Richard Piers
This was a name that Tommy had already heard about 30 times just today. The name of the explorer who was visiting the city.
And besides the name, Tommy had also discovered a few more things about Richard Piers.
To begin with, he was an explorer who had already explored and survived more than 10 danger zones. And that's was genuinely impressive. Most explorers almost never survive the third danger zone, so to have survived 10 says something about him.
Another thing Tommy was also able to hear was about his family. The Piers family. One of the Great Grand Families and also one of GDF's largest financiers.
And who were the Great Grand Families and why were they so important? Well, that asks for an explanation.
The Great Grand Families are the families of ability users who helped and protected humanity during the time of the great separation. The great separation was a period where, for centuries, humanity remained divided and at constant risk of extinction during the emergence of the creatures, in the first catastrophe.
The great separation lasted from the first catastrophe until just before the beginning of the fourth catastrophe, even though it had already been practically resolved during the middle of the second catastrophe, almost 3 centuries later.
During that period, those who prevented humanity from going extinct were the Great Grand Families, families of ability users who served as protectors and saviors of humanity for countless generations.
After the end of the great separation, the Great Grand Families became more powerful through political agreements, arranged marriages between other Grand Families, alliances with figures of power and with the increasing emergence of talented ability users within these families.
Nowadays, most of them work together with the GDF (Global Defense Force) to protect humanity, destroy creatures and recover long-lost territories during major catastrophes. The few who do not work with the GDF occupy territories that were offered to them as a reward for having protected humanity and continue to expand their power and influence to other corners.
The Piers were one of the families who didn't work with GDF. During most of the time, they just stayed quiet in their territory, which was considerably larger than the territories of other families, and trained the new generation to lead the future of the family.
In the past, they were the equivalent of warlords. People without any iota of self-love or sense of self-preservation who faced creatures and even other Grnad Families without any fear. Nowadays, they just prefer to preserve the peace that humanity is having and maintain the prosperity of the family instead of war.
Richard Piers was almost all that. He left the family's territories at the age of 22 to look for adventures and decided to become an explorer for it. And now, 30 years later, he is one of the most famous and well-known explorers in the industry.
Honestly, Tommy was a little curious to know more about the man. All he said so far were informations that he had gathered when listening to the conversations of his fans within that crowd, and it was very shallow information to be honest.
In which danger zones had he been? What was his ability? What was the rank of his ability? How strong was he? Why was he visiting this small and forgettable town?
The city where Tommy lived, Oveldon, was not so memorable or important. Having been created during the middle of the fifth catastrophe, the city was inside the territories of the Syrus family, in a reasonably quiet area without many creatures around.
It certainly wasn't a place for an explorer with Richard's reputation.
Eh, today would be an interesting day.
30 years in this field... and yet, I still haven't gotten used to so much attention to myself.
Watching my... "fans" outside the limousine was a strange sight. A strange mixture of happiness for having my efforts recognized, embarrassment for seeing so many people gathering just because my arrival and a little spike of fear for seeing that they were fanatical enough to try to jump in front of the limousine just to try to talk with me.
Actually, it wasn't really trying. Some even succeeded, but were quickly immobilized by the surrounding guardians.
It was just strange to me. Are young people all like that, or am I a special case? I also had many people I admired during my adolescence, and I think I would also do extremes to be able to meet them in person, but not this kind of extreme.
*Sigh*
"Uncomfortable, sir? " Sérgio asked from the driver's seat while continuing to drive without seeming to bother with people almost jumping in front of him.
"A little, Sérgio. I didn't expect to have so many... admirers in Oveldon " I answered as sincerely as I could.
"Admirers is an interesting way to call these people" The eyes swept the crowd for some moments, always maintaining that golden glow that marked him throughout his career as a consultant "I would call them fanatics "
"Please, no. This makes it seem like I'm some kind of entity they worship " A little laugh escaped my lips with that dull joke.
"The way I see it, it's almost that" He replied with his own laugh.
"But you don't see things the same way as normal people" I replied opening a small smile that Sérgio knew very well.
"You don't need to have my eyes to understand these people" He said looking once again at the crowd around us and at the guardians trying to contain that same crowd "Honestly, I'm still wondering how you managed to became so popular being just an explorer"
"The name of the family draws attention, whether positive or negative. In my case, I think it's a combination of the two " I replied with a sigh " In addition, unlike paranormal consultants, the public knows about our services "
That was a purposeful provocation and Sérgio fell for it as I knew he would fall. His expression became serious for a few seconds and he looked at me with an expression that said "You're playing with death, boy"
But in the end, he just let out his usual dry laugh.
"All right, all right. Where are we really going? "Sérgio asked and I sighed in defeat. Even though he has been my driver for some time, he always found a way to forget our routes. I know he's almost 90 years old, but sometimes it seemed like he did it on purpose.
"To the city hall" I replied "The reporters and the news channels are already there"
"Oh? You care about cameras now? May I know why? "Sérgio looking at me from the rearview mirror.
I smiled. A smile that he knew very well. A smile that promised that I would do something that would leave him jaw-dropping.
"I have an important announcement to make" I replied while looking at the crowd that followed us right behind "Something I know will surprise everyone, even you"
Without asking anything else, but with clear curiosity on his face, Sérgio accelerated the car and left the crowd that followed us behind as we approached the city hall.
The city hall was fuller than it has ever been since the founding of the city. Honestly, it was almost suffocating for Tommy to be in an environment with so many people.
Why the hell was he there anyway? Because Richard Piers was going to make an announcement about something and all the city's news channels were there to testify and broadcast live.
Seriously, were all the explorers that popular, or was Richard Piers just a special case?
Looking around and realizing that he was surrounded by a bunch of strange people, Tommy finally realized that he had separated from Sophia and the others in the middle of the crowd, and that now he was completely alone in the middle of a bunch of strangers.
What a perfect way to enjoy the afternoon, isn't it?
But he didn't have time to think about it, Richard Piers would speak now.
Surrounded by cameras and flashes, only now that Tommy was able to take a good look at his face. Richard Piers was a man in his 50s, with a face aged by time and with strands of gray hair forming on his head. But even so, he didn't look old by himself. He was a muscular and tall man, almost 6'4 tall and an intimidating posture.
Clearly an explorer.
"Thank you, Thank you" He said waving to the cameras around him "First of all, I wanted to thank all my Oveldon admirers for being here "
"Admirers is an interesting way to call those people" Tommy thought looking around and seeing people having to be restricted from invading the platform where Richard Piers was.
A girl literally cried holding an improvised poster with his name.
A man almost had to be held by two guardians after trying to climb the platform.
Several people shouted Richard's name as if they were in front of a world celebrity.
Those people were practically fanatical.
"So, I would like to get straight to the point and say that I am retiring from my career as an explorer," Richard said with a smile.
For a moment, everything was completely silent. Even the camera flashes stoped.
Okay, maybe coming here was a good idea.