Evel had awoken with the rest of his group at a random tavern and had been notified by the owner of Arlo's instructions. They had two hours to explore Orsus town proper before heading off to the military section to the east, Orsus camp.
How the hell did Arlo even get us all into beds?
The thought quickly left his mind as Evel considered how to spend his time.
Soon, he came to a decision to explore the city with Elena and Brenton.
He enjoyed their company.
As the group was about to leave, the tavern owner's wife barged in to let them know that Arlo left them 5 riak each to get something to eat. She apologized profusely for her husband, who had tried to hide the money and pocket it, but Evel paid him no mind. He was focused on the 5 shiny coins in his palm.
Food.
Proper food!
It's been so long since I've had a proper meal!
Leo also tagged along as the four of them went out into the city. He had expected rigid training grounds, small tents, and forceful superiors; instead, he found a regular town. The temperature was warm, only a few weeks into the growing season, so they leisurely walked around until the soft smell of freshly baked bread entered their noses.
Focused completely on food, the group entered the first restaurant they found, none in the mood to go browsing.
The restaurant was fairly large, but had kept its homey atmosphere, welcoming the recruits who were so far from their home.
They sat down and looked at their menus.
Seeing the prices, Elena slammed the table and stood up angrily.
"They're scamming us!"
Embarrassed, Brenton pulled her back down to her seat and yelled at her in a hushed voice.
"Sit down!"
Shaking him off, Elena doubled down.
"Do you not see these prices? 4 riak for a deer soup? Back home you could get it for 1!"
"It's not even our money!"
"It's about the principle!"
Elena slammed her arms on the table again.
"We were out in the middle of nowhere, everything was cheaper only cause nobody could afford anything, now PLEASE Elena, sit down."
Hearing the commotion, a waiter cautiously approached the group. They regularly had powerful people come in to eat, so it was best not to offend any customers.
"Is something the matter?"
The waiter wasn't nervous, if a soldier caused trouble for people of Orsus town, they would be punished accordingly. Additionally, he had the strength necessary to deal with most of the customers himself if he needed to.
Surprisingly, it was Evel who answered.
"I'd like the stew please, with a lot of garlic bread please!"
Elena looked at Evel in shock by the betrayal, how were they supposed to get a better deal if he already ordered?
"I want the roasted fish!"
Leo was quick to follow with his order.
"And I'll take the uhh deer soup."
Brenton, making use of this momentum, ordered too.
Realizing that nobody was on her side, Elena shook her head and sat down and ordered the breakfast sandwiches.
"Real principled!"
Brenton was quick to tease her with a cheeky smile, and Elena sneered back.
The waiter jotted down the orders on his notebook and smiled.
"The total will be 15 Riaks, is that all?"
The group nodded and soon got back to conversation, and 20 minutes later, the food arrived. The stew had a thick, velvety broth, with small pieces of tender meat. The veggies and the aromatic herbs gave it a certain fragrant smell and warmth that invited Evel to begin his feast.
It looks incredible!
Evel's mouth practically watered at the sight and didn't hesitate before directly digging in, but he forced himself to slow down. Once, after going more than a day without eating, he'd stuffed himself too quickly and ended up immobile for hours.
Evel grabbed the garlic bread and dipped it in the stew and thoroughly savoured the first bite. As he continued eating, Evel's thoughts drifted to his affinity. He would likely get it tested soon and it could decide his future.
He didn't know the specifics of how it worked, but its importance wasn't lost on him. He felt equally hopeful and anxious.
Suddenly, a cold chill climbed down Evel's back.
The warm atmosphere chilled.
He looked at the rest of his group and noticed they also all had slightly uncomfortable expressions on their faces.
The entire mood of the restaurant had shifted.
The feeling they got was one of someone having an active ability.
Yet something was off.
Usually, the aura felt akin to a hot match burning out but this feeling was more like a dull lamp ahead of a creepy hallway.
It wasn't very powerful, but it gave the group a strong discomfort.
Evel scanned the restaurant for the source of this unnerving feeling and his eyes led him to the entrance where a man in a dark hooded robe had walked in. Under his hood was a bronze-skinned young man. His face was full of cuts, with a particularly deep cut going through the edge of his lips.
The restaurant which had previously been full of people chattering and utensils clinking on plates, now was an eerie silence.
The waiter quickly went to help this customer before any business was lost.
"Hello, is there something we can help you with?"
The man took off his hood revealing thick unkept black hair, and neck full of shallow cuts.
"Food."
His tone was neutral, showing no signs of malice nor gratitude.
"Yes of course, but we will have to request you to stop using your ability while in this establishment."
The man intensely stared into the waiter's eyes.
The waiter, unflinching, stared right back, maintaining the smile on his face. After a tense silence, a look of enlightenment hit the waiter's face as if he remembered something.
"Ah! You're Bremin! Such young talent! Come, we have a separate room we can accommodate you in. Hera, take this man to Room C!"
Bremin nodded and followed the waitress and the aura slowly dissipated as he entered another room.
Was he… training?
Evel considered himself a hard worker, but in this case, he felt completely outclassed.
With the aura now mostly gone, the customers relaxed, slowly got comfortable again. Within a few minutes the chatter and clinks returned.
"I hope I don't ever have to fight guys like him."
Brenton said quietly as he sipped his soup.
But Evel didn't hear him, an idea brewing in his mind.
He looked fairly young, and although his power had a certain eerie vibe to it, it wasn't overwhelming. Did he also recently get here?
Evel got the waiter's attention, and asked him a question.
"Could I finish the rest of my meal with that Bremin guy?"
His three companions' heads snapped to him in bewilderment. What was this psycho thinking? Eat with that creepy guy?
The waiter's eyes squinted at the young man, unsure of his intentions. Eventually he decided he didn't care too much either way so he gave in.
"Sure, as long as he doesn't mind, I don't see an issue, come with me."
Leo looked at Evel in worry.
"Are you sure Evel?"
Evel looked back in amusement, and gave him a smile.
"I'll see you guys later at the camp."
He grabbed his soup, his bread, and left 4 riaks at the table before following the waiter to the room.
The waiter knocked on the door.
"Enter."
A coarse voice answered, and the waiter went in with Evel right behind him. The deathly aura washed over him as he tried to compose himself in front Bremin.
The room was well decorated, looking more like a study than a dining room.
There was a large bookshelf to the right and on the left, a large painting. It was showcasing the Emperor in his royal armor, holding his sword high in the air, inviting anyone who dared challenge him.
At the center, there was a large dining table with four seats, only one of them occupied with Bremin who had a blank expression on his face.
Focusing on Bramin, Evel asked,
"Hey there Br- uhh man, how bout some company while you eat?"
Bremin had never actually told his name to Evel, so it felt awkward acting friendly.
Silence.
Evel cringed and instantly regretted his decisions.
God I wanna kill myself, why am I even here?
"If not, I c –"
"Okay."
Huh?
It worked?
Delighted, Evel entered the room and sat across from Bremin, placing his food on the table. The waiter, having done his job, left and closed the door behind him. Bremin's order hadn't arrived yet, so the pause made it awkward for Evel to eat.
What the hell do I even say?
After agonizing over it for far too long, Bremin's eye's never leaving him, Evel gave up on anything normal and went back to what he was most familiar with.
"Wanna see a magic trick?"