Eight kilometres of winding dirt roads separated Lagner and Ganurg. Horse-drawn carriages moved to and fro, transporting goods and people. Ralf was currently at the back of one of these carriages. His dashing form was flagged down by a passing fruit seller, who offered him a ride to Ganurg.
Ralf wanted to reject at first, the journey was perfect to test his body's physical stats after all, but after hearing the fruit seller's words stating that these roads were known to be dangerous, that rogues were known to hide in the surrounding forestry and attack and rob travellers moving along these paths, Ralf decided to accept the fruit seller's offer. He wanted no further complications.
Now, chin cupped, he leisurely took in the passing scenery. ‘Oh, almost there,’ he thought as his eyes spotted the wooden tower. At this moment, he felt a strange but familiar sensation prod at him.
‘This should be enough.’ Thinking this, Ralf allowed the connection to be established.
[[-ah Ralf, I’m sorry.]]
[[…]]
Ralf stayed silent. This lasted for several seconds. [[Words aren’t enough. It was really unpleasant, you know.]]
Rei sighed. [[How do I make amends then?]]
[[A favour. You owe me one. Agree to that, and I’ll forgive you.]]
[[Nothing weird?]]
[[Nothing weird.]]
Rei sighed once again. [[Fine, very well. I agree.]]
Ralf’s eyes lit up at these words. ‘Fell for it, excellent.’ After adjusting himself, he said, [[Okay, I’ll bring you up to speed.]]
He filled Rei in about the conversation he had with his mother
[[Hmm, I see. That’s good to know. We have a forced checkmate sequence, that’s reassuring.]]
[[I mentioned it, but that should be our last resort.]]
[[You’re that eager to do it yourself?]]
[[I am, but that’s not the main reason. There’s an Adventurer Association branch in Ganurg. If we use their communication network, I’m sure we could get Micheal’s attention. He will definitely come to find out what my power is. With his aid, the Red Star can easily be crushed. It’s the equivalent of a level 99 character trashing newbies. But there’s a catch. Just as Micheal has his ear to the grapevine, so do others. Should we try contacting him, they’ll be attracted as well, and they’re far above the level we can handle ourselves, especially Dimitri and the Shadow Ravens. So, unless we’re forced to, we shouldn’t try to contact Micheal, at least not with this method. Worse comes to worst, we’ll wait two months for him or his companions to show up.]]
[[I see.]]
Next, the two discussed money-making schemes. Their initial thoughts were to sell their ideas to a merchant. They had plenty of ‘original’ inventions and products in mind. But they wouldn’t just sell it to anyone or anywhere, first, they had to identify a money sink. Ralf’s decision to head to Ganurg was made to clear this condition. The Adventurer town was the most prosperous settlement in Lagner's immediate surroundings. Unlike Lagner, a lot of money could be made if one seized the right opportunity. The transmigrator duo was in search of such an opportunity…but not single-mindedly.
To just consider a single ‘line’ was impossible for the duo. Their minds were constantly swimming with possibilities and juggling considerations.
For instance, the month limit Rei had given Jeremy wasn't simply about collecting the gold. If it was strictly for this purpose, he would have given a much shorter time frame. Rather, the main purpose behind such a lengthy deadline was to allow them to exit their Consolidation Phase and allow them enough time to train and master their newly awakened Telekinetic powers. Thoughts of using the Mental Space to accelerate the process had passed through the duo’s heads even before Turner showed up.
How strong they'd become in this time span was an unknown. If they judged that their personal strength was sufficient, they’d deal with the Red Star themselves. If they assessed that it was not, they’d just wait for Micheal or his companion to show up.
Either way, the situation would be resolved. The Red Star would be crushed. Though, while the outcome was the same, the duo had a definite preference as Ralf’s next words made clear.
[[The others can be jailed or whatever, but Turner…he’s dead.]]
When Ralf thought of the reality he would have woken up to if he awoke a few days later, his face turned grim and killing intent began swirling in his eyes.
[[For that trash to have thoughts of my mother and even attempt to defile her…he must die.]]
Ralf was dead set on this outcome. His mother was his most beloved person. To wrong her in any way would garner his wrath and hatred. She was his reverse scale.
[[The sky is blue, water is wet, milkshakes are delicious…there’s no need to state the obvious,]] Rei responded, fully supportive of his other self's intentions.
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[[Ah, you’re right.]]
Milkshake in hand, Rei nodded. [[Also, retract your aura. It's affecting the driver.]]
[[Oh right.]] Ralf reined in the mental signal emission, allowing the driver and the horses to breathe easy again.
[[This aura thing is wonky. We’ll need to practice this, I don’t want to accidentally harm mom,]] Ralf said.
[[Yeah, she was caught up in it earlier. We must avoid a repeat. A weak but controllable tool is better than a powerful but uncontrollable one.]]
Ralf nodded.
The two chatted all the way to Ganurg.
[[Circular and surrounded by high walls, one more settlement and we’ll have a pattern.]]
Rei thought as he took in Ganurg.
Ralf shook his head. [[There’s no need for a third entry, it's a pattern. It's a design from the Dark Era, when humanity was constantly beset by monster attacks. It’s not common in modern times, still many places employ this design as a last resort, especially in backwards places like Zudrad.]]
[[Hm, I see.]]
With Lagner on his mind, he compared it to the sight before him.
Ganurg was five kilometres in diameter. If Lagner gave off a woody feel, Ganurg gave off a stony one. The streets were made of grey tiles. Many different buildings could be seen making up the landscape.
One, in particular, stood out. Reading the sign, Rei understood that this was the Adventurer Association Ralf spoke about. But even without this sign, Rei would have no trouble identifying it.
‘That must be the telepathic network,’ he thought as he followed the blue threads up. Sprouting from the building, it extended to the horizon and beyond, making up a small part of the worldwide telepathic network under the Pillar faction's control.
Rei was enthralled by the sight. ‘Information travelling back and forth, how cool,’ he thought as he watched the blue lines flicker repeatedly.
[[Ralf, you wanted to be an Adventurer, right. Let's make a stop at the branch.]]
[[Huh, I thought you wanted to avoid stating the obvious?]]
Rei’s lips curled up. [[Of course of course, my bad.]]
Along with the carriage, the duo entered Ganurg without trouble.
Hopping off, Ralf turned back. “Thanks for the ride, Joel. I’ll definitely return the favour in time.”
Joel smiled. “No need sonny. Just doing my part. Good luck with your money-making scheme. May Raiken’s light shine on you. If you need a lift back, I’ll be heading that way at 5 sharp. Just come to this spot, okay. Don’t try running back yourself.”
Joel parted with these words, his carriage moving to the marketplace located at the centre of the Adventurer town.
[[The world is filled with all sorts,]] Rei mused as he watched the driver drift away.
[[Yeah.]]
Lingering on the fruit seller for a few seconds more, Ralf did a sharp turn. His face scrunched up as he regretted not having a coat that would flap in that instant. A few seconds later, he pulled himself together and declared.
[[Mission start.]]
At these words, he set off.