Butcher Demon
Chapter 304

In the dim light of dawn, the scent of night still lingering.

"How about this one? It's a classic design, a bit old-fashioned, but it's really well built."

"Nice."

"It's the last one. We're getting fewer and fewer customers opting for gas stuff these days."

"I'm glad you had it in stock... Oh, what's that over there? I feel like I've seen it before."

"You've got a good eye. This one's also great. It's a dual-function stove that can use both gasoline and propane. It's also the last one on display."

"I want one. Put it in the cart, please."

"Sure thing. I'll throw in the attachments for you as a bonus."

I quietly slipped out of the room so as not to wake Haruka and headed to the shop run by Ed's acquaintance.

Last night, I told him I needed to leave quickly, and he recommended this store. Thanks to Ed's introduction, the shop owner had specially opened the store for me at this hour and was waiting for me. This made it easy for me to pick up stuff without worrying about other customers.

Ed also used to shop at this store for his work in the field. The shop owner is also friendly. Despite my intimidating appearance, he gladly helped me with the preparations.

The shop owner only seemed startled when he first saw me at first, but after that, he treated me normally. He had the demeanor of a mountain man, strong and reliable. His name is Yakonen. He's showing me a gas lantern next.

I used to underestimate camping gear the ones civilians use——It looks like toys to me. However, they were quite impressive.

Modern technology made these tools compact, lightweight, and highly efficient. Even as someone who had spent almost half of my time outdoors when I was a soldier, I found them more than suitable. They were also stylish.

After selecting the items I could use in the shop, I pushed a cart loaded with them to the garage.

There, a car was waiting for me.

A full-size 4WD pickup truck.

I had requested this because I was about to enter alien territory.

To explain what a full-size pickup truck is, think of a regular five-passenger SUV, and then imagine a big cargo bed attached to the back of it. It's kind of like those trucks you see in movies set in the American countryside.

It was big and sturdy, capable of carrying a large amount of stuff and driving on rough terrain. It was for long-distance travel. It had a straight-six hybrid engine, which was good for the environment and pretty powerful. It had solid towing points, allowing it to pull heavy stuff like artillery pieces if necessary. It had been used in the military, so I was familiar with it. When it came to off-road adventures, it was hard to replace a better vehicle.

What's more, the car had been customized by the shop owner. He lifted it to make it better for off-road driving in rocky forests. It was a hybrid with a big battery, which was convenient because it meant I could charge the speaker if I needed to. This was really important because if my brainwave voice synthesizer stopped working, it could be a life-or-death situation, and I might not be able to fix it.

"And then, this one."

The last item the shop owner brought was a wood stove. It was a super analog piece compared to all the high-tech stuff we'd been dealing with.

They say that firewood warms a person threefold. When you pick it, when you split it, and when you burn it. Well, that poetic talk doesn't matter. Since I didn't know how often we'd need fuel, it made sense to go with wood, the easiest fuel to replace. While a campfire works, it would be bothersome with soot and smoke, but this is a necessity for survival in the forest, if it rained, it would provide warmth and be useful for cooking. For someone like me, a natural-born realist, I'm fine with eating raw meat, but Yakumo needs a hot meal cooked over a fire.

I requested something easy to use and highly durable, and the shopkeeper brought something that looked rugged-looking drum can attach to a chimney.

"It may look rough, but it's entirely made of titanium, so it's surprisingly lightweight. The construction is so simple and sturdy that it's virtually indestructible, and it's resistant to rust. While titanium makes it less efficient at retaining the warmth, it easily maintains high temperatures and can even burn raw wood. It also has a secondary combustion feature. Gevaudan, you understand how good this thing is right?"

"I know."

Yakonen the store owner and I bonded over camping discussions and became great friends. We even made a promise to go deer shooting together next time.

When it comes to survival gear preparations, durability and ease of maintenance are essential. After all, we'll be exposed to the elements, rain, wind, and UV rays, 24/7, 365 days a year. No matter how multifunctional, compact, or lightweight something is, it's meaningless if it breaks down quickly. Yakonen understands this. The gear he carefully selected for my journey has satisfied me in every way.

After loading the back of the truck with a full load of other supplies, including emergency rations, I tied the carriers to the roof to secure additional storage. It's like a house-move-level overloading.

In fact, nearly half of the truck consists of spare fuel.

Fuel is the lifeline of the vehicle, and there's no foreseeable refueling point in sight. Hopefully, we would be able to replace a gas station on the way, but for now, we had to carry as much as we could.

Since we're already carrying a substantial amount of gasoline, we've also equipped ourselves with combustion-related tools and gasoline-powered gear like gasoline lanterns, gasoline torches, and a gasoline stove.

Honestly, diesel engines would be better. Diesel fuel is almost identical to kerosene in composition, so it can be used in most kerosene equipment as well. The reverse is also true, you can run a vehicle on kerosene. Diesel fuel is much safer than gasoline as a fire starter. Diesel offers a wide range of applications. I love diesel. Diesel is the best.

With this, I can fit a machine gun in the back. My hands will finally be free once Yakumo is inside the car. This pickup truck is amazing.

Abundantly so.

From an outsider's perspective, it might look like we're going on a family camping trip, but we're actually heading to the unknown—Mifosis.

Both of us, especially Yakumo, are entrusting our lives to this entire setup. Even so, I can't help but feel that our preparations might still be insufficient.

"Is everything alright now? Well, I'll do some final maintenance before I take it to the hotel."

"Thank you. Put it on Ed's tab."

"Hahaha. He's going to be dirt poor for a while after this."

Yakonen laughed and then patted the car's hood.

"――I have a lot of good memories with this guy. It saved my life several times. I've been taking good care of it for a long time, but I never thought I'd be sending it to an alien planet for its last big gig."

Yakonen stared at the car, lost in thought.

"I'll take good care of it."

"Yeah, I'm counting on you."

After a quick fist bump with Yakonen, I left the shop.

On my way back to the hotel, I pulled out my phone and started surfing the web. Our story hadn't hit the news yet. Maybe leaving so suddenly seemed a bit rash, but sometimes quick decisions are often better. We weren't planning on sticking around for long, after all.

I couldn't access F-Channel, though. It's only for Fort residents and can't be used on a smartphone.

I reluctantly started searching for a similar forum site, but there were too many options, and I couldn't figure out which one to use. For someone like me, who grew up in Fort, a remote and heavily regulated place, the vast sea of the free internet was too overwhelming. I felt like I was drifting aimlessly. In the midst of it all, what caught my attention was a worldwide disaster board operated by the central government's UCEG.

Not just related to aliens, it was intended for leaving messages during disruptions caused by natural disasters and the like. But now, it had become the hottest place. There were so many missing persons reports. In this context, maybe if I left a message, it wouldn't stand out as much. I'll leave a message for those looking for someone.

I'm safe. Y-kun is also fine. Right now, I'm near Melbourne, Australia. We're heading to my girlfriend's country. Please contact me. I have a smartphone.

I added the date at the end and added "Gevaudan."

Hiding my name at this point wouldn't make much sense. What's more important is making contact. If Abigail or Natsuki saw it, they might search for me using my name.

I decided not to include my smartphone contact information. I couldn't risk being tracked by the military. Instead, if Abigail and the others replied to this post, I should be able to contact them. Probably. I felt like she could make it work somehow. I'm counting on you, Abigail.

When I returned to the hotel, Ed was waiting in the lobby. Sitting at the same table were Kyo with a mushroom hat and the still-sleepy Yakumo.

Ed, despite his serious injury, was in great shape. He was quite a tough guy.

"Are you ready?" Ed spotted me.

"Yeah, hey, do you know what Yakonen used to do back in the day? I was surprised he could nail my request 100%."

"That guy..." Ed sighed before continuing. "It's just a rumor, but I heard he used to be a Ranger instructor in the army, quite an expert as that."

"That makes sense. No wonder we get along so well. Oh, by the way, I decided to let you handle the payment, but is that okay? It must have been quite expensive."

"Oh, um... leave it to me."

Although his face clearly showed his reluctance, Ed bravely gave me a thumbs-up. His annual income probably just went poof.

Next, I turned to Kyo. "Ready, to, go?"

"I can go anytime," she replied casually, sipping coffee. She had already finished her breakfast and looked relaxed. She seemed accustomed to traveling, but she was way too comfortable in Earth City.

I planned to ask her for directions once we left the city.

First, we headed to the river where the cave was located. There should be a railway track further ahead, so if we reach there, we could follow the path Kyo had taken to get here.

The first checkpoint was the city where she used it as her base. Once we arrived there, we could get directions to a larger city.

It took Kyo about three days on foot from her base to the cave, so even if we used a car, we expected to reach our destination in roughly the same amount of time.

Although there were many uncertainties, we had a rough plan for our journey.

Ed had arranged trekking-style clothing for Kyo and Yakumo. I had prioritized performance over design, but it seemed that recent outdoor clothing was quite stylish.

However, Kyo's large mushroom hat emitted a strong sense of wrongness.

"Hat, Big"

"Well, that's..."

Kyo lowered her hat, looking somewhat awkward.

"It's for hiding my horns. I'd rather you didn't touch them."

"Hide, why?"

"Because I'm an oni."

With that, she lowered her gaze and took a sip of her coffee.

While we waited for Yakonen to finish working on the car, it was a much-anticipated breakfast time. I savored the combination of hash browns and coffee after a long time. The aroma of the fragrant oil and the sweetness of the potatoes spread in my mouth, washed down by the rich acidity and bitterness of the coffee. The hot coffee's aroma permeated my brain with satisfaction. Delicious. Oh, I'm going to have some bacon, too.

I got several refills. And for dessert, of course, there was cheesecake. Yum, yum... The hotel's cheesecake was so delicious (I'm tearing up).

While I enjoyed my endless breakfast, Kyo was teaching Yakumo how to play with strings. It was something called "Ayatori." It seemed to have captured Yakumo's heart, and he was engrossed in Ayatori. Whether it was a return favor or not, Yakumo showed her his notebook, and they already seemed to be getting along well. Yakumo was really quick at winning over the hearts of girls. Perhaps his quiet and calm demeanor was the key, working even across species barriers. It was an enviable display of "shota power."

The woman, Kyo, gave off a cool impression on the surface, but she seemed to be sociable on the inside. I was a bit worried since I didn't know what kind of person she was, but it seemed like they would get along just fine.

Mushroom hat, Major League cap, and a paper bag. The eccentric hat trio is complete. I wondered if I should consider wearing a more stylish mask. Maybe try wearing a shopping bag from a famous mart...?

"Thanks for all your help on such short notice, but you've been a big help in many ways. I'm sorry I made you do things with that injury."

As I stopped eating and expressed my gratitude, Ed placed his coffee cup down and looked at me.

"It's okay, Gevaudan.....Between you and me, I think you made the right decision to leave town early."

"Is that so?"

According to Ed, it seemed like the city wasn't entirely on the same page, and during an unofficial meeting last night, some of them had come out hard against me.

"Well, it can't be helped. Because I'm a special case among specials. And it's definitely better not to bring Butcher into the city in the future."

"That seems to be the case. We really lucked out."

As we chatted after our meal, there was a noisy sound from outside the hotel.

"It's Yakonen."

"So you're going now.....?"

As I stood up, Ed also rose to his feet, using his crutches.

"We're going."

"Is Haruka okay?"

"She's probably still asleep. Let her rest."

"She sent a message late at night, you know. Maybe she's still excited and couldn't sleep."

There was no doubt she couldn't sleep out of excitement.

Oh, and I was the one who sent that message. In the middle of the second round, I was thinking about the wording while thrusting her from behind. To think that I could impersonate anyone so easily. Digital is so terrifying.

With those fun memories in my heart, I took Yakumo's hand, at that moment.

The elevator ding and disheveled Haruka emerged from inside.

"Thank goodness..... you're still here....."

Ed chuckled as he saw her rough appearance and breathlessness upon replaceing us. Perhaps he had guessed what was going on.

Due to our need to avoid attracting attention in the city, only the three of them saw us off. The way we packed so many things into the car might have made it look like we were running away in the dead of night.

"Stay safe..."

Haruka hugged me tightly.

"You too."

In return, I patted her head.

――She doesn't release me as long as I thought she would. It's been about three minutes. I start to feel embarrassed under Ed and Yakonen's warm gazes.

"Yakumo-kun too."

She gave Yakumo a big hug.

As a thank you, Yakumo showed her his notebook.

"Is this my drawing? Well, it's... quite...good? Huh!?"

Haruka blushed and covered her mouth.

It was a drawing of her lying naked. His imagination and artistic skill were amazing. Well, he tended to draw people naked, not just Natsuki. He's a true master.

"Oh right."

Suddenly, I remembered and took out a Polaroid camera from the paper bag.

"Everyone, gather up."

With a pickup truck as a backdrop, I snapped a photo of Haruka holding Yakumo, Ed, and Yakonen together.

"Here, this is for you."

"Thank you... I'll treasure it."

"But Gevaudan isn't in it," Ed grumbled as he looked at the photo.

"I'd rather not be."

"I see... Haruka, upload that photo and send it to me later."

"Okay..."

"Gevaudan, about that thing you asked..." Yakonen hesitated to speak.

"You have it?"

"Sorry about that. I asked around, but it seems they only sell canned cheesecake in Japan. You'll have to pre-order it."

Too bad.

"Thanks, Yakonen. It's alright."

I lightly tapped the car, trying to sound tough. But I am crying inside. I only had a few cans left.

"Hey, don't suddenly start tapping like that. It's scary, you know."

Kyo already had her hands on the wheel. Using the process of elimination, she was the only one who seemed capable of driving. For now, I taught her the basics, paddle, breaks, and turns. The detailed instructions would come later once we were out of the city. I planned to sit in the back.

"This... is a little scary....."

She was intimidated by the smooth sound of the inline-six engine and the unique feeling behind the wheel. To an amateur like her, it might seem like an oversized toy. But on paved roads, even a child could drive a car. The city was still asleep. There weren't many cars. You can do it. I compressed these words of encouragement into one.

"All fine."

"I'm not fine! Look at my sweaty hands. My stomach is rumbling…"

My thoughts didn't get through to her. Indeed, the steering wheel was soaking with a lot of sweat. But there were things I had to convey, so I emphasized more.

"Yakumo, injure, will. Kill."

"That's it! Why are you scaring me with this one-mistake-and-you-die shit vibe?! Geez~~!!..."

While she complained, Kyo tightened her grip on the steering wheel and tried to regain her composure.

Once we left the city and entered the forest, I planned to pull the car behind me. In other words, I would be the horse, and the car would be the carriage. This way, we could save fuel. She would learn the challenging off-road driving during the hands-on training along the way, and eventually, she would be able to drive on her own. I had that plan in mind.

"Alright then, take care, everyone."

I sat in the back and said goodbye.

"Be careful." Ed waved his hand.

"With that car, you can go anywhere." Yakonen gave a confident smile.

"..."

Suddenly, Haruka's throat seemed to choke up.

She pressed a Polaroid photo to her chest, tears welled up in her eyes, and she waved her hand.

"Goodbye, Gevaudan."

I waved back, and the car slowly began to move.

The figures of a woman that seen us off in front of the hotel gradually grew smaller.

"Is that woman your friend?"

Kyo asked, sticking her head out of the window.

"We, had sex."

"Eh――"

"Yesterday, one-night stand, mutual consent."

"I-I see... I didn't know you Butcher could have a consensual and casual relationship. She's more grown-up than I thought."

At that moment, Kyo seemed to realize something and muttered to herself.

"A one-night stand..."

Well......

I looked at the hotel and pretended not to notice the accusing look she gave me through the rearview mirror.

Even as the hotel grew smaller, the sense of people standing there never faded.