245 Chapter 245: Everything but the Rain IV (2/2)
”That's fine. I'm used to wearing glasses. I feel weird not wearing glasses. Besides, it's a waste of money. It's not worth the cost.”
While most healing spells and procedures, such as injuries sustained in the battlefield or illnesses, were covered by the national healthcare insurance plan, cosmetic surgeries such as eyesight correction, plastic surgery, slimming, and pigmentation were not because they were considered non-essential. Furthermore, in an ultra-capitalistic society such as the Global Federation, corporations wanted to continue making profits, and the industry that manufactured and sold glasses was a lucrative one. They were better served keeping the prices of eyesight correction up while maintaining cheap prices of glasses, otherwise they would go out of business.
Welcome to capitalism.
”But I can afford it and I chose not to…”
”Because you wanted to buy the latest DVD collection of Gun Damn, as well as the new model kits, didn't you?”
Dad looked sheepish and he shrugged. Yeah, I caught him red-handed.
”Anyway, I didn't know Uncle Glen was from the Porter clan.” I returned to the subject at hand. I had met Uncle Glen a few times, but he never gave any sign that he was from one of the top ten great families. Granted, from what Dad had just told me, the Porter clan was pretty much decimated about twenty years ago and were struggling to recover ever since. But even so, I thought either one of them would at least mention it.
”Oh.” Dad rubbed his head. ”Yeah…we didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just that Glen gets annoying sometimes, so…”
”Right.”
It was at that moment, the doorbell rang. Dad raised an eyebrow, but I was already up and going forward to answer the door.
”Hey, Richie! It's been a while!”
”Uncle Glen?”
”What a coincidence.” Dad also appeared behind me as I gaped at the visitor after opening the door. ”We were just talking about you.”
”…huh?” Glen Porter stared at the both of us for a few moments, and then he scowled. ”I hope it's not something bad.”
”No, no. Not at all. It seems we've completely forgotten to mention that you're from the Porter clan.”
”Oh, that!” Glen was guffawing as he followed us into the house. At a nod from Dad, I headed to the kitchen to grab a drink for my father's best friend. ”I completely forgot that I was supposed to be from the Porter clan too!”
”Uh huh.” Dad led Glen to the couch, and both grown men took a seat. For a moment, as I brought the drink to Glen, I thought the both of them would resume their usual get-together and play games. Dad had a console and a couple of controllers, and they enjoyed playing co-op shooter games. I sometimes played with Dad, but not too often because I was terrible and always got wrecked by online opponents. ”What's up today?”
”Right. I'm here to inform you about the Spiritual Road training camp. You know, the training camp that takes place for high school students every year? The Spiritual Road is open again, and I believe the academies will be sending their representatives to take part, as preparation for the international tournament. As you know, representatives from all the schools will be present, so it also counts as an opportunity to collect information on each other, assess each other's strengths and weaknesses, and be a mock preliminary for the actual tournament itself.”
”Oh, right.” Dad looked at Glen blankly, and I could tell that he had no idea what Glen was talking about. ”I see.”
”Your adopted son has been making quite a few waves recently, and I thought that he might end up being one of the representatives,” Glen continued with a wink. Dad grinned proudly.
”Of course! I was the one who trained him.”
”I didn't expect him to be a summoner, though. I thought he would be a fire mage like you.”
”Oh, Richie came up with his own summoning magic.” Dad waved, as if trying to push the credit toward me. ”I merely taught him the basics, but he really grew into his own and became his own person. He's not going to be a clone of me, if that was what you thought.”
”No, indeed.” Glen was musing thoughtfully. ”But yeah, that's pretty much it.”
”You came all the way just to tell me that?” Dad looked a little astonished. ”You could just have called.”
”Nah, I also came to hang out.” Glen grinned. ”It's been a while since we've answered the Call of Duty.”
I wasn't a big fan of that game, so I made preparations to hide in my room before they began owning newbie players online. Before I could leave, however, Glen turned to me.
”How about it, Richie? If you go to the Spiritual Road, you should meet…”
”No,” Dad interrupted. Glen sulked at that, but Dad continued. ”Richie already has a girlfriend, so don't even think about it.”
”Really?”
Not really. Alicia was dead. I didn't want to say I had moved on, but that was life. I couldn't use her as an excuse to continue like this forever. As callous as it was, I was still alive and I had to move on with my own life without dwelling on her memory forever. Remember the dead, but do not allow them to shackle you.
However, from Dad's hasty interruption, I sort of understood what was going on, and therefore I nodded.
”Yeah.”
”I see.” Glen looked a little disappointed. I couldn't care less. It was not my job to make him happy. Quite the contrary, actually.
Leaving the two grown men to play their game, I disappeared into my room and began reading a bunch of translated web comics that included some ability user with a zombie girlfriend and growing zombie harem, a prince who released that witch, and cultivators in the 41st Millennium. Not to mention a certain Mary Sue Garrulous King who won his every match in the OP system.