American Isekai - Chapter 108 (Patreon)

I took one of the elevators up the Verga Tower, heading to the 60th floor.

Once I arrived, both him and Umara were there. Behind them was an entire open floor that went from wall to wall, tall glass panes giving a view of the city all around us, and massive columns scattered around the floor to support the other half of the building above us.

I smiled.

“Hey man. Thanks for helping us out.”

“Please, I’m just glad you finally get to see my home! Welcome!”

“One hell of a home…”

We clasped hands and hugged for a moment before I separated and looked at Umara.

“Everything settle alright?”

“Of course. Vetsmon prepared us a room  up above. How was your business?”

“It went well. Tomorrow my mentor’s friend will concoct the Crown, and the day after is when I’ll be getting the operation.”

“So soon?”

Vetsmon blurted in surprise.

When I nodded, he thought for a second.

“Crowns can take weeks, even months to make depending on their complexity and power. So either your Crown is being made by the best Alchemist around, or it’s weak. Are you sure the man your mentor recruited is good?”

“Don’t worry about that. He’s reliable. I apologize if I can’t give any details right now, but no matter what, it’s going to be a good Crown.”

“If you’re sure. Come on, my parents are waiting for you. I told them you were coming.”

“Mm.”

I followed Vetsmon as he took us up several more floors, something that required a badge that he held. It sported the symbol of the Verga Paladin Peerage.

It was a hall that greeted us on arrival, floors of red felt carpet and statues that lined the white walls.

At the end of the hall was a large pair of doors, which I had seen a lot of today. We pushed through those and entered a huge room with all kinds of furniture meant for lounging. It was a living room the size of an entire property.

And on one set of grand chairs in the center were Vetsmon’s parents, who stood to greet us.

I smiled while we walked toward each other in greeting.

“Mr. and Mrs. Verga, a pleasure to see you again.”

“The pleasure is ours, John.”

Once close enough, the father and I shook hands. The mother, who was still as tall as I was, went in for a hug.

After we embraced for a second, she spoke with a grin.

“We continue to hear so much about you, even beyond our son. You can’t seem to keep your head low, eh?”

“Heh, unfortunately my exceptionalism makes that difficult.”

“Haha, well, I at least find great joy in hearing about such an amazing summoner. You’re bringing some long overdue pride to our name. So long as you can, keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Of course, Madam. I’ll make sure Vetsmon relays all of the spicy details.”

We both laughed for a moment before the father waved.

“Please, let us sit. We wanted a small bit of your time to… catch up. And to welcome you to the Holy See. I understand it’s your first time here.”

“Mm.”

We all walked over to a circle of couches, Vetsmon sitting between myself and his parents, and Umara sitting by my side.

“I’ve only seen one city that can compare to the grandeur of this one.”

“Let me guess. The Whetted City?”

“That’s the one.”

“If I may ask, what do you think when you compare the two?”

“Well…”

I thought about the main differences between these cities. There were few, but one difference made this place a level greater than the Whetted City.

“Both of them have some amazing architecture and art. I had this discussion with Umara, but this kind of culture and wondrous capital instil a great sense of pride into all who view it. It distinguishes itself by its achievement. But this place doesn’t just have the culture and statues. It also has the religious devotion that a lone community can’t compare to. It elevates the unity of the population, not to mention the benefit of the virtue it promotes.”

“Mm, I couldn’t have said it better myself. This city rivals the Kingdom’s capital in every way. In fact, many often debate about whether or not humanity is a people of the Kingdom or a people of the Church. Many say that it’s a conflict between the two, but I would argue that there’s nothing to fight about. The people are of the Church, that much is certain. And nobles are not of the people. That’s where the only conflict lies.”

“I would agree.”

I had a small smile while relaxing back into the couch.

“I have my own personal hatred for the nobility, but regardless, it’s clear to everyone that those of such status live in a separate world from the rest of the population. It’s only natural, of course. But that disconnect will inevitably breed hostility between the classes.”

“Why do you say it’s of natural course? Although today’s nobility is corrupt, there have been times when it was not so. They lead the people. In fact, we do the same here at the Holy See. 8 Towers that act as the fingers of God to protect the world from evil. But that does not make us separate from the rest of the population. We are one cohesive whole.”

“What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but I’m of the mind that the very nature of this world both necessitates and inevitably leads to the disconnect between all forms of nobility and the rest of the people, a disconnect that, unfortunately, means the people will never have any form of independence.”

I habitually took out a cigar as I spoke, lightning it before taking a few puffs in pause.

I resumed as a plume of smoke rose into the air.

“You needn’t look any further for the answer to why than magic itself. Magic creates the Magus, and the Magus, forced by the hostility of nature, must rise to power and fight back. Disregarding everything else, this fact means that the Magus wields power that the rest of the people will never be capable of fighting against. And so he becomes king by default. No matter if he is a benevolent king or a tyrant, he will always be king. And how can a king be of the people? That’s the very antithesis to what a king is.”

“Hm, this is true. But you speak as if it is a bad thing when it is the only reason humanity exists and can fight against the Scourge.”

“Yes, Magi are essential. But let’s consider the fact that it’s the Scourge that holds the corrupt Magi in check. Hate them all you want, but the Scourge is what occupies the ultra-powerful in this world. Without the Scourge, those powerful Magi have nothing to do with themselves. And so, as humans naturally seek conflict, they turn on each other. I can already see it. The war, the tyrants, the absolute control the Magi would have over the ordinary. It would be a nation ruled by the hands of a select few…”

I drifted off, just imagining the bleak dystopian society in a world where power only enhanced the capabilities of tyrants. Because here, absolute power truly was absolute. On Earth, it was always just a facade that a single well placed bullet was capable of tearing down with impunity.

Human nature was a fickle thing. Conflict was written into our DNA. Humanity couldn’t go 10 seconds without something to fight against, and if they did, they would soon create that something. It was why things could never be too good. It was why a Utopia was just that, a Utopia, an ideal, forever unachievable, eternally hoped for.

So in a way, in this world, the Scourge could be considered a good thing. They were an enemy to fight against, something to unite humanity. And while there were internal conflicts, they would never be allowed to escalate too much because there was always an existential enemy on your doorstep. It kept everyone in check, because even the tyrants understood that they couldn’t rule over everything if everyone was dead.

I looked at Vetsmon’s father, of whom I still didn’t know the name, with focused eyes.

“Just as the pride of your city’s architecture and religion unites your people, so do your enemies. You have distinction because there are those who stand against you, or beyond you. But take that away, and the only thing you are capable of distinguishing yourself against is your fellow man. Remove the one thing that prevents you from taking over the world, and realize that someone else has another idea of how the world should be taken over. What then, other than war?”

“...”

Nobody responded for a moment, all pondering my words.

It was a scary future, and so much as thinking about it invited some dangerous ideas.

If you hoped to defeat the Scourge, then you had no choice but to think about the aftermath. You needed to think about a world ruled exclusively by humanity, and what that would entail. And so, this world would enter an era that humanity on Earth had fought wars over for thousands of years.

To refuse to think about such things would imply that you didn’t believe the Scourge would ever be defeated. It was true that one needed to come before the other, but figuring that out would be just as important a task as defeating the Scourge was.

The Scourge was hated because it was out to kill humanity. But how different would this world ruled exclusively by humanity actually be? It was likely that, if they weren’t capable of coming to a consensus, it would be just as bad, if not worse.

“To ask all of humanity to govern itself under a single set of rules is an impossible task, just as it is preventing an unchecked noble class from becoming tyrannical.”

“...It’s a lot to think about, isn’t it?”

I heard a chuckle come from Vetsmon’s father, making me snap out of my dystopian mood and smile.

“Yes, it is. Thankfully I have plenty of time in the future to do so.”

“Indeed. By the way, I don’t believe we’ve properly introduced ourselves. Last time, we got sidetracked.”

He stood, putting out his hand.

“My name is Ignatius Verga, Lord of the Verga Peerage. This is my wife.”

“Willow Verga. It is a pleasure to befriend a wise young man such as yourself.”

“John Cooper, and the pleasure is mine.”

I shook both of their hands, finally having a formal introduction.

We sat back down with smiles, Ignatius speaking first.

“I’d like to thank you for being an essential member of my son’s squad. It is clear that you have been an integral part in his survival and prosperity in recent months.”

“Of course, sir. And I couldn’t ask for a better knight to protect me. I’m frequently made painfully aware of my own mortality, but with Vetsmon there, I find confidence knowing I can entrust my back to someone.”

I reached over and pat the man’s shoulder, making him smirk.

Ignatius shifted his gaze to Umara.

“And I hope the young lady is doing alright, given the recent pressure?”

“Of course, Lord Verga. I’m very lucky to have multiple people who support me. I at least know that I can find true friendship in those I entrust my back to.”

“And I take pride in the fact that my son is proving to be a reliable man and fighter. I know you all only have one more trip to the frontlines, and that your paths may diverge afterward. But I sincerely hope that all of you are able to create some everlasting bonds. I would argue that there are few things as important as friends you can trust.”

“I would agree.”

I nodded with a smile, Ignatius standing with his wife.

“Now, it’s getting late. I’m sure you’ve all had a long day so allow Vetsmon to show you your room.”

“Thank you for the hospitality.”

“Of course. Enjoy your stay, and if there’s anything you need, let us know.”

With that, the discussion ended, all of us retreating for the night.

Vetsmon showed Umara and I our rooms, before retiring himself. The two of us were left to ourselves on the 70th floor of the Tower with an incredible glass wall view of the nightime city.

There were some attendants to take care of us, basically room service, and so we were able to order ourselves a dinner.

After all was said and done, I stood in front of the glass wall, taking in the view. I had seen several of these kinds of views, and yet I felt like I could stare all night.

That’s when I suddenly had a thought.

“Umara, I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“How would anybody know if we had sex?”

“W-wow, that’s sudden.”

I could hear her stutter, caught off guard by the explicit question.

When she received, she went silent in thought. I let her ponder before hearing her question in response.

“You said you come from another place without magic, so I can assume you don’t understand what happens when a virginity is taken.”

“Anything special other than the hymen break?”

“Yes. Sex between Magi rarely results in children, but there’s a special phenomenon that helps surpass that, and it’s why keeping your virginity until marriage is so important. It’s called the Inception, and it's established the first time a couple has sex when at least one virgin is involved. It tends to be the woman who maintains her virginity in noble society, but it’s even better when both parties are virgins.”

“So this process helps have children?”

“It vastly increases the chances until the first born comes, yes. After that it diminishes.”

“I see. Now, how do you know when the inception occurs?”

I asked with a bit of nerve. Rayla was my first partner in this world but not my first in my life. Neither of us were virgins, but I just wanted to be sure I didn’t miss anything since I didn’t know if my virginity was somehow magically reset when I came to this world.

Umara pondered a bit more.

“...I’ve only heard about it, but it’s said that it’s like your bodies fuse for a bit. That and there’s a lot of heat.”

“Interesting.”

I rubbed my chin. That definitely didn’t happen with Rayla. Sure there was heat, but that was body heat and the alcohol. I assumed what Umara was talking about was different.

That said, at the time, I had only been Authority 2. I didn’t even know if that whole sex system had been effective at the time. Since then I had come a long way and I would be advancing even more before Umara and I got married.

Not to mention, I wasn’t sure how Psyka was supposed to affect my fertility. I could understand if it was Vigor, even Mana. But not the power of the mind. Though, I did have a bit of the other two in me, as did Umara with our Temperings.

Well, it would be something to figure out when the time came to cross that bridge. However, I decided that since we were on the topic, it would be a good time to bring up.

After some silence, I turned to her.

“Given that information, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Yes?”

She tilted her head at me, the small spike in anxiety clear in her Aura.

“Well, I’m not a virgin.”

“...”

“I lost it a long time ago, well before I arrived in the Kingdom. I told you that I had relationships before, and a couple of those involved sex. If you really want to know the details, I lost my virginity when I was 15.”

“That young?!”

She blurted out in astonishment, making me nod.

“Yea. Let’s just say the culture there is pretty different from here. It’s not so uncommon for kids that age to be having sex, though looking back on it, I wish I hadn’t just based on principle.”

“...That’s insane. Even ordinary people don’t usually get married until at least their 20s.”

“Hm, I thought it would be younger. Unfortunately, that’s only part of my history. I’d like you to know this now, but I did have sex with one person one time not long after I arrived in the Kingdom. You know on our first trip, that girl who had come to see me off?”

“...You didn’t.”

Her face fell, anxiety getting replaced with a slight tinge of aggression.

I diverted my gaze a bit.

“Yea, we did. I was Authority 2 at the time and it was during my first Gala. Well, we had been working together for a month or so and we had gotten really drunk. Or, at least I did”

“You work with her?!”

“I don’t work much anymore, but yes. But you can rest assured. There was no such thing as Inception, and even afterward, once she learned that you and I were together after we came back from the first trip, she basically never talked to me again.”

I let out a sigh as Umara processed the news. It was one thing if I had a distant history. It was another if one of my partners was recent, and someone she had met.

But thinking back to that whole fiasco had me a bit depressed. Beyond all else, Rayla was a good friend. I didn’t like how things ended, not that being at the Magisterium helped.

I could feel Umara’s steely gaze on me as my mind drifted, snapping out of it when I heard her taught voice.

“What, are you thinking about her?”

“Mhm. All I can say is that the situation then had been… complicated. I don’t like how things went, but it’s done now. We haven’t talked in months.”

“...Ugh!”

Umara stood and stomped off to the kitchen, making my brows raise as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol.

“Are you okay?”

“Shut up! How complicated was it? Why do you look so depressed?”

“She’s a widow. She lost her husband to the Scourge.”

“...”

Umara froze, bottle in hand, as I continued.

“He was converted as well, came back as a monster and had to be put down. To say she was traumatized is an understatement. And I guess at the time I had felt too much pity.”

“...Fuck.”

She set the bottle down, standing there with her head lowered.

Then I heard a sniffle, watching as she wiped away a tear.

My head tilted a bit. She was crying.

“What’s wrong?”

“She never deserved that. Nobody does. And just thinking about how it’s possible scares me.”

“Yea, me too. But someone has to fight and take that risk. Even when they don’t want to.”

I walked over to Umara, putting my hands around her face and lifting it.

“Putting that aside, I’m sorry. This changes nothing, and we both know that. I love you, and there’s nobody else I want to spend the rest of my life with. But I didn’t want that to be a secret, lest it be divulged later and cause an even bigger problem. It wouldn’t be fair to you otherwise. Now, you know almost everything about me.”

“...Almost?”

She glanced into my eyes with a glint, making me chuckle.

“Yes, almost. For one, I’ve got a lot of blood on my hands from my time in the black market. I haven’t told you just how much, but we’ll come back to that later. As for the other detail… well, that’ll be left for when we get married. But who knows, perhaps you’ll figure it out before then.”

“Okay, now you’ve made me curious. Just tell me.”

“Sorry, my dear, but I need to retain at least some of my mystery. I can’t have you getting bored of me, after all.”

I pat her cheek before giving her a quick kiss on the forehead.

After that, I went to bed, shelving the topic and giving her some time to think.