Chapter 102: Bureaucracy of Earth
Cain had not anticipated the matter in the slightest... yet it appeared that facing the laws of Earth as "ordinary humans" was far more difficult in reality than merely contemplating it as a fantasy concept!
The jeweler stated, examining the luminescent stone under the precision magnifier: "Oh... I truly know not what to utter, yet... this piece appears wholly original and unique! I possess extensive expertise in this field spanning twenty full years, and I have never encountered a piece of aluminum or diamond possessing such an unusual chemical and physical composition before!"
They both stood—Cain and Lucy—before the elderly jewelry vendor in his elegant shop. Neither Cain nor Lucy possessed a single cent of Planet Earth’s currency upon their arrival via natural means; no official identity cards in their possession, no home to shelter them, nor even acquaintances to rely upon within this world.
Previously, when Cain had breached a dimensional rift extending to Earth, he had purchased a cellular phone... yet the phone’s battery drained its charge rapidly, forcing Cain and Lucy afterward to search for a public venue featuring an electrical socket to plug in the charger and await some time until its charge reached completion.
They stood at the time in a remote gas station on the periphery of the road... and there, they stumbled upon a free tourist instructional booklet containing a map and information regarding venues within the city in which they landed.
The responsibility rested upon their shoulders to secure genuine cash specific to Planet Earth to enable them to commute, reside, and live... Though Lucy was capable with utter simplicity of employing her supreme power of the [Truth Level], and Cain of the [Immortal Level], to craft tons of gold and cash in a fraction of a microsecond... yet the moment they opened that dimensional rift to reach Modern Earth, they exchanged a strict, mutual vow: If faced with any dilemma capable of resolution through ordinary human means without utilizing supernatural powers, they must refrain from employing any strain of their divine magic whatsoever!
It was Lucy who had proposed and emphasized that peculiar rule...
For when she launched her [Soul Touch] technique to plunge into Cain’s profound memories following their romantic rounds within the Pleasure Paradise dimension, she comprehended nearly every detail of Cain’s former existence... though there were memories that appeared as though they had been scrambled...
Yet setting that aside... she discovered to her utter shock that Cain in his primary world was nothing beyond a miserable, broken prisoner who lived upon human soil, emerging into the light solely by virtue of a "conditional release"!
His sole solace upon emerging from prison within the house to which he was exiled was a fantasy novel he devoured with passion, titled Hero of Light... wherein the hero was a character named Hykes.
That exact Hykes toward whom Lucy harbored feelings of admiration in her distant past... yet she never loved him in the hysterical, diseased manner depicted by the novel’s author; for the author portrayed her as a yandere goddess who slaughtered without mercy and wreaked havoc across the earth for his sake!
She had indeed managed at the time to comprehend what the term "yandere" signified... regarding Hykes.
In truth, Lucy harbored certain feelings toward him merely out of her belief that he was a pure, tender-hearted individual, yet Cain demonstrated to her through unyielding evidence when they were together at the Magic Academy that Hykes was nothing beyond a hypocritical, deceitful person wearing a mask of nobility.
Lucy could neither easily imagine nor digest all those woven details and complexities regarding Cain and herself within a paper book; yet the most exquisite thing she noted and sensed profoundly within his memories... was that Cain truly loved her! He loved her within his imagination and his reality exactly as she loved him, entirely removed from the novel and its author.
Setting all this aside... this planet named "Earth" was a venue bound by a rigorous system dubbed "Field Law"; where the logic of "Might Makes Right" did not hold sway, but rather institutions, paperwork, and the police governed.
And since Lucy had come here upon a romantic whim and a surging desire to experience the manner in which Cain lived during his former life... and because she wished to marry him in an official, unforgettable manner within his primary homeland, she deemed that the matter would prove enjoyable and thrilling were they to suppress their supernatural powers and live the experience as "ordinary humans."
Yet... it appeared that real-world matters were vastly more ridiculous and contrary to desires than they had imagined!
The jeweler returned the luminescent stone to the table, shaking his head with regret: "I am deeply sorry, my boy... I cannot purchase this gem from you absent an accredited certificate of documentation explaining its classification and source... Though it appears truly valuable and rare, shop regulations forbid me. Perhaps you two might locate an expert or another buyer elsewhere..."
Cain exhaled a sigh of helplessness... and gathered the alluring gemstone, whereupon they exited together from approximately the eighth jewelry shop to refuse purchasing the rare stones they carried within their pockets!
They were in dire need of an informal intermediary to sell the stones on the black market or liquidate them, yet they possessed literally no acquaintances or contacts within this world!
In his former life, Cain was a complete orphan, possessing no relatives to lean upon... Furthermore, his current features and form diverged entirely from his former frail, human form; for he was now taller in stature, far more handsome, and radiated a charm that overwhelmed ordinary humans, rendering the degree of resemblance between former Cain and current Cain utterly nonexistent!
The two stood side by side near the final jewelry shop, calculating their meager options within this American city named Boise, belonging to the state of Ohio.
Night was on the verge of wrapping the city in its dark, cold cloak... and the edges of the sun had set substantially behind the towering skyscrapers, while up to this exact microsecond they possessed no identity card, no place of residence to shelter them, nor even a single dollar of cash!
Cain turned toward Lucy, stating in a light, mocking tone:
"So then... are you enjoying your time now, my future wife? It appears we shall be incapable of enduring even to complete a single day here... at least without the police suspecting us or someone arresting us under the charge of trespassing!"
Lucy stood beside Cain, who leaned his back against one of the walls extending along the sidewalk, while modern vehicles sped past before them, generating a steady rhythm of noise.
Lucy had adopted a carefully disguised appearance; her enchanting, royal white hair had transformed now into a jet-black, deep color, and her extraordinary, miraculous face became simpler, its features modest so as not to attract the gazes of passersby or let her beauty ignite a crisis... even her garments consisted of an extraordinarily simple, ordinary shirt and trousers.
As for Cain... despite possessing dozens of luxurious outfits and garments stored within his Inventory, they were of legendary quality and captivating, magnificent designs... and when he attempted to select the least ostentatious and most basic among them, he still appeared like an international fashion model who had just stepped off a Paris runway, standing in his elegant attire and symmetrical physique awaiting a resolution to their financial dilemma!