Lancer decided it was time to do some exploring. The town he had spotted to the west had been on his mind for a while, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to check it out.
"Come on, Davi, you're coming with me," Lancer said, dragging the still-half-asleep Davi out of the house.
"Do I have to?" Davi groaned, trying to resist but failing against Lancer's iron grip.
"Yes," Lancer replied, not even looking back.
"I was having a great nap," Davi complained, flopping dramatically like a ragdoll.
Ignoring him, Lancer whistled for Typhon, who materialized out of the pocket dimension in a burst of dark energy. The chimera growled affectionately and wagged his tail, clearly eager for action.
"You'll be riding Typhon," Lancer told Davi, watching with amusement as Davi's expression shifted from sleepy annoyance to pure terror.
"W-Wait, hold on," Davi stammered, backing away from the massive beast. "That thing can fly, right? Like really high up?"
"Yup," Lancer said with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't worry, he's perfectly safe... unless you fall off."
Davi paled. "Can't I just stay home?"
"Nope!" Lancer said cheerfully, his smile now practically daring Davi to argue further.
Resigned, Davi climbed onto Typhon's back, clinging to his fur as if his life depended on it—which, in his mind, it did. Typhon let out a low growl, looking back at Lancer as if to ask if this was really necessary.
"Let's go," Lancer said, his wings unfurling and crackling faintly with electricity.
Typhon roared in acknowledgment, and with a powerful leap, he shot into the sky. Lancer followed, effortlessly keeping pace as they soared higher and higher.
"WHY ARE WE SO HIGH?!" Davi's panicked screams cut through the air, but Lancer simply pretended not to hear him.
With a deafening sonic boom, they raced toward the western town, leaving the village far behind.
They landed just outside the town, and as soon as Davi's feet hit the ground, he groaned, shaking slightly from the flight. "Why are we even here?" he complained, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket. "Seriously, I could've stayed in bed for this."
Lancer, unfazed, started walking toward the town gates. "I'm here to see if I can sell some of the materials I've collected. Might as well try to find some clues while I'm at it."
Hearing the last part, Davi's face grew uncharacteristically serious. He trailed behind silently, a rare contemplative look on his face. He understood exactly what Lancer meant. He had known about Selene's death for a while now, though he hadn't brought it up directly. Secretly, he admired how Lancer had managed to keep moving forward despite everything. If it had been him, Davi was sure he would've curled up and never left his bed again.
Unbeknownst to most, Lancer hadn't been idle during his time in the village. He'd spent countless hours scouring the memories of the bounty hunter he had absorbed back at the Shade village. From what he uncovered, the man had been part of a particularly vile group of mercenaries that operated across the entire continent. Somewhere in their tangled web of activities, Lancer was sure he'd find a lead on the scarred man—the one who had stolen something precious from the village during the raid.
The current elders didn't even know what had been taken; only Nero had known. Lancer clenched his fists briefly. If he had unlocked Soul Command earlier, he might've been able to access Nero's memories and find answers. That regret still haunted him.
The town came into view, and it was much larger than Lancer had expected. It wasn't comparable to the sprawling cities of Earth, but compared to the village, this place felt alive and bustling. Crowds of people filled the dirt roads, stalls lined the streets, and the chatter of merchants bartering filled the air.
As Lancer navigated through the throng, he suddenly realized Davi was nowhere to be seen.
He sighed. "Figures," he muttered. "Can't even keep up for ten minutes."
Still, he wasn't too worried. Thanks to their connection via Data Transfer, he could sense Davi's presence somewhere nearby, and he knew the gun he'd made would keep him safe. Plus, Typhon was with him and could easily track Davi down if needed.
Lancer decided to check out a particular weapons shop, figuring someone there would be interested in his materials. The shop was modest but well-kept, with weapons displayed neatly on racks and shelves. Behind the counter, a thickset man was examining a knife under a bright light, so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice Lancer enter.
Clearing his throat to announce his presence, Lancer startled the man, who quickly turned off the light and looked up. "Ah, sorry about that! Didn't hear you come in. What can I do for you today? Got the best collection of weapons in all of Ostia," he said with a hearty grin.
"I'm actually here to sell some materials," Lancer replied.
The man's eyebrows rose in interest. "Materials, you say? Well, let's have a look."
Lancer pulled out one of the metals he had been working on. It had originally been a reddish, soft metal similar to copper. Using Atomic Reconstruction, he had altered it, making it far harder and lighter than before. The ingot gleamed as he placed it on the counter.
The man picked it up with a pair of tongs, holding it under a different light. He slipped a monocle-like device over his eye, likely enchanted for appraisal. After a moment, his jaw slackened, and he nearly dropped the ingot. "Where in the world did you find this, kid?" he asked, wonder and confusion mixing in his tone.
"I made it," Lancer replied simply. "I've got more if you're interested."
He pulled out several more bars, each one an alloy he had painstakingly refined. The man's eyes widened with each ingot Lancer laid on the counter. By the end, he was staring at the collection in sheer disbelief.
"These are incredible! I'll take one of each," the man said. "I'll pay you 10 gold coins per bar. That work for you?"
"Sounds good," Lancer agreed.
The man disappeared into the back room, returning moments later with a small bag of coins. He handed it to Lancer, his eyes still lingering on the alloys. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Lancer shook his head. "No, I'm from the village east of here."
At that, the man's expression shifted to a warm smile. "Ah, the village near the Atherian Forest! I know the place. How's old man Nero doing these days?"
Lancer's smile faded, and he explained how Nero and Selene had been killed during the raid. The man's face fell. "Damn. I'm sorry to hear that. They were good people. I'll have to visit soon, pay my respects."
Lancer nodded and turned to leave, but the man called after him. "Kid, if you're looking for clues about bounty hunters, you should check the guild. You might find something useful there."
As Lancer stepped out of the shop, he suddenly heard Davi's voice in his head through their link.
"Lancer! Get over here! I'm in a bit of a mess!" Davi's tone was panicked.
Lancer sighed. "What now?" he muttered, taking off at a brisk pace toward the direction he could sense Davi.