Chapter 109 Nostalgia

Suzuka had reluctantly agreed to meet with Wara, feeling uneasy about the entire situation. She made her way toward the backyard behind the guild building. As she approached the four-wheelers Wara had mentioned, she couldn't help but notice how well-maintained and nice they looked.

With a smile on her face, she stood beside one of the four-wheelers and glanced around, excited to try and ride one. 

As she waited for Wara to arrive, she took a closer look at the four-wheeler she was standing beside. It was much smaller than the one she had been riding when Jacob and his party had kidnapped her. The vehicle could accommodate two people, which made her wonder if she gets to ride separately one or if they both will ride on one.

The rain started pouring heavily, making Suzuka feel uneasy about the situation. She pulled up the hood of her raincoat and hopped on onto the four-wheeler, shielding herself from the downpour.

Finally, Wara showed up. Suzuka straightened up and eyed him as he approached her. "So?" She asked, "Are we really going? I mean the weather turned for the worse, will we be okay riding on four-wheelers?"

Wara chuckled, "Don't worry about that, Helen. Little rain won't be a problem and the four-wheeler will be just fine."

As soon as they climbed onto the four-wheeler, they set off on their journey, the wind whipping through their hair. As they made their way along the rugged terrain, through the lush forest, Wara began to open up to Suzuka about their true intentions. "Helen," he said, his voice laced with honesty, "I must confess that we're not headed to the magic box location."

Suzuka's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she interrupted, "What? Then where are we going?"

Wara looked straight ahead, his gaze fixed on the winding path ahead. "We're headed to see Bill. I have some unfinished business with him, and I need your help in navigating us to his current location."

Suzuka couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise at Wara's revelation. "Why didn't you just tell me the truth from the beginning?"

Wara let out a chuckle. "To be honest, I didn't exactly lie to you. Everything I told you was true except for the part about us going to the magic box location. And don't worry, once we're back, you'll get your much-deserved rank up in magic box power."

"Really?" Suzuka's eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of gaining a rank.

Wara nodded. "And that's not all. Dr. Jenkins may have told me a thing or two about you. But don't worry, your secrets are safe with me," he said in a casual tone, as though he was merely discussing the weather.

Suzuka's voice quivered with emotion as she spoke to Wara. "I can't believe Jenkins would do something like this to me. I confided in him and trusted him with my secrets, and he went behind my back and told you everything."

Wara's expression was sympathetic as he listened to Suzuka's words. "I understand how you feel, Helen. It's not easy to have your trust broken like that."

Suzuka let out a sigh and leaned against the seat. "But what am I supposed to do now? I feel so exposed and vulnerable. I don't know what you will do with the information you have."

Wara reassured Suzuka. "Don't worry, Helen. I won't use your secrets against you. I value our friendship, I won't betray your trust like that."

Suzuka nodded slowly, her expression still pained. "I hope you're right, Wara. It's just hard to trust anyone right now."

Wara nodded in agreement. "I know, but you can trust me. Hey! Friend of Bill's, a friend of mine. Now, can you show me the way to Bill's cave?"

With a small nod, Suzuka agreed to Wara's request. "Sure, but it will take a while," she replied with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Wara, on the other hand, exuded confidence. "Don't worry, I know the general location," he reassured her. "It's close to the collapsed great castle ruins. I need you to lead me from there. And before you ask, yes, I have a crystal compass. We won't get lost in the forest."

Suzuka couldn't help but admire Wara's level of preparedness. "Well, you sure are prepared," she remarked, impressed. "Okay, I think I remember the way, it was a while though."

Wara's voice was filled with excitement as he spoke, "With a four-wheeler, we'll be able to reach our destination in no time! On foot, it would have taken us days, maybe even weeks to get there. It's an essential item for all adventurers, but unfortunately, they can be quite expensive."

Suzuka's mind raced with the thought of being able to return home. She yearned to be reunited with her family, to breathe in the familiar air of her hometown. The idea of a four-wheeler seemed like the perfect solution to her problem.

Lost in her thoughts, Suzuka asked, "How much do four-wheelers cost? The cheapest option."

Wara paused for a moment to consider the question. "Well, that really depends on a lot of factors," he said, rubbing his chin in thought. "The condition, the size, the age, and so on. But if you want a rough estimate for a used one, I'd say around 15 gold coins should do the trick."

Suzuka's eyes widened in disbelief at the mention of 15 gold coins. "By Melwyn almighty! 15 coins for the cheapest and used one? Then how much does this one cost that we are riding now?" she exclaimed in shock.

Wara furrowed his brows for a moment before answering, "Well, this is my personal wheeler. It comes with a few unique features like mana binding anti-theft security and other fine details. The cheaper version of this model was priced at 20 gold coins, but I ended up paying 36 gold coins for it."

Suzuka was taken aback by the steep prices. "That is way out of my budget. Is it even possible to rent one instead?" she asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

Wara's expression turned serious as he replied, "Renting costs the same as buying a new one. In the adventuring business, no one will rent you expensive equipment for less than it's worth. You have to consider the risk factor as well. What if you perish on the quest and leave all the rented stuff behind? The owner will lose their property, so that's why the rent price is the same as the value of the item."

Suzuka sighed heavily, realizing that her hopes of renting a wheeler were shattered. "I see," she muttered, feeling defeated. "Thank you for explaining it to me."

Suzuka's memory was jogged as she glanced at the four-wheeler. Jacob, the man who had kidnapped her, had owned much larger and more luxurious vehicles than the one she was currently riding.

 "He had six of them if I remember correctly. That guy must have been a big shot or something. That's a lot of money, right?" she said, recalling the ordeal she had gone through.

Wara, who had been listening intently, suddenly turned serious. "That may not necessarily be the case. If he had the backing, he could have gotten those vehicles from his client. After all, you mentioned that he kidnapped you, which means he had a wealthy client," he explained, trying to find a logical explanation for Jacob's wealth.

Suzuka's face turned grim as she remembered the man who had abducted her. "Yes, his name was Derrick, and he was a member of the MIS. That poop stick," she spat out, her voice filled with anger and disgust.

Wara's eyes narrowed as she heard Derrick's name mentioned. "Derrick from MIS?" He repeated incredulously. "One of the higher-ranking members of MIS? I know of him, but only by name. And sure, I've heard some unkind rumors about the man, but resorting to such things? What did he even try to achieve?"

Suzuka, who was not familiar with Derrick, looked confused. "What? Is he famous or something?" she asked.

"I don't know him personally but people praised his wisdom," Wara replied, "but they hated his methods, let's put it that way. He rose to the high ranks in MIS with his smarts alone, but he was held back by his mean and sadistic demeanor, or at least that's what I've heard."

Suzuka's expression grew pensive. "You don't need to worry about him anymore," she finally spoke, her voice quiet and solemn. "He and his entire group are no more. The same monster they were chasing killed them all, one by one."

Wara's eyes were in surprise. "How did you survive?" he asked.

Suzuka shrugged her shoulders slightly, her gaze drifting off into the distance. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted, her tone still subdued. "Perhaps the monster thought I was already dead, or maybe I just got lucky. By the time I regained consciousness, the monster was already killed. It was all just chaos and confusion, and I can't recall everything that happened that day."

As she spoke, a wave of sadness washed over Suzuka, her mind still haunted by the memories of that fateful day. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling, and turned to Wara. "But it doesn't matter now," she said firmly. "Let's not talk about that."

Wara did not want to push further and said, "I understand. It must have been hard for you."

Suzuka turned her gaze toward the forest and said, "Yeah, it was." As she looked at the forest she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. She remembered the last time she was in this part of the forest. It was the same path Thomas's party escorted her back to Rockmine town, this is where she met Olivia.

After several short breaks while traveling throughout the day, the sun began to set and the night began to descend upon the land. The rain had ceased a while back, and Wara decided it was time to halt for the night and set up camp.

He scanned the surroundings for a suitable spot, his eyes tracing the horizon as he looked for a sheltered area to protect them from the cold night breeze. After a few minutes, he spotted a small clearing between two large boulders that would provide ample cover from the elements.

They set up a campsite there, pitching tents and starting a small fire to keep warm. As the night grew darker, Wara sat by the fire, enjoying the peacefulness of the night and the tranquility that came with being in nature.

As Wara had been driving for an entire day, Suzuka kindly offered to take over the watch for the night, allowing Wara to rest and recharge for the long journey ahead. Wara gratefully accepted her offer and retired to his tent, while Suzuka kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. 

The night was relatively uneventful, except for a few small animals rustling in the nearby bushes. The only sounds that could be heard were the gentle whispers of the night wind and the soft patter of raindrops on the roof of the tents. 

As dawn broke, Wara emerged from his tent, looking refreshed and ready to resume their journey. They quickly packed up their camp and continued on their path, eager to reach Bill.