"So Elyon, why do you think my speed is lacking? No one ever caught me while I pickpocketed them." Eve asks as she kicks a rock out of the way. Her eyes focused on the ground.
Elyon's sight focused on the tiny buildings of Scholar Keep in the distance.
"Well, to tell you precisely, I don't know. Yes, you are fast, faster than any normal human. But you lack something, something I can't put my thumb on."
Eve takes off her hood and looks at him.
"You know, for someone who's supposed to be my trainer. You are doing quite an awful job at it."
"Hey, to be fair. You are my first student." He breaks his gaze from the building to look at Eve.
"Whatever you say, fake master. Whenever the time calls, I will rely on you to increase my speed." She closes her eyes and then stretches her arms behind her head. Whilst humming a light song.
"You seem to be in good spirits. What happened? Did my training actually improve your mood?" His gaze going back to the road.
"Hmm? No, your training was quite awful. I'm happy because I'm getting free food from you."
His expression turning shocked "Since when was I treating you to free food?"
"Well, you asked before we left if I wanted to eat. That means you were offering and I accepted. Plus, I'm broke, so either way, you are paying."
"You can't do that, I mean, you can't just, ugh, fine, you win this time.''
They keep walking in silence; the only sounds that break the peace are the chirping of the nearby birds and Eve's cheerful humming. This continues until Eve and Elyon enter the Scholars' keep. Once inside the outskirts of the city, Eve puts her hood back on.
"So, where should we go?" Asks Eve.
"Well, I know a restaurant that has quite good food. It's not the one we met in, don't worry."
"Ah, that's what I'm talking about. Thank you for not being a cheapskate and choosing a normal restaurant."
"Your the one to talk."
Eve shoots him an annoyed side glance. They continue walking in silence until the restaurant comes into view.
"So what do you want to eat?" Elyon asks as they make their way inside. The inside of the restaurant is quite fancy, with brown wooden tables and leather chairs. And with many types of plants scattered across the whole place. Surprisingly, many are white lilies, which are quite rare in this region.
"Hmm, doesn't really matter as long as I get something in my stomach. But since you are offering, I will go with my usual beef stew, but this time I want a glass of wine. Haven't tasted some wine in a while."
They take a seat at the table, then Elyon pulls out his pouch, and then he opens it only to see just a single coin.
"Ah damn, wait, I will be back." He gets up from his seat and makes his way to the bathroom. Eve doesn't look at him, her eyes beaming over the menu.
After a couple of minutes, he comes back looking quite weak. His pouch almost exploding with golden coins.
"Uhm, so you decided what you wanted?" Elyon asks, his voice quivering.
"Yeah, I will just get the stew and wine."
She calls the waitress over and orders her food. Elyon orders the same things as her.
"So, any ideas on what type of training you will put me through once we go back to your home?"
"Haven't thought about that, who knows, maybe I will make two clones of you this time. Or five or maybe ten. Like a deathmatch or something, everyone for themselves. You for yourself, my bad."
"You know, for the first time since I've known you, you've made a great plan. Good job."
"We've known each other for almost two days. But thanks, I guess?"
They keep talking about random stuff until their food hits their table. Elyon doesn't waste a single second before diving into his food. Whilst Eve takes her spoon and begins to play with her food.
"You know..." Eve asks while looking at the stew.
"What's wrong?" Elyon asks with a mouth full.
Her gaze leaving her food and going to his face.
"No one has ever bought me food before, hell, no one even talks to me, except this damn sword. I never had the chance to be good with anyone. Once I take off my hood, they avoid me like the plague, but you are different. You actually care about me, in your way. So thanks for that, and thanks for being my only friend."
To Elyon's dismay, Eve gives him a bright, awkward smile.
Elyon's spoon remains suspended in the air, his eyes wide. When he tries to talk, he nearly chokes on his food.
"You are welcome, I guess?"
He goes back for another bite, but his bowl of stew suddenly disappears from the table. Gone, into thin air, the only thing that is visible now is the hardwood of the table. But before he gets to react, Eve bursts into laughter. He never heard her laugh before, which makes him kinda happy for once.
"What happened to your food? I would be absolutely pissed if that happened to me." She asks whilst wiping her tears from the laughter.
"I'm not sure, but that's what I was telling you about earlier. About the world having different types of weird magic."
"Well, I guess you are right, but in my defence, if I saw magic, I would just run away. Anyway, let's share my stew." She pushes the stew in the middle of the table.
Elyon's eyebrow shot up in confusion.
"Never took you for the type to share."
"I'm not, but that's what friends do, right?"
He doesn't say anything else and just dives into her food. They keep eating silently. Once they finish, they pay and leave the restaurant. After they leave, Eve spots a poster. Her wanted poster, she gestures Elyon to come closer and look at it.
"Hey, look, I'm quite an expensive girl, aren't I? And this drawing, they really went overboard with it."
"In this poster, you actually look quite dangerous."
She doesn't say anything else, but spots with her side vision another poster, this one different. She turns her whole head towards it.
----
The 7th annual Grand Colosseum tournament. Come and see for yourself the amazing battles that are going to take place.
----
"Look at this." She points towards the poster.
"Hmm, that would be a great training for you since it's only with criminals. Let's do it, let's go to the Colosseum."