Chapter 148 (2/2)

“Besides… maybe someone like you wouldn’t understand… but there are some things you can’t just get normally. For some goals… you need to risk everything. I have one of those goals.”

The Ghosthound stilled, looking at the table. Then he slowly moved, gathering up the container holding all of the armor pieces. “...too true.”

Struck by a sudden impulse, Claptrap blurted out, “My goal is a girl. I want to become the greatest merchant in the Northern Region, so I can ask for her hand in marriage. She is… quite like you Mr. Ghosthound; she is the cherished heir to a powerful Style.”

The Ghosthound chuckled. “...Do I seem very cherished…? Well anyway, good luck to you. If both of you feel that way, I’m sure you can convince the world.”

Claptrap shifted uncomfortably. “Well… we haven't really talked much-”

The Ghosthound’s clear laughter surprised him. “You haven’t really even talked much and you already plan on marriage?”

“Well,” Claptrap said, feeling decidedly judged. “I’ve sold her armor before.”

This caused the Ghosthound to bend over laughing and smacking his knee, which did a lot to shatter Claptrap’s impression of the Ghosthound as a tense and intimidating figure. But then, as his laughter subsided, he turned sideways and gave him a light glance. “Oh, there was one more detail I wanted to discuss with you.”

Claptrap felt abruptly submerged in ice. How could he let this happen again…! This man was a master of using innocuous statements and questions to get his way. How could he have let his guard down, for even a second?

Trying to keep his expression easy, mimicking the Ghosthound’s manner, Claptrap simply said. “Oh?”

The Ghosthound nodded. “What can you tell me about the history of the Spear Phantom Style?”

****

Shal looked up as his disciple walked into the room. “Are you prepared?”

His disciple nodded. Of all his disciple’s faults, and there were many, Shal was pleased that laziness and hesitation were not among them. When there was a goal to accomplish, his disciple was willing to roll up his sleeves and address the problem, although he had no real competency at addressing the issue. They quickly went out and removed both of their Tassles.

Since they were departing, it was right to take them away with them. This would give Divvit some manner of peace for a time, at the very least. Then they began quickly gliding over the boats, heading for the large net of ladders that would lead to the cliffs.

Another positive quality of his disciple was that he did not tire easily. So even though Shal set what he thought would be a rather brutal pace for his disciple, he followed without complaint, keeping up with him. It seemed that his physical conditioning was acceptable. If only the fool knew how to use that during a fight.

They were given a glance by individuals watching the chains, but neither of their faces were well known enough by the wider populace to earn recognition in a place like this. Although Shal’s blue tinted skin did attract a little attention.

He still regretted allowing his father to convince him dyeing his skin thus was a good idea.

After they reached the plateau, Shal upped the pace even further, and they ran for almost 8 hours, until they began to approach a mountain range. When they had a good view of an ugly, squat castle on the largest of the mountains he stopped and turned to his disciple.

“...ahead lies a system village. At a high enough boundary, they allow for the purchase of buildings that allow for time dilution. At first, many villages thought this curious; why provide this option when dungeons were free? But soon, as the Calamity came, and its servants, many found the time dilution building incredibly useful. As a punishment.”

His disciple didn’t seem to understand, so Shal shook his head and continued. “In this world, stats grant you a greatly extended life. And power is king; those with power felt they were superior to those without. So when someone with middling power misbehaves, abusing it, the rulers were torn. Physical punishment and pain was easy to ignore with high stats. And they could not spare these men from their armies, when the Calamity came, all help was needed. But also, they couldn’t let it slide without action.”

“So imprisonment.” His disciple said.

Shal nodded. “Yes, these time dilution locations became prisons, a cooling off period to punish. I could not manage to get us in the backdoor, so…”

Drawing his spear, Shal began to walk forward, heading towards a series of carts on the path below them, heading up towards the mountain. “Let us commit a crime that earns us some jail time.”