Chapter 968 (2/2)

The talking in the assembly hall became a dull roar. But Vye didn’t even notice. She simply stared at the screen, slightly dazed.

Don’t let this be all you ever accomplish.

Then, as her resolve finally returned, she got up and headed toward Erickson Steel headquarters. Likely due to the pseudo-holiday that today had become, the building was almost deserted. But it was with great relief that Vye arrived on the top floor and found that Tatiana was still in her office.

At least, in this case, this woman’s addiction to work was a good thing. Otherwise… Vye shook her head. I might have done something drastic. If I wasn’t able to say this today...

When Vye knocked on the door, Tatiana looked up. Her face immediately cracked into an uneasy smile. “Ha, I figured you’d come. Incredible, wasn’t it? He’s… well, he’s not the most famous individual in the world for nothing.”

Then Tatiana paused and looked at Vye a little bit more carefully. “Heh, you are trembling. Hit you that hard? Did his display finally light your inner passion for forging? I can’t say that I’m surprised. He made it seem so-”

Again, Tatiana paused. This time her inspection of Vye took several seconds longer. “Vye, you are white as flour. What’s up? Did you-” Tatiana’s eyes went wide. Then a knowing smile settled on her face. “Did you happen to develop a crush? Randidly certainly has a compelling intensity. When we first met, I-”

“Tatiana,” Vye said through gritted teeth. Her hands were trembling. “I’m having a hard enough time saying this as it is. Please, dont…”

Vye trailed off. Tatiana’s grin faded somewhat. “Alright, I won’t tease you. Spit it out. I’ll help you with whatever you want.”

“I’m quitting,” Vye said quietly.

Tatiana froze.

“After… After seeing what he did, what he could do… after knowing that he had gone to so many places to reach that level…” Vye shivered. “I can’t stay here Tatiana. I really want to thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. Without you… when I was released from the time freeze six months ago, I would have been… who knows.

“And if you hadn’t offered me a job as your assistant, I would probably still be struggling in some refugee slum somewhere. So… sincerely, thank you.”

Tatiana’s smile returned, filled with warmth as she regarded Vye. Then, as though releasing some dark weight she had borne for too long, Tatiana walked over to Vye, hugged her, and sighed meaningfully into her shoulder.

Vye blinked. “You… you’re not surprised?”

“Of course not. I was hoping this day would take much longer to arrive, but… no, I knew this would happen someday. You think I didn’t notice you sneaking off to climb up the radio tower? Hah! You are a hundred years too early to sneak away from an old pro like me.” Tatiana reached out and patted Tatiana’s arm. “I always knew… you dreamed too big to stay here forever. Although it’s a good thing, you don’t remember the horror of a world that wasn’t prepared for the System. The time freeze kept you safe for the most bloody first months. Those of us who were originally here…”

A shadow passed over Tatiana’s face. “...we all bear the scars. Probably even Randidly Ghosthound. We can only advance so far before those deep wounds make us stop, in fear of what lays beyond. But someone like you… we need heroes like you to make our world a better place. Heroes willing to go out further than our current limits.”

The image of Randidly’s emerald eyes appeared before Vye. Him, standing barefoot and lithe, seeming more of a natural force than a human being. “...I’m no hero.”

“Neither was Randidly, when I first met him.” Tatiana shook her head. “As I recall… the first time we met was at a cocktail party where he destroyed a rooftop pool. Heh. even then, he had a flair for the dramatic.”

While Vye was attempting to imagine that, Tatiana shook herself, as if rousing herself from a stupor. “Well anyway, what do you want to do now? The world is a wide place. If you need any connections to find a place to stay, feel free to contact me.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Vye smiled. Immediately, she imagined the wide sky spread out in front of her. “Traveling. Without a destination or a goal. Just… experiencing the world. Well, that’s a bit general, but…”

Vye produced a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. After finally quitting, her heart was humming with joy. Now all she needed to do was pack up and leave. And honestly, she was so excited that she considered leaving all of her worldly possession behind.

“...I have some friends in the Orchard,” Vye finally said. “Maybe for now, I’ll go visit them. But after that… I have no idea. I’ll see what fate has in store for me.”

*****

When Randidly arrived at Tatiana’s office, he found the woman once more drinking a glass of that precious liquor that she had shared with him when he arrived. Compared to the time she poured glasses for all three of them, this glass was significantly more full.

Randidly’s eyebrows rose. “Is this… a celebration?”

“In a way,” Tatiana said softly. “But also… something somewhat I’ve feared for a long time has finally happened. It’s good news, but… life isn’t so straightforward that the things that make us happy can’t also hurt us.”

Nodding, Randidly’s mind turned back to his departure from Donnyton. If he was able to shock them into understanding the importance of images, he would be very glad. The Earth needed heroes. The System would not be kind when it came collecting.

But the way that that lesson had ultimately played out…

Randidly released a breath through his nose and said. “Well anyway, I just came to let you know I’ll be heading South for a few days to check out Dungeons. If you need anything while I’m gone, contact Helen. She should be able to handle most problems.”

Shortly afterward, Randidly was rushing South. Now, it’s time to find out just how inevitable the arrival of this Judgement is...