"Not that!" the father exclaimed as Shun sat in the shotgun seat.
Shun turned his head. 'What's up?'
"Baa."
The father wore a stupefied look—confused and curious mixed.
Shun couldn't care less about his reaction and shifted his eyes to the map, noticing some spots circled in red. He determined these must be the other routes the father was planning to take.
With a glance, he guessed where they might be according to the road they'd taken.
As a hunter, it was crucial to stay alert to one's surroundings, so the entire time they were cruising, Shun remembered the curves and turns they took.
Following that, he managed to figure out where they were. On the map, a straight path was drawn.
Down from this path was a town, and opposite was a junction.
This junction connected to the spots the father had marked, leading to the town but varying in travel time.
One of the most viable, yet shortest routes took up to two hours compared to the other routes, which took five or more—but was the safest.
But there was a more pressing matter. He noticed the presence slowly getting closer.
The car was made in the early 1920s; everything looked different.
There was no shifting gearstick, but two different levers on the left side of the driver's seat and three pedals below.
With little knowledge of technology from this era—and not wanting to make the situation worse—Shun simply pointed his hoof at the pedal and the lever.
"Baa!"
The father looked at him with astonishment. His eyes flashed with intrigue, and he fell silent. Shun wasn't sure what was going through the man's mind, but if he saw a sheep pointing its hoof at the pedal and lever, he'd also be curious and want to find out what was wrong with this sheep.
The father then realized something.
"Are you trying to tell me something?"
As soon as he asked, Shun caught a glimpse of someone emerging from the bushes, pulling out a gun.
Shun didn't waste time and headbutted the father. His head jolted back, and a grunt of pain escaped his mouth.
At the same time, Shun predicted the bullet's trajectory and shifted his posture midair.
The ambusher pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A bullet flew between Shun and the father, cracking the front window before exiting through the back.
Quickly realizing the danger, the father ignored the pain in his forehead and hastily took cover below the steering wheel.
"Katherine, get down. Whoever gets up first loses!"
"Okay!"
Katherine lay down with a big grin.
The father immediately crushed the clutch pedal as his right hand slammed the gear lever into reverse.
He pressed the accelerator, and the car shot backward. He turned it to the right, and before it had even stopped skidding, he smashed the clutch again, yanked the lever into first gear, and gave the engine a sharp rev. The motor roared, and the car shot forward.
The ambusher kept shooting, hitting the body but never the vital gears. The father peeked as he drove and managed to stay on the road despite limited visibility. The gunshots gradually died away, leaving only the roar of the engine and the rough sound of rubber against gravel.
"Is it over?" The father crept his head up, scrutinized the situation, and, after determining it was safe, heaved a sigh of relief.
That's mad skill, Shun commended inwardly. He believed if the father had been a second late, they'd be corpses.
The father then turned his eyes to Shun. The gaze lingered for a short while before the man flashed him a thankful smile and a respectful, light nod.
"My sincerest thanks."
'I should say the same thing.'
"Baa."
Silence befell them as the two creatures seemed to recognize each other.
"Haha! I won!" Her voice abruptly broke the silence. She propped herself up and leaned toward her dad. "Dad, I won!"
"Good girl!" The father softly rubbed her hair, then retracted his hand to the steering wheel. "But don't be happy yet, this father of yours will win."
She responded with a happy hum.
"Okay! But after that win…" She spread her ten fingers and curled them one by one, counting in a low whisper.
Finally, she declared, "I've won ninety-nine times out of ninety-nine games!"
"You're truly undefeated, but remember—"
"Yesh, yesh. There's always a bigger fish, and I can lose." She continued the line with a slightly tired tone.
"That's my daughter!"
After which, the girl yawned and stretched her body. Her gaze lingered on Shun for a long while before she went to the shotgun seat through the gap between the seats.
Naturally, with the lever there, it distracted her father.
"Katherine, careful!" The father was surprised and reached out his hand just before Katherine, stopping her from advancing.
She halted. The father heaved a sigh of relief and pulled over slowly before coming to a halt. The brakes screeched.
He then carried her by the armpits and placed her next to Shun.
Quickly afterward, her hands wrapped around Shun like he was a pillow. But despite her tiny, fragile-looking hands, her grip carried immense strength.
His lungs felt crushed together, airways struggling.
Missy, I won't go anywhere!
"Baa!"
As if understanding his words, she relaxed her grip, giving him space. Shun gulped air and breathed naturally again as the father kept his eyes on him.
"I don't know what you are, or what your purpose is," the man finally said, "but I'm grateful for what you did earlier."
He's figured me out, Shun thought, accepting it. Trying to prove he was just an ordinary sheep would be meaningless. The man seemed smart enough that he doubted he could fool him anyway.
The man didn't wait for a response as he continued driving.
Only the hum of the engine and Katherine's soft breathing filled the silence.
The man glanced at Katherine and revealed a soft smile.
"It's been a while," he suddenly said. "I haven't been able to go home recently, you know. I always miss her bedtime. When I do get home, though, she's always playing."
His words lacked context, and Shun pieced them together with a frown. It didn't take long before it made sense.
His words became clear when Shun inferred the man only returned in the late morning or early evening—times when children were most active.
"I tried to balance my personal work and life. But in this field, that's a luxury.
"Oh, you probably don't know what I do. I'm a scientist."
Okay.
"Baa."
"You know, it's crazy when I think about it. Totally insane that I'm still here."
I have no idea what you're talking about, Shun said to himself, feeling too lazy to listen.
"Between you and me, I survived the Eclipse on the New Continent." He said it casually, with no weight or burden.
Perhaps he was speaking so directly because he was talking to an animal that wouldn't judge him.
Then he paused.
Something slowly seeped into his heart. His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his expression carved with regret and grief. "Damn it. They were good people too. They didn't deserve to die like that."
His expression abruptly changed—steeled with cold resolve. "But I couldn't possibly make that decision in exchange for their lives."
Shun processed his cryptic words, trying to decipher them.
According to the man, he and Katherine had been there when the Eclipse happened, but both survived thanks to a certain decision he had made—one that may have caused the Eclipse or allowed them to escape it.
Following that line of thought, it was only natural for Shun to look at the man with wariness and ask himself, What kind of decision did this man make?
As soon as the question surfaced, the man glanced at Shun and sighed. "Don't give me that look. I don't know about you, but I think anyone would do the same."
He paused for a few long moments, then continued.
"No one will sacrifice their daughter for anything, not even the lives of innocent people."