The atmosphere in the carriage became awkward and silent. None of them spoke. Cyhas turned her gaze to the side, the blush on her cheeks still not faded. A few seconds later, she mustered the courage to speak shyly, occasionally glancing at Fyar.
"Th-thank you, Sir Fyar," she stammered.
Ughm... even though this is just a dream, it feels so embarrassing. This is the first time I've ever said something like that to a woman, Fyar murmured in his mind, trying to hide his own feelings behind his flat mask.
Twelve minutes later, they arrived at the gate of a city. Two guards, their entire bodies clad in iron armor, stood watch at the border. Seeing the familiar horse-drawn carriage, one of them asked in a tone that was relaxed yet firm.
"Good afternoon, Sir Eutas. May we ask the purpose of your visit?"
Eutas? The old man's name is Eutas? That's pretty cool. I forgot to ask his name, oh well, Fyar thought.
"Yes, it's just me and my daughter in this carriage, Robert. Do you need to check?" Eutas answered in a gentle and relaxed tone.
"No need, that would just be a waste of time. Enjoy your time in the city of Elfier, Sir Eutas," the guard replied with a smile. The sturdy city gate was then opened, allowing Eutas's carriage to enter.
"You know them? You're called 'Sir'? Are you famous here?" Fyar asked, curious about the guards' polite demeanor toward the old man.
"Yes, you could say I'm quite well-known and well-regarded here," Eutas replied softly.
"Could you drop me off at an inn that has a bar?" Fyar asked.
"Of course, of course, Sir."
"You don't need to call me that. Just call me Fyar," Fyar said, feeling a little annoyed by the formal title after learning of Eutas's status in this city.
Eutas chuckled softly then said, "Alright, Fyar."
Fyar turned his gaze to Cyhas. "Is there some sort of academy here? Or a place to train?"
Cyhas replied with a smile. "Yes. You can ask the adventurers at the inn later. They might guide you, uh, provided you offer a reward, of course."
Even in a dream, people are money-grubbers, Fyar complained internally.
"Okay."
Before long, they arrived in front of a bustling inn. Fyar got off the carriage and parted ways with Eutas and Cyhas. Before they left, they gave him 50 gold coins, as well as a few pieces of bread and a waterskin.
Fyar stepped into the inn and was greeted by a familiar sight. The atmosphere inside was very similar to what he often saw in games or anime. He saw various creatures: elves with their pointed ears, regular humans, and also stout dwarves. They drank with their companions and ate with gusto. Some were trading stories of their recent adventures, some were trying their luck at gambling, and others were just joking around merrily.
As Fyar walked in, his presence in his strange, all-black suit immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room.
Yes, this is understandable, Fyar thought. He ignored their stares and walked straight to the reception desk.
"How much for one night here?" Fyar asked the innkeeper.
"For one night, it's seven silver coins, Sir," the receptionist replied.
"How many nights for one gold coin?" Fyar asked as he pulled a gold coin from his pocket.
"Two days, Sir," the receptionist answered politely.
"Alright, two days, under the name Fyar." Fyar handed the gold coin to the man.
"Very well, Sir." The receptionist then wrote down Fyar's name and handed him a room key.
In his room, Fyar sat at a table. He ate the bread and drank the water he had received from Eutas and Cyhas. The taste of the bread was, unexpectedly, quite delicious. A sweetness mixed with a milky richness made Fyar devour it quickly. Although he still believed this was a dream, he could clearly feel that the taste was real.
After eating, Fyar lay down on the soft bed and fell asleep. A few hours later, he woke up.
As he opened his eyes, Fyar's expression turned to one of panic and his face went pale. It wasn't because he had slept poorly, but because he was still in the same place.
This meant he was not dreaming.
Damn it, what's happening!? I'm not dreaming? How is that possible? What's actually happened to me? Wait, wait, wait, from any angle, this makes no sense! I'm not the main character of a novel or a game character, am I? How could I possibly be here? Damn it, damn it, damn it, I thought I was dreaming... Could it be because I shot that mirror? But how could that be...
Fyar clenched his fists. Agh, despair and anger won't change anything. I have to calm down and think about what to do next. Complaining won't change a thing. After thinking that, Fyar fell silent for a few seconds. He then let out a long sigh and said to the silence of his room.
"Destiny."
Fyar walked to the window and stared at the beautiful moon shining in the dark sky. "It's already night," he murmured.
He then went downstairs, planning to order some food and a drink to calm himself.
"You look terrible, Sir. Are you alright?" A receptionist greeted him, looking worried at Fyar's face, which seemed devoid of life. This person was different from the one Fyar had met that afternoon. She was a woman in her twenties, with black hair tied back, and she wore glasses.
"I'm fine. By the way, you're not the receptionist I saw this afternoon. Where did he go?" Fyar asked flatly.
"Oh, Sir Reuhar? He finished his shift and went home. Now it's my turn to be on duty. Ahem, ahem, by the way, this is my second day working here! And oh my goodness, I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Laura, Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Laura introduced herself with spirit and enthusiasm.
"Fyar," he replied curtly.
"Alright, Sir Fyar, what would you like to order?" Laura asked with a cheerful tone.
"Ugh, just whatever's good. I just got here, I don't know the names of the food in this bar," Fyar answered.
"Okay, Sir! Mm, let's see." Laura thought for a moment. "The popular dishes here are worm meat, fried fish, and also meat from a monster called a Wafeor. For drinks, we have ground chocolate and also plain water. Please choose, Sir!"
Huh? What kind of food is that? The only normal things here are fish and water. Ugh, whatever, I don't want to think about useless things right now, Fyar thought.
After pretending to think, he ordered. "Two servings of fish and plain water." Fyar took a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to Laura. "Keep the change."
"K-keep the change? S-Sir, are you serious!?" Laura was completely shocked. Seeing Fyar nod, she then bowed her head deeply. "Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much!"
Fyar only replied with a short grunt. "Uhm."
After that, he walked to the farthest table and sat down to wait for his food. While waiting, he took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket.
Yeah, at least I didn't forget to bring these, he thought, exhaling the first puff of smoke. He smoked in silence, lost in thought at his table. The billowing smoke and Fyar's unusual actions made the surrounding patrons curious. They found the man in abnormal clothing who was inhaling from a smoke-emitting object to be strange.
A few moments later, a party of three adventurers approached him. The party consisted of one man and two women. The man was well-built and quite handsome, with neat black hair, and he wore a typical adventurer's outfit, complete with leather armor and a sword on his back. He was in his late thirties. To his right was a woman with short green hair and blue eyes, likely in her late twenties, wearing all-black clothing that resembled a mage's robes. To his left, a woman with long red hair wore a wanderer's outfit with a dagger strapped to her thigh. She was around her mid-twenties.
Ugh, what's this? Am I going to get bullied like in the movies and anime? Whatever, I don't want to think about anything right now. If they try anything, I'll shoot them, Fyar thought coldly.
"Are you new here?" the man asked in a firm tone, his eyes scrutinizing Fyar from head to toe. "Your clothes are very different from ours. And also, what is that you're inhaling? Are you an adventurer? Have you joined a party yet?"
Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time. You're so talkative, Fyar sneered in his mind.
Fyar sighed, then deliberately took another cigarette from the pack. He lit it, and unexpectedly, held out the newly lit cigarette to the man in front of him.
"Try it," he said flatly. "It's good."