NOVEL WEB Chapter 25 – Zero Distance
Fast Travel? Did she just say fast travel? I must have misheard it. I mean, I think there was fast travel in the game, but it was just a mechanic, and the characters never acknowledged it. This is way different, Ririna acknowledged it, and all the people lining up know about it as well. I’m so confused.
I wobbled for an instant before analyzing the building again. This is a fast-travel station. Wow, this is weird. There was nothing like this in the game. Why is it different? I thought this was the world from the game, so why is it different? What’s going on? What is this world?
“Iroha?” Ririna looked at me with concern. “Are you feeling unwell?” I have to compose myself. I can’t let her know how shocked I am. Fast travel existing is common sense to her. I don’t want her to think I’m weird.
“I- I’m fine.” I shook my head and took a step back. “So this is where the fast travel station was. I was wondering about that.” I tried to speak cheerfully so that Ririna wouldn’t catch on.
“It’s near the town center. Nothing too spectacular, that’s where most stations are.” She’s right, they’re so close to each other that I can clearly see the fountain in the town center from over here. I still can’t wrap my head around it. Fast travel actually exists. But that’s not really what’s shocking. What’s shocking to me is that it is recognized by the people of this world, and everyone can apparently use it. In the game, it was just part of a system that the player could use for convenience. It wasn’t even some power the protagonist just happened to have or anything. I thought it was just fast-forwarding the travel time for the player. That’s how I usually think about fast travel when it’s not really explained. This world is different from the game.
The existence of fast travel explains some things I’ve seen. I found it strange when I saw no one outside the walls on the way here, and now I know why. With fast travel being real, there’s no need to travel on foot. I looked at the people coming in and out of the station, and I noticed something else that’s really important. Around half of those people are carrying goods of some sort with them. The game’s world had a very robust trading system, and it looks like that remains the same. It’s just that instead of trading carts, merchants now trade through fast-travel stations. That’s incredible and ridiculous. How is this still a fantasy world? If they keep this up for a few more years, their technology is gonna start booming, and this world is quickly gonna turn into sci-fi. I wish some of these fast-travel things would find their way into our world. I would love for my packages to be delivered in mere seconds.
“Come on, Iroha. Let’s go inside. You want to register this station, don’t you? Also, I’m gonna ask you to wait five minutes for me so I can drop these at home.” Ririna shook the sacks she was carrying before lining up. She’s gonna drop off the materials we gathered at home just like that? I now get what she meant when she said she went home plenty of times. If you can go home in an instant at any time, it’s like you didn’t even leave. I lined up with Ririna, and since the line was constantly moving, it didn’t even take a full minute before we got inside. “Wait here, Iroha. I’m not gonna take long.” Ririna waved me goodbye and stepped into one of the small altars lined up against a wall before disappearing. I saw the same process happen multiple times. Whenever someone stepped onto the altar, they would disappear after a moment. The line going in got divided into two before reaching the altars, and next to those two altars was another set of altars with people appearing from thin air at random intervals. The station’s inside was tall and open, and there were multiple people in armor watching over the line and over the altars, soldiers, no doubt.
[Location: Rocky Ridges Town registered. Fast Travel unlocked.]
It’s the VISS Driver. Looks like I have this town registered now. After looking through some menus, I found a list of all the locations I have registered, and this is the only one for now. Seems like I’m not going to fast-travel anywhere just yet. In order to fast-travel somewhere in the game, you must first visit that place and register the location. I don’t know if the whole system has changed, but it looks like that part remains the same.
“I’m back!” After a few minutes passed, Ririna reappeared from one of the altars with empty hands. That was fast. “Sorry for making you wait. I really can’t afford for my materials to start spoiling. If I’m gonna use them for my precious creations, I need my materials in the best possible state.”
“It’s alright. I understand.” I didn’t even have to wait that long, so I don’t mind.
“Is there anything else you want to do here? If you’re done, we should explore the rest of the town.” I had already registered the location, and it’s not like I was going anywhere, so I accompanied Ririna back outside. The next place we went was the shopping street. “Let’s go this way.” Shops and stalls filled both sides of the street. It was a very lively and interesting place. Though I much prefer the streets of Three Records City, I’m not a big fan of crowded places. Ririna seemed to have no problem navigating the crowd and even managed to notice when I got too distracted admiring the sights and was about to run into someone. “Careful, Iroha.” Ririna grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close to her.
“S- sorry…” That was embarrassing. What a stupid mistake on my part. She’s really attentive, isn’t she? That probably comes with the territory when you’re an alchemist. She’s still holding onto my shoulder, and now our faces have gotten really close. She’s so cute! Sorry, can you let go of me already? My heart is going crazy right now! I turned my face away and broke free from her hold. I don’t want her to see my embarrassing, blushing face.
“Uhmm… Iroha, can I ask you something?” Ririna took a few quick steps and started walking by my side. “Where are you from?” Ririna brought her face close to my ear before whispering. “Are you from the Endless Silver?”
“What?!” The Endless Silver? Is she talking about that super-scary post-game area? Why the hell would I be from there? Is she crazy?
“You’re from somewhere pretty remote, aren’t you? I mean, you had never met an alchemist before me, you were looking around like you had never seen a shopping street before, not to mention the clothes you’re wearing. You also looked confused when you saw the fast travel station, and the only people who aren’t familiar with fast travel are those who live in really remote regions.”
“No… I’m not from… uhmm… Endless Silver.” She’s seen through me! I can’t believe it! I thought I was hiding really well! Not only is she attentive, she’s also perceptive. At least she doesn’t even suspect I’m from another world. “You’re right. I’m from a faraway place… Or something like that.”
“I knew it! You didn’t have to hide it. I wasn’t going to make fun of you. I’m from a village myself, so I know how hard it can be. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t make much sense for you to be from Endless Silver. The only ones who stay there are kinda crazy, and you never see them travel anywhere. At least that’s what the rumors say.” Ririna runs past me and turns to me before bending over slightly with her hands behind her back. “As fellow girls from remote places, we gotta stick together. Let’s be friends and help each other out, okay?”
She’s so bright and pure! I feel like I’m gonna melt! “O- of course!” My situation is not exactly what she thinks it is, but I have no reason to refuse an invitation from such a pretty girl as Ririna. I also don’t think I’m exactly lying. I am from a remote place. I come from another world, after all. It’s not my fault if she starts believing I’m from a village like her.
“Hehe… I’m happy to hear that.” Ririna flashes me a big smile before turning her back to me. “Since we’re on the topic of friendships, this is the place I wanted to show you.” Ririna points towards what I believe to be a coffee shop. That’s weird. In a fantasy world, you usually expect to see taverns and other similarly barbaric places, but what I’m looking at is a stylish coffee shop with large windows and bright wood. Is this yet another thing that doesn’t make much sense but is a vestige of the game? I think that might just be the case. “This is where you can find me when I’m free and while I’m in this town. This is also where I meet with some of my friends here who are also not from this town. I’ll ask them to help you out too if you’re ever in trouble. Follow me, Iroha. Let’s go in.” I was a little nervous, but Ririna was so enthusiastic that it was hard for me to say no to her, so I just followed her into the coffee shop.
