"Are you fucking kidding me?"

The hostility in Van's voice completely overpowered Charles's words, even causing some of the wildlife in the forest that was curiously watching them to run away. Van's hands started to vibrate, but not because he ordered them to do so. It took all of his strength to hold himself back from punching the old man in front of him straight in the face.

"No, I am not," Charles quickly shook his head as he answered Van's belligerent question, "We will kill you if you involve yourself in matters that--"

"I don't give a fuck about that," Van could not help but click his tongue as Charles's words just sounded like a yap to him, "How long have you known that Charlotte was here?"

"That doesn't matter," Charles once again shook his head. But once again, before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by Van.

"You know where she is, so why haven't you visited her even once?" Van continued, "Do you even know what's happening to your mother? She is slowly losing her mind. No one was there when pieces of herself were slowly being stripped away from her."

"...I was not aware that your relationship with my mother is enough to care this much," Charles let out a sigh as he once again stepped back, "Yes, I have known of her existence since a hundred years ago. A few years after I arrived in this... world."

"Then why didn't you at least try to make contact with her?"

"Because I did not want to involve her in what we are planning, Evans," Charles let out a sigh, "Victoria was right. You have just arrived in this place, you know nothing."

"W... wait, Victoria? Victoria is with you!?"

Hearing Charles's words, Van could not help but raise his voice, his stutters echoing through the dense forest.

"Yes, and so are a few of your friends," Charles nodded, "But it is better for you not to see them, Evans. Your paths have already diverged. Even if you meet with them, they are no longer the people you remember, Evans. None of us are."

"Where? Where are they!?"

"Do not involve yourself in this world, Evans. Just live peacefully like my mother," Charles then said as he once again stepped back, "Do not give your old friends the burden of having to plan to kill you... they are already shouldering so much."

"What?"

"You're still in Jotunheim. I don't know how fast you are, but please return to my mother as fast as possible. I know you won't do it, but please don't tell her of my existence. Fare thee well, young god...

...I hope we never see each other again in my lifetime."

And with that, Charles suddenly disappeared into thin air. The only thing that Van could do was stand there lost in thought. Trying to think of the meaning behind Charles's words one by one.

But after a few seconds of contemplating about it, he decided to make his way back to the Branch. He had to run high up into the sky, as Charles seemed to have taken him somewhere far. His eyes didn't have to travel far to see the edge of Jotunheim where the Branch attached itself to.

Van had given up thinking how this world was able to survive with its somewhat flat shape, but since he didn't even know how his old world worked with its spherical shape, he didn't really bother troubling himself with it.

And so, Van landed back on the ground and immediately headed in the direction of the Branch.

"Where did you suddenly run off to, High Human Van!?" Lorei quickly bombarded her with words as soon as he got back to the tavern, "Now I have to reheat the food I made for you, again. I might as well remake it since it won't taste as good."

"..." Van could only sigh as he watched Lorei running back to the kitchen. He doesn't know how it happened, but it suddenly felt like Lorei was becoming more and more like his assistant. He didn't exactly mind, but Lorei was almost treating him like some kind of superior since she thinks he is a High Human.

Well, he is a natural-born god, but she doesn't know that fact yet. He somewhat feels bad that he wouldn't really be able to repay her with all the things she's been doing… or could he?

Van then quickly shook his head of the thoughts he was having, as he made his way towards Charlotte, who was still busy serving drinks to her customers. But seeing the smile on her face, he decided to wait until most of the customers were gone until he tells her about her son… as well as her granddaughter's existence.

"High Human Van, here!"

Lorei then came out of the kitchen, immediately placing a plate on an empty table.

"I can just eat in the kitchen."

"It's okay, some of the customers have left now anyway," Lorei insisted as she gestured to Van to sit on the table.

"Really, you don't have to serve me, Miss Lorei," Van could only let out a sigh as he made his way to the table and started eating the meal that Lorei cooked for him. Although he keeps on saying that he doesn't want Lorei serving him, he would lie if he said that he wouldn't miss her cooking once she was gone.

Van then shut himself from all the noise in the tavern as he indulged himself in Lorei's cooking, allowing him to once again gather his thoughts from what Charles had said earlier.

If everything he said was the truth, then Charles had arrived here around a hundred years ago-- a far cry from the length of time that Charlotte had already spent in this place. As for Victoria and the friends that he mentioned, was it possible that Harvey and the others were with them?

And how was it even possible that Charles would still be alive after a hundred years, and only seemed to age like 20 years or so? Was it possible that they aged slower here? Or did it have something to do with his System?

Van continued to eat the stew that Lorei made as his thoughts wandered.

Since Victoria is here, did she and her father arrive at this place at the same time? If so, then she would have also spent a hundred years in this place. If that was the case, then Van thinking that they aged slower here was a possibility.

Van could only let out a long and deep sigh as he finished his food. All of his thoughts were meaningless unless he finds a way to meet them again. What was important right now is that he had all but confirmed that some of his friends were still here… all that was left was how and where to find them. And based on Charles's powers, they could be anywhere.

***

"Where did you go, father?"

"Eek!"

Charles appeared out from thin air, surrounded by a colorful batch of fauna on a field of grass. He let out a long and deep sigh as soon as he arrived, but before he could even relax, he could not help but shout in surprise as Victoria suddenly approached him from behind.

"How are you always popping out? Are you sure you don't have the same Skills as I do!?" Charles raised his voice as he pointed at his daughter.

"Where did you go?" Victoria repeated her question.

"I was just out getting some fresh air. It reeks of blood in this place," Charles nonchalantly waved his hands as he walked away. But before he could even take 3 steps, Victoria quickly blocked his path.

"You went to see him, didn't you?" Victoria said as she looked her father straight in the eyes, "Did you tell him about us? What did he say?"

"No," Charles shook his head in response, "I did not see him."

"I can feel you are lying, father."

"Your powers have evolved in a very troublesome way."

Hearing his daughter's words, the only thing that Charles could do was let out a long and deep sigh as he looked at the sky, "Yes, I visited your old friend. One way or another, I know he will find his way to us… I just gave him a warning not to get in our way."

"What? Why would you do that?" Victoria's eyebrows started to lower, "Why didn't you offer him to join us? I am sure he would have joined us!"

"He would," Charles answered without any hesitation, "But he will also change things drastically. Our plan to kill the gods has already been set in motion, Victoria. Having someone like Van with us would invalidate all of our efforts in the end, I am sure you understand that. It has to be us, and only us that kills the gods."

"I don't care about that, father. Did you ask him how long he has been here?"

"No. But judging from his actions, he's only just arrived here."

"Then all the more reason we should help him, father!" Victoria raised her voice, "Don't you remember how we were when we just arrived here? We were miserable. We can't let a child like that suffer the same fate alone."

"He's not alone."

"...What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," Charles quickly waved his hands, "Try not to think of the boy too much, he is not worth the effort of--"

"What boy?"

Before Charles could finish his words, another voice joined in on the conversation. Both Victoria and Charles quickly looked towards the source of the voice, only to see Harvey approaching them.

"Who is this boy you speak of, Charles?"