Chapter 196: What Does An Otherworlder Mean To You?

After a moment, as Neve had promised, we were served a fulfilling meal. Seafood — not the best I’d had in Ealdrim, but it washed away the memory of the slop I’d endured at Gilbert’s Inn like a cleansing tide.

We stayed around until later in the afternoon when Neve came around again. But this time, she didn’t come alone. She came with a man.

The man was ordinary at first glance, but details stood out the longer I looked. He wore a long coat with a sash cinched at his waist, and his boots looked heavy enough to crack cobblestones. I pitied whoever those boots had stepped on by mistake. Let alone intentionally.

He had faded black hair that fell loosely over his face. His features were angled and narrow, with green pupils set calmly within them. His black coat had a dull red underlayer that caught the light when he moved.

A short, simple sword sat vertically behind his waist.

He approached with a stern expression, though his lips curved in a manner that made him seem like he was smiling. Like a creep, honestly.

Something about his stature made me remember Po.

’Oh Po, my Po... I miss you. Come back to us safely.’

He drew closer to the lounge, and now I could see his eyes more clearly. They were like a cat’s eyes. So was his mouth, somehow — the set of it, the way his lips rested.

’Is he a cat kin?’

He had no cat ears though, so I didn’t think he was.

As he stepped into the lounge, a smell hit my nose. Something verdant and clean, like a garden surrounded by crystal blue water. It didn’t match his appearance at all.

The man... it wouldn’t have been out of place to call him a boy, really. He looked at Levi, and his expression seemed like a smile, but something was telling me it wasn’t.

"You must be insane, coming here to meet me like this."

I glanced between him and Levi.

’Oh Levi, what did you do to this one?’

Levi had a neutral expression on his face. Usually, he was always trying to act his way out of situations, like I had seen him do with Gilbert. But with this person, he was completely plain.

Just when I thought that—

A shameless smile spread across his face.

"At least you were made the head of the company. Thanks to me, your skills were acknowledged!"

The man gritted his teeth.

"You bastard, you framed me!"

Levi kept that plain face.

"I trusted you enough to be able to make it through, and you did. I was not disappointed." He stepped closer and slapped the man’s shoulder. "Barara... you made me proud!"

"It’s Baraka to you, you son of a cunt!" The man — Baraka — fumed.

’What a strange name...’

Levi smiled. It was the creepy kind.

"Everybody is a son or daughter of a cunt if you think about it, Barara. Where did you think you came out from?"

The man frowned.

"You better not be making reference to my mother!!"

Levi’s smile didn’t waver. It just got stranger.

Baraka frowned even harder.

"You bastard! Are you thinking about my mother’s vagina?!"

"Gracious, Barika, what are you even saying?"

"It’s Barara to you, bastard."

"Oh?!"

"Baraka! Ba-ra-ka!!" He threw his hands up. "Fuck, I can’t deal with this guy. Neve, I told you this was not going to go well!"

Levi was staring blankly at both Baraka and Neve with an annoying smile plastered on his face.

"Ignore him and focus on the actual goal." Neve’s voice was calm.. "You came here for a reason..."

Immediately she spoke, Baraka calmed down. His eyes locked onto me.

’Eh? Why me?’

Then he came closer and extended his hand.

"My name is Kaprika Baraka. I’m currently the Managing Director of Crystalis Waterline."

I tilted my head slightly.

"You’re like the King of the continent?"

He chuckled. The sound was surprisingly warm.

"No. I oversee all ship creation over this island — trade, common, and warships alike. Nations submit their commissions and the Crystal Corps see them through." His expression sobered. "There’s no way I can even be the King of the Continent. Not with those waterlands bastards and their outrageous strength."

He looked at me again. His hand was still extended.

"Are you going to let my hand keep hanging?"

I took his hand and shook it carefully, still wondering where all of this was going.

"You’re an Otherworlder." He said it like it explained everything. "If there’s one thing in my line of business that I believe I must do, it is make contact with an Otherworlder. I’d like to be your contact too. Call me when you need something. Let’s owe each other once or twice, okay?"

I glanced at Levi and Tristan, skepticism written all over my face.

"Uhm... okay."

He smiled. Genuine this time.

"Neve said you’re called Cade."

I nodded.

"That’s a strange and convenient name. Were you named out of convenience?"

I scratched the back of my neck.

"To be honest, I wouldn’t put it past my father."

Baraka laughed, pointing at me.

"You got it, you got it. I like you already."

He glanced at Levi and his expression soured. Then he turned back to me.

"Whatever you do, be careful of this man. Measure yourself whenever you let him loose on you, or else..."

He sighed and tapped my arm.

"Anyways, be good." He turned away. "I’ll put you on a ship to Ashara. Follow me."

I glanced at the others, who had been silent this whole time. When his steps started moving, they moved too.

It was strange, how he singled me out. How he wanted a connection with just me. Most people would have stared at Kassie, but he didn’t even glance at her.

It made me wonder.

’Exactly what value do Otherworlders have in this place...?’

By now it was crystal clear that my classmates and I were not the first to arrive in this world. The question I now had was different: how valuable exactly were we?

Valuable enough that even me — the F rank — made a Managing Director of a company that built ships for nations want to be my contact.

And influential enough that Levi could treat this man like this without consequence.

Who exactly was Levi?