Chapter 16 - 15 - Contract II
Chapter 16 - 15 - Contract II
Chapter 16: Chapter 15 - Contract II
(Flynn's POV)
"So uh, should I drive us back home?" Aiden asked as we got out of the store while heading towards where we parked the car.
"Nah. It's fine. Since you taught me how to drive over these past few months, I think it's only natural that I drive instead. Besides, I drove us here didn't I?" I replied.
"Fine by me. Really feels nice to have someone else drive me around. Almost like I have my own personal chauffeur" Aiden replied as he got into the passenger's seat.
I just rolled my eyes at his comment as I got into the driver's seat, ignited the car's engine and began to drive us back home.
'It really has been five months since we got transmigrated here…' I thought to myself.
I say transmigrated but honestly, it feels as if I've always been here. Not a product of my soul switching with Flynn's after that accident. It's more like Aiden and I had past lives than we suddenly switched souls one day.
I've been thinking about it for quite a while now and all my theories point to the fact that we are both one and the same with our counterparts.
Ken and Flynn are one and the same, just like Liam and Aiden are one and the same. I asked Aiden if he felt the same way and he responded positively.
It feels like our memories of our past lives were blocked for some reason until that stunt I tried to pull.
Thanks to Aiden frantically searching for me that day because I suddenly left the house, he was able to minimize the impact of my fall using gravity magic.
'It does beg the question though…' I inwardly asked as I zoomed past another vehicle on the highway as we made our way into the city.
How do we know the past and most especially, the future through the videogame and the novel we both played and read?
That question's been bugging me over these past few months. I keep thinking that Amael has something to do with it but it's really just speculation on my part.
"Haaa… maybe I'll figure out the answer someday…" I muttered to myself as I glanced sideways to look at Aiden.
Over these past five months, I've levelled up to become a low-tier C ranker. That happened last month and if I'm being honest, it's absurdly fast.
'There's only one explanation for it though…'
Flynn, or in this case, my previous self was just as talented as Aiden when it came to mana manipulation but I never really got to tap into it due to my weak mindset.
Now that I'm far more confident and I can actually realize what's best for me, I'm effectively able to train my core. Also, although our mana veins aren't anywhere near being fully formed, it's definitely helping in our ranking up speed.
'At this rate, I should be a high-tier C-ranker when the main story starts. That's perfectly fine by me'
Aiden apparently broke into mid-tier B-rank some few days ago and that's really something because the higher you rank up, the harder it becomes for you to actually advance forward. The fact that we also consistently train on an average basis, far more than usual also helps quite a lot.
Our parents were really shocked when we told them about our progress too. They had to buy an appraisal mana core rank orb even though it was quite expensive for them to ensure that we really weren't deluding ourselves.
They seemed very surprised but also very happy when it turned out to be true. Our Dad especially.
We were now at the gates to our mansion as it opened automatically and I drove in and parked the futuristic Porsche.
I heard a buzzing sound as I got down from the vehicle and I turned to look around to find Tim, the gardener that we hire every once in a while trimming the grass with his lawn mower as he waved over at us to which we responded in kind.
We made our way into the mansion and as we did, Aiden began to speak.
"I think it's about time we tell both Dad and Mum about the healing potion".
"I also think so too. I know he hasn't been asking where we've been going every Sunday because he trusts us but we really should inform him".
"Yeah. Let's head on over right now" Aiden said as he opened the doors to our house.
Following Aiden's suggestion, we both navigated our way through the mansion until we were right in front of our Dad's office. I knocked on the door thrice while asking if he was available to speak to us.
-Knock knock knock
"Hey Dad? Are you by any chance free?" I said, stopping my knocks before continuing
"Aiden and I would like to discuss something with you"
"Give me a minute" Leopold said as he responded from the other side of the door. He seemed to be in a call with someone as we could hear him continuing a conversation with someone. After he seemed to have been done with his call, he asked for both of us to come in.
As we stepped into his office, we could see that his table had numerous amounts of documents that seemed to have piled up in numbers, almost obstructing his view and ours from having a clear look at his face.
"Look Aiden. That's gonna be your job in the future" I whispered to Aiden, my lips curling into a wicked smile as I slightly elbowed him.
"You. You really don't want the best things for me huh" Aiden groaned as he responded back.
"Perks of being the eldest son" I replied.
"What do you both need?" Our dad spoke up from behind his pile of documents, interrupting our hushed conversation without even raising his head up as he kept signing some documents.
'He seems really busy. I'm surprised he even responded to us'
Aiden was the one to respond this time as he began to talk.
"Dad, I know you're really really busy but I need you to look at this" Aiden said as he manifested the blue vial from his spatial ring.
The Duke sighed as he stopped what he was doing for the meantime, raising his head to look at both me and Aiden before his gaze travelled over to the blue vial in Aiden's hand.
'He looks absolutely tired' I inwardly thought.
"A healing potion? What about it?" Leopold asked as he squinted at both Aiden and I.
"Oh you'd be surprised" Aiden said as he moved over to him while placing the vial on his desk.
"Why don't you go ahead and appraise it Dad?" I said as Aiden stepped back after placing the vial on the desk.
"I really wonder what you two boys are up to but… well whatever" Leopold said.
He then began to open his drawers to search for an appraisal ring.
After finding one, he slipped it onto his fingers while picking up the vial containing the blue liquid.
At first he seemed particularly uninterested but suddenly his face changed into one of shock and astonishment.
He then proceeded to stare at us, his gaze alternating rapidly between me, Aiden and the potion in his hands.
"H-H-How is this even possible?" he asked, still looking at us.
We just smiled back at him as he looked at us incredulously. After he seemed to have recomposed himself, he then spoke up with a little more composure and seriousness in his voice.
"Aiden, Flynn, where exactly did you get this?"
"You know how we've been going out every Sunday…" Aiden began.
"And we'd tell both you and Mum that we were just going to restaurants and arcades" I followed up.
"Well that is not the whole truth..." Aiden continued.
"We've actually also been going to a potion store where we met two young kids our age. Ivelia and Ivar to be precise" I said.
"They were the ones who created this potion" Aiden concluded.
The Duke just looked at us like we were saying something that wasn't even feasible before he spoke up.
"So you're saying that two teenagers your age created this? Isn't that a bit absurd? Are you sure it isn't stolen?"
"Stolen? Wait a minute… Has a healing potion with similar efficacy been created?" I asked, my eyebrows scrunching into a furrow.
"Yes. The Tower created it a while back with some of their scientists. It's almost impossible to find though and only select people are able to buy it" Leopold replied.
'This is new information. Something like this was never talked about in the novel' I inwardly thought.
Aiden also seemed to be having similar thoughts as we both glanced at each other. Regardless of that though, it wouldn't hinder our plans.
The Tower creating it around this time meant that they had created it and were monopolizing the product in secret to gain and amass wealth. Ivelia and Ivar also creating it around the same time was just a coincidence.
'Those bastards…' I inwardly thought. If they had made it available to the public before the demons showed up, maybe humanity might've had a better fighting chance and they wouldn't have lost. They might've died in droves but at least a lot of humans might've survived and maybe, just maybe they would've won.
"Well Dad, this isn't stolen." I said.
"Flynn's right. It was created by two young geniuses who we've decided to sponsor."
"And to really prove that it isn't stolen…" I glanced at Aiden, to which we both nodded our heads.
"Here's some more of it" I continued as Aiden and I both dropped nineteen more vials on his table.
The Duke just looked on in amazement, fully coming to believe that his sons did indeed meet kids their age who were able to create something this amazing.