Harold's Worldview

It has been about ten years since we investigated this hero business, which means we have been in Harold's apartment for ten years as well. Time flew so fast when you were too focused on the goal, huh?

I didn't know how Harold felt about it, but I knew I felt grateful for his kindness. If he didn't show up at the perfect time and place, we would never be here... Never be in a comfortable place.

I should have a chat with him; he should be on the first floor right now, doing some work with... I don't know what it was. It wasn't a PC, it wasn't a laptop, but it functioned the same.

"It's a Haxtrocin."
"Huh?"
"You've been staring at my PC. I answered your question."

Should've expected. I've always been like this. It was a bad habit, and I should stop it. But then again, if it weren't for my gaze, I would never have exposed Jordan's plan.

"Wanna talk? Jordan still on your mind?"
"...Yeah, sure."
"Sure. Let me finish this first."

[Sunday: Narmi's Catering]

I saw a glimpse of something in his Haxtrocin. Narmi? Who was Narmi?

"Alright, what do you want to talk about? We have plenty of time now. Have a sit on the chair, there."

I wanted to touch on this, Narmi, but I was too scared it was too personal. Instead, I invited him to discuss something else.

"How were things with our finances?"

He stared me down as if he were disappointed.

"Was that really what you wanted to talk about?"
"What do you mean?"
"You aren't that difficult to tell, Zeed. Your face isn't hard to understand."

There it was again.

"Ahh... sorry."
"Zeed, are you still shocked? Is your mind still covered in mist? I know it's hard to lose a friend... a beloved one..."

... Beloved?

"Narmi, huh? I guess that wasn't hard to spot when you look into my Hextrocin."
"Sorry..."
"Don't say sorry. We're not keeping secrets from everyone here, okay."

He sounded more like a leader than I and Jordan do right now. I wondered why he didn't declare himself as a leader.

"She's my daughter. I couldn't be with her right now."
"...Wait, you're abandoning your daughter? You should've been with her! Why are you with us?"
"It's not that easy, okay. Calm down, Zeed. You're too on edge."

Was I? Naturally, I asked that, right? He was a father with a kid, and his kid wasn't with him.

"You see, she was an experimental guinea pig."

... What?

"When my wife and I had Narmi, we couldn't take care of her twenty-four seven. We were forced to hire a babysitter. We never thought that was going to be a bad decision."

Oh, no. I could see where this is going.

"Our babysitter was... a hero. She gave my daughter something that gave her superpowers. They took her and permitted me to look after her once a week."

...

"And now we've learned how power could be shared. I'm more devastated."

I could tell. Jordan really did change all of us in this apartment. He really did escalate our investigation. He did it by buying Electrica's heart. It was that easy... but morally bad.

"So, yeah, later on Sunday, I need to go to Jordan's workplace."

... Jordan's... workplace?

"You did it again."
"Ahh... right."
"You just learned Jordan served as a hero, right?"

I gave a nod slowly.

"Wiwin talked about it to me. So, I expected you would come to me to talk about it."

I smiled and joked, "Seems like you have the soul of a detective."

He laughed as I laughed. He continued, "Yeah, it was Jordan's workplace. We always kept in touch when he worked there. I don't know if he still works there."

Knowing him, he probably still worked there. He probably works twice as efficiently now— That facility infiltration and his workplace.

"The bad thing is my daughter probably doesn't know about it."
"...What?"
"She liked to play with Jordan. I trusted him, so she trusted him. It's going to be hard for me to be there."

I figured as much.

"Harold. We have known each other for ten years. I never knew you that much, so thanks for sharing this."
"No problem, Zeed. If you want to know me more, I welcome you."

Actually, I did.

"You said that you lost your beloved?"
"They force my wife to be a test subject."
"... I'm sorry for your loss."
"That's when you came in— You, Jordan, and Wiwin."

So, we both came in at the perfect time and place, huh?

"Hearing you explain about your ambition to stop the hero from operating motivated me to keep going. So, I'll help you until the very end, okay. Don't stop and keep going, you know I'm backing you up."

I smiled that he was still keeping his spirits up, even after Jordan's event. I thought we would all be in the mud right now. I guess it was just me, then.

"Cheer up, Zeed. The world hasn't ended yet. We can still make it."
"You're right. Thanks, Harold."
"No problem."

...

Sunday came around, and I welcomed Harold back from his daughter's visit. He looked... different.

"Harold, is there something wrong?"
"... Jordan wasn't there anymore. And so was my daughter."

I was shocked. They moved?

"When I arrived, the place was demolished. I heard from the locals that they said the Kid Hero Containment House was moved too far from here. They didn't know where."
"What? They didn't inform you?"
"They did... Well, Jordan did. He gave me this via one of the locals."

Harold gave me a piece of paper that read,

Don't worry about your daughter, Harold. I'll keep her safe.
Worried about your apartment first and foremost. They still needed your guidance.
And no, I won't kill or harm your daughter. She was still learning her power, anyway.
Not only that, I was wondering too how your daughter still had her power for more than ten years. Quite interesting... don't you think?

~ Your Truest Buddy,
Jordan Yondelfield.

After I finished reading, I saw Harold trying his best to keep calm. Then he said, "Call him now, Zeed. I wanted to have a word with him."