Chapter 16: Chapter 16

The so-called slums of Ehrendil were just the same as the rest of the city but with poor people. There were no flying artifacts, the people’s clothes were patched up, and the locals watched everyone with a fake disinterest. They were especially eyeing Ethan, who enters every shop and buys weird things without much haggling.

‘’I can understand the lighter that works with mana. And perhaps the earring that keeps the dust away. But how in hell could this pen generate its ink from mana? Man, what a treasure trove this place,’’ Ethan spoke to Pete, looking at the crooked pen with awe.

‘’What are you even going to do with that? Stab the monster's eyes?’’ Pete asked dryly, clearly uncomfortable with the stares they’re getting.

Ethan made a mock hurt gesture. ‘’So, I’m the uncultured murder-hobo, and Mr. Anthropologist got bored from the antics of this uneducated?’’

‘’E-Ethan, you know I-I didn’t mean that,’’ Pete exclaimed, shifting a bit closer, ‘’Perhaps we should tell R-Rafael that we are shopping in the slums,’’ he added, glancing toward the people who were getting crowded.

‘’No need. I’m familiar with the rules and hierarchy in places like this,’’ Ethan ensured, copying Pete’s glance but with a predatory smile. ‘’Plus, I’m getting low on my funds. I still need to get some extra clothes from downtown. Let’s go there, then we can switch to Pink Pearl.’’

As far as Ethan noticed, nobody followed them. From downtown, he bought five pieces of black robes with fine quality fabric and dark red motifs, as well as about a dozen simple pants and shirts. His leather armor covered him completely, but in case it got trashed, now he had temporary replacements. That left him with four golds, but the only things he was gonna pay were the bill for tonight and the local beer from the guild.

They arrived at the Pink Pearl around the afternoon, and the girls were just starting to play. The boys waved at them and sat at a table near the stage. Xena wasn’t around today, another girl took their orders, and they started to drink and chat.

‘’I heard there are tier-4 monsters around the Serene Depths, and no one knows what exactly lives inside. You must be extra careful,’’ Pete warned with concern.

‘’Yeah, I know. The place I’m going to is close to the lake. Maybe one or two tier-4 lives nearby, but I can escape with my skill. Don't worry about it,’’ Ethan said. ‘’How about you? When are you guys returning to Niamaris?’’

‘’In another week or two at most. We already reached to those we can, now it's only gathering information, and that's going smoothly,’’ Pete replied, he was drinking slowly this time, but even a little alcohol miraculously gave the guy much-needed confidence. 

‘’That's a lot of time. Perhaps you can bring Alesha with you,’’ Ethan teased, lighting up his cigar with his new lighter, ‘’Or maybe she can convince you to settle here? Are you thinking about going to that Mirasatra Kingdom with the group?’’ he asked, looking at Pete, who was glancing toward the elf musician, 

‘’Honestly, I don’t know. I’d like to live a quiet life and go on safe hunting trips from time to time. But this world is dangerous for people without backing, and joining a powerful family is also not the kind of life I wish for,’’ Pete said, playing with his cup. ‘’The Mirasatra plan is full of unknowns, but at least we’ll be together. It’s a good thing that everyone in the group has one common interest, to survive in these foreign lands, but I don’t know for how long that’d be enough. So far, Leo asks everyone's opinion on important decisions, and he seems to be doing his best. Even so, I can see what you mean by saying don’t trust Leo. He is too fickle and emotional for a leader. Once he got enough power, he would definitely suppress the minority and become a little tyrant.’’

Pete lifted his head to look at Ethan, ‘’Why don’t you become the leader? You are strong, capable, and experienced as much as him. Most of us follow Leo because he is the only option. You can break the balance immediately with your experience and fame from the VR,’’ he proposed, intrigued.

‘’It’s a chore.’’

‘’Huh?’’

‘’Being a leader, it’s a chore,’’ Ethan repeated. ‘’All leaders are pitiful people. They have to make choices that are terrible for some but convenient for most. They have to know every angle, like politics, trades, secrets, rumors, and legal or illegal ways. A grasp of human psychology is a must; They have to be manipulative, they have to laugh when they are angry, and yell in rage when they are actually happy. Whether they liked it or not, they have to!’’ 

He gulped his drink and continued at a slow pace, ‘’After all these sacrifices, even if they become successful, what do they get? Enemies, allies, and subordinates. They are dreadfully alone. Authority? What an empty and meaningless reward; it’s like a manifestation of their loneliness,’’ he sneered and looked at Pete, who was watching him intently with a frown. ‘’The world doesn’t lack greedy people, their petty games, or their fake relationships. What I seek is much harder to achieve. I want to be happy. Not the temporary fun I could have, but the permanent happiness where I accept everything as it is, including myself. How could I find the real, when everything I do is fake? So, to keep my dream of a fool while being a leader… is too much of a chore,’’ he finished, leaning against the chair and puffing his half-extinguished cigar.

‘’That… that sounds too grim. Can’t you be an open and honest leader, working for the benefit of everyone and along with everyone?’’ Pete asked with a serious face.

‘’You can, but you’ll be a mediocre leader. Your journey will be full of tragedies, backstabs, and instabilities. Don't forget what I said; the world doesn’t lack greedy people. And your subordinates are also people,’’ Ethan said grimly. ‘’When you clash with a ruthless leader, which is inevitable, your people will become your weakness, and that enemy with a sociopath leader will crush you.’’

Ethan stared at the cup he was holding. His eyes lost their focus, and he couldn’t help but remember some memories.

He was walking in a wrecked building that looked like a scene from an apocalypse. Corpses were lying around everywhere, and their blood covered the entire floor. With every step, the sticky sounds of splashing blood echoed through the corridor he was treading. The smell of iron-like blood was barely recognizable because the smoke from the fires and gunpowder concealed that remarkably. 

He entered the big office at the end of the corridor, where 10 people stood on both sides. His appearance evoked a quick lull in the room. In front of him, a man in an expensive suit was being kneeled with a knife on his throat. 

The man gritted his teeth, looking at him, ‘’How?’’ he growled. ‘’The Faceless, Maiden’s Wrath, and Shadow Knife. Not only did you bring those nobodies to face me, you even bought my own people! How the fuck!?’’

Ethan chuckled. ‘’Oh? You didn’t get the memo?’’ There was no joy in his eyes, just boredom, and maybe a lament for the lack of good opponents. ‘’The organizations you’ve just counted don’t exist anymore. There has been a merge. It’s called ‘The Dominion’ now,’’ he said before lifting his head to look toward the man holding the knife.

Adrian didn’t need confirmation; he slashed his knife with an emotionless face and didn’t even flinch against the man choking in his own blood.

Pete stayed silent for a while before sighing, ‘’I guess that’s a vicious cycle we’ve created. The world is shaped by the will of its rulers. The ruthless leaders create a ruthless environment that produces more people like them. The kind people have no place in a game like this and don’t have what it takes to change the game.’’ 

Ethan felt a little guilty about his now down-hearted friend, ‘’There is another way I could think of,’’ he said, shifting his gaze. ‘’You don’t vie for what everyone is vying for; Build your base far away from the big wolves, like a pocket realm or something. Take your time to solidify your group’s foundation. Create two teams for information and combat, who aren't even aware of where the base is, and send them to missions for resources. Rare skills, natural treasures, elixirs, artifacts, whatever you need, have them take it for you from the enemies you choose. That way, if you fail, you’ll have a chance to start over again, and your core group will always get stronger. Eventually, a time will come that not even the big wolves scares you.’’

Pete seemed to be in a deep concentration before tilting his head ‘’W-Why do you keep telling ‘you’?’’ he asked, half confused, half disbelieved.

‘’I told you. Because it’s not gonna be me,’’ Ethan shrugged. ‘’Since you’re the one looking for a leader, why not become one yourself?’’

‘’E-Ethan, I-I can’t do any of the things you m-mentioned. Hell, even seeing blood without passing out is new for me!’’ Pete exclaimed with wide eyes.

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‘’No one born for this kind of shit, Pete,’’ he said with an amused smile. ‘’You saw your weakness and took action to fix it. You pretty much have top-grade talent but didn’t join some powerhouse in exchange for a good future, instead chose to stay with your group. I don’t know who else you got in that group, except for that bastard Leo, but I say you are a damn good candidate,’’ Ethan asserted with sincerity.

A waiter with an ample bosom and furry ears came to their table just in time to save the flushing Pete. She held a tray with a bottle and a piece of paper. ‘’A gift from another customer,’’ she said with a smile and looked to another area before placing them on the table.

Ethan followed her gaze and saw a leather couch with three people on it. In the middle, a girl who looked around her mid-twenties sat with a snake hanging around her neck and arm, but Ethan knew the look didn’t mean anything for these cultivators. He wasn’t able to see her tier, and even the faces of the courtesans who sat with her were blurred.

She turned her head and smiled when his gaze locked with her. Ethan also smiled with a nod before taking out the note and looking at the content. His face darkened when he realized the simple blunder he had made. He passed the note to Pete, who got tensed by Ethan’s expression. It said, ‘What if the real you seek has been taken by the big hungry wolves?’

Pete was confused by the meaning of it while Ethan was thinking about what else they had spoken about since they arrived. ‘’Have you seen any skills that would block the prying ears? Or something like telepathy?’’ Ethan asked with a calm face, but his voice sounded like scolding.

Pete was taken aback by what he was worried about. ‘’I m-mean I didn’t see any, but there must be ones with similar p-purposes. And it’s not like we have any useful information to speak of. It's just a coincidence that a high-tier personage heard us, right?’’

Ethan took back the note and started writing to its backside with his new crooked pen. ‘’That’s not the point. Even if I’m talking rubbish, I rather prefer that the ones listening are the ones I’m addressing.’’

‘’I understand. After living for months in the city, I guess I was affected by how everybody responds to living together with much stronger people.’’ Pete turned to glance at the lady with the snake. ‘’Oh, the skills you’re looking for might be found in the Mirasatra kingdom or the Union. I heard that Union has unique shops with rare skills, and some of them also appear in auctions of the Mirasatra.’’

Ethan finished his writing and called for a waitress. ‘’I also heard something similar, but we gonna need a lot of money for those.’’ Turning to the incoming waitress, ‘’Please pass this to the lady over here along with your sweetest dessert,’’ he requested with a smile and handed the note before gesturing to the snake lady.

The waitress took off as Ethan opened the bottle they got, pouring two glasses for themselves. ‘’So what do you know about that lovely and generous lady?’’

‘’You know she might be still listening, right?’’ Pete asked tensely and continued when he didn’t reply. ‘’It’s the first time I saw her, but I know two people who fit the description. One of them is a famous adventurer at tier-5 called Lily. She does solo missions which not many tier-5 dares, and has a pet snake that rumor is to be even higher tier than her.’’

Ethan savored the drink with a pleasing expression before clapping with all the people to the musicians who had just taken a break. ‘’And the other?’’

Pete spoke in a low voice even though the ones listening would’ve still heard. ‘’The Matriarch of the Olsen family and the current vice president of the council of Ehrendil, Katherine Olsen. Other than a small description, I only know that she is at tier-9.’’ His anxious and dismissive attitude was telling  Ethan that, ‘No way she would hang around in the brothels so openly.’ 

The girls came to their table to join them, and the topic shifted to less serious and more cheerful ones. Both Leyla and Alisha seemed happy to see them coming. Ethan had to stop the enthusiastic Pete from drinking too fast more than once.

‘’What is that called, Alisha?’’ Ethan asked, looking at her instrument. ‘’I saw that for a moment you weren’t playing, but your instrument just kept continuing, and no offense, but it was the part I liked most.’’ 

Alisha laughed, ‘’None taken because it was also my creation. This is a Runed Guitar; with your mana, you can send a memory of a song along with your emotions from that time, and it will do the rest. I was tired at that time and used this function. It was still the same song Leyla and I created.’’

Ethan’s eyes lit up before extending his hand. ‘’Can I try?’’

‘’Of course, make sure the memory is fresh and focus on your feelings,’’ she said, passing the guitar.

‘Ani, you remember the time I listened to Jimi Hendrix for the first time, right?’

‘Yes, I still have full access to your memories.’

Good, even if it lost almost everything the hivemind collected, my own experiences shouldn’t be a problem for Ani. ‘Show me that memory and highlight the emotions I felt at that time.’

As Ethan dived into one of his best memories, he sent his mana to the guitar, which synchronized and started to play itself. After a few minutes of soul-stirring experience, when he finished his piece, there was silence in the whole establishment. Man, I love this world, he thought with a beaming smile. ‘Ani, remind me to get one of these babies.’

‘Understood.’

Even though he didn’t get anything but weird stares, he still turned to look at Pete with an excited glint in his eyes, ‘’Do you know the lyrics of ‘Born to be wild’?’’

Ethan’s words woke Pete from his daze, and his eyes widened with panic. ‘’No! I’m not drunk enough to do a karaoke night with you!’’

‘’Hmph, killjoy.’’ Ethan curled his lips and passed the guitar back to Alisha before turning to Pete with a smirk. ‘’And you don't have that kind of phase in your boozing. You're either a little tipsy or knocked out.’’

The stunned Alisha took her Runed Guitar. ‘’That… was interesting. I bet it would be much better if you have the [Mana Connection] skill.’’

‘’What is Karaoke night? That sounds fun,’’ Leyla asked, excited.

They spent a few more hours together, the girls coming and going between their performances. The next time he looked, the snake lady had already vanished from sight. When it was time to leave, they all went to Ethan’s Inn, getting two rooms for the night.

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