CHAPTER 59: TWO OF A KIND
Following the firm handshake and the silent understanding established between them, Governor McGraw cleared his throat, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and gestured toward a side door.
He ushered John into his private inner sanctum—a soundproofed lounge lined with dark leather recliners and a bar stocked with glass decanters.
Raven stayed behind in the main office, keeping a watchful eye on the mute Bestiar girl while Captain Vane guarded the corridor outside.
The moment the door clicked shut behind them, the stoic, noble facade Governor McGraw had maintained completely disintegrated.
He collapsed onto a leather sofa, threw his head back, and let out a long, pathetic groan.
"Oh my God, dude... it is so nice to finally meet someone from Earth," McGraw groaned, burying his face in his hands.
John stood near the bar, pouring himself a glass of amber liquor. He froze at the sudden, drastic shift in demeanor... though for some reason, he wasn't all that surprised.
"Earth? What do you mean?" John asked, keeping his composure.
"Man, shut your bullshit. You're not the only one with a 200 IQ here anyway..." McGraw sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Goddamn... You have no idea how brutal it is acting like an arrogant medieval lord all damn day. 'My word is absolute law, throw them in the dungeons!' God, it's so cringe. My vocal cords literally hurt from trying to sound all fancy and shit."
"So you were acting the whole time... Being scared, shouting for the guard to get out..." John noted dryly.
"Are you kidding me?!" McGraw practically yelled, sitting up and gesturing wildly.
"The moment you said I was a Champion, I was like, hell yeah! Well, not at first, but after a second of thinking... I realized if you knew about Champions, you had to be from Earth too. Not gonna lie, I was terrified for a moment there..."
McGraw let out a breath and shook his head. "Anyway, it is so nice to see someone from Earth! Do you know how long it's been since I spoke to someone who actually understands my jokes? But seriously, man... How the hell did you clock me?! I thought my medieval RP was flawless!"
"You had me fooled at first..." John mumbled, genuinely impressed by the guy's flawless acting.
"What was that?"
"Nothing..." John took a slow sip of his drink. "To answer your question... You said 'red card offense.' Nobody here knows what soccer is."
"Ah, shit. Right," McGraw sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Muscle memory. My bad. But man, you almost gave me a heart attack with that tracking orb threat! Absolute menace behavior."
McGraw leaned forward, staring at John with wide, hyperactive eyes.
"So how old were you when you got dragged over here? I get the feeling you're around my age. 'Cause I was fifteen when I got brought over, no cap. Like, straight up, fr fr—"
John paused mid-sip, his expression going completely deadpan.
"Stop talking like that..."
McGraw blinked. "What? Why?"
"Think of your father speaking like that," John said flatly. "Just picture a middle-aged, balding man in silk robes using Gen Z brain rot slang in front of you."
McGraw froze.
A visible shudder ran through his entire frame, a look of profound disgust washing over his face.
"Oh, gross. Yeah... Okay, my bad," McGraw muttered, clearing his throat and sitting up straight. He adjusted his posture, reverting to a normal speaking tone.
"Sorry. It's been a while since I've actually talked to another guy from Earth, obviously. My mental age is kind of stuck."
McGraw leaned back, crossing his legs. "So... What's your situation? How did you end up here?"
"It's complicated," John said simply.
McGraw rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. We're both reincarnated in a fantasy hellhole. Try me."
John looked at him, a faint smile touching his lips. "It's really complicated."
"Fair enough," McGraw said, bowing his head in concession. He reached for a decanter and poured himself a glass.
"Well, if you're curious about mine... I was just walking home from high school one day when Truck-kun decided to give me a personal visit. Woke up in absolute darkness and met this crazy—uh, I mean, this beautiful goddess."
McGraw caught himself, glancing nervously at the ceiling as if afraid a lightning bolt might strike him down.
"Anyway," McGraw continued, his voice softening. "She told me she'd make me her Champion to spread her faith in this world. In exchange, she promised she'd grant my ultimate wish."
John leaned against the bar, listening with curiosity. "Which was?"
McGraw went quiet for a moment, the energetic drive completely draining out of him. He stared down at the amber liquid in his glass, his expression turning distant.
"I lost my older brother when I was younger," McGraw said softly. "He died of a terminal illness. He was the one who took care of me. I just... I wanted a chance to see him again. To talk to him one last time."
The room went completely silent.
John stood rigid near the bar, the faint smirk on his face receding.
Then, slowly, a strange smile crept back onto John's lips, escalating into booming, uncontrollable laughter.
McGraw's head snapped up, his eyes darkening with a flash of genuine anger. "What's so funny? I tell you something that vulnerable and you laugh? Are you a psychopath?"
"No... No, it's not that," John said, forcing his laughter down, though his voice was thick with dark, bitter irony.
"I'm not laughing at you, McGraw. It's just... You've got to be kidding me."
"What is your problem, man?!" McGraw snapped, getting visibly upset.
"My older brother... He died of a disease, too," John said, his laughter dying out completely, replaced by a distant, nostalgic look.
"He spent months in the hospital. The exact day he was supposed to be discharged... I saw him in a morgue."
McGraw stopped mid-rant, his anger instantly deflating.
"And then," John continued, staring blankly at the wall, "on that exact same day, I walked home and caught my girlfriend cheating on me with the guy I despised most in the world. And while I was walking through the rain, trying to process my life falling apart... I got hit by a car."
John stopped talking. He didn't laugh anymore. His eyes were cold, dark pits reflecting the dim light of the lounge.
McGraw stared at John, his mouth slightly open. The annoyance on the Governor's face dissolved entirely, replaced by something close to profound sadness and pity.
"Jesus..." McGraw whispered. "That's... That's brutal, man. I'm sorry."
"It is what it is," John said, tossing back the rest of his drink.
"Then I met a bastard who called himself Jynx. He offered to make me his Champion in exchange for a second chance at life. I told him to go screw himself. But he reincarnated me anyway—dropped me into a shitty world, in a shitty, violent situation. One thing led to another, and now I'm standing in your office."
McGraw stared at him in utter disbelief. "Wow... You've got guts. I can't believe you actually refused a god's offer."
"Please. All my experiences with them so far have shown me gods are just children with extreme mood swings," John said flatly.
"You might be right…", McGraw mumbled under his breath.
John placed his empty glass on the counter with a soft clink, shifting his posture.
"Now... Back to the matter at hand."
McGraw's expression instantly shifted back to business mode. The casual, sympathetic demeanor vanished, replaced by the sharp look of a city Governor.
"Look, John," McGraw said, leaning forward.
"Even though it's nice meeting a fellow Earthling, we have a massive problem. You killed Master Ronald in broad daylight. He wasn't just some random thug—he was a respected, high-ranking member of the Merchant Guild."
He rubbed his temples in frustration. "The entire economy of Oakhaven relies on them. If I just sweep his murder under the rug and shelter you, the Guild will shut down trade, pull their funds, and destroy this city. Even if I want to help you, I can't really house you guys here."
McGraw paused, waiting for John to panic or bargain.
Instead, John just shrugged casually. "I'll take care of the Merchant Guild. Just get their leader here to the manor."
McGraw went dead silent. A violent shudder ran down his spine as his mind jumped to the most terrifying conclusion possible.
Is he planning to slaughter the Guild Leader in my office, too?!
"I'm not going to kill him," John interrupted flatly, reading the Governor's panicked thoughts straight off his face.
McGraw let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, wiping his brow again. "Okay... Okay, good. Don't scare me like that."
"Just give us a high-end room to stay in for a while, set up the meeting, and clear my name on paper," John said, stepping toward the door.
"We'll handle the rest."
After ironing out the final logistical details, travel passes, and temporary immunity documents, John opened the velvet drape and stepped back into the main office.
Princess Raven was standing near the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The moment John walked out, her icy crimson eyes locked onto him, radiating sharp, cold suspicion.
"What was that about?" Raven asked, her tone laced with low, dangerous curiosity. "How did you get the ruler of this city to fold so completely?"
"Magic," John brushed it off with a lazy wave of his hand, walking past her toward the exit. "Don't worry about it. He's with us now."
Raven tilted her head, her gaze narrowing as she followed him out into the grand hallway. "You are hiding something from me, John."
"I hide a lot of things," John replied seamlessly. He stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her with a sharp, faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Besides, we have more important things to focus on. It's time for you to fulfill your promise."
Raven tilted her head, genuinely confused.
Before she could ask, the cat-like beast that had been slinking behind them leaped gracefully off the floor, landing straight into Raven's arms. She instinctively caught the creature, cradling it against her chest while staring at John.
John pointed a finger at the shadow essence swirling softly around the creature's paws.
"You promised," John reminded her, his eyes gleaming with unconcealed excitement. "...After breaking my nose, that you were going to teach me necromancy."