"How are you so strong? Your level of strength is unnatural." Kim Jaehyun asked the most pressing question on his mind. If he knew the secret, he may also get stronger much, much faster, just like how Grey would, knowing Kim Jaehyun's method of collecting Mana.
"Whilst I can't tell you much, I can attribute it to a special physique." Grey said cryptically.
'Hmm, a special physique. I wrote about physiques, but not one as ungodly as that. They increase Mana connection or physical strength, and some allow potions to work better, but that's it.'
"Okay. If you say so." The buzzer hadn't reacted, it kept dinging as they spoke, implying neither was lying. Technically.
"Now, it's my question. However, I have things to do, so this will be the last one. 3 each that way."
"Makes sense."
"What are you after?"
Kim Jaehyun thought hard for a while, realizing that he was stuck. If he told Grey that he wanted to go home, Grey would grow suspicious, but if he told Grey that he wanted to save the world, the Truthteller would go off, and Grey would grow suspicious of him. The question was worded specifically to ensure Grey learned the most important thing; his goal.
'My answer to his first question must have caused this. He would have asked something different if I had said something else. You reap what you sow, I guess.' As Kim Jaehyun thought, Grey was planning to ask a different question but had been enticed to ask this one upon hearing that his friends were important to save the world.
If they were so important, ignoring the fact that Kim Jaehyun knew that, why was he so fixated on them, to the point that he would ask Grey to go in their place?
"I... I both want to save the world and go home."
DING!
The machine didn't react to Kim Jaehyun's response, dinging like usual. He had said both in the end, knowing that either response would lead to the same outcome.
'So, one of those is the truth, and the other is the truth that he would tell others.' Grey immediately figured it out, putting his intelligence to good use. 'Most likely the second is the truth, as the first is very noble. However, I don't understand, can he not go home at any time? Fallen Star, could you-'
- Yes no problem, give me a second. -
Fallen Star took, as It said, just a second to learn all the info it needed through The Island's database.
- He lives with his parents, but they are often out. He lives in Arkus now but used to live in a small village. It was burned down in a Villain attack. -
'I see. So, maybe he wants to go home to the village?'
- That is a possibility. Of course, the most likely outcome is that he is far, far more special than we could fathom. It just wouldn't make sense otherwise. -
'Agreed,' Grey thought, finishing both conversations. "Well, then. I'll be off for the Elven Domain within a day. Have fun."
"Of course, and thank you." Kim Jaehyun replied.
Grey drank the last of his coffee, paid his bill, and left. Kim Jaehyun watched as he exited the cafe, a smirk on his face.
"Good luck. You'll need it after all."
---
Grey swung the front door open, shouting to announce his presence.
"I'm home!"
"Hello, son." Lucas replied, turning back to the TV after.
'Lazy bum.'
"Hello sweetie, how was your meeting?" His mother asked.
"It went great. Speaking of, I need to ask you two something."
Hearing this, Lucas turned away from the TV and Samantha exited the kitchen, entering the living room. Grey walked through the hallway, arriving in front of them.
"I want to go to the Elven Domain."
'''Okay.''' Lucas and Samantha said after some deliberation, which was just speaking through their eyes.
"Once again, you've lost me." Grey began. "How could you accept so easily? I'm still a minor, you know. You can say no."
"Well, you never do anything without a reason." Samantha said.
"And you have the money, don't you?" Lucas continued, his intention clear.
"Besides, there's just over half a year until you're 18, so you're practically an adult." His mother finished.
Listening to their reasoning, a tear almost came to Grey's eye. "Wow, I didn't know I was so trusted. After being locked inside for all my life, I thought you guys would be more wary." He joked.
"Haha, very funny."
"Sweetie, no. You're too smart to be fooled. Who're you trying to kid?"
"Thanks, you two." Grey laughed at their responses. "Do you mind when I go?"
"Of course not," Lucas said. "The faster you go the better."
He winked at his wife, earning himself both a blush and a slap on the back of the head.
Ignoring Lucas, who rubbed the back of his head, Samantha turned to Grey.
"Don't worry sweetie. You can go as soon as you need to."
A smile bloomed on Grey's face as he heard them talk, to which Samantha responded in kind. Grey hugged his mother, gave his father a look, and then ran upstairs to go pack.
"Ah, they grow up so fast." Samantha said, a slight hint of regret on her tongue.
"If needs be, we can always make a second." Lucas 'joked', shifting to the TV.
SMACK!
---
Grey traversed the white halls of the airport, searching for his destination. After a good 5 minutes of walking, he came upon an intersection leading to the baggage drop-off.
'Finally,' He thought. 'Damn, this place is so big.'
He placed his suitcase on the conveyor and tapped his phone on the screen next to it. Responding to his action, the screen scanned the pass on his phone, lighting up with a green check and activating the conveyor.
Once it finished, Grey walked off to find his plane.
Again, the large open halls of a white, marble-like material, alongside the giant panes of glass flooded Grey's view as he looked high into the air to spot the signs. The bustle of people around him drew him in like a current, and several times Grey had to force it all to a halt, just to catch his bearings.
'Got you.' Grey, infusing more Mana into his eyes than usual, enhanced his vision, allowing him to spot a sign more than 500 meters away that had his gate number.
'Gate 576.' He recounted, not bothering to double-check his pass. He knew it was correct after all.
He set off into a light jog, eager to get there as soon as possible.
As if to tease or entice him, a female voice rang out in the halls, echoing across the chamber.
"Passengers of Arkusia Airlines headed to the Elven Capital, Novis Sanguis, please head to Gate 576. You have 5 minutes before the gate opens."
'I'll make it,' Grey thought to himself. 'I wonder what the Elf Capital is like. I've only read about it.'
- I expect that it will be similar to how we've seen it in photos. Also, did you not make the connection hearing that name? - Fallen Star spoke.
'Hm? Do you mean Novis? Oh, yeah Aurora Novis. I know she's a princess, I just never cared. Does it change anything? I'm going to help her with... whatever the problem is, so.'
- I see. For a second there, I thought that you hadn't connected the dots. -
Fallen Star could look at Grey's memories, as being an entity made directly by God instead of indirectly had its perks, of course, but chose not to, to respect boundaries. Because of that, It had wondered if Grey knew about Aurora being royalty but never brought it up because, as Grey said, it didn't matter. Still, there was no harm in asking now.
'If I hadn't, I couldn't be called smart, could I?'
- Fair. -
Grey settled on a chair in Gate 576, arriving just as the conversation finished. He sat in silence, chatting with Fallen Star about things such as accommodation and living expenses. Most hotels near the center of Novis Sanguis, all the good ones, demanded a reservation before arrival, but this had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, so some things were still being ironed out.
Soon enough, the feminine voice called out, alerting all nearby people that Gate 576 had opened.
Grey stood up, headed to the end of the Gate, and scanned his pass. He walked through the hall beyond the door that blocked the Gate from the outside, exiting the terminal. The almost-spring outside air was chilly, but warming up. The night sky was beautiful, the stars shimmering openly, not covered by any pollution.
He stepped toward the plane, a fascinating piece of modern construction that he studied when he was 6. Its teardrop shape offered the least resistance up in the clouds, and its hover design negated the need for wings. It was painted white, the perfect color to contrast against the night sky.
Entering the plane, he was greeted by a flight attendant who showed him to his seat.
Thanking her, Grey took his seat, melting into the cushion.
'Oh yeah,' He smiled. 'First class was a good idea.'
Rather quickly, the seats began to fill up, and the seats were all filled shortly.
As always, once the passengers had seated themselves, the flight attendants began their demonstration of air safety.
After they finished, the plane, like a VTOL, rose in the air. Not once did it shake, proof of the dwarves' engineering prowess.
---
Grey was asleep, taking a nap 6 hours into the flight. Even for such a powerful plane, to reach the border would take 8 hours, and it would take another 8 to reach Novis Sanguis.
Suddenly, a loud bang accompanied by screams woke him from his slumber, which pissed him off, for a few seconds at least.
'Argh, who's disturbing me?'
"EVERYONE! BE QUIET AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP! THIS IS A TERRORIST ATTACK! I WILL KILL ANYONE WHO DISOBEYS!" A man yelled.
'Really?'