Chapter 176: Almost Familiar, Yet Not Quite
"Here—this is the detailed information you wanted."
…
Inside the bar, leaning against the pool table, Arthur—his long brown hair giving him the look of a laid-back rocker—yawned as he spoke.
"Take your time reading it. I've been up all night—I need some sleep."
As he said this, he casually threw himself backward, lying flat across the pool table—
Only to land awkwardly on one of the balls.
"Ah—!"
A sharp cry escaped him as pain shot through his lower back. He immediately grimaced, clutching his waist and baring his teeth in discomfort.
Charles glanced down at the stack of documents in his hands. After flipping through a few pages, he nodded toward Arthur.
"Thanks."
And he meant it.
Because what he was holding… wasn't something just anyone could obtain.
The long-haired man in front of him might look like a carefree drifter, but in reality, he was a former MIT prodigy. Even though he had dropped out midway, his skills in computers were still exceptional.
Once Charles learned about this talent, he had asked Arthur to help investigate information about his "hometown."
This stack of documents—
Was the result.
The answer he had been waiting on for days.
Looking at it, Charles felt a faint unease stir in his chest.
Meanwhile, Arthur, still rubbing his aching back, muttered irritably:
"No need to thank me. Just don't forget—let me play with that dagger of yours for a couple of days."
"No problem," Charles replied without hesitation. "You can take it anytime."
…
For now, Charles was effectively living in this small roadside bar.
Because of his unusual "background," Ellen and her daughter had taken him in temporarily, even providing him with a proper set of clothes to change into.
Charles didn't like owing people favors.
So, in return, he had given Ellen the robe he originally wore.
It wasn't some eccentric gesture.
In fact, the robe was anything but ordinary—both its craftsmanship and materials were of remarkable quality. Anyone with an eye for such things could tell immediately.
More importantly, the belt that came with it was set with several amethysts—
Extremely valuable in this day and age.
Ellen clearly knew her stuff.
After accepting the gift, not only was she more than happy to let him stay, she even gave him money in return.
It was, in a way, her way of helping him—
Though truth be told, the robe's vintage aesthetic perfectly matched her taste.
As for getting Arthur's help?
That was even simpler.
A case of beer was more than enough.
Last night, while Charles was busy dealing with… other matters, this hacker prodigy had already dug up the information he needed.
Unfortunately—
The data wasn't detailed enough.
Not enough to tell him whether this world was truly the same Earth he remembered… or something else entirely.
So Charles offered a trade—his Valyrian dagger, which he kept hidden on him, in exchange for Arthur digging deeper.
Back when Charles had first arrived, his situation hadn't exactly been comfortable. Arthur had already noticed the dagger back then—and had been intensely curious about it ever since.
…
"Proof enough that efficiency can be bought," Charles murmured.
The bar was empty now. Sitting alone at the counter, he lowered his gaze to the stack of documents in his hands and took a slow breath.
There was a lot of information inside—
But only three names truly mattered to him.
Alex Chen.
Laura Chen.
And their only daughter—Anna Chen.
Only daughter.
That alone was enough to make his brows knit.
The records of his "parents" differed slightly from what he remembered—but the family structure? Completely different.
His father had gone from a primary school teacher… to a university professor.
His mother, once a company manager, had become the legal representative of a building materials firm.
Even his grandfather's generation had changed—extra branches of relatives, even two additional great-grandmothers.
But all of that was secondary.
The real issue was this—
In this world, his family had a daughter.
An only child.
He was an only child—but he had never had a sister.
"Or…" Charles muttered, frowning slightly, "is she… me, in this timeline?"
He studied the photographs attached to the files—faces that felt strangely familiar.
And yet—
There was no warmth. No sense of belonging.
In the end, he let out a quiet sigh.
"They're not the ones I'm looking for."
Even so, when his eyes landed on a phone number at the end of the file, something stirred in his mind.
…
A moment later, he found Ellen in the storage room behind the bar, sorting supplies.
"Ellen, can I borrow your phone?"
"Of course." She didn't hesitate, pulling it out and handing it to him. "Planning to head back to your country?"
"Not sure," Charles replied. "Besides, I don't have a passport… or any identification."
"You could contact your embassy."
"We'll see." He shrugged.
If this wasn't the world he was born in… what would be the point of going back?
Staying here and uncovering the truth of this world—that mattered more.
Just like in the world of Ice and Fire, where he had been thrown straight into the unfolding story the moment he arrived.
Things were still unclear here, but Charles had a feeling—
If this really was a world connected to the portal, then whatever "story" existed here… would most likely unfold nearby.
Or at least, the chances were higher than somewhere across the ocean.
…
Stepping outside the bar, he looked up at the clear sky and took a deep breath.
Then, somewhat clumsily—yet also with a strange sense of familiarity—he began dialing the number.
His fingers were a little stiff, but not enough to stop him.
The phone rang a few times—
Then connected.
"Hello? Who's this?" A slightly husky young woman's voice came through.
This was the number belonging to his other self in this world.
Charles opened his mouth.
Then hesitated.
What was he supposed to say?
Hi, I might be you from another world?
Silence stretched.
The person on the other end quickly grew impatient.
"If you've got something to say, spit it out! I've got a face mask on here!"
"…Are you Anna Chen?"
"What kind of question is that? If I'm not Anna Chen, why are you calling me?"
"I wanted to ask—"
"Don't bother. Not interested. I don't even recognize your voice. I'm busy—bye."
The line went dead.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Charles stared at the phone, speechless.
His thoughts felt tangled.
There were people here who resembled those he remembered…
But they weren't the ones who had raised him.
And he wasn't the kind of person who could project affection onto strangers just because of resemblance.
"So… back to searching for the truth of this world."
With a sigh, he turned to head back inside and return the phone—
When suddenly, a car horn sounded from nearby.
Looking up, he saw a black Chevrolet Impala slowly pulling in from the road beside the bar.
The horn had clearly been a greeting.
So Charles paused.
Moments later, the car rolled off the road and stopped in front of him. The window lowered, revealing a young man with curly brown hair leaning out.
"Excuse me—does someone named Ellen work here?"
He looked to be in his twenties, with soft features and gentle eyes.
Charles nodded, though a flicker of curiosity passed across his face.
The man didn't notice. After getting his answer, he turned and said something quietly to the driver.
The car came to a full stop.
Both men stepped out.
One was tall and broad—the same curly-haired young man who had spoken.
The other was slightly shorter, strikingly handsome, with a distinct dimple in his chin. His expression was dark, as if he were in a foul mood.
Notably—
He wore an old black leather jacket… very similar to the one Ellen had given Charles.
Clearly, they had come with a purpose. Without hesitation, they headed straight toward the bar.
As the curly-haired man passed Charles, he gave a polite nod.
The other man, however, paused just long enough to glance at Charles's jacket—then broke into a grin.
"Nice taste," he said, giving a thumbs-up before walking on.
Charles watched their backs as they entered the bar, his eyes narrowing slightly in thought.
"Winchester…?"
***