I flashed my white token at the Bangaas guarding the city gates and wordlessly headed toward the Flint and Steel Mercenary camp. I was given my token for free since I already lived in the city. It was small and triangular and could be tied to my belt for ease of use. The healer robe I was wearing was already more than enough to keep the guards at bay, but I complied with the rules to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Because of its large size, the Flint and Steel mercenary group set up its camp outside Tussock. I still had yet to understand how Tesha managed to seduce the leader of the mercenary group, but it was impolite to ask; everyone had secrets. The leader of the mercenaries was a Skylord who had similar features to a human. He was said to be a cruel individual who ruled using his fist; anyone who displeased him was killed on the spot. However, using some unknown means, Tesha managed to subdue that Skylord and could even make rather bothersome requests.
For instance, the employees of P2P needed a place to live. Since they were not allowed to enter Tussock, an alternative had to be found and it was when Tesha suggested using the tents of the mercenary group. The tents were rented at an acceptable price to P2P and the employees even got to live relatively close to the camp in a safe environment.
The tents were by no means luxurious, but it demonstrated that P2P was a genuine company with some form of backing. While humans were allowed to set up their own camps outside the cities and villages, nothing could protect them from the weather or accidents. The Union would not harm the humans directly since they paid the tax, but nothing could stop a water element user from practicing [Rainfall] wherever he wanted.
“A very nice camp. But don’t you find it hard to not sleep on a proper bed?” I asked as the camp came into view. The few tents that have been erected for P2P were located not very far from there.
“It’s alright. You get used to it pretty quickly. I slept in far worse conditions than this on Earth, so for me, it is a step up.” Tesha replied disinterestedly.
I could tell she was avoiding any topic surrounding the mercenary group; she wanted no one near her secrets. We parted ways as she headed to the mercenary camp while I followed the employee to the human camp. The employees were given the list of names the investors wrote. If anyone on that list appeared, they would be escorted to the camp and the investor in question would be notified.
I expectantly looked at the tent in front of me. I had already been here many times but maybe, this time it would be the right person. Inside, I found a small group of adults chatting among themselves. It was not unusual for people to move in group, especially for the hunters who just climbed to the first floor.
And then, I saw her. Sarah Barnwell; a woman in her early forties. Her brown hair looked messy and was loosely tied in a bun. Her face looked tired and dirty; her skin was dull and dry due to the lack of moisturisers; she could no longer hide her wrinkles or the dark circles under her eyes with make-up. She was relatively short, wore a simple robe like most women and had a pair of daggers at her waist. Even though I had almost forgotten about her after so many years, I recognised her as soon as I saw her. That woman was none other than my own mother.
My entrance in the tent did not go unnoticed. All eyes focused on me. Sarah widened her eyes and hurriedly stood up. She rushed toward me as tears flowed out from the corner of her eyes. “Alex.”
I stood still and instinctively opened my arms. I felt strange and my heart throbbed as Sarah hugged me tightly. She felt dirty and sweaty, but I did not mind her current state. There was a special bond between us, and I felt relieved and warmed to see her again. I was not as emotional as her; I simply felt happy to see her again while she sobbed without a care for her surroundings. I allowed her to calm down by herself while briefly glancing at the hunters who accompanied her.
“Alex. Thanks goodness. You are safe.”
“Yes, mother. You too.” Saying the word ‘mother’ felt strange; it has been so long since I said this word but there was now a lot of time to catch up.
“Thank you all for looking after my mother.” I said politely after my mother started calming down.
“Sarah has been a core member of our team. I am glad that she is able to reunite with her son.” One of the men said with a smile.
“Is it true that P2P belongs to you?” Another man asked.
I remained calm as I faced the rather obese man. “Not exactly. It is owned by a few people. I am just one of the investors.”
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For a fraction of a second, I noticed the man’s eyes lighting up. It was just like I expected.
“What are you planning to do now? Sarah is an important member of our team. We were planning to get a loan and to hunt on the eleventh floor.”
‘Not wasting any time, aren’t we? Asking for compensation because you see that I am well off…’
“Did they treat you well?” I asked my mother. On the surface, it looked like she was treated as an equal, but I could not confirm anything else.
My mother understood the situation; she could tell from the way the employees were looking at me that I held a high position. “Yes. It is partly thanks to them that I am still alive and many other friends from the zeroth floor died to saved us.” She explained.
I always envisioned the worst when dealing with people but fortunately, it seemed that my mother joined a decent team. “Then, do you want to continue to climb the tower or would you like to stay here? I can probably find a place for you to work at the company.” I asked cautiously.
My situation has improved considerably over the past few weeks. As one of the investors of P2P, I could refer employees for recruitment and allow a few people to live safely at the camp. However, I was not going to force my mother to stay here. I allowed her to make her choice and if she wanted to stay with her team, I would gladly support her.
“I am quite old, already in my forties. I ran around for a few months but if possible, I would like to settle down if it does not cause you too much trouble. Also, it would be great if you could help these people too.” Sarah said, feeling happy that I was concerned for her. She could tell that her son had changed but she attributed it to the change in environment.
“There are seven of you. I can probably arrange a position for you, but you may end up separated and working at different cities.” I said after some thoughts.
“That will be fine. We would all like to explore this floor a little bit and we can remain in contact even though we live in different place.” The man answered hurriedly, afraid that I would change my mind. I glanced at the other hunters and they all seemed to agree.
“Then, I will make the necessary arrangements. It is fine to let them stay in the guest tent for the night. Can I get a separate tent to spend some time with my mother too?” I asked one of the employees.
“Of course. Just give us a few minutes.”
…
Before long, I sat down in a separate tent to chat with my mother. I could see the worried and curious look in her eyes; I knew I would not escape a round of questioning.
“Alex. Have you been doing well? What happened to you since we were all brought to the tower?” Sarah asked.
I let out a long sigh before starting a long narration. It was one of the questions I expected, and I had already prepared for it. I spoke the truth but omitted the fact that I killed a few people and might have taken advantage of many more. My story was very relatable and since we all went through the same trials and experiences, my mother quickly believed me.
“And how did you end up founding your own company?”
“I met with some people who needed points to start a business. I agreed and now I own a small part of P2P.”
“Can these people be trusted? You are lucky that they did not just scam you and run away with your points.” Sarah said worriedly.
I chuckled lightly. “They are good people. I know what I am doing and will leave if it is no longer profitable. But aside from that, I also met John a few weeks ago.”
“John?”
“Yeah. Cousin John.”
“Right… And where is he now?” Sarah asked drily. I noticed her awkward expression; my mother had always been uncomfortable talking about John because of the family gossips.
“He’s on the eleventh floor. P2P did not exist at that time and I had no choice but to send him there to survive. I asked the employees to inform me if he ever came down to ask for a loan, but he has yet to do so. On that note, I will ask you to inform me if you want to leave. Ideally, you should also avoid the first ten floors. I will arrange a position for you here and you should be safe. It is just too bad that P2P is currently growing and I cannot really afford to fully support you if you do not work.”
It was a half-truth. I could certainly provide a stable income to my mother if required but doing so would put a halt to my growth. The salary I received from the Healing Temple was very low since I was provided everything I needed there and P2P was still re-investing all the profits it made. Living on the first floor as a human was expensive since they could only trade with the Union for food.
Sarah coughed as she noticed my discomfort. “That is fine. Don’t worry. I am already very happy that you are successful. I know how start-ups work. I am very satisfied as long as I do not need to hunt monsters anymore. Besides, I still have two hundred points from the zeroth floor. If you need them, I can transfer them to you for your business.”
“There’s no need. You should keep them for yourself to purchase what you need to live comfortably.”
We continued to chat and with time, we became more comfortable with each other. The conversation drifted toward my father. No traces of the rest of my family had been found yet but there was still a lot of humans on the zeroth floor. As we talked, the dynamics between us gradually changed as I gave her some pieces of advices on how to proceed from here. She was my mother but, in this scenario, I was the one with the most experience. We talked about the Healing Temple, the people we met and the elements we chose. I recalled that my mother used to be a very talkative person while I had been a loner for a long time in the tower. She was delighted to have someone to speak to so freely after so long.
I stayed for a meal before returning to the city, promising to come back in a few days to check on her. I stopped by the Spatial Bank to inform Richard of my actions. He immediately agreed to recruit my mother and her former teammates. He himself did the same when one of the people he was looking for had been found.