Chapter 217 - 217: Culture
Van's eyes were wide open as his eyes did not rest in scanning the moving scenery outside the car. Aside from the cars that he and Charlotte were in and the cars lined up in front and behind them as a convoy, there were still other cars moving on the streets of Africa.
Cars of all kinds of shapes and sizes, Van even saw a car similar to the one Sarah owns… about 5 of them.
"Is this the boy's first time going outside of a Circled country?"
"It is indeed."
Charlotte could only let out a tiny sigh as Badru looked at Van as if he was some sort of toddler seeing things for the first time; and in a way, he kind of is. She remembered as well the first time she left the islands of America. She went to China first, and although it was still mostly controlled by the Circle, its technology was leagues away from America since it managed to separate its government from it.
"Circled country?" Van, who heard the two talking about him, could not help but clear his throat as he tried to calm himself down.
"Countries controlled by the Circle," Charlotte said, "The countries I told you before we got on the ship."
"..." Van furrowed his eyebrows, "Is this why the Square exists?"
"The square?" Charlotte almost snorted due to Van's words. And if it wasn't for the presence of somebody else with them, she might have.
"Who even told you about that name?" Charlotte breathed heavily, "...But yes, the Resistance was formed due to people discovering what the Circle has been doing."
Throughout the 1000 year history, it had always been the Circle dictating what was right and what was wrong. Whatever the people knew, the Circle shaped it so. They halted whatever advancement the people rediscovered and made, with some even being exiled out of the country.
And although Africa and the few other countries which the Circle had not gotten its hands on could be considered advanced. It was still years away compared to the technology that the people had before the Portal Calamity happened, partially because of the Circle trying to impede their progress, and also because of the monsters that kept popping out from everywhere.
But for people who had been stuck in Circled countries, Africa was like a whole new world. Even more so for Van, who was, more than just a year ago, stuck in the Deadzone.
Badru could only let out a long and deep sigh as he looked at Van. Van was just one of the many hundreds of millions of people stuck inside a theocratic country, it was almost like one big cult, where the people had no idea about the rest of the world.
"So the Circle has been hiding… all of these from us," Van breathed out as he once again looked out of the window. But not even a minute had passed when he suddenly flinched due to a weird ringing noise.
"What was that!?" He said.
"...You've never even seen a phone before?"
King Badru slowly took something out from his pocket and showed it to Van.
"That's…" Van could not help but lightly tap the weird-looking black box as it emitted a harmonious sound, "It's… vibrating?"
"It's a phone." King Badru then flicked the so-called phone with his thumb, unfolding it and quickly stopping the music it was singing, "You can talk to other people with it… speaking of which, please do excuse me for a while."
King Badru then slightly leaned away as he started talking to himself.
"He is talking to someone else on the other side." Charlotte whispered into Van's ears as she noticed his bewildered expression, "You'll see a lot of weird things from now on, Van. Don't be afraid to ask us anything."
"You know all of this?" Van asked.
"Not all of it," Charlotte shook her head, "I came here about 50 years ago, and even I almost did not recognize the roads we're taking."
"...Why did you stay in our country?" Van then slightly furrowed his eyebrows, "You could have taken Victoria and his brother here to live a more… free life."
"Because it's home," Charlotte let out a small smile.
"Just because of that?"
"It is more than--"
"I apologize for suddenly talking on the phone."
Before Charlotte could finish her words, Badru's loud voice drowned her whispers, "It's the people from the reception. We will be there in about 5 minutes or so. We will have your things taken to the nearest hotel so you can rest as soon as the feast is over."
"Thank you for your hospitality, King Badru."
"No, no. It is the least we can do for the White Imvu--"
"Stop. I told you not to call me that," Charlotte interrupted Badru before he can finish his words. Van's curiosity, however, was already piqued.
"Why do the people call you that?" He could not help but ask.
"It's not--"
"It is a wonderful story!" Badru was the one to answer Van, "Later, we have readied a presentation reminding us of the White Imvubu's heroic deeds that not only saved this country but the world!"
"It's not that--"
"Her gallant figure, the way she rescued us from being destroyed by a Black-class monster. It was truly a wonderful story that should be told through the…"
Badru continued to flaunt Charlotte, his tone getting more and more frenzied as the words came out of his mouth like echoing firecrackers. This continued until the car stopped and they reached their destination.
And as soon as Charlotte stepped out of the car, Van was forced to close his eyes as almost a thousand bright lights started to flicker and flash before his eyes, almost as if threatening to blind him.
"W… what's going on!?" Van screamed as he tucked himself inside the car.
King Badru, who saw Van putting his guard up, quickly raised his hand. And as soon as he did so, the bright flashes that rained down upon them instantly stopped.
"Is… is it over?"
"Queen Charlotte, did you really not orient the boy of the things he would see here?" Badru said.
"One must discover things by himself, King Badru."
"O… of course! Such wise words. As expected of the White Imvubu!"
"What… is happening?" Van got out of the car, his eyes blinking as he saw almost a hundred people lined up outside, blocked by some sort of rope so that they could make way from Charlotte and the group to walk through. But most importantly, almost all of them were holding a black object that was somewhat familiar with Van.
He had seen some of those in the Relic Graveyard… were they the ones producing that bright light? Are they some kind of weapon to blind an enemy?
"The thing they are holding is called a camera," Charlotte said, "It… paints whatever you point it to instantly."
"Something like that is possible?" Van said as he carefully approached one of the people holding a camera, "...Interesting."
"And seeing as you were curling into a ball earlier, expect to see your photos scattered soon on the internet."
"Inter--"
"It really is the White Imvubu!"
"All hail the White Imvubu!"
"Please, look here! Look at the camera!"
Before Van could even finish his words, the bright flashes of light once again flooded them, followed by the cheers of the people shouting and cheering for Charlotte.
"..." Van could only return to Charlotte's side and walk beside her.
"Who's that small emo boy?"
"Might be his grandson?"
"The White Imvubu brought her family with her!? Why didn't anyone tell us that!? This is big!"
"Quick, make a headline! Make a headline!"
Van once again squinted his eyes as the bright flashes soon targeted him.
"Better put on your best smile, boy," Charlotte whispered, "Else you'll be the brunt of jokes for a few weeks."
"..." Van couldn't even retort as he was too busy trying to avoid the bright flashes. He tried to slightly use his superspeed and [Time Perception], but it only made it worse as his eyes were completely filled with nothing but white.
And so, Van remained like this until they got inside a huge building, littered with chairs and tables with people already sitting on them…
There was also a table with a whole lot of food that quickly attracted Van's attention. But that wasn't what truly caught Van's attention, it was the thing that was in the front of the festivities.
"That… is it moving? The painting is moving?"
Right at the front of the feast, was a huge painting… but the images were moving.
"Is it some kind of Skill!?"
"It's a… television, Van," Charlotte could not help but let out a long and deep sigh, "Maybe I really should have oriented you about some things."
"A television…" Van breathed.
Probably out of all the new things he has seen today, this was probably the most shocking for Van. A moving painting? What else awaited him in this country?
"Please, Queen Charlotte. You and your protege can sit here," King Badru then gestured for them to sit at the front of the huge screen that Van was so enamored with, "We have a presentation to show you while we eat, I am sure the two of you are famished."
And as soon as Badru said that, a bunch of people started placing plates on their table. Van could not help but take a huge gulp as the appetizing smell started to drown his senses.
And without even hesitation, Van started to eat the food presented to him. Being stuck inside a ship for more or less 10 days was… tiring in the stomach, so to speak.
And so, Van took his first bite of the world that was unknown to him.
"Right, I forgot to say…" Charlotte then muttered as Van placed the spoon inside his mouth,
"...the food here is spicy."