Chapter 182: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 182
“Hmm... Looks like we’ve almost arrived.”
While I was mulling over what Dwight had told me about the barrier and the witch, I heard his murmured comment about our arrival. Snapping back to reality, I noticed the vehicle, which had been speeding along, was now slowing down.
Outside the window, I could see a building resembling a factory with white outer walls.
It appeared to be the purification facility he had mentioned.
Realizing there was no more time to dwell on my thoughts, I calmed my turbulent mind and gently woke up Florene, who was still asleep on my shoulder.
“Hey, Florene, I think it’s time to wake up.”
“Mmm... Just five more minutes...”
I couldn’t help but laugh at her grumbling as I tried to wake her.
She’d been using my shoulder as a pillow for quite a while, yet she didn’t seem to have a stiff neck, as if my shoulder were some sort of fluffy cushion.
Then again, Florene could shrug off even direct hits from most attacks without batting an eye, so it made sense that sleeping on a shoulder wouldn’t bother her.
She’d probably sleep on the bare ground and wake up feeling refreshed.
Given my experience, anyone who says they need "just five more minutes" never actually wakes up after five minutes. So, I firmly grabbed Florene’s head.
“Huh? Mmmph...”
I massaged her scalp a few times to help her snap out of it, and Florene eventually lifted her head from my shoulder, blinking sleepily.
Where her head had been, a patch of drool had soaked through.
Even if it was from a cute girl, seeing that mess made me momentarily thankful that I was wearing protective gear.
As I wiped the drool stain off my shoulder, Florene, still groggy, looked at Dwight and me with a puzzled expression and tilted her head.
“Huh? When did I fall asleep?”
“...You were pretty tired. You knocked out not long after we got in the car. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh, I see. Hehe, sorry, Scarlet. I guess I got a little sleepy after working so hard today.”
Florene giggled apologetically at Dwight’s explanation.
I shook my head to say it was fine, then shot a glare at Dwight, who had sneakily put her to sleep and was now pretending nothing had happened.
Feeling guilty, Dwight averted his gaze.
If you’re sorry, you could at least buy me a meal later.
Mumbling that in my head, I saw that Florene, now fully awake, stretched with a satisfied grin and spoke in her usual upbeat tone.
“Hehe, thanks to that nap, it feels like we got here in no time! Let’s finish our work quickly now that we’re here!”
“Yeah. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can take a look around.”
Dwight nodded and hopped out of the truck, following Florene.
I got out after them and saw trucks parked nearby, all filled with beast corpses, likely brought in from other places.
I was slightly surprised by the sight and mumbled to myself.
“...Wow, there’s a lot. Come to think of it, the building was huge when I saw it from outside. So, do they process all the miasma that needs purifying here?”
Dwight looked at me with a mix of disbelief and answered.
“...Of course not. There are several other facilities of the same scale besides this one. It’s essential to have multiple facilities to prevent disruptions in case of accidents or operational issues.”
“Oh, I see... Multiple large facilities like this... Does miasma purification make that much money?”
I asked, curious about what kind of profit would drive the establishment of so many large facilities.
But Dwight looked at me with a look that seemed to question what, if anything, I knew.
“Money? Hardly. There’s no profit in purification facilities at all. These places exist solely to eliminate miasma. They generate zero revenue. These facilities operate purely for public welfare, not for profit.”
“...So, they’re just money sinks?”
Considering the size of the building, the maintenance costs alone must be astronomical.
Was there really someone willing to do something that only incurred losses?
Thinking this, I glanced at Florene.
After all, it was her family running these facilities.
I gave her a slightly concerned look, but Florene just laughed it off and spoke up.
“Hehe, it’s fine! We get some support funding to keep the place running, and my family, Dolos, makes enough money elsewhere to easily cover the losses from these facilities!”
“...Even so, taking on losses isn’t easy. It’s impressive that you’re managing it.”
“It’s what’s expected of the Dolos family!”
“What do you mean by ‘expected’?”
“Everyone has the right to be happy. That’s the Dolos family motto. That’s why we all learn how we can be happy.”
When I asked what she meant, Florene instead shared her family’s philosophy.
Then she continued with a bright smile.
“For me, wearing pretty clothes makes me happy. Seeing myself dressed up in pretty clothes lifts my spirits and makes me feel happy.”
It was such a Florene-like statement that I chuckled and nodded, prompting her to keep talking.
“So I started making pretty clothes and cosmetics. I wanted other people to feel happy when they dressed up and looked their best.”
She explained why she had started making clothes and cosmetics.
I couldn’t quite grasp why she was saying this at first, but then...
“My papa thought that living in a better city would make people happier. That’s why he joined the Central Committee to help build better cities.”
It became clear what she was getting at.
“My grandpa believed people would be happier if there were heroes to protect them from the beasts, so he became a hero and rose to the rank of squad leader.”
What Florene was talking about was the spirit and philosophy of Dolos.
And for the first time, I understood why the Dolos family was so respected in this city.
“I’m sure that someone from Dolos created this miasma purification facility because they believed that if people were safer from the dangers of miasma, they’d be happier.”
It was a world where people often trampled on others to find their own happiness.
Yet here were those who shared the happiness they’d found as if it were only natural.
“In order to be happy, you must let others enjoy that happiness too. That’s what Dolos has always taught and passed down.”
Their inherited and enduring spirit was truly something noble.
“In that way, all the small and difficult things that everyone in Dolos has built up one by one over the years have made Dolos what it is today. So, no matter how much money goes into what Dolos does, that’s not the important part.”
That’s why even the eyes of this seemingly carefree girl were filled with such pride and confidence.
“Even if it looks like it’s for others, it’s ultimately for Dolos’ own happiness too. No one spares money when it’s about becoming happy, right?”
Florene smiled as she said this, and she seemed to shine.
It was a statement that made me reflect on how I had carelessly viewed her as just an innocent, cheerful girl.
This is what it must mean to be a true hero’s bloodline, to come from a family of heroes.
As I stared at her in admiration, Florene tilted her head and mumbled.
“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“...It’s just... you seem pretty amazing.”
“Hehe, amazing? This is no big deal.”
Florene laughed bashfully for a moment, then turned to me with a smile and asked,
“Hey, Scarlet, what do you think would make you happy?”
“...Me?”
“Yeah!”
Faced with her question about happiness, I paused to think.
The first thing that came to mind was my childhood, those peaceful times when I sat with my parents, laughing and having dinner together.
The second thing was the fun times I had in my previous world, hanging out and laughing with my friends.
But both of those were happinesses I could no longer hope for.
So, I quietly thought of the precious people I had met in this new world and answered.
“...I think I’d be happy if the people I care about could live smiling.”
To that, Florene replied.
“Then Scarlet should smile a little more! If you want your loved ones to smile, they’ll want to see you smile too. I’m sure if you do that, you’ll find happiness!”
Her words made me pause.
Could I also be happy?
That thought crossed my mind.
While I hesitated, a Bible verse I’d read once came to mind.
“Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
I didn’t know if I could truly find happiness in this situation.
But if trying was a step toward happiness, it was something I could do.
So, I raised the corners of my mouth into a faint smile.
Seeing this, the girl before me beamed and said cheerfully,
“Hehe, seeing Scarlet smile makes me feel happy too!”
I realized then that seeing this girl smile made me happy too,
Because she had become someone a little more precious to me.
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Trauma time
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