Chapter Eighty-Eight: Vegas

Ferrin was completely unaware of the Federation’s reckless actions, and even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have cared. For at this moment, there were more important matters awaiting him than bothering with the antics of those fools.

“Um… are we really just going to drive straight in, Commander?”

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Eluca was visibly nervous. In the past, whenever they approached a settlement, Ferrin always instructed Eluca to park the Harmony in a concealed spot. But this time, their destination was a settlement Ferrin insisted they enter openly. This alone made Eluca uneasy. Yet, in stark contrast to her tension, Ferrin appeared perfectly calm—almost bored.

“There won’t be any problems, as long as you do exactly as I say.”

“All right… Commander.”

Even so, Eluca’s expression remained grave. It was understandable, for the settlement they were heading toward lay on the far side of the wastes. To someone like Eluca, born and raised in these wilds, that side was as foreign and unknown as another country. Without Ferrin’s guidance, she might not even have known such a settlement existed.

But… why would the Commander want to go there? Could it be—

As the thought crossed her mind, Eluca stole a glance at Ferrin. He was leaning idly against the window, gazing out at the passing scenery. Delin, in her black cat form, was curled up on Ferrin’s lap, eyes closed in deep slumber. On the other side, Chris sat with eyes shut, resting quietly against her seat. Meanwhile, Corona clutched her stuffed bear’s paw, waving it about with infectious excitement, softly murmuring to herself.

Under Ferrin’s direction, Eluca and her sisters had recently raided three Federation settlements. Each time, their role was to eliminate the enemy’s security forces and draw fire, allowing Ferrin to vanish during the chaos. After a short wait, they would receive Ferrin’s order to retreat at once—and soon after, the entire settlement would be thrown into a frenzy, its people dying madly one after another from withdrawal. There was little doubt among the sisters that Ferrin was behind it. If the first incident could be dismissed as a malfunction in the settlement’s core, the repeated occurrences left no room for coincidence. Of course, the three weren’t foolish enough to ask Ferrin for details; as ability users themselves, they knew better than anyone that one’s powers were a closely guarded secret. Ferrin had never revealed his ability to them, which was only natural. As their commander, he needed to know their abilities for tactics and combat, but they had no right or necessity to know his.

But what troubled Eluca most at the moment was neither the Federation nor Ferrin himself—it was that their supplies were running out!

Heaven knows, when Eluca first met Ferrin, she’d had many impressions of him; but in every one, he seemed the type who’d never have to worry about food or clothing. Always elegant, impeccably dressed, driving fine vehicles with beautiful women at his side—by the standards of pre-disaster records she’d seen, he embodied the ideal of a “successful man.”

Now, though... Eluca was starting to have her doubts.

After all this time, the supplies they’d brought from District Nine were nearly depleted; the rest were all scavenged from their raids on Federation territory. And all this while, Ferrin had made no effort to resupply, forcing them to subsist on whatever they could loot. It wasn’t inedible, but compared to the fresh, delicious food from District Nine, the Federation’s military biscuits and canned meat were truly abysmal!

What frustrated Eluca even more was that Ferrin had promised to make them rich, yet after destroying three settlements, they hadn’t gained a thing. Every time, they had to flee halfway through the battle like whipped dogs, terrified that if they didn’t run fast enough, withdrawal would claim them all.

What happened to the post-victory feasts, the joyful looting of spoils? Surely the high-ranking Federation officials had better food and supplies—why couldn’t they make off with something more valuable and tasty?

Grumbling aside, duty was duty. But this time, the Commander wanted them to drive straight in. Did that mean this settlement wasn’t their target? Or perhaps, Ferrin had a new plan?

Soon, a distant light appeared in Eluca’s view, bringing her to attention. Judging by experience, this had to be their destination.

And as they drew closer, Eluca realized this place was nothing like she’d imagined.

“Whoa…”

Even Eluca, Corona, and Chris couldn’t help but gasp in amazement at the sight before them. The bright, dazzling neon lights lit up the entire district, casting every color imaginable in a dreamlike halo over the streets. As they approached, they could even faintly hear music in the air. More than a settlement, the place resembled a grand party venue.

District Nine was prosperous, but as a major settlement, its prosperity was orderly, reminiscent of a bustling commercial center—bright, secure, methodical. Here, however, the first impression was that of an endless open-air festival, where wildness and revelry reigned supreme.

When the group reached the entrance, as expected, they were stopped.

“Halt. Please present your invitation, travelers.”

“Invitation?”

Startled by the sentry’s request, Eluca stared wide-eyed. She was just about to speak when Ferrin’s voice sounded.

“The third storage box on the right.”

“Oh… found it.”

Following his directions, Eluca located a black ID card in the box and handed it to the guard. After a quick scan, the guard straightened and bowed respectfully to her.

“Welcome, honored guests. We hope you enjoy your stay.”

“Ah… thank you…”

Still bewildered, Eluca accepted the card back. In her experience, sentries posted outside settlements were rarely this polite, so why were these guards so courteous—greeting them, no less?

It didn’t end there. As they drove the Harmony into the settlement, Eluca was astonished to find that an escort vehicle awaited them. At first, she’d thought the armored car was there to cause trouble, but after flashing its lights at her, it simply led the way down another road. If not for Ferrin’s reminder, Eluca wouldn’t have even thought to follow.

And the surprises didn’t stop. All along the way, Eluca saw nothing she’d expected: no ragged slaves, no swaggering soldiers, only groups of scantily clad women calling out from the sidewalks, men laughing loudly and raising bottles high, drinking themselves into a stupor. She even spotted two girls dancing and singing on a street-side stage.

“Commander? What is this place?”

Unable to contain her curiosity, Eluca finally asked. There were no patrols, no heavily armed troops, not even any controls at all—only golden splendor and a delirious, intoxicating joy. And this, of all things, was what the wasteland lacked most. How had all this pleasure come to be concentrated here, transforming the place so utterly? Did the settlement not fear outside threats?

At her question, Ferrin merely smiled and replied.

“This is the Land of Desire… Vegas.”

He paused, then added,

“And it is also our bank.”

Bank?