Inside the swaying cabin, the soft seat absorbed the fatigue in his body after the simulation ended. The roaring engine beneath sent gentle vibrations to Cain's legs as he leaned on the back seat of the car.
His face looked blank as he stared at a card made of thin metal bearing a QR code and the name 'Albert' written on it.
The boy's eyebrows twitched when his brain suddenly whispered back the last sentence Albert spoke.
{...I hope you will consider it.}
Cain shook his head and raised his gaze forward. His eyes widened, seeing Dosh peering from behind the front mirror. Beside him, Abel and Rika seemed hesitant to open their quivering lips.
"Didn't he say something to you?"
General Dosh asked from the front. He turned his head to the side, trying to observe the gray-haired boy's expression.
Cain nodded slowly, his hand tracing the cold surface of the card.
When Albert asked for Cain's time, the two of them separated from Dosh's group and talked in whispers. The scientist didn't say much; he only offered his contact information and discussed an experiment in which he was involved.
For what it was, the content wasn't something dangerous.
"Yes, he asked me for something."
"What is it?"
Dosh pressed, and next to him, the intense gazes of his two friends pierced his head like needles.
"He asked me to participate in a simulation experiment that he developed."
"Is that so?"
The air inside the Humvee thickened. Dosh narrowed his eyes, trying to dig out more information from the boy, but it was all in vain.
"Okay, it's not like I didn't know Albert. He was an eccentric but not a bad person inside."
'I doubt that.'
Cain just smiled wryly, then put the researcher's identity card into his pocket.
The car they were riding in was speeding up along the asphalt road around the military barracks. The compact, armored buildings were slowly giving way, replaced by a vast field covered in a lush green carpet.
It was a place where soldiers gathered and enjoyed their downtime. From above, a golden glow from the sun, combined with the gentle breeze that swayed the grass around, the sight calmed Cain's heart as he stared out the window.
Soon after, the car slowed down in front of a tall, multi-story building. Unlike the usual, the place had a Western European style, characterized by stone walls and wood, materials considered rare in the current era.
"We get off here."
As soon as it stopped, Dosh immediately opened the door simultaneously with Cain, who immediately jumped out of his seat.
The gentle breeze caressed his warm cheek, causing his expression to relax as he inhaled the fresh air.
'The air is clean despite the ruined planet.'
From the knowledge he had gained, the artificial sky above also served as an air filter, continuously circulating polluted air from outside. Then, after going through complicated procedures, filtering hundreds of times. The polluted air could become a source of oxygen for living beings in this place.
"General."
The female assistant came, bringing Peter and Louise, who greeted Cain and the others with a wave of the hand.
"Good, you've all gathered. Let's go in."
Cain followed Dosh's steps into the European-style building. The wooden door creaked when pushed, its sound echoing in the spacious and empty interior, which was filled only with neatly arranged round tables.
His nose twitched as he caught the scent of wood, which evoked a nostalgic feeling in his chest. However, the feeling in his heart dimmed, replaced by a corrosive void that flooded his consciousness, as if it wanted to drown him in the abyss.
"Welcome, oh Dosh, long time no see?"
A cheerful voice came from the man who emerged from the back door. He was around forty years old, bald with brown skin. His sturdy body was marked with deep lines, a testament to his own history.
"Carter, you're still as cheerful as ever."
"What nonsense was that, better to be cheerful than to think about useless things that make you depressed."
For the first time in Cain's meeting with General Dosh, he saw the man smile widely, seeming detached from all the burdens resting on his shoulders.
"Do you still have any ingredients left?"
"Why, it's rare for you to come here and, …oh, you brought new seedlings it seems."
Carter flashed his white teeth toward the cadets, watching Cain and the others bow. The man turned to Dosh and said.
"I still have a lot, in fact, I'm afraid it will rot."
"I see, can you cook food for them?"
"Of course."
Hearing their conversation, Cain froze. His mind stuttered because he couldn't process the information he received.
'Cooking food? Could it be?'
"General, is that real?"
All eyes turned to Abel, who stepped forward, pulling the arm of the veteran man who had guided him all day.
Dosh, seeing the sparkle in the boy's stare. He nodded, grinning with full happiness.
"Yes, of course. This is my apology, besides you guys haven't had lunch yet, right?."
Abel's body went limp, his posture slowly bending before he jumped with both hands reaching for the sky.
"Yippeee, finally I can taste real food. The day has come, boys!"
The boy ran around the general and stopped in front of Cain while pulling his hand to Rika's side.
"Cain, Rika, did you hear that? We're going to eat real food."
"Yes, I heard, right."
"..."
Cain nodded, trying to hold back his broad smile. Meanwhile, the lioness mother, her face bloomed like a flower in spring, welcoming new life, full of warmth and affection.
It didn't stop there. Abel skipped toward the other two cadets.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Abel. You are Peter and Louise, right?"
"Nice to meet you too, Abel. I thought you had forgotten about our existence."
"N-Nice t-to meet you too."
Peter answered with a bit of mischief, while Louise covered her mouth when she received the divine glow that appeared from Abel's innocent smile.
The blonde boy scratched his cheek. He realized his behavior toward the two newcomers in his group was somewhat distant.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you two."
As the three of them deepened their friendship. Cain turned to his side, finding Rika wiping the corners of her wet eyes, and felt touched to see Abel making new friends.
"I'm happy for you, Abel."
Immediately, Cain's face twisted unhappily at receiving disproportionate treatment from the girl.
"Wait a minute, Rika. Wasn't your reaction very different when you met me?"
Without answering, a fist flew and struck Cain's left ribs. The sharp impact pushed the air out of the boy's lungs, spreading an agony that throbbed relentlessly.
"Ukh, w-what's the matter with you?"
Rika shifted her attention to the distance, but still couldn't hide the blush that burned all the way to her ears.
"S-Shut up! I've also tried to change from before."
Cain clicked his tongue, gently rubbing his left side, which was still hot.
"If that's true, I suggest you reduce the sudden violence like earlier."
"H-Ha!? That's your fault."
"Wha!? My fault, listen here girl!"
Unknowingly, the two people who always maintained their calm and calculated personalities in any situation were. Now they released their emotions, like two small children who had known each other for a long time and were going through their first argument.
Dosh and his assistant stood side by side, holding terminals, to plan the next steps.
On the other side, Abel, Peter, and Louise exchanged giggles as they watched the two prodigies exchange banter.
…
Soon after, the guests at the place took their seats. A round table with a capacity for five chairs, perfect for accommodating the hungry cadets after the simulation battle.
"Thank you for waiting. The food is ready."
Thud!
Carter, wearing a black apron on his military shirt, placed a large plate in the middle of the cadets' table. The silver plate was filled with shining pearl grains that shone in the dim room, topped with green peas.
The aroma of the sea, and various spices that had become a luxury item in this world, made the boys' stomachs contract and let out a protest, growling.
'Oh, fried rice!?'
Cain swallowed his saliva and slowly watched Carter divide the rice into small plates, then distributed it to them. Spoons and silver forks were all prepared, and when the other cadets had received their portions. They jointly said a prayer before eating their food in silence.
'This is bliss.'