Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Don’t Become Like Them

"Do... you believe in fate, Adam, man?"

"...What’s there to believe in?"

"Ah. Such wise words."

"Huh...?"

Adam glanced at Harvey, watching him with a slight frown as the man tipped another full mug down his throat. They’d only been there for half an hour, and Harvey had already gone through what was probably an entire barrel of the local mead.

"Why... aren’t you drinking, man?"

Meanwhile, Adam hadn’t touched anything—not the alcohol, not even the water. He just sat there, fingers tapping idly against the table, his thoughts clearly somewhere else.

"And what are you even thinking about?" Harvey leaned forward slightly. "Still stuck on that awa metal thing? Don’t tell me you’re serious about the BDSM idea."

"What? No." Adam blinked, shaking his head before letting out a breath. "Well... yes, but not like that. I was thinking we could trade for it. We’ve always had trouble containing dangerous Heroes. That metal would make it, well... easier."

"Oh..." Harvey leaned back, clearly disappointed. "I thought we were onto something there."

He took another drink, then waved his hand lazily.

"Either way, both would improve the world. So, since we’re having a drinking session here, let me ask you something—why are you always trying to make it better?"

"I’m... not?" Adam hesitated. Harvey slid a mug toward him, some of it sloshing over the rim and onto the table. Adam caught it, but instead of drinking, he just rotated it slowly in his hand, watching the liquid swirl. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Harvey waited.

"And...?" he prompted.

"And what?"

"You say you’re not trying, but it sure looks like you are." Harvey shrugged. "A lot of people talk about that kind of thing—helping the world. Almost none of them actually do anything. But you...? Huh!"

Adam let out a quiet breath, glancing at Harvey as he drained yet another mug.

"How am I trying to make the world better? I’m just... living. Same as everyone else." He paused. "And I think you’ve had enough."

"Bitch, please." Harvey raised his mug again, signaling for another refill. "This stuff’s weak. I’m completely lucid. This isn’t the alcohol talking."

He leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table, his tone dropping just a little.

"Look, we’ve known each other, what—more than two months? That’s usually not enough to know someone, sure. But it’s different when you’re out there risking your life together." He smirked faintly. "Well... I’m risking mine. You’re immortal."

"That—"

"What I’m trying to say is..." Harvey exhaled, a hiccup slipping out before he could stop it. He winced, then waved it off. "Yeah, okay, maybe this is stronger than I thought."

He straightened a bit, eyes settling back on Adam.

"But it doesn’t change anything," he continued. "You are making a difference. In this world—our world. We could’ve used someone like you back when everything went to shit."

Adam didn’t answer immediately. He stared down at the mug in his hand for a moment longer... then lifted it and finally took a drink, finishing it in one go.

"There you go!" Harvey laughed, slapping the table lightly and pointing at him. "Knew you had it in you."

Adam set the empty mug down, and a wince escaped his face for a moment before dying down.

"I’m not a savior," he muttered.

"I don’t really know why people keep saying that... or expecting that from me," Adam continued. "Well—at least the Church of Administrators does. It’s just... uncomfortable. I’m not some Messiah or anything. I didn’t even know what that meant."

He hesitated.

"I just..." His fingers tightened slightly around the mug. "...I just want people to stop hurting. I don’t want people to feel what I felt."

His eyes lowered for a moment, the memory of the Hospital flashing through his mind.

"Pain isn’t... good," he said quietly, looking back at Harvey. "But it’s the helplessness that breaks you. No one should get used to it. Especially not children."

Harvey stared at him for a second—then pointed at him again, vehemently wagging his finger at his face.

"See? That. That right there." He shook his head, letting out a breath.

"Huh?"

"You’re an inspiration, man. Fuck... I’m actually about to tear up just hearing you say that. Someone like you actually trying to help people?" He gave a small, crooked smile. "RLRD’s lucky to have you. Have I told you that?"

"...Yeah. You have." Adam exhaled softly. "But it’s lucky to have all of us."

"No. Psh. Me?"

"I mean it." Adam leaned forward slightly, resting his arm on the table, and watching as the barmaid refilled it.

"I’m not special, Harvey. You, Beatrice, Leona... everyone else—you all joined knowing you could die any day. You chose that." He shook his head faintly. "Compared to that, I’m just..."

His voice trailed off. His gaze drifted across the tavern, and a few of the nearby patrons quickly looked away when they noticed him looking.

"...I’m just a fraud," he finished quietly. "I do what I do because I can afford to. Because I won’t die. And even then... I still hurt Beatrice."

"Hey. Stop." Harvey leaned forward, clinking his mug lightly against Adam’s. "Just—stop, man."

Adam didn’t respond.

"We joined the RLRD to help people, yeah?" Harvey continued, his tone softer now. "You said it yourself. We all knew what we were signing up for. Beatrice wouldn’t want you blaming yourself like that."

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so." He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as he chuckled awkwardly. "And... I’m sorry. If I made it seem like I was blaming you earlier."

"It’s... fine."

"I mean... I was. But I was pissed. You’re the only face I could put that anger on. I don’t even know what the bastard who hurt B looks like, so..." He shrugged weakly. "I lashed out."

"You had every right to."

"Maybe." Harvey shook his head. "Just not at you."

He stared down into his drink for a moment, watching the surface ripple.

"For what it’s worth... I really like you, man. Everyone does." Harvey glanced up. "Have I told you that?"

"Yes," Adam said, a faint breath slipping out. "A few times."

"Good. Because it’s true." Harvey sniffed, then smirked slightly. "You don’t hang around the others as much as you do with me and B, but they like you. Mira? Man, you’d barely get a word out of her normally. But ever since you arrived, she’d been joining the group more and more."

"Hm..."

"And I like you too. Not in a gay way—unless you’re into that, then—"

"No."

"Hey, I’m just saying." Harvey lifted his shoulders in a shrug before his expression settled again. "And... sorry in advance for this, but I’m glad it’s you."

"...What?"

"That you’ll be the one leading things later with the RLRD." Harvey met his eyes. "If what they’re saying is true, if you really don’t age, then you’ll outlive all of us. And yeah... that’s a curse. But it’s also a blessing."

Adam’s grip tightened slightly.

"Everyone you know will die," Harvey continued, not looking away. "That’s for certain."

"That’s—"

See? Even he knows it, Adam. That you’ll be left alone. That everyone—

"But you’ll be there," Harvey cut through his thoughts. "For my kids. For our kids."

Adam blinked. "Huh?"

"And their kids." A small smile crept onto Harvey’s face as he glanced toward the window. "And theirs after that. You’ll get to watch them grow. Live. Build something better."

Adam’s expression shifted, just slightly.

"I... never thought about it like that."

"Yeah." Harvey nodded. "That’s why I’m glad it’s you. I really am." He looked back at him. "I know they’ll be safe. All of them."

Adam held his gaze for a moment. His vision blurred faintly, something warm building behind his eyes. He looked up, forcing it back, then lowered his head again.

"...Thank you, Harvey," he said quietly, nodding once. "I needed to hear that."

And just like that, the weight that had been wrapped tight around Adam’s chest since earlier began to loosen. Not gone, never gone, but loosened enough for him to breathe again. He drew in a slow breath, deeper than the ones before, and nodded to himself as a faint smile finally found its way onto his face.

Harvey saw it. He blinked hard, then shook his head as if trying to clear it.

"Jesus fucking..." he muttered, pushing his mug away. "...This shit’s stronger than I thought. Got me saying all kinds of things."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Harvey exhaled sharply and pushed himself up from the table. "I gotta take a leak. You know where the toilets are in this place?"

Adam glanced around, briefly scanning the tavern.

"I don’t think they have one yet."

"Fuck me," Harvey groaned, already turning. "Alright. Back to tradition. Trees it is. Toilets should be the first thing we trade for that metal, man."

"Right..."

"Man, we’ll be rich." He jerked his head toward the door. "You coming?"

"No."

"Pft. Your loss. Nothing like being one with nature." Harvey sniffled, his steps clumsy as he made his way out.

Adam watched him leave, shaking his head faintly before his attention drifted back to the mug in front of him. He stared at it for a while, the surface of the drink barely rippling as his fingers rested against the wood of the table.

He lifted it slightly, and when he was about to drink—

<Champion!>

The tavern door slammed open.

Bagani rushed in, the chief right behind him, both of them breathing hard.

<We have received report that Bala has escaped his cage!> Bagani didn’t waste a second, bowing his head as he spoke, his panic obvious behind the translator.

Adam’s hand froze. He set the mug down and stood immediately.

"What? How?"

<He killed the soldiers guarding him!> Bagani’s fists clenched, his jaw tightening. <He... he works for the invaders!>

"Invaders?" Adam frowned. "People from the Leaks? Like us?"

<No.> Bagani shook his head sharply. <We have been at war with people from other lands. The chief and I believe... he has been acting deliberately to provoke you. Forcing your hand. So you would see us as enemies... and destroy us.>

***

"Whew..."

Somewhere outside, Harvey let out a long breath as he zipped his pants up, his shoulders sagging in relief. He coughed once, then twice, before lazily patting the tree in front of him.

"You’ve been blessed, my guy," he muttered. "And... shit—does my piss carry something these people can’t handle?"

He snorted at his own thought and kicked some dirt over the spot, trying to cover it just in case. But then, he paused when he heard a rustle.

The haze in his eyes instantly cleared just a little as his body straightened on instinct. His arm loosened at his side, hanging like a whip ready to slash at anyone.

"Who’s there?" he called out, voice lower now, sharper. "Show your—"

Before he could finish, a shadow jumped out of the bushes. Harvey was about to strike when he realized his attacker had long ears and cute, fluffy fur.

"Jesus. Got me jumpy over a damn bunny," he muttered, rubbing his face. "You’re lucky, man."

The rabbit came closer, nose seemingly twitching.

"Hey—don’t do that," Harvey chuckled, crouching slightly. "That’s not exactly—yeah, that’s piss."

He reached out, patting it.

"...Huh. Ew." But he quickly retracted his hand back when it came back wet... with blood.

The rabbit’s stomach was torn open.

"...What the—"

Its mouth opened, and something inside flashed. A thin line of light... that quickly flew across his throat.

"Huh?" Harvey blinked. And for a second, nothing happened. "What...? Wha..."

He tried to speak again, but it broke into a wet croak. His hand flew to his neck—and felt warmth. Too much of it. Spilling. Slipping through his fingers.

His knees gave out before he even realized he was falling.

The ground hit him hard.

"Kh—"

Air wouldn’t come. Sound wouldn’t form. His chest jerked uselessly as he pressed harder against his throat, as if he could hold himself together.

And soon, another figure stepped out from the bushes. This time, footsteps.

Harvey’s vision blurred, but he could still see the name floating above the man’s head. And he knew. He knew there and then that this was the man who attacked Beatrice.

"You..." Everything he wanted to say, all the anger, all the curses, all the things he would’ve thrown in the man’s face, collapsed into nothing as his body failed him.

He couldn’t even lift his arm. Couldn’t even spit.

All that was left... were a few words.

Harvey forced his eyes to stay open, locking onto the man as his vision faded away... and he did the one thing he could do—pray.

"Adam..." he whispered. "Don’t... do it...

...don’t become like them."