Chapter 13: The agreetment

At Shoun's words, the masked man sat up straight and gestured for the young man to continue.

—...Why do you always go back to the mirror world? Unlike me, you've always been able to enter and leave freely from the start. So why do you keep going back?—Shoun asked with a calm expression, but his voice betrayed that facade.

—...I'm nobody. I don't have a past, a home, or a family. This place is just as strange to me as the mirror world. When I became a Seeker and when I ascended to an Apprentice, something changed inside me... It's hard to explain, but now I feel more... human. Before, I couldn't understand emotions or feel them. Now, I think that's slowly changing. So, I believe that if I keep ascending, I'll be able to figure out who I really am. And the only way I can do that quickly is through the mirror world.

—That... sounds like a good motivation. If the mirror world is as good an option as joining the guild or the government... Look, I almost died in the mirror world... many times. More than I can count.

—It was only three times.

—...Okay, only three times, but that's not the point. What I'm trying to say is that after what happened with my family, I never wanted to feel helpless like that again. When you dragged me into the mirror world, I always felt helpless, but I also grew stronger... I'm afraid that something might threaten my life again, and I won't have the strength to defend myself—Shoun looked at the cup of coffee in his hands, staring at his reflection in the black liquid, hesitating over his next words.

—Why are you telling me this, Shoun?—Kaze asked in his monotone voice, tilting his head. He didn't mind Shoun rambling, but it was also obvious that the young man was going off on a tangent.

—I'll say it directly: I want to keep going to the mirror world with you. It's the best way for me to grow stronger without having to submit to the government or join the adventurers' guild. Plus, if we go together, we'll have a better chance of overcoming the remnants with our combined strength. It's something that benefits both of us. Are you willing to let me come with you?—As he said these words, Shoun looked directly at Kaze. He now knew more precisely that his masked companion could barely feel emotions, so he thought appealing to his rational side was the best way to convince him.

—...I don't have a problem with it. You didn't tell me much about the ability you got after the trial, but I think you'd be able to enter even if I weren't there. So, it'd be safer for both of us to stick together from now on. Therefore, yes, let's keep being companions—This time, Kaze finished his sentence by extending his hand to Shoun. The young man understood and shook it.

—Hahaha, I guess you're a fast learner.

—Correct. Anyway, Shoun, I have a couple of questions. Why don't you want to join the government or the guild? I know they're both... more or less, the two human organizations that fight remnants. They should know better than I do the potential you have, so you probably wouldn't have trouble getting accepted. Unlike me, who doesn't have an ID.

—...It's complicated to explain my reasons right now. Just trust me when I say they're not exactly as good or as clean as they seem. For my part, I prefer to stay away from those guys—Shoun spoke with a clear tone of disgust in his voice, though the reason for it escaped Kaze's understanding.

—...What does "clean" mean?—Kaze asked, tilting his head to the side.

—(It seems he uses body language to express himself... I guess it's because his voice never changes, and his "expression," if you can call it that, never changes either)—At this point, Shoun and Kaze were permanent companions, so Shoun made the effort to fully understand Kaze. He spent the next few minutes explaining the meaning of the expression to Kaze, though he left out the details of why he believed the organizations weren't clean—Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow, we'll organize the details of how we'll handle our trips to the mirror world.

—Alright—Both got up from the table, and Shoun started washing the dishes. When he noticed Kaze watching him, he instructed him to help with the task. In the process of learning how to wash dishes properly, two cups and a bowl were broken, but it was better than nothing. When it was time to sleep, Shoun was still thinking about where to let his companion sleep. He considered his parents' or sister's old rooms, but he hadn't set foot in those places since their deaths. He felt uncomfortable letting someone sleep there, so he let Kaze sleep on the couch. The latter didn't mind and comfortably lay down on his new bed.

—It's an upgrade from the hard floor, don't you think, Kaze?—Shoun said with a laugh, watching the masked man twist his body, searching for an even more comfortable position.

—Yes—Kaze replied in his monotone voice, though by the way he moved, Shoun could clearly see he was quite comfortable.

—Good night, Kaze.

—...Good night, Shoun—Kaze whispered, careful not to move and lose the comfortable position he was in.

The young man went upstairs to his room and lay down on his bed. As he stared at the ceiling in the solitude of the night and the darkness of his room, he finally began to process everything he had experienced in the past few days.

—...I think I'm crazy for wanting to go back to that place... but I'd be an idiot if I didn't and stopped trying to get stronger. Or if I joined the guild or the government. I really hate them—Grumbling, he adjusted himself and prepared to sleep, but after a moment, he jolted—The Sting!—Just before falling asleep, he remembered he had lost his only artifact. It hurt more to lose the chance to sell it than the weapon itself.

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—Alright, Kaze, I'm heading out. While I'm gone, don't break anything. Do you remember how to use the TV?

—Yes—Kaze replied, his eyes fixed on the trashy show he was watching.

—I'll be back around 2 or 3 in the afternoon... And please take a shower before I get back. You stink!—Shoun added, slamming the door behind him. He wasn't worried about Kaze not knowing how to use the shower, as he had instructed him earlier.

He had left early to buy a new phone and have time to set it up before class.

The streets Shoun walked through were well-maintained. People were going about their daily lives—going to work, going to school, street vendors selling all kinds of goods, and so on.

Shoun lived in the human nation of "Rendell," more specifically in its capital, "New Caven," founded less than 50 years ago. As the main bastion of humanity in the fight against remnants, it was heavily protected by large white walls separating the outside from the relative safety within.

The young man moved naturally through the streets; after all, he had lived his entire life there. The chances of traveling between cities were slim, considering remnants roamed the outskirts constantly.

Surprisingly, as he walked, he saw a girl with brown hair and pointed ears walk past him, indicating she was an "Elf."

—(I wonder what she's doing around here... Normally, they'd only be in the upper districts)—He thought for a few seconds before continuing as if nothing had happened. The distance between the elven nation of "Amalor" and the human one was vast, requiring crossing large stretches of land and even the ocean to travel from one to the other. This, of course, wasn't safe even with a team of Codex bearers protecting the journey, so the barely functional teleportation system was used. It was very expensive to activate, requiring large amounts of energy, so the few elves who came to New Caven were either wealthy or possibly members of Amalor's military. In any case, Shoun only noticed her because her beret had pins of The Red Phoenix—(I must say, that girl has good taste—he thought proudly that his favorite band had reached the far corners of Amalor.

Soon, Shoun arrived at the phone store and bought a relatively new one, hoping it would last him a long time. He spent a whopping 550 Crestos on the phone and other services.

—(I still have 3,000 left for the rest of the month... If I don't go crazy buying stupid things, we should be fine)—He thought, calculating his monthly expenses. The currency of Rendell was the "Cresto," with coins in denominations of 1, 5, and 10, and bills of 20, 50, and 100 Crestos. The minimum wage was around 2,000 Crestos, which was what the lower class typically earned, while the middle class earned between 5,000 and 10,000 Crestos. Shoun, having a house in his name with everything paid off and a trust fund from his parents' life insurance totaling 300,000 Crestos, which gave him 5,000 Crestos a month, lived comfortably and better than the average middle class—(Counting my savings, I must have around 10,000 Crestos, though that's for my future, and I'd prefer not to touch it... If only I could've sold The Sting...)—He thought, slightly frustrated, as he set up his new device.

A Seeker-level artifact was worth between 3,000 and 5,000 Crestos, depending on how useful its enchantments were. It was the same amount Shoun received monthly or what an average person earned.

—(That's without considering I could've sold the raw material directly... I could've made a lot of money)—Even though the young man wasn't exactly lacking money, the greed and luxuries it brought were very tempting to him—(I still can't believe Kaze has one of those uniforms... On top of that, the Codex gave it to him. It's a shame there's no complaint button for injustice)—The uniforms were made from Alpha remnant bodies. Seeker-level ones didn't go for less than 10,000 Crestos, and if it was a custom design like Kaze's, it would be even more expensive.

As Shoun continued thinking about money, he eventually arrived at his school without realizing it. The building was quite ordinary, with large windows at the front and pristine white paint that stood out among the other buildings.

—(...I guess here we go again).