Chapter 12 - Friend

The prince? I think I remember Jane saying they were the highest power family in the kingdom.

"Don't you think you should just apologize for bumping into them?"

"P-prince, they had provoked us f-first."

"Is this true?" He asked the rough looking guys

"N-No! She deliberately pushed us!"

"I did not!"

It was classic. The person who abused their power and status suddenly turns into a scared frog when a person of higher status steps into the fray.

I decided to leave while I could, it seemed like a pain to be there any longer.

"Hmm?" the prince said while looking towards the crowd.

---

It was still daylight out. So, I walked around for a bit longer.

I could hear my stomach rumble.

I guess I'm hungry.

I headed to a nearby bar. I could smell the food from the outside and it smelt pretty good.

Unfortunately, the place was packed full. There was only 1 empty seat, but it was at a table of 3 people. I was about to leave before the worker started to speak.

"Come in!"

I looked back at her and tilted my head, there was no where I could sit.

"You can sit there."

She pointed at the empty spot at the table with the 3 people.

I tilted my head again. Why would I suddenly sit with strangers? It was strange to me, if I were to sit with them, they might suddenly start ganging up on me or make me pay.

"Don't worry, nothing bad will happen!"

Her eyes looked perfectly normal and happy, but I felt like something was wrong.

"Don't mind us! You can sit here!"

One of the people at the table shouted, it was a man with green hair. The other people were in robes so I couldn't tell what they looked like.

"Olly!" It was a female voice; it came from underneath one of the robed figures.

"It's fine, it's fine!"

Though I was suspicious of what was happening, I decided to sit there anyways. I didn't get a bad feeling from them.

After I sat down the worker asked what I wanted.

"...Soup." I was slowly getting better at speaking.

"Coming right up!"

She left and then the green-haired guy started to talk.

"Hey there friend! My name's Oliver, people call me Olly, what about you?"

I looked at his eyes, and they were pure, they had no other intentions.

"...Kai."

"Kai? Nice to meet you Kai, what are you doing here?"

"I was hungry..."

"Hahaha! Of course, I was stupid to ask."

Since I got closer, I could see what the robed people looked like. They were both female, the one who called out Olly before had blue hair whilst the one whose been silent this whole time had blonde hair with yellow eyes; she was staring at me.

"So, do you live in the capital?" Olly asked while he was eating his food

"...No... I'm here for the Knight Academy."

Olly's eyebrows raised

"You're here for the academy too?"

Too?

"Us three are going there as well! What a coincidence!"

"By the way, for your information, she's called Lily, and the other is Aster!"

The blue haired was Aster, while the blonde was Lily

"Olly!" Aster spoke

"It's nice to meet you, Kai." Lily said while looking at me, she seemed to have been staring at me the whole time.

"...You too."

The worker from before came back with the soup and it smelt good.

I immediately started eating like I was taught for a few seconds before I got lazy and just lifted it up and drank it all.

The three of them looked at me with surprise before Olly started to laugh.

"Hahaha! That's an efficient way to eat!"

I wiped my mouth with my hand.

"I like it!"

Olly, who was eating his soup in a dignified manner before suddenly copied what I did.

"Olly!?"

"Hah... That was good."

"You should both try it too, Aster, Lily!"

"No way." Aster replied immediately.

"I'll also pass." Lily followed.

"Ehh? But it's a pain having to eat soup that like that."

"Did you forget your status?"

"Who cares? Food all goes to the same place anyway."

Oh? I kind of like this guy.

"Yeah... I think the same."

Aster looked at me with a shocked expression.

"Huh!? No way!"

"Hahaha! I like the way you think Kai! I think we could be good friends."

Olly extended his arm for a handshake.

Hah, in my previous world the only handshakes you got were after you did a job. But here, the atmosphere is so friendly.

I extended my arm and shook his hand.

"I think so too."

I could see it started to get dark from the window.

"...I have to go now."

"Alright! See you at the academy Kai!"

"I'll see you as well, Olly."

I went to the worker from before and paid for my soup before heading back to the inn.

"Are you sure Olly?"

"Huh?"

"Becoming friends with him?"

"Why not? He seemed like a cool person."

"But you don't even know his status."

"Aster, when have I ever cared about status? I judge people from what I see."

"Hah... You're the same as always."

"What did you think about him, Aster?"

"He seems like an idiot, just like you."

"Hahaha! That means you like him! What about you Lily?"

"I couldn't tell."

"What?"

"I couldn't tell the kind of life he's lived with my eyes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

"That makes him even more interesting! I hope we could become great friends."

Olly smiled.

"But..." Lily continued,

"He seemed lost."