Chapter 71: On the Road Ahead, Part 3

"I got all numb in there," Mara grumbled, sluggishly stretching her arm over her head as she hopped out of the van. I felt the same but kept my mouth shut about it. Complaining about it wouldn't make things any better. Her gaze then wandered to the looming wall ahead of us, shielding us from the monstrosities lurking behind. Although I wasn't certain, it was most likely augmented by multiple layers of mana shards. Monsters would have sliced through it like butter otherwise. "And that thing never ceases to scare me each time I see it..."

After shoving any personal belongings the others members of the party had (other than their weapons), I carried the heavy backpack on my shoulders as Logan closed the van's doors. We still had to wait for Oliver, but I found no reason to sit inside the vehicle any longer. Before I even knew it, I found myself right beside Mara, staring in the same direction as she did.

"That's kind of creepy," I told her. "Don't you think?"

"Of course it bloody is," she hissed back. "It's a humongous wall filled with monsters inside. What's there comes straight out of an apocalyptic movie."

For those who are unaware, even though hunters had taken care of some of the larger monsters within the 4th District, there was still a sturdy barrier encircling the area, retaining any monsters who might have survived from getting out into the other districts. To get in, you had to first check in at the entrance, where your license and belongings would then be verified by a guard.

"I'm so bored," Logan roared out, leaning his back against the van. "For how much longer do we have to wait for that guy to show up?"

"Do you want me to call him?" asked Mara, immediately reaching for her phone to send a message. The way the glow beneath cast a shadow over her face gave her the appearance of a ghost, making her a peculiar existence in the vacant parking lot. There were still some vehicles, but none seemed large enough to transport a large number of goods. They were probably belonging to other citizens, too indolent to find any other spot to park at.

"Just leave it to me," grumbled Edward as he finally got out of the van, slamming the driver's seat door shut behind him. "I'm going to the bathroom, so I might as well call him on the way.

There was a bathroom nearby where you could sanitize yourself from any foreign bacteria you might have picked up from encountering a monster, but I doubted that was the cause for Edward's quick pace. So I reasoned as I observed his lanky back. He seriously could put on some weight...

"Is it just me or am I getting kind of chilly?" Mara asked, opening and closing her fingers.

"Snakes are cold-blooded," replied Logan, the corners of his mouth curling upward. He often had the habit of teasing others whenever he was bored. This time, thankfully, I was not the victim of his iffy remarks. "You'll get used to it, Mara."

"Very amusing!" exclaimed Mara, circling the van with a smile that couldn't quite reach the eye. That statement indicated that something unpleasant was on the way. I intended to say something about how wicked her expression was, but I never got around to it. Who'd want to provoke her? "How about I cut you? Just to warm myself up a bit."

While Edward was away and disregarding Mara's strange conduct for the time being, I couldn't peel my eyes off the gate. To be more precise, it wasn't as if I was I hoped to see through who knows how many tons of metal just by squinting my eyes, but what drew my attention was a young man with washed blonde hair and a black rucksack on his back with some oddly shaped object jammed inside. He also held a spear in his grasp, its tip covered in some rugs. Although I'd usually never approach others this way, an idea formed in my head as I crept closer to him.

"It's been a while."

He turned back, perplexed by my abrupt tone, and after regaining his cool, asked in recognition: "Douglass? What are you doing here?"

The beast tamer probably had no idea anyone would recognize him in this place.

"I'm here to work," I answered, patting his rucksack. I felt something warm inside, and strangely fluffy. It wasn't too difficult to tell Melody, his bond and an actual gryphon hid in there. "But what about you? What are you doing here, Lucas?"

Melody, on the other hand, seemed somewhat pleased to feel my touch. She pressed what I assumed to be her head against my arm, which I took as a sign of affection, despite our not-so-pleasant separation.

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"Are you going to get in now, or—" the guard asked.

"No," replied Lucas, taking away his license from the small opening in the window. I took a good look at his profile, everything being visible since he wasn't wearing that obnoxious coat as he did in the Underworld. "I'll come back a bit later, though. I'd rather chat with a friend."

Ignoring the guard's grumbles, we moved a bit further from the entrance.

"Never thought I'd meet you here," I told him, honestly.

"Me neither," he replied with a shrug as he pointed with his chin toward the van. "You're here with a party, from the looks of it."

"Yeah," I answered, arranging the straps around my shoulder. "As a porter, obviously."

"Never thought you were the kind to work with others, Douglass."

"Things just turned out this way."

Then came an awkward moment of silence. Only Connor knew how to get through those without any effort whatsoever. I, however, often struggled to keep the conversation going.

It was so weird seeing the person I insulted back then right before my eyes.

"I—I'm sorry," I told him, having to get rid of some of the guilt off my chest. "You and Lave were right... There were other ways to deal with that situation. Even if I had a rough day, I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Consider it all forgotten, Douglass," Lucas said, and perhaps sensing my reluctance, he stretched his hand toward me. "It's good to see you again. Without the hood and all that."

I stared at it for a while before giving it a firm shake. "Likewise."

"Sheesh. Just how strong are you," he grumbled, shaking his hand as though it was dislocated.

"I doubt you'd be able to do much with that spear if you're complaining only about that much."

"There was no reason for you to go out of your way to say that out loud!"

Regardless, it was great to see Lucas and Melody again. I guess a minuscule part of me missed the odd duo.

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