Warning: This Chapter may contain grammatical errors. If you're here to criticize the grammar, you might want to put the book down. I'm not a skilled writer; I prefer reading.
Disclaimer: All credit goes to the original author and the cover artists.
" " = spoken words or sounds.
' ' = significant words or nonsense.
( ) = Additional words or nonsense.
{ } = Sudden author's note.
=======================================
The loud sounds of a ground-dragon pulling a lone wooden carriage reverberated through the air.
The vast blue sky, adorned with beautiful clouds scattered across the heavens, illuminated the fertile soil below.
Despite the intense heat from the colossal energy source above, also known as the sun, its reflected light nurtured all life.
Birds soared into the sky, savoring the winds of freedom and liberation that all beings yearn for.
The carriage moved towards a grand, yet somewhat medieval-style civilization, reminiscent of the Dark Ages on Earth.
A massive castle sat at the city's heart, encircled by an enormous wall. The carriage traveled along the road leading to the city's grand gate.
People resembling Catholic Crusaders guarded the gate, inspecting carriages wishing to pass through the formidable wall and into the city, each with their own motives.
At the driver's seat sat a young man with the look of a typical merchant. Despite his average appearance, his golden hair and diamond-blue eyes radiated wisdom, and an aura of divinity surrounded him.
His mysterious yet spectacular characteristics made him a figure of intrigue.
Despite all this, the man maintained a stern expression as he controlled the dragon carriage.
" 'Sigh' Finally, we're here. Didn't I tell you this route would be a 'bullet to bite'? Why won't you ever listen to me?" A lazy voice echoed from behind the driver.
Another handsome young man leaned against the carriage walls. His blue hair and golden eyes contrasted with the driver's appearance. Dressed in commoner's clothes, he too exuded a strange aura.
"Your route is riskier than mine. Fool Remember, if our existence is exposed, it could lead to catastrophic consequences." The driver responded, ignoring the bored look his companion was giving him.
"What's so complicated? It's just a small trick, you know. It's not like it's going to 'cost an arm and a leg'. To me, the situation is 'down to the wire'." He said, nonchalantly picking his nose.
The driver's eyebrows furrowed before he let out a sigh. " Even I hated to admit, your method is faster. But remember, if my fears come true, you can say goodbye to your existence. Hell, I might even get dragged into it, if that's what the divine will dictates."
Silence ensued after the young man finished speaking, leaving the handsome boy to stare at the wooden wall in silence.
The only sound that could be heard was the heavy footfall of the ground-dragon, as the young men's conversation seemed to have ended, leaving the rest of the journey in silence, save for the loud noises made by the ground-dragon.
/ Time Skip \
After a long journey, the young men finally reached the city's gate. A line of carriages waited to enter the city, while others from within the city passed them by, heading in directions irrelevant to their own, presumably attending to their own business.
From the driver's seat, the young man looked around cautiously before shifting his gaze to his companion.
"I'll do the talking. Just sit there and stay quiet," the golden-haired man instructed his companion, whose expression immediately soured.
"What? Why? It's not like a simple conversation will 'upset the applecart'. There's a saying that strangers meeting for the first time are on equal footing. Ignoring someone is the greatest rudeness one can display. It's a violation of introduction rights, awareness rights, equality rights, human rights. That being said, I don't want to be sued for those crimes. It's very 'asleep at the switch', 'castaw--'"
"Shut up!!! Stop with that wannabe 'Regulus' shit! It's irritating. Do you think those people will understand your idiomatic nonsense?" The young man snapped, snarling at the blue-haired man who wore a childish expression.
The outburst attracted some unwanted attention from the people in the other carriages and the gate guards.
"Hey! You there, what's all the commotion?" A guard yelled as he approached them.
The young man grumbled before clearing his throat. The blue-haired man pouted and sat down in the carriage.
"It's nothing, sir. I was just explaining to my friend here that a single holy coin is better than a silver one. He's a bit uneducated," he said apologetically.
The guard's eyes narrowed suspiciously beneath his iron helmet, but thankfully, his suspicion didn't last long.
"Tsk, don't cause any noises again then, or you two will face the consequences," the guard scolded before returning to his fellow guards who were inspecting the carriages one by one.
After the brief incident, the inspections continued as usual, the small scene quickly forgotten.
"Well, I do agree that holy coins are better. A competition to determine which is superior would probably just be 'beating the air'," the blue-haired man playfully said, earning a sharp glare from his companion.
"Shut it,"
The blue-haired man smiled innocently despite his companion's irritated expression."It's really a 'Herculean task' to melt that serious look off your face, 'Himerosion'- Senpai It makes my heart itchy, you know?"
"Like I care, you disgraceful buffoon."
After that brief exchange, Himerosion, whose name the driver had ignored, left the still unnamed blue-haired man grinning ridiculously.
/ Time Skip \
The carriage wheels rolled towards the gate. After several minutes, it was finally time for the two young men to face judgement on whether they would be allowed to continue their journey into the city.
The guard who had scolded them earlier stepped forward and raised his voice.
"State your identities and purpose!"
Himerosion quickly shot a threatening glance at the blue-haired man before turning back to the guard.
"My name is Himerosion, a merchant from the West. My associate here is named 'Gelosion'. We're here to trade and conduct other business with the guild," he said, maintaining a neutral expression, making it difficult to discern any hint of deceit.
The guard's eyebrows rose in doubt, hidden behind his helmet. He shifted his gaze to Gelosion, who responded with a thumbs-up and a goofy grin.
"Hmm, alright then. Let's proceed with the inspection, come along fells, You two, step aside," he commanded, as two more guards, dressed like crusaders, stepped forward.
Himerosion nodded in agreement and hopped down from the carriage, while Gelosion pouted, muttering complaints that only one person could hear.
Nevertheless, he obediently followed suit as the gate guards inspected their carriage, which resembled Otto Suwen's simple wooden one.
After a thorough inspection that lasted about a minute, the head guard nodded. The one who seemed to be their leader turned to Himerosion and Gelosion.
"All clear. You two are free to go."
"Thank you, sir," Himerosion responded, bowing slightly.
Meanwhile, Gelosion bowed in Petelgeuse's style. "Accept my deepest gratitude for your trust, mister knight. 'Deus vult!'"
The guard looked at them strangely, as if he had just encountered two lunatics. However, he seemed to think that only one of them was truly mad, judging by the dark look he received from the other.
"Enough of that. Move along, you two," he grumbled unpatiently.
"Yes, sir."
"As you wish, gentleman."
/ Time Skip \
As they passed through the gate, Himerosion and Gelosion were greeted by the grand structures of the city around them.
Various races were instantly visible. Although the place was magnificent to any foreigner, Himerosion's expression remained unchanged, suggesting that this experience was not new to him.
Gelosion, however, was a different story.
"Hoo, this place does look different from 'Reality'. It really 'gets my mojo working'," he exclaimed enthusiastically, his eyes darting in every direction.
"'Reality', huh? A lot of work, I guess," Himerosion muttered, ignoring the delighted Gelosion behind him.
Their carriage ventured further into the city, passing shops and people along the way. Their destination was the commoner's district, where the adventurer's guide was located.
"Himerosion-senpai, how are we even going to distribute his Divinity's mangas? It's 'all factors theorem and polynomial to me'. I mean, look at this place! It's not like we can just throw them at the 'TAXPAYERS' and expect everything to go according to plan," Gelosion shrieked in a high-pitched voice, annoying Himerosion.
"Don't speak loudly in my ear, you prick!" he retorted, attracting a few glances that quickly disappeared.
Gelosion stepped back a few meters with a sad face, though up close, it was clearly a mocking smile.
Exhaling deeply, Himerosion spoke as he surveyed the surrounding area.
"I've got a plan for that. Just follow my lead. And I've mentioned this before - no using an enormous amount of mana. That means no 'overkill-skills'. We're here for one purpose only, got it?"
Gelosion nodded obediently as he received a stern glare from Himerosion. One could suggest that the golden-haired man was threatening Gelosion, judging by the look in Himerosion's eyes, filled with indignation... and murder?
"Now," he began, turning his attention back to the road, "we're going to the adventurer's guild to sell this carriage and ground-dragon. We'll make it seem like we're planning to open a business in the city, but we'll act like amateurs so people won't take us seriously and will expect us to fail. This way, any suspicion that arises later won't lead back to us anytime soon. Our 'parallel consciences' have already begun their work, so stop worrying about that." ( In my knowledge. )
Gelosion nodded repeatedly, eyes closed, chin in hand, an expression of deep concentration on his face as he processed everything.
However, his expression quickly turned to shock.
"Wait! We're selling 'Lizardrose'?" he asked, sounding heartbroken.
" 'snor', yes. So stop being dramatic. It's not like we still have a use for him," Himerosion responded emotionlessly, not acknowledging the horrified look Gelosion was giving him.
"But, we... we've been adventuring buddies with him. It's like we've already committed to the 'jaw of death'. Are you seriously going to abandon him now, just because he's no longer useful to us?"
"What! What the hell are you talking about? We just traveled from Priestella to the Capitol, point A to point B, one direction, nothing more. So shut up!" he retorted angrily, as Gelosion pouted, a dejected expression on his face.
Meanwhile, the ground-dragon, who had been pulling the carriage this whole time, glanced at them quickly, its eyes seeming to say 'not that I want to stay with you guys anyway'.
/ Time Skip \
An hour passed and our two young protagonists finally reached the entrance of the adventurer's guide. The place was bustling with merchants and other individuals, each equipped with various types of gear.
The area was busy, filled with people discussing business and others arguing about... well, business. Carriages were stationed on the left side, showcasing a variety of impressive ground-dragons.
"Damn! This place is crowded, Himerosion," Gelosion muttered nervously, his expression turning to horror as he pondered something absurd.
"There might be homosexuals here! I'm not ready to lose my dignity yet. Let's forget about your plan and do it 'theusualwarden' way," Gelosion protested, clearly frightened.
His head swiveled as he surveyed the place, his hand clutching his body tightly, a gesture reminiscent of a woman confronted by a predator.
Himerosion deadpanned, gritting his teeth in frustration. Eventually, his expression calmed, and he sighed in defeat.
"First of all, there are no gays in this place. Hell, people in this world don't even know what 'gay' means. And second, keep your voice down. You're a 'Warden', so stop saying things that don't make sense. You fool!"
Blinking twice, Gelosion's eyes widened in realization.
"Oh, yes. How could I forget that fact? Thank you, thank you. My friend, your words have brought me salvation in my time of need. You truly are a 'boon companion' that I deeply appreciate. I don't know what would have happened without you on this mission. His Divinity was wise to choose you for this journey with me," Gelosion happily praised, conveniently ignoring the last part. He expressed his strong gratitude towards Himerosion, who frowned and scoffed as if he had swallowed a bug.
"Shut up! We're here now. Don't go around shouting nonsense. The last thing we want is to be expelled from here," Himerosion said in a less than friendly manner as he parked their carriage in a free slot.
Gelosion nodded, grinning from ear to ear, overly optimistic about their future actions. This optimism irritated Himerosion just thinking about it.
Following Himerosion, Gelosion jumped off the carriage, landing softly on the ground.
/ Time Skip \
After securing their carriage, the two made their way towards the adventurer's Guild, passing various individuals along the way.
Himerosion maintained a serious expression, looking as if he was in a state of urgency. Gelosion, on the other hand, was brimming with excitement, creating a stark contrast between the two enigmatic protagonists.
They continued walking towards the open door of the guild, attracting curious glances from the people around them.
Eventually, they entered the guild, where they were met with curious and suspicious looks. Some were judging the two with different motives, while others were scrutinizing them without any evidence.
Himerosion ignored the hostile looks, while Gelosion waved at them in a friendly manner. They walked towards the receptionist.
"Hello, ma'am. I would like to sell something to the guild. I'm not sure what it is, but a friend of mine told me to sell it at the adventurer's guild. Could you spare a moment?" Himerosion asked respectfully, catching the receptionist's interest.
Gelosion, on the other hand, looked around, mimicking the behavior of a first-time visitor to a bar.
"Oh, my pleasure, sir. Where's the item?" the woman asked softly, smiling at Himerosion. She reached for a document under the shelf, exuding an air of professionalism.
"Here, ma'am," Himerosion replied, retrieving something from beneath his pants. "I don't know if this thing even has any value, so we're just trying our luck with it."
The receptionist stared at the object Himerosion presented in absolute bewilderment. Her reaction was understandable, as the object Himerosion revealed was a stone-shaped diamond.
However, the object wasn't confirmed, so the lady composed herself and asked Himerosion, who had a naive look on his face, "Sir, may I know what this thing is...?"
"Oh, my friend said something about a 'diay-monid'. I don't know what that means. Sorry, we're from the countryside. This is our first time visiting the city," Himerosion explained nervously, with a naive smile.
Gelosion rolled his eyes at Himerosion's act but thankfully didn't voice his thoughts.
The receptionist stared at him intensely, trying to find any falsehood in his statement.
"Ahm, is there something wrong, ma'am?" Himerosion asked, noticing her intense gaze.
The receptionist coughed, averting her gaze from Himerosion's supposedly innocent look. However, her eyes flashed with greed as she composed herself and switched back to her professional mode.
"Sorry, sir. I'm just surprised by your honesty. A lot of people these days go to great lengths to hide any information about themselves. I hope you understand," she explained, winking at Himerosion in a seductive manner. Himerosion, who knew better, played along with it.
"Really? Well, that's a red flag, I guess. I'll try to do something about it," he said, blushing slightly.
The receptionist giggled playfully as she handed Himerosion a document, gesturing for him to sign the trade agreement to make the trade legitimate. Handing the supposed diamond to the guild was uncertain, judging by the lady's greedy expression that might be on par with or even higher than Anastasia's.
Gelosion snickered behind Himerosion, earning a small cough in return. After signing the document, the receptionist nodded in acknowledgment before pulling out a leather purse from beneath the rack.
"Fortunately, your luck might be excellent today, sir. That stone you traded is hard to find. Although it isn't 'worth' much, it's still tradable. Here are 5 silver coins," she said, handing him the coins.
Himerosion nodded in relief, smiling like someone who had found a coin on the street.
'Damn! No wonder Otto Suwen is scared of this place. It gives off the same vibes as Anastasia or Russell,' Himerosion thought, feeling sympathetic for the famously unlucky green cabbage.
( In the Picoutatte region, a 14-year-old boy unexpectedly sneezed for whatever reason. )
"Thank you, ma'am. I would also like to sell my carriage and ground-dragon. Is it possible to sell them here? I'm planning to stay here for about two to five years, so I won't be traveling much," Himerosion asked, catching the receptionist off guard.
The receptionist was stunned by Himerosion's words. The feeling of guilt lingered within her, which made her thoughts complicated. So, she asked in a worried tone,
"Sir, are you sure you want to sell them? It will cost you double if you try to buy them back. Carriages and ground-dragons are very expensive now," she said, ignoring Himerosion's confused expression as she continued.
"There's a new trade route from the Northwestern border. A lot of merchants are rapidly increasing their cargoes. There are rumors that Western nobilities from the Kararagin city-states are selling discounted goods. The rumors haven't been confirmed, but seeing the number of carriages coming from that direction, the rumors might be true."
Himerosion was slightly surprised by the woman's helpful advice. It seemed that first impressions of someone aren't always accurate, he thought.
Gelosion, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke, drawing attention to himself.
"Hime-senpai, you should take Miss 'NoBoobs' (English) advice. Trust me, it will be 'two ground-dragons with one Minya Crystal'..."
The receptionist was perplexed by Gelosion's nonsensical remarks, though she felt something was off about her, as if her dignity had been insulted by a different being.
Himerosion, on the other hand, grimaced. "No, we're selling the carriage and ground-dragon, and that's final," he said flatly, causing Gelosion's expression to turn dejected.
"'Cough' Sorry about that, ma'am. Now, about the carriage, it's really unnecessary for me to have something like that. Now that I'm here, I'm planning to open up a small shop, so I'm willing to sell it. I'm not sure if the amount I have will be enough, so I'm risking something expensive to get a return," Himerosion explained, word by word, to the attentive receptionist. He then turned his head slightly, gesturing to Gelosion behind him.
"And besides, I have another mouth to feed."
Gelosion looked hurt. He opened his mouth to argue back but was stopped by a single glare, so he just pouted with a grumpy face.
The receptionist nodded, understanding his points. "If that's what you wish, sir, then lead the way. Let's first check the quality of those two."
Himerosion smiled in response before turning to Gelosion.
"Move, Gelosion, and stop making that face. It's literally cringe and ugly," Himerosion growled, to which Gelosion huffed in a manner reminiscent of Beatrice.
The receptionist eyed the two, stupefied. The feeling of aversion between them, or maybe just from Himerosion, was obvious.
Perhaps the two had a deep connection, but she didn't need to know that because it was irrelevant to her.
But one thing was clear... Someone had been heavily deceived.
/ Time Skip \
As the receptionist lady meticulously inspected the duo's ground-dragon and carriage, she jotted down noteworthy observations and concerns on a board.
Meanwhile, Himerosion and Gelosion were whispering to each other behind the receptionist, trying to remain as quiet as possible.
"Hime-senpai, why did you use a silver rank 'Temptation Greed' on Ms. 'NoBoobs'? (English) Wouldn't a bronze rank have been enough?" Gelosion asked curiously, avoiding any eye contact with 'Lizardrose'.
Knowing he couldn't plead or protest regarding Lizardrose's fate, Gelosion gave up any futile attempts, aware that the outcome would remain the same.
So, 'Lizardrose's' fate was sealed. There was nothing more to be done, or else he would incur Himerosion's wrath.
"Her resistance is higher than I expected, which is understandable given her job," Himerosion explained thoughtfully, surprising Gelosion with his honest answer rather than the usual scowling reply.
"Is that so?" Gelosion mumbled quietly, staring at the receptionist's back.
Himerosion ignored Gelosion's change in demeanor as he waited for the receptionist to finish inspecting the so-called 'goods'.
Eventually, the receptionist completed her inspection, prompting Himerosion to sigh in relief and Gelosion to sink further into his depression.
"The carriage is in good condition, thankfully, and the ground-dragon is healthy without any scars. That's certainly impressive," the receptionist nodded approvingly.
She turned around, smiling warmly at the two.
"Let's go back to the guild to receive your payment."
Himerosion smiled appreciatively, nodding in agreement. Gelosion, however, looked greatly distressed, consumed by his grief for the fate of the lizard he had come to consider a companion.
/ Time Skip \
Once their business at the guide was settled, the duo stepped through the guild's main gate, passing by carriages and people as they made their way forward.
Himerosion scanned the commoner's district of Lugunica's capital, searching for an inn where they could stay.
"Hime-senpai, why do we even need an inn? Isn't it just a 'Living Hand to Great Rabbits Demonic mouth'? I say let's just start that plan of yours and be done with this 'donkey's year' task," Gelosion suggested seriously, devoid of his usual playful demeanor.
To say Himerosion was surprised at Gelosion's excellent query for once would be arguable, though sadly such instances were rare, much to Himerosion's dismay.
"I've thought about that, but we shouldn't rush it. We could use a 'Golden rank Store dimension' skill to take out His Majesty's 'mangas', but the amount of mana we would use would surely attract unwanted attention. We'll use the skill in 'bronze state', which will be slower but will increase our chances of staying hidden. So be it," Himerosion softly explained, continuing their search for an inn.
Gelosion raised a brow at that, making a complicated face. Himerosion noticed that and acknowledged it, saving face for Gelosion.
"Don't hesitate if you have something on your mind, though I hope it isn't something stupid, knowing you."
Gelosion just sighed tiredly, sharing what he found troublesome.
"Then how do we even give those 'taxpayers' His Divinity's holy 'mangas' if we're going to an inn? It's 'dwarf fly' if the inn manager doesn't notice the massive amount of 'mangas' we'll be taking out back and forth. Surely you jest?" Gelosion revealed what he found impenetrable or complex for his understanding.
Himerosion blinked in confusion at that question, then questioned Gelosion with his own.
"Is that the same thing you said in the carriage earlier?"
Not expecting that response, Gelosion just nodded, confused.
"In some similar definition of the word connection, yeah. Why do you ask?"
Himerosion frowned, knowing that Gelosion's personality switch was showing its traits once again. Well, that was definitely annoying and slightly apprehensive in some frame.
Or maybe it was literally an obvious sign...
"Sorry (not really), but could you tell me what your skills are again? I seem to have forgotten. And don't make it further dramatic, just know. I don't have time for irrelevant things concerning our current 'EXTREME URGENT Circumstances'," Himerosion said in a flimsy annoyance after seeing a glimpse of wannabe 'Regulus' mode in Gelosion's blue eyes.
That explained the last part of his sentence then.
Gelosion narrowed his eyes, pondering it seriously or maybe ridiculously, but eventually, to Himerosion's relief, the idiot nodded in understanding at that statement.
"Apologies accepted, but to say I'm not hurt would be 'losing someone's marbles'. Although, just like you said, it's really irrelevant to complain right now - (Himerosion grumbled sounds) - but fear not, my friend, I shall bestow the wisdom of my skills to you that sadly you don't hold knowledge of. Ymyes, all of these things I will say are not just 'by the skin of one's teeth', they are all legitimate and reasonable that even the lord of judgement would bow down to my truthful answers (Himerosion gritting his teeth). Though it's really doleful not to be able to explain all of my skills in a respectful manner, knowing we're on an urgent mission that His Divinity entrusted us with. is really ' hastely wasteful'. Oh, how helpless, how defenseless, how powerless, indeed, ohhh truly, truly very impotent for our circumstances. Even so, that's not questionable for we're His Divinity's loyal servants that he needed in services like right now. He truly thinks it 'chew the cud' as picking us to d-"
"Enough, say no more," Himerosion interrupted the wannabe 'Regulus' from continuing further with his useless, no... worthless things.
The tone was clearly overheard, showing how pissed or frustrated he was right now. Gelosion looked at him, wondering what the matter was, thinking something he said had upset or offended him.
He did say all of those things in a respectful way, didn't he?
He did explain it one by one to not cause any confusion, right?
He did show in his words the respect and seriousness by mentioning the 'Great Creator of Parallel Universes, His Majesty Authorosion II'
So why did Hime-senpai look so angry? Gelosion wondered, utterly confused.
The duo walked through the streets of Lugunica in search of an inn, their silence contrasting with the surrounding noise.
One was feeling incredibly fatigued from his situation, while the other was stupefied by his own ignorance.
To be continued. (Hopefully)
.
.
.
Re:Destiny: Unveiling a Grand Revelation Starting from Zero...
=======================================
Note 1: Please disregard the two characters, Himerosion and Gelosion. They aren't very 'important' here... (If possible, a dumb thing to say i know.)
Note 2: The geography of the Re:Zero universe is complex, so expect a lot of misleading or unofficial areas.
Note 3: The diamond-shaped stone that Himerosion traded is actually a fake diamond piece of jewelry that costs only three water of bottle
( Special Note: I know it's boring and slow but a little more patient would be appreciated, though kinda hypocritical think to say. But until then wait as the story unfold itself, ( :h ) ]
Prophecy Might be updated in February but I'm working my ass to development it faster so i can finally post it in January.
Keep your guard up or just follow me for more easily 'guidance' 😜 ( even though the stories Grammar sucks)
Goodbye. )
Loli_beatrice_II out.