Hearing the voice of the enthusiastic young boy, Ela couldn't help but let a genuine smile out. She grabbed the three silver coins on the counter, dropping it to a container before offering the young boy a ticket.
Ajax looked at the ticket for a bit before accepting the ticket from the beautiful lady in front. As he grabbed the ticket, the lady grasped his hand with both her hands and smiled, "Take care, Mr. Ajax."
The young boy was taken aback by the gesture at first, but he looked at the eyes of Ela, brimming with excitement and affection. The sight of the beautiful lady staring at him intensely made his cheeks warm, a small but noticeable hue of pink can be seen in his cheeks.
"I will, of course, take care of myself, Miss Ela," Ajax said confidently.
Hearing the words of the confident man, she let go of his hand and looked at him one more time before waving her hand goodbye.
The boy nodded and walked towards the train, boarding it and standing in the corner. As usual, the train was filled with people, with the majority dressing up in fancy manner, clearly hinting the fact of their wealth, while some dressed up in an average style, and the rest of them wore the same uniform as Ajax.
Some faces were familiar with him as he had seen their faces before in the academy but have never once initiated a conversation with them.
Not long after he entered the train, the machinery showed a sign of movement, slowly moving forward, picking up the pace in a fast but steady way. He glanced at the window, noticing the buildings were tinier than seeing them up close, implying the fact of the distance between the train and the ground. He remembered his first time riding this with his mom, terrified of the height, trembling of the thought of the train falling from this height.
The train ride wasn't quiet, but the noises inside were pleasant, not hearing anyone mention the gate incident that he kept hearing on the street and from Miss Ela. The students from the academy were happily talking to each other, talking about the classes, the instructors and the third year senior that has given them an invitation to join their club.
Unfortunately for him, no one bothered to speak with him, which has left him feeling disappointed. He's a teenager like them, a young boy wanting to explore the world and to have many friends. Just like them, he wants to have a conversation, to exchange ideas, share his opinion and exchange ideas.
He took a subtle glance to the talking students, envying them with how casual and comfortable they are talking to each other. Again, a sigh came out, feeling a bit dejected but accepting the fact that he, may or may not, come to meet someone he can talk comfortable with soon.
The ride was comfortable yet annoying for him. No one mentioned the gate incident, but the thought of not having anyone to talk to and being ignored by his fellow student infuriated him.
As the train came closer to the capital city, a big round shaped domain came into view. Outside the domain is a heavily guarded wall with every turning point of the wall having a watchtower. The domain is where The Gate appeared, connecting two worlds together. The domain was built to protect civilians in case of a monster breaking out of the gate. Fortunately, there hasn't been a case of a monster coming out from the gate… yet. It was also built to stop civilians from entering the gate and to stop unnecessary death, and to ensure safety for the people.
The capital city was closer and the buildings came to view, but they were all overshadowed by the large domain and the academy.
The academy, almost as big as the large domain, serves as a place for talented individuals to be trained to become a raider, adventurer, scout or a hunter. The academy was also heavily guarded by professional hunters from the government, and it can also serve as a place for civilians to inhabit in case of an emergency.
No matter how many times I see it, it still amazes me, Ajax thought, in awe of the academy in front of him.
And after a few more minutes, the train came to a stop. The door opened, with many leaving immediately, including the students and him. He walked forward, leaving the place of another branch or a station of Magic Train.
Once again, he's back at the capital city of the kingdom, Orion.
Without hesitation, he walked again, looking around for something that may interest the young boy. While walking, he felt his stomach growl, begging to be satisfied. His throat was also sore, seeking to be quenched.
A restaurant called "Singular Shard" caught his attention. Upon entering, the setting of the place was pirate themed. Eye patches, decorative skeletons and a captain hat was all around the place. Although the setting of the place was interesting, there weren't any customers except for him.
Going forward to the counter, he rang the bell on top. In a few seconds, a panting, handsome guy came out from the door behind the counter.
"Ah, sorry… Did you wait long?" asked the handsome person.
"Not at all."
"Thank god…" the handsome man mumbled before looking up Ajax' eyes. "Ahoy! Is there anything you want, fellow pirate?"
I see. They even roleplay as pirates here. This is cool!
"Oh, uhm… Captain…" he said embarrassingly. "I would like…" he added, then stopped mid sentence once more, looking at the menu, he continued, "...two burgers and a drink. Any drink but pirate related. Har!" The handsome man was baffled by the blonde man in front of him. He has never seen someone so enthusiastic to roleplay as a pirate in his restaurant.
The handsome man smiled, "Yaaar! Order coming right up!" With that, the handsome man left for the kitchen, leaving the blonde man alone, standing in front of the counter.
That… was embarrassing. Scratching his head, he headed to a small table, grabbing the top of the chair and pulling it gently before taking a seat.
While waiting for his meal to arrive, he had a sudden thought. The gate incident everyone was talking about was, indeed, annoying to him, but it was also an interesting topic, that he can't hate it as much as he wants to, as his curiosity to learn more about the incident fights the hatred he feels.
The gate incident, huh. I should visit the domain before heading to the academy. He sighed. Damn it, I'm catching that woman's sighing habit.
He held out his hand, placing it on top of the table, looking at the palm of his hand. Imagining a dagger, the weapon took form in his hand, its edge blunt, almost looking like it's been used until it wasn't of use anymore, but that was far from the truth. In fact, the dagger in front of him was not used by him at all. Dismissing the dagger, the weapon faded away in a dramatic way, going back to where he summoned it from.
Just as he was about to summon another item again, the voice of the handsome man behind him surprised him, making him jump a little and detach himself in his own little world.
"Here ya go, my fellow treasure finder!" said enthusiastically by the handsome man while putting the tray of food on the table in front of the blonde boy.
"Ah? Oh! Thank you for the treasure, captain! Argh!"
The handsome man smiled at him before returning back to the counter and heading inside the door.
Ajax looked at the food in front of him and grabbed one burger with both his hands gently. He took a bite and… "This taste… It's…"
…average. It's a normal burger.
He didn't expect the taste to be something like from a high-class restaurant, but for some reason, it left him feeling a little disappointed. He took another bite again, chewing the food slowly, savouring the taste, only to be hit by more disappointment.
Damn it, Ajax! Be positive! Don't be disappointed by the taste! He encouraged himself in his mind, convincing himself that it's not always about the taste, it's about the service of the restaurant.
The encouragement he gave himself soon became pity for the handsome man. He glanced at the counter to where the handsome man was before, bowing his head a little, then looking back on his food.
Finishing the first burger, his hunger was satiated, but his quench for water remained the same.
He grabbed the drink in front of him hesitantly, not expecting the taste of a five star restaurant drink. He brought the cup to his lips and took a little sip. His eyes widened.
This… this is… an apple juice?
His face was confused at first, but he understood that perhaps the apple juice was a replacement for the alcohol. He did mention anything a pirate drinks, so he was a little glad of the handsome man giving him an apple juice, which is identical to a wine.
The taste is… delicious.
He smiled, continuing to drink the apple juice in front of him.
A few minutes later, he stood up, one of the burgers having no sign of being eaten and the cup was completely drained. He approached the counter again and rang the bell. The handsome man returned to the counter with a smile.
"Are you leaving already?"
The blonde boy nodded, "Mhm, there's a place I want to visit, and school is about to start too."
The handsome man then nodded his head, understanding the blonde man.
Ajax was about to grab one piece of silver coin in his pocket, but the handsome man stopped him.
"Don't worry about the payment. It's on the house."
"What? No! I'll feel guilty if I don't pay," the blonde boy said.
The handsome man was flattered by the blonde boy's goodwill and smiled more. He shook his head, "It was fun having to roleplay with you as pirates. It's not common for lads like you to visit a place like this, and what's more, you roleplayed with me. Even if it sounds stupid, I'm really glad that you visited this restaurant."
No, I'll feel more guilty about insulting the burger earlier! but he can't say that, that would only mean hurting the handsome man in front.
Hesitantly, he nodded his head and accepted the handsome man's offer.
"Farewell, pirate! May the sea be calm in your voyage!"
Ajax smiled.
"Aye! Aye! Captain!" playfully said by Ajax.
Then, the handsome man returned to the door, leaving the counter unattended again.
He walked to his table from earlier and noticed the untouch burger. He thought of a container, his magic being used to summon something in his Space once again. The container then took form, floating in the air. He grabbed the burger carefully and put it inside the container. As he was about to dismiss the container, he hesitated and instead puts the container inside his bag.
I might forget about the burger. It will probably rot in the Space.
He took a step to the exit, then looked back at the place.
I'll visit again… probably.
Opening the door, he left and closed it gently.