"A bowl of medium-rare beef, something with fish, and a pint of apple juice, please." I sat at the table with the raven perched on my shoulder and made the order.
The waiter gave me a look, his brow furrowing in confusion. "We don't serve apple juice in a pint glass, sir."
I sighed, leaning back slightly, trying to be as cordial as possible. "I'll pay the cost of two cups' worth for the one pint. It'll save you from fetching more refills each time." I meant it to sound reasonable, but my voice—always too monotone—carried an edge of snark.
The waiter paused, clearly irritated, then sighed heavily. "Very well, customer. We'll charge you for two. Your food will be ready shortly." With that, he stormed off to the kitchen.
I turned my attention to Thorn, who had been silent up until now. "Did I sound rude?"
'You have an asshole voice. It never helps.' Thorn's mental voice was as blunt as ever. 'This is why I'm the talker and you're the diplomat.'
I muttered under my breath, "If only our roles could be reversed."
As if on cue, a new waiter approached, a glass of golden liquid in hand. She placed it gently on the table. "Here you go, sir."
I gave her a small nod of thanks, and she fled, eager to serve the other patrons.
Thorn's voice echoed in my mind again. 'If I were you and you were me, we'd be in no end of trouble. You need to realize that I never shut up. The only way to get a peep out of you is either confrontation or appealing to your endless curiosity.'
I took a long gulp of the apple juice, savouring the sweet yet tart taste as the liquid slid down my throat.
Midway through my drink, Thorn sighed. 'Your obsession with apples is disturbing.'
I set the glass down, leaving only a small amount. "It's better than your obsession with women's thighs," I teased, my lips curling into a grin. Thorn's presence in my mind buzzed with amusement. "We all have our indulgences, Thorn. The key is not letting them control us."
I took another sip, finishing the last of my drink just as the waitress returned. She seemed impressed by how quickly I had downed the pint. "That was... impressive. You really like this stuff, don't you?"
"I have my opinions on it." I grinned, watching her giggle as she made her way back to the kitchen.
Then, a heavy footstep echoed through the inn, and the sound of water dripping from soaked fabric drew everyone's attention. The door opened, and a man in a drenched coat stepped inside. He scanned the room with an air of quiet authority, locking eyes with me.
Thorn stirred, his voice coming through loud and clear in my mind. 'He's dangerous. Might not be a ninth ring sequencer but he's very close to it.'
The man approached and sat across from me without a word, his intense gaze never leaving my face.
'His eyes are piercing,' Thorn whispered. 'Do it back to him. You've got the scarier glare.'
I locked eyes with him, steady and unblinking. He didn't flinch.
"Here you go, sir." The waitress returned, her smile fading when she noticed the newcomer. She placed another pint of apple juice in front of me, but when she glanced at the man, he shook his head.
"No. Thank you." He dismissed her with a simple wave. As she left, the man remained silent, studying me. He broke the silence, leaning back slightly in his restaurant chair. "I didn't think you still existed. It's been a long time since anyone has seen you. Over 7,000 years, to be exact."
I raised an eyebrow and took another sip of my drink. "Needed to re-enter the game eventually, didn't I? But, well, if what you told Heru is true, then I can't just sit this one out." I paused, tapping my fingers on the table. "It's not my first time offering help to your kind in these situations. But it's the first time the
The man interlocked his fingers and leaned in, his gaze still unwavering, waiting for me to continue while remaining silent.
"You've been clever," I said, the words flowing easily. "Reaching out through my acquaintance, making sure to get my attention. But considering the current guardians of the
The man's expression softened, just a little. "I've always admired the work of your group—destructive and rampant, yet contained and efficient. Reaching out to you was the only way to save Idaten from the three gods' hubris."
I clicked my tongue, setting down my pint. "There were other ways to handle the Empyrean." I leaned forward, my voice dropping lower. "Even if it is a source of catastrophic energy. The way Idaten's justice lords are turning it into a power core for a platinum-grade AI is not just foolish, it's dangerously stupid. And planning to use it to assassinate three kralscell's? It's reckless."
The man's face darkened, and he lowered his gaze, a slight flush colouring his cheeks. He was embarrassed. Perhaps ashamed.
"The damage Empyreans have done isn't a secret," I continued, my voice even. "Other planets have pinned the blame on my group for stealing them to gain relief from the CGA. But using one as a power core for a robot? That's not just irresponsible. It's a disaster waiting to happen."
"The Crixixi tragedy," the man murmured, his voice pained. "I know. A lone pantheon tried to communicate with the Empyrean by building it a body. In the end, they were all killed. The Empyrean weaponized every bit of technology on the planet."
A heavy sigh left him as I took another sip of my apple juice. The conversation was getting more serious, and the weight of it hung between us.
"The CGA failed to contain the Empyrean before your group stole it. The arrogance of Idaten's gods blinds them to the consequences of their actions, just as the deities of Crixixi were blind. And now the most powerful forces across the universe have arrived on Idaten to foster peace. I won't let my home be buried under their pride."
I grinned, savouring the moment. "So, as agreed, my group will handle the Empyrean. After you send the relevant info to my acquaintance. But the next time we meet, it will be as enemies if you plan to stay on this planet."
He met my gaze with an animalistic intensity, his serpent-like eyes narrowing. "Before we finish, I have one question for you, Traveler."
I raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead."
"Where have you been for the last 7,000 years? Your infamy exploded after what happened on Revelation—after the death of the previous kralscell of adventure and the total annihilation of Zodiac's pantheon. The galaxy has been asking ever since."
I sat back, tapping my fingers on the pint glass. "Ah, the million-credit question. Where is [Traveler on a Journey]? What has he found? What is he looking for?" I took a long gulp of apple juice, slamming the glass back down onto the table just as thunder cracked loudly outside. "Mind your own fucking business," I muttered, my tone final.
The man stiffened, visibly unsettled by the timing of the thunder. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, and for a brief moment, I saw doubt flicker in his eyes.
The door opened again, and the waitress returned with our food. She placed two plates in front of us. "Enjoy."
I slid the bowl of beef toward Thorn, who wasted no time diving into the meal. As he devoured the food with his beak, then I pushed the fish toward the man. He stared at it for a long moment, eyeing me, before reluctantly picking up a knife and fork.
"Did you not order this for yourself?" He asked.
"I don't need to eat," I replied, "But I'm being a good host."
"Hmph," he muttered. "I guess some rumours about the Traveler being mad are true after all." He dug into the fish with a knife and fork, and I finished the last of my second pint of apple juice.
The waitress returned shortly after, her smile bright despite the tense atmosphere. "Everything alright? Can I get anything else?"
"Just the bill," I said, and she pulled out a triangular device to scan my payment. A silver rectangle appeared between my fingers, and I held it over the device. A 'ding' echoed through the room, confirming the transaction.
"Thank you for your patronage," the waitress chirped, skipping away happily. "The Rockwell hopes to see you again."
I stood, grabbing Thorn, who squawked in protest still trying to gulp down a whole beef steak. "Goodbye then, [Cryer of the Judged]. Hope you enjoyed your meal."
"Hey! I didn't finish!" Thorn protested, but I held him tightly in my hand, pinching his talons.
"I'll get you more food later. We've got more pressing matters now."
Escaping my hold, the ghostly raven dived into my chest, vanishing from existence with a quiet hiss. 'You bloody better get me more food later.'
The rain battered my shoulders immediately as I stepped outside the restaurant, soaking my legs, beanie, and jacket in an instant. I walked quickly, leaving the city outskirts behind me, heading toward the heart of the city. The towering buildings and skyscrapers slowly pierced the storm clouds above, their gleaming surfaces reflecting the storm's ferocity.
As I moved deeper into the city, the contrast between the residential district I had just left and the technological cityscape jungle ahead became stark. The streets, now flooded, carried the weight of the city's rapid technological shift. Neon signs buzzed above, and polished stone and metal buildings towered over me, replacing the cosy brick and wood houses of the suburbs.
The wind picked up, and the rain worsened as I pressed forward. Few residents braved the storm, rushing past me with their heads down, trash bins and floating signs whipped into the streets by the wind's fury.
I veered into an alley, walking against the force of the storm. The heavy rain began to lessen as I reached the narrow corridor, shielding myself from the gusts.
At the end of the alley, a door stood, framed in metal. I banged my wet fist against the door, the sound echoing faintly through the corridor. Moments later, I heard the familiar buzz of a lock disengaging. With a creak, the door swung open.
Inside, I was met by the sight of a mechanical man aiming an arm-mounted laser directly at me. "Code phrase," it demanded in a monotone robotic voice.
As I stepped inside, Thorn morphed out from my shoulder, his voice echoing in my mind, "Your iron pants can't stomach guacamole."
The robotic sentinel, momentarily puzzled by the raven's jeer, sighed deeply. The arm-mounted laser retracted into its housing with a soft hiss. "Strife, this is serious. Tell Thorn he can joke once the objective is complete."
"Relax, robo-knight," Thorn retorted, his tone dripping with mockery. "We've only been here for a day. No one's tracking us. We walked through hours of rain to get here, so the aether sensors won't be blaring any alarms. Be grateful, you selfish tin can."
I let Thorn's banter play out with my associate, Sifo Ren, a smile tugging at my lips, despite the tension in the room. The mechanical man groaned through his metal throat but didn't interrupt.
Once the back-and-forth died down, I gave a small, wry grin, though my tone remained focused. "Sifo Ren, any updates on the Empyrean?"