64 Distance

Seeing Will emerge from the changing area, Aelius's eyes widened as he remarked, "Wow, Aiden. It's no wonder you were able to compete against Ally using just your physical strength. You're cut like a statue."

"Thanks. It's the benefit of training nearly every day since I was a child," explained Will.

"It shows," affirmed Aelius, nodding approvingly. He was also in decent shape, but anyone who saw him would describe his build as slender and agile. Will, on the other hand, possessed muscles Aelius hadn't even seen before...

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"So, where to next...?" asked Will, meeting Aelius at the clothing store's entrance after settling his bill.

"Well, ideally, we'd purchase you a few spare containers for water, but we should be fine with the amount we already have," replied Aelius. "That just leaves a pack, a sleeping bag, goggles, and a respirator. You don't want to get caught in a sandstorm without them. Especially this time of year."

"What's special about this time of year...?" asked Will.

Pointing toward the ceiling, or, more accurately, the sky beyond, Aelius explained, "Winter isn't far off, and Deisceart's climate is very volatile. It's warm right now, but the temperature can plummet to freezing within a few hours if a cold front occurs. Such changes tend to bring with them biting winds and storms, so if you only prepare measure against the desert heat, you could ironically find yourself a desert popsicle."

"Mmmm...that wouldn't be good..." conceded Will.

"Yeah, I almost suffered a similar fate in the past," revealed Aelius. "Since then, I carry a few spare Heating Stones, an oilskin tarp, and a Low-Grade Fire Magic Crystal. If I hadn't been found and carried to a Shaman, I'd be missing the tips of my ears, my tail, and most of my digits. Believe you me, it wasn't a pleasant experience."

"When was this...?" asked Will, finding it a little curious that Aelius would reveal details about his past when they still barely knew one another.

"Roughly six, maybe seven years ago...?" responded Aelius, crossing his arms and tilting his head in recollection. "Why do you ask?"

"Only because you brought it up," assured Will, adopting a faint, amused smile. Then, though he already had plenty of supplies to endure virtually any type of weather or environment, he accompanied Aelius to a nearby sundry and supply store to stock up on everything the diminutive cat boy said he might need for their journey...

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Upon returning to their Inn, Aelius preempted Will's return to his room by stating, "Me and the others are probably going to grab dinner and enjoy a few drinks later this evening. You're welcome to join us."

"Mmm...it's probably better that I don't," responded Will, contending, "I doubt that half-elf friend of yours would appreciate my company."

"Ally?" questioned Aelius, raising his right brow before shaking his head and asserting, "She's not the type to hold a grudge. Besides, we're going to be traveling and camping together for at least a few weeks. Things will be less tense if we get to know one another."

"Then, if she's okay with it, send her to my room to invite me," said Will, shrugging. "Otherwise, I'll probably spend the evening maintaining and organizing my gear."

"Then I'll see you this evening~" mused Aelius, beaming from ear to ear as if he already knew Allyson would be okay with Will joining them. She could be exceptionally stubborn at times, but she knew how to set aside differences and work with others.

"We'll see," responded Will, adopting a smile of his own as he shook his head, turned around, and made his way toward the stairs leading to the second floor. The Inn they were residing in had three floors, with the first serving as a dining room and lounge. His room was one of six on the third floor, but before he could enter inside and get in a late afternoon workout, a familiar figure emerged from a separate room on the same floor.

'Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear...' mused Will, outwardly raising his left hand as he said, "We meet again," in response to the pointy-eared blonde staring at him with slightly widened eyes.

Regaining her senses in response to Will's words, Allyson tore her gaze from his exposed abs and chest, remarking, "I see you're back from your trip to the bazaar..."

"What do you think of my new outfit...?" asked Will, putting Allyson on the spot and leaving her taken aback by how casually he solicited her opinion. After all, when they first departed the Guild Hall and made their way over to the Inn, he effectively treated her as air.

Recovering from her stupor, Allyson composed herself, gave Will a quick once over, and responded with a noncommittal, "It's better than what you were wearing previously..."

"I'll take it," said Will, leaving Allyson at another brief loss as he promptly made his way past her, seemingly finished with the exchange.

Following Will with her gaze, Allyson waited until he was about to enter his room before asking, "Will you be joining us this evening? We usually get together and have a kind of going away party before setting out on a big mission or new journey."

"More than likely," responded Will, half-turning to meet Allyson's gaze as he jokingly appended, "Just do us both a favor and don't challenge me to another contest. I don't try to pretend I'm perfect, so it bothers me when people question what I can do..."

Though she furrowed her brows slightly, Allyson seemed less angry than embarrassed as she averted her eyes and argued, "It's not that I didn't think you were capable...you just seemed too confident for someone who had just arrived in a new location. And then there's your Mana and Aura. I just didn't want you getting in over your head and getting yourself killed..."

"I appreciate your concern..." said Will, his expression softening as he turned away, closed his eyes, and added, "But we all have our reasons for being here. If the choices that led me here lead to my death, it just means I wasn't prepared or strong enough. But that's life. And I'd rather live it to the fullest than lament in stagnation..."

Feeling he had reached a good stopping point, Will stepped into his room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Allyson alone in the hall. Aelius was also present, eavesdropping from the second-floor landing, so things shouldn't be too awkward for her. Sad to say, he wasn't afforded a similar courtesy...

"What the heck was that...?" asked Ohta, seated atop Will's bed with his arms and legs crossed and a look of undisguised incredulity adorning his face.

"What was what...?" asked Will, feigning ignorance.

"What do you get by trying to act cool?" clarified Ohta. "You realize this is half the reason girls like Madeen won't give up on you, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Will argued, "It's not like I'm trying to act cool. I just say and do what comes to mind. Would you prefer I behaved like an idiot...?"

"You do behave like an idiot," Ohta claimed, his expression an unamused deadpan. "You just happen to be sly and quick-witted as well."

"Mmm..."

Believing there was no sense in arguing, Will took a moment to drop the things he was carrying, leaving Ohta to observe him with a frown. It was only after he was finished that he met Ohta's gaze, breaking the tentative silence by asking, "Then, what do you suggest?"

Frowning deeper, Ohta questioned, "Why do you keep asking me things like that? It's not like I'm telling you not to do something. I want to know why you act the way you do. It's almost like you're a golem, programmed to behave a certain way..."

'He's pretty perceptive...' thought Will, closing his eyes and nodding in understanding. When he opened them, he then startled Ohta by taking a seat fairly close to him on the bed, his expression and tone softened but serious as he tapped his temple with his right index finger and explained, "It's a form of self-suggestion. I was under a lot of pressure to behave a certain way as I was growing up, so it's not unfitting to compare me to a golem as I'm continuously reinforcing my program to adhere to a certain set of morals and values...."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of joke...?" asked Ohta, his expression making it very clear he wasn't amused.

Shrugging, Will contended, "It's the truth. I'm only revealing it now since there's a good chance I'll need to use my power on this journey. It would be a lot harder to explain it then than now."

"Your power...?" parroted Ohta, the muscles in his face relaxing somewhat but still forming a frown.

Nodding, Will placed his hand on the bedding and explained, "My power of suggestion doesn't just function on myself, but objects, creatures, and even magical spells..."

Raising his hand, Will compelled the bedding to rise and twist into a tight knot until it burst. Mana and Aura could accomplish something similar, but as Demons were nearly as proficient as Elves and Spirits when it came to perceiving various types of energy, he could tell Will had done something very abnormal.

Cutting straight to the heart of the matter, Ohta narrowed his eyes, his body tensing slightly as he asked, "You mentioned creatures...does that mean you can control people?"

"Probably," conceded Will. "But even monsters need to submit before my power can influence their minds directly. People are a lot more complex. I might be able to get them to freeze in place at a pivotal moment to create an opening, but seizing control of their minds is beyond me. Compared to spells that can forcibly dominate a target's mind or alter their memories, it leaves a lot to be desired."

"It's still really fucking creepy..." Ohta asserted. However, compared to a few moments prior, he was noticeably more relaxed. After all, outside the terms of a contract, Demons were functionally impervious to mind control and mental dominance. He also had a veritable army of undead stowed in his shadow, so he couldn't judge others too harshly for having unorthodox abilities...

"It's something I was born with..." Will contended, shrugging once again. Then, since he didn't feel like getting into the specifics of how his ability functioned, he got up from the bed and added, "I'm gonna exercise a bit. Want to join me?"

Recalling their earlier interaction in the changing room, Ohta's thoughts ground to a halt in response to Will's proposition. It was far from the first time Will had asked if he wanted to exercise together, but now he couldn't help feeling it was some kind of innuendo...

"Get your head out of the gutter..." said Will, exhaling an amused, scoffing chuckle. Ohta started to flare up in response, but before he could have an outburst, Will appended, "Even if we do eventually hook up, it won't be for several years. Maybe even a decade."

Forcing himself to calm down, Ohta questioned, "Because of your desire to become a Master...?"

"That's definitely one of the reasons," affirmed Will, nodding sagely. "The rest lay in our brains and bodies. I personally don't believe it's healthy for individuals in their teens to center their lives around things like sex. Then there's the difference in our sizes...I mean...come on..."

Though he understood what Will was getting at, Ohta's right eye began to twitch. His diminutive stature was something that troubled him quite a bit. Fortunately, while part of him was tempted to prove Will's concerns were unfounded, he also believed people their age shouldn't be fooling around, acting like animals. He also feared the very real possibility that Will would break his ass, so after reining in his urge to cave the former's face into the back of their skull, Ohta retreated to the shadows with the parting remark, "Eat shit and die..."

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