83.The Man Inside the Shack

Chapter 83: The Man Inside the Shack

The door groaned on its hinges as Ria stepped inside, her heels clicking sharply against the uneven wooden floor. Fullbody followed close behind, shaking off the cold and slamming the door shut against the relentless wind. The warmth of the room enveloped them immediately, a stark contrast to the icy wasteland outside. The shack smelled of burning wood and something faintly metallic, like rusted iron.

The interior was chaos incarnate. Shelves lined the walls, overflowing with books, scrolls, and jars of strange substances. Papers were scattered across every available surface, covered in illegible scribbles and diagrams. A single chair sat in the middle of the room, its upholstery threadbare, and beside it stood a desk so cluttered it looked like it might collapse under the weight of its contents.

Behind the desk, hunched over a piece of parchment, was a man. He was diminutive, barely 5'5", with a scrawny frame that made Fullbody think of a half-starved alley cat. His brown hair stuck out in tufts, as though he hadn't bothered to comb it in years, and his round wire-rimmed glasses magnified a pair of sharp, mischievous eyes. He wore an oversized coat patched together with mismatched fabric, the sleeves so long they nearly swallowed his hands.

The man didn't look up as they entered, instead waving a hand lazily in their direction. "Ah, intruders. How utterly delightful," he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Please, do come in. Ignore the fact that I'm in the middle of a groundbreaking revelation. Make yourselves at home. By all means, disrupt my genius."

Ria rolled her eyes but said nothing. Fullbody, on the other hand, bristled at the tone. "We're not intruders," he snapped. "We're here to—"

The man finally looked up, and a slow, mocking smile spread across his face. "Oh, heavens," he interrupted, cutting Fullbody off mid-sentence. "You're speaking. And with such... confidence. How quaint." He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Tell me, does it ever trouble you, the sheer effort it must take to form such rudimentary sentences? Or is it one of those things you do instinctively, like breathing?"

Fullbody's face flushed red. "Why, you little—"

"Fero," Ria said sharply, stepping forward. "Enough."

"Ria!" Fero exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with mock delight. "Oh, this is a treat! Truly, I'm honored. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? Have you come to grace me with another one of your dazzlingly impractical ensembles?"

He gestured dramatically to her dress, his voice rising with exaggerated incredulity. "I mean, really, this is what you chose to wear? In a frozen wasteland? What, are you trying to seduce the glaciers? Start a passionate affair with a snowbank? Do you even own a coat, or are you just hoping your mystique will keep you warm?"

Ria's expression remained impassive, though her jaw tightened ever so slightly. "We didn't come here to discuss my wardrobe."

"Oh, but we must," Fero insisted, rising from his chair and beginning to pace. His hands waved theatrically as he spoke. "Because it's fascinating, truly. A crimson, slit-sided gown with all the subtlety of a cannon blast. I'm sure the frostbite spirits are absolutely mesmerized."

He turned his gaze to Fullbody, his grin widening. "And you, good sir, are you her... what? Handler? Chaperone? Court jester? Please, enlighten me."

Fullbody took a step forward, fists clenched. "I'm her partner," he said, his voice tight. "And I don't see what's so funny about that."

Fero stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter, clutching his sides as though he'd just heard the world's greatest joke. "Partner? Partner? Oh, my stars, this is too much!" He wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye, still chuckling. "Does she let you hold the map sometimes? Do you get a badge that says 'assistant to the brilliant Ria'? Please tell me there's a badge."

"Fero!" Ria snapped, her voice like a whip. "Enough. We're here for information."

Fero sighed, his laughter subsiding. "Fine, fine," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let's dispense with the pleasantries, shall we? What do you want, oh radiant one?"

"We're looking for Fero," Ria began, but he cut her off with a snort.

"Really? You're looking for me? Incredible detective work. What gave it away? The shack in the middle of nowhere? My unmistakable aura of brilliance? Or did you simply follow the sound of someone being vastly superior to everyone else?"

"Enough games," Ria said, her voice cold. "We need to know about the artifact you're searching for. And we need to know if Goku is close to finding it."

At the mention of Goku, Fero's demeanor shifted. He tilted his head, regarding them with sudden seriousness. "Ah," he said, his tone softer. "The Saiyan. Yes, I'd imagine he's causing quite the ruckus. He does have a talent for blundering into things best left untouched."

"What artifact are you looking for?" Fullbody asked, stepping forward.

Fero turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Do you even know what an artifact is, or did you just think it sounded impressive?"

Fullbody glared at him. "I know what it means."

"Do you?" Fero asked, leaning in with a conspiratorial grin. "Because I could provide a definition, complete with etymology and historical context, if that would help. No? Nothing? Didn't think so."

"Fero," Ria interrupted, her voice firm. "Focus."

Fero sighed dramatically and returned to his desk, sitting down and resting his chin on his hands. "Fine," he said. "I'll tell you what you want to know. The artifact I'm searching for is ancient, powerful, and probably capable of destroying the world if handled improperly. You know, the usual."

"And Goku?" Ria pressed.

Fero smirked. "Oh, he's close. Very close. Closer than even he realizes. But don't worry," he added, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine. After all, when has tampering with incomprehensible forces of nature ever gone wrong?"

Ria turned to Fullbody, her eyes hard. "We're leaving."

Fero waved them off, already returning to his work. "Yes, do that. And try not to freeze to death on your way out. I hear it's terribly inconvenient."

As they stepped back into the cold, Fullbody muttered under his breath, "I hate that guy."

"You're not alone," Ria replied.

As Ria and Fullbody stepped toward the door, Fero's voice cut through the sound of the crackling fire and their crunching footsteps.

"Wait!" he called, his tone sharper than before, lacking its usual mocking lilt.

Ria paused, glancing over her shoulder. Fullbody turned, raising an eyebrow. Fero was leaning forward in his chair now, his earlier sarcasm replaced by an unsettling intensity. His hands rested on the cluttered desk, his fingers tapping a rhythmic beat on the wood.

"You need to get to Alabasta," he said, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

"Alabasta?" Ria repeated, her brow furrowing. "Why?"

"Because he'll be there," Fero replied, his tone almost matter-of-fact. "Goku. And you need to be there when he arrives."

Ria's gaze narrowed. "What's so important about Alabasta? What's waiting for him there?"

Fero hesitated, his eyes flickering with something that looked suspiciously like reluctance. Then, as though making a decision, he leaned closer and mouthed something to her.

His lips moved slowly, deliberately, forming the silent words.

Ria's expression changed instantly. Her eyes widened, and for the first time since they'd entered the shack, her composure cracked. She took an involuntary step back, her hand clutching at the fabric of her dress near her chest. "You're lying," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the fire.

Fero smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. "Oh, I wish I were," he said, his voice low.

"That's... that's impossible," Ria stammered, her tone a mixture of disbelief and something bordering on fear. "How could that even—"

"You know who brought a creator here," Fero interrupted, cutting her off with a pointed look. "You know what they're capable of."

Ria's hand trembled slightly before she clenched it into a fist. "Why?" she demanded, her voice regaining some of its edge. "Why would they bring something like that into this world?"

Fero shrugged, his usual flippancy returning in the form of a wry smirk. "Isn't it obvious? Power. Control. Destruction. Take your pick."

Fullbody, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally found his voice. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, looking between them with a mix of frustration and confusion. "What's waiting in Alabasta?"

"Something you're better off not knowing," Ria said curtly, her tone sharp enough to cut ice.

Fero snorted, shaking his head. "Oh, let the man have his ignorance," he said, waving a hand. "He wouldn't understand it even if I drew him a diagram. Which, by the way, I could do—but alas, I don't have the time."

Ria ignored him, her mind clearly racing. "If this is true," she said, turning to Fero, "then Goku can't reach it. He—"

"Too late for that," Fero interrupted, standing now and shuffling through the papers on his desk. "He's already on the path. All you can do now is make sure he doesn't ruin everything. Or, you know, unleash hell on earth. Whichever comes first."

Ria turned toward the door, her expression set. "We're leaving. Now."

"Good luck!" Fero called after them, his voice returning to its usual sarcastic tone. "And do bundle up this time, Ria. I'd hate for you to catch a chill."

As the door slammed shut behind them, Fero leaned back in his chair, a faint smile playing on his lips. He glanced at the parchment he had been scribbling on earlier, his expression unreadable.

"Let the games begin," he murmured to himself, the firelight dancing in his glasses.

[A/N: Can't wait to see what happens next? Get exclusive early access on patreon.com/saiyanprincenovels. If you enjoyed this chapter and want to see more, don't forget to drop a power stone! Your support helps this story reach more readers!]