56} A Deal, Part 1

Book 7} Decision 
Chapter 56
A Deal, Part 1
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Damn guys... I only asked for 5 lolol
But thank you all!
I see you all really do want Ray x Reader
Although there are some believers...
I'm torn!! You guys tell me what you like


You'll see what goes on...


~


Regret,
I regret not hugging him.
I regret not telling him.


But you can't change the past,
You can't regret


~


"Okay, we've obtained a place to live for the time being. Now we plan what's next,"
Ray said.


I leaned back on the table which I was seated on.
I listened to them.


"Rescue and escape. How do we rescue the little ones we left behind.. And how do you escape to the human world?"
Ray stated.


"We need to think."
"Yeah, because we have no clue,"
Nat added.
"Mr. Minerva wasn't here to tell us after all,"
Gilda said gloomily.


"So? What did you find out?"
"What kind of materials were in the room?"


"Various things. I haven't gone through all of them yet... but for example, there was information on the classification and general locations of each farm.
Like what kind of farms are located where... and the management labels they use,"
Ray said.


"Labels? Oh!"
Nat muttered, subconsciously touching his I.D brand.


"Yeah. the old geezer who we were immediately yesterday.
Grace Field puts numbers on their necks.
Glory Bell puts letters on the stomach.
Typeface, character alignment and the location of the labels... are all different among the farms,"
Ray told us.


"That's why he said, "it's obvious,"
Nat muttered, seeming uncomfortable.


"And only the four top-class farms classify individuals using numbers.
The mass production farms use a design. Each farm has a specific emblem branded in a specific location,"
Ray continued.


"So depending on which mark we have where... the demons can tell which farm we're from,"
Gilda said softly.


"The smart demons can probably spot it immediately,"
I added. In all honesty, I didn't need this conversation, I just needed us to get on with it and leave.


"There was other information about the promise and the human world. also , the locations of demon communities. But that one was pretty vague,"
Ray nodded.


"There were also some hand-drawn illustrations of the Flora in the Demon World... as well as normal books such as novels and picture books. We also found books with information on demons, but..."
"But?"


"They're all outdated,"
I guessed.


"Yeah. The books here, just like the books in the house, were published before 2015. I don't know about the dates of materials that aren't books, though.
But any book that touches upon the promise or demons are practically ancient manuscripts,"
Ray said.


{ all of them were published before 2015... what does that mean? Could it be that Mr. Minerva hasn't shown up for not only 13 years but 30 years? Is Mr. Minerva dead then? }


Ray handed me a book and I looked through it.
"This is totally worn out. It's... amazing,"
I smiled, opening it.


Dust came out causing Nat to sneeze.


"Hey, I don't get it, but..."
Lanni started.
"You're saying we can only get old information?
Thoma asked.


"Oh? Wait a sec, that's not right,"
Don said.


"Exactly, Don. yesterday, the old geezer knew how many of us there were as well as when we'd escaped. So there's a way to find out what's going on outside in real time." Ray added.


"The monitors?"
I asked.


"Oh!"
Don and Lanni exclaimed.


{ If we can... with these monitors... we might be able to know about Phil and the others... I hope we can. I miss them }


"And what about how to get to the other world?"
Anna then asked.


"For now, there's nothing on that. So I think we have to find Mr. Minerva first,"
Emma said.


"Did you find anything regarding Mr. Minerva?"
Gilda asked.


"Yup!"
"We found this,"
Ray showed us a letter.


"A letter?"
I asked, and he gave it to me.


"Yeah. it was in that old manuscript,"
Ray told me.


I scanned the letter, and read it aloud.
"Congratulations on your arrival. I'm sorry I cannot celebrate it with you in person. This shelter is yours.
However, if you strive for more... more than a safe place to live...
Bring your pen and come here. AO8-63,
William Minerva."


"This is..."
"The handwriting was the same as the message in the pen."
Emma said.


"So "More than a safe place to live" is the human world?"
Gilda asked me.


"Most likely, I don't doubt it,"
I smiled.


"You think Mr. Minerva's at AO6-63?"
Don asked.


"Dunno,"
Ray responded.


"And we don't know how many years ago that letter was written. But after we go through the materials in the reference room... Emma and I are planning to go to AO8-63,"
Ray said.


"But what about us?!"
Gilda, Nat, and Lanni exclaimed.
I sighed.


"I want you guys to stay here and take care of them,"
Emma said.


"And we also have a different favor to ask,"
Ray added.


"But... you shouldn't act together on this one. You get it, don't you?"
Don exclaimed.


"You're concerned about the poachers."
Anna said.


"Yeah. This shelter is safe. The demons haven't found out about it. And the old geezer's been living here for 13 years,"
Ray stated.


"But his group is annihilated. Them. Poachers. Unless they had a fight among themselves... it was caused by an outside source,"
Emma continued.


"And the old geezer did say he looked for Minerva. This trip is that dangerous. We shouldn't all go if we want to survive,"
Ray said.


He had a point... but I wished he could take me along.
This whole thing wouldn't be possible if I wasn't here.
Or so I keep telling myself.


"But it's dangerous for you guys too!"
Don fought back.


"Of course it's dangerous for us. But we have no intention of dying,"
Ray replied.


Lanni and Thoma made unsure faces.
"I swear it, guys. And it's not going to be just the two of us. We're newbie weaklings, after all. So we're going to ask our experienced upperclassman to help,"
Ray said.


{ Gah... so I'm going to be bored with no one to bother?! }


"Huh?"
"Do you mean.."


"You're kidding, right?"
Yuu- our upperclassman slammed open the doors. Chris looked at him the shrieked and the kids ran away,
"Hey there."


I caught Chris and picked him up.


"We've been waiting for you. Good morning, sir,"
Emma said.


I narrowed my eyes at the man,
Something... he was holding something in his hand.


"Let's make a deal."


~


Norman's POV
(Bet ya didn't expect this, huh?)


I look at the photo in my hand and smile.
It was a simple picture of her and I.
How could that make me so happy...?


I wish to see her again...
In this life or another.


Or at least Ray or Emma.
But...


I regret not telling her sooner.
When it was a perfect time...
I was such a coward back then,
afraid of my own feelings.


So I tried to hide them,
and ignore her in the process.


What a horrible process that was.
It only hurt her.


Y/n... I love you.
I truly do.


~


4.25.2020
Word Count: 1143

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