Memoirs of the Returnee - Chapter 26



Only Krnovel

＃Returner’s Notepad Episode 26

mine(5)

In a quiet car. The leather seats occasionally clattered, and the stuffy air flowed.

“… … Hmm.”

A small sound of breathing.

Soon, he let out something mixed with laughter.

“I know. Son of Dale Ascal, Libra’s vassal. Zion Askal has been raised at Libra Orphanage for 13 years.”

“That’s enough of a reason.”

Tak- Bellingham closed the file. I put my sunglasses on again.

“yes. Zion’s arbitrary judgment and actions were poor. But she might be liked by the higher-ups.”

“… … “I’m really grateful for that.”

I reached out to Bellingham. He was shaking hands. Looking at it, he twisted the corner of his mouth.

“then. “Mr. Zion said he is a Libra person, so let me add a word.”

“You’re not ready to shake hands yet?”

I spoke instead. Bellingham, deprived of his lines, twitched the tip of his nose and only nodded his head.

I withdrew my hand.

“Either way then.”

I immediately opened the car door and got out.

As I was walking down the street alone, a car suddenly started and rushed towards me.

“what.”

I glare at it, jeeeeeeee—the driver’s side window rolls down.

“ruler.”

Bellingham handed me a thick envelope. I asked once I received it.

“… … “What is this?”

“It’s called a gift certificate.”

Libra Department Store Gift Certificate. 10 sheets worth 500 ren.

“I have one more? “Something like a card.”

There was even a black card inside the envelope. A simple card with only LIBRA and the symbol of the scales engraved on it.

Is it an unlimited black card?

“Every vacation season, Libra runs a program. The target group is usually college students, but Endex students can also participate. “If only I had that recommendation card.”

Libra training program. In the name of fostering future talent, this is an opportunity for super-elite education, training, and competition provided by Libra.

“Libra is a scale. “I always reciprocate appropriately.”

After saying that, he closed the window.

Pour——! I stepped on the accelerator as if suddenly accelerating, and the police car sped down the mountain road.

I looked at the bumper behind me and muttered.

“You always say that repayment is a bitch.”

Still, if it is an achievement, it is an achievement.

The card now in my hand. It may not be enough compared to the unlimited black card, but with this, you will be able to take a big step closer to Libra.

“… … however.”

Bellingham Cantha.

He was one of the most difficult enemies I faced with Libra.

He is an active senior engineer from Edsilla National University, and among them, he is a super elite who passed the ultimate [supervisor qualification exam].

“It wasn’t that far away.”

Before I went back, back when I was called the Libra sniper, it took about 8 years to meet him face to face.

Now, I’m going off to college on my own without even graduating from high school.

I was so dumbfounded that I laughed.

Just-

Then someone snapped their fingers. I was startled and looked back at that place.

It was Elise.

Why does this guy keep showing up?

“What else? “Why again?”

Then Elise’s face became like someone who smelled food waste.

“… … It is true that you are truly very unintelligent. “Are you a goldfish?”

She handed me a duffel bag the size of a thermos.

“Oh right.”

There was this.

I accepted the duffel bag, but it was still a thermos.

“I need to untie this and give it to you.”

“It will resolve itself in 30 minutes, so stop being stupid.”

Elise frowned and turned around.

She trudged down the road, but stopped midway. She kept her back to me, clenched and unclenched her fists, she repeated, and then she looked back at me.

“… … “Why aren’t you coming down?”

“what? why.”

“You don’t have to go. Are you going to stay here forever?”

I don’t know why it’s suddenly like this. Did I eat something wrong? … .

“ah.”

Belatedly, a certain fact suddenly occurred to me.

I checked the time. I looked around at the surrounding scenery.

8 PM, dark forest leading to the mine. The road itself is wide enough for cars, but the trees are dense on both sides and it is cold everywhere, giving it a somewhat eerie feeling.

“Go first. “I will follow you.”

I said that and went down the road. Only then did Elise walk again.

From the back, he is a perfect and noble person, even in his simple gait.

Even though she appears to be flawless, she actually has a fatal weakness.

Claustrophobia and panic-like isolation disorder, which are close to diseases.

You can’t be alone in a confined space, and even if it’s an open space, you can’t survive spaces that seem ‘closed’ like the night, the sea, or mountains.

“… … .”

So even now, I keep glancing behind me while I walk.

Because I can’t be alone.

When our eyes met about three or four times, I spoke.

“I’m not running away. “Go with peace of mind.”

“… … escape? I don’t know what you’re talking about. “You, who has the cognitive ability of a goldfish, might get lost.”

“I understand.”

I waved my hand. Elise snorted and went ahead.

I walked this road randomly. But there was always a gap of ten steps between Elise and me.

This is probably the interval that Elise maintains. You can’t get any closer than that, and you can’t get further away.

Did I walk like that for about 30 minutes?

Not far away, the headlights of a luxury sedan were visible.

It was the driver waiting for Elise.

“There it is. That’s enough now, right? “I go first.”

“… … ‘That’s enough now’? “What happens?”

Elise asked back. I was about to leave her without saying anything, but suddenly.

“Oh right. hey.”

I took out the doll from my arms.

It was a rabbit doll with one ear torn.

“Is this yours? “I picked it up.”

“… … .”

At that time, Elise swallowed for a moment. It stayed still for about 10 seconds as if it was buffering.

“… … “Do you want it to be mine?”

Elise shook her head.

“okay? “Then I guess it was the skeleton.”

I threw the rabbit on the ground. Elise’s eyes followed it.

Anyway, the 9th dan in future politics is just an eighteen-year-old high school student right now. The poker face is noticeably lacking.

“effort. “Let’s do today’s work in the grave until we die.”

“… … I guess I’ll bury it until I die. “What country does ‘grave until death’ refer to?”

“good.”

I turned on my smartphone as I passed her. I accessed a certain site.

[Dark Web]

This is the ‘Dark Web’, a community where everything in the shadows gathers, a site developed and launched directly by the famous underground world.

Currently, department store gift certificates are only used for shopping, but it is possible to hire experts (shades) in almost any field, including laundry, auctions, and errands.

Dark WEB

[Lv.3 Easy Cash]

[Assignment of mission / Order of mission]

[DP held: 900]

Easy Cash is my ID, and DP is the currency of this dark web. The exchange rate is 1:1 with the Edsilla currency Ren. 900 DP is a gift certificate exchanged for Raye’s assignment previously.

I pressed the [Order Mission] button.

[Mission order: List of missing persons from 15 years ago. (500DP)]

The ordering cost is as much as 500DP.

Money is like life to me, but whatever.

Thanks to you all, I earned 2,500 Ren.

Let’s pretend it’s giving back.

* * *

A luxury sedan that moves smoothly. Inside, the driver looked at the young lady’s eyes and asked.

“Are you okay with your assignment?”

“It was okay.”

Elise roughly answered.

Now her attention was focused on the other side.

“… … .”

A rabbit doll on my lap. A cookie with a torn ear.

Now, a certain sense of discomfort is blooming in her mind.

It’s not because of this rabbit.

Just 15 minutes ago.

Meaningful words from Sion Askal before leaving.

“… … ‘Enough is enough’?”

“yes?”

The driver looked at himself. Elise waved his hand.

“See you in front, in front.”

“Oh yeah.”

That’s enough.

There is a strong nuance in what he said that he ‘did’ something.

Was it really necessary to say that? We just walked down together.

“no way… … .”

Because of this rabbit he picked up, I keep having excessive thoughts. You end up making assumptions.

Elise closed her eyes for a moment. She rewound Zion’s words.

‘There it is. That’s enough. ‘I go first.’

Those three words fit so perfectly.

If so, just in case… … .

“ha.”

She sighed. She shook her head.

That can’t be possible.

No one knows about her trauma except Petra’s closest associates and her doctor.

Therefore, it is a useless worry.

I guess I became overly sensitive during my senior year.

To begin with, Sion Askal is not someone he should care about. It looks like an ape, but has the intelligence of a goldfish.

“I’ll get some sleep. “Tell me when you arrive.”

“yes. All right.”

Elise leaned her head against the neckrest.

“… … “Koh”

I fell asleep immediately.

* * *

Saturday day.

Take the high-speed train called ML (Mana-Liner) from the capital city of Edsilla, and it takes an hour to arrive at the provincial town of ‘Sanfru’.

If you look around the scenery here, rather than apartments, luxury villas, or luxurious mansions, you will see small houses clinging to the shore like barnacles.

As you walk at noon, you can sometimes hear the sound of waves, and the grass on a low hill is swayed by the sea breeze.

I found a small house in this peaceful village. I put on my cap and checked the address.

「Idelin, Sanpru, Yen Street, AO 59」

This is right.

I raised my hand and knocked.

smart-

After waiting a bit, the door opens without any suspicion.

I was surprised.

“who… … Shinji?”

A man in his late 20s looked at me and tilted his head.

“… … ah. Hmm. Are you Eden Zolden?”

“yes. “By the way, what happened?”

I looked inside the house. His mother, wife, and what appeared to be his son and daughter were sitting together in the living room.

It was a weekend at an ordinary family home.

I told him.

“This is the Edcilla Post Office. Eden Zolden. “Is your father Hans Zolden?”

“… … yes?”

Eden seemed taken aback by the sudden words.

I asked back.

“Isn’t it?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“yes. The remains of Mr. Hans Zolden were discovered on Mount Dakan in the capital city of Edsilla.”

I said it as dryly as possible.

The facts were appropriately changed.

To Mt Dhakan, 20 minutes away from Limto Mine.

“Well, what is that…” … .”

Was it sudden? Ethan gasped for air. His lips were dry, and his arms and legs were shaking weakly.

I told him a lie.

“It looks like he fell while climbing the mountain and was never able to get up.”

Sometimes, it’s easier to fake it.

There are times when it is better to be deceived.

When I didn’t know about my father’s death, I swore allegiance most happily.

“Then, this and that coffin… … .”

Tears welled up in Eden’s widened eyes.

“This is Mr. Hans Zolden.”

He immediately ran out and knelt in front of the coffin. His mother followed him out, taking a deep breath and looking at my face.

“ah. I, I am Hans Zolden’s wife… … .”

“Is that so?”

I pretended to be a civil servant and handed out the documents.

“Then, here, please sign. This is a dental record analysis sheet… … .”

[Dark web] guys are so perfect that they will do all these things if you give them money.

“… … father!”

At that time, Eden opened the coffin.

Inside were a miner’s uniform and a white skull.

A white skeleton that I managed to assemble, with only the name tag ‘Hans’ on his chest defining him.

The next moments, how should I express them?

Hans’ son sobbed while holding the coffin, Hans’ wife sat down clutching her chest and shed tears, and the grandchildren, who knew nothing, could only blink.

… … thank you

Suddenly, I heard Hans’ son mumbling something.

Say thank you.

I hesitated for a moment because I didn’t know what I was thankful for, but I soon figured it out.

if.

What if?

If someone could help me find my father’s remains.

If I could tell you the traces of him that I can’t even find now, the traces that he was ‘by my side’.

Wouldn’t I feel the same way and say the same thing?

Knowing that is probably why I came here too.

“… … yes.”

I gazed at the remains.

There was no facial expression on his white bones, but he somehow looked like he was smiling.