Chapter 164: The Promised Journey

Chapter 164 - The Promised Journey

Kai burned the copy of the mages letter he had transcribed for Flynn. The candle flame consumed the paper, and the winding wisp of smoke thinned and disappeared. The faint acrid smell lingered in his bedroom before dissolving through the open window.

During the last two days, they had poured their minds over those short paragraphs. While Viryas open statements could imply a lot of different things, they gave away no solid information, just conjectures.

Kai had his doubts about Flynns methods, though he agreed theyd need to test the Fate Fulcrum. There was a whole wide world out there, and Higharbor was no more than a provincial capital of a backwater territory. If he wanted to explore it, he couldnt discard a viable weapon in his arsenal.

The artifact might be risky and unreliable, but he could choose when and where to activate it. He wouldnt wait for an external force to swoop down and wreck his life, as had often happened. It was time to play ahead.

There was barely any change in the glow of the silver disk that indicated its charge. The flowing script still had the intensity of a dying ember, though it didnt flicker anymore.

How much did I blow by accident?

Kai hoped the cube had stopped the disk from collecting Fate, he didnt want to contemplate the possibility he had wasted close to a years worth of charge by accident. It was possible Virya had put some kind of blocking enchantment in her puzzle. If she predicted he would activate it by accident, she might have wanted to ensure the release of Fate wasnt catastrophic.

That was definitely the only logical conclusion.

There was no way to confirm or disprove it, all signs of mana had disappeared from the lacquered wood when he completed the cube. The remaining pieces were no longer indestructible, no stronger than wood from a mana tree, worth a couple silvers at most.

Since when do a hundred copper mesars sound little? Higharbor truly twisted my conception of wealth.

Are you ready? Were going to be late. Flynns voice echoed from downstairs.

Ill eat my shoes if the twins are on time.

Im coming, just a minute, Kai yelled back. He surveyed the collection of clothes and books on his bed to see if he had forgotten anything.

Clothes check, potions check, rope and random gear Ill probably never use check.

The trip to the ruins shouldnt last more than a week, ten days at most. He often used to trek back and forth from the estate, but since settling in Higharbor, Kai had been reminded of the convenience of city life.

There was a shop for everything, and people willing to run errands for him, if he was willing to pay. Not that he ever tried, that was lavish spending of spoiled people, though he was tempted. If he could brew a batch potion in the time he took to run to the bakery for snacks, wasnt it more logical to pay someone else to go while he worked?

Thats how they trick you. After the first step, its a slippery slope. Before I realize Ill be like those insufferable brats of the upper city.

Flynn had promised to take care of supplies, and there were enough villages and small towns along the way food was not an issue.

No harm in packing a couple snacks for emergencies.Having to fit everything inside a bag is such a hassle. Kai folded everything inside the backpack as orderly as he could.

The ring was so convenient, no weight, no risk of wrinkles in his shirts or potential water damage to his notebooks. If he pushed the air outside, the spatial closet was as good as vacuum-sealed.

But the spatial artifact was the one secret he couldnt afford to reveal. It was invaluable for both worth and utility, it contained the Fate Fulcrum and his other precious possessions.

None of his childhood friends knew about it, not even Lou. While they had reconnected in the last two months, their view of the Republic was dubious. He didnt want to put them in a position to choose between him and their beliefs or security.

It wouldnt be fair.

Then the dilemma was which books to carry. He couldnt go visit a Vastaire site and not bring his dads old research. Since coming to the city, he had delved back into the messy volumes.

He hadnt been able to dedicate the time they deserved between his work on the cube and his business responsibilities to Reishi. Yet, the extra levels in Inspect and his attributes had allowed him to make significant strides.

He had gotten quite decent deciphering their glyphs. Since several ruins had been demolished for resources by the Republic, many of the writings his father had collected all over the archipelago were the last of their kind.

Now that Im done with Viryas accursed puzzle, I might finally finishorganizing Dads notes. Maybe pay a printer to make some copies when Im done.

Kai picked three books full of notes about the Vastaire glyphs and architecture, leaving the others behind. No matter how careful he was about handling the ring, the only way to ensure he wouldnt be found out was not to use it. Meeting Valela had reminded him he couldnt lower his guard.

He couldnt discount that someone might spy on him. Even if the girl kept her silence, an official must have ordered the first report made, and there was no way of knowing whether they would check again.

Maybe never, maybe tomorrow.

Downstairs, Flynn was pacing in the living room staring at the clock Kai had already regretted buying. Life was much simpler when he could eyeball the sun and say, Good enough.

Reincarnating in Elydes had forced him to adapt to a life without the comforts of modern society. That didnt mean he enjoyed it. It was one thing to make sacrifices out of necessity or to train, but to inflict that upon himself for fun?

Lou shared a sympathetic look, mistaking the cause of his gloom.

Hoping to reassure him, Ana silently mouthed behind the twins back. Dont worry, Ive got this. Then she raised her voice. Either way, we need to go down this road to reach both villages.

Uli and Oli threw dirty looks at each other before they both tried to take the lead.

Lets go!

This way!

Positive thoughts, this will be fun.

Kai followed them trying not to think of all the productive ways he could be spending his morning doing. The skills he could have trained, the potions he could have brewed. Taking a break was fine. And sure, the trip could have been cut if they took a ship, but it didnt matter. He allowed himself one last mournful look at the city and the comforts they left behind.

Goodbye civilization, welcome wilderness.

He had always planned to visit more Vastaire ruins to reconnect with his father, but his dreams didnt include camping in the wild without personal space for days.

I love being social.

The groups chatter brought him back to the present. Ana was reminiscing of their last trip together to the ruins before everything went down. Do you remember how tall they were? I couldnt believe my eyes

What she didnt mention was that a Vastaire site no longer existed. Destroyed after millennia because their ivory stone would make pretty palaces. Not to mention the rude fuckers they met there.

Is this why Im so annoyed about this trip?

His four friends appeared to have selectively kept only the good memories of that day, but he perfectly remembered what happened. Faced with the childlike grin that split the twins faces, Kai also tried to focus on the best parts.

I heard these ruins are even bigger, Uli said.

Yes, enormous. They say it was one of their largest settlements.

Said who? Kai couldnt stop himself. Thats baseless nonsense. Were not even sure if the Vastaire lived in the ruins that are left, or if their cities had been swept away by time and the ivory towers were simply the only building made to last.

Following his outburst, every pair of eyes was on him. His four friends shared looks with a certain note of amusement.

What? Kai interrogated, but no one answered him. Well, you should know some basic historical facts since were going there. Where to start

A little lesson cant hurt. Their education went down the drain since I left.

The cultivated land continued for miles dotted with farmers at work. The sun shone in the sky, but the temperature never got too hot. Time passed faster than he expected. They stopped to eat in a field of wildflowers before continuing down smaller paths.

Are you sure were going the right way for Milltee?

And Saltcreek? How much farther is it?

Im sure. Ana kept a firm hold of the map. Both villages are this way, trust me.

The farmland became a patchwork in the early afternoon. Cultivated fields separated by wild grassland and spare trees. Somehow both villages always remained on the same road. Right till the sun dipped over the horizon and they reached Mateilis Rest, a settlement of farmers sprawling on a low hill.

It seems I was wrong, Ana said with no hint of shame. Well, its too late to reach another village. We might as well stay the night here.

You did it on purpose! Oli accused, stomping his feet after her.

Ive no idea what youre talking about. It was an honest mistake.

Kais mood took a leap when they found a small inn with clean beds and a warm meal. He was so happy he tipped the old owner an extra night, and it was still less than what hed pay for a night in Higharbor.

Sitting in the main hall, Kai watched the twins and Ana argue over the map. Lou had gone to refill their water supplies, and they werent likely to reach an agreement before he played arbiter.

Maybe this trip wasnt such a bad idea.

Im glad Ive come. Ive never visited any Vastaire ruins, Flynn said, his tone was casual, but he had a suspicious glint in his eye. You know, tomorrow well be in the middle of nowhere. It will probably be sunny again, with no people or beasts nearby.