Chapter 2 - Four Fools Faking Fortune

A lot of things happened right after that. Far too many things that were both good and bad. Nevertheless, Cain and Helena managed to tide through living in the greatest civilization.

From Helena singlehandedly winning a tournament through her own skills to a bit of mischief due to her greed, it had been a wild ride.

At one of the peaks of this world, Cain was looking up at the sky, counting down the moments before his time was up. "So, we're finally heading back right?"

It had been almost exactly ten years since he was sent here. He had always followed right behind Helena as she paved her way through countless obstacles with a smile on her face.

Helena managed to reform her body back to what it had been before she was sent here. "You are, I'm definitely going to be sleeping for an eternity when I get back." Feeling bored, she conjured a few specks of flames from her hand. As these specks flickered, so did the space around it.

"Lady Helena, I beg you our world can't handle that much power! Please, stop yourself!" An old man went on his knees as he trembled before her.

'I remember him, he was called the Absolute One. I kinda forgot how strong he was…' Cain thought as he watched from a distance. 

[Name: Ragathor Ulverir (Absolute One)

Power Level: Average

Mastery: (Hidden)

Body: (Hidden)]

"Average," Cain mumbled out unknowingly.

"E-Excuse me, Lord Cain. What do you mean average?" The old man turned to Cain. He had never heard such praise from this person before.

"Your strength, right?" Cain didn't mean to say anything but just said what he had in mind. "You're average."

"Such praise! I don't deserve it!" The old man's expression was completely joyful as if such words were blessings from the gods above.

"What's with him?" Cain thought to himself. Ever since his journey, he had always been following right behind Helena the entire time, acting as her errand boy. Whatever Helena did, he just followed right behind.

'This old man must be suffering from dementia. Now I feel bad.' Cain took out a blanket from his comically large bag and gave it to him.

"Here you go, it should keep you warm during winter." Cain kindly gave out a common-looking blanket. "I might not have gotten as strong as Helena but I'm pretty confident in doing everything else!"

As the old man received this piece of cloth, he didn't waste any time as he ran away. " A robe made out of Eternal Silk! Heavens!" He immediately wore it without any hesitation and pushed against any sort of resistance.

The old man could feel his aging body return back to his prime, regaining all his lost vigor within a moment of donning the cape. "Lord Cain, such an item… I truly do not deserve it!"

"Hey Helena, that old man seemed really happy right?" Cain went over to her and praised himself. "See, I told you I'm not a bad merchant."

Helena felt her blood boil, "For the last time, Cain. You don't even know what you're selling! You have no idea what you even did!"

"Nuh-uh! I know I sold a cloth cape to an old man." Cain proudly crossed his arms as he said this. "Which is a good thing!" Cain added on before Helena answered.

"For the love of… Firstly, you have no idea what materials you even used for that item are. Secondly, you don't know what the items even do. And lastly, the worst one of them all, YOU GAVE IT AWAY! WHAT KIND OF MERCHANT GIVES STUFF AWAY FOR FREE?!" This song and dance had been played for ten years now. Helena couldn't understand how someone like Cain could even exist.

"Hey, I know it's a cloth robe that I wove by myself to make someone warm," Cain yelled back in anger. "I don't get what the big deal is."

"Cain… it's Eternal Silk. You buffoon! Do you even know what that is?" Helena raised her voice. Even the mountain peak they were on was starting to break apart from her voice alone.

"I'm not that dumb, ok! It's silk. You know, used for sewing. Sometimes I feel like you're not even listening to me." Cain suspiciously looked at Helena.

"Cain, I know you were dense but come on man. You have to realize that Eternal Silk and common silk aren't the same thing."

"Potato, potato. Both turn into robes, I don't see the problem." Cain felt as if he was being treated wrongly. Both were silk so what was the difference?

"Ugh, my head. I don't know why she's still trying to get with you when you're like this." Helena rubbed her forehead, trying to stop herself from doing something she might regret.

"What?" Cain innocently asked.

"Oh, nothing. Here boy, catch!" Helena threw a golden coin at Cain which he immediately immediately grabbed ahold of. "I'm going to pay for that old man's robe. Deal?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure." Cain wasn't even listening. He had been trying his best all this time but so far he only managed to amass a few thousand golden coins from trying so hard.

"Good." Helena snapped her fingers and the very same robe that the old man was wearing appeared before her. "As much as I hate to admit it, the craftsmanship on this is phenomenal. Even after I've regained my full power, it's still something I can admire."

"Well, thank you. Now you finally see my worth." Cain smugly said out loud.

'Worth? Just now? Cain, never before have I seen someone so terrifying. Fortunately, you're like this otherwise the Land of the Gods might've just gotten a new tyrant.' Helena thought to herself as she tried to recall Cain's feats of strength.

There was a fun time during their travels when an eldritch horror appeared during the night and Cain just walked past it, causing devastating continental winds to occur, wiping that eldritch horror away from existence. As well as an entire landmass from the map.

"I've always known… it's not even worth it anymore. Hmm?" Helena looked at the skies as the beckoning of Earth's landscape finally appeared before them. "I guess it's finally time for us to bid farewell to each other."

Cain gripped the handles on his bag tightly. "Will we ever see each other again?"

"Hopefully not." Helena blatantly said that but once she saw Cain's reaction she sighed. "Ugh, stop being sappy already! I'll come visit when I feel like it."

"Really? You will?" Cain genuinely smiled. "I'll show you that I'll be a successful merchant on Earth! Be sure to look out for my name!"

"Yeah that… or you destroy everything." Helena rolled her eyes as she said the latter words. They were said in such a way that prevented Cain from hearing them.

"What was that?" Cain asked Helena in such an innocent tone.

"Nothing. Honestly, what am I even worrying about? You'll be fine. Now go on, skidaddle." Helena gestured for Cain to leave already.

Cain walked up to the portal that suddenly appeared in front of him and looked back. He waved and said his farewells, "I hope we-"

"Now!" A black ball of pure destruction came in from the distance, rushing in and tackling Cain into the portal.

"Bleh! He's mine!" This black-haired girl viciously glared at Helena as she said this.

"Oh, you little… so that's how you want to play it. Come here!" Helena also jumped in towards the portal, completely agitated by the black-haired girl's taunts.

"Master! Wait for me!" Another man jumped into the portal, screaming out. "Master Cain! Don't leave me behind!"

Cain didn't even feel like responding to these two psychopaths who decided to rush in with him. He just decided to let whatever happens happen, he had tried to get rid of these two before but nothing ever worked.

"I feel like this is going to lead to something terrible." Cain and the other four entered the portal altogether.

[Analysis… prediction correct.]

"Shut it! You used to be so helpful but nowadays you're just shaming me!" Cain roared out at the system, feeling completely unjust at the current state of events.

"Ah, Cain. Now we meet once again! Our battle will be legendary!" The black-haired girl grappled Cain as he felt numb to it all after experiencing it so many times.

"You're not even supposed to be here, Nue!" Helena grabbed Nue by the head, trying to pry her away from Cain.

"Master! Don't tell me you're going to abandon me again!" A blond guy, around 18 years old was clinging to Cain's legs.

"No one even likes you, Harry!" The two ladies angrily roared out at the blonde guy at the exact same time.

"This is going to be a long trip…" Cain mumbled to himself as two unwanted creatures joined him.

In the Land of the Gods, a peculiar scene was occurring before this person's eyes. "We can't… teleport? How so?"

"It appears that four terrifying entities are trying to bridge the gap. Two of which are so strong that I think it might've been some kind of spatial fluctuation meeting causing a rare phenomenon."

"Where is it coming from? If it's from a questionable world then just cut it off."

"Checking! It's from… oh, it's from his world." As this god saw where it was coming from his soul left his body.

"Him?! Don't tell me Helena's still alive?!" This god felt his spine turn to jelly. "Helena's still alive, this is really bad."

"Do you think she'll be merciful this time around? I barely survived her last tantrum. Even the food court in the Sovereign's Plateau hasn't recovered from her hellfire!" He was biting his fingers in fear of the news.

"Ok, I think I have a plan. What if we just cut it off right now?"

"Goo… I mean, noo… That's a bad idea." This person immediately changed his answer as he saw something that would make Helena's case look like a breeze in the park.

"What are you talking about? If we cut off the Celestial Transference then she wouldn't be able to come back! It's a win-win for everyone."

Meanwhile, his friend was gesturing his hand to stop it. Even doing a chopping motion on his neck, "I really think you should stop right now."

"Why? The plan's foolproof! As long as it stays between us. Agreed?"

He facepalmed and felt all hope was lost. "It was nice knowing you friend."

"Agreed. As long as no one else knows between the three of us." The ever-terrifying tyrant spoke from right behind him. "Right?"

The man proposing the plan knew that it was essentially over for him, "That's not good." After saying as such, he disappeared into nothingness. Even proof of his existence was slowly getting written off from history, to be forgotten by all.

"Helena's still alive? That's great news. Let her know that she can come back whenever she wants." After saying these words, he disappeared once more.

"Damn it! Fine!" The last guy left was now forced to take measures into his own hands. "Let those four pass through! That's an order!"

"But that will siphon all the energy we have stocked up this entire time! We won't be able to teleport everyone at this rate!" One of the gods answered from the side.

"We have no other choice. It's his orders! Let them pass!"

"Wait, I have an idea, what if we limit their mana? If we do that then we'll be able to transport every single human back to Earth!"

"Sounds like a plan, do it!"

~~~

Modern-day, an unknown place on Earth.

A dimensional rift opened up in the middle of a forest. Four figures jumped out of this portal and safely landed on their feet.

"Nue, you fool!" Helena roared out at Nue's insane move. "You too, Harry! Why'd you take Cain's portal?! Don't you understand that we could've been stuck in the space between the infinite worlds if something went wrong?"

"But nothing went wrong, right?" Harry sounded out a laugh as he got up and patted his clothes. Now that one had a better look at him, his well-cut blonde hair and emerald eyes, paired with his luxurious-looking clothes made it seem as if he was royalty. "Besides, nothing bad could ever happen to me, haha!"

"You and that abnormal luck! Curses!" Helena went over and grabbed Harry's head and directly slammed it on the ground. That was what Helena expected but reality was completely contrary to her beliefs, when she grabbed his head, it immediately lost traction as she seemed to have combed his hair with her hands.

"Oh my, Helena. Daring are we?" Harry's smirk made Helena's temper rise even higher. "I might still be single but I think you're being a little too aggressive now."

Helena looked Harry in his eyes and grumbled, "Do you want to see your future with me then?" Her eyes seemed to have been replaced with the desolate emptiness of the void filled with loneliness and isolation. He immediately felt his safety be in jeopardy. He felt that if he ever looked at Helena's eyes then he would die an unjust death.

"Nue, get off me." Cain sighed and tried to pry Nue from him but she was too stubborn.

"No. Don't wanna." Nue grabbed ahold of Cain tightly and giggled. "Not after we fight!"

"I already told you I'm a pacifist! I don't do well fighting against others." Cain told his side of the story.

Yet when the other three heard this, they recalled one particular scene a year ago. Helena and Harry both turned silent but Nue giggled and feigned courage. Yet this giggling sooner or later turned into tears.

"Mmm, I want to fight. Not die. Okay!" Nue immediately got off Cain's body and stood on her own. Nue had waist-long black hair paired with shining golden eyes. She wore long robes which were actually the ceremonial clothing for priestesses that would be sacrificed to the darkness.

Cain thought that it would be a new chapter in his life. Little did he know that not only was it not a new chapter, it was a sequel. "Alright, listen up! We should separate on our own from here on. Goodbye."

Helena grabbed Cain by the shoulder, "So you're going to be leaving just like that?"

"Yeah, sounds about what I just said. That's right." Cain nodded his head up and down, not realizing what Helena was trying to imply.

"Master Cain, I do believe you owe it to me to teach me your ways." Harry prepped up his tie and showed some proper etiquette for once. "You did promise me you would."

"Exactly! You also promised me that you'll fight me!" Nue also pitched in.

"I might remember saying that to Harry but there was no way I told you that I was going to fight you, Nue."

"... and feed me, and give me shelter, and feed me yummy food, and fight me, and fight me, and fight me…" Nue kept listing on the same thing over and over again. She wasn't even trying to make up a decent lie anymore. She didn't even hear what Cain said.

"Helena how about we make a deal. I'll take Harry and you take Nue?" Cain looked at his only saving grace at this very moment.

"I have a better deal for you." Helena crossed her arms, letting her fiery red hair flow around. "How about I do none of that and you take both of them. Deal?"

"Hey, that's not how deals work." Cain pouted.

"Cain, I still remember you giving away Eternal Silk for free. You're not getting a free pass from me." Helena was ignoring the fact that she was wearing that exact same silk robe right now.

"Eternal Silk… what a minute, you're wearing Eternal Silk! Cain, I want some too! Make me razor-sharp threads that I can cut people with!" Nue was now acting like a spoiled child asking her parents for something that she wanted.

"Ahem, Master Cain. I do, as an apprentice, believe that I deserve a suit made out of Eternal Silk. Please?" Harry started off talking very eloquently and sophisticatedly but immediately kneeled down to beg for it. "I'll even make it my family heirloom!"

"Beat it! Me first!" Nue kicked Harry about, knocking him into a nearby mountain quite easily. "So, when am I going to get to get it?" Nue's golden eyes showed an extreme desire for those threads.

"I don't have any more Eternal Silk, alright? It was just a random material I saw on the market and bought it. Tch, it's not even for sale anymore anyways. Plus, I'm running out of money." Cain sulked and crossed his arms.

"Cain, I'm going to get very angry if you keep talking so how about you just keep quiet… okay?" Helena was staring daggers at Cain's back. Helena had always seen Cain acquire, not even nearly extinct materials, he was getting materials that weren't even supposed to exist. Seeing him waste such valuable materials always made her blood boil.

"Yes, ma'am. Will do, ma'am." Cain fully agreed to it even though he felt it was unjustified. "But I really did buy it from the shop… system open up the store and search for Eternal Silk." For some reason, whenever Cain talks about the system, no one ever acknowledges it.

[Item: Eternal Silk

Price: 1 Spool of Thread for 1500 Points

Current Balance: 542 Points]

"Okay, it might've been a little more expensive than I thought…" Cain finally realized his mistake. He had been struggling to get enough money to buy certain items from the shop but getting the money was the difficult part.

"If only I knew what it actually wanted from me then I wouldn't have had to suffer like this!" Cain felt like he was wronged but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Dammit! Why was the system selling 10 Spools for 50 Points back then? It makes absolutely no sense! Argh!"

"So what are you planning on doing now?" Helena calmed down and asked Cain.

"Set up shop somewhere and be a good merchant. Like I promised you." Cain lightly kicked a stone away as he tried to reorganize what his actual plans were.

"There's nothing waiting for me anyway so I might as well hang around. Since you want to be a merchant how about I become your financial advisor? And no, you can't refuse." Helena didn't even wait for Cain to answer. "Great. Oh, and by financial advisor I mean I get to keep all your wealth. If you want to buy something it has to go through me."

"But-" Cain tried to fight back but couldn't.

"Ooh! I want to be your bodyguard!" Nue her hand as her golden eyes innocently stared at Cain. "I'll pave your path with both the blood and bodies of your enemies! You can trust me!"

"Nue, I don't think we want to be killing people randomly here. This is Earth, a world of law and order."

"Huh… that wasn't what was supposed to happen," Helene muttered under her breath which caught Cain's vivid attention. "Oh, don't worry about it. Carry on."

'I don't think I want to gloss over that so quickly, Helena.' Cain felt very afraid of what Helena had planned.

"And as Master Cain's personal disciple. I'll be an artisan! I'll make you proud, master!" No one had any clue when Harry got here but since everyone decided on their own roles there was no point in fighting it anymore.

"Ugh fine. What should we name the company?" Cain felt a headache coming on but still asked.

"I think the name Hell's Merchant sounds quite good," Helena smirked and offered her suggestion.

"That sounds really offensive… for some reason."

"Nuenue! Call it Nuenue's Fighting Club." She raised her hand expecting to be praised.

"Nue, points for effort but you fail because that's not what we're doing."

"Aw." Nue looked sad.

"Master Cain, I do believe you would like my suggestion: Heaven's Delight!" Harry patted himself on the back with this one.

Rather than Cain rejecting this idea, Nue was the one who was against it, "No!"

"But why?" Harry was genuinely confused. "I believe it's a fitting name."

"Because I hate you!" Nue puffed her cheeks in anger.

"That's not a valid argument! You can't just deny my suggestion because you personally hate me!" Harry was offended.

"Well, I can!" Nue crossed her arms and looked away.

"I think I have an idea. How about this…" Cain offered his own suggestion.

Everyone looked at each other and had no other choice but to accept it. This was the lesser of the four evils.