There was a gentle drizzle amid the misty region. Piercing it gently along its path was the railway, its coaches long and ornated. Seated in one of the balconies were Wittral and group, engaged in a hearty discussion.
Hayaya was Asaeya's disguise while Lannla was Gannala's disguise. They didn't go overboard with the appearance change and simply maintained enough differences in facial features that the Boar King wouldn't recognise them.
The last time he saw them was when Harrala sent the giant Prana Bomb—containing Inala, Gannala, and Asaeya—flying. At that time, Asaeya was twelve years old while Gannala was merely a newborn.
The Boar King wasn't someone good at remembering people, since none were important enough for him to make an effort in committing to memory. Therefore, there was a good chance he wouldn't be able to recognise Asaeya, since his focus remained on Gannala all along, for vengeful reasons.
Inala had confirmed that the Boar King wasn't someone who bothered to remember the names and faces of people at the Dralh Sea. But that didn't mean he forgot everyone. No, as a Mystic Grade Pranic Beast, he had a terrifying mental capacity.
Therefore, if he actually bothered to recall something, it was just a matter of time. Even though Asaeya was a child back then and had grown into a woman now, there was still a mild possibility that she could be recognised.
Moreover, what if the reincarnates were to publicise the appearance of all three for some scheme? That would mess up everything. Hence, the duo wore a mild disguise. Just that was enough, since if the Boar King was serious enough about his search, he might come across a couple of women who looked similar to Asaeya in the Brimgan Empire, not to mention other regions where humans lived.
And since she emanated the presence of a Free Human instead of a Mammoth Clansman, the Boar King wouldn't even bother looking at her even if they were to brush past each other.
Inala couldn't disguise himself, for there was a possibility the Boar King would come to meet him. He would be revealing too much in such a case. Hence, he remained as himself.
Honestly speaking, the optimal situation would be one where Wittral remained in his female form. But the latter seemed unwilling to assume that form.
The risk would stem from the fact that Wittral was extremely famous in Sumatra Chronicles, despite making an appearance for a short duration, almost akin to a cameo. After all, he was the sole individual who went toe-to-toe against Resha and resulted in a draw.
Hence, even until the book's end, many readers made predictions on 'what if' scenarios where Wittral too was present in the scene.
Therefore, all the reincarnates would recognise him easily. Wittral was supposed to be at the Dralh Sea at this point in time. The fact that he arrived at the Brimgan Empire could only be a result of the butterfly effect of the choices taken by the reincarnates.
And ruling out reincarnates based on proximity to the Dralh Sea, the cause would obviously point towards Inala. After all, Orakha encountered him at the entrance to the Guna Caves, which bordered the Dralh Sea.
Long story short, they'll become suspicious of the woman accompanying Wittral, not to mention the fact that Wittral emanated the presence of a Free Human.
Even if Inala somehow manages to extract the Minor Treasure of Tangible Psychokinesis and gives it to Wittral and makes him use only that, it still wouldn't solve the situation. After all, Wittral had used that against Resha in Sumatra Chronicles.
He was tremendously powerful while doing that. So, that too wasn't an option. Unfortunately for Inala, Wittral didn't seem willing to follow the most realistic choice, which was to transform into a woman.
Besides, there was also the issue with the Boar King. If suddenly, when he visits Inala and sees Wittral now looking like a woman, he would question the cause. If he were to realise the effects of Royalty and asks Inala to take on his male form, the cat would be out of the bag.
There were issues with either choice, which was the conundrum Inala was currently breaking his head about, 'I should just focus on strengthening our backstory as refugees from the Rumtara Kingdom.'
He eyed Wittral to the side, observing his changes, 'He's more talkative now and is honestly getting good at putting on an act. His character is already very different from that of his shown in Sumatra Chronicles. It would be hard to make a correlation quickly.'
'As long as I scout our surroundings in advance and ensure the reincarnates don't spot him for the time being, all will be fine.' Inala decided as his eyes shot open, his thoughts streamlined now, 'As long as he adapts to life in this society, it's just a matter of time before he starts considering hair to be a beauty standard. He'll begin growing hair soon after. That would solve most issues for the time being.'
'I'll leave that to you, Asaeya.' He stared at the woman talking energetically to Wittral. They hadn't communicated in the least, but having schemed together for so long, they could guess what was on each other's mind to an accurate extent.
It wasn't just that. But in the name of showing dresses for Amita, Hayaya was making Wittral interested in female accessories so that one day, he might want to try them on himself. The advantageous thing about Royalty was that changing genders wasn't a transformation in that sense that even if Wittral becomes a female, his mind remained that of a male.
No, both genders were considered one's natural state of being. As a male, Wittral thought and acted like a male. His emotional gears too churned accordingly. And when he becomes a female, his mind and body naturally become that of a female. There was a perspective shift that came as natural as breathing.
Therefore, Wittral only needed to transform once, whether it be out of interest or peer pressure. Inala and Asaeya would immediately rope him through a bunch of situations where he would be forced to remain a woman for a long enough duration until the influence of Royalty makes it feel natural for him.
'His name too is an issue, but there's nothing I can do about it. Worst comes to worst, I'll figure out another lie regarding that.' Inala thought and silently contemplated a bunch of things. His thoughts complex, he began considering multiple 'what if' scenarios.
His schemes were good and detailed, yes, but they had failed repeatedly. The only reason he made them effective was by actively considering all possibilities and making adjustments as and when necessary, or if worse, actively scraping existing plans to come up with new ones.
'It's not the strongest that survives but the fittest.' Inala chanted Sumatra's motto and became alert, watching the railway arrive at Fentan City's railway station. 'Now, how many reincarnates managed to arrive here before me?'
"It was a pleasant journey, Hayaya." Inala smiled and shook hands with the latter. He then patted Lannla on the head, "I'll treat you to some tasty drinks once I set up shop, alright?"
"I look forward to it, Aunty!" Lannla exclaimed in excitement and jumped around giddily.
"Pfft!" Wittral broke into laughter at the addressal upon seeing Inala's face freeze at being called an aunty. Somehow, that was a critical hit to Inala's mental state.
"Call me big sister!" Inala pinched Lannla's cheeks, "B.I.G! S.I.S.T.E.R!"
"Aunty!" Pouting in response, Lannla broke free from his hold and rushed out of the compartment.
"That child still lacks manners." Hayaya smiled apologetically at Inala and Wittral, performed a formal bow, and excused herself, "Please visit my shop when you have the time. I'll give you a discount."
"Sure," Wittral smiled and waved his hand, commenting once the duo was out of sight, "They are a cheerful bunch."