The villagers watched him expectantly, some with smiles, others with puzzled expressions, and a few with outright suspicion. Erik took a deep breath, realizing that he had to say something, anything to maintain the positive energy that had been built throughout the day.
"Um... hello," Erik winced as the microphone produced harsh feedback. For his conjuring magic, it was incredibly accurate in reproducing the faults and flaws from his world as well.
"Thank you all for coming out to the Restia Festival today," Erik began, his voice wavering slightly. "I know this was a bit... unexpected, but I hope you enjoyed yourselves."
"Go, Burger King!" A voice in the crowd shouted in the following silence.
Erik cleared his throat. "This festival is about more than just food and fun. It's about bringing people together, sharing our worlds, and..."
Talia leaned over, whispering in his ear, "You're doing great. Just be yourself."
"Be myself...?" Erik whispered under his breath. All he knew was how to sway people to see his side, and even then, it didn't work most of the time. Or did it?
"Er... Restia Village has had a quiet history," Erik continued, thinking of things to say on the spot. "It has never seen such a grand event like this before, due to... lack of funds. But with my creations and the help of its residents, we've managed to bring something amazing to life."
The crowd murmured, and Erik took it as a cue to keep talking. "This festival is a testament to what can happen when we open our hearts and minds to new schemes- er, ideas. My only goal in this world, as a Traveler from another, is to bring about a new, beneficial revolution! And what better way to start than with something as simple and delightful as a burger?" He paused, glancing around the crowd. "But wait, it's not just about burgers. It's about unity, understanding, and pushing boundaries!"
The villagers looked at each other, some nodding in agreement, while others still looked confused.
Erik had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but he was feeling the momentum. He saw Morthanu nod his head, seemingly impressed with the speech that was basically made on the spot. Maybe he had a knack for this whole 'inspirational leader' thing.
He finished his speech with an idiom, something about 'time is money', before stepping down from the podium to applause. Talia was the first to hug him, her crimson swimsuit clinging to her like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. The warmth of her embrace made him forget the cold water from the splash showdown.
"Hey, easy there," Erik mumbled, his cheeks reddening as Talia squeezed him tightly. She pulled away, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You did great, Erik! You really have a way with words," she said, her voice filled with genuine admiration.
"One thing I learned from my old coworkers was that if you're confident, people will follow you. You just gotta believe in what you're selling," Erik whispered back, a slight smirk on his lips. He couldn't help but feel a bit smug at how well the festival was turning out.
Morthanu approached them, his stern expression replaced with a rare smile. "Your words were... surprisingly insightful, young man. This is indeed a new era for Restia."
"Thank you, Mr. Mort," Erik bowed his head in gratitude, choosing not to reveal that he had no idea what he just said to the villagers, "I'm just happy everyone's enjoying themselves."
----------------------------------------
Later that evening, as the festival wound down and the burger shack picked up in business once again, Erik found himself in a quiet corner, sipping on his drink.
"So, what's next?" Talia asked, sauntering over to him with a cheeky grin. She had changed into more casual and modest clothing from his world, looking like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine.
Erik grunted. "For now, I'm just praying for the water park's success. And if things go well, maybe I'll strike up a contract with that dwarf Grom. He seemed very interested in my rune generators, so I'm thinking of producing more equipment tailored to production.
He took another sip from his cup, feeling the warmth of the alcohol slide down his neck. "Besides that, I think the burger shack is good to expand even further. And I've also helped Geritara develop his clothing business with a 5% cut of his sales."
"That's ambitious," Talia said, sitting down next to him. "But I can't help but feel like we're just playing around."
Erik's eyebrow twitched. "...Is that because you're the one doing most of the playing?"
Talia smacked his arm lightly. "Well, someone had to keep things interesting. Besides, it's not like you've been a saint either."
Erik chuckled, the tension between them dissipating. "True enough. But I've got to admit, I'm surprised how well everything's going. The festival, the burger shack, the water park..."
The pair fell into silence, watching the rambunctious crowd underneath the burger shack's pavilion area. Illyanth padded softly up to Talia and curled up around her feet. For a moment, Erik felt like he was back in his own world, just watching people enjoy themselves at a BBQ or beach party.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
"You know, Erik," Talia spoke up, her eyes still on the villagers, "You've changed a lot since you first came here."
"How so?"
"I don't know, actually. I just thought it was something I should say."
Erik simply stared at her, trying to comprehend what went through her mind at times. He shook his head, deciding to just accept her for who she was.
"Well, it's not like I had much of a choice," Erik said, his voice a mix of sarcasm and self-deprecation. "But I'm happy with the way things are turning out."
Talia leaned closer to him, her eyes meeting his own. "You're doing more than you know, Erik. You're changing our world. And I think that's pretty amazing."
He wanted to argue that Osiris would say otherwise, but Erik couldn't help but feel warmth at Talia's words. In fact, he had never once had a compliment such as that before, and it made him feel embarrassed.
"Yeah, well... I'm just doing this to be the richest man in this world," Erik said, turning his gaze away. He tried to keep his voice steady, but the sincerity in Talia's words had hit him like a truck.
"That's your goal, Erik Park?" Talia leaned in, her golden eyes searching his. "To be rich?"
"Y-yeah." Erik shrugged, his voice betraying his nerves. "Isn't that what everyone wants?"
Talia studied him for a moment before letting out a laugh that was as warm as the setting sun. "You know, for a man who claims to seek wealth, you're pretty good at making friends and changing lives."
"Shut up," Erik scowled. "Aren't you going to go hang with everyone else?"
Talia's laughter didn't falter. "Why would I when I have the most interesting person here with me?"
Erik wisely decided not to say that Talia was by far the most interesting person he knew, and he wasn't sure if that was a compliment.
"Well, I'm sure you can find more interesting things to do than talk to me," Erik mumbled, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He was never used to compliments or praise, and it didn't help that it came from Talia, of all people.
"Yeah, you're right," Talia readily agreed, causing Erik to twitch again with annoyance. "But... I've been living in this villager for nearly three and a half years. It wasn't until you came around that I was finally able to grow closer with them."
Erik took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sting of her words. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'm like a breath of fresh air or something."
"Far more than that, Erik Park. I've never seen a person so obsessed with money, hardworking, and utterly terrible with animals," Talia closed her eyes and nodded sagely.
The crowd had begun to disperse, leaving the stage and the surrounding area. Grom McThunderbeard had already taken his leave, promising to visit Erik's water park once it opened. The dwarf had left with a spark of curiosity in his eyes, and Erik had no doubt that he'd be back to inspect the contraption further.
Talia leaned against the podium, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"
Erik threw back his drink, chugging it all in one go. A warmth settled into his stomach as his excitement took over, amplified by his intoxication.
"We do the finishing checks on the water park and hopefully do the grand opening tomorrow," he replied with a devious smirk.
----------------------------------------
The next morning, Talia awoke in the dilapidated hut, immediately sensing that something was off. As she gazed around, she saw Illyanth curled up beside her bed, snoring softly. For some reason, despite the success of the night before and the serenity of this morning, her gut kept telling her that something was wrong.
Getting dressed, Talia forced her uneasiness down as she walked out of the hut, seeing Alyssa already at work conducting a pre-meeting with the burger shack employees.
"Morning, Alyssa," Talia called out, trying to keep her voice cheerful.
"Hey boss!" Alyssa called back, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "How do you feel about today?"
"Oh... pretty good, I suppose?" Talia replied, trying to keep the doubt out of her voice. She didn't want to dampen Alyssa's spirits. "Just a bit nervous about the water park opening, that's all. Have you seen Erik this morning?"
Alyssa blinked. "No? I thought he'd already went to the water park with Ricteronu to do a last once-over."
Talia nodded, her stomach doing somersaults. "I should go check on them," she murmured to herself. "Make sure everything's alright."
She didn't know why or how, but Talia raced down to the lake's edge, where Ricteronu was directing some of the villagers around for the final check-up.
"Everything okay?" Ricteronu called out to her as she approached, his eyes shimmering with excitement.
"Yes... have you seen Erik?" Talia asked, masking her rising nervousness.
"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen him this morning," Ricteronu said, furrowing his brow. "He's usually the first one here."
"Exactly. He's usually also screaming in the morning, which I use as an alarm to wake me up. Furthermore, Alyssa hadn't seen him either," Talia mused, her mind racing. "Where could he have gone?"
"Did he not come home last night?" Ricteronu was now visibly concerned. "I thought he was with you at the festival."
"He was, but then Alyssa finished her shift and we all started drinking. The last thing I remember was a crowd forming around us, laughing and cheering," Talia said, her eyes scanning the area around the burgeoning water park. "I don't know what happened after that."
----------------------------------------
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, in a cave hidden away from view, Erik Park woke up with a wince, his head throbbing from last night.
"What the fuck?" he mumbled to himself, glancing around the unfamiliar space. He tried to move, but found himself bound to a chair with ropes. "Where the fuck am I?"
"Oh, you're awake," a familiar voice next to him spoke. Erik turned to see Morthanu, also bound in ropes beside him.
For a while, neither men spoke, gazing at each other quietly.
"Er... so what the fuck's going on?" Erik finally broke the silence, his eyes squinting in the dim light of the cave.
"I will explain to you both," a sudden third voice echoed through the cave, sending a shiver down their spines. From the shadows emerged a figure, tall and slender, dressed in a cloak that matched the darkness of the cave.
"But, let's start with why you're here," the figure said, stepping into the light, revealing herself to be a young woman with a stern look on her face. Her eyes were a piercing shade of pink that seemed to bore into Erik's soul. "You, Erik Park, and you, Morthanu, are here because you've disrupted the balance of this world."