Chapter 221 A deal
EDIT! ADD A LOT TOWARDS THE END!
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/Later…/
/Tap tap tap!/
"... Phew… It looks… Okay?" Dale asked out loud as he looked at the ground
'Why is there such a distinctive color difference though?'
[The tiles have been placed rather well, there is little deviation in their placement, however, since they're new tiles, there is a color difference due to aging and use]
[Recomended course of action: Put a carpet over it]
"... That should work." Dale said as he rolled his eyes
'My parents rarely enter my bathroom so as long as there is a carpet, no one will find out about it.'
'And since the house cleaning robot is controlled by the VI, unless my brother pulls the carpet, no one will notice.'
'And once a few weeks pass, then I can make any excuse, such as saying he's being mistaken, or I can find another solution until then.'
"We can call this matter done, now, for the next one…" Dale said as he left the bathroom
'I have someone to call.'
…
/Meanwhile, overseas…/
/Buzz/
"Hm?... Another call? It's still rather early…"
Back in Japan, an old man sat in his favorite chair inside his equally extravagant Office, drinking a glass of grape juice as he stared at an old paper picture of a family of three under the dim noise of an early 2000s song.
[Incoming Call, Priority Level… 9]
"..."
The moment he heard the number, Roger's face thickened as his relaxed mood vanished.
To better manage his time, he set several priority levels for all of his contacts so he could know who to talk to and at what time.
Sometimes, he would be flooded with calls, and when that happened, how was he supposed to know who he should talk with first?
His Virtual Intelligence can help him with that, but leaving it to do all the work won't suffice for him.
It was his responsibility to decide.
And if 7 meant close friends and family, the kind of people he would always wish to talk with above all else, the very meaning behind everything he's been fighting for…
Then what did 9 signify?
"9… It's been a while…"
"Is the Prime Minister trying to contact me again through his emergency line?" Roger asked with a frustrated look as he tapped his table
[Sender… Unnamed N3]
"Unnamed?... Number 3… That means…"
'The boy.'
"Make sure the line is not being traced, use all means necessary."
"Also, contact Larissa and tell her to deal with the rest." He said deeply as he thought about what to do next
'I didn't expect him to call me so soon, but since he has, I better make do this thoroughly.'
'He cannot protect himself from his side, and albeit it's his own ignorance for calling me through his ordinary phone, I can tell the boy's no fool.'
'He must've already understood that there is no point in trying to hide, neither does he have the means to do so, even if he wanted to, there are people following him already.'
'Unfortunately, things aren't so simple.'
'Even if there is no point in trying to hide, we also cannot make this public.'
'Though that is my job at the end of the day.'
"Put him on the line."
[Connecting…]
"... Hello? Can you hear me?" A young male voice echoed from the other side
"Kid? It hasn't been that long since we last met, barely a week." Roger said with a small smile as he put his head against his couch
"I apologize for calling so soon, but after putting some thought into it, I realized it would be best to take action sooner rather than later."
"And although I could wait for more information to be exposed over time, I can't exactly guarantee if that information will be what I wish, much less what I need."
"Instead of information, it could even be trouble."
/Nod.../
"I definitely agree to that, however, are you certain of this?"
"I am… If possible, I would like to discuss the possibility of arranging a flight to South America." Dale said seriously across the line
"... It's not hard, easy even, I can do it all from my side, and you can choose your favorable method and even the people to accompany you, from boats to even spaceships."
"But… I have to warn you…"
"Once you move to this side, you won't be able to go back, and if you do not wish to let go of what you currently have, you'll soon find yourself living two lives."
"And in no time at all, you may even find difficulty managing those two sides of you… And it's hard, I speak from experience."
"Once again, I tell you, unless you feel you're strong enough or that you've hit a definitive wall…"
"It's not for today." Dale interrupted
"Once this month ends and May starts… That's when I want to go."
'There is still a lot for me to go over first, I won't go now.'
'I have to stabilize the situation within Resko and train, the end of this month would equate to two more months within Resko, that should be enough for me to prepare given my rate of growth.'
"May?... So after the first month."
That would equate to three months inside… I see.
He wishes to use this time to hone himself, and it won't be about his strength or not, he may not even hit a wall.
He wants to reach a balance where his Strength and Potential have enough wiggle room just in case whatever he finds down there is beneficial… Which may be.
Is this confidence or naivety?... Arrogance?
Maybe a tinge of both a something else…
"Is it possible?"
"Like I said before, it's not an issue, the more time you give me the easier things become… So you can aim further if you wish."
"Just don't take too much time, there is a lot left to be discussed between the two of us." Roger said deeply as he remembered their last conversation
"I know, our previous meeting left a lot unanswered, but I'll stick to the start of May."
'He seems in a hurry, is there something going on behind the curtains?'
'A timer?'
"Hum... The fastest means of travel I can arrange can move you in and out of Souther America within a day, at most two as I don't wish to refrain from it too much."
"Already counting your time within, though if you're fast, you can leave within half a day."
"How much…"
"You can leave the payment to me… Because even if you wished to pay, not only would it be a bother to process, it would also be hard for you to do so, no offense."
"As for the matter of the other side, I can provide you with next-generation Pods, the same kind you use just in case you need to make a visit to the other side."
"I have a few of them left, it wouldn't be hard to fit one in a Low Orbit Craft."
"..."
'A low Orbit cruiser... I forgot he's one of those magnates.'
"As for the time… It shouldn't take more than a day, a few hours in there will be enough for you to acquire the requirements… From then on, we can talk anywhere."
"Is that good for you Mr. Dale?"
"Dale is good enough… Mr. Roger."
/Chuckle/
"Roger is good enough."
The two of them stopped talking, both seemingly pleased with the end of this conversation.
"... Then, I'll stop taking your time, have a nice week…"
"Wait, I'm sure you wouldn't feel right leaving just like this, so how about I give you a proposition?"
"... If it means repaying you, then I'm in."
'Since I have decided to trust him, I might as well strengthen our relationship.'
"Great, I'll keep it short."
"Soon enough, Babylon will open, and without a doubt, you must be experiencing some… Disturbances with the management of your real identity and that of your character."
"... I can't say that I'm not." Dale replied with a sigh
"Then let me give you a suggestion."
"I know someone… They'll be arriving at Resko soon."
"..."
"He's part of a group of very skilled individuals that work under me, I've sent them to Resko for the sake of keeping up with the trend, at least, that is the Official reason I did so."
"In truth, there's someone there I would like you… To take care of her."
"My granddaughter, she's a troublemaker but she's very skilled, yet she may not be able to keep up with the challenges Resko provides their users, even if she can, she'll end up behind in the race."
"If you can keep an eye on her for me, I'll consider all of this repaid, it doesn't even need to be much, just make sure she rushes into trouble on her own, and if she causes trouble herself, you can always contact me."
"I can add more on top of that as well."
"If you manage to help her grow as a player, then I'll wholeheartedly provide you with my support, this will include the assistance of this 'someone' I know."
"What do you think?"
"... I can do it, no problem, I just have one question."
"That much I expected, tell me."
"Is she a HardCore Player?"
"... Unfortunately no, she went against my wishes and chose to be a Standard player because... She felt it would be too boring and tiresome." He said with some spite
"I see... But why are you so fixated on her getting stronger?"
"... Go to South America... And find out the rest there." Roger said in a calm tone
"Once you do, I'll answer your questions."
"Still... Are you willing to do this for me?"
"..."
Dale would eventually agree, and unbeknownst to him, he had just signed one of the worst deals of his life.
Though that was for the future Dale to figure out.
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Notes
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