Chapter 9: Cloud’s Family Home

"This is my family home," Cloud said, guiding me to the door of a standalone house.

"It would be awkward if I just barged in, so go ahead and greet your mother first. Take your time and explain things properly. Don't feel like you have to rush me inside just to be polite."

From a mother's perspective, her son—who had suddenly vanished from the village—was returning for the first time in a year. Furthermore, he was arriving unannounced. It would be strange for me to appear out of nowhere and start explaining things; Cloud needed to handle his own business properly.

Well, he is a devoted son. I already knew he’d been sending his salary back home. This change in him was likely because he no longer felt a sense of spiritual debt toward his hometown—or rather, toward his mother and his childhood friend, Tifa. In the original timeline, despite leaving for the capital with big dreams, he had ended up wasting time, failing to become anyone of note. But the current Cloud has seen his hard work bear fruit, carving out a solid position for himself within the corporate structure of Shinra.

As a mother, she must be proud of him. It wouldn't hurt to grant them a little private time together. In the game, she probably didn't think that their reunion after two years would be their final farewell. Knowing everything as I do, I felt a slight pang in my chest.

I suppose I died from overwork in my past life, too. They say you never know when you’re going to die, but you never actually think about it while you're still alive. Perhaps I, having died once and been given a second chance at life, am happy regardless of the form it takes. If so, I have enough room in my life as Scarlet to be a little meddlesome toward these young people.

Seriously, "black companies" are the worst. I had zero mental leeway back then. Shinra has its own incredibly dark side, but the scale and the direction are entirely different, so I choose not to think about that right now.

"Director Scarlet, I’ve finished explaining things to my mother. Please, come inside."

Oh? I was so lost in thought that he’d already finished. It seems my mind tripped down memory lane while thinking about this kid I’ve grown fond of and my previous life. Thinking too much about my old company is bad for my health. If I ever met my old boss or that faceless CEO in this world, I’d design an Advanced Weapon specifically for them and use them as live testers. No, I wouldn't end it quickly; I’d have them inhale low-toxicity gas indefinitely, making them writhe in agony. Of course, they’d be strapped to a chair with handcuffs, leaving their necks and legs free to struggle.

"Excuse me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Claudia. I am Scarlet, the Head of the Advanced Weaponry Division at the Shinra Company, and Cloud’s supervisor."

Oops, I almost let my mind go "dark" thinking about my old job. The first rule of survival for a working adult: greetings come first! A polite greeting and a bright smile. If you can do that, you can pass anywhere and rarely fail. It’s simple, easy, and highly effective—at least, it’s how I maintained a good reputation with people outside the company in my past life.

"Thank you for looking after Cloud. Please, we don't have much to offer, but do come in."

Cloud’s mother bowed politely and welcomed me into the house.

I gave a brief self-introduction and explained that since Cloud’s homecoming was part of an official mission, I’d like her to keep it as quiet as possible. She agreed readily, much to my relief. If anything, she went into full "Mother Mode," saying things like, "Please continue to look after him," and "I hope my son isn't being a nuisance," which made Cloud look quite embarrassed.

I get it, Cloud. It’s embarrassing when your mom starts chatting up your boss. I feel for you, but I also understand your mother’s feelings. In a way, she’s just worried about her son, who left home so abruptly and seemed a bit unstable. Even if she hears things through letters, it’s all Cloud’s own account. Even in the Advanced Weaponry Division, one mistake could lead to a serious injury. After all, even though I hired him as a tester, and I did send him to the Wutai War.

Unlike the peaceful Japan of my original world, people here feel the threat of monsters as a daily reality. In rural areas like Nibelheim, accidental deaths caused by monsters aren't uncommon. The fact that Shinra was at war with Wutai was a reality until just recently. Knowing her son was on the front lines, risking his life, her worries must be endless.

As a mother, she’s proud that her son chose an honorable profession and is recognized by the company, but her concern is a separate issue. All a mother who has decided to support her son's path can do is plead with the supervisor she happens to meet.

I told her how incredibly talented her son is and how he’s indispensable to my division. I even said he’s the one helping me out—and honestly, that’s the truth, not just flattery.

He’s about to handle a monumental task that will save both the Planet and my future; I can’t afford to leave his mother with a bad impression. If she doesn't keep supporting his dreams, I’m the one who'll be in trouble. It’s selfish, but I’ll make sure things don't go badly for Cloud, so please... let some of that luck rub off on my life!!

Inside, I was desperate, but I didn't let it show. I kept up the talk about how "Cloud is so talented" with a straight face. Scarlet certainly has thick skin. Well, when you’re in management, your skin naturally thickens.

I’m back at my family home after a long time to see my mother. Seeing her after a year, she was surprised, but she gave me a tight hug and a simple "Welcome home."

I had told her in my letters that I didn't make it into SOLDIER, but that I was being looked after in the Advanced Weaponry Division, working as a tester for weapons and equipment. However, it seems my last letter reached her, and it made her anxious. She was worried that I had ended up going to the Wutai War and had even become a squad leader.

To keep her from worrying, I wrote that my supervisor was a good person and that I had a senior colleague I’d become friends with, but she scolded me, saying that was a separate matter.

Being scolded by my mother isn't so bad. I didn't enjoy it when I was younger, but now I understand she only nags because she’s thinking of me. Director Scarlet doesn't scold me unreasonably either, but she does get angry every time I overtrain or take risks without valuing my own safety. Unlike my mother, the Director is logical, her tone is sharp, and her eyes and voice are terrifying when she glares at me—but I can still tell she says it because she cares about me.

I wonder if this is what it means to enter society.

"I’ll have to give a proper greeting to your supervisor, Miss Scarlet, eventually."

"About that, Mom... actually, she's in the village right now on a mission."

When I told her I had left the Director waiting outside, I got scolded again.

After that, Director Scarlet came inside to talk to my mother, but honestly, I felt the urge to just disappear from the room. My mother was over-worried, bowing her head and asking the Director to look after me. The Director, trying to put her at ease, talked about how I was the ace of my unit and had no problems with my work.

My mother probably doesn't realize it, but due to the nature of the Advanced Weaponry Division, there's a limit to what can be disclosed; sometimes the information is even more classified than that of SOLDIER. Of course, she couldn't talk about the details of the Wutai War, but she shared what she could, like stories about Zack, who looks after me.

My mother was purely worried, and Director Scarlet spent the whole time praising me to counter that worry. If I could, I’d have crawled under the covers of my bed immediately, but I couldn't do that in front of my esteemed supervisor. My mind was more exhausted than it usually is after training with Zack.

Eventually, as my mother felt more relieved by the stories, the conversation shifted into "small talk," and she began asking all sorts of questions, which the Director answered politely. I was completely left out of the loop; I could only pray for Tseng to knock on the door soon.

The talk moved away from classified matters or my job description. It shifted to my private life—whether I was eating properly, if I’d made friends, or if I had a girlfriend.

I eat properly at the employee cafeteria, and I even test out the nutritional snacks SOLDIERs eat between training sessions. I don't have any peers I’d call "friends" yet, but Director Scarlet gave her personal guarantee that my senior, Zack, is basically a friend already. As for a girlfriend, she let it slip that while there are no girls my age in Advanced Weaponry, I apparently have a "Fan Club" and am quite popular among the female employees.

"Ara, Cloud, you're quite the heartbreaker. Just like your father."

"Not interested."

I’ve finished a round of the village, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. The Shinra employees stationed here don't seem to have any major friction with the villagers, though they don't seem to interact much either.

In particular, the reputation of the Science Department staff isn't great. Since they’re close by yet no one knows what they’re actually doing, the villagers don't know how to bridge the distance.

In contrast, the employees from the Urban Development Division, who stop by occasionally to maintain the Mako Reactor, seem to get along better with the locals. It feels like the personalities of the respective Department Heads are being reflected here. Since the Reactor on Mt. Nibel supplies part of its electricity to this village, its presence is viewed favorably. It’s a relief to see the people maintaining it are also welcomed.

"Whoa, are you from Shinra, mister?"

"Yes. I happened to be nearby for work and stopped by to check on my colleagues working here."

"That’s so cool! A big company like Shinra lets you travel all over, huh? My friends all end up going to Midgar looking for work."

On my way to Cloud’s house, a girl coming out of the neighboring house struck up a conversation. Could this be the childhood friend Cloud mentioned? Talking to her for a bit, she mentioned she works as a guide for Mt. Nibel, where the Mako Reactor is located. As I spoke with her longer to gather information, the conversation naturally turned toward Shinra and Midgar.

She’s at that age; it’s natural to long for the city, and she likely feels lonely as her peers leave the village in search of work. It’s no exaggeration to say she holds a sort of fantasy about the city, especially with a childhood friend having found such success. When you're young, you want to test your potential and possess a certain groundless confidence.

I wanted to ask about Cloud, but prying too much might interfere with the current mission. I weighed the risks and returns in my head; I should only gather what I can easily find regarding Cloud's background. For now, our priority is recovering the data held by the Science Department in the Shinra Manor.

As we chatted, she excused herself, saying she had to go check the conditions on Mt. Nibel for her guiding work. She’s energetic, and from the look of it, she has some training in the martial arts. Her legs and core are solid from guiding people up steep mountain paths; if she were taught the basics of combat, she might even make it in the Turks.

Every year, infantrymen and SOLDIER candidates join from the Shinra Military Academy, but few can pass through the gates of the Turks. If she had entered the academy, she might have earned a martial arts emblem...

"Wait, I’m overthinking things. I should regroup with Director Scarlet soon."

The Public Security Division's PR activities must be going well since Vice President Rufus took charge; the number of applicants is reportedly increasing. Between Cloud joining Advanced Weaponry and this, I never thought we’d be competing with departments other than Public Security for talented personnel.

While the number of Turks has increased lately, considering the workload we carry, I can't help but want more people. The Vice President seems to be looking toward increasing our numbers in the future; perhaps it would be wise to train talented youths while they're still young.

"Maybe I should ask Chief Verdot to request a dedicated training simulator for the Turks..."