Oscar starts a conversation with Arin while having his lunch at the restaurant, Oscar learned that Arin was a local boy who had grown up in Eliliya. He was smart and resourceful, and Oscar found himself drawn to the boy's enthusiasm and energy.
"That's quite a story," Arin said, grinning. "I've always been fascinated by the legends of the Horizon Orb."
"Yeah. I have been reading about the news related to the Orb since I was 10 years old." Oscar said, "And now it's my dream to find out the Orb."
"By the way, I forgot to ask you!" Arin said, "Where are you from?"
"I am from Brindlemark Village!" Oscar replies.
"You mean the village located at the Western Side of Korsky Mountains?" Arin asked.
"You have heard about our village?" Oscar asked.
"Yeah! I have heard about it many times!" Arin said, "I have also heard that it takes three days to travel to that village from our Town."
"Yeah! That's true!" Oscar said, "I have been walking for three days long!"
"Walking? Didn't you came here by any vehicle or horse cart?" Arin was surprised.
"Yeah! I came up walking all the way." Oscar replied.
"Is your name really Oscar Price or it is Oscar Stupid? Huh!" Arin shouts at him but in a low voice, so that no one else is disturbed.
"Why?" Oscar asks him by tilting his head towards the right direction trying to mock Arin.
"Because, as per information, I have heard that about more than 30 merchants travel from your Village to our Town on their horse carts everyday." Arin said.
"So, what's the deal with that?" Oscar asked again.
Arin puts his right hand over his face and said to himself, "I can't believe that this idiot is dreaming of becoming an Explorer and wants to go on an Adventure to find the Horizon Orb."
"Oi! What are you thinking?" Oscar went more closer to Arin's face and asked.
"Nothing!" Arin said.
As the evening wore on, both Oscar and Arin were still sitting in that Restaurant cum Bar, talking to each other about their dreams and passion.
Oscar finally asked him with a smile on his face, hoping to recruit Arin to his team, "I'm looking for people to join me for my adventure. Would you like to come with me?"
A smile wore over Arin's face at first but suddenly his face fell, and he looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry, Oscar. I had love to join you, but I have to take care of my mom. Even if she is fine for a while, still she would get sick frequently, and I'm the only one who is there to take care of her."
Oscar's face fell, looking at Arin's face, but he quickly recovered. "I understand. Family is important. But is there anything else you can do to help me?"
Arin nodded with a bright smile on his face, "I can help you get ready for your journey, from here for your next stop to a town or a village. I can gather supplies, find a teammate for you, and even help you find a cheap car to get you started."
"That would be amazing, Arin. Thank you!" Oscar's eyes lit up, "But, Car?"
"Now please don't tell me that you don't know about a car!" Arin asked him.
"Are you stupid?" Oscar said, "I know what is a car!"
"No problem, Oscar. I'll do what I can to help you. But you have to promise me one thing.", Arin smiled
"What's that?" Oscar asked.
"You have to promise me that you'll be careful," Arin said, his eyes serious. Oscar was also looking at his face with serious eyes.
"The road to the Golden Ball is fraught with danger. You'll need all your wits and cunning to make it through." Arin added.
Oscar nodded, his determination renewed. "I promise, Arin. I'll be careful, and I'll make sure to stay in touch."
Arin smiled, seeming to relax a little, "I'll hold you to that, Oscar. Now, let's get to my home, it's getting dark now. We will start the recruitment for your teammates from tomorrow!"
"Yeah, let's go!", Oscar gets up from his seat, picks up his bag from the ground and starts walking out of the restaurant.
"Hey aren't you going to pay for the food you ate?" Arin asked him from his back.
Oscar turns around to Arin and said, "Money?" He starts searching in the pockets of his pants and T-shirt and then said back to Arin smiling by showing his teeth, "I think I lost all of my money somewhere!"
"Idiot!", Arin shouts at Oscar in a sarcastic way.
Arin then walks up to the man behind the Counter Table and asks him by taking out his wallet from his left side pocket of the pant, "How much is the bill?"
"1000 Arnits!" The man replied , he was the owner of the restaurant. He was wearing the common uniform of white shirt and white pant.
Arnit is actually the main monetary unit of their world. And it's used almost everywhere in the world, by all the nations of the seven continents which are under the Continental Assembly, except the Land of Mythralis and also some of the nations among the seven continents use different unit of currency in their nations.
Arin comes out of the restaurant after paying the bill and then starts walking towards his home along with Oscar.
When they had reached Arin's home, they saw that Arin's Mom was already preparing the dinner, she noticed Oscar with Arin. She quickly asked to Oscar smiling, "You must be Arin's new friend!"
"He is Oscar Price. From Brindlemark Village." Arin introduced him to his mom.
Her mom was talking through the window in the kitchen. Arin's house was very small, with four rooms.
"All the way from Brindlemark Village?" His mom asked, she was surprised.
"I want to be an Explorer!" Oscar starts laughing, "I have came to his town to find any potential team member!"
"I hope you might find one!" Arin's mom added, "Now go watch your hands and face. I am going to prepare the plates."
After having their dinner, Oscar slept with Arin that night and then from the next morning, both of them starts roaming around the whole town, trying to recruit a teammate for Oscar.
They have been searching around the town for several days but still couldn't find anyone, Oscar had started losing hope. He had met several people out of whom, some were interested in joining his team while some rejected to join, but none of them had seemed quite right.
Either they were too scared, too unreliable, or simply not passionate enough about the adventure.
"I don't think that there is any person from this town who would join my team!" Oscar said to Arin in a disappointed mean.
"Don't worry, you will surely find one here!" Arin was trying to convince him.
But then, one day, while Oscar and Arin were sitting at a table in the same restaurant cum bar, suddenly a boy walked into the restaurant who caught Oscar's eye. The boy was tall and lean, with piercing blue eyes and jet-black hair. He looked confident and self-assured, and Oscar couldn't help but feel a spark of interest.
"Who's that?" Oscar asked Arin, nodding towards the boy.
Arin followed Oscar's indication and turns around to see the guy, recognizing the guy he quickly replied with a smile, "That's Martin Blackwood!"
"Martin Blackwood?" Oscar asked.
"Yeah!", Arin said, "He's a local boy who has been training in the art of combat."
Martin is a highly skilled fighter, expert marksman, and proficient in tactical combat. He is about 19 years old. He lives with his Martial Arts teacher at his house, the teacher is actually Martin's father's childhood friend who had promised to take care of Martin after his parents had died in a battle.
"After his parents died in a battle, Martin had promised to himself that he would become the strongest fighter ever." Arin said to Oscar, "And since then he has been training very hard till date."
Oscar's eyes widened in amazement. "That sounds perfect," he said. "Let's go talk to him."
"Really?" Arin asked.
"Yeah!" Oscar added, "Let's go!"
"Okay!" Arin nodded, and the two of them got up from their table and approached Martin, who was sitting at another table and drinking a glass of juice.
When Martin saw Oscar and Arin approaching him, he quickly asked them without even looking, "What do you want?"
"Hi! I am Oscar Price!" Oscar introduced himself to Martin.
"Do I know you?" Martin asked him.
"Actually, I am searching for team members and I want you to join my team!" Oscar said.
"For what?" Martin asked, "And why would I join your team?"
"I want to be an Explorer! Oscar starts explaining about his dream, "And I want to find the Horizon Orb." Martin was listening intently, his eyes were fixed at Oscar's face as he was listening to his words.
"But mine and your dreams are completely different!" Martin added.
"You can still be the strongest fighter, even if you continue travelling with me." Oscar added.
"How?" Martin asked.
"Are you stupid?" Oscar said, "Do you think the path to that Orb will be an easy one?"
"You have to fight against many other opponents. And some of them even might become your greatest enemy!"
"Then I am ready to go with you. Captain !Martin finally said, his voice low and smooth. "But I need to know more about your adventure. What's the plan, and what about the teammates and where are we travelling first?"
Oscar smiled, pleased that Martin was interested. "We're going to follow the map to the Horizon Orb," he explained.
"There isn't any map to the Orb. Idiot!" Arin added.
"Really?" Oscar turned to him.
"What the hell, he doesn't even know that!" Martin said to himself.
"As for dangers, we can expect to face all sorts of obstacles, from treacherous terrain to ferocious beasts and rival treasure hunters." Oscar added.
"I know that!" Martin said, "But what about the other teammates, where are they?"
"There is no one!" Oscar said, "It's only you and me for now!" Martin nodded thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Oscar's face.
"I am still interested" Martin said, "But I need to know that are you really serious about your adventure. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to succeed?"
"Why?" Oscar asked him, tilting his head again to his right side.
"Because…" Martin was about to say something but he was interrupted by Arin.
"…he seems to be an Idiot!" Arin said.
"By the way, who are you?" Martin turns to Arin and asked.
"He doesn't know me?" Arin turns to Oscar and asked him by making a weird face.
"Are you trying to mock me?" Martin shouts at him and then hits him on his head, out of anger.
"I am Arin Bold!" Arin tells his name to Martin after getting that hit.
"You should have told earlier!" Martin replied and then again turns to Oscar to hear his answer.
Oscar nodded with a smile on his face, his heart pounding with excitement. "I am," he said. "I'm willing to risk everything to find the Horizon Orb."
Martin smiled, a small, enigmatic smile. "Then I'm in," he said. "But I have one condition: I'm in charge of combat and tactics."
"Don't worry, you are the Vice Captain!" Oscar said.
"But I thought that he might be the Vice Captain?" Martin points out to Arin.
"He's not joining the team!" Oscar said.
"Oh I see!" Martin added.
Oscar nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "That's perfectly fine with me," he said. "I'm just glad to have you on board."
"Then being the captain you should pay the bill!" Martin said and gets up from his seat.
"What are you saying?" Oscar added.
"Your captain even doesn't have any money with him!" Arin said.
"What?" Martin looked at Oscar with weird face.
"He dropped all of his money on the way here!" Arin replied.
"Seriously!" Martin was surprised.
Oscar gets up from his seat and then went to Martin puts his left hand over Martin's shoulder and then said to Arin by turning around, "Hey Arin! Please pay out our bill!"
"Damn it!" Arin went up to the counter without any option.
Martin and Oscar came out of the restaurant and waits outside for Arin, and a while later Arin makes his way out of the restaurant.