Chapter 125. New business

Everyone was in a really good mood that day because the weather was so sunny. Except for Riki, who was in a panic but was still trying to stay cheerful and keep quiet about the information Athena had just shared.

Riki planned to tell Kaivan and Zeno at the right moment. But he was still wondering when that right moment would be.

That morning, before setting off, the three handsome young men, of course, cooked breakfast and prepared provisions for the road. There would certainly be plenty of food vendors around the tourist spots, but the food might not suit their tastes. Especially Kaivan, who ate a lot but was actually quite picky about food. Only Riki and Zeno were flexible enough about food and not picky.

Preparing the provisions was quite enjoyable, since Riki could also make some treats for his fairy, who was feeling down. Athena was currently at the fairy sanctuary, along with Twaila and Keira. Still, Riki felt he had to make something that would lift the fairies’ spirits.

As it happens, the fairies love sweet treats, so Riki made apple pie and blueberry pie. He also made tiramisu and brownies. Meanwhile, Zeno and Kaivan prepared dishes using beef and chicken, such as fried chicken, hamburgers, and other items.

They intentionally made a bit extra so they could share some with the villa’s guards as well.

[By the way, Master, you’re ready to start another mission, right? How long have I been waiting for you to recover mentally?]

That was the message on the hologram screen that suddenly appeared in front of Riki, complete with its robotic voice.

Riki remained silent at that moment, wondering whether he was ready to start a mission or not, but he felt he was ready.

[Are you ready?]

[In that case, you can carry out the last mission you didn’t get a chance to complete—you only managed to choose one small town.]

Riki furrowed his brow, not quite understanding what the system meant.

[Oh my gosh.]

[This is the last mission the system postponed for you.]

[New mission! You must go to one of the small towns and start a business there.]

[The system doesn’t restrict what kind of business you want to start there, but it must benefit the residents of that small town. Take advantage of the town’s natural beauty for your business as well.]

[Find someone in that small town to run your business. You have one month to complete this mission. You can also take a vacation there and relax.]

[This mission was postponed due to an unexpected event.]

"Uh... Anton has already prepared a list of cities to choose from... wait a minute, it looks like he even sent something with all the information about the city he chose," Riki muttered, then he looked for the document Anton had sent on the very day the chaos broke out.

After Riki read and examined it carefully, he realized that the city Anton had chosen was the very one Riki was currently visiting—a small town with countless natural vistas, perfect for tourists.

Riki smiled; he knew he wouldn’t have to start a business all by himself in that small town. There were Zeno and Kaivan, the sons of a conglomerate with plenty of connections. That was why Riki always made sure to befriend people who were his equals.

Zeno and Kaivan were friends with Riki and surely gained something useful from him, and vice versa. But Riki knew that both of them were genuinely his friends, and he was genuinely their friend as well.

Besides, with his detection magic, Riki could tell if someone had bad intentions.

Hmm, detection magic, huh?

Why, on that day of chaos, couldn’t Riki detect the remnants of the demon’s soul clinging to Liz? But it seems Athena still has a more detailed explanation for this. Riki would have to be patient to get that information.

For now, he has to focus on Zeno and Kaivan first.

Riki plans to put off telling them about the demon; he’ll prioritize convincing his two friends to start a business together in that small town. Only after the information is clear will Riki tell them both—especially Kaivan, who has the most right to know since he’s Liz’s twin brother.

"For now, I’ll start with this one mission. Make sure there are no other missions except for emergency ones, because I haven’t fully recovered mentally yet and I have a lot of work to do," Riki muttered.

[Alright, since you have a lot of work, the system will limit your missions, except for emergency ones]

[Have a great vacation, master!]

***

"You said you wanted to start a business together? To boost this city’s economy?" asked Zeno, who was so excited to hear Riki mention a new business venture.

Kaivan himself was driving the Jeep, which was the best vehicle for the job since they’d be facing some pretty challenging terrain on their way to their destination.

"Yup! After seeing this little town firsthand, I’ve been thinking about starting a business here—what kind of business would be a good fit? And I want to bring you guys along, because it’d be fun to do it together, right?" said Riki.

"In that case, we should stay a little longer to figure out what kind of business would be suitable and helpful for the people around here. We’re really lucky because I know the mayor here. He’s a very honest guy—that’s why he isn’t exactly rich. You know what I mean, right? We can meet him tomorrow; today, let’s just walk around and take a look first," replied Kaivan.

"Wait a minute—do you guys actually agree with my suggestion?" asked Riki, confused, because Kaivan’s words made it sound like they’d already agreed, even though nothing had been decided yet.

Kaivan and Zeno laughed at that.

"What are you talking about, Rik? Of course we agree! I’ve wanted to start a new business for a long time, and it’d be so much fun to do it with you and Kaivan—how could I possibly turn down your proposal?" Zeno replied.

Kaivan nodded in agreement. "It’d be exciting if we did this together, don’t you think? Let’s just think of it as starting a business from scratch again."

Riki just chuckled at his two friends’ remarks, especially Kaivan’s.

It was impossible for the three of them to start from scratch, because from the very beginning, they’d already had substantial capital and good connections. But then again, Kaivan and Zeno’s idea of "starting from scratch" might be different from what Riki had in mind.

"We’re here. Do you guys want to head straight down, or go to the café first?" asked Kaivan, who had already parked the car in the lot.

Their destination was the waterfall; to get down there, they’d have to descend a steep set of stairs. However, from above, the view of the waterfall was clear and beautiful.

"Let’s check it out from up here first, Van," said Zeno.

Riki got out first, looking around with a big smile.

But his smile faded when he saw someone who looked quite familiar to him.

The figure turned around, then her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Riki there.

"Riki! Hey!" the girl, Ellaine, waved enthusiastically when she saw Riki there.