Ep 28 - Academy’s Undercover Professor

EP.28 S1.5. A Thousand-Mile Escape -1 Desolation means it includes the meaning of decline. The ruins of collapsed buildings, the jumble that seemed to be someone's traces, monsters strolling atop the earth that buried an ancient civilization. And the stars obscured by sandstorms. An era where once brilliant things are dying one by one. You gather what little remains with both hands, clutching tightly to prevent it from being taken, yet in the end, it slips out between your fingers. The hope that lingers only tastes bitter now, having been chewed over too much; and in an era where one is too desperate for survival to lament the approaching despair, a boy was crossing the desolate wasteland. The boy's name was Espero. Everyone just called him Pero. In this era, moving things were one of three: a monster, something that moved unknowingly due to remaining inertia, or, very rarely... one that still harbored hope. The boy had hope. A compass obtained by chance from an old fence. The crone had said that this compass pointed to paradise. A paradise where there was no worry of hunger, where he, and the next, and even the generation after that, could enjoy a peaceful life. It could have been a cruel prank by the crone, nearing death. Perhaps someone else had already claimed paradise. But the boy believed and held onto hope. Because people cannot live without hope. --------------------------------------------------------------- The boy walked through the wilderness. Sometimes aided by someone, occasionally chased by marauders, hiding in sand pits to avoid monsters. It was an arduous life, but it was not in vain. The distance indicated on the compass was steadily decreasing. But it seems that this journey has come to an end here. "Grrrr... Grrr." "............" A mutant wolf. A large wolf clumsily walking on two legs drooled profusely. The nastiness of mutant wolves is, they are exceptionally sensorily perceptive and fast. The chances for the boy to escape were virtually nil. You might as well call it a death sentence. Being small with no combat ability or artifacts, it was fortunate enough that the boy had survived this long, which he himself knew. He also knew that luck is not persistent. When fortune comes, misfortune will follow at some point. Like the two sides of a coin, luck and misfortune alternate. Therefore, he did not feel any injustice. "Looks like my luck has run out. Dad. Mom." The boy muttered as if complaining and made preparations for the next 'lucky one'. He removed the compass, which he had twisted into a necklace-like shape with a chain. If he kept wearing it, it would go into the stomach of the mutant wolf together with the boy. It would be difficult for anyone to find, and it might be damaged. So he decided to take it off ahead of time and throw it as far as possible. He hoped that some lucky survivor would find the compass and that person could reach paradise, enjoying a happy life on behalf of all those who have died. With longing packed into his throw, he threw it. The compass flew, tracing a short parabola. And it was caught in a hand full of scars. "......?" "My little gentleman over there, do you need help?" A gentle voice was heard. A beautiful woman with faded blond hair. A shawl wrapped around her neck and a red dress with a deeply cut neckline were distinctive. A dress that did not look suitable for battle── but. The very fact that she was alive and unharmed in such attire proved her strength. The boy looked at her blankly for a moment── then frantically nodded his head. "Please save me!" "Hehe, that won't be too difficult." "KAAAAH!!" The mutant wolf opened its huge mouth, big enough to easily swallow a child. Menacing teeth snapped shut like a guillotine. The woman in the dress took a step and evaded the wolf's attack. Bang-! She lightly slapped the wolf's jaw with the back of her hand. The wolf staggered and collapsed. Then the woman's heart, flashing purple from her breast—its weakness was exposed. "Everyone's got a core somewhere, don't they? Seems like disabling them for a moment reveals it too." The woman thrust her hand into the chest of the mutant wolf and clenchedher fist. A burst of residual magical power scattered. The wolf died too easily. She looked down at the boy who had fallen and said, "My name is Elaine. What's the little gentleman's name?" "Espero... please call me Pero!" "Alright, Pero. I'm not very familiar with this place. You see, I've come from a very far place. I want information; you wouldn't ignore a lady's plight, would you?" She winked. Pero nodded as if enchanted. Perhaps the boy's luck will continue just a little longer... --------------------------------------------------------------== Behind the shade of a rock, the two sat with a campfire lit. The boy, Pero, shivered with the warmth of the crimson fire. Lighting a fire attracts the attention of mutations and invites attacks, so it is difficult to light one when traveling alone. Thus, for him, it was a light he had not seen for several months. The sizzling roasted wolf meat was also truly thrilling. To Pero, who had been scraping by on beetles and such beneath rocks, well-cooked meat was an irresistible temptation indeed. "......Hehe." "............" Elaine watched Pero swallowing saliva, giggling peculiarly. For some reason, Pero felt oddly embarrassed under her gaze, although he couldn't fathom why. Pero, flustered, picked up a skewer of wolf meat pierced on a twig and offered it to Elaine. Meanwhile, he felt embarrassed when their eyes met, turned his head away when he glimpsed the deeply cut valley, then thought it was only polite to face her when speaking and turned back again... In the end, with his eyes tightly closed, Pero presented a curious pose as he offered the skewer of meat. "Ahaha...!" Elaine burst into laughter. Pero became even more embarrassed and hung his head low. It was an endless fountain of bashfulness. Slight tears welled up in the boy's eyes. Elaine continued in a tender voice. "I'm sorry, Pero. I have a condition where I can't help laughing when I see a handsome gentleman..." Pero looked around, searching for the handsome gentleman she was referring to. Naturally, there was no one around except for the shadows flickering in the campfire and the long ones cast on the ground. "You mean there's someone else besides me... Me?" "Yes, the small and handsome gentleman." "No, I'm not..." "But you are." As the saying goes, the heavier the ear, the lower it bends; similarly, as Pero's face grew redder with embarrassment, his head lowered further. Elaine wore an expression of satisfaction as if she had eaten well. She mused how much better it would've been if the second or third princes possessed such endearing qualities. Instead of indulging in the dark desire to make the boy cry, Elaine decided to move on to a more productive topic. There was a lot she needed to find out. Having wandered for a day, Elaine grasped that this world was considerably damaged. All she saw were monsters, and the occasional human traces were nothing but remnants. However, whether this particular area was unusually dangerous, or if the entire world was in such a state, remained uncertain. While the monsters she had encountered so far were easy to deal with, there could be others that were not. A smaller concern was whether the words and gestures used had different meanings. How best to extract information from this little boy… Elaine pondered for a moment then decided to resort to an old ruse. "Pero, could you pretend... that I have lost my memories?" "Have you lost your memories?!" Amnesia cosplay. It was the secret weapon used by the agents of the Empire's Defense Bureau when they need to deceive civilians in foreign lands. True to its reputation as a proven weapon, it seemed to work on the boy as well. "Yes, I remember my name... but almost nothing else." "I'll help you! So then, umm, where should I start explaining..." The boy began to explain hesitantly. His explanations were disorganized and haphazard, but his eagerness to help was palpable. Elaine mentally categorized and summarized the information. 1) Humanity is on the decline due to creatures called mutants. 2) Nations have long since fallen, with the largest groups being akin to tribal societies. 3) The small number of surviving humans mainly hide out in forests or caves. After getting a general explanation, Elaine focused on the boy, Pero. "You're the first person I've met after wandering for a whole day. Pero, is it always this... deserted here?" "Yes. This area is often roamed by mutants. Unless it’s a hunter going out far for food, people don’t come to these wastelands." "Then what were you doing here? You don't look like a hunter…" "I'm searching for paradise." "Paradise?" "Yes. A place that's safe and has plenty of food. I've been following the direction pointed by the compass to find it!" Elaine looked at the compass she had been fidgeting with. A red arrow pointed in a direction, and the distance left was indicated numerically below. It appeared to be a well-crafted artifact. Too well-made to be just a toy to deceive someone for fun, which made the story about paradise seem quite credible. Safety and food in a world where human survival is at risk. Very tempting indeed. Then a question arose. "If that's real... it's truly a precious thing. Then why, in your last moments... did you throw it?" "If I got eaten by that mutant, it would be hard for someone else to find the compass." "...After you die, why would you care what happens to others? Despite your kindness, no one would even notice." If you do not survive, it all becomes meaningless anyway. To that question, Pero responded with a smile. "Because someone lucky might be happy on my behalf!" "Then... may I also partake in Pero's happiness?" "Of course! You saved me, after all. And since there's enough food in paradise for several generations to come, it won't diminish even if two people live there!" "What if it’s not enough?" "?!" Elaine looked at the tattoo of a watch on her wrist and set a temporary goal. Whether this world was a fantasy or reality. Reaching paradise to ensure safety seemed like a good option. It might even be a delightful company. And, just in case something dangerous happened along the way... It was handy to have a decoy. --------------------------------------------------------------- Distance to paradise. About 400km. <fin>