There were several desserts for Silas to choose from, but he didn't really know what any of them were made of. The food looked somewhat similar to what he used to eat back on Earth, and that helped a little.
In the end, he decided to order something that looked like ice cream — at least in appearance. And when the waiter arrived with the dessert, it turned out the taste wasn't far off either. It actually did remind him of ice cream.
Silas had no idea what it was made of, but it tasted good — and that was all that really mattered.
While he was at the restaurant, Silas couldn't help but notice a few suspicious glances being thrown his way. It felt like some people there had bad intentions… or were at least thinking about doing something.
He didn't worry too much about it at the moment, since the hotel's security was extremely tight. But Silas couldn't help wondering if those people might try something once he left the hotel.
Anyway, after finishing the ice cream — which tasted like vanilla — he headed back to his room. He was exhausted from everything that had happened. All he wanted now was to rest for a while.
After locking everything up and shutting the balcony door because of the strong wind, Silas curled up under his blanket and fell asleep like a rock — not waking up until the next morning.
The next morning, Silas started his day with a bath in the tub that came with his room.
The most incredible thing was the magical mechanism responsible for creating the water, heating it, and even draining the tub — all automatically.
It was… pretty convenient.
"Maybe this world isn't so bad when it comes to technology, thanks to magic," he thought.
He enjoyed every second of that hot bath, washing all the dirt off his body before heading downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast.
The restaurant was open almost 24 hours a day, and depending on the time, the menu would change.
In the morning, of course, the menu was focused on breakfast.
Silas grabbed some fried eggs, bacon, and a juice made from some fruit he didn't recognize.
"Perfect balance…"
Even though it was still early, there were already a few people at the restaurant having breakfast. Some of them were the same ones he had seen during dinner the night before.
Just like dinner, breakfast was excellent. He enjoyed it a lot, then left the hotel.
Even though he was weak when it came to combat, Silas wasn't stupid. It didn't take long for him to notice that some people were following him after he left the hotel.
It could've been the same ones who were staring at him last night… or maybe someone else entirely.
Either way, Silas easily made it to the main square, and once he got there, he stopped worrying about whether those people might try anything. It was too public.
For a moment, he even thought about warning the guards. But if he did that, the people following him would definitely run, and Silas wouldn't be able to figure out what they wanted… or who they were. And he was way too curious to let that information slip away.
When he finally arrived in front of his shop — or rather, what would soon be his shop — Thomas was already there, along with a few other men.
They were the workers who would help set up Silas's shop and get it ready to open as quickly as possible.
Silas explained to them exactly what he wanted.
"My shop's going to sell all kinds of items from the magical world. I want good display cases, a counter to serve customers, and of course, some decorations to make the place look nice. As for the basement… you can leave that part to me."
The workers nodded and immediately got to work, wasting no time. Silas liked that. It showed that the agency that had rented him the shop actually cared about providing good service.
Thomas was waiting nearby, only approaching after the workers left so he could talk to Silas.
"I found two people for you to hire," he said. "Do you want to meet them? Like… an interview?"
Silas didn't have anything urgent to do, so why not? Meeting the people he was about to hire sounded like a wise move.
"Sure. Better to make sure they're trustworthy, right?" Silas replied.
After all, whoever he hired would be spending day and night inside his shop, protecting it. Trustworthiness was essential — otherwise, it would only bring him problems down the road.
Honestly, the whole mess with Thomas and his gambling had already been more than enough drama for Silas. He didn't want any more surprises for now.
"They're waiting for you inside," Thomas said.
They went upstairs to the second floor of the shop, where the two candidates were waiting. Both were sitting on simple wooden chairs.
Upon entering, Silas greeted them, "Apologies for the lack of comfort. We're still getting things organized around here."
He wished he already had a nice sofa or something to make the place more welcoming, but that would have to wait. For now, those two would have to settle for wooden chairs.
That's when Silas noticed something. Both of the people Thomas had found for the security job were young women — and quite attractive, too. Silas glanced at Thomas and immediately caught the wide, mischievous grin on his face.
"This guy..." Silas muttered in his mind.
The two women stood up and extended their hands for a handshake. "It's nothing. We're just grateful for the opportunity," one of them said.
"Alright, let's start the interview," Silas said as he sat down. "I'll get straight to the point. Why do you want this job, and more importantly — are you strong enough to protect this place?"
Those were the only two things that truly mattered to him — especially the second one.
In the end, it didn't matter if they were pretty, kind, or had a good attitude. None of that would help if they didn't have the strength to protect the shop and keep things in order.
One of the women answered, "We're both mages. Graduated from a magic academy — not from this city, though. We're from the northwest. The towns there are small, and the jobs don't pay well, so we came here looking for better opportunities."
Silas nodded and asked to see their mage tokens to confirm their credentials. He also requested a quick demonstration of their abilities.
The result surprised him.
The girls were strong. Far stronger than he had expected — more than enough for the job he needed them to do. And since they were still young, they had plenty of room to grow even stronger.
"You're both hired," Silas said without hesitation. "Let's discuss payment and the rest of the details."
Thomas looked like he'd just won the lottery. His eyes were glued to the blonde one — a stunning woman with curves that could turn heads from miles away.
Silas sighed. Honestly, he couldn't even blame the guy. Having gorgeous women working for him… well, it was definitely a bonus. Still, he was starting to regret bringing Thomas into this in the first place…
"I've could have hired a gorgeous lady instead of him..." he thought.