Travelling is not as easy as many people make it sound.
According to Kael's memories, I was in the Fumer Forest. A weird name for a forest.
It was on the northern outskirts of the empire. To reach Julien, I had to go to what can be called the black market city of the empire—Tamyr.
It was a hotspot for all shady dealings you could think of. And this is where I would find my two main pawns—allies.
Tamyr was about 40 kms towards the south.
I bought a horse from a nearby village that was adjacent to the forest.
I have to say, Kael had a good chunk of money in his storage ring despite leaving his house for over a year. This guy wasn't as incapable as he was shown in the game events.
As I dug my heels in, the horse snorted and increased its pace.
I must say my companion is quite capable for something from a village. I don't mean to discriminate, but horses from the capital are better trained and are all elites of their breed.
This one was quite docile at that.
The journey took me nearly two days. Staying at random inns on the way is really a hassle.
The food… don't ask about it.
How can people offer such things and call it food?
None of the meals had salt in them. Why can't people add more of it?
And let me tell you, when I was adding salt to my meal, others were looking at me like I was some sort of demon.
Man! Can't even eat your food in peace.
Life really sucks.
So now I have arrived at the gates of Tamyr City. Even though the place is shady, I must say the security looked quite premium.
There were guards at every entry point, and every person had to pay some money for entry.
Entry fees are everywhere, it seems.
Just as I thought of an "if someone refuses to pay" situation, I got a reality check early on.
The guards thoroughly beat the shit out of a person in rags who was trying to enter through the gates forcefully.
The guards seemed strong. I couldn't sense their ranks for obvious reasons.
Kael never trained in his life.
So he was still at the primary Iron Core. Although he knew the basics of magic and combat, that was only because his father had forced him to attend those lectures held by their private instructors.
All noble children were trained from an early age so as to have an edge over others, especially commoners who don't have the luxury of private instructors before entering an academy.
These small things kept the balance of power always tilting towards the nobles.
Still, there have been cases of a fair number of commoners having incredible talents, who now share important positions of power in the world.
Our protagonist was one such person, who with his broken abilities quickly soared to the top of the social and power hierarchy.
When I arrived at the gate, one of the guards in splendid, shiny armour checked my credentials.
Checked in the sense that he just asked my name and some basic details for records.
I didn't give my family name for obvious reasons. Paying the entry fee of 20 credits, I entered through the gates.
As for credits—didn't I explain it?
Maybe not!
Credits are the base currency used in this world, and they are followed throughout the entire world by all races.
They were introduced in order to properly integrate transactions between different races.
Gold and silver were still used, but they were more like a stored form of money.
For direct transactions, credits had to be used.
As I strolled through the streets of the city, it was amazing.
The entire infrastructure was a mix of old and new, with some high-rise buildings while others were decent-sized establishments.
Business was booming, as could be seen by the influx of people in the city.
Although the city was more famous for its black market, legal businesses existed.
The air screamed of richness and poverty.
Rich merchants and nobles could be seen buying and selling things, while people in torn clothes and rags could be seen haggling over the prices of what could be called basic food items.
It was a conflicting view.
My boots made their way through the busy streets in search of my target.
Julien Drake.
Where would a helpless child with little to no income live?
The slums were the place I was headed for.
As I left the domain of the rich, the air began to feel suffocating.
There were scents of rot and decay. The people around were all those they call slum dwellers.
Rejected by the world, living in conditions even animals would find difficult.
'And a right turn from here should do the work.'
I knew the general overview of where he lived by seeing the events in the game, but still navigating it in real life was a tough thing to do.
Stopping the children nearby who were engaged in their plays, still ignorant of the brutal world that awaited them, I asked, "Do you guys happen to know where a guy named Julien Drake lives?"
The children looked innocently at me, until a boy no more than six pointed towards a small house with torn sheets covering its roof—or if it could even be called a house.
"Ju just lives there. Are you his friend, uncle?"
Uncle?
Do I look like a fucking uncle?
Tsk. If it hadn't been a kid, I would have shown him who I was.
I looked into the kid's eyes. "Yes, I am his—well, big boss."
I said with a straight face.
The kids all looked at me with wide eyes.
Wait… what?
Did I say something wrong?
"Biggie uncle, Ju is awesome at work, right?"
Huh.
They seem to be close to Julien.
"He always gives us candies to eat."
Another kid smiled while puffing his chest.
"Ah… yes, he is quite the capable man!"
"Here, take this as a gift from me and treat yourselves to some desserts. How about it?"
I said while handing some credits to the children.
Their jumps showed that it was a rarity for them to even see credits in person.
Damn, these nobles.
But who am I to speak, being a noble myself?
Cold air hit my face as I made my way towards Julien's house.
Before I could knock on the door, it opened from the inside, and a boy with blue hair stepped out.
He was around maybe 5'8" in height, which was above average for someone who lived in the slums with no proper food.
Maybe the commotion made by the kids made him check on them, but seeing me before him, he seemed…
Scared?
A natural reaction.
I was dressed in rich clothes, and with a height of around 5'11", I looked kind of dominating.
Heeh.