Chapter 24 - A Long & Internalizing Journey

Kazuya and Orihime were together in a small cart, pulled by a small horse, and led by the elderly traveler she had earlier communicated with. 

It was somewhat large for the both of them to be the only passengers on board, but given that their destination was someplace far from town, an area where few people at a time like this would want to go, it made perfect sense for the two of them to be the only ones present in it.

"So, have you figured out which of the guilds would have the mage we are looking for?" asked Orihime, prompting Kazuya to look at her with a strange gaze.

"Why do you keep asking questions as if I'm omniscient?" "How do you expect me to know specific details like that?" he asked her.

"I don't know—you seemed to be able to somehow figure out where we could find the mage and the exact type of mage it would be. "So I figured you'd know everything else related to the issue," she replied. "Besides, how did you find out anyway?"

"Nothing, really. I just thought hard about it, that's all." Kazuya lied, and he was horrible at it.

Orihime arched a brow in obvious skepticism. "So you mean that you could tell where to find a rare mage and also which type of rare mage it would be—all in the span of one night, just by thinking hard about it?" she asked.

"Well, I guess I got lucky," replied Kazuya, looking out the small window right beside him.

"What are you hiding, big man?" she asked.

"What are you talking about, woman?" he asked back.

"You are a terrible liar," she replied, "but don't get full of yourself; we still haven't confirmed if all that you have speculated is true or not."

Kazuya simply replied with a casual nod, not willing to say anymore, as Orihime was right in pointing out that he sucked at lying. He wasn't sure if it would be okay to tell her about Gaichu. As far as she was concerned, he was just an average guy, talented in strength and swordsmanship, wanting to slay goblins as much as she did.

She did not know he had some sort of inherent magical energy, and she might never have imagined that he was a person from another world. Revealing Gaichu to her would make her see him in a different light—one that might affect the overall dynamic of the situation.

For now, he would have to be the typical human who wanted to slay goblins—nothing more. He would have to think of a great excuse to explain his tendency to suddenly become aware of things and discover vital clues on a whim before the average person could even think about it.

The fact that Gaichu never appeared in public but had begun to speak to him through his mind was a huge indication that it wasn't to be seen by the others. 

Also, even if Kazuya decides to talk about it, nobody would ever believe him, as Gaichu might never reveal itself to anyone apart from the player it was assigned to, given its behavior at the sick bay earlier that morning. 

With that in mind, Kazuya resolved not to tell her about it but to allow her curiosity to lead her as close to the truth as it possibly could. 

During the trip, Kazuya could not help remembering some of the nostalgic memories, places, and faces that popped up in his mind earlier that morning. Everything he saw was strange, yet it brought him nostalgic feelings of familiarity. 

He tried shoving them out of his mind out of fear of getting struck by a sudden headache, but he couldn't do so. But unexpectedly, instead of getting headaches, he felt a warm bliss as he reminisced about past events he had never experienced. 

Part of him had accepted the fact that he might have come from another world but had chosen to remain on this one at least until he had slain enough goblins to quench his grief, and though he knew this might turn out to be a pointless endeavor, he clung to getting it done as his life depended on it.

The memories and experiences of this life (whether authentic or fabricated) had become so ingrained in his mind that even if he was aware of the probability of it being unreal, he could not stomach the idea of logging out, as that would be a glaring acknowledgement that this world was fake and that he cared less about it. 

But while that was the case, what would he do with these memories from another life? Memories that felt more and more real as they recurred in his mind over and over again...

Memories which implied that all he had ever known and loved was not real but a mere fabrication made up by people like himself just for the sake of thrills...

All these thoughts plagued his mind so much that it was almost unbearable for him. It further strengthened his resolution not to log out of this world until he had attained what he was after, whatever that was. 

Most of the day went on with the both of them barely talking to each other, as the duo spent most of the time internalizing the stuff that mattered to them. 

While Kazuya spent time internalizing his two clashing lives and identities, Orihime was trying to process her excitement over getting revenge on the goblins that destroyed her sister. 

The trauma that ensued from that event was beyond horrific, to say the least. 

For several nights, she had dreamt of that moment when her sister sacrificed herself to get their attention. She watched in hiding as the goblins raped and devoured her sister alive, while she tried her best to look strong until the bitter end. 

It would be safe to say that on that day, something snapped within her head, something that would only feel fixed whenever she thought of slaughtering those green devils. 

Perhaps that was why, among all the odd jobs she could have picked for a living, she chose the role of a huntress, one that nobody had looked into but was quite aware of, as people from other towns were into that sort of business. 

Because of that, though, she was able to make a living doing that, as she barely had competition in doing that, even though the average it gave in return was a lifestyle of living from hand to mouth. 

She was the entire hunting industry of the town, given that nobody she knew of was doing this as a full-time job. Hunting was something people seldom did, as it was a difficult and sometimes frustrating job. 

The goblin that almost killed her the previous day wasn't the first she had encountered, as she had come across lesser ones in the past weeks. The thrill she experienced from slaughtering the minor goblins left her craving for more, hence her current mission with Kazuya: to slay more goblins. 

The rest of the journey went this way, and though it was indulgent, it left them mentally exhausted. 

It was now close to nightfall, and they were now at their destination.

"Alright, children," the traveler said to them, "we are here—at Magdal!"

The two of them came down from the cart, looking tired from the journey but very alert and excited to finally have arrived at their destination. 

Kazuya looked around and was surprised to see that the town wasn't as dull as people made it out to be. Even though it had no reputable magic guilds, it looked a lot more magical than he expected. From the things that were being traded to the clothes the people were wearing, all showed a strong affinity for the supernatural. 

Orihime felt the same way and couldn't help smiling at the mere view of the colorful town. There were lanterns and torches of different colors decorating the atmosphere. She wondered if this was a festive night of some sort, as the streets seemed too lively for a normal night in the town. 

The traveler came before them, and Orihime remembered his payment. She reached down to her little bag and pulled out a small pouch of coins, handing it to him. 

"Here is the other half," she said to him, and he took it. "You can count it just to make sure it's complete."

"No need," he said to her. "Now I know it is not in my place to pry into your daily business." But I must warn you to be careful. Knowing you from my life in the town, though you are sometimes a troublemaker, I can say that you seem to have some integrity. So please be careful; some of the wizards in this town are known to be very exploitative. Perhaps that is why they are known to be the magical town without reputable guilds—thanks to their dishonesty.

"I will keep that in mind, sir," Orihime replied with a smile. "I would have tried inviting you to spend the night with us, but you wouldn't have agreed, would you?" So be careful, alright? "Traveling back at night can be too dangerous, even for an experienced traveler like yourself."

"Yes, child," the elderly man replied, "now take care—both of you."

"You too, old man," Kazuya replied, and the elderly man went his way, leaving them before the strange magical town they knew little of but would have a lot to accomplish in.