Epilogue

Two months had passed since they defeated the eldest dragon. Not much happened within those two months. They received a massive reward for killing the eldest dragon, although most of it went to repairing Iron Lung and Scorpion, both of which had been severely damaged from the fight.

It took most of those two months to fix the machines, and now, it returned to peak condition. They then went to Takogashi to complete Ann's request. Their arrival marked the end of the quest and the start of a new journey, one with Ann among their ranks.

They didn't do much in Takogashi. They shopped at a famous shopping spot, spent some time in a theme park, and visited some historical sites. Not long after, they returned to work.

Laurel blew on her cup of hot chocolate. The air was cold out here; maybe being deep in the mountains played a role. She sat on the old rusty bench. Being outside a walled city, this station rarely saw traffic.

Iron Lung sat on the tracks, all alone. It looked as good as new, showcasing the impressive work the engineers and mechanics at Matawara did.

Not far from her, Mia had deployed the barbecue set. She hummed a tune while she flipped the meat on the grill. The quest they took involved slaying monsters, and since monsters had high resistance to physical attacks, Ana and Ann went with Hakade, leaving her and Mia to guard the train.

The gentle night breeze caressed her skin. She looked up at the night sky. In her memories, she recalled not being able to see more than two small lights up there during the night. Nowadays, even in large cities, she could at least see five, if not more.

Out here in the wilderness, it felt like the skies themselves opened up to her.

“Laurel, you want some?”

“... Sure.”

Mia brought over a plate full of goodies. Sausages, meatballs, steaks, and nuggets. It wasn't as fancy as the meat one could find in those expensive all-you-can-eat restaurants, but more than sufficient for a group of people basically camping out.

They might be able to do this more often now. Using the leftover rewards from the eldest dragon and Ann's gold, Hakade installed some state-of-the-art defenses on Iron Lung. It featured a remote turret and early warning systems, so they didn't have to worry about MARA units or monsters sneaking up on them.

Laurel stabbed a sausage and ate it. “Delicious.”

“Thanks. The supermarket had a sale going on.”

“A sale, huh.”

A supermarket and a sale. Some things hadn't changed. Had these been before the war, Laurel wouldn't even think of buying discount items, but she no longer cared. As long as it was still in good condition and cheap, she would buy it.

The familiar sound of Scorpion's engine appeared. The two girls turned their heads toward the incoming vehicle. Since they parked the train close to the ground, Scorpion jumped onto the platform, then entered its car on its own, without the need for the crane. Sometimes, Laurel wondered if they were carrying dead weight, but Hakade insisted on keeping the crane.

Hakade, Ann, and Ana appeared from inside Scorpion.

“How's the hunt?” Laurel asked.

“It went well,” Hakade answered. “Mission complete.”

“Good to know.”

She never doubted him or Ana, although admittedly, she had slight concerns in regard to Ann. Even in these two months, Laurel didn't feel like she got any closer to her original. The nature of Ann escaped her, and that didn't make her comfortable. Yet, at the same time, she could never hate her.

“Want some food, Captain?” Mia offered a plate.

“Thanks.”

Mia gave a plate to Ann and Ana as well. Defeating the eldest dragon gave them special status, allowing them to take two quests at the same time. They will be completing the second one tomorrow. For now, they enjoyed this slight bliss in the wilderness.

•••

Hakade leaned back on his chair, staring out the window. A lot had happened. To think they, a small crew of five, would end up defeating the eldest dragon was unthinkable. When he first saw that quest, he didn't think much about it. He never even thought about it, sure he and his crew wouldn't be the ones to defeat it.

The door to the locomotive opened. Laurel entered.

“You’re still awake?” Hakade asked.

The others had gone to sleep in the crew car. Hakade had offered up her room for Ann, opting to use the locomotive instead. The seat was comfortable, and he got used to it. He didn't need to be in a bed to sleep.

“...”

“... Can't sleep?”

Laurel sat at her usual spot, left of the driver's seat. She opened her laptop, which had been chipped at the end. He heard she used magic, although as usual, she remained oblivious to her own power. She tried to replicate it again, but never could.

“Hey, Hakade.”

“Yes?”

“I still don't know who I am.”

She had Laurel Anamia's body, name, and memories. But did she share her soul? Laurel might be asking those questions even more now that she met her original.

“... Does it matter?”

“I guess not, huh?”

“To me, you four are all different people.”

Some things may change after Ann joins the team, but that wouldn't erase Laurel, Ana, or Mia. The four would remain separate people, and Hakade would treat them that way. They're all his friends, a part of his team.

“... What do you think of departing now?” Laurel asked.

Hakade got out of the train and checked the platform. Before they went to sleep, Hakade already made sure that everyone had their things on board, as they would depart first thing in the morning. He went to check just to make sure.

After making sure they left nothing, Hakade returned to the locomotive.

“Let's go.”

“Alright.”

Hakade turned on the diesel engine, and they headed toward their next destination.

END