bankrupt.”

“Why weren’t we more careful back then?”

Leon looked out the window, sounding just as frustrated.

“People really are complicated.”

“Yeah. No good deed goes unpunished. Whatever. Even if he got away alive, he’s not exactly having a good day... The real question is, who were those people?”

Leon thought back to the group that had openly shot down his helicopter.

He frowned, and one name immediately came to mind.

“Simmons?”

“It’s possible, but you wrecked his base six months ago. Would he really act that openly?”

“...This government is hopeless. It leaks like a sieve. Who the hell am I even working for anymore?”

Alan smiled.

“The people?”

Leon snorted.

“Ha. If that were actually true, I’d be grateful.”

...

When Grace heard the door open, she looked toward the entrance.

Seeing Alan and Leon walk in together, she greeted them.

“You two came back together?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened to you? You both look like a mess.”

Alan and Leon exchanged a glance, then Alan shrugged.

“Ran into a bastard on the way.”

Grace immediately understood.

So something had happened again.

As far as she was concerned, those two were practically magnets for bad luck. She was definitely better off staying home.

The outside world was dangerous.

Her bed was safe.

“Dinner’s ready. I already ate, so help yourselves.”

Leon took off his jacket and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Thank God for you. I don’t even have to think about what I’m eating every day anymore.”

“It’s fine. You guys have helped me plenty too.”

Alan sat down at the table and looked at her curiously.

“You’re getting more and more different from me.”

“How do I put it? Ever since I started living my own life, your memories have felt more like watching a movie. They don’t really affect the habits and personality I develop for myself.”

Leon filled two bowls with rice, handed one to Alan, then sat down with the other.

He couldn’t resist teasing her.

“At this point, she’s basically my mom, even though she’s ridiculously young.”

“Thanks for the compliment~ What can I say? If I’m staying home all day, I might as well do the housework.”

Grace yawned and waved at them.

“Just leave the bowls in the sink. I’m going to take a nap, and I’ll wash them when I wake up.”

She picked up her laptop, left the couch, and headed back to her room.

That left the two grown men alone at the table, eating.

“Think Ada would get jealous?”

Leon nearly choked.

“Where did that come from?”

“Is it really that strange? Everyone knows what kind of relationship you two have. Doesn’t this look a little like you’re keeping another woman hidden away at home?”

Seeing the constipated expression on Leon’s face somehow made Alan’s food taste even better.

Leon drank a few mouthfuls of soup, swallowed his food, and actually started considering the question.

“...No. She’s not like that.”

“Then what would she do?”

“She’d probably figure out the truth on her own, then show up just to make fun of me for it.”

Alan nodded.

Leon really did understand Ada now.

Their relationship was much better than the distant, ambiguous back-and-forth they had in the original story.

“Have you been in touch with her?”

Leon paused, then shook his head.

“She comes and goes whenever she wants.”

“That’s part of why you like her, isn’t it, Leon?”

“Yeah, yeah. You know me better than anyone. Now eat your food.”

“Hahaha... Fair enough. Once I’m done eating, I need to take this syringe to Rebecca and find out what the hell is inside it.”

...

“Waaah... Am I really that easy to fool?!”

Sherry looked helplessly at the thoroughly drunk Carla and gently stroked her head.

Carla raised her head and began complaining again.

“I thought he appreciated my talent! But now I finally see it. From the very beginning, all he cared about was how useful I was to him!”

The moment she finished, she took another gulp of liquor and immediately started coughing.

Sherry noticed the strange looks people around them were giving and shot them a glare before gently patting Carla on the back.

“You deserved better, Carla. But at least we’ve realized it now, right?”

“...Yeah, Sherry.”

With that, Carla slowly passed out against Sherry’s shoulder.

“Seriously. You can’t even handle alcohol, so why drink this much? You always seem so sharp and capable, but the second you’re heartbroken, you turn into a little girl.”

After muttering under her breath, Sherry stood, hoisted Carla onto her back, and slowly left the bar.

The night breeze stirred the hair around Sherry’s temples.

She was just about to head toward the curb and hail a cab when someone called out to her.

“Sherry?”

Sherry turned around.

When she saw who it was, she looked surprised.

“Instructor?”

“Don’t be so formal. I’m just an ordinary civilian now. By the way, need some help?”

The instructor glanced at Carla on Sherry’s back and held up his car keys.

“I can give you a ride.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bother?”

“Not at all. Come on. My car’s parked nearby.”

“Thanks.”

Sherry followed him to the car, placed Carla in the back seat, then sat in the passenger seat.

The instructor started the engine, asked for the address, and pulled onto the road.

“So, judging by the situation, you came out today to keep her company?”

“...Yeah. Uh, you could say she got dumped?”

“Oh. That explains it. Does getting dumped really make someone this... miserable?”

“I don’t know... By the way, you’re still single too, aren’t you? You’re already in your forties. You should probably get married.”

The instructor laughed and immediately rejected the suggestion.

“Forget it. For someone like me who spent his life on battlefields, settling down, getting married, having kids... that’s a little too peaceful. Besides, most women probably wouldn’t be able to get used to the way I live.”

Realizing the subject was getting a little heavy, he quickly changed topics.

“Sherry, you’re graduating soon. Your practical and theoretical scores are both excellent. If I remember right, several agencies have already approached you.”

“Yeah... The FBI and CIA both contacted me. The DIA and NSA too.”

“Still haven’t decided?”

The instructor glanced at her.

“Don’t waste the opportunity. They’re only recruiting this aggressively because they’re short on people right now. And with grades like yours, you could skip the entry-level positions and start as an officer. That would make things easier.”

“...Yeah, but I want to talk it over with my mom first.”

“I see... That makes sense. Your family’s opinion matters too, but in the end, the decision has to be yours.”

Sherry smiled.

“I’m not listening to you lecture me about life. I know exactly how you ended up on the battlefield back then!”

The instructor rubbed his nose, looking slightly embarrassed.

There was a very simple reason for that.

Back then, his father had practically kicked him straight into the military.