He relaxed his body as he lay on the bed, enjoying the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. It felt as though a literal ton had been lifted from his body, leaving him light enough to float wherever he pleased. Closing his eyes for the first time in a very long while, he had pleasant, gentle dreams.
...
Gantz skipped dinner and ended up waking the following morning. The sun streamed through the window, illuminating his body, which was clad in a simple white shirt and blue sweatpants. After tending to his morning routine, he headed down to the living room via the grand circular staircase, where he found the family gathered on the sofas, one on each side of the room. The fireplace was lit, warming the spacious environment.
— "Hey! It's about time, sleepyhead! Wait... you look different. I don't know..." Vincente rose from the sofa, lifting Galadriel off him. He stepped closer and noticed that Gantz seemed taller, with an austere complexion and bright, clear eyes.
— "Did you wash your hair? It looks shinier."
— "My holy mana, Vincente! Is that what you paid attention to?"
— "Oh, your voice is clearer and stronger too! Like one of those nobles!"
— "Never mind that," Gantz waved his hand in dismissal. — "So, I have a present for the kids." The three of them looked at him curiously, their eyes sparkling.
He walked over to Galadriel and touched his forehead, then ran his hand through his hair and did the exact same to Mazaniel before finishing by ruffling Esmeralda's blonde hair.
— "Is that the present? A head scratch?" Mazaniel asked, standing up with his hands on his hips.
Everyone laughed at the little boy's expression. — "Perhaps, little Mazaniel. That is something you all will have to discover on your own."
Gantz dragged his friend into the study, closed the wooden door, and sat in the visitor's chair, looking at Vincente as if telling him to sit in his own executive seat.
— "Okay," Vincente said, walking to the other side of the desk and settling into his luxurious chair. — "So, what's the matter?"
— "I believe I'm ready to go. But before I do, I'd like to give you something." Opening his hand, he revealed a small, glowing blue sphere. — "I made this after making a few adjustments to some of the magic that belonged to Olete. Basically, I converted muscle and visual memories into keywords—each syllable containing a specific type of information. Separated, they are just a collection of random data, but when they interact with the host's imagination process, they create images and sounds. This allows me to transfer them to anyone I wish." Gantz pondered as he looked at his first achievement using magic.
— "What would that be?"
— "There is a good amount of knowledge in here that can help you survive better in the underworld."
Vincente stared at him for a moment, then grabbed the sphere, which vanished upon contact with his skin.
— "Where did it go?"
— "Don't worry, it's inside you now. Over time, it will release information while you sleep; it will just feel like lucid dreams."
— "Is that what you gave the kids?"
— "Just a little nudge to help them along life's treacherous path. Don't worry, there are no side effects."
— "Relax, I'm sure if it were something bad, you wouldn't risk it. When do you plan to leave?"
— "Today."
— "Today? Without a farewell party? Not even a dinner, at least? No way! The kids are going to be sad!"
— "Vincente, they barely know me."
— "But they already love you. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the city gates with one of the best carriages I can find!"
— "Okay, let's do it that way. But I don't want a carriage. Geremia has been inside the ring for too long, and I want to take him out for a spin."
— "The donkey? But he's far more unpleasant than a luxury carriage!"
— "Forget it, trust me. Geremia is enough."
The afternoon was cool and sunny. They spent the entire day in the backyard playing and eating ice cream. They also swam in the lake that flowed at the back of the grove, caught some fish and grilled them on the barbecue, and explored the surroundings, watching colorful birds come and go before returning home, dirty and exhausted from a beautiful and pleasant day. At night, they had a marvelous dinner filled with various dishes like fish, chicken, pork, and beef. Afterward, they ate a delicious flan pudding and played hide-and-seek until the moon was high in the sky. The children hugged Gantz and went to sleep, and Vincente gave Gantz a fist bump on the arm before entering his own room.
Gantz stood there for a moment, looking at the closed doors, simply savoring the wonderful feeling he was experiencing right then, because he knew he wouldn't have this for a long time.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't envious—or rather, possessed a desire to have what Vincente has. Who knows, maybe one day?
...
He woke up and did his usual routine. He went downstairs, and everyone was already waiting for him at the door.
Mazaniel ran up to his legs and hugged them. — "Uncle, can't you stay?" His eyes began to well up with tears.
— "I have things that only I can do, which is why I have to go. But that doesn't mean I won't come back."
— "Can't someone else do it for you?"
— "I don't know, Mazaniel, and that's exactly why I must go. Sometimes we have to do what we don't want to do."
— "Is it like brushing your teeth before going to bed?" — "Yeah," Gantz laughed, — "it's pretty much like that."
He picked Mazaniel up in his arms while Galadriel grabbed his left hand. They climbed into the carriage and headed down the road toward the city gate, taking in the landscape he had enjoyed during the brief time he spent there.
— "Goodbye, crazy city," he muttered to himself as the buildings vanished from his view.
They parked the carriage alongside the city's gigantic wall, and everyone climbed down. Gantz noticed the boys wanted to cry. He ran his hand over their heads and hugged Esmeralda and Vincente. He waved his hand, and the great animal was summoned. The donkey shook his beautiful, glossy coat, appearing to stretch himself out. He looked at Gantz and gave him a bite on the hand.
— "Ouch! Geremia! Come on!"
The children laughed as they ran over to hug the donkey.
— "He looks a lot handsomer than I remembered," Vincente said, running his hands over the animal's soft coat.
Geremia brayed, lifting his broad neck proudly.
— "Okay, okay, it's time for us to head out. I want to cover a few kilometers today."
They hugged once more. Gantz was given a wide-brimmed black hat with silver details along the edges and folded at the top. Combined with his black leather cloak, it made him look quite intimidating, despite the cute face of the small donkey he rode. He turned the animal and bolted down the road, leaving a massive trail of dust that covered the entire path.
— "My mana! How is he so fast?!" Vincente exclaimed, wiping his face and spitting dust from his mouth.
The children laughed. Mazaniel tugged at his father's hand, looking up at him with his bright, haughty blue eyes.
— "What is it?"
— "I want a super donkey!"
— "I think there's only one super donkey, son. We'll have to wait for him to have offspring first."
— "Then a normal one for now!"
— "Hmm, alright. But you're going to take care of him, and when I say take care, I mean being truly responsible! If you forget to feed him, I'll let him starve to death! Do you hear me?!"
— "You got it."
Despite Vincente's doubts, Mazaniel received his donkey and began waking up early every day to clean, feed, and walk the animal. Even though it wasn't as handsome as Gantz's beast, the little donkey impressed anyone who laid eyes on it.
...
Unlike the last time he traveled, everything was far more peaceful. He covered several kilometers before stopping near a river to rest in the shade of a tree. Geremia drank water while his master ate sandwiches the children had made for him. When he raised his head, he spotted tiny green creatures gathered in a small group, catching fish.
Goblins. Looks like I'm already far from the city if these little things are starting to appear. The size of a ten-year-old child, with green or brown hairless skin, black eyes, black claws, two rows of sharp teeth, and hermaphroditic. Goblins were known for being one of the most prolific races; they could be spotted almost anywhere and possessed an intelligence equivalent to a young child's.
I'd better not fall asleep. Even though they are scavengers more than hunters, the little ones can be quite dangerous in large numbers, especially to ordinary humans.
One of them whirled a stone in the air using some kind of cured leather sling. The stone struck the tree just a bit above Gantz's head.
He stopped smiling, picked up a stone the size of his fist that lay beside him, and hurled it.
The object zipped across the river with a whistle and struck the little green creature square in the head, sending him falling backward onto the ground, where he remained still.
The other creatures jumped around and shook their clenched fists at him while dragging their friend back into the forest.