As the morning sun bathed the landscape in a golden glow, Rei woke up, the warmth a stark contrast to the lingering chill of the night. He ate a simple breakfast prepared by the kind villagers, then began gathering his belongings, carefully placing them into the Midgard.
"Too bad Lyla hasn't come yet," Kaiser remarked, watching Rei.
Rei, securing the last of his supplies, replied, "Don't worry. I guess we all weren't just meant to meet here." With the Midgard prepared, Rei handed Lyla's scepter to Kaiser. "Give it to her," he instructed, "also tell all my adventures to her, okay?"
"Can't you stay for a little more time?" Kaiser asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"Sorry," Rei said, a genuine regret in his tone. "If I could, believe me, I would have." Rei climbed into the Midgard's driving seat and moved the main gear with a surge of his sorcery whirlwind spell. The Midgard rumbled to life, slowly beginning to move. Rei steered it towards the distant gate, with Kaiser walking alongside for a short while. "Good luck for whatever tower you will face," Rei said, a final farewell. Kaiser chuckled and stopped, watching as the Midgard slowly receded towards the gate.
Just as Rei's vehicle neared the gate, three figures emerged from it: Adriel, Sentry, and Hella. Rei gave them only a brief glance before speeding up the Midgard, disappearing through the gate.
Kaiser walked towards Adriel, Sentry, and Hella. "Hey, you all, what are you doing here?" he asked. Sentry and Hella were still looking back in the direction where the Midgard had vanished.
Adriel, ever direct, spoke first. "We came under the orders of the First Elder. First, to make you come with us. Second, to give you this letter." He handed Kaiser an envelope. Kaiser saw it was addressed to Rei.
"Okay, well, I'll post this letter, but its holder is the one who just went from here. His name is—" Kaiser started, but he was interrupted.
Sentry and Hella, in unison, their voices filled with astonishment and confusion, blurted out, "Rei!"
Kaiser was puzzled. "How do you know his name? I never said it to you."
Hella furrowed her brow. "I don't know, it just feels like I know that guy from somewhere, though I can't put my finger on it."
"It's like I know him from a past life," Sentry added, his voice soft with wonder.
"Yeah, that feeling," Hella agreed.
Kaiser chuckled. "Well, it can sure happen if it's that guy."
On the other side of the gate, Rei traveled through the dense woods. After some time, he finally emerged onto open plains. Rei pulled out a map. "Okay, now let's look for Geno Town," he muttered to himself. After scanning the map, Rei realized that at his current speed, it would take him four days to reach Geno Town. He sped up the Midgard, pushing it to its limits. Soon, a town came into view. He skirted the borders of the town and headed towards a nearby forest.
As afternoon fell, he saw another town and decided to enter it to eat and stock up on rations. As he drove into the town, he immediately saw a house engulfed in flames, and a man stood nearby, utterly consumed by despair. No one in the town was helping him. Rei stopped his Midgard, his expression unreadable. He then unleashed a powerful waterfall spell to extinguish the fire. A huge torrent of water cascaded onto the burning building, instantly dousing the flames. As the smoke cleared, Rei could faintly make out the outlines of two figures within the charred remains: a woman and a little girl.
The man, his eyes hollow and lifeless, crawled towards the scorched bodies of the woman and child. He tearfully hugged the dead corpses, his body shaking with grief. Rei walked over, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke, his voice surprisingly apathetic. "You should bury them."
The man looked up, despair etched on his face. "Burying? Do the rituals of the religion that killed them? I don't think so."
"You have to do something so that they can rest," Rei insisted, his tone unwavering. "If the religion killed them, then I will help you take revenge. But they need to rest." The man finally nodded, a flicker of resolve appearing in his dead eyes. "You are right."
After the burial, which took five to six hours, Rei went with the man to a restaurant to eat something. The man, consumed by grief, couldn't eat, but Rei calmly ate a meal meant for martial. "So, what's your name?" Rei asked.
"Eric," the man replied, his voice hoarse.
"So, Eric," Rei continued, "which religion killed your family and why?"
Eric's eyes welled up slightly, but he forced the tears back. "My wife and daughter had the demonic attribute of magic in them," he began, his voice trembling. "I said that they would be fine in a city where no churches are present. But a Paladin who was just passing through this city sensed my wife and daughter's attribute and..." Eric couldn't continue, biting back the sobs that threatened to escape.
"So, Eric, what are your plans for the future?" Rei asked, his voice still detached. "Are you going to find a new life?"
Eric's eyes hardened, a dark glint appearing within them. "No," he said, his voice laced with venom. "I want revenge."
"Revenge?" Rei mused, taking a sip of water. "That would be tough, considering there's no organization that will be willing to go against the Mystic Church. However, I have some options."
Eric, his eyes now desperate, leaned forward. "What options?"
Rei put down his cup. "Either you make your own organization to fight the Mystic Church, or you join an existing organization to fight. And I just happen to know which organization you can join."
"Really?" Eric pleaded. "Please tell me which organization?"
"Revolutionaries," Rei revealed. "They are a hidden organization who are really looking for a spy in the Mystic Church. I have heard that the Mystic Church is planning to kill their leader, so they want some information about them so they could strike first."
"How do you know about it?" Eric asked, his suspicion momentarily cutting through his grief.
"I once worked as a janitor there, but then I quit," Rei explained, his story smooth and convincing. "But I heard there that they badly needed a spy, no matter how good or bad he must be."
"I am willing to work with them," Eric declared, his eyes burning with renewed purpose.
Rei smiled inwardly. Everything had gone just as he planned. He had used the word "revenge" when Eric was in utter despair to inspire him. Then, he had suggested finding a "new life," knowing Eric's head was already filled with thoughts of vengeance, just to make himself seem caring, creating a false sense of security. Finally, he had made it seem like the Revolutionaries were Eric's only viable option, subtly pushing him towards joining them and becoming a spy. Everything had unfolded precisely as he intended, and Eric, blinded by the thirst for revenge, hadn't even recognized the manipulation.