As they drove on the road, the old man Albert's inquisitive nature couldn't be contained any longer. "Hey, young man," he began, leaning towards Souta who was driving. "I've been meaning to ask, how did you get your powers?"
Yuki, who was sitting beside Souta, couldn't help but to glare at Albert where Yuki still don't trust.
"Well, I also don't know," Souta replied, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Why?" Albert pressed on, undeterred.
Souta sighed, "I don't really care about how I got them, to be honest. My focus is on gathering as many talented survivors as possible."
"Ah, so you're like a talent scout?" Albert chuckled.
"You could say that," Souta replied with a smirk. "But it's not just about finding people with extraordinary abilities. I want to train them, make them strong enough to survive in this harsh world."
"I see," Albert nodded, looking thoughtful. "But what do you want for them, deep down in your heart?"
Souta paused for a moment, as if considering the question carefully. "Honestly, I'm a bit of a selfish guy. I want them to be useful to me. As long as they can help me survive, I don't really care about anything else."
Yuki snorted, "Typical Souta."
"What do you mean?" Souta asked, turning to her.
"You always say you're a 'greedy man'," Yuki replied, rolling her eyes. "But I know deep down you care about us."
Souta smiled at her words, "Well, I won't deny that I do care about the people in our group. But don't tell anyone, it'll ruin my reputation."
Albert laughed at their banter, "You guys are quite a pair. I'm glad I joined you."
"We're glad to have you," Souta said sincerely. "You're a valuable asset to our group," Souta look back in the vehicle "Same goes for you two, Mimi and Emily well it's not like you can hear me" They are both busy, Emily is in the simulation capsule while Mimi is again making something for Souta but that details will be topic next time
And with that, they continued their journey, their bond growing stronger with each passing day.