Chapter 17: Chapter 6 : Civilization At It’s Finest (Pt.3/4)

*Engine shuts down* 

[ Time    : 16.13

Date      : Friday 35th of September 1441

Season  : Summer

Weather : Sunny ]

As i look up and check what time it is, my eyes wander a bit as it sees the clouds that strays the rays of the sun, diminishing it's color and with how the red and bleaker it is, the sun is getting down and it's almost time for the night to come. (Sheesh, that sure is a long ride because my lower body starts to ache. Felt like forever since i have this pain)

We parked at some empty spot for short-width transportations on the side road, and the rowdy traffic's just behind us. (How wide is the city, really?... I swear to God, if it were to be circular-shaped...)

As Ishka stretches her body after the long drive, we take a stop at some nearby street where there are stores of home utilities, souvenirs, herbals and some mini markets all spread out to the walkway that goes upwards. "(Ishka) *groans* Aight, then. Well you two, Hop off, now!"

"(Rexar) Phew, i'm exhausted. We're here, Arl"

*drops down*

I look at the surrounding and take in the sight while letting in a deep breath, and exhales. (Smells like someone washed the road with water just now, and unironically i missed this smell to some degree.

It's not too crowded and the atmosphere is pleasant, so we might as well eat here to relax ourselves a little more)

In front of us is a van with a plate sign, Qaiz's Ever-curious Spectacular Culinaries, and one can say that it's big indeed.

Half the size of a bus and/or a truck, it's approximately 6 to 7 meters long, and 3 to 4 meters high.

It's outer shell is yellow and red that is meshed in, quite an awful mix if i may say.

The windows are tinted in half-transparent black and i can roughly see some cooking utensils alongside the menu(?)'s ingredient.

Ishka jogs to the opened window of that van and is facing someone wearing a waiter's hat. "(Guy?) (far) Hey Ish, how's your training for the Archery section going?". He is resting his head on the table inside as he examine his notes while glancing at the others that is on white paper.

His sound is like the Caucasian workers i often meet in the cafeteria of the company, and they're always too friendly and enthusiastic about everything they say so i'm a little bit weirded out of how he sounds like he just don't want to get out of bed.

Ishka ignores his greeting and goes to see the menu that is laid out somewhere near her position. "(Ishka) (far) Waking in moonlight cumbersome, i tell yer. Though i wonder how you got pass the training, Q?"

He packs the notes while still grabbing some of the paper a little far from his position, unseen from here. "(Guy?) (far) Just like how your Giantkins are, with loads and lots o' sweats and teardrops. Want some tips over them?"

She holds out her hand in denial as she bows a little to see the menu. "(Ishka) (far) Nah, i'm good with just checking the 'usual' "

The guy now takes out something like a cardstock which have some scribbles and drawings on the right side of the texts that is there. (Guy?) (far) There nothing else you can try? Like, i dunno, the ones i'm experimenting with?"

"(Ishka) (far) OH, Goodness, NO, Please~... Nothing wrong with trying out some of the others, though". She reach her hand inside and takes out another different kind of a leather covered cardstock where it's drawing and writings are seen to be more finished than what he's holding.

He puts away the menu he's holding and takes the notes that he was inspecting again as they chat along. "(Guy?) (far) *sighs* Ah well, long as you get to tell me how they favors your tongue"

"(Ishka) (far) Whatevs"

Me and Rex is catching up to Ishka who is there talking to a guy in the van rather long enough, so i can already guess they're more than just acquaintances.

But even so, i'm still intrigued by what their relationship is. "Rex, who's she talking to?"

"(Rexar) Qaiz, a friend of sister back in Knight's Academy. He's now in Ranger's as a 2nd year student". He answered my question in the shortest description it can be, and i'm already content with just that.

Questions is only adding up, like his relationship with the guy. "You fond of him?"

"(Rexar) Only when we passes by each other and comes to our house, and i seldomly talk with him without Sis nearby, so i don't get to know of him much". He shrugs his shoulder acting like they're just neighbors that greets in the morning, just because.

"Is that so? Hmm...". I wander my head for some other questions as we walk together to the van.

The closer we get, the more i notices that he has red scales under his hat in his forehead and some barely noticeable ones on his hands. "Say, Rex. Is it just me or does he look like a dragon because of his red scales in his skin?"

"(Rexar) Is it? I never think too much about it, though Qaiz always said that it grants him Defense. So, maybe he is, i guess?". Rex looks the other way as he is a little indifferent to the topic at hand.

When we get to see each others faces, i get to notice that he have some red hair on his hat that conceals his curly hair and on his back, and it seems that it goes down longer than i thought it would.

Despite his uneager mannerism, his sharp eyes of yellow and orange might make you think twice before dissing things he may not be fond off, so he is definitely that of a Dragonkin.

The face has some scales of red and little black dots behind and over his Asian-like nose that has larger nostrils.

His teeth glints a little, despite naturally having some yellow on the whites, and some of them are more sharp than blunt.

His skin while light brown is riddled with some scales and as expected, subtly reflects the lights that comes from inside the van.

His hands have no sharp claws as one might think, but i still don't know if he has some other form like being a real Dragon.

(But oh well, it's not like i can go on about prying someone's identity and use Keen Eyes on everyone i meet just for the sake of my mind's interest.

HUD, register that guy's voice as Qaiz)

[ Affirmative ]. My knowledge concerning HUD as a whole currently is still limited, and found out that you don't have to scan them with 'Keen Eyes'.

Only difference is, it's the fact that this process will only do me justice on Closed Caption.

His profile on Person(s) aside from Names, whether it be Nickname or Full Name if you were to know of it prior, are going to be blank unless you were to scan that person with whatever Identity Scanning skill you have, 'Keen Eyes' in my case. (Wish i knew of this sooner, could've registered that Chief(?) person even if i don't know his name yet)

"(Rexar) Make it as 'usual', Qaiz". His vpice makes her turn back a little after telling us his picking.

She point both him and herself to Qaiz. "(Ishka) What he said.

Have me and Rex our 'usual' stuff cooked. Got it, scaly?"

"(Qaiz) Yes, yes...". In the manner of being indifferent, he flails his hand as if feeling annoyed by her 'friendly' tone.

When we arrive side by side, he peek his head out a little to check us out. (Qaiz) Hey, Rex! I see you brought out a...". When his eyes focuses on me, his pupils jerked to the sides and frowns a bit to him. "(Qaiz) An odd colored friend, for once. *sighs*"

(Odd colored? Is he speaking of my front hair color? Honestly, i don't get to see what's wrong with that?)

Rexar hearing this after, scowls his face in anger of some discrimination that is in display, and walks to him like getting ready for beating bears in the woods. "(Rexar) Hey, that's rude! He just entered the city for the first time an-"

"(Qaiz) Alright, alright. I'm just saying, the little fella should be extra careful around here". He hold out his hands to him as he surrender in spite of his anger. "(Qaiz) Now, what's your picking, little fella?". Even though he just said that, his eyes are half-opened as if being looked down isn't enough of a treatment for my first time in the city.

In response, i wanted to give him a little bit of payback and wonders if just saying my name backed up by my family's might scare him a little, knowing full well that they might ground me just because they're Guardians. " *sigh* (annoyed) My name is Arlan Gritt from Sir Garvin Gritt and Miss Fiona Gritt, not 'little fella', Oh~ Mister!"

He jolts a bit and is now fully awake, and his face twitches as he tries to naturally smile now that he knows of my identity. "(Qaiz) Oh! Uh, excuse me for a moment, please!". He goes inside and i hear his thuds going to the right side of us.

A door that might be for the passenger's seat is opened, and Qaiz sticks his head out before getting to see the one he's looking for. "(Qaiz) Uhm, Ish? Come here for a sec". He gestures her to come inside with his eyes a little wide now that he's 'scared'.

She walks to him casually. "(Ishka) Ayy? What is it- Whoa?!". He pulls her inside and i hear them some flicks being switched, with their shadows vanishing and ducking inside.

*door and windows closes*

"(Rexar) ... What's going on?". He looks at me with a dumbfounded face of the context not known.

I lift my shoulder as i roughly knows why, while also preparing to give a guess that might fit in. "Maybe she forgot something that he ordered to take to him?"

"(Rexar) Well... I guess she's supposed to bring him back some of the notes that she's still keeping". We both stand out in the open as i look around me, and see that the sun is still getting down.

As we both talk, at the same time i roughly hear what they're whispering mostfully, as it is useless to try and hide to whisper away from me as i have sensitive ears that can, again, roughly make out people's words from previous experiences. (This scenes familiar, second time in a row.

It involves her, something about me or my hair in particular, and the change in attitude after realizing something.

Like, really? Will this continue on again?)

"(Qaiz) (low-voice) Ish, why didn't you say anything about a kid from the Gritt family?!

Especially the former adventurer duo couple!

I thought you were just hanging out with kids from the orphanage". His sound is that of a scaredy cat being wary of it's surrounding that it might be preyed upon in it's sleep when it's not looking.

"(Ishka) (low-voice) Ya just pressed on and didn't give me time to introduce him, dummy!

Now whaddaya think woulda happen were his parents to hear of this? Especially his mother"

(Hmm? What's with Mother when you put it that way like she's a force to be reckoned?)

"(Qaiz) (low-voice) . . . Eek! Please, help me". His voice is getting even lower-pitched than before.

(... So she is?)

"(Ishka) (low-voice) Nope, unless~...". Ishka sounds like she's signaling something inside so i can't make out what she's conveying at the very end.

"(Qaiz) (low-voice) Owh, alright. My treat on this one for you three". In sigh of defeat, he surrender and got himself the easy way out by saying tab's on him for today.

I hear some shoulder being hit, maybe she's trying to encourage him by not being too sulky about not earning that few bucks. "(Ishka) (low-voice) Hehe, you have my thanks!"

*Flick switch*

Ishka goes off the van, windows opened, lights on, and Qaiz stands on his place like nothing happened just now. (Wow. Of all things that i were to encounter for my first time in the city is bribery? Just, Wow)

"(Ishka) Treats on the house, boys!". She gives us the thumbs up for having it easy for the day.

Rex looks at me with some signs of confusion in his smirking face as he roll his eyes. "(Rexar) Oh, still the same as 'usual' "

"(Ishka) So what do you pick, Arl?". I look at the persuader who's 'smiling', though i know the intention of why she's fully showing it to me as they are none the wiser.

I got too focused on eavesdropping them and that's a failure on my part. "Hmm? Oh, right..."

(Okay then, what to pick?). The menu is shown via the chalkboard on the left side, here's an example of the ones that piqued my interests :

Earth Dragon Meat Burgers

Wooly Cow Kebab

Three-fanged Chicken Strips

Sea Dragon Omelette

Snow Fruit Juice

Mandrake Milktea

Red Wyvern Nuggets

Qaiz's Spectacular French Fries

Shaarik's Signature Instant Noodles . . .

(... Yep, sure is a lot). While i do want some French Fries myself, the question is 'Does French exist in this world?'.

I don't know, and i can't give a care about it anymore... Unless the recipe were given by a Diver such as myself.

But the most interesting is Snow Fruit Juice and Wooly Cow Kebab, especially the former because they might be reminiscence of the blue fruits i had on that first weird dream. (...I still don't know what that one is all about)

"I'll, be having a Snow Fruit Juice and a Wooly Cow Kebab, please~"

He takes a pen and write the ones i just ordered on some note. "(Qaiz) Okey dokey, now if you would all please have a seat there in any of those tables and wait for your orders to be cooked". The guy goes inside as we three are the most recent customers, and no other behind us.

"(Ishka) Aight, follow me, boys". She guides us to some empty circling seats and tables that best suit us.

(Hmm, because there was no writing for the prices and we're being treated on the house, i still don't know what the currency is.

Even Elena didn't teach me those back home, guess i'll ask these two while waiting)

As we all sit on the seats she lead us to, i enter her sightline as to make her notice me for my question session. "Say Miss Ishka, what is the cheapest in the menu? Also, can you take out my tablet?"

"(Ishka) Sure. *warps* Here ya go". After warping in the tablet that i savor, she hands it out to me and i check the device by powering it up, and thankfully nothing's wrong in the process. "(Ishka) The cheapest of all he has in store is... Water?". She looks at me in a joyous mood.

(... No talent in being a comedian here, Just No). I give her the poker face treatment as both i and Rexar am not laughing to her 1-penny cracker.

She scratches her back in embarassment since we both did not give the expected response. "(Ishka) ... Just joking, it's Qaiz's Spectacular French Fries. It costs 100 Shirs". She raises her index on the right, and curls her pinky and ring finger that it closely shaped after zeroes.

I try to imitate her, and i quit right after as i feel a little stinging on the back of my hand to the fingers besides the index. (Gotta be painful if you'd to do that often... I still am not used to the gestures)

*Tablet's low-buzzes*

I look at the tablet as it boots up and displays to me it's lock-screen. "Mmhm, and the most expensive?". Unlocking the screen, i scroll to the [ Notes ] as to make point of what i should make reference in terms of prices.

"(Ishka) Volcanic Dragon Steak, which costs 5000 Shirs.

Just for reference, the market price of a single pen costs 30 Shirs and a coin is 10 Shirs"

I make a name for the 1st note i'm writing as [Prices of Shaarik's] as i copy and paste what she said to the note.

[Prices of Shaarik's.

1pcs Coin = 10 Shirs, roughly equals 1 cent? 

1pcs Pen = 30 Shirs

1pcs Volcanic Dragon Steak = 5.000 Shirs, roughly equals 500 cents a.k.a 5 dollars?]

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"(Ishka) Whoa, you sure do know how to use this". I notice that she's a little bit too close to my face, and i back my seat away from her a little while also tilting it to her direction a bit as to make her be able to view it without having to stretch her neck.

(Genuinely surprised me, her interest in this thing)

"(Rexar) Told you so, sis". He nods to himself in pride of being righteous to me. 

My face gave in a little to their complements and trembles a little alongside trying to put a stop to my smile. "Ngh. Stop with the praises already~.

Now, the currency of Shirs. Are they coins, papers or virtual money?"

She sticks out from her ring to her index on her left hand. "(Ishka) Hehe! All three, ya good at asking questions, kid!"

"Is that wrong of me?". I continue to tap on what she just said as another section with a space in between. 

[Prices of Shaarik's.

Available in the form of coins, money paper and virtual money. Unknown price regarding virtual money as no place of online shop is met as of currently. 

- ~ - 

1pcs Coin = 10 Shirs, roughly equals 1 cent? 

1pcs Pen = 30 Shirs

1pcs Volcanic Dragon Steak = 5.000 Shirs, roughly equals 500 cents a.k.a 5 dollars?] 

*Finger tapping tables*

As i insert the notes, she stares at it with such intent like she also want to play with it. " *sighs* If you want to borrow it, here. Just say so next time, Miss"

She holds in her greed of wanting to snatch it right away as i tuck it on my chest before slowly putting it down on the table and she pulls it to her hands and treats it with utmost respect as the temporary owner is in front of her. "(Ishka) Ah, not only being considerate but ya sure is clever~. 

Well then, i'll be taking a look for some stuff in the net"

I feel my hand being shaken by Rex's hand. "(Rexar) What did you do just now?"

"Just typing some notes for learning, nothing special". I describe it as short and simple as it can get. 

"(Ishka) Well, here's the thing, kid. Ya was supposed to learn of it after having a 'Jobs' but, who gives a care about that when ya can ask people for it, right?

And these notes of yours sure is packed, what's a dollar and a cent?". After telling me that such knowledge aren't supposed to be learn yet by kids my age, i also notices that she said the two currencies i am used from outside the Dive. 

(Crap, didn't think it through since i thought she'd just go tap the 'Home' button on the middle of the bottom!) 

"Oh uh, that's just a type of currency back in a book i once read!

By the way Rex, have you changed your 'Job' ?". I anxiously switch the topic to another as i am afraid if she's to be suspicious of me knowing another currency besides our kingdom's. 

"(Rexar) ... No. I'm still not sure about this, Arl. You sure this is true?". He questions me with his unsure eyes as he seeks some reassurance from me. 

"Someone has to try it, don't they? Besides, i still haven't acquired a 'Job' myself so there's no way i can go there with you, and then there's the receptionist and other adventurers. All you need to do, is ask, my friend"

"(Rexar) ...Sis?"

"(Ishka) Don't care~"

I hit his shoulder and give him a thumbs up to cheer him up because of his uncertainty, and can only wish him the best. "Best of luck to you, Rex!

Anyways, our orders sure is taking a while. It's been 6 minutes already.

Should someone check it out?"

"(Ishka) How do you even know it's 6 minutes already? Didn't feel like time passed that long.

Ah well, i also want to have another chat with him.

Don't even think of leaving your seats!". She walks to the van as the absence of her is leaving us two behind to an awkward ambience. 

"(Rexar) Don't worry, sis!... Wait, i forgot to tell her to return your tablet... Oh well, let's just wait for her to come back.

So Arl, do you have fun along the way?"

"Sure, yeah, but i wondered why people are looking at us with quite the gaze they have right now?"

Matter of fact right now is that from left and right, passerbys looked at us with different kinds of expression.

Pity, Fear, Hatred, and Confusion is the most common i saw for the past 2 minutes and after chatting up with Rex here, it's pretty clear that i am not supposed to be here. (Damn it. So that explains it, huh? On why the Security Gate Chief and Qaiz gave me those worrying looks?). Inside my head, i scowl them just because of their negative emotions while being hidden, is very noticable to me but i don't want to stir up trouble as i don't want to end the trip abruptly. 

I'm being rejected by society, them and their scornful eyes telling me to go back home even though it's my first time having a breath of fresh air. (Funny, after 4 years of isolation and this is what the society gave me?

What Do They Know Of Me? Who Do They Think Of Me?

Go Ahead And Trash Talk Me Directly, To This Immature Kid Who You Think Is An Easy Target To Prey At...)

[Warning : Negativity Factor increases by a margin of 6%]

A message that popped up just now is something entirely new to me, and left me questioning. (... What's this Negativity Factor? What does it mea-)

My clothes are pulled by Rex's hand rather aggressively as of now. "(Rexar) (low-voice) Arl!"

Hearing him whisper, i somehow know something's not right with the current mood and follow suit to respond to his whisper. "(low-voice) What is it?"

"(Rexar) (low-voice) Sis Ishka isn't coming back, do you think something happened to her and Qaiz?". He looks to the surrounding as he in feeling wide open to the eyes of the public. 

I check the inside of the van through the windows and visible interiors with my eyesight and after focusing a little, i do not detect any kind of presence inside it. "(low-voice) Now that you mention it... Rex

I need to tell you something really serious.

Prepare to use any kinds of defensive and offensive magic, as i don't think it's a coincidence that Ishka's not coming back"

He think to himself and at one point widen his eyes in fear of their safety. "(Rexar) (low-voice) ...Oh no! Do you really think they encountered some bad guys?"

Hearing the word 'bad guys' puts me in an alerted state as it is always available, especially in parts of the city like the alleyways that there is around this place. "(low-voice) Just prepare for the worst, especially some bad guys.

Come on, let's move out, and don't stray too far from me". I drop down off my seat and begin to prepare mentally by checking the combative options i have as i am now. 

"(Rexar) (low-voice)...Even though i'm the one with magic powers..."

I don't know what lies ahead, so i guess this is the time to fully utilize my skills.
(Time to vent all this anger on some thugs, and i feel sorry for those who'll be victimized by my hands after this~, EHE!)

. . . 

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