A day later, Auren's airship, carrying everyone on board, is already heading straight towards Glam Gas Land.
Thanks to its immense speed, barely slowed even with the added weight of Auren's massive custom gym, the trip will only take a couple of days. Their destination lies on the northern edge of the Yorbian continent.
Both Neffi and Vanessa are visibly excited by the news, clinging to Auren's arms like children.
"I can't wait to see the special shows! We're renting a few rooms in a proper hotel, right?" Vanessa asks, her eyes practically sparkling.
"I swear, Vanessa, you're the oldest one here, but you act like the youngest," Auren teases her, more amused than actually annoyed by her excitement.
"Hey, I'm only twenty-six, let me enjoy my youth!" she shoots back, puffing her cheeks. "And besides, Konrad is only two years younger than me. That barely counts!"
"I'm actually twenty-seven, so I'm the oldest," Goreinu says, looking a little surprised himself as he says it out loud.
"You sure don't look it," Vanessa comments casually, making Goreinu's face darken instantly with depression.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Eren asks. "You'll look young for much longer that way."
Goreinu sighs. "It's probably because of my training. I started learning Nen when I was nine, and my master drilled into me the idea of always training. I've spent most of my life focusing on Ten—it's become a habit, and I keep it active almost constantly. My master told me more than once that I wasn't very talented, but because of that, I put everything I had into perfecting the basics."
"Then why wait so long before taking the Hunter Exam?" Auren asks, a little curious now.
"I... actually overestimated the difficulty," Goreinu admits, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I thought becoming a Hunter would be harder. In the end, I realized I didn't even need the license at first. Even now, I'm barely a Hunter at all, since, unlike you, Auren, I don't really have a goal. The one goal I had, to earn a lot of money, is already more than fulfilled with your generous pay. I guess I might as well accompany you guys as long as you will have me, it's actually quite interesting."
That's good. Perfect... this is going exactly according to plan.
"In any case," Auren says, "I've already explained things to Jolt, his family, your siblings Eren, and Killi. We'll be staying at the Royal Glam Hotel. If you don't know, it's the most luxurious one in the city. Thanks to the recent conflicts in the area, it didn't cost me too much, which surprised me. Tourism is on the decline, it seems. I've booked us in for three weeks—that's our limit. After that, we need to return to Swardani City once more."
"Why is it called Royal? Glam Gas Land isn't a kingdom; it belongs to the United States of Saherta, doesn't it?" Eren asks. "That's what I used to hear on the streets while pickpocketing in Yorknew's financial districts."
"The story isn't very exciting," Auren says, "but Glam Gas Land used to be barren, abandoned land. Not quite a desert, but the soil there is covered in red earth, making it unsuitable for crops. Eventually, a group of migrants—the Glam Caravan—bought the rights to the land and settled there. By sheer luck, they discovered huge deposits of natural gas, along with oil and other valuable resources."
"I see," Eren says, nodding slowly.
"Nowadays, you could call the descendants of the Glam Caravan something close to royalty. They became known as the Glam Clan once they settled permanently. The head of the clan is treated like a king, the de facto ruler of the region, and his influence extends far beyond just Glam Gas Land. He holds tremendous power in Yorknew and even overseas, as gas is a requirement for most industries."
"Does it seem that way?" Konrad asks, sounding and looking a little smug.
"Am I wrong?" Auren replies, slightly puzzled by his tone.
"Hehe, they're actually under a lot of pressure," Konrad explains. "Recently, they had no choice but to let national corporations in. They may like to think of themselves as a small zone, even as rulers of a separate country, but that's far from the truth. In the end, they're just running a city, and the head of the clan is nothing more than the mayor of that city.
"They're still part of the United States. The clan leader may have gained influence, especially across the Yorbian sphere, but it came with a price. With so many resources being discovered, corporations rushed in. Sure, they pay heavy fees to both the clan and the government, but they managed to secure second-grade resource sites, just a little away from the city itself."
"You're pretty smart after all, Brother," Vanessa says, ignoring the details of his explanation and going straight for an insult. "It's just a shame that all your knowledge doesn't help you find a wife, isn't it?"
"... What about you then?! Hag!" Konrad snaps back, his smugness turning to anger.
As Vanessa is about to explode in anger, Auren steps between them.
"Stop it," Auren cuts in firmly before pausing in thought. "I wasn't fully aware of how much the politics of Glam Gas Land shifted. But it explains a lot. Some of the requests we've taken on came directly from corporations, while others came from the Glam Clan. I've accepted at least fifty missions already. Since there's no penalty for canceling or even failing them, it shows just how desperate they are. That means we can pick and choose missions however we please, maybe even in moderation, while still enjoying the shows at the Royal Glam Hotel.
"At least one of us will rotate in and out of the active mission team. I want at least one person protecting the others at all times. The truth is, only the six of us can actually fight—and if I'm being honest, only Neffi, Goreinu, and myself qualify to really protect anyone. So, most of the time we'll move as a group of five. Every few days, we'll rest. I don't want us neglecting training either, and while we recover at the hotel, we can enjoy the food, amenities, and of course, some of the shows as well."
"Great!" Vanessa says immediately, siding with Auren. "We'll work hard, but we'll also enjoy the luxuries of the hotel and those world-famous shows!"
Neffi smiles, looking satisfied. "It's a good balance. I like it."
"Do not underestimate this trip," Goreinu warns, his expression quite serious. "The Glam Clan is rich, and yes, there are plenty of wealthy tourists, but the original population is poor. Desperation breeds crime. You'll find thieves, killers, even terrorists in a place like this. We need to take it seriously."
"Reminds me of Yorknew..." Eren says, looking nostalgic.
"Exactly," Auren agrees. "That's why we're not splitting up. I also urge you to ensure that you always wear the clothing Neffi provided. At least then, we'll have some protection."
Neffi crosses her arms proudly. "That's right! You should always wear my genius creations! And Auren... about what you requested earlier, it will take a few months, but my company is working on it. You really didn't need to pay me for it, though."
Auren shrugs. "It's fine. Just 20 million. You might not need the money personally, but your employees do. And if you want the company to grow, you can't blur the line between private favors and business. Your company is extremely promising—even Konrad said so. If your employees get the sense that you're not focused on the company and hand out favors as you please, it'll send the wrong message. Besides, I have the money. It's not going to be wasted if it ends in your company's account."
A while later, everyone stands on the open front deck, taking in the view as the airship glides over Glam Gas Land. Since it's already night, the city below shines like a sea of light, the entire city center glowing brilliantly against the darkness.
"Wow! So sparkly!!" Mio shouts with pure excitement, her brother staring with wide eyes, completely taken by the sight.
"It's beautiful..." Killi whispers, her eyes shining as she clutches Neffi's hand.
"It's quite a sight, right, Auren? Jolt says proudly, turning to Auren.
"I take it from your tone that you've been here before?" Auren asks.
"Only for a couple of smuggling runs... It's been a while, but this place hasn't changed at all," Jolt admits.
Both twins move closer to their father, Jean grinning as she says, "You know, maybe you weren't completely useless for once, Dad. Getting us into all this debt might have been worth it! This is the life I've always wanted. The Royal Glam Hotel? Amazing. This is so exciting."
She then steps over to Auren, placing her hands against his back. "Please keep employing my useless father—even if it's just to clean the ship all day. This is like a dream!"
Auren turns slightly to face her and notices her short skirt constantly whipping upward in the strong wind.
"You might want to invest in a pair of pants..." he comments. Jean quickly turns away, embarrassed.
Her quieter twin, Joanne, doesn't fare much better. Her long hair, usually draped in front of her face, now whips violently in the wind, making her look almost like some kind of vengeful spirit.
"And you... maybe buy a hair clip. Or ten," Auren says, watching Joanne's cheeks turn red.
These girls... Jolt really doesn't have it easy. Still, Jean wasn't entirely wrong. He might have messed up horribly by dragging his family into all this debt, but in the end, things turned out well enough for them.
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