CHAPTER TWO: THE REMINISCING SUSPICOUS TAXI RIDE TO VALKRYIE BAR!

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While I was heading to Valkyrie Bar in the shadiest taxi driven by the shadiest taxi driver ever, I couldn't help but reminisce on the past.

Don't get me wrong, the buildings and local scenery going past the airport had a wondrous blend of tropical island bustling city vibes, with trees and flora for days that didn't feel like hell in an oven, but that wasn't where my mind was heading right now.

-It was in the past, or rather; the alternate past.

In the beginning of stories like these, one of the most important parts to set the scene would be the moment of transmigration.

The very moment the Main Character who used to be someone else, became an entirely new person inhabiting another world.

But that didn't happen with me.

In my old world, I died of over-exhaustion from work, and the moment I woke up in this new world...

-It was facing a mercenary terrorist in a hostage situation who quickly sent me back into Dreamland by ramming the butt of his rifle straight into my head.

-BAM!-

While it did hurt, a broken nose and a fractured skull were the least of my worries back then.

Especially since in the end, I was 'saved' by a rival mercenary group that proceeded to induct me into their ranks, leading to me gaining a whole new 'family' of sorts.

If I remember correctly, it was basically the set-up for Diablo's 'Mercenary-Soldier' days that would be the fall-back reason as to why he fought so well and knew so many different skills.

After all, there were hundreds of novels that followed the same plot, which led to it being parodied in Villain novels in which the Hero would now become a stepping stone for the Young Master who was now the True Protagonist.

But I never expected that I would have to live through that backstory.

"S-s-so, in Paradise City, t-t-there's a lot of sites you can visit-" The driver's fraudulent stuttering entered my ears once more as he took a left turn, finally leaving the highway where Paradise City Airport was located.

"Nothing personal against you, but could you hush for a bit, Mr. Driver? I'm tryin' to reminisce here." I asked matter-of-factly if not politely.

I really didn't want to hear what a guy who may have been hired by the Young Master had to say. Whatever it was, even if I were to pry his jaw open and make him tattle everything he knew to me, it probably wouldn't amount to much since the Young Master would have taken it into consideration.

Probably by using one of his bodyguards to work as an in-between man to hire this clown.

Now, where was I in my thoughts?

Ah yes. The wars, the wounds, the pain, the victories, the losses.

The arrival of new comrades, the passing and betrayal of old comrades.

Sorry for telling instead of showing, but believe me when I say it was crazy, alright?

To cope with all the destruction going on all around me, when I slept I began to envision and think about my parents back at home, and dream about all the good times...

And eventually, it seemed that my new family and old family started to blend together.

-Still never had a sister though, blood-related or not.

Ahem.

What I meant was that I still wasn't going to forgive the fact that however made this world made my new parents look like my old parents, though.

In my old life, I worked hard to make them proud and help give them a good life, so to see them 'dead' before I got the chance to do that is somewhat upsetting.

In a way, it was partially the reason why my memories and attachment to Paradise City were so weird.

-Memories of long drives through the city with Mom, Dad, and Sis.

-Sis being annoying as always, Mom being meek but scary if you piss her off, and Pop being headstrong as always.

-Well, it is what it is.

I might not have carried any luggage from my plane ride, but I seemed to have a lot of baggage from my old life.

Guess you can't always run from the past, even in another world.

But wait, isn't that the whole fantasy involved with living in another world? To get away from whatever issues you had in the past one?

To get caught up with baggage from the old world kind of defeats the point of an Isekai, doesn't it?

Guess I gotta work on that, then.

So getting rich and powerful is definitely on my bucket list right now.

-sigh-

"W-w-why the long face, huh? A-a-aren't you gonna party it up?" The Taxi Driver said 'meekly'.

"Huh? Well yeah, let's just say I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic." I said.

There's no reason for me to respond to him, but since I'm almost at my stop I thought I'll indulge him a bit.

"N-n-nostalgic, eh? Can't imagine feeling like that."

"The 'Born here, and gonna die here' type of mentality, am I right?"

It was a common sense belief of those who lived in Paradise City.

Where did it come from though? Satisfaction with one's lot in life? Pride for one's city? Or a smaller scale of Patriotism?

"Y-yep, and I'm proud to do so."

I couldn't help but chuckle. A small frog in a big well, content with the limited scenery because the well was nicely built. That's how great Paradise City was, huh?

-Typical Paradise City resident. Stubborn and headstrong beyond their years.

"Hey, you're a funny old man, you know that?"

"H-haha, I hear that a lot." The Taxi Driver used a hand to scratch his head whilst he drove.

But I had enough of talking to him. My stop was approaching.

"Well, you could stop here. I'll walk the rest of the way." I said.

Valkryie Bar, here I come.

"R-really? V-valkyrie Club isn't too far off-" The Taxi Driver was about to squeak again, but I cut him off.

"I know. I just wanna walk and tour this area."

"I-If you say so kid, well have a good time, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your life in Paradise City." Almost as if he actually didn't want to take me the entire route, he sped off immediately after I got out of the Taxi.

-VROOOOM!-

"..."

I belatedly scrabble through my wallet...

This guy...

"No way... He... He didn't just..."

That fake-stuttering bastard...

He didn't even take a single credit from me...

Laying it on real thick, are ya?

Nobody's that much of an idiot to fall for that (trust me, I should know)...

Right?

-xoxoxox-

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CHAPTER TWO: THE REMINISCING SUSPICOUS TAXI RIDE TO VALKRYIE BAR! END

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