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Then, where is her dad now...?

Who knows? All I know is, the girl relies on me, because every time her father left home for work, it was in this vehicle.

Miners are the most common types you'll see aboard, with Cautuses a close second. And her father happened to be both. Like hell I'd be able to pick him out of a crowd.

Though, did I ever mention to you that this ol' girl's about to go out of commission?

Because several of the mines I used to stop at got shut down. The last one was due to deep depletion, all the rocks that got dug up were totally worthless. And then two years ago... a mining accident claimed another.

And so it was over the last two years, when this kid hopped onboard, saying that if she didn't keep the brightest smile on her face, her father wouldn't recognize her.

Alright, I'm gonna go give her some motivation, and a helping hand. She's probably a bit too fired up right now and wants to make a miners' family dinner on that little Originium stove you guys brought over.

You're pretty nice people too. It's been a long time since she's cooked for anyone else.

Though, I hope what you said when you sat down at this table is true: that you won't end up getting sick breaking bread with Infected...

Or at least, you're like me. Y'know, good things happen to good people and all. So that makes it perfectly fine to live with the Infected.

She didn't know the danger she was putting herself in when she decided to keep Warmy around.

Amiya.

I'm here, Doctor.

Do you feel guilty about it?;Do you think fate smiled on us?

Oh, is it written all over my face or something? I was just thinking...

...I keep thinking, what would have happened... had you never pulled me from the wreckage of that vehicle?

Walking along the streets of Rim Billiton, I always feel like those running and shouting Cautus children... are no different from me.

Disasters aren't uncommon in Rim Billiton. The dangerous old ways of mining, the unusually frequent Catastrophes...

Heh. There were some Victorian businessmen who said this is no way for people to live.

Oh, of course I'm not trying to say that life in Rim Billiton is terrible or anything... Though the natural environment here may be harsh, our homes are always full of warmth.

Rim Billiton's large households often come together to jointly adopt children.

But... I'm just happier that I get to do something like this.

Like being able to help Potlid?;Like fighting to protect the Infected?

Also, like being able to rescue you. And before that...

The young Cautus doesn't finish her words. You know there's something she's hiding from you.

Amiya's expression is somewhat wistful, but there's no sign of regret or remorse.

...Now that I'm looking back, every year since I left home has been so terribly long.

Everything seems to be speeding by around me, before I can grow taller or change out of my childhood clothes.

So, I find myself wondering... When I think of my mum and dad, what should I say to them to give them an idea of what I've been through...? So that they still recognize me?

But, coming back to Rim Billiton, it finally dawned on me.

The only thing I want to tell my parents is – I survived.

Because the Doctor took my hand.

You suddenly remember something.

You remember the huge Rim Billiton logo emblazoned on the laser mining module mounted atop the Rhodes Island landship. You remember seeing it before.

You remember some of the materials that Rhodes Island has gradually been making available to you lately.

Rhodes Island's predecessor, 'Babel,' customized this Rim Billiton mining module that was attacked during the initial shipment.

The mercenary team dispatched by Babel failed to stave off the attack, resulting in the deaths of many people on the transport team.

You remember the thick, black smoke, slowly burning in the empty wilderness.

Vague, distant emotions float into your mind along with the hazy memories.

Though it still doesn't feel like your own past, you cannot help but to feel an infinite...

...Loneliness.

What I wanted to search for... Was the vestiges of the journey that began here.

As well as the traces of Rhodes Island being dug out from here and towed across the entirety of Rim Billiton, before setting sail for the far reaches of the continent.

I was just thinking...

If I had never met Rhodes Island, if I had never met Dr. Kal'tsit or Theresa... If I had never met the Doctor––

What a shame it all would've been.

Phew... Finally helped tidy up around here.

But seriously, never would've expected Alanna and Warmy to be living together inside a truck like this. Good thing I didn't charge in, waving my hammer around, to try to rescue Warmy, or else this thing would've been a goner.

Speaking of which, when was the last time I had a campfire dinner with this many people?

Has there ever been another time where I got to enjoy such a merry one with Amiya and the Doctor?

A grunt? That's it?

Does it not make your blood boil? Those bastards in suits want to plunder our mines! And since when did my friends become as snobbish as the Victorians?!

...Sorry.

I was just... thinking about the stories in some old books.

Don't look at us like that.

The way you look at the stars in the sky.

...Even back then, I wasn't always happy every time.

Eh...?

Amiya and the Doctor... they're fast asleep?

Must've had too much fun and gotten tired, huh? Seriously, it's not safe here. You'll catch a cold at this rate...

Savage?

Huh?!

Doctor, you're awake?

It's pretty dark tonight, and I couldn't see your face clearly and...

Did I wake you?

There are some beasts out there that never sleep.;Some people are still awake.

So you're looking out for Amiya here, huh?

Fair enough. The Billy barrens have always been dangerous, and the people you meet aren't always friendly.

––Which is why, you have no idea how anxious I was when I first met you!

You, a sickly foreigner, trekking through the wilderness with a little girl in tow! You were a goner!

You weren't afraid because you didn't know a thing about Rim Billiton. I could write it off as Amiya trusting you regardless...

...But it wasn't until a lot later when I understood why she always slept so soundly next to you.

You make me sound smart.;You make me sound like I'm always on my toes.

Well, yeah. You have a good grasp of everything, and a lot of tools at your disposal.

But, there are other areas where you don't seem that smart, which became evident the more we traveled together.

Like that one time you said, 'I know these berries are incredibly bitter,' but then took a big bite of them anyway before urging Amiya not to do the same.

...Well, yeah. You rarely get any time to rest.

Be it the barren wilderness, the glimmering of the starry sky, or the steel frames and cranes rising over a city, you can stare blankly at these things for a long, long time.

Maybe you didn't consciously decide to stay up to stand guard for Amiya, but you nevertheless managed to help her avoid some ferocious fowlbeasts and highwaymen.

Mind if I take a seat?

...It's just like it was.

*sigh*... I wanted to tell you something along the way, but we ended up getting tangled up in another weird mess again.

At least there wasn't any real danger.

Were our travels like this back then too?

Well... For me, the biggest difference was my attitude, I suppose?

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed back then, and wanted to go for a walk. A really long one.

I heard about it from the other Rim Billitonian operators.

You would've been even more famous here.

Well, yeah. It was because of that 'Cage Incident.'

But after everything was said and done, I followed you and Amiya on that trip, and to everyone else, it seemed like I'd ghosted them. By the time I returned, they'd mostly forgotten about the whole deal.

Which is exactly what I wanted.

At the time, I saw businessmen signing contracts to develop the mines for the people of Rim Billiton, but they turned around and threw us into cages, same way predators in the wilds snatch their meals.

But, I'm even sadder about the ones who promised to protect our land together, swearing not to let the old dukes strip us of our dignity.

Some people, as soon as they tasted wealth and status, turned out no different from the businessmen and robber barons.

Hmph. Just thinking about it makes me want to swing my hammer around and smash their glass houses to bits.

Please calm down, Savage.

Oh! I'm so, so, so sorry, Doctor! I didn't mean to scare you...

Heehee. It feels crazy to be telling this story again.

In any case, I was absolutely furious at the time.

I couldn't stand that feeling. Like people were suddenly plucked out of their own skin, made to become completely different people. That look in their distant eyes... didn't seem like any way you'd ever look at a friend...