Chapter 348: The Chaotic Continent
“Well, anyway. I’ll guide you to our community.”
Anzai pointed to the back of the passage. Yuma exclaimed, “Huh?”
“Are there other people besides you two?”
“Of course. There should be about two hundred people in this facility alone.”
“That many!?”
Having witnessed the city’s devastating state, Yuma couldn’t hide his surprise. Following Anzai and Luna, they arrived at a store deep within the facility, where a large group of people were gathered. There were women, children, and men. Everyone was laughing and chatting cheerfully, not seeming frightened at all. It truly seemed like they had built a community.
“William!”
Anzai called out to a man in the休憩 area. The man with graying hair stood up from the bench and spoke with Anzai. After they finished talking, Anzai called Luna over. It seemed she was entrusting her to this man. After a brief exchange, Anzai walked back to Yuma.
“Okay, come with me. I’ll introduce you to the person in charge here.”
“Understood.”
Guided by Anzai, Yuma went to a room on the second floor of the facility. There were several men and women, and a woman who looked to be in her fifties. The woman was talking to Anzai, but Yuma couldn’t understand since it was in English. After finishing their conversation, Anzai turned her gaze to Yuma.
“This is Madeleine Taylor-san, the mayor of Brisbane. She’s been gathering the survivors in this area.”
The woman approached with a smile. Yuma, looking slightly nervous, shook her hand.
“She says she welcomes you and that you don’t have to worry about living expenses.”
“Ah, well… thank you very much. Th-thank you.”
As Yuma thanked Madeleine, she nodded and resumed talking with her entourage. She seemed quite busy. Yuma and Anzai left the room and returned to where Luna was.
◇◇◇
Inside the facility, several tents were set up. Originally intended for disaster relief, they were now being used to maintain privacy in communal living. Yuma was inside one of these tents. He sat on a simple chair, looking around the tent with interest. Anzai, sitting next to him, translated his words using her smartphone. Wilson, a man in his fifties who had heard the translation, spoke up.
“You came on a submarine from America!? Is that true?”
“Yes, that’s right. I received help from the people in America…”
The Wilson before him was the family that had hosted Anzai during her study abroad. Wilson was slender and tall, with graying hair that reached his shoulders. His beard also had gray hairs mixed in, giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance. Sitting next to Wilson was a beautiful blonde woman named Olivia, who seemed to be his wife, but Yuma thought they were an odd match. Luna sat smiling at Olivia’s feet. These two were Luna’s parents. Luna hugged a small bear plushie, snuggling up to her mother. Yuma felt a warmth in his heart at the sight of the adorable child.
“So, does that mean the Americans have come to rescue us?”
Wilson looked at Yuma with hopeful eyes. However, Yuma looked down and shook his head sadly.
“No… the submarine didn’t come to rescue the people here. And it seems the submarine I came on has sunk…”
Hearing Yuma’s words, the faces of Wilson, Olivia, and Anzai immediately darkened. Yuma felt sorry for raising their hopes unnecessarily.
“I see… that’s terrible. There seems to be a ‘Blue Dungeon’ in the seas near Australia, so we can’t approach by sea. The skies are even more dangerous. No one can come in, and no one can leave. That’s the current situation here. So, I think it’s close to a miracle that you came here.”
Wilson spoke with a smile. Olivia, who was listening beside him, nodded.
“You seem to be injured, but the fact that you’re alive is the most important thing. But why did you come to such a dangerous place?”
Olivia asked the obvious question. Yuma hesitated for a moment, wondering how to respond. He doubted they would believe him if he told the truth. But he also didn’t want to arouse suspicion with a complete lie. After pondering, Yuma looked up at Wilson.
“I’m a Seeker. I had business with the ‘Black Dungeon’ in Australia. But I can’t go into details. I’m sorry for not being able to say more, even though you’re taking care of me.”
“I see, you’re a Seeker. In that case, there must be things you can’t say. I won’t ask any further.”
“Thank you.”
Yuma breathed a sigh of relief. He had managed to get through it without lying. Next, Yuma asked Wilson a question.
“The local government seems to be functioning properly here. Does that mean the Australian government as a whole is protecting its citizens?”
The couple looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
“No… it’s not really like that. There was a lot of damage from the appearance of Monsters, but the central government took swift measures and minimized casualties. But…”
“But what?”
Wilson and Olivia exchanged glances, their expressions clouding over. Anzai, who was next to them, remained silent with her head down. Wondering what was wrong, Yuma was addressed by Anzai.
“The central government has collapsed. So, it’s not functioning now.”
“Was it attacked by Monsters?”
Anzai shook her head from side to side.
“There was a coup d’état. A few months after the Monsters started appearing.”
“A coup d’état!? How did that happen?”
Yuma was simply bewildered by the unexpected news. But what Anzai said next was even more unbelievable.
“The coup was carried out by the Seekers in Australia. They used their magical powers to suppress the military and have now created their own government.”
Yuma was speechless. How could they start a coup d’état when the world was in this state? After hearing the details, he learned that most regions were controlled by Seekers. Brisbane was one of the few regions managed by a local government instead of Seekers.
“So, the region where the ‘Black Dungeon’ is located…”
Yuma asked Anzai. Anzai’s expression darkened even further.
“The Black Dungeon is in Canberra, the capital of Australia. But the Seekers’ organization’s headquarters is also in Canberra. If you go there, you’ll definitely be captured.”