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Chapter 76 - Boss
🕑 Added 2024-10-17 21:06:23 +0000 UTCJohn woke up early the next morning, feeling much better than the day before. He was still feeling the emotions, but now he was ready to tackle the problem head-on.
‘... But how do I do that? I could go back to Earth to see if the guiding point has changed directions, but I don’t think I’ve done what I came here to do yet… Do I just look around? I need to talk to Serah’s parents as well…’
“Here you go, dear! A good, healthy breakfast!” his mother said, walking over with a plate of heated sausages, bread, a cooked egg, and a big glass of milk.
John smiled, having missed this kind of breakfast. Or any type of food his mother made, for that matter. “Thanks, Mom. I think I’ll head over to the Dunsby’s today, tell them what happened…”
“... Well, better to get it over with, I suppose. You might also want to talk to your trainer; he’s been staying in the village for a while.”
“Boss is here?!” John asked, surprised. He hadn’t expected his trainer to have come here for his sake. John respected him greatly, but the man had never shown much care for his disciples. Even when he won the royal tournament as the youngest fighter ever, all he received was a ‘good job, kid.’
“Yeah, he’s staying at the old tavern, bothering poor Hilda with his presence. Young Peter and Frank are trying to impress him, wanting him to teach them, but I think they’re just dreaming after you won the tournament.”
Hearing how the world was moving on even without him felt strange. But it made sense, of course. There were still over two hundred candidates inside the simulation, all incentivized to get stronger.
“I think they’re wasting their time, but chasing dreams isn’t too bad of a pastime. I’ll go see him first, then,” John said, mouth half full of sausage. “This is delicious, by the way. I really missed your cooking in the wilderness.”
His mother chuckled, folding her arms and puffing her chest proudly. “I knew I had to make something good after hearing about the alien stuff you’ve been eating. Also, you should balance it way more! Only meat can cause problems in the long run.”
“I couldn’t exactly add potato or vegetables to the food. Even the stuff that looked like fruit could have been poisonous.”
“Well, that’s true. But now you don’t need to eat anymore?”
“Nope, essence handles the energy and nutrition somehow. It might be that my body simply doesn’t need certain things anymore. It’s very interesting.”
“Sure, but who would stop eating just because they could?! Food is so delicious!”
John laughed, putting another sausage in his mouth after drinking from the glass of milk. “Very true! At least with a good chef nearby. My body still needs nutrition here, so it’s good that you’re here.”
“And I always will be, ready to welcome you home.”
They shared a look filled with love. John finished his meal, did a big stretch, and walked toward the house's entrance. “Anything else I should know before heading outside?”
His mother thought about it, putting a finger on her chin. “Hmm, you’ll probably be asked how you’re doing and stuff. Everyone knows about your condition already, but just reply however you want.”
“Got it! I’ll head out, then.”
“Good luck, dear!”
He opened the door, feeling the fresh autumn breeze invigorate his spirits, and left the house.
The village wasn’t densely populated, with houses often being more than fifty meters from each other, but the central hub was different. The tavern was a local gathering spot where travelers frequently stayed the night.
Next to it was the bakery, the blacksmith, the tannery, and the market square. And the familiar schoolhouse, of course, where John and Serah learned all about math and physics.
John had been told that their education was changed to suit modern knowledge more, to help the transition to Earth become less complicated.
“John! You doing alright?” the blacksmith asked as he walked by. He was an older man with an impressive amount of muscle and a long dark beard slowly turning grey.
“I’m doing alright, Klaus! The sickness is taking more of a toll on Mom, I think. I just sleep, so I don’t notice much of it.” That was obviously a huge lie, but he couldn’t say anything else.
Klaus nodded slowly, staring intently at John. “That’s good, a good way to think about it... I’ve been talking to your teacher at the tavern lately!”
“Oh yeah? Nice guy?” John asked, smirking.
Klaus chuckled, making his beard shake. “Hahah, no! But I can believe he taught you how to become a champion. He’s got a certain sharpness to him.”
“That sounds like him. I’m actually heading over to see him, so I’ll see you later!” John said, waving as he walked off.
Klaus waved back before going back to his work with a smile.
John spotted the tavern after rounding the corner and saw a bit of a commotion in front of it. Two young kids were fighting with sticks while several people were watching and cheering them on.
‘So that’s where all the people are… Peter and Frank are fighting for Boss’s attention, I guess?’
The duel was amateurish, but it had spirit. Wide swings and nervous dodges aplenty. And not an ounce of talent, which was probably why Boss hadn’t taken either of them in.
“Who’s winning?” John asked, announcing his presence.
The crowd turned, surprised to see him.
“John! How are you?” one said, and another, “Hey, there’s our champ!” and then, “John! Please teach me how to fight!” all at him at the same time. They were excited to see him, making room for him in the center.
He was pretty used to being the center of attention, especially during his dueling days, so he wasn’t too bothered by it. “Hey, everyone! I’m doing good. No, I won’t teach you how to fight, Frank. Join the military if you want to train, and then maybe you can get a chance at dueling.”
Both kids looked disappointed, but they didn’t refute him. They knew he was right.
“I’m here to see Boss, is he inside?”
The kids were the first to answer. “Yeah.” “He’s sitting by the corner as usual.”
John thanked them and headed inside, leaving the crowd to their own devices. He would have liked to spend some more time talking to everyone, but there was a certain urge to hurry along. He didn’t feel comfortable with feeling comfortable.
Walking inside to see the familiar old tavern, he looked around, noticing the lack of people. Everyone was probably outside already, watching the fight. Except for one person sitting in the corner.
“Boss!” John greeted, waving his hand.
The man simply looked at him and waved him closer, not changing his expression at all. A large cup of wine was on the table, already half empty.
John sat on the opposite side of him, feeling a bit nervous. He was happy that he had come to see him, but also surprised. Perhaps there were more emotions in that old heart than he liked to show.
“So you finally came back, kid. How was the other side?”
John was shocked, staring at him with wide eyes. He went through the words in his head, looking for a meaning other than the obvious one. “... You know about…?”
Boss nodded before taking another sip of his cup. “I’m in here to train candidates, you see. I don’t have a body on the outside, but I was… created, by taking the knowledge of someone skilled in combat. So I have memories of two lives.”
John quietly checked the tavern for people who might be listening, scared of having the secret revealed. Vera had said it could cause mass panic, and he didn’t doubt that for a second.
“... Then… So, the other guys are candidates? Your students?”
“Not all of them. I need someone you can duel with to train you properly, you know. But two of the others are like you. And there are others like me, who were created by taking memories from real people.”
“You’re still real,” John said firmly, leaning forward. He didn’t even entertain the idea that this world was all fake. Even if it was artificial, the people still act and talk like humans. Even their emotions are human, so how can they not be?
Boss smiled slightly, which meant he was very happy. “I like to think so as well. And my job is still important to the outside, so I guess I’m satisfied. How are things there?”
John still struggled to accept the sudden revelation, but it made sense that they had created someone to train candidates. “Uhm, they’re… not great. But my contribution might have saved us from disaster, so there’s that.”
“Oh, still the same old, then. Well, I have faith that we will get through it eventually.” He took another sip from the wine, looking thoughtful. “You might have met the person from whom my memories are taken. Can you guess who?”
“... Hmm. I didn’t meet too many people. There is one who fits the description, though. He doesn’t look much like you, but his mannerisms are similar…”
‘’Right, he also called me kid.’
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