We headed toward the western ward of the city. The buildings grew smaller and smaller, and the number of automatons began to dwindle. Eventually, we reached a valley—filled with ceiling fans and towering windmills that stood like trees, of the vast expanse.
We drove over dirt and rocks.
This was what the AI had told us about… but why here?
Then I saw it—an outpost of humans. The structures were handmade and rough. A few people, dressed in worn-out uniforms like bandits, stood beside an old makeshift fence. It surrounded one of the windmill towers, patched together with planks, steel, and parts from buildings.
Yoku stopped the Kettenkrad.
Finally… for the first time, humans.
"Adam, what do we do? I don't think they're friendly," Yoku whispered.
Man… there has to be a way. Should I trust them? They don't seem friendly. And worse—we don't have any weapons. If they shoot, it's over.
Then, a sudden shout—"Survivors!"
They were… happy? Extremely happy. Not what you'd expect in a post-apocalyptic world. They surrounded us, smiling and cheering.
One person stepped forward, holding a weapon."It's been a long time since we've seen survivors here. Come in!"
Weird. In manga, this would go differently.
We entered the town. It was clearly built by hand, with makeshift materials—concrete, wood, steel, tile roofs, even corrugated sheets. Lantern towers lined the pavement. The place felt… nomadic.
Children wore surprisingly clean clothes. Adults were busy crafting weapons and transporting cargo.Still… some eyes stared with jealousy at the Kettenkrad.
"Psst, where did you come from?" a soldier guiding us asked.
They seemed normal, I guess.
"We're from the lower stratum," I replied.
"Wait, what? You're not from the north? I heard that place was almost wiped out! So you're not doctors…? Wait a minute—follow me. And welcome to Verwüste Stadt, the last human settlement… at least on this stratum."
He looked young, though patches of white on his head hinted at stress.
Silence. Just the buzzing of old lights.
"This is all that's left for us. We're planning to rebuild the city."
Adam looked down. Liar… this has to be a lie. Something like this? How would they…?But maybe I'm just being cautious. Humans adapt. It's what they do.
We were taken into a large hall—at least that's what it seemed to be.
Is this a trap? I thought. I've come this far… I can't back out now. They have guns. I had no choice but to follow.
An old man waited inside. He had only three fingers on his right hand, and a blind white eye. on the left side on his face"So, did you really come from the lower stratum? It's been centuries since that gate opened."
He stared straight into my eyes, calm… like he was reading my soul.
What is he doing? Testing me? Picking on me?Robots were always straightforward. Not like Yoku… humans always wear two faces.
I hated the people from my world—liars, backstabbers, rats waiting for the right moment, ignorant of growth. I forced myself to calm down.
"Yeah. We came from the lower stratum."
"I see." He smiled."There should be room for you all in this settlement."
Yuri looked around, smiling."What do you think, Adam? Should we stay here for a bit?"
The old man encouraged us."I am Elben, the lord of this settlement. I created it. My purpose is to rebuild this city."
"How about living here? We'll do our best to give you the life you want… just for a bit of work."
Sigh. I hated how people always pushed for quick decisions.
"We'll think about it. Thank you, Sir Elben."
So he's the mayor or lord, huh… interesting.
We rested for a bit. The place used a barter-like system—gears and food as currency. No gold, no gems. Instead, they traded energy: battery packs, converters, transformers.
At least there were no starving children, no homeless. That was rare—even on Earth, in kingdoms or cities, someone was always left behind, poverty always come when theres people as a society
Later, Adam met with Yoku and Yuri.
"Sigh… this place is cramped and dirty. Are there even sanitary spots around? It's nothing like Rixton," Yoku complained.
Well, it's not like you can expect a clean, permanent settlement in a desolate world.Still, How did Girls' First Travel Manga come—they NEVER explored those issues. How did they handle sanitation anyway?
"Well, the ancient machinery still works, so buildings are operational," Yuri muttered."I can't live in a place with no toilets, Adam. Hahh thankfully the lower stratum of the ancient buildings still operating i would have gone crazy" Yoku save me
"We'll leave after a few weeks."
In the evening, the kids played outside.
Kineki and Mino joined in, surrounded by old instruments and scrap toys—half a piano, a broken guitar, steel and wood contraptions, even an old calculator.
One of the children approached.
"I'm Hokki."He had short hair with a red tint—painted, not natural. One glove on his right hand, boots, long pants, and a shirt way too big for him.
"So, you came from the lower stratum? Are those your parents? Why does that white-haired girl have metal on her hand? Is she a robot?"
Kineki and Mino stayed silent—until Kineki spoke up.
"No… they found us. We're from the northern stratum."
A girl with short hair gasped."Wait—the settlement the old folks came from? That was destroyed by monsters! So… those aren't your parents?"
Silence again.
Then a boy smiled."Hey, I don't have parents either. Who cares?"
And just like that, they played together for hours, until the sun sets, the color of the sky overlapping with orange