Chapter 5: The Crimson Rabbit

"Mm—!"

Clearly, these words struck a chord, and even Venti himself was surprised by how impactful they were.

Seele no longer looked lost. Instead, her expression was as firm as steel.

"Tell me, how do we create a miracle?"

"You seem to trust me a lot? Don’t you think I might just be spouting nonsense?"

Venti asked knowingly.

This made Seele let go of him and lightly punch his chest, somewhat embarrassed as she said,

"W-what are you talking about? Don’t be so dramatic. What you said does make some sense, and you’ve done a lot of things that have helped everyone."

She scratched her slightly reddened cheek, her eyes wandering.

"I trust you, but in the words of the upper districts, it’s more like I’m reluctantly going along with it, yeah, just reluctantly! Anyway, I’m just fed up with the current state of the lower districts. If I get scammed, I’ll just beat you up."

"I see. It seems I’ll have to keep working hard. Being trusted by such an excellent companion is both a pressure and a source of pride."

Venti continued to gaze at her gently, to the point where the girl could barely maintain her composure. She pursed her lips and forced herself to say,

"Alright, stop flattering me. For now, I’ll listen to you! When you’re ready to start, come to my tent and tell me, or have the boss or Natasha notify me. I’ll come find you too."

"No problem, I’ve been waiting for you to say that."

After a light chuckle, Venti casually extended his hand, ready to high-five her.

This ritualistic gesture felt fresh to Seele. She had thought only people from the lower districts used such simple actions to signify "welcome to the team."

She hadn’t expected Venti to follow suit, but thinking about his personality, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

At this thought, a hint of closeness and recognition flickered in Seele’s eyes.

After returning the high-five with a boyish vigor, she turned and walked away, her scythe resting on her shoulder. She still had patrols to do later.

As for the gesture, it was a cool pose she had learned from comics, perfect for a farewell that promised a reunion.

Of course, Venti didn’t ruin the moment for this outwardly cool but inwardly adorable girl. He just waved and called out,

"—Let’s work together to make the wind blow through this stagnant season!"

"…Quit being so wordy. We’re Wildfire! We’re here to burn the injustices from the upper districts and the monsters from the Fragmentum to ashes!"

After retorting with her usual defiance, Seele finally started walking again.

Venti simply watched her leave with a smile, but before she had taken two steps, she sneakily glanced back, locking eyes with him.

This made her ears burn red instantly. Flustered, as if rushing to do something, she dashed off and disappeared.

Venti sighed, "She’s such a tsundere, adorable girl, just like Dvalin."

However, a hero’s companion couldn’t be just one person.

It was time to find another candidate.

...

Rivet Town.

This place was once home to many from the lower districts. But after the Silvermane Guards were withdrawn, the remaining townsfolk couldn’t hold back the Fragmentum monsters and were forced to abandon their homes and flee.

Nowadays, the only people who come here are desperate scavengers.

Their targets are the supplies left behind and the autonomous mechs that stayed behind to cover the retreat.

Most of these mechs were eventually torn apart by Fragmentum monsters, but some still have functional parts inside.

If someone manages to find an intact logic core, they’ve hit the jackpot. These cores are crucial components for autonomous mechs in the lower districts.

Thus, whether searching for supplies left behind or scavenging for robot parts, Rivet Town attracts a fair number of vagrants—or scavengers—willing to risk their lives.

The "heroic companion" Venti was looking for also held a significant position among these scavengers.

He took his time, noting changes in energy activity around him and updating the scavenging map, all while searching for the ghostly scavenger known as the Crimson Rabbit.

Updating the map was mainly to help Wildfire members like Natasha. After all, the lower districts were never peaceful. Whether fighting Fragmentum monsters or clashing with raiders, casualties were inevitable.

Thus, despite the severe lack of medical supplies, they occasionally had to venture deep into Rivet Town to scavenge for resources.

This map was created to minimize Wildfire’s losses.

After roughly scouting the outskirts of Rivet Town, Venti prepared to head into the inner areas. From here, Fragmentum monsters would become more numerous and dangerous.

Unlike the outskirts, which had been thoroughly picked over by scavengers, the town’s interior still held various supplies due to the Fragmentum’s erosion and the hasty evacuation.

This was because, during the early days of the lockdown, the upper districts had sent ample supplies to Rivet Town to win over the people. Otherwise, even after ten years, it wouldn’t be possible to still find supplies in some corners.

The most perishable items, like food, were mostly taken within the first three years. Those who came later were mostly after medical or mechanical supplies that could be stored longer.

This also meant that Venti’s chances of encountering the Crimson Rabbit had significantly increased.

More importantly, even if luck wasn’t on his side, he could still rely on the ever-present winds to pick up "special sounds."

Using this ability to locate sounds, he not only avoided potential monster encounters but also found the ghostly scavenger near a broken robot in an alley.

She had snow-white hair and wore a stylish red winter outfit. Her skin was as smooth and delicate as porcelain, but what stood out most were her slender, bare feet on the cold ground.

Despite walking barefoot on icy tiles, she showed no sign of discomfort, as if the cold didn’t affect her.

Moreover, unlike most scavengers who were often dirty, she was spotless, like a snow elf.

She keenly heard Venti’s deliberately placed footsteps and quickly hid behind cover, her small figure darting like a snow rabbit. A faint red light flickered under her hood.

Not all scavengers were friendly to their peers, and not all footsteps came from "humans."

In dangerous places, one must stay vigilant, or they’ll lose their lives. This was a cruel survival rule the girl had learned early on.

After peeking through the gap and saw the newcomer was Venti, she relaxed slightly, taking off her hood to reveal ruby-like eyes filled with a mix of awkwardness and a desire to connect.

"Hey, good morning—or good evening, little Clara."

The lower districts had no sun, and people spent their days enduring noise and crystal dust in the mines. Time was a weak concept, and greetings were rare.

After all, there was no guarantee of surviving tomorrow, so there was little time for formalities. But for this introverted, gentle girl, such warm, familial conversations were something she deeply longed for and cherished.

"…H-hello, Sister Venti…"

T/N: Yes, you read that right!

It was clear that Clara’s mood improved. She stepped out from behind the cover but remained shy.

Venti adored her pure and lovely nature. As for whether he overlooked a more important title, that didn’t matter!

As long as his friends were happy, nothing else was more important.

"Mm-hmm, have you finished your work for today? I have something I’d like to talk to little Clara about."

Venti spoke very frankly.

With Clara, being too indirect could easily lead to misunderstandings.

For example, the last time he had asked if she’d like to listen to a song of the high heavens, she had wanted to agree but felt burdened by her responsibilities. She had even struggled over how to "go up to hear the song."

If Venti hadn’t  taken the initiative to explain, she might still be figuring out how to make a jetpack.

So the best way to talk to Clara was with sincerity, warmth, and, most importantly, the patience one would show to family.