Chapter 239:more worries.
Silver nodded.
"I know."
"That doesn’t make sense."
Silver couldn’t disagree. That could mean they were desperate, or it could mean they already had enough powerful people to handle the dangerous parts.
Or... Silver’s expression became slightly more serious.
"It could be a trap."
Ravenna looked at him.
"That’s what I was thinking."
"We’ll find out."
"You still want to go."
"Yes."
She sighed.
"Of course you do, I can’t convince you otherwise."
Silver smiled.
"The stone is worth it."
Ravenna shook her head.
"You really are greedy."
"Only when it comes to things that can help us."
She smiled slightly.
"At least you’re honest."
Silver looked at the mission again.
"There’s another reason."
"What?"
"If Dillain eventually gets the stone..."
Ravenna understood.
"It could become part of what makes him stronger."
"...and you don’t want him getting it."
Silver shook his head.
"Partly but mostly, I don’t want to take something from him simply because he’s the protagonist." He paused. "But if the opportunity is there..."
His expression hardened.
"...I’m taking it."
Ravenna stared at him, then she smiled.
"Good go for it."
Silver looked at her.
"Good?"
"I’d rather have you be honest about it." She stepped closer. "You’re not doing this because you hate Dillain."
"No, he hasn’t done anything that is worth me hating, well except for Cruella."
"Then because you want to make sure we have the resources to survive."
"Yes."
"Then I don’t have a problem even though it’s still hard for me to come into terms with it. If I could I would have locked you up in the hotel room to make sure you never left."
Silver smiled.
"Thank you... I guess."
Ravenna lightly bumped her shoulder against his.
"Don’t thank me yet."
"Why?"
"If we nearly die, I’m blaming you."
Silver laughed.
"Fair."
They remained in the Association for a while longer. Silver wanted to gather as much information as possible. He pulled up the mission description again.
The expedition would leave at five. The meeting point was outside one of the Association’s eastern gates. The group would travel by convoy until reaching the outer Yellow Zone. From there, they would continue toward Death Row Valley.
The mission itself involved searching for several rare materials. The expedition leader had already secured the necessary permits.
That part was reassuring, since the Association wouldn’t normally allow a group to wander freely near the Red Zone without authorization.
Ravenna read through the details.
"At least they’re registered."
"That’s good, we could get help from the Association if we’re stranded."
"They’re also supplying some equipment, medical supplies, emergency flares, and communication devices."
Silver nodded.
"That makes me feel better."
Ravenna looked at the estimated duration.
"Five days."
"Maybe longer, if something happens. I just hope nothing happens."
Silver memorized the important details, then they finally left the mission board. They walked through the Association’s lobby hand in hand.
Neither spoke for several minutes. Once they stepped outside, the noise of the sanctuary returned.
Ravenna looked up at the buildings.
"We should buy supplies." She looked at him. "Anything else you have in mind except for the basics?"
Silver thought.
"Something for the car."
"Our car is fine."
"It’s always better to have more spare parts."
She sighed.
"You’ve become paranoid."
"I’ve become alive, and I love my baby. It has taken us on quite the ride around. Yhe deeper parts of the Yellow zone might prove to be worse than imagine. I don’t want us getting stranded."
Ravenna smiled.
"Fair."
They began walking toward the commercial district. The afternoon was already moving toward evening. They had several hours before they needed to sleep.
Five in the morning meant they couldn’t afford to stay awake late. They would need to prepare everything by tonight.
As they walked, Silver couldn’t stop thinking about the future. He knew how significant the stone had been, and now... Silver had the chance to take it before Dillain ever saw it.
The thought made him strangely excited, but there was also something else. He knew that Death Row Valley had been the beginning of several important events.
Dillain’s group had encountered more than just the stone. They had met people there, fought beasts, discovered information, and eventually gained connections that would shape their future.
If Silver entered that place first, he might alter far more than one item. He might change the entire chain of events.
Ravenna noticed his silence.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How much this might change."
"The mission?"
"The story."
Ravenna nodded.
"You’ve already changed it."
"I know."
"So stop worrying about it."
Silver looked at her.
"How? I can’t help but worry. We’re living variables"
She smiled.
"Because you’re not living in a book anymore."
Silver’s expression softened.
"You’re right, this is our life."
"Yeah."
"And if the future changes?"
"We deal with it."
Silver smiled.
"You’re becoming very good at this."
"At what?"
"Making me stop overthinking things."
Ravenna laughed.
"Someone has to."
They continued toward the shops. They purchased extra ammunition and several basic medical supplies.
Silver also bought additional food. They already had enough, but the expedition could last longer than expected.
Ravenna insisted on buying some sweets, and Silver didn’t argue. Eventually, they returned to the hotel.
The sun was already beginning to lower. They placed their new supplies inside their room.
Silver checked everything twice.
Ravenna watched him.
"You’re nervous."
"A little."
Ravenna smiled.
"That’s good."
Silver looked at her.
"It means you’re not stupid and reckless."
He laughed. She walked over and rested her head against his shoulder.
"We’ll be fine."
Silver looked down at her.
"You sound confident."
"I trust you."
That simple sentence hit him harder than she probably realized. Silver wrapped an arm around her.
"I won’t let anything happen to you."
Ravenna smiled.
"I know."
For a while, they simply stood there. Neither wanted to think about tomorrow, but eventually, Ravenna spoke.
"What if we get separated?"
Silver looked at her.
"During the expedition?"
"Yes."
"Why are you thinking about that?"
"Because it might happen, we’re going to an extremely high risk area." Ravenna looked down. "I don’t like it."
Silver’s expression softened.
"We’ll stay together."
"And if something happens?"
"I’ll find you."
"You can’t promise that."
"I can."
Ravenna looked at him. Silver’s voice was quiet.
"I don’t care how dangerous it gets." He tightened his arm around her. "If we get separated, I’ll come looking for you."
Ravenna stared at him.
"You really mean that."
"Of course."
She smiled.
"Then I’ll do the same."
Silver nodded.
"Deal."
They continued walking towards the hotel, as evening started to fully blanket the sanctuary.