aprl

Hey. It's me, Aerlie.

Did you hear the broadcast from camp just now...? Oh right, I'm still out on a job, about a day from Iron Carrot City.

Yeah! I thought I'd be back home in a couple days, but we got news earlier today that our survey team has to head to a deeper mining area after resupplying at the transport hub.

*sigh*... Not like you can argue with the company when they tell you to go. Plus, they assigned me to be the escort, so what am I gonna do?

Anyway, I won't be able to go to the party with you this week. Real sorry about that.

Well of course it's a bit of a shame. We've all been looking forward to it, especially considering how much time and effort it took to lock down that abandoned ore warehouse for a venue.

I guess the bit of silver lining is I finished my portion of the prep work early. At least me not being able to show up won't mess with everyone else's plans.

*sigh*... Yeah, we'll have another chance someday...

The weather should be a lot warmer for our next party at least. Then, we'll finally get to wear the dresses we bought last time.

You've been looking forward to that too, haven't you? I even bought a pair of matching earrings.

Oh, that reminds me, you said you guys were rehearsing one of my favorite songs, to perform for me as a surprise at the party. But since I can't be there... do you think you could tell me which one it is?

...How am I supposed to guess? The bands that I like can't be counted on my two hands, and each one has a dozen awesome albums. There's no way I'd be able to pick just one favorite.

You're not seriously going to make me wait until the next party, are you? What if the company sends me out long-term?

...Ooh, you're right, that song is a great pick!

You guys are going to be my superstar pop group one day, so I can finally realize my dream of having a concert right on my doorstep.

The Cautus girl suddenly uses her hand to cover the communicator's receiver.

Woah, the fancy little Cautus girl's here? You're joking, right? There's no way someone would hire her.

But, she's still a registered hunter. In principle, she's allowed to stay at the camp, though she usually acts alone...

Oh, the team's about to leave. I was going to keep complaining about how much of a pain in the butt this mission is, but that'll have to wait 'til next time.

Okay, I'll contact you again once I get back to town.

If I were her, I'd keep my head down and beat it as soon as I could. But seeing the flashy way she dresses, she's probably no different from before, haha...

Yeah, I think I'll keep my earphones in while I'm on the road.

Okay, that clears the air up just right! Let's get some music going so I don't get sleepy on the road!

Hrmm, where did I put the newest bounty list... Oh, yes, it says right here that manglers are worth the most around here.

Well, I don't know how to deal with those big monsters either... Never mind then.

It used to be just driving them off was good enough. Now, we're looking for trouble in their part of the woods.

Good thing I'm just short of the earnings I need. As long as I catch a few fowlbeasts, I should be good to go.

According to the company benefits program, I can use my savings to buy an old projector that the company retired. Then, I can lie in bed and watch the discs I bought.

Err, but maybe I shouldn't... Once I get enough money, I should probably find a way to live better. Maybe a rental with good sound insulation so I won't bug my neighbors after a long night's work, or when I move furniture around in the middle of the night.

Ugh, I'm no good with this long-term planning stuff...

Movement.

Let's see if luck is on my side today... Wounded beasts always try to run, so let's see if the traps from the textbooks work or not.

Woah, it's a person! That was a close one––

Uhh, excuse me–– I'm not your prey, okay? I'm a hunter! Look how conspicuously I'm dressed. What kind of beast looks like this?

We don't make mistakes. You <i>are</i> our prey.

Hand over any valuables you have on you, or we're gonna have to get a bit rough.

*sigh*... Great, looks like I've got company after all...

There's one hiding in the trees over there, then another one by the rock behind me.

I'm going to count down from three. Show us the money, if you know what's good for you. Otherwise, don't expect to get off with just a single arrow.

Three.

...No can do.

Two.

I worked hard to scrounge up this little bit of money.

One.

Let's see if you can catch me, instead!

Oh, Aerlie, you're back again?

Sure am. I finally finished tidying up my place. Didn't expect there to be so much random stuff to get through, considering how small my room is.

Let me take a look... Oh my, these kinds of self-assembled storage cabinets aren't easy to sell second-hand, right? Plus, I see some tape marks.

Oh, that was an adhesive strip I stuck on the side of the cabinet. I had a makeshift full-length mirror there. I ended up tearing it off when I was having a bad day.

You're right that it looks a bit tacky though... So it's okay if you drop the value a little.

Huh? This dress is still brand new, isn't it? Are you sure you want to sell it? Seems like a waste, if you ask me.

A little bit... but that cut doesn't work for me. It's backless, and that's a no-go.

Your Oripathy... Is it growing on your back?

Yeah...

Alright, I get it. You just moved here pretty recently, right?

I see you've been around here the last few days to sell stuff off. Did something happen?

We're all Infected around here. I can hear you out if you'd like, just between the two of us.

It's nothing major. I just haven't been able to find work, and want to try my luck somewhere else.

I can't lug these things around anyway, so might as well turn 'em into some cash.

*sigh*... You say you want to try your luck somewhere else, but how do you know a new place would be any better? Do you already have someplace in mind?

Hmm... I saw an ad for a company and wanted to give it a shot. It's pretty far away though.

I've already saved up enough money to get by in a new city. Now I just need enough to get a one-way ticket out of here.

But don't worry, I've been budgeting carefully, so I've got everything I need.

Plus, even if I'm out of a job right now, I still have this bow. If my luck's good, I can maybe hunt some beasts just outside the city. Might even be able to fetch a decent price for the pelts and meat from the merchants in the camps.

Even if my luck's not so good... At least I don't see myself starving to death.

*sigh*... You're still so young, be careful when you're out there hunting. And please take the long way around if you run into any Originium clusters... You wouldn't want your condition getting any worse.

Haha, I was with the minecart team for how many years? Of course I know that by now.

I actually used to think about buying a secondhand speaker or projector as soon as I managed to scrounge up some money. Now that I finally have the money, I didn't expect it to feel so...

Well, that's not quite right. I barely have a thing to my name now, so that probably doesn't count as 'having money.'

Now that you've sold all this stuff off, I suppose you won't stick around much longer?

Right. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning.

Ugh, didn't anyone teach those kids not to run with knives? They're awfully fast, too!

But if I hand over my luggage, I really won't have anything left... And that's no way to survive. So let's go another way.

My luck sure ended up rotten, huh? It's all because I was short a little money for my ticket, and I didn't want to dip into living expenses... Otherwise, I wouldn't have to hunt anymore.

Hey, you guys hear me talking out loud too, can't you? Mind sparing a girl an ounce of sympathy?

Just as the blade of one of the bandits is about to reach her, the nimble Cautus hops into the air and climbs up a tree branch.

Aha, looks like those traps worked after all. Even managed to snag one of your crossbowmen in one.

Why you little––!

I wasn't planning on fighting, but now that you've fallen into my trap, you're my prey.

I might look young, but I've trained in the ways of a hunter since I was little. I know a thing or two about archery and trapping too.

Here's a tip: these traps were made for beasts, so the harder you struggle, the more likely you are to hurt yourself.

(Threats like that should be good enough, right? That's how they always do it on TV.)

(Ugh, I don't even know if there's a vigilante patrol around here, or a private security detail... Maybe I'll try asking for help once I get back to camp.)

Phew... Can have a civil discussion now?

Wh-What are you going to do to us? If you want to keep things civil, why don't you put the bow down first?

I'm just making sure the trap's doing its job. If you don't mind, I'm going to head back to camp and find someone to take you away.

P-Please, anything but that... We'll die.

Huh? You're that afraid of getting turned in? Have you been doing that much robbing?

No, but...

We're all sick. Infected.

You know what that means, Hunter. You said you didn't want to fight, but you don't sympathize with livestock, do you?

That's why they don't bother putting Infected on trial. We just go straight to...

Alright.

I...

There was a time when I would've said she wasn't cut out to be a hunter. But now that she's Infected, she's not even in the same class as us. Hahaha!

Think she has something going on with the commissioner? Who the hell is still giving her work?

Why did you decide to become bandits?

What kind of question is that? We caught Oripathy and lost our jobs. We can't just roll over and die, can we?

Like most Infected, the three of us worked in the mines for a long, long time.

Um... What about the company's insurance coverage?