Hatsuzumi
Temple of the Gates
Tomoe was waiting at the backside of the temple. Her date should be here any minute now. He would pick her up at ten, but she had come to wait five minutes early, a habit of military life.
It appeared he shared a similar habit, because he arrived right as she passed through the gate.
"You are early," she said.
Thairon tilted his head down. "Good morning to you too, and better than late."
"Good morning, and true."
"Where are we going for ice cream?" Either it was an obscure place no one even knew, or a really famous one.
"A small, out-of-the-way village I know. It's on the skirts of Mount Kiran," he said.
Tomoe chuckled. Traveling to the other side of the continent for ice cream did not seem so ridiculous with a teleporter. "Isn't it cold there?"
"You'll be fine," he said, handing her the bracelet. She did have a black coat on, and the village was rather warm.
—
Mount Kiran
Volmer Village
Tomoe shivered instinctively. The mountain was covered in snow, yet the village was covered in green vegetation. The atmosphere was warm and pleasant, more fitting for a seaside village than the base of a mountain covered in snow.
"Your work?" she asked. She couldn't think of any other explanation. In fact, now that she thought about it, there was a documentary about it.
"Just an atmospheric regulator to keep the village warm and cozy. Long story short, I found this place by accident. It is a part of the republic but mostly cut off due to how remote it is."
He was chasing an anomalous energy signature caught on his satellite network. Whatever it was, had dissipated before he could find it. The village was close to his location, and he took a small break there.
The villagers were surprised to see a visitor. It did not stop them from being extremely hospitable. Life was harsh, but they were resourceful individuals. The ice cream was treated as a remedy. Made from goat milk and several root plants, it combined rich creaminess with a smooth and chewy texture.
He had visited the village several times since then. In the end, he had invested in the settlement, setting up a power plant, an atmospheric regulator, and more. It had turned into a little slice of heaven with the breathtaking view of the mountain.
Fruit trees, new livestock, and the promise to sell their produce as payment. Hospitable as they were, the villagers would not accept everything he offered without giving something in return.
It was a fruitful transaction.
"Seems you can invest millions into a village over ice cream when you are rich enough," she said dryly.
"Money is a tool that was no longer useful to me for much of my life."
"True. Anyone intelligent enough to create a teleportation machine would not have much use for money." She most certainly wouldn't.
A man with the thickest mustache she had ever seen approached. He treated Thairon like a foreigner at first, which confused her. Once her date introduced himself, everything changed.
Once the situation was cleared, the man's demeanor changed. He hugged Thairon like one would greet a son. Her date patted the man on the back. More people crowded him, asking questions or just welcoming him to the village.
"I almost didn't recognize you. Welcome again, and I see you brought a lady with you." The creases around the man's eyes stretched with his wide smile.
She bowed shallow enough to keep eye contact. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Hah, so respectful," he said with a booming voice.
"We are here for some ice cream," Thairon said. If he didn't get to the point, Osman would hold him up with a conversation forever.
"Come in, come in, we'll get you two the freshest batch we have."
"They really love you."
"They are good people."
The ice cream was delicious, though not worth the time it would take to travel without teleportation. Enjoying the cold dessert in the warmth of summer at the base of a mountain covered in snow was certainly a treat.
"By the way, my mother thanks you for that ridiculous amount you gave to charity, but don't do that again. You know, too much scrutiny over possible money laundering," she said, breaking the comfortable silence over the view.
He snorted. "Anyone who believes giving thirty billion aurels to charity is a scheme for money laundering is a fool."
She raised her spoon. "Never said it wasn't."
"Any idea when your next break is?" he asked. She had agreed to meet up for the rest of her vacation. The EIC always had to be ready for possible ruptures. There was no early warning system, leaving the corps to be a reactionary force.
It made regular breaks difficult.
She put down the empty cup, reaching for the hot tea. "Already planning to ask me out again, huh?"
"Possibly," he said.
"Not before three months, but most likely four months later," she explained. The individuals in groups that would leave for vacations were chosen at random. She was lucky this rotation, having been in one of the first groups.
"You said you had brothers."
"Two of them, Skyler and Kael." He told her about his brothers, Skyler's attempts to make the world a better place, and Kael's love for pranks that he had to grow out of.
"Do they have, you know, powers like you?" she asked. He seemed to love his brothers. Would it mean more superpowered individuals on the planet?
"Not yet."
"And you have a sister, right?" He did not know her name but had learned enough about the high priestess to know she had two daughters.
"Yes," her head dropped, "though, once I attended the academy, we drifted apart. I still try to catch up whenever I have the chance, but we are both busy with life."
There was another moment of silence. Both absorbed what they had learned, waiting.
"What now?" she asked. The ice cream and the tea were excellent. It would be a shame if it ended here.
"Any place you wanted to visit but didn't have the time for?" he asked. It was a bit past noon in Volmer; they still had plenty of time.
"Letting me choose? A true gentleman," she teased.
He rolled his shoulders. "Honestly, this is the first time I am going out with someone. Unless you want something classic like a cinema or an amusement park, I thought we could make use of the teleporter."
Skyler and Kael, but mostly Kael, had tried to set up blind dates. He had not gone to any, and they dropped the matter eventually.
"Your first time dating? You are kidding, right?" She found it hard to believe he had not been snatched yet, much less gone on a date before. He was tall, handsome, intelligent, and dare she say, buffier than he was yesterday.
"I didn't always look like this, nor did I socialize much," he said. The females in his circle tended to be too politically minded for him to consider any interactions.
That explained the treatment of the villagers. "My first time out on a date too, actually." She did receive offers but just never had the time for them.
"I know," she raised her head, standing straight, "the balloon tours over the Solmara ruins." As the ruined capital of the empire was on the lands of the kingdom, she could not visit due to lack of time and military regulations. Part of the EIC or not, she could not travel outside the union unless on business.
"It's nighttime there. Are you up for breaking a few laws?" he asked. The night tours had been cancelled a few years back due to security reasons.
"Inviting me to commit a crime in the kingdom?" she grinned like a mean cat. "Why, of course I am."
—
Solmara Ruins
"Should we worry about cameras?" she asked, lockpicking the gate.
"No, I have that covered. Where did you learn how to lockpick?"
"Our lockers are old. Sometimes the key doesn't work, and you have to get creative."
He checked the area. The balloons were separated into parts, and the baskets, burners, tanks, and the nylon part were kept in storage.
"You get the propane tanks; I'll handle the basket and the nylon." The tanks were kept in a separate, ventilated storage shed for security. Everything else was in the same building.
"Any idea where they are?"
"Here," he said, ordering Nax to teleport a visor in his hand. She took the light-orange-colored device, putting it on.
The screen came to life, showing her the path with arrows, just like in a video game.
"That's very convenient," she muttered, leaving to get the tanks.
The storage door for the nylon envelopes had a simple lock. He didn't know how to pick it open, unlike his companion, but jamming the keyhole with nanobots did the job. The cameras were already hacked, leaving him to move with impunity.
He picked an envelope for a small-sized balloon. Even then, it was heavy, around a hundred kilos. The basket was a bit heavier, especially with the burner, but nothing he couldn't carry out.
—
Tomoe picked the door into propane tank storage. The inside was colder than the outside. Given the smallest accident could cause a devastating explosion, the organization was taking safety seriously.
"Why is that damn door open? Did the maintenance guys forget to lock it again?" A voice muttered from the door. Cursing her luck, she looked for a place to hide. The top of the racks was empty. Making her way up with a ladder, she lay down, waiting.
"I don't know. Let's just check inside and go."
She closed her eyes, listening for the footsteps. The muttering guards went past her, did their rounds, and left. She climbed down, checking the door. The guards had locked it up, and this side did not have a keyhole.
Tomoe huffed, checking for an alternative exit. Securing the tanks in her bag, she climbed up to the top of the rack. There was a maintenance hatch leading to the roof. It did not have a lock, just a simple lever. She forced it down, climbing up the open hatch.
Opening the entrance hatch, she surveyed the roof for a way down.
"What are you doing up there?" Her date's face popped up in the visor, startling her.
"Guards locked the door. I am looking for a way down," she said. She held on to the ledge, letting herself slide down before jumping to the wall of the main storage building and back.
"You could have just teleported out," he commented as she landed on the ground.
She leaped to her feet, dusting her hands. "I could have, but it wouldn't have been fun."
"Fair. I triggered a security alarm on the other side of the facility. It'll give us enough time to inflate the balloon and take off," he said.
"Never thought I'd be committing a crime on my first date."
His fingers combed through his hair. "As long as there aren't any damages, it will be fine."
"You are really strong, aren't you?" Those parts needed transport carts to carry. She didn't see one anywhere.
"Imagine that, I have a better physique than you without working a single day for it," he grinned, gesturing at her with his finger moving up and down.
Military PT had given her a toned body. A necessary part of being in the middle of often lethal battles. And it had taken him days to attain a superhuman body.
"Don't say that in a gym," she winked. "They'll lynch you." She knew more than one colleague who was obsessed with physical training.
"I do have a private one in my lab," he muttered, without even knowing why.
"You work out then?" She was sure now. He was buffier than yesterday. Whatever science it was, she wanted a piece as well.
"Not really. It's for my brothers whenever they visit."
"Now I wonder what your lab is like."
He winked. "It'll blow your mind."
The cold inflation took fifteen minutes. The guards were investigating why the security alarm was triggered. By the time they saw a balloon take off, it was too late.
Once in the air, he snapped his fingers. The light system for the night tours was still in place. All he had to do was to hack the digital controls.
"Now this is a great view," she said. The capital of the Virex Empire had been ruined during the Great Betrayal. Its citizens, depending on who they chose to follow, had abandoned it. These days, it was just another tourist spot in the Kelmar Kingdom.
Ruins they might be, but Emperor Noah had the city constructed to last for centuries. The districts that surrounded the palace were in good condition. The palace itself had suffered the greatest damage. Its large dome had come crashing down due to the explosions. The interior had been scorched by the flames. Its gardens had regrown, overtaking the entire building.
"Attention intruders, please come down for your safety. It is dangerous up there," a crackling sound called from below.
The security had finally realized there was an unauthorized balloon.
Thairon threw a device to the ground. A flimsy, transparent screen covered the basket, creating screens that blocked the view from the other side.
"What does that do?" she asked, touching the field. Her finger went through, and the knuckle was slightly distorted.
"Reflects light to keep us invisible to them. No need for our faces to be plastered on tomorrow's news," he explained. It was something he had created to ambush the black market dealer selling the component from the Glaive to the Hanzimens.
"Ever considered unifying the continent again? With this kind of tech, it would be easy for you," she said, leaning on the edge of the basket.
The guards were still trying to get them down.
He snorted. "I would never willingly take a position that requires me to rule anywhere, much less the whole world."
At most, he'd install democracy and call it a day.
"Not a fan of politics then."
"Yes. I would most likely go off the rails and kill the first person that got on my nerves over something inconsequential."
"So," she said, dragging the vowel out, "most of the nobility?"
He chortled. "Yes." Out of the thirty-eight nobles in the kingdom, he knew only two that were just humans. He put the rest into categories.
The fools, the arrogant bastards, the cunning bastards, and the arrogant bastards who thought themselves cunning.
She nudged him with her elbow. "Take it from me, you won't find many people crying over them."
He landed the balloon on the far end of the city. Leaving behind a sizable amount of aurels as an apology, he teleported out with his date for lunch.