Chapter 37 Many Questions, Little Answer.

"Come on Asfifi! Get on!"

As soon as Asfi and Owl passed the entrance gate, Owl pulled out a metallic contraption with two wheels. Asfi wondered what the purpose of such a contraption was and started inspecting it. As an adventurer who specialized in inventions, she immediately realized what it was.

"Is this for transportation? What a grand design, I suppose you step on these pads and the chain pulls the wheels? The Blacksmith that made this must be a master of crafts!" Asfi asked

"-pFT, Yes! This "grand design" It's called a Bike, does the outside world not have bikes? This isn't made by a blacksmith but by the factory!" Owl replied mockingly, but Asfi didn't mind.

"Is that so?" 

"Bikes" Asfi muttered, such an ingenious device, maybe she should make one too, it's not too complicated. This "Factory" must be a grand workshop filled with talented craftsmen. Owl sat on the bike and Asfi sat at the back. Owl begins pedaling.

"How is it? It's not bad, right? Although it's not a car, it's still better than walking."

"Mmmhhmm, Owl, What's a car?" Asfi replied to hide her excitement

Asfi felt the comfortable chilly wind graze her cheeks, after experiencing riding a bike, she felt she definitely needed to make one of her own. 'It seems the fog is still present even inside the Town, although not as excessive.' Asfi thought when Owl then stopped on tracks surprising Asfi. 

"Why did you stop?" Asfi asked

"That's a car!" Owl pointed at a speeding twin light approaching them.

"What!?" Asfi was shocked when a speeding "box" passed them

Although it was only a brief moment, she saw a "car" for the first time. It was like a carriage without a mount! And it blew a lot of smoke! She began thinking how the "car" was made, and how it moved! Is it powered by magic?

"We're on the outskirts of the town! There are not many cars that pass around here! But you'll see soon enough, that one was a Ford Model T, consider yourself lucky, only the rich townfolks could afford such a beast! I guess there are no cars in the outside world too?" Owl explained carefully.

"A beast indeed, how can such a metallic contraption move on its own? Is it powered by magic?" Asfi asked.

"Magic? No silly! They are powered by steam!" Owl said casually

"Steam! Do you mean they are powered by boiling water? But how?" Asfi was once again shocked

She felt the world becoming more unknown to her, and there were more such steam-powered cars in the town. How amazing could that be, her thirst for more knowledge was moving again, and she felt the need to learn everything in this town! She needs to meet those magical unknown genius craftsmen from the "factory".

"You're like a kid Asfifi! Just wait until you see a train! It's even bigger than a car! But you should ask those weirdos from the Mechanical Guild, they're the ones that make them" Owl said

"There's even something bigger? And I thought It was the Factory that made them?" Asfi said.

At this point, if Owl said there was a moving city flying in the sky, there's a chance she would believe it! So the geniuses are from the "Mechanical Guild". After resting, she will immediately search for them and inquire them of the details! Maybe they accept apprenticeship! Asfi who is proud of her ability knows she can easily get an apprenticeship, fellow knowledge seekers are like her after all.

"AHHH!! No more questions! You're driving me crazy! Is the outside world that bad just like the Church says? Are monsters so rampant that there is no civilization in the outside world? To answer your question, no, the factory just assembles those parts, In short, they are just ordinary people!" Owl said frustratingly

"I'm sorry, it's just that, everything here is new to me..." Asfi said in a pout

"Ah no! Don't be sorry Asfifi! It's just that... I'm not that smart! My teacher always said I should have chosen a different pathway after all, but I thought being a planter pathway, I would have no worries about food! But alas, there are always problems that life throws at you! By the way, I'm a sequence 5 druid beyonder!" 

"Beyonder" "Sequence 5" and "Pathway" are more words Asfi has never heard used before. Words that Asfi needs to investigate. She just hopes she can get answers. Maybe... I can ask her one last time...?

"Last question. Pathway, Sequence, Beyonder... Are those what you call Falna, Level, and Familia here?" Asfi carefully asked.

Owl stops pedaling suddenly. Asfi thought she was finally mad. But Owl replied calmly. But instead, Owl questioned her instead.

"What are falna, what are levels and what is a familia?"

This, it was Asfi turned to be confused. Is she not blessed by the gods? How come they don't know what falna and familia are? Asfi answered in detail.

"Falna is the blessing from gods, level is the strength of the blessing and familia is the god you serve?" Asfi gave the most common answer made by parents who teach their children.

Owl then said the most shocking thing that Asfi had ever heard.

"This... then no, In here, there are no gods to give you a blessing nor you can serve gods personally. Only clergymen do that, but they don't have "Falna". You can only become strong here by drinking potions... People here don't have god's blessing..."

"Then how can you be so strong? That's not possible without a god's blessing!" Asfi was confused, what the hell is going on in this town?

"As I said, we drink potions to get stronger!" 

Potions? Alchemy? The people here use Alchemy to make themselves stronger!? How crazy is that? Is this the pinnacle of Alchemy!? Does the god of alchemy live here? No good, the more Asfi asked the more questions came. Investigation mustn't be delayed anymore, her common sense is breaking. 

"Look we're here!" 

Before Asfi could ask again, she looked at the front. Suddenly a colorful vista of lights drowns her vision. Flowers and trees on the side of the roads and concrete roads were cars and bikes moving about. Fashionable people going on about daily life, lampost on the side of roads illuminating everything, stores merchants selling and customers buying, people sitting in cafes and drinking coffee. Uniformed Guards in "metallical stilts" towering over everyone and moving about. Finally, she understood why she was called an Outsider at first, the people here have been disconnected from the wider world and created a way of life and order that is alien anywhere else. In order words, Asfi felt she had stepped into a different world, even the elves of the forest were more familiar than the humans here.

"beautiful... By the way... Owl...." Asfi is going to say something

"Hmm? What is it Asfifi?"

Asfi then leaned to the ear of Owl and whispered.

"Thanks for saving me..."

Owl felt her face go red, looked back at Asfi who was fidgeting about, and Owl said in shock.

"What the heck are you acting cute for? Let's go! I'll show you around later after we meet Sidorovich!" Owl said also fidgeting, what's with this blue-haired girl?

Owl began pedaling again. And Asfi started eavesdropping as she passed people to relieve her curiosity.

A kid wearing a suspender yelling "Extra! Extra! The Barrier is weakening! Is it a prelude to war or the dawn of a new world? Deacon Alexander and the Laughing God Church warn us of the dangers that could lurk beyond! The Manor Of Madness is still going out of control! The Cave Dungeon is also still out of control! The Council Meeting of Guilds is approaching! Get your most updated news here for 3 denars!" 

There's a dungeon entrance here!? Still, what the hell is a Manor Of Madness? Sounds like a dangerous place. She'll ask this boy later, putting a mental mark on herself to look for this information broker. She continued eavesdropping.

A man with talking to a man "I heard the workers of the factory are planning a strike!"

"What do they want this time?" "Of course more pay." "Damn fools. Making trouble when the route to the capital is close!" 

A girl with a white and red hood "Have you heard? Outsiders have come to Silent Hill" "Really? There are people alive out there? Isn't the place outside the barrier filled with monsters?" "The Grandmaster wants to interrogate one, they sent Altair to their gathering!"

This... Troublesome people!

A nobleman and lady talking to each other "The lord Viscount is preparing for war, can we fight the outside world? Can we even defeat gods and dragons? The workers can't take it anymore, my shares are going down." "The Psychiatrist Guild thinks it's just the lord preparing the worst. Maybe that is the case... The council meeting will answer all our questions."

A group of trench-coated men moves around: "We need to find the kidnapped Outsider fast, otherwise the nighthawks will have to bear responsibility, it will be troublesome."

A hooded man grinning with fangs walking by said something scary " I wonder what outsiders taste like. The blood of the blessed should taste exquisite!"

Asfi glared at the last man who she thought was crazy. It seems not everyone here is welcoming. She felt this town was filled with unknown wonders and horrors. 

"All in time...." Asfi muttered, she will learn everything, starting with this "Sidorovich".

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Chapter End

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