Chapter 52
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Clock Tower Rescue
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When I lifted my head, Ethan was staring impassively at the window next to the door.
Dammit. There was a window. I’d been looking the other way, so I hadn't even realized there was one on this side.
Through the window, I could see a silhouette backlit by the hot sun. It looked like one of the virus monsters, and it was close.
*Grrrrr.*
The monster's growl came from outside the window. I squeezed Ethan’s hand tightly and bit my lower lip.
*Screeeech—*
A sound like something dragging its leg came from outside.
My body began to tremble. Through the window, I could see the chest of some creature covered in thick, black fur.
*Sniff. Sniff.*
The thing started sniffing outside the window.
*Sniff.*
The creature's form, visible through the window, moved slowly. It looked as if it were lowering its head toward the glass.
To peer inside.
My heart pounded. I gripped Ethan’s hand harder and clenched my jaw.
*Grrr—*
The beast’s low growl from outside grew closer. And just as half of the monster's face lowered into view through the window,
*Thud.*
I heard something dull fall onto the wooden floor. Startled, I turned my head toward the sound.
The building we’d entered was a clothing store, and there was a person under a table next to the front door.
The shop owner must have been hiding there.
His face was pale as a sheet, and he was frozen, his hand outstretched. On the floor lay a box cutter that he had apparently been holding.
The man’s eyes met mine, and his trembling lips barely moved. I couldn't hear any sound, but from the shape of his mouth, I could understand what he was saying.
*H-Help me.*
And at that very moment—
*CRASH—!*
A massive virus monster burst through the window.
“Ah, ahhhhhh!!”
The man screamed, and the monster charged straight for him.
*ROOOOAR—*
At the same time as a sound like a great tiger’s roar,
“Gyaaaah!!”
a man’s agonized scream and the sound of a wall being smashed rang out one after another.
“We have to go.”
Ethan grabbed my wrist, opened the back door, and ran. I didn’t have the courage to look back and see what had happened to the man.
*Krawwww—*
The monsters seemed to be flocking toward the clothing store, drawn by the noise.
Should I feel relieved about this?
I was so tense that my hands wouldn't stop shaking. Ethan’s hand, which had been gripping my wrist, slid up to clasp my own.
I said nothing. I just squeezed his hand back, tighter, as if it were my lifeline. We ran like that, hand in hand.
The back alley behind the police station line was rather narrow, and as if it had heard our running footsteps, a virus monster appeared behind us.
I let go of Ethan’s hand and immediately swung my axe.
*Thwack—!*
*Gurgle.*
The monster charging at me crashed into the adjacent building and collapsed. Ethan turned to me and held out his hand again.
“Are you all right?”
I pointed behind Ethan.
“Watch your back!”
Ethan quickly drew his sword and swung.
*Shwwiiing—!*
A viscous green liquid sprayed out like a fountain. The charging virus monster fell to the ground in two pieces without so much as a scream.
“Sir Ethan, hand!”
I waved my outstretched hand at him urgently, signaling him to hurry. With a strange expression, Ethan placed his hand on top of mine.
I ran, holding Ethan's hand, completely unaware that I had called to him as if he were a pet dog.
*‘Dammit, I need to come up with an escape signal.’*
* * *
Honderf Train Station.
It was the next station after Kintne.
Vanilla hid behind a platform kiosk at Honderf Train Station. She loaded the shotgun she was holding and scanned her surroundings, her nerves on edge.
The station was teeming with bizarre-looking monsters. The creatures filling her vision looked familiar.
They were just like the monster she had encountered at Cherry’s Happy House.
She had subconsciously thought it might be contagious, but had some kind of germ really spread?
“Fuck, what the hell is this situation?”
Swearing crudely, Vanilla irritably swept her light blue hair back.
Right after the Happy House incident, she had received a call from the Benton Police Station, telling her to come up to the capital immediately for an investigation.
This was because Vanilla was the owner of the mansion located at 61 Notium Street in the capital.
*‘Something about a monster incident, was it?’*
She was sure she’d glimpsed it in a newspaper article. The phrase ‘Monster Incident at 61 Notium Street.’
At the time, she hadn't even realized it was a mansion she owned.
*‘It’s not like I only own one or two of these garbage mansions.’*
All her father, who had died in a car accident, had left her was a mountain of debt and a collection of dilapidated, worthless mansions.
The abandoned house in Brunel that Cherry Sinclair had purchased was one of those headaches.
*‘Now I’m starting to miss even that ruin, dammit.’*
If she were in that mansion, perched on a hill like a fortress, she might have been able to hide in relative safety without all this trouble.
Because a monster had broken into the train from Kintne to Honderf, Vanilla knew that both Kintne and Honderf were in this goddamned situation.
*‘If that’s the case, the capital is probably no different….’*
If so, it would be better to head back down to Brunel than to continue up to the capital. It was closer, anyway.
“Huh? Wait a minute! I think there’s someone over there, Counselor!”
Just then, she heard a voice. It sounded like a young man. Vanilla peeked her head over the kiosk again.
Two men running along the train tracks came into her view.
“Run! Run!”
The pretty young man with pink hair waved at her.
The brown-haired man running beside the pink-haired youth suddenly stopped and turned around. He aimed the rifle in his hands, took a shooting stance, and pulled the trigger.
*BANG—! BANG—!*
“Jose Cambron!”
The brown-haired man called out to the pink-haired youth. The pink-haired youth then turned and fired his rifle in rapid succession.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
After firing, they secured their weapons and started running along the tracks toward her again.
Only then did Vanilla notice the swarm of monsters chasing the two men. She hesitated, clutching her loaded shotgun.
*‘Fuck. What is that!’*
* * *
Ethan and I barely made it to the vicinity of the police station.
There was a small garden next to the station. We hid among the overgrown bushes to catch our breath.
Sitting amongst the bushes, I said to Ethan.
“We need to rescue Mr. Ludpersher and stop by the grocery store. The general store, too. Of course, if the situation is too difficult, we’ll head straight for the police station.”
“Understood. Once we rescue Ludpersher, I’ll make sure you can shop to your heart’s content.”
Ethan spoke as if it would be no trouble at all if he just put his mind to it. What a show-off.
I looked up at the clock tower through the bushes.
At the top of the five-story clock tower, there was a space for a clockmaker to perform repairs, complete with a railing to prevent falls.
I stared at it for a while, but there was no sign of anyone.
“I’ll go in. Sir Ethan, you provide cover from the roof of that building over there. You can get up there, right?”
Ethan looked at me again with an expression that said he had a lot to say. It seemed he wanted to switch roles.
I wanted to as well, but the situation didn’t allow for it.
“We have to use the gun when necessary. Getting in is important, but so is getting out. So please, provide cover.”
I was the one who had knocked Ethan out, slung him over my shoulder, and run all the way to Happy House. So, it was better for me to use my strength while Ethan provided cover.
In the end, Ethan reluctantly conceded and nodded.
“I’ll trust in your monstrous strength, Miss Cherry. And if Ludpersher isn’t there, come right back out. Don’t dawdle.”
Ethan seemed worried that I would panic if Knox wasn't there.
But what I was really worried about wasn’t my own mental state, but where we would find Knox if he wasn’t in the clock tower.
*‘Who knows. Let’s just go up and see.’*
I nodded at Ethan.
“Got it. I’ll see you at the bottom of the clock tower in a bit.”
“Let’s meet again safely.”
Ethan said, looking back at me before climbing onto the building’s roof. I made a gun shape with two fingers and aimed it at him. It was our attack signal.
“Hilarious.” Muttering to himself, Ethan waved at me and disappeared into the adjacent building.