Transcendent Gene
Chapter 135: Farewell [3]

Chapter 135: Farewell [3]

The atmosphere became vibrant again when the rest of the team showed up. Amaya was no longer the only upbeat one among them since Mirei was present. Unlike Alice, she very much loved to talk.

Jason was happily joining into the conversation and even Ulver chimed in a couple of times.

Hearing him make a joke was not something Gio expected to experience before leaving the team. It looked like it was the same for the rest of them, because the moment it was said, the air went so silent that one could hear the chirping of beasts kilometers away.

And the laughter that came after that was beautiful. Gio had a permanent smile on his face that he couldn’t remove no matter how hard he tried.

Raymond and Natalia eventually joined them with food and drinks for everyone. They kept their small meeting on top of the zephyr between themselves, enjoying the company of a small group.

Gio really felt like he was a part of the team as he laughed and joked with them like this. On one hand, it made the thought of leaving worse, and on the other...

’I will never get corrupted by a life of war. I promise you that.’

He knew where Jax’s worries were coming from. He had personally watched as the people around him died little by little. The light in all of their eyes was almost completely lost long before their lives followed.

War ruined people. A war that never ended and seemed impossible to win ruined people far faster.

’But I came back to protect these scenes.’

He came back for the people he loved and cared about. The Blue Steel Squadron was now included among those people.

’As long as you guys can keep smiling, I will keep fighting. No matter what happens to me...’

No matter how much the light in his own eyes died, he was fine as long as they could keep theirs.

He shook his head with a slight smile.

’Let’s enjoy this moment.’

The night was both long and short. Every second was cherished, making it feel like an eternity, yet every cherished second passed so fast that it felt like everything ended too early.

The only thing that remained was the three-day trip back to Gastle. And, well...

***

When the party ended and everyone was back on the zephyr, Raymond found Gio in his room.

"You awake?" He asked as he knocked on the door.

Gio unlocked it for him and let him in.

"Barely. You forced me to eat 85 portions so I feel like I’m about to pass out for three days," he responded as he went back to the bed and sat down.

"That’s perfect. When you wake up, you’ll already be in Gastle."

"Right...I’ll be back in Gastle."

Gio smiled wryly. Raymond matched his smile before quickly moving to change the subject.

"Anyway, I didn’t come just to bother you. I want you to spend these last few days relaxing, so I figured I’d get all this stuff out of the way beforehand."

Gio raised his eye questioningly, causing Raymond to hold up the packet in his hand.

"Did you forget what our original deal was? You didn’t accept this internship for nothing."

Only then did Gio’s eyes widen in understanding.

’I hadn’t thought about it for a while, but he’s right. More than experience, what I wanted was...’

His eyes went to that packet.

"I said I would give you a letter of recommendation and a contact. The plan was to connect you with a recruiter I know. After impressing him, you would’ve had a straight shot to Asphodel or even Arcadia..."

’The Third or Second Stratum...it’s not a bad offer.’ Gio thought.

"...but you’ve been through too much with us. I can’t let it end with just that."

Raymond opened the packet and took out a form.

"First, there’s this."

He handed it to Gio so he could read it.

"That form is just a courtesy. All of the proper paperwork has already been filled out. Basically, if you ever meet a military official of any kind, you can show them that paper. They’ll acknowledge it as a replacement for a rank. If you take it to the right people, they’ll turn it into an official rank for you, but I don’t want you to do that until you get a little older."

Gio read the paper in surprise. It was something like a temporary certificate that verified his identity. It was decorated with both Raymond’s signature and another that he didn’t recognize, however, the title...

’Halo Executive Branch Leader?’

Was it a branch of the military? Did Raymond contact his superiors about this?

Judging from the title, he seemed to be a person of importance. It must’ve been why Raymond could guarantee the certificate’s use.

"What happens if I turn it into an official rank immediately?"

Raymond shrugged wryly.

"Nothing. I just don’t want you getting involved in too much before you get a little older. No matter how you act, you’re still a kid."

Gio nodded.

’So it wasn’t about me endangering myself. It was about politics.’

The rank wasn’t anything special. It was stated that he was given the thirteenth-class officer. It was probably the lowest rank a field officer could be given that wasn’t accompanied by any special titles, however, the fact that he was awarded any field-related rank as a fourteen-year-old would cause waves.

Gio would immediately be dragged into politics regardless of how he tried to avoid it.

"There’s some other good stuff in the packet too. The contact in there is a friend of mine in Arcadia. She’s not someone you have to impress. If you contact her, she’ll come get you and take you there. I’ve already let her know about you, so you don’t have to worry about anything."

Raymond handed over the packet so Gio could look at the other items inside.

"She’s connected to the First Institute up there. It’s one of the best Sequencing Academies in the Second Stratum, so it’ll be a good place for you to grow. This time, do it properly like a kid instead of rushing into the battlefield."

Raymond spoke with a grin as he watched Gio look through his gifts.

Other than the rank and the contact, there was a black card with 100,000 Credits and the personal contact information of each member of the ground team.

"You can consider the money a birthday gift. Our numbers...well, keep in contact sometimes. If you grow up and decide you still miss being a part of this squad, just give me a call. You’re welcome back anytime."

Gio nodded somewhat aimlessly. He didn’t know what to say.

’If it was just the rank, it would make sense. If it was just the contact, even...’

But all of it?

It wasn’t a reward worthy of his performance. It was a gift given by someone who purely wanted to reward him.

Gratitude...

Gio had felt it many times in the past, but he never had a problem with the emotion unless it was this kind of debt.

A debt accrued to someone who didn’t expect repayment.

"I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to join the team fully..."

Gio had to aim higher. He wouldn’t be able to contain himself to someone else’s team if he wanted to grow properly.

"...but when I reach a place where I can support you, I’ll support you in any way I can, even if it means stepping on the battlefield to help you. I’ll promise you that much."

Raymond’s smile widened.

"That’s all I could ever ask for."

He nodded slowly as if satisfied with Gio’s reaction and turned his wheelchair around.

"Well, then, I’ll leave you alone to pass out. Sleep well."

"I will, thanks to you."

"...and by the way, I see that Storage Hole on your finger. I’m going to pretend I didn’t, so pretend it was yours to begin with."

His final gift was the most unexpected, but Gio didn’t even have the time to express his gratitude.

Raymond chuckled a little as he left the room.

Gio was left alone with nothing but the thoughts in his mind and the words stuck in his throat.

’I’ve only met good people since starting this life.’

He sighed, but it wasn’t out of sadness or frustration.

’What if the ones who found us after we escaped the mine were a different squad? Other than the Blue Steel Squadron, how many of them were there with pure intentions, and how many were sent to kill any witnesses?’

The future could have turned out extremely poorly if Raymond wasn’t the one who picked Gio and Ricky up.

’And ever since then, it’s only been positive.’

His adventures in the Wasteland yielded far more results than he projected when he was planning. The original plan, in fact, had been completely thrown in the dirt at this point.

’But it’s time to get back on track.’

These adventures were over. It was time to stand on a new stage.

And that would happen not long after he made his return.