Chapter 5: Home 2

  —Uncle! Could you maybe have a little tact?

  You could cut the tension with a knife after the run-in between my uncle and Sofia. We were all uncomfortable after that exchange… well, everyone except the old pervert and Rob.

  The former had just regenerated that horrendous head of his and was already back to being his disgusting usual self.

  As for my uncle, he just stayed there seated, motionless, like nothing had happened. He mercilessly rejected a poor girl who couldn’t help being in love… and didn’t even flinch.

  The worst part! I couldn’t blame him for anything, because I knew exactly why he did it.

  “Uncle, you didn’t have to be like that… it wasn’t her fault. No one is to blame.”

  Unconsciously, I brushed the bandages that covered my scars.

  My uncle loved me. In this world, there are only three people he loves, and he would do anything for us.

  If I asked him to, he wouldn’t hesitate to give Sofia a chance.

  But I didn’t want that. It would be wrong. If Rob was going to be with someone, it had to be by his own will… not because of me.

  —Uh… So you just finished an S-Class mission —Samuel said, trying to break the ice—. Congratulations, Pap. Another one successfully completed. How many is that now? Seventeen?

  —Incorrect —his wife corrected, with that cold tone so characteristic of her… literally—. This is actually number twenty-three.

  Samuel tried to soften the atmosphere, but he was corrected with precision by his elegant, razor-sharp wife. How awful!

  —Twenty-three?! That’s incredible. No one in this branch has completed more than five. And I don’t think there’s anyone in the entire city who’s done more than ten. I’m so jealous! How do you do it?

  Samira wasn’t the only one surprised. Some of the diners who until recently had been pretending to eat or chat couldn’t help staring at us in amazement.

  —You shouldn’t make such a big deal out of it, Sami. It wasn’t that much.

  —Uh-huh, and now you’re acting humble when you’re dying to show off. —She looked so adorable when she puffed out her cheeks, indignant—. But don’t get excited! Someday I’m going to catch up to you, Pap! Just wait!

  —As you say, Sami. But you’d better hurry… I’m not planning to wait for you.

  Annoyed by my teasing comment, Samira shifted in her seat with grumbly little noises.

  I wasn’t sure whether she really had a chance of catching up to me… but I wasn’t about to ruin her motivation by showing her just how big the gap between us was.

  “Work hard, Sami. It’s possible that, if you train relentlessly, you’ll catch up to me.”

  I didn’t think I was doing anything extraordinary. So if I could… why couldn’t she?

  Sure, she’d probably have to work harder. But I didn’t feel it was unreachable.

  —Gmm… don’t give the girl false hope. Do you seriously think anyone can catch up to a prodigy like you?

  Gina, as always, bringing joy to the group. Totally not sarcasm at all.

  —Come on, honey —Samuel said, trying to smooth things over—. Maybe if she works tirelessly… in a few centuries she’ll catch you, right?

  As beings who had surpassed Rank 3, our lifespan was enormous. Maybe in a few centuries she’d even surpass me.

  Gina snorted, unconvinced, and dropped the subject in irritation.

  A little worried about how she might have taken Gina’s words, I glanced at the now quiet Samira.

  —I know I’m not as talented as Paper —she said, clenching her fists and lowering her gaze—. Or as Roberto. But… —she lifted her eyes with determination to look at us— I’m not giving up until I catch up to you!

  That was the Sami I knew: resolute, with an iron will.

  “Yeah… no doubt. Someday you’ll do it.”

  I was proud of my dear friend. The road was long, but she wouldn’t give up.

  —Bwahahaha! What a joke… You catching up to that little monster? Ha! Even if you worked your whole life you wouldn’t reach her heels. Better give up, you stupid girl.

  —You piece of shit old man! How can you say that?

  I was furious. How dared that old man crush the dreams of a girl as innocent as Samira?

  Without hesitating, I cut his head off again. And before it even hit the table, I sliced it into pieces. But all I achieved was more food for Rob’s insects… and, of course, that fossil’s mockery before he regenerated it again.

  —This time I think you went too far, boss. What’s wrong with dreaming big?

  Shai, who rarely gets involved in conversations like my uncle, stepped in on Samira’s behalf.

  Samuel and Gina also looked at him with displeasure. Even for them, that comment was too much.

  And Samira?

  —I know it’ll be a difficult path —she said, staring determinedly at the piece of shit old man, who was still smiling—. But I won’t give up. Someday I’ll make you take back your words.

  —Whatever you say, brat. I just hope you stay that determined when the time comes.

  Not convinced at all, the old pervert brushed her words aside like they were nothing.

  —Gm. Don’t listen to him, Sami. He’s just being disgusting —I said with a sigh. There was no point arguing with that piece of shit anymore—. So tell me, has anything fun happened lately?

  —Mmm, nothing notable. Since we came back from an A-Class mission two days ago, nothing exciting has happened —Sami paused to think for a moment, touching her lips with a finger—. Though lately there have been more guards… even imperial ones.

  Once the argument was over, Sami returned to her more relaxed tone. But according to her, the city was still what it had always been: boring.

  —Tell me, Roberto… You know why there are so many imperials in the city, right? I even saw some warhawks roaming around. Do you know what’s going on?

  …

  There was no answer.

  Ever since we sat down at this table, Rob has been acting the same way he always does when that piece of shit old man is nearby: silent.

  I never understood why, but my uncle seemed to have a deep respect for that man.

  And he won’t tell me where he knows him from! Or why he respects him!

  —Well… I heard it has something to do with the Brain Collector.

  I spoke for my uncle, sharing the little information I had. I hadn’t paid much attention when I was registering my new friends.

  —With that guy!? A Global Criminal in the Empire… and someone in the top five.

  Samuel looked genuinely worried as he said that. Beside him, Gina tensed up until her hands found each other.

  Samira trembled unconsciously, hugging herself. And the rest of our uninvited listeners nearby showed varying degrees of surprise.

  “Shit… maybe I shouldn’t have said that much?”

  It probably wasn’t the best idea to reveal that one of the most dangerous criminals in the world was walking around the Empire, doing God knows what.

  —Uh, hehe, there’s nothing to worry about… surely the Empire will take him down soon, right?

  Nobody seemed very convinced by my statement. Not even I was sure they could do it. Could they really finish off one of the most dangerous criminals in the world?

  It was hard to know. Well, unless they invited my uncle; then the answer would be simple.

  —You’re right, Paper, surely our beloved Empire will manage it —Samuel said with all the conviction he could gather, trying to raise the spirits of the listeners.

  —That’s right, Samu! Pap is right, the Empire will put an end to his path of evil —naive Sami eagerly backed Samuel’s encouraging words.

  Shai, from his seat, nodded at Samuel’s words. Surely the only thing that lizard-head cared about was the Empire’s strength. Gina remained silent, just like some of the more informed spectators. It was hard to say whether the Empire could pull off such a feat.

  —Guys, here’s your order… mmm, did I miss something?

  Always reliable Sofi to the rescue! Apparently she’d already finished preparing our orders and arrived just in time… I was starving!

  —It’s nothing, Sofi. We just had a small argument, but everything’s fine now, don’t worry.

  I didn’t want the poor, innocent woman to have to think about the Brain Collector. He’d never have the guts to invade Catalxor. And if by some miracle he did, I’d take him down myself.

  I was convinced of that.

  —Heh, I see. It’s good to know everything worked out. Sorry for the delay, I had some trouble getting the oven to light.

  —What are you talking about, Sofi?! You probably broke some kind of record with how fast you came over —Sami beat me to it.

  It was always impressive what conceptual abilities could achieve, even when it was just a Trait. Thanks to her chef Trait, Sofi prepared food for six people in under five minutes.

  What’s a Trait, you ask? Heh—time for a lesson.

  Truth is, I don’t really know. I don’t usually pay attention when my uncle explains things I don’t care about. But basically, a Trait is like a special add-on to a conceptual ability. They’re rare and not always useful for combat. In this case, sweet Sofi was a little chef bee.

  If you want more information, ask my ever-reliable uncle.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  —Thanks, Samira, but it’s not a big deal —the embarrassed little bee blushed at Sami’s comment.

  —Burp, why the hell are you still talking when we can eat? Stop wasting time.

  —I-I’m sorry! Mr. Jeremías, here are your orders.

  At the old bastard’s insistence, Sofi began handing each of us what we’d ordered.

  “You disgusting old man, you’re lucky Sofi is here!”

  Very lucky. If Sofi weren’t afraid of blood, I would’ve already turned him into ground meat.

  —If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask! Enjoy!

  —Thanks!

  With a chorus of gratitude, we started eating while Sofi headed to another table.

  No one spoke anymore. None of us were in the mood to talk after… well, you know.

  That left me alone with my thoughts as I enjoyed my delicious dessert.

  “How can I improve stability?”

  I was thinking about this morning’s fight and, above all, my final attack: Paper Storm. The reason I couldn’t control it once it was launched was because the paper moved so fast it turned into plasma; or at least that’s what Rob explained when I asked.

  I wanted to find a way to keep the paper intact even at the speed of light. But it was so hard! So far I could only keep it stable at around ten percent of that speed. I still had a long way to go.

  “The problem is that it burns… better not think about that.”

  A strange chill ran through me, making me drop those thoughts fast. I knew that someday I’d have to face those demons, but it wouldn’t be today.

  —By the way, kid, yesterday people from the Ronoldo Empire came looking for you.

  Without even bothering to swallow, the repulsive old man tossed that comment casually at my uncle. He didn’t even stop chewing while he spoke.

  —Oh, really? Are they still here?

  —No, they left the same day. They only spoke with the big shots—which includes me, bwahahaha. Then they got out. Vermin.

  For the first time in these gatherings, my uncle spoke. But why did he have to speak to that old man?

  I didn’t want to pressure him if he preferred to stay quiet. It wasn’t fair that he talked so casually with that piece of trash.

  “Ronoldo Empire…”

  I started trembling. If I remembered right, Mom, Uncle, and that stinking old man came from there. I’d been born there too, but I barely remembered my childhood. The only thing I remembered clearly was… fire!

  A firm hand settled on my shoulder. My uncle was looking at me with concern. In fact, everyone was. I lowered my gaze and noticed I was clenching my hands hard. I was bleeding. There were paper cuts around me.

  With a casual gesture, the old bastard repaired all the damage, even my hands.

  I raised my head and smiled.

  —I’m fine! Don’t worry.

  I didn’t want to look weak in front of anyone. “I’m the strongest, remember!”

  The incident, the jokes, the stories, and the food were quickly left behind. In the end, only one thing remained.

  —Burp, that was delicious. Who’s paying? I’m broke, bwahahaha.

  As usual, the old man spoke without considering his surroundings—which, for the first time, I appreciated.

  —Seriously, Jeremías, do you ever think before you talk? Again you want us to pay for you. What do you do with all the money you earn?

  —Yeah, boss, even I have a hard time spending what we make per mission. How do you do it?

  —He’s definitely gambling.

  —I don’t think that’s it. Maybe he has a good reason?

  Each member of his group threw out unflattering opinions about their leader’s nerve.

  —That reminds me, Uncle, did you already collect the reward? I spent everything today.

  I was embarrassed by my situation, but what was I supposed to do? My uncle’s nod relaxed me. Once he transferred my share, there wouldn’t be a problem.

  —You too, Pap? Aren’t you insanely rich? What could you have spent so much on?

  —First, Sami, don’t compare me to that old pervert; second, I went shopping with some new friends.

  —And what did you do? Buy them a castle? —Gina commented sarcastically.

  —Well… just luxury clothes, food, spatial gear, and I opened a bank account for… forty-six people.

  Now I was even more embarrassed under Gina’s exasperated look and Sami’s understanding one.

  —I’ll pay for everyone —my uncle said without hesitation, to the old pervert’s delight.

  —Roberto, you should be less permissive with those two…

  Before Gina could continue scolding, Claudia appeared. A strange savior this time.

  —Sorry to interrupt, but the Head Master is requesting you, Roberto, Paper. Will you come with me?

  “The Head Master?”

  It was rare for him to request someone personally. Could it have something to do with the Brain Collector?

  —Of course, Claudi!

  I stood up and followed Claudia. My uncle also stood, leaving enough Reales to pay for everything.

  As we walked to the office, I thought:

  “I hope this is fun.”

  NARRATOR: ROB

  It was strange for the Head Master to summon someone personally; usually the branch administrator handled that, and right now he was occupying one end of the long table. However, this time he wasn’t the only one present.

  All fifteen administrators were currently in the room, each occupying a seat around the table. Even the Head Master was seated off to the side, because at the head sat the city leader—and the only Rank 8 in this place.

  The fourteen-year-old girl presiding over the meeting was Rosa Messias, the Emperor’s youngest daughter and the current owner of the city. It went without saying she hadn’t reached her position through merit, but it also couldn’t be said she was a bad person. In fact, since her arrival four years ago, she had genuinely worked to maintain stability and prosperity throughout the city.

  Rosa wore an elegant embroidered blue dress and expensive jewelry; even her blue hair was meticulously styled to match her clothing.

  Her ability was the concept of Roses, ironic as that might sound given her name, and her peculiar preference for the color blue was due to her Trait.

  She was one of six people in a city of over a million inhabitants who possessed a Trait: in her case, the so-called “Blue Trait.”

  These Traits were extremely rare. Very few individuals had one, and even fewer possessed a Trait that was useful for combat or for developing abilities. Rosa, like the other five, had a non-combat Trait whose only function was to change the color of her abilities to blue. Kind of sad, when you think about it. Having something so rare, yet so useless.

  To date, the most useful Trait known was Dinamo’s. According to the records, no one had one more important than his.

  —Please, Rob! Pretty please, pretty please, pretty please. Just this mission— I won’t bother you again if you accept! Yes!

  —No.

  Rosa’s insistence was starting to wear me down a little. Since we’d arrived almost five minutes ago, she hadn’t stopped begging us to accept a mission about which she had given absolutely no information.

  Paper, at my side, hadn’t stopped laughing since my first refusal, which was a huge improvement considering how she reacted the first time she saw Rosa. I’ll just say she nearly killed her on the spot. Now it seemed the two of them got along pretty well.

  —Pleeaaase! It’ll be a very simple mission for you.

  If this mission was what I suspected, I didn’t think it would be that easy.

  —Ahem, excuse me, Princess Rosa, wouldn’t it be better to explain what the mission is about first? —the Head Master offered, giving the unfortunate girl an exit so she could try to convince me with something other than pleading.

  —Right! Rob! I order you to kill the Brain Collector!

  —No.

  “So it really was what I expected.”

  —You already sent a nasty executor for that. Why should we go? Isn’t the one you sent enough? —Paper asked with obvious annoyance.

  —I’m sorry, Paper, but a single executor isn’t enough, which is why we requested your support —Santiago, the Head Master, replied, confirming my suspicions. Though Cheng was certainly strong, I didn’t see him winning against that monster.

  —Be honest, Santiago. Exactly how many troops are you sending?

  —Sometimes I hate your bluntness —the old Head Master sighed, exhausted—. The Empire decided this has to be resolved as soon as possible. So they’ll send a small elite group. Six executors, three commanders, four distinguished successors, and the Emperor specifically requested my assistance along with two administrators.

  What a team. With that number of fighters, they could even bring down some of the weaker Rank 8s.

  Six church executors was absolute madness. They probably didn’t want to repeat what happened with the Child of Perdition; that was why they’d decided to send so many forces.

  As for the commanders, that was also a surprise. There were nine across the entire Empire, all powerful Rank 7s. Except for one, they all protected the capital, so sending three was proof enough of the Empire’s commitment to this mission.

  I didn’t know much about the distinguished successors. They were probably members of noble families seeking prestige and recognition by taking part in a mission of this caliber.

  And lastly, Santiago and two administrators. These three were capable of rivaling practically any executor. Without a doubt, it was a truly fearsome team.

  —That’s why I’d like you to participate in this mission as well. Please, Roberto, guide us.

  After making his plea, Santiago stood and bowed to me. He wasn’t the only one; Tomás and Nicol, likely the administrators who would accompany him, mirrored the gesture.

  —No. As I said from the start, we won’t be taking missions for the next two weeks.

  My decision was final. I wanted to spend all that time with Paper, María, and Lucía, not get involved in a mission this troublesome.

  —Enough! I order you!

  Power.

  Rosa had finally lost patience. The oppressive aura of a Rank 8 flooded the room completely. It was as if the little girl had summoned a garden of roses—faint but tangible—pressing down on everyone in the chamber… well, everyone except me and Paper.

  Paper only widened her smile at Rosa’s attempt to manifest her concept through her aura, something she was barely managing, though she made up for her lack of quality with brute force.

  —Heh, you’ve grown, Rosa. But you lack quality. Let me teach you.

  In a burst, the thorny roots around Paper were shredded, immediately replaced by a paper storm so real it could cut you just for getting close.

  Now this had turned into a true clash of Conceptual Auras: one fueled by raw power, the other by pure quality.

  Completely forgetting their surroundings, the two girls began slamming their auras into each other violently. Every collision ended in a stalemate, because neither wanted to give ground and both were extraordinarily evenly matched.

  While Rosa and Paper were perfectly fine, the innocent Rank 7s surrounding the two girls kept taking the collateral effects of those powerful auras colliding. They were barely holding on; if this went on much longer, there was no doubt they’d collapse soon. But those two seemed too focused on their little competition to notice the consequences.

  “Aaah… a pair of girls,” I thought, sighing mentally. I decided to step in and put an end to their fight.

  Eyes.

  Countless eyes of every kind fixed their gaze on those present. Reality itself had become an endless darkness where only those eyes existed.

  —Stop.

  With a single word, everything returned to normal, as if absolutely nothing had happened.

  “Alright, everything normal, except for…”

  Every one of the Rank 7s had passed out—or was about to.

  —Roberto… if you reconsider… we leave in two days… you have until then…

  Unable to endure any longer, Santiago fainted after leaving me that message. And he wasn’t the only one affected.

  —Ugh… when am I going to get used to this?

  On her knees and breathing hard, Paper tried to recover from the side effects of my Conceptual Aura. She’d already experienced it several times before; at the pace she was improving, it wouldn’t take long for her to withstand it completely.

  I almost let out a proud smile as I watched her. “Although…”

  I turned my gaze to the last victim, who was indeed unconscious. It seemed Rosa hadn’t managed to endure it.

  I was left with only one thought to describe this chaotic situation:

  “Looks like you won, Pap.”

  NARRATOR: PAPER

  Flying at full speed in my magnificent paper plane, I felt the wind messing up my hair even more—which, by the way, was already in its “white tornado of aesthetic chaos” form. But it didn’t matter. We were finally going home.

  We had left little Rosa’s office a few minutes ago, not without first putting her in her place. What? Can’t a girl have fun once in a while?

  Looking at the immense forests of blue mushrooms and the patches of yellow fungi, I felt relaxed.

  Today had been a day of back and forth, but now everything was calm.

  —What’s wrong, Paperito?

  My uncle’s casual tone as he sat beside me didn’t manage to hide his concern.

  —Sometimes I wonder if… is it wrong to be so talented?

  I didn’t say it with malice or arrogance. Just… uncertainty.

  —I don’t think so. I think it makes you adorable.

  Watching the blue landscape speckled with yellow from the edge of the plane, and using my uncle’s body as a pillow, I drifted into my thoughts.

  Rob had that creepy smile while he gently stroked my hair, but I let it slide this time.

  We flew in silence for a while, leaving Catalxor behind. We just admired the scenery.

  Halfway there, Uncle decided it was time to be “discreet,” as he calls it. So we descended in the middle of the forest and let ourselves be carried by the two giant Rank 5 rats he summoned.

  Yes. Rats. It never stopped amazing me how quickly I was getting used to living with all of my uncle’s eccentricities.

  —Will we ever travel like normal people? —I muttered.

  —We are not normal people —Rob replied without looking back.

  Touché.

  It didn’t take long. Our little town was already in sight, hidden among mountains and mushrooms. Everything was quieter, slower. Sometimes I forgot how nice it felt to come back.

  We made a quick trip to our home. Some villagers tried to welcome us, but I only gave them a casual greeting. For now, I wanted to rest for tomorrow.

  The house appeared like a blessing: two stories, round windows, white wood, and a roof covered in bright blue moss. Our house.

  The door opened even before we touched the handle.

  —Mom! We’re back! —I exclaimed excitedly when I saw the person coming out.

  She was a woman a bit taller than me, looking adorable with her spring-green eyes widened in surprise.

  She was wearing one of her old-fashioned dresses, like she was about to go shopping.

  —Sweetheart!

  With a tight hug, our reunion was almost complete.

  —You’re back. Oh, I’m so happy… what should I make for dinner today?

  Tears ran down Mom’s cheeks as we greeted each other.

  “She’s always like this,” I thought fondly.

  Then quick little footsteps caught my attention. From inside the house, a little angel with white wings and blond hair crashed into Mom and me.

  The little nine-year-old light burst out:

  —Mooommy! You’re back. And Uncle’s here too!

  Rob walked up to us calmly. This time he couldn’t hide his smile.

  With Mom’s protective arms around me, the energetic Lucía in my arms, and the quietly affectionate Rob watching… I felt at peace.

  That was our home.

  Strange, noisy, full of bugs and paper. But home.

  “I love you.”