Chapter 22- Bizarre Details
"..." Asher halted in his place when he heard that question and turned around to look at Rain with squinted eyes.
"What led you to think that?" He asked.
"So I was right. Well, it was a wild guess. Considering the fact that you are crossing this much distance, your purpose is either to work or to meet someone. But, you don't seem like you need money so I was only left with one possibility." Rain shrugged.
"... Yeah, I'm looking for someone." Asher sighed as he gave up trying to hide this matter. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway to try and actively hide from people.
'She's as smart as the novel portrays her to be. Well, it's still pretty cool… If that analytical talent wasn't directed at me.'
"Well, how about this? I have a matter I need to attend to during this trip that may or may not require the help of a third party. But, I don't take risks and you seem to be capable enough to help."
"A matter?" Asher asked as he tried to recall anything related to this from the book. But, his memory wasn't precise enough to remember such a detail.
"Yes, a certain matter. It's my main reason for coming to the northern star settlement. If you help me out, I can help you find whoever this person that you want to meet is."
"..."
It would be a lie to say that Asher wasn't slightly delighted that Rain asked for his help. It was one of his dreams come true to work side by side with a fictional character he admired. However, he didn't bask in that feeling for long as he noticed the deep flaws of this offer.
First of all, Rain didn't explain what kind of 'matter' she wanted to attend to. It could be a very dangerous thing for all Asher cared and he wasn't keen on the idea of risking his life doing something that won't benefit him directly. Second of all, the return he will get from doing this isn't that important.
"I don't think this is a fair deal," Asher said.
"Hm?"
"I have to first know what you want my help in before I can decide and also, I already have the exact location of the person I want to meet. Your help is pointless."
Rain was quite taken aback by Asher's response but since her face was covered by the hood, the boy couldn't see her face. She never expected Asher to be this attentive. However, she wasn't someone who gave up on the first try.
"Well, I can also show you the locations of the best blacksmiths, mana crafters, weapon sellers, and all kinds of other places there. Besides, the thing I want to do is to find a chemical substance in a destroyed lab. It's not dangerous by any means but in case something happened, two people are better than one. You won't lose anything from this."
'Chemical substance? I mean, I know that Rain is inherently a good scientist and was one of the main reasons for the invention of the cure for the infected at the end of the story. But, this doesn't make sense. Is she searching for one of the components of the cure? That wouldn't happen till later on in the story. We are still at least a few months away from the actual beginning of the book if my calculations are correct.'
"... What kind of chemical substance?"
"It's called Lebryx. I'm making a cure for someone I know who has a disease." Rain explained briefly.
The explanation sounded harmless but for Asher, it was as if a bomb was suddenly dropped on his head.
'Wait, what?! Where did this come from? Nothing of this sort was mentioned in the story. Rain never had any close relationships her whole life. She's an orphan and lived in an orphanage till she ran away and seemingly lived her life scamming people and gaining money through part-time jobs. What is going on?'
Asher had no idea whether his memory was playing tricks on him or if this was indeed something new. He was certain that if such major details about one of the main character's past were mentioned, he should be able to remember them especially when they were his favorite character.
'Is this a plot hole in the real story that this world fixed? But, this is such a big change. It could completely alter Rain's character arc. One of the main reasons why she was cold was that she had no family and simply lived alone, hated by everyone around her.'
The more Asher thought about it the more it seemed like a huge headache for him. So, instead, he decided to stop thinking about it and leave it until he sees for himself. It could simply be a deal she struck with someone to create a cure for them.
"So, do you agree or not?" Rain noticed Asher's weird behavior and urged him for an answer before he changes his mind.
"Sigh, I guess since I will stay there for a while, knowing the locations of some places is useful. Fine, I agree." He said.
Since he had no other place to go to after reaching the southern star settlement, he really required information about the place and there was no better person to ask then Rain herself. She knew that palce like the back of her hand.
"Good." Rain then stood up and extended her arms to her hood. Then, she lifted it up, revealing her face to Asher for the first time since they met.
The moment Asher took a glance at it, his breath was taken away. While the original source material did a good job of describing Rain's features, seeing her in real life was a completely different thing.
Rain was simply a jaw-dropping beauty in every sense of the word. She had long, grey hair with red tips. Her skin was milky smooth with a beauty mark on her left cheek. Her green eyes were big with long eyelashes captivating enough to make anyone get lost in them.
'Oi, no one told me she would look like this! What the hell?!' Asher thought as he blinked a few times.
Meanwhile, Rain seemed oblivious to his shock as she extended her arm, clearly asking for a handshake.
"Nice working with you, Asher."
"... Uh, me too." The boy could only shake his head and quickly shake her hand. The touch of her soft and fragile hands was great.
'Did I exhaust a whole life's worth of luck just to get this handshake?'