Chapter 534 (1/2)

Randidly wished he was a puddle, so light and heat would evaporate into nothing and he could escape this place.

”Well, he may be an ass, but at least the foreigner sticks to his guns,” Tatiana said dryly, looking at the large projector screen that was set up right next to the steelworkers’ town. Most everyone who lived and worked there had awoken that morning, surprised to find a screen had been erected. Apparently, it had been done by the Unity Church.

And after a sufficient number of people had gathered, a brown-robed priest of the Unity Church announced that it was about to broadcast a recording of the first interview with an individual from Zone 32, from Rawlands.

Imagine Randidly's surprise when he discovered that his own face was calmly sitting there, being interviewed by Congress.

”Mr. Ghosthound,” One the senators said with a frown, ”Are you saying you are the most powerful person from your Zone?”

Randidly, or Neveah wearing Randidly's face, leaned back in the shiny wooden chair she had been given. ”Well, first and foremost I am a low-key and friendly guy. But yes. I am definitely the strongest.”

”Ah, the pride of youth,” A rather round man in a red suit said, stepping forward. ”Let's not dwell on strength, shouldn't we learn something more? My friend Randidly, please tell Congress what you told me about forging in Rawlands.”

”Oh, yes. All of the forging is done by hands. Everyone has forging related Skills. Well, not everyone. I don't have those Skills. I don't forge.” Then Neveah paused, and finished with, ”But I don't really understand why not, it seems fun.”

'Because you aren't you!' Randidly wanted to scream. What didn't she understand about remaining low key with his face? He supposed it wouldn't have mattered in the long run, as the government of Zone 1 would learn of his accomplishments from Zone 32 eventually, and then try to find him. Perhaps it was better this way, so they didn't wonder why someone who was supposedly so powerful had been just hanging around in Zone 1 for so long.

But why did she have to act like such a weirdo while doing it?

”What do you think, Viking?” Tatiana said, not looking away from the screen. There was a strange intensity to her gaze that made Randidly nervous. And how could he blame Neveah when he transformed himself into a weirdo all on his own...?

”...uh, well he seems...” Randidly tried to search around for an accurate, and inoffensive way of describing himself. ”...unusually intense.”

Tatianna nodded, chuckling. Then she flashed Randidly a smile. ”I agree, but probably not just in the way you are thinking. There certainly is something... compelling about his gaze. I don't think I've seen eyes that green before. But I recognize the sort of man that he is.”

”Huh?”

Tatiana cracked her neck. She was wearing gold earrings, which swayed from side to side at the casual gesture. ”You just learn to have a knack for these things. All powerful men are the same. And that guy? He's got a real niche sexual desire. I bet he likes getting peed on or something. Definitely wants to be the submissive in some sort of roleplay.”

Randidly opened his mouth, then he closed it. He tried to imagine someone peeing on him, and how he would react to it, and suddenly that person was Tatiana. Hurriedly, he coughed into his hand to hide his acute embarrassment.

Tatiana slipped her arm through his and pulled Randidly away from the screen, as Neveah excitedly explained the different things that Randidly did in a 'normal' day. ”So, you'll get enough money today, right? Everyone's talking about it. They expect the price to go up as soon as you purchase the first probationary citizenship. Oh, no one's mad though. They are happy that SOMEONE finally got out of the steel factory.”

”Yea... how did you know?” Randidly asked, letting himself be led away towards the steel factory. Tatiana's hand was very warm.

”Well, for one thing, Foreman Davey has been hyping you up as a success story to most of the new arrivals. It's all about making people think it’s possible to move up in the world, even though it's only the peculiar people like you that ever manage it.”

Randidly smiled ruefully. ”Other people could, given time. I'm just doing it a bit faster.”