(A/N: Directly starting the South America arc of the plot)
After hanging up the phone, Aiden didn't go straight back to the rental house, but instead bought a map of South America.
To be honest, he hadn't been there yet. Although he had seen countless reports about South America and South American regions on TV or in some videos, actually going there was still a total blank for him, so he had to familiarize himself in advance.
But when he brought the map back, he immediately made a new discovery.
Although whether it was Resident Evil, Black Lagoon, or Jormungand, all were based on the real world, there were still some cities that were different from his memory, just like Roanapur. In the real-world T-country, this city didn't exist.
More importantly, he didn't know exactly which city the Lovelace family was in. He also didn't find the rendezvous point of Leon and Krauser from Javier's operation on the map, a place called Cloud Serpent Village.
After all, South America was so big, the map couldn't possibly be that detailed.
'Looks like I'll have to go to South America first, and then slowly search.' Aiden thought helplessly.
After putting the map away, Aiden returned to the rental house.
———
Five days passed in the blink of an eye.
During this period, Balalaika invited Aiden to drink at the newly renovated Yellow Flag Bar every night. Then, on the day of departure, as soon as Aiden arrived at the designated boarding location, he saw a familiar car parked beside the dock.
"Hey!" The car door opened, Balalaika got out of the car, walked toward Aiden, and greeted him.
"Why did you come?" Aiden looked at Balalaika and asked strangely, "Weren't you very busy these past few days?"
"Although I was busy, I still had to come see you off." Balalaika had an expression like it was a matter of course. "Revy and the others are still outside and haven't come back. I was worried that if you left all alone, you'd feel lonely and unhappy, so I came to send you off."
"Well, that's not really necessary." Aiden said indifferently, but inside, he felt a little stirred.
"Your mouth says no, but your heart says yes." Balalaika looked at Aiden's face for a moment, then said, "After you go to South America, will you come back to Roanapur?"
"Probably… will, I guess." Aiden wasn't sure. If the South America storyline ended, he would probably return to reality directly, and who knew when he'd come into this world again?
"Probably? That means possibly." Balalaika nodded. "If that's the case, I'm relieved."
As she spoke, she walked up to Aiden, helped him straighten his collar, glanced at the cargo ship behind him, and said to him, "I know you're not going to South America for some so-called sightseeing. From what happened last time, I already knew you must have encountered some stories we don't know about. So, this time, in South America, be sure to stay safe."
"I will." Aiden was stunned for a moment, then patted the hand that Balalaika still had on his shoulder and replied.
At that moment, the cargo ship behind them let out a horn, seemingly reminding him it was time to board.
So, Balalaika gently pushed Aiden, "You should go."
Aiden nodded and turned to walk toward the boarding ladder.
But after taking only a few steps, he heard Balalaika softly humming a song from behind, "I remember a small city in the provinces, peaceful, tranquil, and melancholy…"
Upon hearing this song, Aiden slowed his steps. He knew this song, it was an old song from the former Soviet Union,
"I've wandered all my life."
When Balalaika hummed to the climax of the song, Aiden had already boarded the ship. He turned around, waved to Balalaika, and shouted, "Don't worry, Balalaika, someone who wanders everywhere will still occasionally turn back to revisit old scenes."
Hearing Aiden's words, a smile appeared on Balalaika's face.
He actually knew that song...
———
From Southeast Asia to South America, this was a long journey, nearly a month.
During this time, apart from going on deck for fresh air after meals, Aiden mostly stayed holed up in the cabin.
Of course, the cargo ship wouldn't travel directly from Southeast Asia to South America. It would stop in countries and cities along the way, so Aiden also took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of different cities during the stops.
For this month, he was just like a real tourist.
Soon, a month passed.
South America, right in front of him.
That night, the cargo ship docked in a port city called Barranquilla, which is an important port in Colombia.
After disembarking, Aiden directly took a taxi to a nearby hotel to rest. Once he recovered his energy, he would start gathering information the next day.
He knew that Roberta used to be part of the Colombian Revolutionary Army, so he planned to start from here.
———
[The next day]
Aiden woke up early and had breakfast at a restaurant near the hotel.
The distinctive breakfast dishes were all foods Roberta had cooked for him before.
"Rice, beans, fried plantains, smoked sausages... tsk, as expected, exactly like what Roberta made, just a bit tastier." Aiden muttered as he ate a few bites.
Just as he was eating, he suddenly overheard a few people with some Indo-European features talking nearby while also having breakfast.
"Alvaro, I heard people say someone discovered monsters inland," a fair-skinned youth said.
"Monsters? What kind?" asked another youth with yellowish skin.
"Some greenish creatures that looked like oversized frogs, and also giant piranhas."
"You're joking, right?"
"It's true. Girls often go missing there too, there's a legend that those monsters ate them," the fair-skinned youth said earnestly.
"I still don't believe it. Franco, don't listen to those rumors."
"They're not rumors," said the fair-skinned youth named Franco quickly. "It's true, there really are monsters."
But his companion didn't believe him at all. He quickly finished his food, wiped his mouth, and ran off while shouting, "If you want me to believe you, then help pay for my meal!"
"You can't do this, Alvaro!" Franco panicked. He was originally a poor kid and had been invited by the other guy, so he had no money at all.
But seeing that his companion had already disappeared without a trace, Franco could only put on a forced smile and say to the approaching boss who was collecting payment, "Uh... I don't know him."
But how could the boss possibly believe that? He'd just seen them eating together. With a stern face, he was ready to teach him a lesson, until a hundred-dollar Franklin bill appeared in front of him.
"I'll cover his meal," Aiden said, shaking the Franklin bill.
Looking at that hundred-dollar Franklin, the restaurant owner's expression instantly changed. Just a second ago, he had been fuming with anger, and now he wore a warm smile.
"Sir, you're truly a kind person." He rubbed his hands and took the bill with a fawning smile.
"He's lucky to have met someone like you."
Aiden waved his hand, then asked the youth named Franco, "Are you full?"
Franco hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. He was only sixteen or seventeen, still growing.
"Then bring him another serving, make it hearty and add more meat." Aiden pulled out another bill and handed it to the boss.
"Please wait a moment." The boss smiled even more brightly and took the money to go arrange it.
"Sir, you are...?" Franco looked at Aiden uneasily.
"It's nothing, I just want to ask you something." Aiden pointed at the chair, motioning for him to sit and talk.
Although Franco was a teenager, he had been surviving in Colombia, a country with a chaotic situation, for a long time, so he could tell that Aiden wasn't a simple person. So he said, "Are you here to ask about those monsters?"
Aiden was taken aback, then smiled and nodded. "I like talking to smart people."
As he spoke, he took out a stack of bills from the system space, at least ten thousand in M-dollars, and pushed them in front of Franco.
"Tell me everything you know, including where you heard it."
Looking at that stack of money, Franco would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. After all, just above Colombia was North America.
With this money, not only could he live a good life for a while in Colombia, but maybe he could even slip away to North America, that place so many "people" dreamed of going.
But he was still an honest kid. He raised his hand, then pulled it back, and finally said, "I only want to earn the reward I deserve."
"No problem. As long as the info you give is useful, all of this is yours," Aiden said casually.
"Then… alright." Franco nodded and said, "I have a friend who's part of the Colombian Revolutionary Army. While chasing a traitor, they ventured into the territory of a gang leader. It was there he saw those monsters," Franco said simply.
"A traitor from the Colombian Revolutionary Army?" Aiden was stunned. That was the part that caught his attention. He remembered Roberta was also from the Colombian Revolutionary Army and had defected due to ideological differences.
"You're interested in this?" Franco asked.
"Ah, no, just curious." Aiden shook his head and then asked, "Anything else? Did your friend say where that traitor went?"
"That I'm not sure. I just heard that the traitor sought refuge from one of the Thirteen Glorious Families of South America, the Lovelace family," Franco said. "But I heard that glorious family has already declined."
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y