Bound for Area D

A strong, vigorous morning.

"Get out here, you bastard!"

At my command, the status window startled awake and popped open with a flash.

"Hmm. Simple enough."

It was something I always appreciated—no fluff, just the essentials. Two hundred points, though. I wondered what to spend them on, but rent was due today, so they were going to have to be converted to cash either way.

"Convert the points."

At my order, the points drained away, and a deposit notification pinged on my phone.

The Goddess's influence ran deeper through this planet than you'd expect.

"Only twenty yesterday, huh?"

You got ten points for every one you took down. For a single day's outing, that was an excessive haul.

"I suppose that just means I'm that strong."

Feeling rather pleased with myself, I tapped my phone and opened the Warrior of Light exclusive app. I slipped into the chat, and the Warriors of Light who guarded the same sector as me offered their cheerful greetings.

Hup.

That wasn't a greeting. That was an interrogation. I already had a prior, so getting caught again would be a problem. Our squad leader wasn't your ordinary kind of scary.

I flinched for a second, but I couldn't fall for that. We Warriors of Light had the Goddess's blessing. Unless we were already in tatters, we could slip past machines like that without breaking a sweat. Just who did that little Kang Byeol think I was, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pulling this on me.

Heh. Another perfect crime in the bag. Last time I'd been unlucky enough to get caught by a teammate, no way out of it—but this time was different. No evidence, presumed innocent. That was how it worked.

Oh, damn it. After Kang Byeol, now another little snitch had joined the pile. Water under the bridge. Time to go on the offensive.

Oh, crap. I'd gotten guilty and gone passive, and now they'd grabbed me by the scruff.

I tried to pile on more testimony after the fact, but I was a step too late.

"GYAAAAAAH!"

I'd been caught by the squad leader after all. I cursed pink-headed Momo and yellow-headed Kang Byeol through gritted teeth.

"Those fucking bitches. After how many times I've saved them."

Next time the Varg bastards came for them, I was just going to watch. At the very least I'd wait until they were bawling like little girls before I bothered saving them.

"Tch."

The Center, huh. Knowing the squad leader's temperament, I hurriedly threw on my clothes.

Mouthing off to this woman was a death sentence.

"You're here."

"Squad Leader. Please just hear me out for a moment. There were about ten of them. If I hadn't been holding back my strength, this frail body of mine would've already been overrun."

"Quiet and sit down. That's not why I called you."

"Ma'am? Yes, ma'am."

I sat on the leather sofa as instructed. The office—one assigned to each squad leader—was fairly spacious. In the hush of the room I slurped at the tea set in front of me, and the squad leader finally spoke.

"Huh?"

Completely unexpected. So that was why she'd called me?

"Area D. A bit of a ways from our Area A. You'll know it when you see it."

The squad leader spread out a map of our country as she explained. "Our country" here wasn't South Korea. The planet I lived on wasn't Earth, either. Anyway, the circular map was sliced clean as a pizza, zones A through Z running clockwise. Area A, where I was, sat at twelve o'clock—face-to-face with the Varg bastards' nation to the north.

"She vanished yesterday at dawn. The scene still had traces of a violent fight. We're treating it as a kidnapping."

"By the Vargs?"

"That'd be my guess."

The squad leader sank deeper into the sofa, smoothing the red hair that fell to her waist.

"They've asked us for help."

"Well, if they say jump we jump, but why us specifically? If it's Area D, shouldn't C or E be the ones going after her?"

"I don't know either. The commander in charge of Area D specifically named you."

"...Me?"

It didn't make sense. I was strong, sure, but I'd only been a warrior for half a year. My name wasn't out there enough to get singled out. And besides...

"How's the wound."

"Mm."

She'd poked the sore spot. I gave an awkward smile. The physical wound wasn't that bad, honestly. What mattered was that my pride had been shredded to ribbons. A kind of trauma, I supposed. The squad leader clearly knew that, which was why she'd asked it so obliquely.

"I'm fine. If they call, I go. I'm a public servant."

"Sorry. I tried to block it, but they were too firm upstairs."

"Come on. You didn't have to go easy on my account. I'll just go and come back."

At Squad Leader Baek Hwa-rin's words, I thumped my chest and spoke with composure. The sizable mounds of fat bounced with the motion, lending the moment a rather peculiar atmosphere, but my meaning got across either way.

"When do they want me to leave?"

"The sooner the better, they said. I can probably buy you about a week."

"No need. I've got nothing else going on anyway. Better to go quick and come back quick."

"That so."

I exchanged a few more words with the squad leader and took my leave. On the way home, morning was only just beginning to break.

"Area D, huh."

I looked for a moment in the direction I'd have to leave toward, then turned my head a little and stared toward the Vargs' nation.

"Hmm. Why don't we just go on the offensive ourselves."

Far in the distance, the Great Dividing Tower stood piercing the clouds, splitting the world in two.

"Unnie. I heard you're leaving."

"That's right."

"I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd get fired over a utility pole."

"Who got fired, you little brat."

"Waaah!"

I ruffled the teasing Kang Byeol's hair vigorously as I spoke.

"I'll be back before you know it. Covering my spot's gonna suck, but hang in there."

"Oh please. I'm actually glad you won't be around to smash public property. Do you even know how many of our points you've burned through?"

Sorry. Even with ten mouths I wouldn't have had a word to say to that.

"Haa. Whatever, it's fine. Nobody else rakes it in like you do anyway, so it kinda evens out."

"Thanks... By the way, where is everybody?"

It'd only been half a year, but they were still my teammates. Why wasn't I seeing hide nor hair of anyone except Kang Byeol?

"You already saw the squad leader. Momo unnie's off today so she went out with friends, and Ara unnie had last watch yesterday so I didn't tell her on purpose. She's probably still asleep?"

"Mm. Good call."

Our youngest really was good at her job, scheduling included.

"Anyway, I'm heading out."

"You're just going with no luggage? What about clothes?"

"Does it matter? Thanks to the Goddess's blessing I'll be good as new in no time anyway."

"N-no, but as a girl you should, I don't know, dress up a little more."

"Girl, my ass. Wait till you're my age. Thank god we're Warriors of Light and not magical girls."

"Th-that's rude to the first-generation seniors, you know. And you're only twenty-two yourself."

Was it? I wouldn't know.

"Anyway, I'm really going. Bye."

"Be careful. You still don't know when you'll be back, right?"

"I'll know once I get there. If I find the culprit I can come right back. Even if I don't, I won't be gone long."

From there I headed straight to the inter-area bus stop. From here to Area D was about two hours by bus. Just the right amount of time for a nap.

"Hmm. Should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I grab a neck pillow."

I was standing in the station mart mulling it over when a voice came from behind me.

"Are you headed to Area D as well?"

"Hm?"

I turned my head and looked up.

"And you are?"

"Ah, pardon me."

The woman placed a hand demurely over her chest and smiled.

"I'm Airen, from District C."

"Ah, yes. Shin Ha-eun, Area A."

So she was a warrior too. No wonder she was pretty. I stood up and faced her. Similar height. Similar figure. It felt a little like looking in a mirror.

"Are you taking the next bus?"

"Looks like it."

"Oh my. Then we can go together. What's your seat number?"

Ugh. She was a real people person. Wasn't this a bit much friendliness for a first meeting? It was something I'd noticed since becoming a woman—the sense of distance between girls was, how to put it, a little strange. I still wasn't used to it.

"Hahaha, thirty-two. There it is."

I started walking toward the bus at a clip, hoping to make my escape. I'd figured ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we'd chat a little on the way to the bus, then I could sleep in peace on the ride to Area D...

"Perfect! I'm thirty-one. Lucky, aren't we?"

Oh, for fuck's sake. How was this even possible.

"You know, you really do have a peculiar kind of charm."

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, no. What am I saying, we've just met. It's nothing."

With that, Airen reached toward the bus's front door as it swung wide open.

"After you."

"Sure..."

Yeah. So much for a comfortable ride.