The next moment, Kai found himself heading towards the cafe, with Sofia leading the way and Lyra walking right beside him.
While he walked, he made sure to take in as much scenery around him as possible. Part of the scene was seeing Sofia act all jolly ever since he agreed to follow her to the cafe.
'Tsh! As long as I finally get to eat real food. I really don't care. I've been forced to devour players in the dungeon, not anymore.'
Kai grabbed his chin, going into deep thoughts.
'I wonder what kind of food exists in the game? Seeing everything so far, I won't be surprised if the developer added some real-life food here and there.'
Just the thought of it could make him drool on the spot.
Then suddenly, Lyra leaned closer to him to whisper something.
"My Lord, are you certain we should trust this girl? Something about her seems off. I feel she is awfully nice to someone she only just met a few moments ago."
Kai made sure to keep his gaze in front, even after hearing what she had to say.
'I mean, she is not necessarily wrong. But as a gamer myself, I can understand how newbies get when it's time to help their fellow rankers. Whether it is genuine or not is a separate feeling entirely.'
"We should not act too soon," he replied calmly.
Lyra's eyes snapped open at the realization.
'So that is what my Lord is planning. Of course, we should wait and see what else they have planned before we do anything. Lyra you idiot, my Lord is not someone that can be fooled by the likes of a weak human.'
She whispered in her mind, all while she was glaring intensely at Sofia.
Kai, on the other hand, only had food on his mind.
...
It took them a couple of minutes, but they finally arrived at the front of the tavern, where many people would often go to eat, drink, and sometimes party if needed.
Kai stood in front of the wooden door, watching as Sofia slowly opened it so they could get inside.
"Here, come in," she spoke before taking a step to the side.
"Thank you."
Kai walked into the tavern.
The first thing he heard was the wave of noise echoing from every corner of the building, a cacophony of cheerful chatter, the clinking of tankards, and a muffled, off-key lute melody.
The air was thick and heavy, saturated with the competing scents of stale ale, roasted meat, and woodsmoke from a massive stone fireplace crackling merrily against the far wall.
Dust motes danced lazily in the few shafts of weak afternoon sunlight that managed to pierce the grime-caked windows.
The room itself was large and dimly lit, save for the flickering candlelight illuminating the many rough-hewn wooden tables scattered across the floor.
These tables were mostly occupied by a diverse crowd of adventurers and common folk, some wearing polished, gleaming armor, others draped in simple traveling cloaks, all nursing drinks or digging into hearty plates of food. The floorboards beneath his feet groaned softly with every step, worn smooth by countless footsteps.
Behind a long, dark counter running along one side of the room, a large, burly NPC barkeep with a perpetually tired expression was wiping down mugs and serving drinks with practiced efficiency. Shelves lined with various bottles of colorful, potent-looking spirits ran up the wall behind him.
The entire scene felt vibrantly alive, a classic fantasy hub of rumors and revelry.
The lower part of the tavern seemed to be reserved for the lower-class people, and the upper was more like a VIP section for those who could afford it.
All the while, Kai was truly impressed, realizing how the game got everything to the letter, from the customers to the exact feeling of a fantasy setting.
'Holy fuck, this is peak! I want to sit on those wooden chairs so badly! But I go seating first as a guest.'
"Oh, there they are!"
Sofia grabbed Kai by the arm and pointed to the left side of the room where the rest of her party members were seated, already waving back at her.
"Let's go."
She moved forward, dragging Kai along with her.
Lyra tried to pull her hand away, but it was too late as Sofia had already begun moving.
Sighing to contain her anger, Lyra followed right beside them.
Upon reaching the table, Alex was the first to speak.
"Look who took their sweet time. You had Racheal worried sick; she thought you wandered off."
He smiled, holding the large wooden mug of drink in his hand.
'Fantasy cupppppS!'
Kai was losing his mind internally. If anything, it took quite the self-control to still stand there so calm as though he wasn't excited by everything he was seeing.
"S-sorry, I kind of lost track of time."
Sofia sat down on the chair that had an extra three slots, where Lyra and Kai soon settled down on.
The tables and chairs were connected, meaning it also felt like they were seating on a single bench.
The members of the party all looked at Kai and his subordinate.
Two of the men could not keep their eyes off Lyra, constantly looking at her chest. As for the girls, they were gawking at Kai so much that Lyra could also glare at them.
Not that Kai took notice of any of that, since all that was on his mind was simply trying one of the food items there.
Then Alex spoke.
"Kai was it? Please, feel free to order whatever you like. I know you don't have money, we recently completed a quest so we have loads to spare."
He gestured to the quiet man beside him.
"Besides, Leo here is a whale. He basically has Cens worth of a thousand dollars just so we can eat here. So don't worry."
Leo in question was the third member of the team, wearing round glasses, and seemed like he kept to himself a lot.
He didn't need to be told twice. Kai's eyes immediately scanned the menu board hanging haphazardly on the wall near the bar, though he couldn't quite make out the smaller print from this distance.
'A whale, huh? Spending real money just for in-game food? This game really brings out the weirdos. But hey, I'm the one benefiting.' Kai mused internally, trying to remain composed.
"I... I appreciate that," Kai said, offering what he hoped was a suitably grateful but not overly excited nod.
He quickly caught the eye of a passing server, a young woman with a simple apron and a surprisingly swift pace.
"Excuse me, what do you recommend?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
The server paused, placing a hand on her hip.
"Depends on what you're after, traveler. For a quick bite, the 'Giant Rat Skewers' are popular—surprisingly lean meat. If you're hungry, the 'Dwarven Special Stew' will fill you up for a day. Today's special, though, is the 'Griffon Wings'—a bit pricey, but worth every copper."
Kai's mind instantly fixated on the names. Giant Rat? Griffon Wings? The fantasy themes were running strong, and his stomach rumbled in anticipation.
"I'll take the Griffon Wings, please," Kai said immediately. "And, uh, do you have... any kind of fruit juice? Not ale."
Sofia, who had been listening, chuckled.
"Griffon Wings! Big spender, Kai. Leo's treating, remember?"
Leo just nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable but resigned.
"It's fine. Go wild."
...
[A/n]
Can't blame a gamer for being a gamer, as they say. Isn't Sofia just cute?