A good night sleep.

Aiden's hand was tightening his grip on the hilt of his blade. As the blade came loose of its sheath…

[Skill [Wind Skin] activated. Mana used:2/ 20 min. Remaining Mana: 7]

As soon as Jewel's hand moved again…

[The host has activated innate skill [Zone]]

[5.3940]

The blade flew away from the sheath and...

Yet, Jewel did something that shocked him again. He put down the firearm right in front of him. And the blade stopped a hair-breadth away from his neck.

"Sorry, I didn't want… Woo." Jewel jumped back from his seat. He cried in fear, "What are you doing?"

Aiden didn't respond at all. He just stared at him.

[5.3420]

[The host has manually deactivated innate skill [Zone]]

Aiden didn't know whether it was because he moved too fast or he chose to, but Kaiser didn't move from his place at all. So, Aiden turned his attention to Jewel. From his rapid motion from his chest, Aiden could understand that he was frightened.

"You were the one who pointed a gun at me. Yet, you are asking me that question." Aiden put the blade back into its sheath.

It took a while before Jewel was able to control his breath again. Only then did he move in and sit on the chair again.

"Sorry, I didn't want to surprise you." Jewel shook his head, "Though, you're the one who shocked me the most." Jewel smiled at him and said, "I thought you might attack me if I revealed the secret."

"And you didn't think he would attack you if you pointed a gun at him?" Kaiser asked the question that was in Aiden's mind. Jewel laughed stupidly at that.

Aiden could not believe his smile again. Aiden's hand was still holding the hilt of his blade. At any moment, he was ready to attack, but he chose to listen to him.

On the other hand, Jewel pulled something out again. However, Aiden was ready this time.

But what Jewel pulled out was not a weapon, but a stone. He put the stone on the table. Without giving any explanation, he put his hand on the stone and said, "I am a Jewel, you are Aiden."

The stone lit up in green as he spoke. But at the next moment, he turned to Kaiser and said, "He is Remi." And the stone turned red.

"This is a truth stone," Jewel said without giving anyone the chance to speak. "Even if I were, to tell the truth, you wouldn't believe me. Now, with the stone of truth, you will understand whether or not I am telling the truth. Ask me anything."

"How did you know that I'm from another planet?" Aiden wanted to ask the question but realized that asking the question would prove his theory. Instead, he looked at Jewel and said, "Why should I ask?"

He was surprised by the question for a moment before Jewel broke into a smile. He said, "There are two reasons for this."

'I didn't even ask.' Although he was curious inside, he had no emotions in his face.

"You said you were from the Western Mountain. That was a lie. People from the Western Mountain always have totems on their bodies. Without them, they're nothing but a normal human."

"But the first time we met you, you were bare-chested. You didn't have anything other than the scar on your chest and abdomen."

"These tribes from the western mountain bestowed totems on the child as soon as they were born, so there's no way you can be from the western mountain."

'Totem? People from the western mountains have totems on their bodies? Are they following monsters like the devil?' Even if he wanted to know he had no chance of knowing, and he had no intention of asking Jewel.

But it made him realize another problem of ESS. Empirical Survival system. Rather than theory or logic, the system is based on observation and experience.

The last time the excuse could have been successful because the operator was wearing something, but the ESS did not realize the original reason. But for Aiden, it failed.

'But what's the second reason?' Aiden didn't have to ask the question, Jewel replied on his own.

"I met people from your planet who were wearing the same suit as your friend."

'Have he met with other operators?' It would be a lie to say that Aiden wasn't curious, but Aiden felt that it wasn't the time. 'I need to confirm whether he is an enemy or a friend of mine?

It wasn't like Aiden wasn't thinking of running away. But he knew that the list of problems that he was going to face would also increase. At the top of that, he felt they weren't bad people.

'It's not like I can't run away, later.' So he decided to believe them. Then again Jewel spoke as if he could understand Aiden's thinking.

"I have no prejudice whatsoever against you or anyone who has left the planet. It was natural that they all wanted to survive. And when it happened, you weren't even born."

"At the same time, you saved me and my friend once, and you saved Remi, too. Whether it was this planet or another that you acted like, how a human should behave, and that's enough for me."

'That's all you wanted to say? Is it really necessary to pull out a gun? ' Aiden stared at Jewel, who smiled at him. No matter how much he wanted, he couldn't understand his intentions. And it wouldn't be a shame to say that he wasn't the best one in this work.

Yet he knew that staring at each other would not help. He's got two options now. Either he can believe in them, or he can get out of town as soon as he can. Unable to decide he turned to Jewel.

Throughout the ordeal, Jewel did not move his hand away from the stone, nor did it turn red. Still, Aiden wasn't sure it was the real thing or the fake thing.

"Ask me one question," Aiden said as he stretched out his hand toward the stone.

A smile appeared on his face, as Jewel said, "You don't have to do that, I believe in you."

He understood that Jewel wanted to show his goodwill, but Aiden didn't do it for him. He wanted to make sure it was the real thing. Nevertheless, he put his hand on the stone.

"One question? That's too little." Jewel continued to mumble to find the right question to ask so that he could get the most out of his answer.

As he was unable to make a decision, someone else asked. "Are you really from the other planet?" Though what Jewel had said was true, Kaiser still couldn't believe that Aiden was from another planet.

"Nooooooo!" Jewel cried as he turned to Aiden and pleaded, "Don't answer."

Yet Aiden smiled and said, "Yes." And the stone shone in green.

*************

*16 days till the return flight back to Planet Will*

Aiden jumped back as the sun brightened the room. He looked around as he grabbed his blade, but could not find anything hostile.

'Did I fall asleep?' Aiden couldn't believe it. He thought there was going to be an attack or something. After all, it was a slave-trader's house, but nothing like that happened.

It was a slight breeze that enticed him, a not-so-soft bed that embraced him, and he gave in to his fatigue. He didn't even remember when he fell asleep.

'I didn't sleep so well in such a long time.' Aiden was a little embarrassed to think about it. Aiden checked that the blade was ok, and he was ready to get out, but there was something that attracted his attention.

'It's a fake slave collar. It's best to have an ID, but this slave collar is the next best thing to have. As long as you have one, no one will bother you.' That's what the sulking Jewel said when Aiden told him he would leave within three days.

Jewel had given an extended talk about how different it was from the actual slave collar. Even with the confirmation of the stone of truth, Aiden did not dare to believe it. Only when ESS compared the mana signature of both a real and a fake one and labelled it as a simple accessory did he dare to accept it.

While Aiden was hesitant about whether or not to wear it, someone knocked at the door. Aiden was startled, as he was quick to hide a fake collar and open the door.

As soon as he opened the door, a sweet smell came into his nose. It made him realize how hungry he was. When he looked up, he found that she was a woman in the mid-thirties.

Rather than the noble lady or the maid he had hoped for, she was a woman with unkempt hair. She seemed to have been working in the dress for quite a while.

But she had the most distinct feature on her face. It seemed like an intricate tattoo, but Aiden had a better name for it, 'Slave Tattoo.'

According to Kaiser, there are two types of slaves, those who have been sold and those who are not. Those who are not sold have temporary bindings, like a slave collar or a slave shackle.

They'll be bound to magic after they've been brought, and it will make a tattoo on any part of the body. In her case, it was on the face. A blood tattoo.

Now that Aiden looked, he found that she was carrying a tray of food. Even if she was a slave, Aiden wasn't sure how he was supposed to react.

"Please come," Aiden said politely.

The woman gave him a nod when she came in. Only then did Aiden realize that there was someone else behind her.

"Hello." Remi stumbled at the greeting, but she continued with a flushed face, "Did you sleep well?"

"Unn." Aiden wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were glued to a white granular product that was giving off a faint stream.

It was almost a year since he didn't have any real food. For him, energy bars and processed food are not food at all. And he didn't even think that raw hearts were food.

The slave woman put down the food and said, "This is called rice, and this thing is called curry. Mix them and you can have a delicious meal."

Aiden followed the direction impatiently. As soon as he put the first spoon full of food in his mouth, he felt that his dead taste buds had been thrown into a frenzy. He had a hard time controlling his tears of ecstasy, and ...

"Are you not going to test for poison first?" The food had gone down his throat when he heard it. He didn't know what to do about it. His face was white in fear, and a laugh broke out.

"You can eat without being afraid. It's not poisoned. "The woman said with a teasing smile, as Remi nodded. But the faith, once broken, could not be remedied.

Aiden couldn't dare take another scoop until she took the other spoon and put another mouthful in her mouth.

"Let's go, Remi, let him enjoy his meal," said the woman, after she had swallowed the food. "You should come down after you've finished your meal."

They left, and as the door was about to close, she came back and bowed to Aiden. The look on her face had changed from the teasing to the serious one, "Thank you for saving my stupid daughter." And she left without any more words.