28 A Fated Encounter

I should've picked a better landing location. But how was I supposed to know there would be people here?!

I take another look at my surroundings; I'm in the middle of a valley surrounded by steep hills that are covered in long and wispy blue grass. There's a humanoid woman who looks to be around my age to my left. She's about five feet two and she has round fluffy ears poking out of her black hair that's tied into a bun.

She looks surprisingly human despite her panda-like ears and her puffy tail covered in orange and black stripes. Her face is also so human-like it's almost uncanny, but she would still be very popular back on Earth despite her animal features since she looks so stunning.

Her slightly slanted green eyes are wide open and she's staring at me with a look of total surprise. I then realize that the way she fell on her knees gives me a rather enjoyable view of certain assets that are almost gushing out of her simple green tunic.

*The people of this world apparently haven't invented bras yet…*

I shake my head to clear the thoughts away, and I don't forget to burn the sight into my memory before focusing on the other side of the valley. The view is a lot less interesting there; a group of five horrifying creatures are staring at me while drool is dripping from their horrifying maws.

The creatures look like someone took the biggest furry spider imaginable, then make them the size of a bear. Then their demented creator thought that this wasn't enough, so he gave them claws that are bigger than my forearm and a mouth that look like it belongs on a piranha.

And these abominations are probably thinking about how tasty I am.

At least I'm sure that these creatures are hostile and extremely dangerous. Mostly because the woman 's panicked eyes keep alternating between me and the creatures, and her grip on her sword tightens a bit more each time she gazes at the monsters.

My lifeforce detector shows that the monsters don't have reinforcements hiding in the nearby forested area, and there's also a dot hidden behind the woman.

*Maybe she's with someone? But we'll see later, first I need to take care of those things. And who knows, maybe she has information about the materials I need…*

I focus my attention on the abominations and my hand reaches for the compartment on my right thigh. It immediately opens, and I pull out my Field Pistol before pointing it at the nearest spider. I empty two rounds into the creature before firing towards the second one.

Seeing their second companion's death prompts the monsters to attack, and they charge while making blood curdling noises. I can't help but shiver at the sight of their four long limbs sinking into the ground at a frightening speed.

*I wasn't scared of spiders before today, but now I totally understand!*

At least they aren't bulletproof, so that's reassuring, and they don't seem like they have a lot of mana since the ones I shot just exploded.

I correct my aim and kill the remaining creatures before they can reach me, I then turn towards the woman. She got up during my fight against the spiders, and now she's raising her sword towards me while hiding behind her shield.

"Hey, listen. I don't mean you any-"

She interrupts me with words I can't understand, and I want to slap my head for being such an idiot.

*Of course, the translator won't work, this is an undiscovered planet!*

I press the button on the Language Analyzer, causing the woman to screech more nonsense towards me. I just shrug, and it seems to infuriate her more since she shouts even harder. But her attitude changes when another person emerges from the bushes behind her. The person is a small bunny-eared woman with white hair, but what attracts my eyes isn't her non-existent chest but the two large scrolls at her sides.

*I wonder what those scrolls are for… And what's with the weird rod in her hand?*

The woman jumps in front of her bunny-eared companion and takes a stance. I can hear faint whispers being exchanged between the two, but I still can't understand a word of what they're saying. Maybe they think I'm hostile or something? I could calm them down a little by holstering my gun, but who knows how they would react. Maybe they'll attack me as soon as they realize I'm disarmed, or one of those spiders is suddenly going to emerge from the ground...

I take a deep breath of recycled air and wait for the Language Analyzer to do its job.

*Come on, how much longer will I have to wait for this damn thing to work properly?! It better not take too long, or a certain Goblin will be strongly encouraged to give me my money back!*

"… not sure if…"

I am finally able to understand a few words of their hushed whispers after a long minute of waiting, and soon their conversation becomes pretty crystal clear.

"So, who do you think it is? It can't be a monster and I've never seen armor like that before…" the bunny-eared girl asks her companion.

"I told you already, we don't have time to chat right now! I don't recognize his scent, so he could be an enemy!" she replies while readjusting her shield.

"If he was an enemy then he would've already attacked us. And we wouldn't stand a chance if he was hostile, what could we do against someone who killed five Weavaans in an instant?"

The woman clicks her tongue and narrows her eyes, "The Formation he used to kill those Weavaans must've taken a lot of time to prepare, and I doubt he has the resources to use it again. So, he's at our mercy-"

I cough, "Hum, sorry to interrupt but-"

"So, you can speak! Identify yourself before I pierce you with my sword!" the woman shouts before readying her sword with a trembling hand.

I don't want to cause trouble… But I don't like her attitude, it reminds me too much of a certain group of lizards.

So, I ignore her and turn towards the rabbit-eared girl, "Now listen, I don't want to hurt you or anything. So, could you please tell your friend to lower her sword?"

She crosses her arms, "And why would I believe you? I don't know you, and you still have your weapon out."

I holster my gun before raising my empty hands, "All right, I'm unarmed now. So, can we discuss the situation like civilized people? I'm just a curious traveler."

The other woman clicks her tongue, "Do you think we're idiots?! This is too suspicious and smells like an ambush! You planned the Weavaan attack from the beginning, and you thought you could fool us by pretending to save our lives!"

For fuck's sake, I'm just here to find some metal and pick up a couple of flowers!

I sigh, "Listen, I don't want to hurt you. And you clearly don't want me here, so just tell me where the closest city is, and I'll be on my way."

The two women exchange a look before focusing back on me, "You're really not from around here, aren't you?" the bunny-eared woman asks.

I'm having serious doubt about this Language Analyzer now, is it working properly? Because I'm pretty sure I just said that.

Or maybe these women are just dumb, that's also a possibility.

"Like I said before, I'm just a traveler and I have no idea where I am," I say again, this time more slowly.

The woman with the round ears lowers her sword, "Tch… You don't sound like a liar. And you're definitely lost if you're telling the truth."

I raise an eyebrow, "And why would that be?"

"Before we answer, why are you even here? Nobody would be stupid enough to enter the United Clans' territory without a good reason."

I nod, "I'm looking for certain materials that should be in the area. And I'm willing to pay for them."

Of course, I don't intend to actually pay them. I doubt they accept Credits and I can't be bothered to earn the ridiculous amount of currency that the materials are probably worth. And these people can't pursue me, so if I find a shop selling the materials then a mysterious stranger will appear in the middle of the night and steal everything before vanishing into thin air.

After all, I doubt people from a backwater undiscovered planet could defend against interplanetary robbery.

The two women, who are unaware of my nefarious thoughts, relax.

"So, you're a merchant then?" the sword-wielding woman asks and lower her weapon when I answer with a nod.

"I don't see you carrying any goods, so I assume you have a spatial container?" she says.

"Of course, otherwise carrying the kind of goods I'm selling out in the open is just inviting robbers."

This is a complete lie since I have no idea what a spatial container is, but it sounds pretty interesting. If my assumption is correct then she might be referring to something like a Bag of Holding; a bag that's bigger on the inside.

This is worth investigating since I wasn't able to find anything even remotely similar on the HiddenNet. But I shouldn't get too excited because I sincerely doubt an undiscovered planet managed to succeed where the combined efforts of all the civilized worlds across multiple universes failed.

*No, I shouldn't look down on these people. Maybe the situation here is similar to mine? After all, I know better than anyone how luck can influence a major discovery.*

"All right, then let me introduce myself first. I'm Hisako, an Aspirant of the Ironclaw Clan." The woman says before pointing towards her rabbit-eared companion. "And this one is Riko. She's an Apprentice in Formations."

"I'm John Thomson, nice to meet you!"

Hisako sneers, "I didn't ask for your name… But you don't look like you know much about trading with the Clans so let me explain a few things. First of all, the status you have may have outside doesn't matter in the eyes of the Clans. So, you better behave yourself and show proper respect to our traditions. I know the Uniter recently opened up trades at the frontiers, but it doesn't mean lowly merchants can do whatever they want. Got it?"

*Great, I landed in the middle of a bunch of insular tribes. I hope they won't hinder me too much.*

"Anything else I need to know? You said you knew I wasn't from around here when I mentioned a city earlier, why is that?" I ask while doing my best to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"We don't gather in cities like people from the outside, instead we spread out as much as possible to minimize our impact on the environment." Riko answers.

*…That sounds terribly inefficient.*

"Anything you'd like to say, outsider?" Hisako, who understood the meaning behind my silence, snarls.

I take a deep breath and calm the anger welling in my stomach. I need them to get my information, so I can't lash out and shoot her in the face. But it's beyond difficult because of her holier-than-thou attitude and the way she looks down on me.

It takes all of my willpower to remain calm, "No, of course not. Then can you tell me where I can find someone I can trade with?"

Riko shakes her head and makes a wry smile, "I'm afraid we can't let you roam around on our territory without an escort. Of course, we'll be happy to help you since you saved our lives. You don't see any problems with it, right Hisako?"

She glares at her companion who sighs and begrudgingly accept Riko'.

*I don't want to be with you either so stop looking at me like that.*

Riko makes a wry smile, "Then we'll lead you to our village. But if the Elder doesn't want to trade with you then you'll have to leave."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I say with a hint of annoyance. A part of me was a bit excited to explore a new planet, but now I want this to end as soon as possible.

"You better keep up with us, because we won't wait for you!" Hisako grabs Riko's arm and the two turn into a blur before I can say anything.

I roll my eyes, "Oh no, you can run fast…If only I had a way to teleport!"

This woman needs to be taken down a peg or two. I reach for my Portal Gun and fire towards the group before firing under my feet. I sink into the portal and appear next to Hisako, but her look of shock doesn't last long and it changes to a snarl before she increases her speed. Meanwhile, the poor Riko can't keep up and she's flopping in the air behind her partner.

Our game of cat and mouse continue until Hisako stops for a rest near a large dead tree. She's panting while holding Riko, who passed out, in one hand and she glares at me with all the strength she can muster.

"How can…" she takes a few deep breaths, "How can you use so many Formations, and so fast too? And just how many Power Stones did you waste?!"

I smirk, "This is nothing to me. You should know that the world is big and vast, and this kind of thing is normal from where I come from."

Of course, I don't know what Formations or Power Stones are, but she doesn't have to know that. And it's nice to see that my boasting had the expected effect; Hisako is now looking at me with a mix of fear and respect. It's a thousand times better than the look of contempt she had before.

I also take the opportunity to look at her in more details. Her frantic running caused her tunic and her beige cloth pants to cling to her skin…

Let's just say that I'm glad my armor is made of metal, or the situation would be incredibly awkward right now.

"Is she going to be okay?" I gesture towards the passed out Riko.

Hisako grunts, "Of course, she's used to it by now. She should wake up in a few minutes."

"All right, then I'm going to sit down for a while." I lean against the tree and look at the sky. The ringed gas giant floating in the dark blue sky makes me realize how incredible my situation is. I glance at my left leg and realize just how amazing the Portal Gun truly is. I've traveled across multiple galaxies with the press of a single button!

This technology alone would usher a new age for humanity, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows what other marvels the Hidden World can offer?

There's probably a potion that could treat every disease imaginable. And not to mention how easy it would be to solve the energy crisis thanks to the abundance of physics-defying enchantments and the impressive list of esoteric materials available in the Bazaar.

But there's one big obstacle to what could otherwise be a never-ending golden age, the Rules.

I don't know why the Rules exists, and why they are so biased against humanity. Who set the Rules in the first place? And why couldn't they be changed?

*I bet the Enforcers are responsible…*

The Enforcers, Riley and Steve excluded, haven't left a good impression so far. I was sentenced to an unwinnable trial by combat because I dared to save people since the Wolfhearts were neglecting their duties.

Then I was attacked by a squad of assassins, and the Enforcers who were supposed to protect me only showed up when I detonated a ton of artifacts in my backyard. The Wolfheart Matriarch also had the gall to use a torture spell on me because I questioned her competence.

In a way, the Enforcers remind me more of the tyrannical and petty nobles of the Middle Ages than an actual police force.

"So, are we going or not?" Hisako takes me out of my thoughts, so I nod and keep teleporting next to the running woman.

I have to remember why I'm here; I need the materials for Krognar. If he keeps his end of our deal then I'll learn more about jamming spells, and maybe we'll even be able to make something that works. And if it can be mass produced…

A wild grin spreads across my face. I'll be able to remove the Scalebound Family from the map…

And maybe force a few changes in the Rules.

…Alice's PoV…

"This is…" words can't describe how angry I am right now.

I can only replay the security footage of the Stonecrusher's warehouse that has been raided yesterday again and again. The aggressors killed the security guards and looted the place before setting it on fire, and the worst is that they didn't even bother to hide who they were. I recognize the uniform; the attackers are from an otherwise inconsequential Family of Birdfolks who allied themselves with the Scalebound a long time ago.

They would never attack the Stonecrusher since they don't have the manpower or the firepower to face them. And not to mention the backlash caused by a Family attacking another one… This can only mean one thing. Erdis ordered them to do it. That's the only reason why they would risk becoming a pariah in the eyes of the Council, and that would also explain how they got their hands on powerful warriors.

*You scaly bastard, do you want a war that much? Don't you understand how much we'll lose if we fight against each other?*

"This is unacceptable!" The Patriarch of the Stonecrusher, a stout dwarf with a short and neat grey beard wearing a three-piece suit, slap my desk in anger. "I don't know why those bastards attacked us, but we need to repay blood in blood!"

I massage my temples and take a deep breath. If the Wolfheart retaliates directly then it'll only serve to escalate the conflict, and our intervention is likely to start a full-blown war against the Scalebound.

"As per the agreements of the alliance between our Families, I formally request the help of the Wolfheart and their associated forces to squash those bastards."

*What should I do?*

We can't lose the Stonecrusher: Our alliance has been holding for nearly three centuries, and they are our main providers of equipment.

And not answering the Stonecrusher's call to arms will fracture our faction and lower the Wolfheart's already low standing. We barely recovered from the Edmund fiasco, and I don't even want to think about the repercussions of the mana explosion caused by that Outsider…

I'm also certain that this attack is just a probing from the Scalebound. They are openly challenging us, and they'll continue if we don't retaliate… So, we have to take a strong stance.

"So, what will it be?!" the dwarf asks while clenching his fists.

I take a deep breath, I hope my decision will be enough to send a message to Erdis and he'll calm down, or else…

"The Wolfheart Family will fulfill their obligations," I say with a heavy tone.