Chapter 1252 (2/2)

Especially because, after so obviously being drawn out by the note caused by the ‘sudden’ discovery of such a soap scent, Randidly suspected that he had been duped. Of course, Randidly wasn’t worried that this was a weird betrayal at the 11th hour. More likely Tatiana wanted to make some preparations while he was out of the city proper and fed him this to lure him away. So with a wry shake of his head, he dropped the soap back and the crate and began to head back to the populated portions of Kharon.

As he expected, he returned to find that the city had taken the hour of his distraction to hang banners and lanterns across everything. The gates that separated the agricultural West from the central plaza had several high ranking individuals from Kharon standing in front of them. Tatiana’s figure was the most obvious, standing at the front of the mass of furiously working people with her hands clasped behind her back.

As he approached, the frantic activity slowed and then ceased. Several of the workers that were throwing up platforms and lanterns look decidedly guilty. Some of them were clearly individuals who had moved to Kharon recently from Chicago, so they watched him with not a little fear as he walked up to them.

Finally realizing the role that he was supposed to play in all this, Randidly sauntered up to the group with a dour expression his face. “Was this really necessary?”

Tatiana chuckled. Due to the fact that everybody nearby had gone completely still and silent, her laughter carried for quite some distance. “Probably not. But aren’t you the type to work yourself to the bone? Your presence has done a lot to accelerate the growth of Kharon already. But we have been growing for ten months; I think it’s time for another festival.”

Randidly rolled his eyes and Tatiana leaned forward and said something in a low voice that likely only Randidly could hear. “Besides… we will reach the Zones tomorrow. Although I don’t want to say it… won’t it be a little said if a lot of people decide to disembark Kharon and settle down somewhere… settled? Every now and then, it’s best to remind people of the things that we are fighting for.”

Everyone waited for Randidly’s answer. They had prepared blindly, without truly knowing the outcome. Likely due to Tatiana’s orders, but the fact that they had done this knowing that Randidly was in the dark… that meant something too.

Meant that perhaps these people didn’t fear Randidly as much as he worried they did. That perhaps his effect on their lives wasn’t all bad.

“Fine then.” Randidly spread his arms wide. Spurts of Ignition Essence shot out from his hands to the waiting lanterns, immediately lighting them. “Let’s throw a party, Kharon!”

Randidly was somewhat disappointed that the first response of the assembled people was to release a collective sigh, but then they cheered and applauded politely. And then the preparations began in earnest, giving Randidly time to walk forward and stand next to Tatiana.

“...thanks, Tatiana.” Randidly smiled at the woman in charge of Kharon. “If I would have been thinking about it, I would have recommended it. It’s just-”

“You’ve got a lot on your plate,” Tatiana responded with an understanding nod. “But you can’t manage everything.”

For the next two hours, people furiously prepared. Although Randidly could have helped, Tatiana quietly told him that he was sometimes intimidatingly capable and that it was better to just leave these preparations to other people. So, feeling somewhat foolish, Randidly wandered around in his expensive robe with his hands behind his back and watched the preparations.

Gradually, as the preparations finished, people worked up the nerve to approach him and start a conversation. They talked about when they came to Kharon. And what struck Randidly the most was how everyone always said a very similar line. “Oh, right now I’m working as a steelworker, but when I save up enough money, I’m going to…”

They have so much hope. Randidly thought rather fondly. His hands tightened into fists. If nothing else, that’s what I want to nurture here on Kharon, in case the Earth needs it in the future.

While he exchanged polite words with the excited people who had never really spoken to him before, Randidly heard music begin to play in the surrounding areas. Without even amps, groups set up on cramped wooden stages and began to play along Banner Street. With the help of the moss spirits, the melodies spread out wider and wider out into the air as the light of day began to dim.

The Order Ducis brought up long carts filled with high-Level monster flesh and began to carefully roast the meat over towering bonfires they erected in the squares. Randidly wandered past and saw a conversation between a man he distantly recognized as Police Commissioner Arrietti and Heiffal and his men.

“Grilling excellently is the greatest mark of a provider,” Commissioner Arrietti was saying. Heiffal nodded seriously, as though he was inscribing every word the Commissioner said onto his very soul. “Knowing the meat and predicting how it is cooking… it requires experience and decisiveness!”

But one of Heiffal’s followers seemed puzzled. “Why can we not check on the interior of the meat with our senses?”

Commissioner Arrietti’s mouth worked soundlessly for several seconds as he tried to figure out how to answer the man. But luckily for him, Heiffal snorted. “Fool, and taint the meat with our images? Were you not listening earlier to the Commissioner? Grilling is the pursuit of purity!”

“Err… w-well, yes, that is true,” Commissioner Arrietti stuttered, clearly feeling out of his depth. Smiling to himself, Randidly turned away and wandered deeper into the city as festivities really began.

Almost once a minute, an enterprising chemist released blasts of fireworks that sparkled in the night sky. The surf-board sized platforms that people were now using to get around Kharon zipped past constantly as most of the city’s youth raced above the lantern-lit streets. They ran through and around the hanging lights from the fireworks, treating them more like part of their courses than as an encumbrance.

Out of habit, Randidly ended up standing before city hall. Waiting for him there was Tatiana, who had disappeared earlier during the preparations.

“It’s a good city,” Randidly said rather fondly. In the air, he could slowly feel the thoughts and emotions of the people living here, warping the area slowly just as surely as his images had marked the roof of city hall. Closing his eyes, Randidly could see how Kharon would slowly develop. It was exactly what he had been waiting for. This was the seed he wanted to leave behind.

“A good future,” Tatiana responded, offering Randidly one of the two crystal glasses that she held in her hand.

He took it with a raised brow. “Drinking on the job?”

“Frequently,” Tatiana responded with a smile. By unspoken agreement, they moved from the main square to the rooftops above, disappearing so quickly that several lingering individuals scrambled backward. Up above, both leaned on the weak iron railing and considered the blurred forms of the moss spirit racers. “So… Randidly, what are we walking back to the Zones to do?”

“Temper ourselves… and temper them.” All of the playfulness seeped out of Randidly’s gaze. His mouth twisted as he considered the dancing and celebrating people below. “I might be wrong… but the benefit offered by the System will not come without costs. And that’s not even counting the political trouble with traveling through the Zones…”

“Worrying about it is my job.” Tatiana teased.

Randidly nodded, his expression easing somewhat. But in his emerald eyes, the intensity never wavered for even a second. “True… let’s hope that I won’t need to exercise my true role here too often.”