(POV James)
"Hell Gate Enterprise, the entire contract is ingenious but extremely deadly. The method, on how they get you hooked with low fees to get you permanently hooked is insidious." I replied while taking a double look at the list before starting by crossing some names off.
"Eldian Airlines is too expensive. Green Whales Incorporated essentially cripples me. Beyonder Airlines has to be run by some sort of God with unknown goals. Out of six options, Emma, cross those three off immediately if you will." I said while looking at the list as my wife crossed them off one by one.
"Why didn't you eliminate Hell Gate Enterprise from the list." My wife asked as she put her hand on my forehand acting like I was sick before she stepped back.
'Why didn't James even consider that option... Both of us agree it's clearly dangerous & very deadly. While I told him it was upfront about its evil nature, I didn't mean we should choose it.' She thought as she kept looking at him with an odd expression.
'I even agree with James in it being insidious. I'm just showing my view of the safest options from the many death traps that have been set up in the past.' She felt he might be losing it, but she decided to hear him out before interrupting.
"Emma, while the company might be like a drug hoping to get you hooked, it can be safely used for a few years...
How many death row inmates exist? What about the criminals out there in the world, what about the prisons that exist all over the world!?
With your magic, you can easily detect lies, see sin, and more with your powers. While it's a scam, it can be a decent tool if used correctly." I replied as I saw the company from a pragmatic view rather than an emotional one.
'So James planned that far ahead. I mean our little boy also has a teleportation ability... But we haven't figured out how to use it yet. Even trying to discover its general conditions was troublesome.
Using Hell Gate Enterprise's services till Lucas can teleport on his own to take us anywhere is an option.' She thought, she started inwardly calculating the price VS risk in her head.
"Honey, I may have said all this, but we aren't using that service period. Who knows if the moment we sign that contract, they can read our memories or analyze our information under the guidelines in the contract they labeled protection or something." I said while crossing the name off, this time by myself.
'They might find out about Lucas's gifts and sell that information to others. They might even try to abduct Lucas themselves for their own gain.' Her face turned pale for a few seconds.
"Honey, don't worry, we still have (Greedy Traveler) and the (Spirit Nodes) left as choices. I doubt we have any valuable information left to sell since this organization said unique information. They are seemingly a global group, so they probably heard it all. The only thing left to see is our information, but we both know that's stupid."
"James, are you sure we can't afford Eldian Airlines or something? My sister keeps complaining to me about the magic communication orb she sent me. She calls those guys gatekeeping bastards who up the price when they know you can afford it." She asked, hoping the Gojo clan's leaving fees weren't still affecting them.
I looked around and then looked towards the car before tapping on my left forearm two times quickly and three times slowly. Then, I stared at my wife for a few seconds before she got the hint and activated her communication spell.
{{"Don't worry, James, the spell is up."}} She said as she started to slowly burn her mana, keeping the spell up, but her natural regeneration made the costs negligible at best.
{{"Honey, we can talk about our earlier topics around Lucas, but I'm about to talk about our dark history just yet. Lucas doesn't need to know or learn about this for now."}} I thought a bit before talking.
{{"Honey Bear, are you still blaming me for talking about our goblin poaching from the Amazon rainforest? James, it was a simple mistake, didn't we both think Lucas was asleep? If blame has to be put on anyone, it is both our faults, if anything!"}} She explained, but she got a little defensive towards the end.
{{"Yes, that was both our faults, but we might have to go fairy hunting again soon. Be it your magical experiments... or my expensive metals & materials."}} I explained while flinching at my wife's stares.
{{"Did the rejection fee hit our finances that badly? I thought going goblin hunting three years ago was a one-time thing. Didn't we say we left that life behind when we had Lucas? Money... truly is the root of all evil, even more so with all the questionable things we did over the years..."}} My wife's aura shifted as she started to take big deep sighs.
{{"Call Hank, and tell him we know a way to make lots of propane with our next hunt."}} I said while thinking of my old buddy.
{{"James, don't you know like five Hanks, don't all of them use propane?"}} My wife asked, trying to play dumb by being a smartass.
{{"Hank Hill, from Arlen, Texas. The same guy who managed to create his unique magic system powered by propane."}} I replied while staring at my wife.
"{{James, why are you still talking to that freak? I will admit his techniques are revolutionary, and he is a modern legend. All of that sounds great, but he is too damn obsessed over propane..."}} She had a disgusted look on her face as she thought of the word propane.
"We need money, that's why end of story. Unless you have a better method I'm all ears." I asked while never expecting an answer.
"Fine, you win but have to deal with those money-hungry gremlins yourself.You say we are poor, fine, but haggling and arguing with the spirit node gatekeepers is all you." She puffed up her cheeks in a playful rage as she crossed her arms while looking at me.
"It can't be that bad Emma... Who knows your sister might be exaggerating just like your cousin Ben. Remember when your cousin said he changed the entire timeline or some bullshit multiple times before he was even born. While he was mumbling in his sleep 10 years ago. The point is they can lie sometimes, or even make up completely false stories." I told her, while they both got in the car.
Emma took the driver's seat, she was the only one who knew where the spirit nodes were. I went to the other side to sit down but got startled by the fact my son wanted to talk to me this soon.
"Mom, Dad what took you guys so long, you two were talking for like 45 minutes," My son said this, but he was exaggerating like always it only took them 20 minutes.
'I know this game son...' I thought, looking at him trying to scheme to get a treat out of us.
. . .
(POV Narrator)
Lucas was once again trying to use guilt as a bargaining chip to make his parents feel a little bad. He was thinking, that if he did this they might buy him some candy or something, but it didn't work too well at first.
He failed to realize that his constant exaggerations made his words less believable. Lucas always did them in a subtle tone, but his parents picked up on that tone over the years. They knew he was exaggerating, but they ultimately bought the candy after some more nagging on his part.
Lucas awarded himself one point that day. His parents got one point this morning for forcing him to drink those potions. Lucas felt he was tied with his parents so far today.
Soon enough, they arrived at a small old hotel called SN in bold letters. Emma parked the car in the hotel parking lot before she and James told their son to stay in the car. After doing all this, they got out of the car and walked towards the old wooden hotel in San Francisco.