🍁Nine Ancient Obelisks

—Wow, I see you're one of those people who are way too cool, even for me... —the scholar remarked. —In the future, gears will be replaced by machines, and they will do all the hard work for us. And by the way, you can get just as buff reading books as you can lifting weights!

- Okay, next question... Name the five coolest and five lamest people you've met in Asugai... It doesn't matter if they're locals or not. And yes, with comments. LET'S MAKE JOURNALISM INTERESTING AGAIN!

—I can name more than five cool people, but okay, I'll try...

—Our Tsar is cool. Not in terms of laws or anything, that's all subjective. But simply because he does what he thinks is right for himself and for the nation. And the churches, invaders, and others can only rage helplessly. I don't think anyone else could do that. His daughter is also cool; did you hear how she took down the Air Lord?

—Professor Pelen. This man manages to do everything: teach, do his favorite excavations, have a family with children, and much more. A successful adventurer in the truest sense of the word.

—Naoya Gijyo, when he stopped by the capital with his ??? store. This man has such a biography and life principles that he has enough coolness for two mountains.

—Enbilulu, the owner of "Seven Knives" from Farris. I had the opportunity to interview him, but unfortunately, I never got the chance to publish it. But if you listen to his stories, it's all endless adventures and dangers!

—Shiki, this is my friend from Asahina. A man who doesn't waste empty words and things. If he says something, it's the truth, and it's sharper than his weapon.

—I also had a friend from Onkaiha, a very cool person. But unfortunately, he is no longer in our world...

—And I haven't really met many lame people:

—Let's start with Ksion. He's a local traitor and gambler. He's the epitome of lameness. He came up with all sorts of hyper-compensations and delusions of grandeur, and then disappeared like a random minor character from a book, whom no one will remember after a day.

—The capital's librarian. The first one. Because I have a great respect for books, and anyone who takes such a job without due respect for them is automatically the opposite of cool.

—The animal rights activist we met here. I can understand the locals, but why did she come here? Just a life wasted on crazy ideals instilled by a comfortable existence.

—Himal, the capital's guard. We used to get along, but after the last incident when he made me look like a fool, I have a bad opinion of him. Let him sit in the office until retirement, filling out his documents, boo-hoo.

—And probably me. I just happened to come home at the wrong time, and since then, everything has gone wrong. And now I'm here, covered in zombie guts and wearing a "stupid" helmet, when I could have been inventing flying machines in the lab or holding hands. Am I not lame?