The age did not match. However, he could still pull up the usage of expensive magical artifacts as an excuse.
The personality also did not match. However, he could reason that it was because playable Mikaela had not experienced something to make her mature and responsible.
Mikaela Hanover suddenly appearing in the abyss though... If their current location was really the abyss... That just did not make sense to Alexei.
Playable Mikaela had no whatsoever record of being involved with the abyss or having gone to the abyss prior to the start of the first arc.
Molenven, the capital of the Nation of the Wind, was like a beginner's village. There Mikaela acted as the head there. Actually, she was merely the Vice Head of the Knights, but since nobody else with a higher position appeared, the players just simply thought that she was the highest authority there, someone like the beginner's village's village head.
In any case, she was somebody who never showed up outside Ventus.
He remembered that a portal to the abyss was indeed found northwest of Ventus, but the discoverer who was a member of the adventurer's guild did not report the matter to the authorities so Mikaela should not be aware of it.
Was lore something that he could not even count on too?
Alexei felt so suffocated. It did not help that the abyss had a weird environment where the sun never rises, and the air and water were dark and polluted. There were also weird echoes ringing directly in their eardrums the closer they get to the sky-high tower.
"They said the tower is the center of the whole abyssal world. It is where the land was most corrupted. However, it is also where hopes of reaching a world with a bright sky lie."
Alexei acted like he did not understand these words as he parroted the words he heard from a local to Mikaela.
He observed the expression of this future Knight Vice Headmaster and saw that she was simply looking curiously at the walls in front.
Several human settlements had been formed outside the Tower, surrounding it in all directions.
The one they found was the west town called Junius. Yet while it was called a town, no proper government could be found there. Various facilities and essential buildings were missing. The place was run by several guilds whose members were from various races.
The atmosphere blanketing the town was heavy and bleak. It reminded him of the Dark Palace.
"The people of this world are very pitiful." She softly murmured.
Alexei did not reply. A slave had no right to comment on other people's lives unless asked by their masters. In his case, he could not voice it out if he wanted to follow this setup.
However, he thought in his heart, 'Yes. they really are.'
'Food is scarce. Light sources are scarce. The strong prey on the weak.'
'The majority lived poor lives devoid of ambition and hope. This is really a terrible environment. No wonder those from Mavria called the abyss the land where gods' gazes don't fall.'
'I won't be surprised if people here go crazy every day. Just like how the minds of kids in the Dark Palace break every single day.'
Instead of passing the night inside the town, Mikaela found them a rather good camping site outside the walls of the town. She obviously did not know the place, so she also did not trust the people living there. Alexei understood her thoughts since not many would come to like the atmosphere in Junius Town.
The time he spent inside the settlement was short, but he had seen enough to determine what kind of place it was. Most humans were being treated like slaves. Some were even arranged as fodders to monsters and mounts.
The decent, livable spaces were not large and were mostly near the center of the town. The rest of the town was beyond smelly and chaotic and more like dumpsites and slums. People dying of hunger, cold, and various other reasons were as common as the clouds.
When Alexei looked up, he saw that the sky was still full of stars. In the abyss, nighttime was eternal. However, the stars were not always visible.
Days graced by stars were considered blessed. The folks here believed that the stars help to combat the Tower's corruption on top of providing much-needed natural illumination. When the stars could not be seen, the weak would wallow in fear and despair.
But even when the stars were up, he heard that not all places in the abyss could see their light. There were regions shrouded perpetually by clouds and thunderstorms. The area surrounding the Tower happened to be where the glistening celestial bodies above could shine brightly. As a result, people risked dwelling in the surrounding towns despite the harsh living conditions.
The woman asked, "So when is the next opening day for the first floor?"
This was another thing that did not match Mikaela Hanover's settings. She was not supposed to climb the Abyssal Tower. Amongst the playable characters, only he, Alexei, was supposed to do that.
Despite his confusion, he opened his mouth.
"Savior, we came at the right time. They said the first floor only accepts new challengers every month. They count the days with the help of the Tower's shadow. Tomorrow would be the next opening."
To Mikaela, his role was to act as a subservient servant.
She nodded. "Are there rules to take note of?"
"Yes. Even though the Tower stipulates that everyone can be a challenger regardless of race and place of origin, not all can enter since the guilds would issue fixed quotas."
"So if somebody wants to enter, they need to report to the town's controlling guild," she said mirthlessly.
He shook his head. "Savior, I'm afraid it's not just that."
"I see."
Having ordered him to cook a simple meal using the ingredients procured from the wild, she left the makeshift camp. The latter did not disclose where she planned to go, but he could only make random guesses in his mind. 'She probably wants to confirm something from those guild people.'
Alexei was not worried that some tramps from the town would accidentally barge in since the woman had left a protective barrier. He was sure the place was currently hidden from others' eyes. Maybe Gift owners and people who cleared some floors of the Tower could see it, but those people had no reason to go outside the central regions of every town.
As he busied himself to work, Alexei muttered to himself, "Being a weakling is really tough."
Hours passed and his boss came back with some sort of gross-looking black rabbit-like animals hunted from god-knows-where. After leaving the game to Alexei for processing, the woman took her rest inside the makeshift tent then meditated. A few minutes later, Alexei called her out to inform her that he was done cooking, then the two ate their dinner before heading to sleep.
Alexei had his experiences in the Dark Palace to thank for making him adapt to sleeping outdoors without a blanket or any source of warmth. When he woke up, his Boss had already packed up.
"Savior, good morning," he could only greet her awkwardly.
"I'm giving you 2 minutes to freshen up. After that, we will set out. We would have to enter the town if we want access to the Tower."
Although he wanted to clarify whether he would have to enter alongside her, he chose to rein in his anxiety and confusion. "I understand. According to the guild's guard, challengers could only reach the entrance of the Tower by passing through the tightly guarded gate in the central region of the town."
Mikaela responded to his words with a simple nod.
An hour passed. Carrying the huge backpack, Alexei followed Mikaela who entered the town to join the large number of residents heading towards the central region.
Just when he thought she would not speak to him until they reach the central gate, she suddenly glanced at him.
"The previous day, you told me that your previous master did not give you a name."
"Yes."
"You see. You're not my slave but I think it's inappropriate to call you Hey."
He was taken aback for a while before he smilingly said, "Has Savior thought of something to call me with?"
"Let's go with something simple. From now on, your name is Al."
Alexei slowly widened his eyes. Then he held back the chuckle that nearly escaped from his mouth. If he was not sure that Mikaela Hanover did not know him, he would have thought that the girl was teasing him. Al. If he remembered correctly, the original Alexei's father made that his nickname. This was really making him strangely nostalgic for a memory that did not belong to him.
"Yes, Savior." He smiled.
"Al, stop calling me that."
"Yes, milady."
Mikaela seemed to love to raise a brow at things she disliked. However, in the end, she did not say anything more.
This made Alexei cheer inwardly since he interpreted it as this strong future Knight leader not rejecting his presence.
'Ooops.' In that brief moment, he did not manage to contain his glee so the woman saw it. Fortunately, it seemed like she did not mind.
She only said while throwing him meaningful glances, "Hide your Gift well."
Alexei instantly felt his heart skip a beat.