A Familiar Cafe?

The poor guy went into a small room and locked the door. That reminds me, I haven't bathed as well. After a while, Bryan came out of the room, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with black pants. He had a belt with a small holster where a small dagger resided this time.

"If you want, you can use the bathroom. I can wait for you. After that, we'll grab breakfast in the local village," suggested Bryan, pointing to the small room.

I nodded and quickly took a shower. It was then that I realized I'd got no spare clothes and that the clothes I was wearing were part of me. It's part of my armor set, so I just switched the colors up to my liking since I'm stuck with the same clothes.

Instead of blue, I felt black would be a good option today. Of course, the Slayer questioned me, and I kept quiet. He shrugged and wore his boots. I followed him out the door, and we made our way into the village for breakfast.

It was still quite cooling since the sun was still trying to get up. As we reached the entrance, two giant metal gates stood before us. And two guards were there as well, fully dressed in armors. They instinctively stood in front of us.

"She's with you?" asked one of the guards, pointing at me with his finger.

Bryan nodded at both guards, and they opened the gates. I tailed along, finally seeing the village of this realm. And it was bustling. Stalls of fresh produce and trinkets lined the pavements of this place. Children were running around, playing while the adults were selling things.

Some were shopping, and others were patrolling. It truly looked like a typical village from medieval times. Unfortunately, their clothes weren't the best, so I felt a wave of uneasiness consume me as I walked through. Their eyes were stuck onto me since I stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Don't worry about the stares. They are just wary of newcomers. Observing the place and wearing belts like mine are part of the Arks. They are the ones who took up patrol for today. Not to worry, they know me, so I won't let anyone attack you," explained Bryan, entering a small hut.

I could only nod as I was still trying to take in all of my surroundings. I didn't need him to tell me who the Mages were since their Auras were shining brightly in my vision. So I opted to turn it down, but it isn't fully gone. When I entered the hut, I was greeted fondly by a girl and an older woman.

The younger girl was wearing a brown dress with a white but dirty apron. She looked like she was of Asian descent, having brown-colored eyes and hair. Her skin was slightly tanned but not too much. Her hair must be quite long since she had to bun it up.

The older woman looked a bit like the young girl, but she wore a light blue dress and a dark purple apron. Her features were the same as her, but she was sporting short hair instead. Again, their smiles were the same.

The area was a tiny cafe, if I could even call it that. It looked like I had just stepped into someone's house. But seeing that they've got a bar countertop with some cups and kitchenware lined on the walls, it was safe to assume they've got a business running.

I don't know what it was, but the whole place smelled homespun. Yes, I can smell the aroma of the first brew of coffee for the day, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why it smelt so familiar... We sat at a stone stable with wooden, back-rested chairs.

Each chair had a comfy red pillow on the seats. And each table had a box filled with cutleries and some napkins. I scanned the room, and there were about a few more tables. So I highly doubt this place would get busy. And hopefully not because it looks quite understaffed.

Welcome to Food and Beverage services, where being understaffed is the main reason why you are working to the bone. I should know. I had to suffer in it for a few years before calling it quits. I even had a Diploma in that specific area of work. Well, it was fun and relaxing not to kill all the time.

"Slayer Verna, what brings you here again? I thought you were on a mission?" asked the older woman, getting some water for us.

The younger one rushed behind the counter straight after greeting us. I found it odd, but I guess she has her reasons. And Bryan looked quite intimidating.