Old People Don’t Hold Hands - Chapter 140



Only Krnovel

Episode 140, The Frost Queen’s Crown (12)

Nowen was looking at us with his back to us, as if he were some kind of serious leader.

All the people in the subway were looking at Nowen like that.

“Ah, ahem! Then… … .”

Nowen coughed and slowly approached the shutter.

“Now, wait a minute. Leader! If you open it without thinking and something happens… …!”

“Shh, it’s okay. Aren’t we all in the same situation?”

After calming down one particularly frightened man, Nowen bent down.

Thump, thump.

The shutter was lifted.

“Come in quickly. Anyone can become one of us.”

“……thank you.”

I didn’t know it would open right away like this, so I was a little nervous.

As someone who played EndWorld, this wasn’t an unfamiliar sight.

When erosion begins from the labyrinth, monsters pour out.

Usually, adventurers band together to protect civilians and their hometowns.

… … However, the strange thing was that Nowen had lost his memories and was not in a position to fully use his powers.

And yet, they managed to gather so many people in such a short period of time.

Besides, most of the people here… … .

“Most of them are young children and people with injuries.”

“Hmm? That’s right. It seems like people who are feeling better are leaving for the shelter.”

“… … But why haven’t you left for the shelter yet?”

“… … Ahh! It seems like it would be difficult to move together.”

“Then can I go alone?”

“Hmm… … .”

At my words, Nowen was silent for a moment.

Instead, I just quietly looked at the people in the subway.

There were quite a few people hiding in the subway, but when I looked closely…

The situation was so difficult that they couldn’t be used properly in battle.

“… … They can’t survive without me, that’s why.”

“So in the end, you stayed until the end to protect them.”

“Yeah, I guess so!”

… … Then, during that time, Nowen was in a situation where he himself was not doing well.

Are you only fighting to protect these people?

It must have been a difficult decision.

Looking at it this way, I think that this might be the nature of each individual.

There are people who run away without caring what happens to others.

It’s like there are people who fight to protect something until the end, even if it means dying.

If we really have to be picky here, I would say the former.

… … On the other hand, Nowen could be said to be the latter.

As I was lost in thought for a moment, the man who had just shouted approached me quietly.

“Uh, uh, leader… … . Is it okay to bring in outsiders like this?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Um… … , Well, that is… … , Even if the leader airlifts food, there are quite a few mouths here, so… … .”

… … Hey, look at this.

So, now that we’re here, you’re worried there’ll be no food?

But Nowen tilted her head as if she found the man’s words strange.

“We don’t have an abundance of food, but we’re not starving right now. So what’s the problem?”

“But, but if four more people come in, there won’t be enough food… … .”

“Haha! If food runs out, why don’t you just bring more?”

“But, but I heard that there’s almost nothing left at the nearby mart… … , Uh, it’s not like the leader can airlift in food as much as he wants forever, right… … .”

I didn’t like the fact that they were immediately worried that food would run out just because we were coming.

… … Well, if you think about it, it wasn’t wrong.

In a situation like now where there is limited space to airlift food, the food issue is bound to be more sensitive than ever.

If you think about it rationally, it’s something worth considering.

But Nowen.

“Hmm… … , is that so!”

At first, she nodded as if the man had a point.

“So, what do you guys think?”

He turned his head and asked the people gathered behind him.

As soon as they made eye contact with Nowen, they smiled and answered in unison.

… … What they said was quite different from what I expected.

“We trust our leader. If we run out of food, just bring more.”

An answer that is literally full of ideals, with no trace of reality.

“Ahem! That’s right! I’ll bring more food!”

“Yes, yes… … , well, as long as there are no problems… … .”

At Nowen’s words, the man smiled awkwardly and left the place.

The place the man returned to was a corner of the subway, far away from the people who had just answered.

Even though the man was alone, they seemed to not care and were busy tending to each other’s wounds.

… … What could it be?

Something seems a little strange?

“……mister.”

Just as I was feeling strange, Biella, who was standing next to me, carefully whispered in my ear.

“Don’t you think there’s something fishy about those people?”

“… … I think so too.”

“Huh, that’s right! Isn’t that right? There’s something strange about those people.”

“… …Why did Mr. Biella think that way?”

At my words, Biella stared at the people gathered for a moment.

“Because those people have been doing this since a while ago… … .”

Just as Biella was about to continue speaking.

Nowen cleared the air with a clap of his hands.

“So, where did you come from?”

“We came from the shelter.”

“… … A shelter? You mean the shelter run by the military?”

“Yes, I came from there.”

“… …Why did you come out of the shelter again?”

“There was a monster attack inside.”

The man who had been quietly sitting in the corner just now suddenly got up in a hurry at my words.

“Ah, there was an attack on the shelter?!”

“… … Yes. To be exact, there was an incident where a monster broke into the shelter and a child died.”

Of course, the child wasn’t human.

That’s what we did, though.

As we explained what had happened inside the shelter, the man sat down and sighed.

“Oh, this can’t be happening, now even the shelter… … .”

It seems like they were hiding in the subway and thinking the shelter was their only hope… … .

The man just sighed as if he had lost all hope.

on the other way…….

People who were separated from the man showed no particular reaction.

As if they weren’t even interested in shelters or anything like that.

Hmm, no matter how you look at it, it seems artificial.

If you are an ordinary person who wants to live normally, wouldn’t you be interested in shelters?

Like that desperate man over there.

“That happened even to the shelter, this is a big deal… … Our goal was to move there first.”

When I said this, Nowen seemed to be thinking seriously with a serious expression on his face.

“Leader, don’t worry too much! We’re good enough here right now.”

Some people spoke calmly to Nowen.

At first glance, it may sound like a considerate remark intended to lighten the burden on Nowen, the leader of the group.

There was something that felt off for some reason.

… … When I said that, the man who was alone laughed in vain.

As if he was sick of this situation repeating itself.

“Hmm, that’s… … . Ah! First, since we have a patient, let’s lay him down first!”

With those words, Nowen pointed to a woman hanging on Inozen’s shoulder.

To be exact, I’m talking about Diana, who is still unconscious from the aftermath of destroying the illusionary body.

“Hey, let’s go to the waiting room first! There are chairs and beds there, so it’ll be easy to lay the patient down… … .”

“No, it’s okay.”

In response to Nowen’s words, I expressed my refusal without hesitation.

That makes sense, the waiting room that Nowen mentioned was occupied by the suspicious guys we just saw.

Those weird guys who seem to want to be here their whole life.

… … Once we find Nowen, we need to find out what Nowen’s illusion is.

In this situation, rather than approaching them directly, it was necessary to stick to someone who looked relatively healthy and assess the situation.

“I’ll go over there instead of the waiting room.”

“… … ?”

In that sense, the place I was pointing to was exactly the place where there was a man alone and isolated.

He waved his hand in confusion, as if he had never thought that he would choose this side.

“… … Hmm! Well, that guy doesn’t really have any suitable colleagues. Let’s go!”

“Ah, no. I’m not a coworker or anything, but those people over there are weird, so I’m alone… … .”

The man was about to say something, but then he closed his mouth again.

Everyone gathered in the waiting room looked at that man.

I don’t know what kind of expression she had on her face as she turned her back to the man.

“… … .”

Judging from the fact that they immediately shut their mouths, those guys must have quite a fierce expression on their faces.

“Well, first, let’s lay the patient down.”

Let’s sort things out before things get any more brutal.

“Okay, good. Let’s do that!”

Nowen, who didn’t notice anything, just smiled kindly and nodded.

***

After that, I spread a thin blanket in the corner and laid Diana on it.

As soon as I laid him down, I checked his condition and fortunately he was breathing evenly.

… … I hope you wake up soon though.

I turned my head slightly, and saw that the man was scared of what had just happened.

He just sat alone in the corner, his body curled up even more.

As the situation calmed down, the people in the waiting room began to converse among themselves again.

“… … Mister.”

As I wiped the sweat off Diana’s forehead, Biella approached me again.

“So what are you going to do?”

“well.”

“… … Well? Aren’t you going to look for the welcome body first?”

“I guess I’ll have to do that first, but I think I need to figure out the situation first.”

I guess those guys over there just seem so suspicious.

“Oh, by the way, why did you say it was strange earlier?”

“Oh, that’s right. Those people have been doing this since a while ago… … .”

Listening to Biella’s story, I nodded silently.

… … Yeah, that’s what happened?

First, let’s settle down in a suitable place with Biella and Inogen and start organizing our few luggage.

Nowen, carrying a huge backpack, stood in front of the people.

“Okay, then! I’ll go get some food again!”

As Nowen spoke, pounding his chest vigorously, the people in the waiting room cheered and applauded.

“Have a nice trip, Leader!”

“It’s really reassuring to have a leader!”

… … Unlike the appearance of the waiting room, which looked quite bright.

“The leader and all, they all look like they’re going to die, what the heck… … .”

The man was still crouching alone, muttering something.

Hmm… … .

Judging from the reaction in the waiting room, it seems like Nowen is the only one providing food.

I can’t refuse a situation like this where the two of us can be together.

“Over there, leader.”

“Oh, you! Do you have something to say?”

“Oh, yes. If you’re going to go get food, I’d like to go with you.”

“Oh! Really? This is the first time someone has volunteered to go with me! I like it!”

I slowly lowered my hand and looked back at the positive response from Nowen.

I couldn’t help but stop for a moment because dozens of gazes suddenly appeared on my face.

… … Everyone in the waiting room was glaring at me.

And when I saw this sight, I remembered what Biella had said just now.

[… … Those people have been staring at us for a while now. As if we were enemies.]