Jasper and Barry sat opposite each other in the private room. Soon there was a knock on the door, and an attendant entered to take their orders. Barry quickly ordered some food and drinks for both of them.
"So, shall we split the profit fifty-fifty as we agreed?" Barry asked.
Jasper nodded as he took out the bracelet he had been keeping with him, the one that contained the gold. He was eager to see all the wealth inside it. A total of 250,000 gold—the number alone made his heart race just thinking about it.
"First, what are your plans for the future? Are you also going to join [Captain Font Handler]?" Barry asked enthusiastically. Just imagining that he would soon become part of Captain Font Handler filled him with joy.
Jasper didn't know how to respond. He had never even heard of most of these things, so he struggled to answer Barry's question.
The first thing he needed to do was find a safe place for his family, somewhere far away from the threat of the Bernardi family. Now that he had money, an idea formed in his mind—he would leave this country and travel somewhere far away, where he could live peacefully with his family.
Barry noticed Jasper sitting in silence, lost in thought. Suddenly his own thoughts began racing, and his expression shifted from calm to desperate excitement.
"Are you…" Barry's voice faltered. He leaned forward and whispered, "Are you planning to travel to [Pattas Region] to gain more Achievement Points?"
Barry had originally been satisfied with the Achievement Points he had earned. His goal had simply been to gather enough to join Captain Font Handler. But now, seeing Jasper's silent contemplation, a greedy thought crept into his mind—perhaps he could aim for something even greater, a more prestigious Handler.
Jasper was taken aback by Barry's strange whispering. Once again, he had never heard of the Pattas Region or anything Barry was talking about. He was already struggling to understand many of the things he had learned today.
Maintaining the image of a knowledgeable person was becoming increasingly difficult.
There were too many things he didn't know, and he feared revealing his ignorance and being taken advantage of. So he continued acting as if he understood everything.
"Actually, I'm planning to find 'Oenix Marrow.' First I need to find where that mushroom exists. That will be my next destination," Jasper said confidently.
Now that he had money, his next step—after securing a safe place for his mother and sister—was to find the medicine that could cure his mother's illness.
He couldn't delay any longer. He could clearly see her growing thinner day by day. If he waited much longer, she would end up bedridden, waiting for death.
"So you're planning to travel to Untain Rain Forest?" Barry asked, suddenly deep in thought.
Untain Rain Forest, Jasper repeated silently to himself.
Is that where the mushroom grows?
"Yes, I will be traveling to Untain Rain Forest," Jasper declared again confidently.
At that moment, there was another knock on the door.
Barry, still lost in his thoughts, snapped out of it and told them to enter. The same attendant returned carrying a tray filled with delicious food and two jugs of drink. After placing everything on the table and asking if they needed anything else, the attendant left the room.
Jasper stared at the food on the table.
It looked luxurious—far beyond anything he had ever seen or eaten before.
On one plate lay a pile of meat cut into small cube-shaped pieces. The outside had been seared on a hot skillet while the inside remained slightly red, with juices slowly dripping from the meat.
Jasper's mouth immediately began to water.
That feeling only intensified when his eyes moved to another plate where two long fish had been roasted to perfection. There were also vegetables and seasoned wild potatoes arranged neatly on the table.
Without waiting for Barry, Jasper grabbed a fork, stabbed one of the meat cubes, and popped it into his mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, it melted.
The rich flavor spread across his taste buds like something divine.
He quickly stabbed several more pieces and stuffed them into his mouth, savoring every bite.
Meanwhile, Barry hadn't touched the food yet.
He sat staring blankly at the table, deep in thought.
Thud!
The sound snapped him back to reality.
When he turned his head, he saw Jasper happily devouring the food while drinking beer.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
Without hesitation, he picked up one of the jugs and took several large gulps of beer.
"Let's go together," he said as he set the jug down.
Jasper, who was busy chewing, heard Barry say something and looked at him in confusion. He had been too focused on the food to hear properly.
"I'll go with you to Untain Rain Forest," Barry repeated, carefully watching Jasper's reaction.
For the first time since he began eating, Jasper stopped chewing and stared at him.
"What do you say? Do you want to team up with me again? Fifty-fifty on the profits," Barry suggested.
Jasper's mind went blank.
He had originally teamed up with Barry because of his ignorance. Yet somehow, together they had captured the legendary fish and earned more gold than Jasper had ever imagined in his life.
Now he was sitting in a private room, eating luxurious food.
If someone had told him yesterday that this would happen, he would have laughed.
Yet everything had changed in a single day.
But from now on, he needed to find a safe place for his family and travel through unfamiliar lands in search of the magic mushroom.
When he thought about traveling alone, he suddenly remembered the terrifying moment when he nearly drowned in the lake.
If he traveled alone, he would face many similar dangers.
But traveling with this chubby man—who seemed to know many things about the world—could be beneficial. And judging from the old man's reaction when Barry mentioned his family name, Jasper guessed Barry must come from a wealthy and influential family.
That would make traveling much easier.
"I'm fine with teaming up," Jasper said slowly. "But I have one condition."
Barry's face immediately brightened.
"No problem. Name your condition."
"I won't share the Oenix Marrow with you. I will take all of it for myself. If you're okay with that, then we can team up."
Jasper had no problem sharing profits. But the magical mushroom that could cure his mother was something he would never share with anyone.
"I have no issue with that. I agree," Barry said quickly.
He immediately extended his hand.
Jasper put down his fork and shook Barry's hand.
And just like that, their partnership was formed.