Episode 269: Inside the Station
Yuma couldn’t hide his joy at the glimmer of hope.
“Felix-san, please tell me where these Tzore people are! I’ll go and talk to them directly.”
“Eh? Well, but…”
Felix seemed perplexed by the sudden request. Seeing Felix’s reaction, Rui leaned forward, pleading.
“I’m asking you too! I really want to know the whereabouts of the [White Magic Gem].”
“Hmm, I don’t mind telling you the location… but they’re dangerous people, you know. I don’t know if you can reason with them.”
Hearing Felix’s concern, Yuma clenched his fist and grinned.
“It’s okay! We’re fine even if we get roughed up. Right, Rui?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Seeing Yuma and Rui so eager to go, Werner spoke up.
“Well, they should be fine. Besides, they saved our lives. We can’t refuse their request.”
Werner’s words were reasonable. Felix, agreeing, said, “Alright,” and decided to guide them.
“I’ll take them.”
It was Werner who raised his voice. However, Felix shook his head.
“No way. You’re badly injured. I’ll guide these people.”
“No, but…”
The two argued for a while. Werner agreed to Yuma and the others being guided, but he seemed against Felix going himself.
Yuma thought that was understandable.
Felix was the leader of this community. If anything were to happen to him, it would be irreparable.
“That’s enough! The discussion is over. You guys are going right away, aren’t you?”
Felix cut off his conversation with Werner and asked Yuma and Rui.
Rui, when asked, replied, “It would be a great help if you would.”
“It’s decided. Let’s go.”
As Felix stood up, Werner snapped, “Wait!”
“Are you going with just the three of you? The two of them aside, Felix! You should take guards with you.”
Yuma and Rui frowned at Werner’s suggestion. Guards weren’t necessary, and more people would only be a hindrance.
Felix must have thought the same, as he quietly shook his head.
“It’s not necessary. You saw how strong these people are, right? They can protect at least me.”
“No, but…”
“Besides, we’re not going to start a fight. Fewer people are better.”
Werner fell silent. He was probably dissatisfied, but in the end, he was persuaded by Felix and reluctantly agreed.
Seeing Werner like that, Yuma whispered to Rui.
“Hey, that guy’s injuries. Shouldn’t I heal them with my Recovery Magic? I think I could heal that easily…”
“If you heal him now, he might ask you to take him along. And if there are other injured or sick people, we might be constantly asked for treatment.”
“True.”
They hadn’t come to Germany to help people. To achieve their goal quickly, Yuma decided to keep his ability to use Recovery Magic a secret.
“Let’s go then. Tzore Station isn’t that far.”
Felix opened the tavern door and went outside. Yuma and Rui followed after him, trying to exit as well.
At that moment, Werner, who had stood up, called out to them.
“Hey, you guys.”
“Y-yes?”
Rui turned around to look at Werner.
“I’m counting on you to look after Felix. He’s a necessary man for this community. Please protect him.”
Rui, asked by Werner, nodded firmly and replied, “Leave it to us.”
He passed through the door with Yuma, went outside, and chased after Felix.
◇◇◇
A huge glass-covered building. Although it was old, it looked like a large shopping mall at first glance.
“This is Tzore Station…”
Yuma looked up at the large station towering before him.
“This way.”
Saying that, Felix headed towards the entrance. Following after him, Rui and Yuma also started walking.
The three entered the main entrance of the station and proceeded, looking around inside.
A large station that would normally be bustling with people. Now it was deserted.
Yuma wondered if there was anyone there, but after walking for a while, he saw several men loitering in the station concourse.
A man who noticed Felix raised his voice, “Huh?”
“Oh, it’s Felix! What brings you crawling all the way out here?!”
A burly man with a cigarette in his mouth walked over. Several men followed behind him. Felix stopped and, raising both hands, spoke to the man.
“I don’t intend to fight! I need to talk to Neumann. Can you call him here?”
The burly man spat out his cigarette and pulled a Gun from his chest.
“Don’t give me that crap! How many of you guys do you think we’ve killed?!”
The men behind him also pulled out Guns and pointed them at them. Seeing that, Rui and Yuma stepped forward.
“Felix-san! Get behind me.”
“Ah, okay.”
Felix moved behind Rui. The next moment, countless gunshots rang out.
“Dieeeee!!”
The burly man laughed as he fired his Gun wildly. However, the bullets didn’t harm Rui or Yuma.
The “Flame Barrier” deployed by Rui melted all the bullets, and the “Wind Barrier” erected by Yuma deflected all the bullets.
Realizing that their Guns were ineffective, the men widened their eyes.
“What are these guys… Seekers?!”
Seeing the surprised men, Felix spoke up.
“You get it now? Guns don’t work on these people. I’ll say it again, listen carefully, bring Neumann! Right now!!”
Intimidated by Felix’s sharp gaze, the burly man hesitated for a moment. They glared at each other for a while, but the burly man told something to a companion behind him.
The companion nodded and ran towards the back of the station.
He must have gone to call someone. Neumann… so that’s the name of this community’s leader.
Yuma scratched the tip of his nose with his finger and decided to wait for that person to come.
◇◇◇
As twenty minutes passed and no one came, the three sat down on a bench in the station concourse, looking around.
The burly man and his companions were glaring at them from a short distance away.
Casting a glance at them, Rui asked Felix.
“Felix-san, Neumann is the leader here, right? What kind of person is he?”
Felix turned his gaze to Rui and opened his mouth, “Well…”
“He was originally a scholar at a physics Laboratory in Germany. He’s smart, so he’s been hoisted up as the leader. I think you can reason with him more than those empty-headed guys over there.”
The burly men probably couldn’t hear him, but they were looking over here with disgruntled faces. Did they sense something?
As Yuma was thinking about that, footsteps echoed through the concourse.
Not just one or two sets of footsteps. A considerable number of people were approaching. When Yuma and Rui turned their gaze, about thirty men and women were walking from the back of the station.
At the center of them was a young woman.