What kind of person to be, that is the question.
But what Yoren now faced was not a matter of choice. Judging from the current situation, if they wanted to live legally, their only path would be to register as the lowest of the low—legally infected individuals.
Yoren couldn't help but picture it: being confined to designated areas, areas crawling with other infected. He didn't need to see it to know the place would be filthy, chaotic, and dangerous. With their health failing so rapidly, people would likely be dying every few days. And even if illness didn't take them, the despair would. Suicide would be just as common.
And he? As a so-called backbone of society, he'd be forced into a labor factory for infected. Working himself to the bone for scraps. Exhausted like a dog, and paid next to nothing.
Yeah... This wasn't exactly the kind of peaceful life he had once dreamed of.
Looking at the pale faces of Snowsant and Ifrit, Yoren immediately dismissed the idea. There was no way he'd work part-time. Never in his life. If someone tried to force him to? Well, someone was going to get hit.
After wandering through several streets, Yoren and his group finally found a small hotel before darkness settled in.
Compared to the one he had stayed in back in Columbia, this one was quite the upgrade. Yoren led the others through the front doors into a modest but decently decorated lobby, where a middle-aged woman from the Feilin tribe sat behind the reception desk. She barely glanced at them as they entered.
"Looking for a room?" she asked flatly.
"Yeah."
Yoren leaned against the counter and gave her a charming smile.
"Boss lady, how much for a room per night?"
"Depends. How many rooms do you want?"
Yoren turned to the others.
"Two rooms. The girls get one. The guys get the other."
The woman eyed their clothes from head to toe.
"Normally, a room costs 160 this season. Two rooms? I'll give you a deal—300."
Yoren blinked.
"Wait, 300? Are you talking Longmen coins?"
"What's a Longmen coin? Terra coins, kid."
"That's way too expensive."
Though it was his first time in Victoria, Yoren knew a scam when he heard one. 300 Terra coins? That was half a month's salary for an average worker. A total ripoff.
The landlady rolled her eyes.
"Let me guess, you're off that Colombian ship that just docked. Look, the sun's about to set. If you think you'll find anything better before night falls, good luck. I'm not trying to scare you, but for outsiders... nights in Sanna Town are very dark."
Yoren understood. She wasn't talking about a lack of sunlight. She meant danger. Chaos.
He squinted. "Wait, how do you know we're not from around here?"
She let out a laugh. "Sweetie, I've seen plenty of greenhorns. I can tell just from your wide-eyed faces."
...
Too sharp, this one. A match for him in sass, but far beyond in shrewdness. Yoren decided it wasn't worth arguing over a few extra coins. New place, new rules. Better to pay than regret it later.
The money Hemer had given him was tucked safely in Snowsant's backpack. The Platts brothers had also handed him a generous 50,000 Terra coins.
Yoren pulled out an envelope.
"Fine. 300 it is. Give us the rooms."
The landlady straightened with a smirk.
"Alright. I'll need everyone's ID."
"Wait... IDs?"
"Obviously. Hotels have to register guests."
ACE stepped forward and handed her a certificate.
"Here's my Victoria Citizenship Certificate. My friends just arrived and haven't gotten their temporary permits yet. But we're all law-abiding. You can keep my ID. I'll take responsibility."
The landlady raised a brow.
"Are you a military officer? A judge? One ID isn't enough. Everyone staying needs one. That's not just my policy. It's the law in Sanna Town."
Yoren took a long breath, temper simmering beneath the surface. His fingers tapped on the counter, slower with each hit.
"Alright, stop with the circles. If this were the old me, I'd have flipped this bar over already."
The woman gave him a sharp-toothed grin. "Go ahead. I'll just fix it. But you won't dare."
Yoren sighed. "Alright, alright. Let's not waste time. You want more money, right?"
"There's a whole group of you. I should add a zero."
"Damn it. I'll sleep on the street."
As he turned, she stood abruptly.
"Wait! Fine, fine, I'll cut a little off."
Smack!
Yoren slammed a thousand Terra coin note onto the counter.
"That's it. I'm done talking. Take it or leave it."
"Deal! Deal!" she said quickly, scooping up the note with a grin.
Yoren muttered under his breath. Too damn much.
After a brief rest in their room, the group headed back out, searching for a place to eat.
Yoren's heart ached for the 1,000 coins, but there wasn't much he could do. It was all part of the smuggling chain, really. This was when the ships docked, and most of the town's visitors tonight were stowaways just like them. Vulnerable, without IDs, and willing to pay for safety. The hotels knew it.
Hemer had given him 100,000 Terra coins total. After paying for passage and other basics, he still had around 70,000 left. And thanks to the Platts brothers' unexpected generosity, he now sat at a tidy 120,000. He had made 20,000 on his first day in Victoria.
Still, this wasn't the welcome he had imagined.
His biggest concern now wasn't money, but identity. Victoria was massive. They were still in a border town in the far south, and had no clue where to find Aina.
Without proper identification, getting around would be nearly impossible. And there was no way they could afford to keep spending 1,000 Terra coins per night on a hotel. It wasn't impossible, just stupid.
So much for being self-reliant. It was time to launch Plan B.
The sea had destroyed the note he once carried, but thankfully, he had a backup.
Yoren turned to Snowsant, who still carried the backpack.
"Snowsant, help me find my second uncle's number later. I think it's time we made a call."
Because they were starving, Yoren and his group didn't even bother picking a place. They just walked into the first restaurant they saw.
As it was their first meal after arriving—and there were quite a few people—they ended up ordering every so-called specialty dish on the menu. It cost them several hundred yuan, but the food was plentiful and satisfying. Money well spent.
By the time they returned to the hotel, night had already fallen.
Snowsant was lounging on the sofa, flipping back and forth like a restless cat before finally sitting up and saying,
"Yoren, I lost the phone number!"
"What!"
"Hehe, just kidding. Here it is."
She grinned and handed him a small, crumpled note.
Yoren took the note and mumbled, "Since when did you get so mischievous? Did you learn that from Ifrit?"
Ifrit, who had just stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, caught the last part of his sentence and shot him a glare. Without hesitation, she tossed the damp towel right onto his face.
"Talking behind my back again, huh?"
Yoren peeled the towel off and threw it back at her.
"Who said I was talking bad? Go dry your hair. I'm not responsible if you catch a cold."
"Tch."
Later, Yoren borrowed Brother ACE's phone and carefully punched in the number. With a deep breath, he hit the call button.
"Dududu~"
As soon as the line started ringing, Snowsant and the others fell silent, their eyes locked on Yoren with anticipation.
The line rang for a long time, and just when Yoren was starting to get nervous—was the number wrong? Did Hemer's second uncle lose his phone?—the call connected.
An old, cranky voice crackled through the speaker.
"Damn it, who is it? Scram, scram! I'm not moving!"
"I—"
The response knocked the wind out of Yoren. This was not how he imagined this would go. Was Hemer's uncle always this grumpy? Had he been getting prank calls?
Where was the warm, kindly old man they had expected?
Still, Yoren collected himself. No one is perfect. People don't always match the image you have of them in your head. As long as the voice on the other end was male, it was likely Hemer's second uncle.
Clearing his throat, Yoren tried again.
"Ahem... It's me—your niece's friend, Yoren."
"Huh? Who are you calling second uncle? I don't have a nephew."
"You don't have a nephew, but you do have a niece. I'm He—"
"You bastards! You kidnapped my niece, didn't you?! Let me talk to Hemer. If you so much as touch a hair on her head, you're done for!"
"???"
Snowsant and the others stared at Yoren with confused expressions.
"Big Windmill, did you dial the wrong number?"
"No, I'm sure this is right... There must be a misunderstanding."
After several minutes of chaos and explaining, Yoren finally got through to the man. Once he confirmed who he was, the old voice softened dramatically.
"Ah, it's you! My memory's going... Sorry about that. Hemer mentioned you on the phone a while ago."
"It's alright. I'm just glad you remember now."
"By the way, I remember Hemer talking about a child."
"Don't worry. The child is with me."
"That's a relief."
Yoren then explained his intention to bring them over. The second uncle immediately agreed, saying they should hurry—Hemer's aunt had been asking to see the child.
After hanging up, Yoren spread out the map on the bed.
The second uncle had said their home was in a place called Happy City. Yoren had to confirm it multiple times—he thought the man was joking at first. But no, that was the real name.
Ifrit was sitting cross-legged on the bed, towel now draped over her shoulders, as she dried her hair.
"YoYo, when are we leaving?"
"Tomorrow. Your second uncle and grandpa are waiting."
"Huh?"
Soon, Yoren found Happy City on the map. It was a medium-sized city in southern Victoria with an unusual symbol next to it. ACE explained that it indicated a special administrative district, meaning Happy City had a high level of autonomy.
Though both Happy City and Sanna Town were in southern Victoria, they weren't close by. Driving was the only real option.
Yoren looked up.
"Alright, it's decided. We leave for Happy City tomorrow. I'm done staying in this overpriced hotel. Might as well stay with family."
Snowsant blinked her big eyes.
"Big Windmill, how are we getting there?"
"We'll find a car—not a bus. I'd rather pay extra for a private ride."
ACE, still sitting calmly on the sofa, nodded and stood up.
"Leave it to me. You all stay here—I'll go find a ride tonight."
Yoren trusted him. ACE wasn't the type to make promises lightly.
"Thanks, Brother ACE. I'm counting on you."
"No problem."
With a thumbs-up, ACE walked out.
Yoren took a long shower. Aside from the injury on his shoulder, the rest of his scratches were starting to heal. Afterward, Snowsant helped him rewrap the bandage with care.
An hour later, ACE returned, pushing open the door.
"Brother ACE, how'd it go?" Yoren asked eagerly.
"Found one!"
"Nice! How much?"
"Not much. But we'll need to leave early—about four in the morning."
"Got it."
It was only a little past nine. Plenty of time to rest.
Yoren turned to Snowsant and Ifrit.
"Pack up and go to sleep soon. We're leaving at four. You two will sleep in this room. ACE and I will be next door. I'll wake you up in the morning—no sleeping in."
"Okay."
The next morning, at 4:00 AM, the skies over Victoria were still wrapped in gray.
At the hotel door, the group was ready. Yoren pulled a red scarf tightly around his neck, Ifrit wore an oversized windbreaker, and Snowsant shouldered her backpack.
The three of them left the hotel quickly.
ACE had gone on ahead. He told them to meet him at a certain intersection.
When they arrived, an old jeep rumbled toward them from the other side of the road.
"Screeech!"
The vehicle came to a stop, and ACE—sitting in the driver's seat—waved.
"Get in, quick!"