Chapter 59

Pedro, Three Years Later

“Moriqiu auction? Doesn’t Grandpa usually go alone? Why did he suddenly decide to take my brother with him?” In the car that used to hold three passengers, only the Brownie father and son now sat. With Juan gone, the two began to talk.

This situation seemed to have deeply affected Nikko, as he couldn’t resist asking his father his questions the moment they sat down and shut the car door.

Much calmer than him, Mr. Brownie thought for a moment before chuckling to himself as something dawned on him.

“It’s probably because of that arts major, right? At the Moriqiu auction, the old man is a super VIP. He goes there mainly to buy paintings or sculptures—artwork, essentially…” he laughed. “And the art major… well, that’s obviously related to art. The artworks the old man buys are sometimes kept for his private collection, but most are sent to the Department of Ancient Human Art Research and Appreciation at Blicher University.”

Penny, with her petty outlook, had even privately complained about how the old man wasted money on outsiders. Mr. Brownie, however, thought she overstepped. After all, the money in this family was earned by the old man, and he could spend it however he wanted. Buying artwork hardly cost much; just a few more mining operations could earn it back.

But while there was nothing wrong with buying art, taking Scott along to buy art was…

“Dad, do you think I chose the wrong major? Should I have gone for an arts major instead of marine studies?” Nikko asked gloomily, frowning.

“Stop with the nonsense,” Brownie replied, clearly not agreeing with his son’s suggestion. “Don’t let Scott throw you off. He went into the arts because that’s all he could do. You, on the other hand, are doing well in marine studies, while Japp is excelling in mineral extraction. For Scott to join either of these programs, he’d have to be overwhelmingly better than you two—not just a little better, but unquestionably superior.

“Choosing the arts major was a gamble for him, a long shot. He just happened to get lucky.”

“But that’s all it is. The Blicher family business is entirely tied to marine resources. An arts major can maybe please the old man, but it’s impossible for him to take over the group. Besides, if he didn’t choose one of those two programs, it’s because he couldn’t outshine you there in the first place.”

“Don’t worry. Just focus on your studies, and aim for top marks in the next exam. I’ll arrange for you to shadow a project at the company soon—that’s where you can really show what you’re made of.”

Inside the car, the father and son exchanged knowing glances, one with a sinister smile, the other breathing a sigh of relief.

Outside the car, unaware of the father-son discussion, Juan thought to himself:

Sorry, not choosing one of those majors had nothing to do with you two. I simply wasn’t interested.

But without knowing their conversation, he didn’t have the chance to say that to their faces.

At that moment, Juan stood in front of a massive airship. The old man, Mr. Blicher, was a decisive man. Once he said they would attend the auction, he moved immediately without delay. By the time Juan had finished eating, the old man had already taken him to the helipad on the mansion’s rooftop, where the airship was waiting.

Juan had been on airships before and had seen several, but the one before him now was larger than any he’d encountered. It was entirely black, with details painted in oceanic and dark gold tones—symbols of the Blicher family crest.

The name “Blicher” was also boldly printed on the wings.

“It’s my private airship, the latest model,” the old man explained, mistaking Juan’s gaze for interest in the airship.

Boys tend to love vehicles, after all.

Little did he know—

If he’d known, he would have asked for an airship! Staring at the massive vehicle, Juan felt a rare hint of regret.

But it was just a hint; he had no real regrets. After all, he’d already promised Scott.

When the old man invited him to the auction in Menqiu, Juan had hesitated, but Scott eagerly urged him in his mind—

“Say yes!”

At that moment, Scott’s emotions were complicated: excitement, anticipation, and an indefinable trace of… unease?

Then—

“That’s where I grew up in my past life. My… fathers are there.” Scott said it plainly, without trying to hide anything.

As he mentioned his two fathers from his past life, his voice choked slightly. “Actually, as a condition, the place I want to take you to… is there.”

And so—

Juan accepted the old man’s invitation.

Seeing him agree, Scott was overjoyed. Through him, Juan keenly sensed a profound human excitement.

“You’re amazing! You managed in three days what I might never have done in this lifetime. I thought I’d have to wait until I passed away for you to visit Menqiu City and see my fathers. I never expected… never expected…”

“Thank you.” With utmost sincerity, Scott thanked Juan.

“Aren’t you excited?” Scott, still immersed in his excitement, asked in bewilderment as he looked at Juan, whose expression was as calm as still water.

“Why should I be excited?” Juan conveyed this with his demeanor, without speaking.

“Menqiu City… isn’t it very close to the place you’re looking for?” Scott and Juan had previously researched where to buy tickets for, trying to pinpoint the exact location he was headed for.

Since Juan could only sense the direction, they had examined all bases and cities in that direction. As luck would have it, Juan’s current host body belonged to a young heir of the Blicher family. Even though the young man was previously a frail, overlooked figure, he still had access to resources others could only dream of—like a map.

Those in the Sunlight Base had no idea what the world outside looked like, let alone having maps. When Juan and his companions had escaped the base, they’d relied on a hand-drawn map from the old base leader.

The upper ranks of Eden likely had some knowledge of the outside world, but ordinary people still knew nothing.

For Scott, however, maps were right in his own room. Granted, even now, detailed maps weren’t readily available to the public. Geography textbooks might include basic maps, but for anything more detailed, one would have to purchase it.

For example, Menqiu City, one of the world’s few entertainment hubs, appeared on Scott’s private map, though it wasn’t in standard geography textbooks. Menqiu City wasn’t open to everyone; knowing its location was, in a sense, a key to entering it.

On the map in Scott’s room, the person Juan was looking for was potentially in two cities or one base, and Menqiu City was one of those locations.

To Scott, visiting Menqiu City was a win-win for both of them. Even if the person Juan sought wasn’t in Menqiu, at least they’d be closer.

Would Ped be in Menqiu City?

Thinking of this possibility, Juan’s mouth curved slightly.

Old Mr. Blicher, who had been observing him closely, noticed this change in expression. Sitting in his wheelchair, which the butler was pushing, he chuckled, “You’ll like Menqiu City. It’s quite different from the old-fashioned city I created. It’s more to the taste of you young folks.”

With that, he smiled and entered the flight cabin.

Following him, Juan also entered the cabin. The interior was even more distinct from other airships than the exterior.

This cabin was so lavishly decorated that it almost didn’t feel like a cabin. A thick, intricately patterned carpet covered the floor, and the cabin had only three seats. Two seats faced each other, clearly prepared for Mr. Blicher and Juan, while the third, near the entrance, was presumably for the butler.

Sure enough, Mr. Blicher gestured for Juan to sit across from him. Then, with the butler’s help, he moved into the other chair.

He wasn’t completely unable to walk, just limited by age and restricted mobility.

Once seated, he began chatting with Juan about the artworks he had collected over the years. Aware that his grandson had greater artistic talent than he did, he skipped discussions on art techniques, instead sharing the stories of his acquisitions.

Mr. Blicher was a successful businessman and manager, not just a skilled esper or top miner. Though severe and increasingly imposing with age, when he wanted to engage in conversation, his words were compelling. They weren’t necessarily entertaining, but each sentence revealed his perspective and approach to handling things. His methods were so skillful they inspired both respect and a desire to learn, drawing listeners in.

It wasn’t his authority and position that commanded attention, but the respect and admiration he inspired.

Scott listened intently.

In two lifetimes, this was his first real conversation with his grandfather. Previously, he had feared this man who had appeared halfway through his life; though he respected him, his feelings were mostly of dread. Today, however, hearing him speak at such length, Scott felt himself relaxing, his mind fully absorbed in the old man’s stories. Gradually, his fear turned into sincere admiration.

Had he been here alone, he would probably have just listened, too scared to say much. But with Juan occupying his body now…

Juan had no trace of fear toward Mr. Blicher. He listened seriously to the stories of the old man’s auctions and occasionally responded with insightful remarks, prompting Mr. Blicher to become even more talkative.

They talked the whole journey. Six hours later, the butler informed them that they had arrived in Menqiu City and that the airship was preparing to land.

“We’ve talked for that long?” Mr. Blicher looked at his watch, his face showing rare surprise. Then, glancing toward the curtained window, he smiled at Juan, “We’ve arrived at the perfect time. This is when the city looks its best.”

“Open the curtains and take a look. From this angle, you can see the entire city.”

As he spoke, the butler drew back the curtain, revealing a floor-to-ceiling glass panel behind it.

And as the curtains lifted, the entirety of Menqiu City appeared before Juan’s eyes.

It was a city of radiant lights! Darkness surrounded it, but within that darkness, a diamond-like city gleamed, strikingly prominent, like the lone star.

The city was filled with towering skyscrapers that seemed to pierce the clouds. Neon lights adorned these buildings, creating a dazzling effect. Encircling the skyscrapers were layers upon layers of light rings. From afar, they looked like halos, but closer up, it was clear these were actually elevated roads lined with lights, with uniquely designed hover vehicles racing along them.

It was an incredible sensation. Sitting in the aircraft as it slowly descended, they could see vehicles “flying” past their own craft. Massive billboards flashed by at close range, making the previously sharp, distant images almost dizzying up close. Some of them were so close it was hard to even recognize them—just a blur of intense light.

This place somewhat resembled the outer city of Eden, but it was much larger, with taller buildings, brighter neon lights, and a greater variety of bizarre-looking vehicles!

“But only you young folks would find this beautiful. For an old man like me, there are too many lights; it’s quite dizzying to look at.” Noticing how focused Juan was, Old Mr. Blicher commented beside him.

“Alright, now you can experience this city up close.” As the aircraft came to a stop, Old Mr. Blicher held onto the butler’s arm and eased back into his wheelchair. He waved to Juan, indicating that he could now wheel him off the aircraft.

As Juan pushed Mr. Blicher outside, he cast a quick glance behind him in a particular direction.

The magic book was right there—

The distance between him and Ped was growing smaller!

With a bright look in his eyes, Juan pushed Mr. Blicher forward to meet the hotel staff awaiting them.

Meanwhile, in Nipda City, about six thousand kilometers from Menqiu City—

This was a city absent from standard geography textbooks, missing even from the map in Scott’s home, though it did appear on Mr. Blicher’s private map—not as a destination, but as something to avoid.

Nipda was a dangerous city. Extremely dangerous.

For the wealthy in this world—or rather, for everyone concerned with their safety—Nipda was a place to avoid.

But it was here that Juan felt the presence.

In a dark alley, a young man casually threw aside two would-be robbers who had tried to ambush him. He answered the phone tucked against his shoulder.

Under the dim light, his brown hair looked almost blonde.

He took a sip from his drink, then several more before he lazily spoke to the person on the other end of the line:

“Menqiu City? That’s a bit far. I just got back and don’t feel like going out anytime soon.”

“Oh? Alright then. But you guys will need to cover the cost of the ticket for the aircraft.”

After finishing his drink in one go, he tossed the empty cup on the ground and swaggered away.