Chapter 146
“We’re here.”
Merry led them inside the concrete barricades, into an area unlike the streets they had passed through. Unlike those streets, this place wasn’t steeped in a strange, gloomy silence; it was bustling with activity.
“This is the Resistance headquarters.”
Yuki spread her arms and welcomed them with a cheerful “Welcome!” Unlike the town, heavy-duty Digders hauling supplies moved back and forth. Outside tents pitched like a camp, people who seemed to be Resistance members chatted amiably as they maintained their weapons and equipment.
Some of them crowded around a Resistance member shouting, “Hey, I found a rare one out there!” and eagerly scrambled to claim scrap metal that looked utterly worthless.
Unlike the people in town, everyone here seemed to have hope and be pressing forward. The group felt as if they had been freed from the oppressive atmosphere that had weighed on them moments ago.
“Oh, Merry! How about you and I go exploring together sometime? With you there, I’d feel safe looking for things.”
“I’d rather die than go exploring with a perverted old geezer like you. Find someone else.”
“Aw, you’re so cold... Oh, Yuki, you’re here too! You found that metal I asked you for before—the copper, was it? I found some for you.”
“Oh, thanks! Now I can get that broken Digder working again!”
The Resistance members gathered around as soon as they saw Merry and Yuki, chatting with them as if they were old friends. Merry and Yuki brushed them off with easy smiles, then told Takako and the others, “This way,” and motioned for them to follow.
“You’re quite popular, aren’t you?”
It was clear even to an outsider that the other Resistance members trusted Merry and Yuki. Takako murmured with a smile.
“Well, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve been fighting with the Resistance for seven years now, so of course I know everyone’s face. Yuki mostly won them over through sheer likability, though.”
“Oh, no. I can maintain Digders and weapons, so everyone relies on me and treats me well. It’s not because of my character.”
“Either way, we have no choice but to help each other and survive. Of course we get along. If an ally betrays us or acts on their own... that alone can get people killed.”
Takako looked surprised to hear Merry speak with such unexpected gravity. Takako had assumed that, given Merry’s personality, Merry was the sort of person who tried to handle everything alone.
“One person’s selfish actions can get a whole lot of people killed. That’s the kind of world this is... So I don’t consider anyone who acts selfishly to be a comrade. Even Yuki’s comrades died because someone acted that way... That selfish bastard died with them, but... if you’re going to die, then die alone, damn it.”
After saying that, Merry strode ahead, looking irritated, perhaps remembering what had happened that day.
“Yuki-san... did you have any comrades?”
“We didn’t come to Earth together, but we arrived around the same time and hit it off... It was about a year and a half ago, I think. One of the people stationed on the front line got scared and ran away, and my friend, who was supporting them from behind, got caught up in it too...”
Hearing that, Kururu lowered her eyes apologetically. Yuki panicked, worried about making Kururu uncomfortable, and hurriedly reassured her. “No, no, don’t worry about it so much! It was a long time ago!”
“Besides, Merry-chan has had a much harder past than I have... Merry-chan’s parents died because of something like that, too.”
At those words, everyone’s expressions darkened.
“You know people from Earth stick to providing support because they don’t have the strength to fight alone, right? If someone ignores orders and the formation falls apart, it’s easy to get killed... just like Merry-chan said.”
Hearing Yuki continue, the group was left with complicated feelings. They realized that what Merry had said earlier—that Merry had been fighting since the age of seven—must have been what drove Merry to take up arms. Seeing Merry’s small figure press onward with the hope of someday reclaiming the world, despite the terrible tragedies endured from such a young age, they could say nothing more. They simply followed behind Merry in silence.
“Boss! You there? I’ve brought the people Kurusu contacted us about!”
Merry led them into a tent much larger than the others around it. As they stepped inside, a wave of heat enveloped them, followed immediately by a clang like metal being struck. As soon as Merry realized someone was inside, Merry raised a voice and called out—
“Oh, I’m here, I’m here! Over here!”
From the far end of the tent, hidden behind wooden crates filled with supplies, a large hand holding a hammer waved back and forth as a booming voice rang out loud enough to make their ears hurt.
Merry sighed in exasperation and headed farther inside. There, a dark-skinned, heavily muscled man, noticeably larger than Takako, was heating a massive greatsword that looked difficult even to carry and hammering it into shape.
“Hey, you brought them! So these are our new Heroes... Nice to meet you!”
As they drew closer, the muscular man stopped hammering and turned to face them. His deep-green hair stood on end like a beast’s mane, and his friendly eyes seemed incapable of suspicion. His overwhelming physique reminded them all of the construction workers they had often seen in Valman. He wore a towel around his neck and plain cotton clothes and trousers, giving him the air of an ordinary farmer you might find anywhere.
“Introduce yourself first, old man. They don’t know how to react.”
“Oh, right! Sorry about that! I’m Balmung Moharos! Just call me Balmung... I’m the captain in charge of this Resistance. Nice to meet you!”
At his words, everyone stared in surprise. He certainly looked strong and sturdy, but his appearance was far too ordinary for someone they’d expect to be called a captain.
“Even this old guy’s the Resistance captain, so show him some respect.”
“All right, Merry. You show me some respect first.”