We leave behind the first town and Suzy's sepulchre to wander to the next area. Our goal is the city which is not too far away.
"Teindas City...it's in the North, I remember that much." I recount what little I remember of the city we're traveling towards. However, my knowledge is limited because I never visited in person. I feel like there was some reason for that, but it's been so long that I can't remember. Yin taps me on the shoulder, and pretends she didn't do it when I turn to look. "I wonder if it had a Heavenly Mandate?"
"What's wrong?" The pretty girl hides her hands behind her back as I give her a look.
"Nothing. Just can't shake a bad feeling. Like there's something I should remember about Tiendas." I say quietly, while still thinking. Yin seems disappointed that I don't want to play more. Dashing ahead, she skips along the path, inspecting the flowers every now and then.
"You've never been there before? I still remember the skyscrapers. My cousins live in Tiendas. Or...at least, they did. Before all this happened. I hope they're alright." She stops talking as she thinks about the odds. It's a grim realization every time and it never gets better. Things are never going back to the way they were and the people who are gone are never coming back. "Anyways, maybe we can find them if we get the chance."
"Maybe...Tiendas is big enough to get a Heavenly Mandate so it should be able to avoid being completely overrun by the undead." I'm on autopilot, saying more than I should. Still can't figure out why the name seems so familiar though. I went West, instead of North and never looked back. There was definitely something about Tiendas...
"Heavenly Mandate?" Yin seizes onto my mistake immediately. The bored girl looks back and for a moment her oval tilted face by the blooming violets is almost enough to stop my heart. It's like a painting!
Oh...my...god.
Shaking off the critical hit she just inflicted, I resume walking.
"You see how the flowers are slightly off?" I ask. At my words, Yin leans down and sniffs at the pretty flowers.
"What do you mean...AH!" She quickly ducks away from the petals which have begun to drift against the wind, as if the flower has a mind of its own. Regaining her calm, she throws me a dirty look as I begin to snicker.
"That's payback." I mutter, feeling satisfied.
"What?"
"Nothing. Anyways, pretty much all the wildlife is starting to be exposed to the virus at a microscopic level. Our world is transforming. I don't know how much you remember, but these flowers are a perfect example. They're changing, mutating. Soon there will be a lot of dangerous creatures everywhere, though some places will be far more dangerous than others. A Heavenly Mandate is something you can purchase with System Coins. It allows you to permanently designate a large area as a no-go zone for most things afflicted by the virus. Including undead." I explain. "Towns use a smaller scale version, but that isn't efficient on a city. The only problem is, Heavenly Mandates are extremely expensive. And they require constant maintenance or else the system will take them back. It usually takes a coordinated effort from multiple parties to even consider buying one."
"Huh, so it's like we have to...pay rent?" Yin grimaces unhappily. I wonder what exactly her background was before the Calamity. An unemployed NEET? Or maybe she worked some sort of part time job? She never talks about it. "God sure is stingy! I thought at least now that the world has gone to hell we might not have to deal with this kind of crap."
"Yep. Definitely a NEET." I mutter under my breath. When I see the way her eyes narrow I quickly hurry to correct myself. "Um, I wouldn't say God, though maybe that's who is responsible. All I know is that the System has rules and that's how it is."
