"Hmm, my name is Rivor Alford, one of the commanders in charge of the town's west protection and security. It's a pleasure to meet you, Zilon Miruba," the man said, bowing slightly.
"Whahhh—" Zilon's eyes widened as he stared at Rivor, his mind racing.
*A commander? You don't get to meet one every day,* Zilon thought, sighing inwardly.
Though Zilon wasn't entirely sure how significant Rivor's position was, his past life's knowledge told him that a commander—even in a small settlement—was someone of importance. Rivor's satisfied nod at Zilon's reaction only confirmed his suspicions.
*I guess it's not every day you meet a commander,* Zilon mused.
Rivor glanced at the darkening sky and said, "It's getting quite late. You should lead the way."
"Ah, yes, let's—"
*Kooooorrr.*
Zilon's stomach growled loudly, interrupting him. He clutched his stomach, a sheepish expression spreading across his face.
*I guess I forgot I was human,* he thought, chuckling inwardly.
Rivor raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like you're hungry. Come on, I know a place not too far from here. Let's grab a bite."
"Sure thing. I'm starving," Zilon replied, laughing lightly.
---
They arrived at a bustling building, its entrance crowded with people coming and going.
"Wow, this place is lively," Zilon commented, taking in the scene.
"Yeah, it's one of the more popular spots to eat, so it's always busy," Rivor explained.
*Popular, huh? Not the biggest or fanciest, though,* Zilon thought, glancing around.
"Come on, let's go," Rivor urged, leading the way inside.
They found two seats and settled in. Along the way, Zilon had bombarded Rivor with questions—basic ones, he assumed, for someone new to this world.
*So, there are magical beasts, and besides humans, there are other races like dwarves, elves, vampires, werewolves, dragons, and even demons. Damn,* Zilon thought, his mind racing. *And this city occasionally gets attacked from one of the four directions—north, south, east, or west. Not too different from Earth's geography, I guess.*
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Rivor asked, noticing Zilon's distant expression.
Zilon snapped out of his thoughts and realized he hadn't even looked at the menu yet.
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking…"
He glanced at the menu, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar dishes. Some looked oddly similar to Earth's cuisine, while others were completely foreign.
*The meat might be from magical beasts. I need to be careful not to order something poisonous,* Zilon thought, hesitating.
Before he could decide, Rivor's food arrived.
"Still stuck making choices?" Rivor chuckled, noticing Zilon's indecision.
"Yeah, I don't really know what to pick… Hey, wait, why's your food already here?" Zilon asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rivor blinked, then smiled. "Oh, that? I'm a regular here. Whenever I'm in this area, I usually come to eat."
"More like using your rank to skip the line," Zilon teased, pouting slightly.
Rivor laughed heartily, and Zilon couldn't help but join in. In the end, Zilon decided to order the same dish as Rivor, and to his surprise, it was delicious.
---
"Hey, Zilon," Rivor called, his voice low and serious.
Zilon looked up, noticing the shift in Rivor's tone.
"You do know we're being followed, right?" Rivor asked, his eyes subtly flicking toward a man sitting in the corner.
Zilon nodded calmly. "Yeah, I know. I'm not that naive. I figured someone might try to steal from me after that public apology."
Rivor raised an eyebrow, impressed. "But seeing you now, I'm sure you have a plan to deal with them, right?"
Zilon smirked. "Hmph, don't go assuming things about someone you just met."
Rivor snorted, but Zilon continued, "Still, I do have a plan."
"The issue now is, we don't necessarily know there numbers so we have to do something to attract them into one place so that we can finish them off" Zilon added
Rivor noded his head and continued eating.
---
As they finished their meal and prepared to leave, the waitress approached.
"That'll be 20 silver coins," she said politely.
Zilon reached for his bag, but Rivor beat him to it, handing over the coins.
"Keep the change," Rivor added with a wink, making the waitress laugh and thank him.
Once outside, Zilon turned to Rivor. "Hey, I had the money to pay. Why'd you cover it?"
Rivor looked away, his gaze fixed on the setting sun. "Just an old habit of mine," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
A small gust of wind passed between them, and Zilon caught the pain in Rivor's voice. Though he was curious, Zilon decided not to pry.
"I see. Well, that's not a bad habit, I guess," Zilon said, scratching his head.
Rivor turned to him, a surprised expression on his face. Then he smiled. "You definitely don't seem your age, you know."
"You think? I've heard that before, though I can't remember where," Zilon replied, shrugging.
"Alright, time to take you home. It's getting dark," Rivor said, gesturing toward the nearly set sun.
"Sure thing," Zilon agreed, falling into step beside him.
---