Paytowin brought them to an agora. Some natives were hanging out there. The two of them sat down on the floor covered by a soft carpet.
“What do you mean you tell me? Do you know about her?” Jack asked Paytowin.
“I know because I have talked to her. Her group came here before yours. We recognized each other since we used the same alias in our past games. She and I had a long chat. She asked about you, you know.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her that I don’t know where you are, as you have asked me to.”
“By the way, I see you are familiar with this place. How do you happen to be here anyway?” Jack asked.
“Which one do you want to ask first? About Grace or me? I can’t answer two different questions at the same time!” Paytowin said.
“Um, okay, Grace first then.”
“As you must have guessed, she is one of the participants from the Aurebor Dynasty and will fight in the tournament for the elven country. She continued being an independent expert until now. Wicked Witches has tried to recruit her a few times, but she always turned them down.”
“Isn’t my question about why she didn’t use her real look for her past game’s avatar?” Jack said.
“About that… I’m surprised you didn’t recognize her when you saw her,” Paytowin replied.
“Of course, I don’t recognize her. I don’t know her real look.”
“You must be not up to date with the popular stuff. I also don’t know her real look, but I still recognize her when she first appeared in this place.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jack was confused.
“She is Gigi Hsu,” Paytowin said.
Silence followed after. When Paytowin didn’t elaborate, Jack gave him an expression saying, ‘was that name supposed to mean something?’
“You are hopeless,” Paytowin said. “Gigi Hsu is one of the current most well-known idols! Well… Before we all got pulled into this world, that is. She had like millions of fans, man. Because she couldn’t change her look in this world, she got recognized easily. She practically developed a cult in Aurebor cities. She did not need to join a guild, she already has lackeys doing things for her. Those clowns that followed her just now are part of her fans. It took me an effort to chase those flies away just to have a conversation with her.”
“Are you saying we have been playing games with a well-known idol in the past?”
“Yeah. She said games are her only escape from her stressful life and she truly enjoys hanging out with us. She said the two of us are her real true friends who didn’t just approach her for her looks and fame.”
“Ah… That’s why she didn’t use her real look.”
“So, will you be introducing yourself to her?”
“… Maybe not. Let’s see the situation first.”
“Why? Are you still worried about what she said to you the last time? If I get that from a girl as beautiful as that, I will be over the moon already.”
Jack gave Paytowin a side-eye and said, “Why does she need me for? As you said, she practically has millions swooning over her. I’m just a nobody gamer. She is totally out of my league.”
“Well, I can’t disagree with that. Status-wise, I’m more worthy of her,” Paytowin said.
“Do you want to get punched?”
“Haha. Okay, joke aside. Do you know that idols are not allowed to date?”
“They aren’t?”
“Yeah. She had a stressful and competitive job and was not allowed to have a personal relationship. That’s why her time in virtual games is so important to her, and we just happened to be there. After spending so much time with us, I say we are very much her emotional anchors even without us realizing it. We are practically the only ones who treat her for what she is and not for the idol she is, and she kinds of enjoys that. She probably sees her time with us to be as close to dating as she can possibly get. But why she choose you over me is something I will never understand.”
Peniel, who had been listening, chimed in, “Are you saying that stunning girl has affection on this buffoon? Now, that’s surprising.”
“You be quiet!” Jack chided.
“You can talk?” Paytowin said with amazement. “I thought you are just a simple familiar.”
“I’m not!” Peniel said with her head held high.
“Her name is Peniel. You can now forget about her, let’s get back to Grace. All her restrictions are gone now after the world turns. She is free to date whoever she likes.”
“But her impression of you has buried deep inside her. I can notice, it was rather obvious when I talked with her. You should let her know that you are Lone Wind.”
“Not now…,” Jack said.
“You are hopeless,” Paytowin shook his head. “By the way, why do you say that the world turns? Didn’t we all get transferred to a different world?”
“Ah! About that. I think you will be rather surprised about this…” Jack then told Paytowin about what he had learned. About Wilted, about Apollyon and his device, about his scheming to change the world and succeeding in doing so. About how he was working on a goal towards divinity, and what it would bode for all the other people, players or natives, if that happened.
“That… is not good,” Paytowin said, and then added, “You have three classes?”
“Yeah, Blade Dancer, Archmage, and Beastmaster.”
“No wonder you have a familiar then. I did wonder why you can become a participant despite being so low-level. Well, those other participants are in for a surprise when they go up against you.”
“Yeah, I’m bound for getting the first place!” Jack exclaimed, he then realized something and asked, “Hey, how do you know my level? You can Inspect me?”
“I can’t. I saw your level in the participants’ registry. You have the lowest level amongst the participant. Kind of very eye-catching due to that, if you ask me.”
“Registry? Okay, back to my question about you. How do you seem to know this place so well? How do you even be here in the first place? I thought they don’t allow outsiders who are not tournament guests to enter this place?”
“They don’t. I am here because I am part of their faction,” Paytowin answered.
“You are in this faction?” It was Peniel who responded.
“This is a faction as well?” Jack asked.
“It is. Technically it is a league faction,” Peniel answered. “But since this faction is under the God of Courage, it is a bit special. You can call it a divine faction even. Not anyone can join it. Even more so for an outworlder. How do you manage that?”
“I must say it was pure blind luck,” Paytowin said. “Last time after you invite me to join your guild, I resolved to continue being independent. After all, I will just be chasing after your shadow if I join your guild. So, after I get my elite class, I went out to explore the wilderness.”
Upon hearing, Jack used Inspect on Paytowin and found that he was a level 46 Technocraft.
“Well, long story short. In my travel, I happened upon a native. The guy seemed to be in wounds and needed help. So I offered one, which turned out to be a quest. I needed to fetch some herbs to help him cure his wounds. I did so. After that, he offered me to accompany him on his journey, which turned out to be another quest. Then I realized the quests were actually a chain quest. So I followed along since I had nothing better to do. We became close upon our travel. He had lots of things he carried in his saddlebag, but very messy. He allowed me to sort through the goods, made them neat. Impressed by my organizational skill, he offered me a job in his faction. Which turned out to be this one. I’m now a junior treasurer of the Council of Virtus.”
“Wow! I’m impressed,” Peniel commented.
“I know you are always good at arranging things,” Jack said. “Your past experience of buying too many high-grade items and so have to organize them and learned to use each on different situations is now paying off.”
“You are saying as if that is my only good point…”
“Too bad you don’t join my guild. I would have loved it to have you as the treasurer of my guild’s warehouse.”
“Why would I want to be a treasurer of a lowly guild when I can be one in this divine faction?” Paytowin mocked.
“Who do you call a lowly…” Jack’s words were cut when he noticed a familiar face.
On a street not far from where they were sitting was a group of orcs walking by.
“Those must be the participants from Verremor Nation,” Paytowin said. “What’s wrong? Do you recognize those orc players?”
“One of them,” Jack said.. “Remember what I told you just now about World Maker guild? That orcish Battle Monk is one of their heavenly enforcers, Wong.”
