Chapter 2: Over the World Voyage
Arriving at a building that looked like an old British railway interchange with a big clock placed below its dome. Inside, it was full with adventurers, mages, knights, and healers, like the usual RPG games. Most of them chill at The Guild after finishing their bounties and collecting the money.
Other than being a place where trading of materials and information took place, every guild had their unique bars and sold specialised drinks corresponding to the countries it was situated.
For the Empire of Eir, its iconic drink was called: Over the World Voyage. It was a drink to celebrate one's voyage in arriving or departing New Eternal for their next journey. In the past, it was his favourite go-to drink.
Yohan approached the registration counter at the corner of the hall. The Guild was also an authorised governmental office that could register your name and your citizenship. He had to do this manually due to the absence of the system that automatically signed your name into the Empire of Eir system.
However, he didn't intend to be a citizen of any country, instead, he wanted an identification card.
"Hello sir, what do you want to register?" A young sweet voice asked.
"An Identification card."
"Sure. What name do you want to reflect on your ID? Please provide your birthplace and birthday."
"Yohan, I'm from Dantalion Valley, born on 8 April" he said.
"Alright, please face the lenses here for a picture," the kind lady pointed to the side.
Due to the rising population of ability users, some innovations such as clickers (cameras) were invented to ease the complex process of drawing portraits and it was substituted with a recollect (picture) that took moments in an instant.
With the sound of a 'click', the clicker immediately printed a small pixelated picture of Yohan's face. Despite not being as advanced as the technology he experienced in his original world, it was considered very impressive.
"Thanks for your patience, please wait till around 5 hours for your ID to be processed. In the meantime, do you wish to register for the Empire's Citizenship?"
"No. Instead, I want to sign up as a deliveryman for The Guild."
The lady at the counter looked at him momentarily before excusing herself to the back. Moments later, her manager came up to him and asked him to stay in a room for an interview.
While sitting in the room idly, a bulk, tan skinned muscle built man entered the room. His ashen grey hair covered a scar on his right eye— painting a tale of experience and hardship.
The Delivery Department's motto was "Deliver all round the world". This included dangerous areas as potential destinations. Even in normal delivery, monsters roamed across all corners of the world, hence, it wasn't as simple as it was.
"Hello young man, I'm Owen, the manager of the Delivery Department. You must be Yohan right?. I was informed about your interest in becoming a delivery man. Then, how much do you know about this job? Other than travelling," he asked.
"I believe that delivery is the key to customers' satisfaction, as such, delivering the parcel safely despite difficulties is The Guild's utmost priority," Yohan answered.
Owen scanned Yohan's appearance before making a judgement. He raised his eyebrow, and asked, "Do you have any physical training background or perhaps a Calibre?"
Although Yohan expected his question, he was in a dilemma to choose which reasoning. He was a knight before hence he had swordsmanship skill, but his current physical state didn't imply he was exposed to swords yet. Furthermore, Calibre wasn't the right term to describe his ability.
"... I have a mental ability. However, it only activates when other mental Calibre affect me, hence I am unable to demonstrate my ability," he replied honestly.
Owen's eyes brightened, scanning at him for a while before grinning widely. He welcomed Yohan into the team and did the paperwork to officially make him a delivery man. He assumed Owen had used his Calibre on him and noticed that he was unaffected, proving his qualification for this job.
"Alright, Yohan. Before the day ends, let's practise some basic sword formations. Familiarising with the sword is one step to face danger," Owen informed. "Follow me, we are going to the training ground."
Next to the main building were columns lining a straight line, supporting the structure. It diverged into two wings, the right wing led to the backyard of the Guild which were the training areas.
Inside, a row of sword racks aligned the curved wall, making a vast arena for training. Many Calibre users were throwing their Calibre around, causing many explosions.
"Ah those rascals, told them to tone their Calibre down and yet they're going all out," Owen sighed, revealing a light smile. "Don't worry, the training grounds are protected by shield devices to prevent damage to the exterior walls."
"Alright, there's one training ground left vacant, we can start here now," Owen took out a sword and threw one at Yohan. He instinctively caught it and observed the sword. He held it and swung it into various directions, feeling the weight and listening to the sharp cut in the wind.
"This sword is not bad," Yohan commented.
"Not bad you say, I'm more impressed with your strength," Owen's eyes sharpened, analysing Yohan's movements in slow motion. "It looks like you're swinging the sword like a child's play, but in the experts' eyes, your swordsmanship is formidable."
"Spar with me," Owen declared. "It's been awhile since I felt my adrenaline rush."
He chuckled, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulder. "Do you want to switch to the wooden sword? Or risk it all"
"The latter," Yohan answered.
"Okay then, you make the first move."
'Alright, hold back your strength, don't go all out', he reminded himself.
With a deliberate sloppiness in his movements, he charged forward, his hands showing an obvious direction. Owen leisurely deflected his sword to the opposite side, rearing his sword down its edge.
Gaining control. Yohan feigned his body language to hit. Distracted, Owen quickly blocked his right, leaving his left defenceless. In that instant, Yohan's pupils swiftly directed to his left, revealing his true aim.
Realising his mistake, he altered his sword from defence to attack, aiming for Yohan's weak spot. However, a swish deafened his ear as he felt the warmth radiating from the sword's edge near his neck.
Chills sent down his spine, freezing his body motionless. He broke into cold sweat as he looked down to check if there's any blood stains. On the contrary, his neck was mercifully left clean.
"Woo, how much are you holding back?" Owen whistled, raising his hands in defeat.
Yohan's contracted muscle relaxed and dropped his sword. His chest tightened as he panted as he stood still, controlling his heartbeats. He was cautioned with his sword, but he underestimated the stamina and capability of his body.
Just like most games, the default character had the lowest stats for all aspects. Even if a pro gamer created a noob account and played, it took more practice and skill to dodge all the damage to avoid respawning.
This was his exact situation. His mind was like a tactical strategy compendium, able to deploy any sword style. However, his body was like a dull neglected blade, one swing, the blade would shattered into pieces due to the force and strength.
"Hey, Yohan. Are you okay?" Owen worriedly asked. He quickly held Yohan's shoulder and gently guided him to a nearby bench.
Handing a cold bottle from his bag, Yohan placed it near his cheek, concentrating his mind to cease his dizziness.
"I apologise. I didn't take your physical condition into account. Although I'm astonished by your swordsmanship, I guess everyone has a reason to keep it hidden." Owen sympathised.
'Now I am being mistaken as a weak boy with unknown illness,' Yohan smiled bitterly.
"It's okay. My fault for not updating you about my health…" Yohan responded.
"Alright, I will wrap this session up. After experiencing a spar with you, you no longer need any training," he acknowledged.
"Also, you're free to use the training ground, but please don't push yourself too much."
Yohan nodded weakly. He was thankful that he was permitted to use the training ground, presenting an opportunity to train his stamina.
After a break, Owen was getting ready to leave when Yohan grabbed his arm.
"I'm grateful for your concerns, but can I use the training dummies? I promise I won't overexert myself."
"As long as it's under my supervision," Owen accepted passively.
Facing the training dummy, he remembered the first mission set by the system.
———
[Mission: Complete 1000 hits]
At first, he was dumbfounded.
'What kind of hit? Don't swordsmanship take many forms?'
Raising his sword, he hit it roughly, venting his frustration. He found it ridiculous and repetitive, unable to adapt to the inconvenient ways after living in the modern world.
From night to morning, he mindlessly hit, drenching in sweat until his legs gave up. He collapsed on the ground, unable to understand why he had to do all these.
"Swordsmanship is not about training. It's about the mind and the body to overcome hardship. If you have no reason to fight, then you shouldn't be here," a scholarly voice echoed in the hallway.
Turning his head to its direction, he noticed a man smiling confidently, yet his eyes scrutinising Yohan. The man's overall appearance looked unreal, as if he's an incarnation of the Sun God. His golden hair absorbed the sun with his emerald eyes glistened, his broad physique tight fit his white uniform, enhancing and complimenting his colours.
One look he knew the man held a high status, no one was born this exceptional just to be mediocre.
"What's your trouble, young man? You looked extremely fed up," the voice commented.
Summoning his remaining composure, Yohan politely bowed and answered, "Pardon my nescient, despite given a clear goal, I was unable to… relate and had difficulty understanding."
"Difficulty, you say. Being an imperial knight is to serve the royal family. If your personal agenda is not enough for you to be motivated, why don't you use the royal family as the object of your loyalty? "
"I have never seen the royal family before," Yohan reflected on his statement.
"You can't say that when he's right in front of you," the man chuckled. Approaching Yohan, he clasped his hand and introduced himself.
"I am Laurent Carlos La Eir, the second prince of the Empire of Eir. I forgive your imprudence, since I don't publicise my face."
Yohan stared at the glowing man in incredulity. Yet again, his thoughts justified that man's standing.
"I apologis-" Yohan immediately responded, but was cut off by His Highness.
"I said I forgive you. Well, after taking a good look at the royal family, why don't you use me as your reason to fight? I'm handsome and smart, thus supporting me will ensure you a bright future."
'That's very rich and narcissistic, coming from you,' Yohan thought sadistically.
His Highness was probably the most handsome man he ever saw. He exuded elegance and power, taking pride in his stride, while being humble enough to ask a fellow recruit of his problems. Yohan could clearly see the future the man held.
However, he wasn't able to give a definite answer. He wasn't born there nor had a deep national identity.
"I agree that your appearance is worth the nation's support, however I can't based on superior genes as my loyalty," Yohan truthfully shared.
"Then, what are you looking for? Tell me," the man commanded.
"I mean no offence… but I wish to know the quality of…" His voice trailed off. Yohan's brain was working overtime. He had to convey in a way that didn't pin him on any violation, while keeping the true essence of his words.
"You want to know more about me, right? Fair enough. I always wanted to know where the knights' loyalty stemmed from. Is it the name of the Empire that they support and sworn to protect? Or the future of the Empire, the people that held the high position that needed its citizens' support and compliance; for the Empire to progress towards the sun."
"You satisfied me. There's no need to be on guard and formal. If you wish to use me, not as the second prince of the Empire of Eir, but as Laurent Carlos La Eir who is in that position and power, I'm more than willing to prove my quality."
"I'm glad that you understand where I'm coming from," Yohan finally said.
He admitted to His Highness intelligence and emotional quotient. He expected him to stigmatise a commoner's lack of knowledge, just like affluent and influential figures. Like many politicians, they claimed they heard the masses' voice, yet they couldn't hide their hypocrisy when they governed the people.
If the world had duplicates of His Highness, it would be a better place.
Behind him, a short bloated man in a suit frantically ran, anxiously looking at his watch, he bowed and panted heavily, catching his breath.
Before he could tip-toe and whisper, His Highness leaned over to lend his ear.
"Oh, I see. Excuse me, young man, it was a pleasant conversation with you. Could I have your name before I go to my meeting?" His Highness casually asked.
"Yohan, Your Highness."
"Yohan, that's a wonderful name. Till we meet again," His Highness waved, walking into the shadow ans vanished from sight.
———
"98…99…100!" Yohan shouted. His arms strained and blistered. His legs were trembling, but he stood solid to the ground.
"Alright, that's far I'll go," Yohan proclaimed.
Owen, who was watching from the side, opened his mouth, but he decided to smile and pack his things.
Returning the swords to the racks, Yohan limped towards the exit.
"Do you need help?" Owen offered.
"… I'm still young."
Behind Yohan was laughter echoing in the arena.
Walking to the counter of the Main Hall, he approached the same lady that registered his identification card.
"Excuse me, I'm here to collect my ID," Yohan informed.
"Oh you're back. Yohan right? Please wait a bit," the lady spoke. She went to the staff room and came out with a card.
"Here is your name, your birthplace, your birthday and your profile. Please check if the printed information is correct." The lady pointed to the words on the card.
"They're all correct thank you," Yohan confirmed. "Also, I would like to rent a room."
"Okay, the rent per month will be $245. Please pay up first before your stay." The lady checked the availability of the rooms.
Handing her some crumbled notes and coins, she gave back the change and a key. It was labelled room 112, located on the right wing of the second floor above the bar.
Yohan thanked the counter lady and headed upstairs. Walking up the stairs, he thought about his unfavourable luck.
In the mid-afternoon, there was barely anyone around the bar. However, when it was nighttime, it could be noisy and bustling with drinkers, up until early morning. He didn't know if the walls were soundproof, but he hoped it wouldn't change his sleeping schedule.
Entering his room, one noticeable feature was its window facing a brick wall of the next apartment, hence sunlight wasn't prominent in the room.
Below the window was a bed, table and chair, the minimum furniture to call it a bedroom. Reading the evacuation map, the shared bathroom was located at the far end of the left wing.
'Hah… for $200, I shouldn't complain about it…', placing his bag on the bed, the only things he had was a dagger, a bunch of crumbled notes and loose coins. He didn't have a second set of clothes other than his default outfit.
Stuffing extra cash in his pocket, he walked out the room and down the stairs
The nostalgic aroma filled the dining hall as adventurers streamed in hungrily. Many waiters twirled around like ballerinas, endlessly serving the guests while carefully carrying stacks of mugs between their two hands. It was very impressive to maintain balance and had a clear view of their directions when the mugs reached over their heads.
In evening time, Yohan instinctively eyed an empty seat of a nearby shared table. He decided it was a good opportunity to question the locals about any changes of the current events.
"Hello, is this seat free?" Yohan politely asked, establishing a friendly image.
The adventurers occupying the table raised their heads, their eyes swiftly glanced and smiled.
"Yea, take a seat."
"Have you guys ordered yet?"
"Nah, you order yours first." The man in the middle chunked his mug and refilled another serving.
Like a veteran, Yohan waved his hand and recited his order naturally.
"I would like to order your signature meal, black pepper sauce and the specialty drink."
"Alright, coming right up." The waiter nodded his head.
Soon, a plate of sizzling chicken chop, glazed with black pepper sauce, decorated with rosemary and lemon as garnishes. Alongside was a light carbonated deep blueish drink with a boat ornament arrived on his table.
Picking up his cutlery, he pressed his index finger on the knife and made a cut, taking a bite of the tender meat. It melted on his tongue, the pepper mixing the juicy meat, heating up the hotness. To calm his hot tongue, he drank a sip of the specialty drink: "Over the world Voyage", missing its salty taste.
"By the way, do you know about the recent events?" Yohan started to interrogate.
The three men were having a great time of their life. Their faces flushed in red as their movements became mawkish.
"Huh ah? Oh that. Umm I just heard like," the person at the left blurted.
"What is it again? Yea, the Ose Mansion. You know, at Ordin. They discovered many raw minerals… diamonds or something. Lucky them, Ordin is expanding its market value." He slouched down and patted his belly.
"Bro, I don't think he's asking about that," the man at the right rolled his eyes.
"Here's more interesting news. I heard the royal family is going to host the coronation ceremony for the next heir to the throne," he explained.
"I guess that's the reason why the capital is so hype. Although there's no election, the public is split between the two brothers. I mean, princes."
"Then, who do you support?" Yohan asked, curious of their opinions.
"The second prince, of course. His power of speech is so convincing," the middle man interfered.
"What… shouldn't it be the first prince? That's his rightful position. Also, he doesn't lose out to the second prince!" The man at the right exclaimed.
"Who do you support? ELLIOT?"
"I don't know, I'm not even a citizen of the Empire, brothers. Didn't we come here to see the crowning thing," the left said annoyingly.
As the men had a heated debate, Yohan was lost in his thoughts.
'Laurent? Did he not participate in the coronation? That's weird…'
"The second prince. Isn't he a scholar?" Yohan pointed out.
"Yea he is, but he's an exceptional military commander. He's a complete all-rounder, that's why you should support him too," the man in the middle praised
"Military commander? I thought he never showed his face to the public before," Yohan asked.
"It's true that he doesn't publicise himself but his accomplishment in contributing to the breakthrough of physics at a young age of nine and the victory of the battle of Valefor Resolution have brought fame to his name!"
Yohan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
'Something doesn't add up. Laurent was only able to achieve the breakthrough 7 years later and the Resolution was only after the coronation. Why are the events pushed forward?'
It didn't seem that the men opposite of him were spilling nonsense information. There was no way they could know about future events unless it did happen early.
Yohan lowered his gloomy eyes silently.
Suddenly, he felt a strong pat at the back. Before he could react, the men collectively exclaimed.
"OWEN! No time no see."
"Didn't expect to see you three here, what's your business with my apprentice?" Owen jokingly asked.
"Wait, he's your apprentice?"
"Mhm, Yohan is working as a delivery man." Owen introduced.
"Yohan, to your left is Elliot, Herrace and Gerald. These are the rascals that were busy destroying the training field in the afternoon."
Owen sat next to Yohan and uncocked a bottle of alcohol. The three cheered, hitting mugs to mugs.
"I didn't know you were a rookie, Yohan. Tonight will be my treat," Herrace offered.
"By the way, what were you guys talking about?" Owen questioned.
"The coronation ceremonies. Who do you stand, Owen?" Gerald prompted.
"Ahahaha, I don't know yet," Owen sheepishly said.
The two men were shocked and started to convince Owen to stand on either side, trying to win over Owen as a support.
As he listened, he noticed Yohan's discomfort. Worried about his physical condition from the afternoon, he excused himself to smoke and told Yohan to come along.
Outside The Guild was a community garden. Standing below a lamp, Owen took a lighter and a cigarette. A flick, the fire lit the bud.
"Yohan, what's troubling you?"
Gripping his arm, a long shadow casted on the ground, expanding into the darkness. He glanced to the side and mumbled, "Can I know when the coronation ceremony is?"
"It's on the 18th Vanir in the Year of Equilibrium, why?" Owen inquired.
"I want to request that I be posted to Ordin after the one month trial. I wish to travel and start my journey from there," Yohan touched his ear, forcing a small smile.
"Well, you did say you wish to see the outside world. I can write you a recommendation letter," Owen noted, convinced by Yohan's request.
"But before that, since you have taken an interest in the coronation, you should come and pay your respect to the royal family,"
Owen said. "Of course, take it as a personal invite.
"Okay." A voice of clarity agreed.
Raising his head in surprise, he faced his sentimental pupils dulled and diluted, the moonlight revealed his pale skin— like a lost soul finding its place.
Owen pursed his lips nervously. Although Yohan was in front of him, the image of him had an indescribable abysmal depth.
Owen's eyes quivered, unable to comprehend that moment of emotions. He was aware that Yohan was not as simple as he was, but he had sworn not to pry or assume people's secrets.
Closing his eyes and relaxing his facial muscles, the tips of the lips curved to a gentle smile. He patted Yohan's shoulder and promised him.
"I will bring you there, so don't be despondent."
He chucked and pointed his thumb to The Guild.
"Let's go back, they will be worried if we're missing for too long. You should take a rest too."
"Thank you, Owen."
Yohan expressed his gratitude, before he walked back to The Guild.
Rubbing the cigarette bud on a bench, Owen let out a relief sigh.
'In the end, he is still an honest child.'