Chapter 17: Flying Car
"You need to be careful in there. Even though you know Mr. Asoli well, you'll never know what the people in the slums can do," Zara gently stroked Aslan's cheek, concern evident in her eyes.
"I understand, dear. Don't worry; don't you remember that I used to be one of them before?" Aslan smiled casually.
Zara nodded with a slightly relieved smile. She turned to Aliana, who was trying to avert her gaze from her parents' overly sweet affection. Zara patted Aliana's head firmly, speaking seriously, "You must always listen to your father, okay? Don't trouble him there, and always be cautious. Don't accept anything or trust anyone."
"I understand," Aliana nodded. She had heard enough about the dangers of the Slum District. Zara, Aslan, and their school friends always portrayed the slums as if they were haunted houses.
Zara looked back at Aslan, staring at her husband with eyes filled with worry. Aslan, still with his gentle smile, pulled Zara's neck towards him, their lips meeting in an intimate kiss, inappropriate enough for the children to witness. Aliana tried to distance herself from the couple, as if to say she didn't recognize them.
While she had seen her parents kiss before, Aliana never expected them to remain affectionate in a public place like this. They weren't at home but at a busy street intersection. Zara and Aslan's public display of affection caused the faces of onlookers to blush, and they reflexively turned away.
What embarrassed Aliana even more was...
'Why use tongue? Can't you just give a quick peck and be done with it? the sound is so loud!!!'
Thinking that these two were her parents, Aliana wished she were born into a different family. She didn't want to be thought of as having the same habits as her parents. She vowed that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree is a terribly wrong proverb. She never imagined that one day she would engage in public displays of affection.
After what felt like an eternity for Aliana and just before Zara's hand could squeeze Aslan's ass, their lips parted. With a red face, Aslan looked left and right as if realizing they were in a public place. He shyly hid his face in Zara's chest, stealing a glance at his wife with an annoyed look. Zara grinned at her embarrassed husband, while Aliana sought a place to vomit her breakfast.
"Okay... um... I have to leave before I'm really late... call me when you reach the slums," Zara said, looking at her watch.
Aslan nodded and replied, "Hmm... you also call me when you reach the mine..."
"Hmm... be careful..."
"You be careful at work too..."
"Okay, I'll go now..."
"Okay... take care..."
"You too..."
"Hmm... you too..."
"Hmm… you too…"
*Kissing sound!
"Call me when reaching slum okay? Be careful…"
"You too, be careful at work…"
"I will miss you…"
"I will miss you more…"
"No, me more…"
"me…"
*Kissing sound!
"Hmm… Love you…"
"Love you more…"
"No, me more!"
"Me!"
Aliana wiped her lips with her sleeve and stared at Aslan and Zara, who still hadn't moved from where they stood. This was a normal morning ritual at their home, where Aslan and Zara would perform this farewell ceremony until Zara was running late for work. However, the embarrassment Aliana felt multiplied when she realized she wasn't the only audience.
"Dad, we have to leave now! Don't make Mr. Asoli wait! Mom, you should go to work too, don't be late again!" In a hurry and with a reddened face, Aliana grabbed Aslan's sleeve and dragged him away from Zara.
"Oh.. Uh.. Okay... see you soon, my darling!!" Aslan waved his hand in the air.
"See you soon!!" Zara also waved her hand in the air.
Aliana walked faster, pulling Aslan harder.
Have loving family they say…
It's fun they say…
Aliana pulled Aslan into the flying car and chose seats for both of them. The car was quite empty, making it easy to find vacant seats. Aliana opted for a window seat; she had never seen Mine City from the air before, and this might be her first experience. Aslan still gazed in the direction of the street intersection as if he could still see Zara, who had long since disappeared.
His eyes seemed lonely, and his contemplative expression clearly showed his longing for his wife. Aliana was sure that Zara had a similar expression because this was what happened every morning when Zara left for work. Sometimes she felt envious of the love her parents had for each other. However, she quickly realized that she was starting to be influenced by this overly affectionate couple.
"Dad, we'll meet Mom again at dinner!" grumbled Aliana. Fortunately, no one else was around them; otherwise, Aslan's expression would be mistaken for someone who had just gone through a divorce. Ugh... truly annoying and... envy-inducing.
"Hahaha... I know, dear. It's just that working in the mines can sometimes be very dangerous... I worry about your mother," complained Aslan.
'Is pressing a button and watching the machine work really that dangerous?' Aliana muttered in her heart.
"Ah... Is this your first time riding the flying car?"
"Hmm... You forbid me from riding it alone," nodded Aliana.
"I forbid you because the flying car is filled with many passengers. Your small body could get squeezed by adults," Aslan replied to his daughter's protest.
"Filled with many passengers?" Aliana looked around them; the car they were on was still empty despite the imminent departure.
"People in the Miner District don't like to go to the Slum District, so the train heading there has few passengers. But the trains heading elsewhere are always full, especially the ones going to the mines," Aslan explained.
"Dad, is the Slum District really as terrifying as they say?"
"Hmm... In your imagination, what does the Slum District look like?" Aslan asked in return.
"A squalid place where the poor gather, making the crime rate high," Aliana replied based on her previous world knowledge and people's stories.
"Hmm... The crime rate in the Slum District is indeed high, but not because it's a squalid place or has many poor people. The Slum District has a high crime rate because it's populated by criminals!"
"Criminals?"
"Yup, based on Morrowind's law. Everyone must obtain an identity card to settle on this planet. However, to get an identity card, one must serve Morrowind for more than 20 years or work as a miner for 15 years. Well... the Slum District is where those who don't have an identity card and don't want to serve Morrowind or become miners end up! So, they are considered criminals," answered Aslan.
"Doesn't that mean they are illegal residents? Why doesn't the Morrowind government arrest them and destroy the Slum District?" Aliana asked.
"That's because the Slum District is very useful for those living in the Noble District. I've told you before who the real rulers of Morrowind are, haven't I?"
"Hmm... Morrowind belongs to the Mahendra Family," nodded Aliana.
"Almost every business in the Slum District is connected to the Mahendra Family, so the Morrowind government wouldn't dare to disturb them. Thus, the Slum District still stands until now. However, due to its complexity and the various types of werebeasts present, the Slum District has become a very dangerous place. For example, when you're casually walking in the evening, you might suddenly get hit by a stray psionic bullet due to a gang war," Aslan explained with a smile, as if reminiscing about something.
Aslan's nostalgic expression revealed to Aliana that her father had also been a resident of the Slum District. Aliana didn't need to ask why the Noble District had a connection with the Slum District; someone associated with power would undoubtedly have slightly dirty hands. Just like when she was still the Lady Boss, she also used some connections with the underworld to facilitate her business or make the competition fairer.
"So, who is this Mr. Asoli in the Slum District?" Aliana continued her question while listening to the departure bell of the train. Feeling the humming gravitational engine beneath her feet, Aliana's body suddenly felt like it was flying for a moment before returning to normal.
"Mr. Asoli is one of the rulers of the Slum District. He have a wife name Aseli. They are twin cat beasts who have lived in Morrowind a few years after Sarala Mahendra took over..."
Aliana prepared herself for a tingling sensation or buzzing in her ears, but she felt nothing. The flying car ascended smoothly, without a single vibration, and the discomfort was less greater than when riding an elevator. Aliana took this opportunity to glance out the window.
Aslan continued his explanation, "They used to be servants working for the Felicity Clan, but for some reason, they resigned. Currently, Mrs. Aseli works under the Nihila Group and is assigned to the Slum District. Mr. Asoli formed his own gang called the Felix Gang; they control the one-third trade on Slum District, like mercenaries, prostitution, and various other businesses. Due to Mrs. Aseli's status as an employee of the Nihila Group, a subordinate of the Mahendra Family, no other gang dares to touch Felix Gang."
Slowly, the appearance of Miner City began to emerge as the flying car ascended. By the time the flying car reached its half-elevation, half of Miner City could be seen. Aliana's eyes were filled with the beautiful sight of the city she called home, and she was amazed at how different it was from what she had imagined.
She had imagined that a world with more advanced technology would have towering skyscrapers filling every side. However, the height of the buildings she saw in Miner City was no more than the skyscrapers in her previous world. But before she could ask, Aslan had already answered.
"Morrowind is a planet with strong winds, making it very difficult to build buildings taller than 200 meters. To compensate for this limitation, buildings are not constructed upwards but downwards. The underground floors of the largest building in Miner City reach up to 100 floors. That building is the administration building for the baradium mine. Perhaps if we have time, I'll take you there for a visit. With the connections your mother has now, I think it will be easy to get permission to take you on a tour," Aslan stopped his story about Mr. Asoli after seeing Aliana's eyes sparkling with questions.
"Administration for the baradium mine? Didn't Mom offer me an internship there?" Aliana asked.
Aslan fell silent for a moment, turned towards Aliana, and looked at her seriously. "Aliana, do you want to accept that internship offer?"
Aslan's seriousness made Aliana understand why her father rejected the idea of her working in the mine. Aliana knew that danger was not the real reason for his refusal. Despite Aslan's concern for Zara working in the mine, he must be well aware that the job was not as dangerous as he claimed. With the technology Morrowind possessed, mining jobs no longer required manual labor. Advanced machines were in place to replace the risks that miners used to bear, and all they needed to do was monitor from a computer screen.
"Father, what's going on?" Aliana asked.
"The reason I want you to meet Mr. Asoli and work under him is because he is the person who understands what is happening to you right now," Aslan replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Mr. Asoli is the one who informed me about 'they.' Do you understand what I mean?"
"What?!?"
"Knowledge about 'They' is not common; in fact, it is considered taboo in this world. There are various stories about the wrath of heaven for those who try to delve into it. However, there was a clan that attempted to unlock its secrets without fear of the consequences. Eventually, that clan was annihilated, and all its members were horrifically died with no one knowing the cause. But knowledge about 'They' did not just disappear. Some servants of that clan survived the disaster and passed down the knowledge."
"Are you a descendant of those surviving servants, Dad?"
"No, but Mr. Asoli and Mrs. Aseli are descendants of the surviving servants of that clan," Aslan answered.
"If you're not a descendant of that clan, then why did Mr. Asoli tell you about it?" Aliana asked.
Aslan fell silent for a moment before sighing. His face was filled with doubt, as if weighing whether he should reveal something or not. But Aslan made his decision and opened his mouth. "Aliana, I will tell you who I really am. But I understand if, after hearing this, you feel repulsed. Know, however, that there is nothing and no one in this world that I love more than your mother and you!" His voice sounded hoarse but determined.
"Okay..." Aliana felt she was mature enough to hear any gruesome or repulsive story without raising an eyebrow.
"I come from one of the noble families with royal blood, Regalis Pride!"
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