"An Unexpected Welcome in the Student City"
The trip with Joe and Dean had been quite comfortable, especially thanks to Joe patiently explaining the different sectors of the city as they advanced.
"My niece lives over there, and so does Dean's brother, so we try to come back from time to time," Joe said. Despite his hard face, he seemed surprisingly friendly. Dean, on the other hand, didn't seem to be much of a talker.
"I see… then maybe we'll bump into each other on the street one day," said Edward, more relaxed now as he chatted with Joe.
When the carriage arrived at the parking lot, where other units were resting, the three of them got off.
"Hey! I brought the packages, take care of them," Joe ordered the men who were unloading the goods.
"Thanks for the chat," said Edward politely.
"No problem. It's a way to pass the time. Dean isn't exactly the chattiest," Joe replied with a smile, while Dean merely gave a slight shrug.
Before Edward could say goodbye, a female voice called from the side.
"Finally, you've arrived, Edward," the voice said, prompting Edward to turn his head. There she was… a familiar face.
She used to be barely a meter tall, with bat wings and small horns. But now, in her human form, she looked completely different.
She was a young woman around twenty years old. Tall, with a well-shaped figure, dressed in tight clothing, arms crossed and a mischievous smile on her face. The change in avatar revealed a much more mature and confident appearance. Behind her stood a man with black hair, glasses, and a calm expression. He wore a dark suit, like a professional bodyguard.
"Sisitina," Joe said with a wide smile before Edward could react, approaching the young woman and wrapping her in a hug.
"Uncle?" Sig exclaimed, visibly annoyed as her uncle hugged her. "Let go of me! What are you doing here?" she protested, though the joy in her eyes betrayed her.
"Of course I came to visit you. I brought some gifts… and Lolian too," Joe replied enthusiastically. Dean, for his part, nodded at the man standing next to Sig, who returned the gesture with equal seriousness. Observing them closely, Edward noticed a certain resemblance.
"Let me go already, I've got things to do," Sig grumbled, gently pushing her uncle away.
Joe, hearing that, turned a sharp gaze toward Edward. His face immediately shifted to a cold, serious expression.
"Kid… remember everything I told you earlier? Forget it. All of it," he said, eyes sharp.
Edward blinked, confused.
"Shut up, Uncle. It's a real business. I'll explain later. For now, let's take Edward to his new house," Sig said with an excited smile. "Hurry up, we have to help the others," she added, turning around while Alfred gestured for Edward to follow them. Joe's hard stare still lingered over Edward, like a silent warning.
And in that instant, Edward took back what he said: that man was not friendly at all.
They walked for several minutes through the streets of Central Student City, while Sig calmly explained the points of interest as they passed.
In one area, Edward saw a school. Some children were playing in the yards, carefully watched by their teachers.
That was quite unusual in today's world… so Edward couldn't help but ask:
"Do the schools here still operate?"
"This is the Student City. Wouldn't it be illogical if they didn't?" Sig replied, her tone calm.
"The groups in this area usually donate part of their mana vials to keep them running. They also work as community dining halls for the children," Alfred explained serenely, walking beside Sig. "Miss Lolian often serves as a substitute teacher," he added.
After walking a few more minutes, they reached a residential area where large houses stood, some with inner courtyards. Most were empty.
People preferred to live in smaller spaces"not because they had to pay to live here, but because maintaining such big houses was completely unnecessary. Cleaning, repairs, and upkeep were too much work for what they offered.
"Isn't this the area where Lolian lives with her family?" asked Joe with interest.
"That's right. Her grandfather refused to leave their ancestral home, even though this neighborhood is completely deserted," Sig answered calmly as she walked. "But I have a plan… maybe we'll repopulate this entire area with our men," she added with a cunning smile.
Joe looked at her for a moment and then nodded. Even though his niece was young, she had a better eye for business than he did. He only cared for adventure, and when his father tried to hand him part of the "family business," he just gave it all to his brother, kidnapped Dean, and went off to explore the world.
"Uncle, you actually arrived at the perfect moment. Though I'm not sure I should tell you just yet, because I still don't have the invitation," Sig said, glancing at him sideways. "Actually, I'd need two. One for you and one for Dean. After all, you'd both be very useful."
"Useful where?" Joe asked, confused.
"It's better if I don't tell you right now. You might get too excited and become annoying," Sig replied, ending the conversation as they arrived at a medium-sized house.
"This will be your new home," she said, spreading her arms with a smile to present the house.
Edward, seeing the place and the people going in and out carrying furniture, frowned slightly.
"This… it's not that I don't like it, but don't you think it's a bit big?" he asked, a bit embarrassed. After all, he had lived in something like a sardine can for years. In front of him was a two-story house with a garden.
"Yeah, I thought so too. That's why I came up with a great idea: Alfred, Uncle Joe, and Dean will live with you," Sig announced with a wide grin.
"Aaah?" Joe exclaimed, looking at his niece more confused than Edward. "Why me? You know I have work."
Meanwhile, Edward very much wanted to refuse, but didn't manage to say anything.
"Well, Uncle, I need you to stay for a while. I want to show you something that will change your life. Besides, we're moving our base here anyway," Sig said calmly. Even if Joe didn't agree to live with Edward, she already planned for some of her men to be his housemates. The reason: to slowly integrate Edward into her group.
A little manipulative, certainly… but so what? Sig was the leader of one of the biggest smuggler groups in the city. If she couldn't place her men inside, then she'd turn whoever was already inside into her people.
Obviously, she wasn't the kind of person who took advantage of her followers. But if they were affiliated with her, she could get more favorable deals. And that way, Edward would become a real part of her group.
"You're an evil genius, Sig," she told herself, smiling with pride.
"Oh, Sig, you're here," said Loli, stepping out of the neighboring house and walking over calmly. Behind her was Bert, stretching his body"not because he was tired, but because he missed his real height.
"Ugh, Joe," Bert muttered as he saw the person he least wanted to run into: the jealous guy who wouldn't let any man near his niece.
"Oh, Uncle Joe! It's been so long!" Loli greeted him cheerfully. As Sig's childhood friend, she had met Joe many times.
"What's up, you two?" said Joe with a smile for Loli… and a fixed stare for Bert.
"Hey, how many large mana stones do we have?" asked Sig as soon as she saw them.
"Five," Bert answered automatically.
"Tsk, only half," Sig muttered, slightly annoyed.
"Hey… don't tell me you're thinking…" Bert began, realizing what Sig might be planning as she stood near Dean and Joe.
"Exactly. Don't you think they'd make a great addition? They've got experience… and they're both a little crazy. Especially Dean," said Sig with a grin.
Meanwhile, the ever-smiling Dean looked at her for a moment, saying nothing. His smile seemed more like a natural part of his silence than a true emotion.
"Hey, didn't you say you had three large mana stones?" Sig asked, turning to Edward.
"Two point nine," he replied, confused but honest.
"I'll buy them from you in mana vials, using the exchange rate we talked about earlier," said Sig quickly. Without waiting for a reply, she turned back to her companions.
"Let's delay the mine raid by one or two days. I want Uncle Joe and Dean to join while we level up. That way, we'll have more numbers for the raid… even if they're just starting out," she said with determination.
"Are you sure?" Loli asked, unsure.
Bert thought for a moment. They were about to face thousands of unknown enemies. Even with all the traps, it was almost guaranteed they'd die several times. And losing levels was never good, not even at low ranks. Having two new players would help a lot. In fact, he estimated they could at least reach their first evolution if they started as spirits, and it would only delay things by half a day. They needed minerals to upgrade their weapons and defenses, sure… but that didn't mean they should rush in like idiots.
"Alright. We'd better let Lua know, so she doesn't waste time making too many talismans. Though now she might have time to make even more," Bert said calmly.
"I'll tell her," said Loli, raising her hand quickly"earning teasing looks from Bert and Sig. But she ignored them and ran off.
"Edward, I'll buy every large mana stone you get. Even at double the price in mana vials," said Sig, staring at him intently.
"Uh… well… no, the price we talked about is fine," Edward replied, a bit nervous under her intense gaze.
"Good, then. You should pick your room and get into the game. It's almost dawn," Sig said quickly, urging him along. Still confused, Edward nodded and walked into the house.
"Can someone explain what the hell you're all talking about?" Joe asked.
"Uncle… you like adventure, danger, and exploration, right? If you stay here, in our city, I'll give you all of that"and more," said Sig with a smile. "Just wait inside the house for a couple of hours," she added, then stopped just before heading to Loli's house. "Oh, and find a computer. One for Dean too," she said quickly before walking off. Bert simply shrugged and followed her, while Loli had already dashed off a while ago to log into the game and speak with her beloved Lua.