Gear Drive

The one that asks for help.

Don! Don!…… Dooooon!

The sound of something banging wakes me up.

Don! Don!

«What’s with my door?»

What the hell is going on at this hour?　

We don’t serve food at this time!

It’s been so long since we’ve had a guest who didn’t know that.

«~~~!»

He’s shouting something, which means Dad and the others must be awake too.

After a while, I heard a bang. It was probably my dad opening the door. I hope it’s not a complicated visitor.

«────!　────?»

«~~!　~!?»

Hmm, it’s too noisy. I want you to stop.

……Dan, dan, dan.

I can hear someone climbing the stairs. These footsteps are my father.

When the footsteps stop, I hear a voice through the door.

«…… Anti, are you awake?»

«I’m up, that’s right. Who was the one knocking the door?»

«No, it’s still here. It’s Log.»

«Log?»

What the is he doing here at this hour?

«Well, apparently, he wants to talk to you.»

«Me?»

«Why don’t you come down here and ask him?»

«What happened at this time of night?……»

«I was a little upset about that, too, but you know, he’s crying and begging for something.»

What’s wrong with him? He usually seems to be a bit of pompous. I wonder if it’s some kind of urgent business.

It’s no use. I’ll just ask him and give him a lecture.

I went downstairs with my dad. When we got down to the cafeteria entrance, Mom and Log were there. It’s true, he’s crying.

«Hey! You’re fighting with Uta again……»　

«!!! Anti~~~~!!!»

As soon as I spoke to him and our eyes met, Log hugged my legs with great force. I can’t move……. He’s crying so hard. It’s unusual for him to cry like this. I don’t know what’s wrong with him.

«I’ll get angry about the time later……. What happened?»

In a slightly calmer voice, I asked him.

Log stopped crying for a moment and looked up at me with a hiccup.

«It’s………….»

«What?»

«They…………did it.»

«Hey, Log, you’re a boy. Say it out loud.»

Tears well up in Log’s eyes again.

He says something shocking.

«Uta went to kill the Berg Bear!»

………….

……Omae

……You’ve got to be kidding me.

……You’ll die if you do that.

Gah!

I grabbed the chest of Log as hard as I could and pulled it to me.

«Outside?»

«Hiiiii!!»

«Did you truly went outside?.»

«U-ah-u……»

«Why didn’t you stop him? You gotta be kidding me! You don’t know what will happen if a child goes outside!»

I stuffed his face with a tone of voice that was unthinkable during my normal customer service.
Log is about six years younger than me. But now is not the time to be shy about it.

«I tried to stop it! But I couldn’t do it!»

«Damn it! What about their parents?! Do their parents know?!»

«They probably know they’re gone because of the noise in the house in front of them!!»

«Why are you coming to me…… just because you’re an idiot……?»

I think I just lost a lot of time……….

«When.»

«W-well, about 3 dekas ago……»

«I thought the gate was closed.»

«Water, the gate’s open……»

!! Damn it, you’ve got to be kidding me…….

«Oh, God.»

«I’ll go tell the gatekeeper. Sora, go wake up the neighbors and tell them to go to Uta and Anna’s houses.»

«I got it.»

«Dad! Dad! I’m coming with you!»

«I’m coming too!»

«There’s nothing you can do about it!»

«Just sit at home and do nothing! Dad wouldn’t do that!»

«………….Okay.»

«Log! Run like you’re going to die!»

«Uh-huh!»

The three of us go to the gatekeeper who’s on night watch. Log is running late, but he’s catching up.

One of the two night watchmen was the old man.

«Oh, what’s up, Derek!…… Anne, and Log? What is it? With two kids at this time.»

«………..Torne, there are two kids out there. It’s Uta and Anna.»

«…………Please tell me you’re lying, Derek.»

The moment he heard his father’s words, he knew it wasn’t a lie. My dad and he had known each other for a long time. He could tell from my dad’s voice whether he was lying or not.

«The gate was closed! No one’s out!»

«They used the water gate. Log says so.»

«Fuck! Konobo! Get as many men as you can from the stockade! And oil! We’ll search them!

«Yes, sir!»

The other brother, the one with the leather armor breastplate, runs.

In the dark city behind me, fires and voices increase here and there.

It’s a small town. In front of the city gate are the remnants of a village.

The absence of the two would soon be felt.

As the city gradually becomes noisier and noisier at night, an inexplicable sick feeling spreads in my heart.

──── It was at that time.

……Gooooooooooo……

──── Stop it, stop it. I haven’t had a drink today.»

The old man said, as if pleading with the darkness of the night.