A day had passed since Aki’s arrival in Baska. He took refuge at an inn nearby the city center but hadn’t stepped foot outside since yesterday. The journey here had left the warrior exhausted so much so that he slept through the entire day. The inn’s hostess would occasionally drop by to check in on him - leaving complimentary food and beverages by the door. Considering how long he was out, Akihiko wouldn’t be surprised if she had thought he was dead.

It was practically midnight by the time he was fully functional. The sound of cats going at it in the dumpster outback had woken him. Slowly, Aki sat up straight in the bed and wiped away his eye boogers. A yawn followed as he leaned over to his left to check the time. ”12:00” He wiped his eyes one last time. ”Damn it.” Unfortunately, his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him and he had overslept.

Akihiko threw on a random shirt and made his way outside the door. To his surprise, a bowl of chicken soup and green tea was set on the floor. ”I hope they don’t expect me to pay.” he said as he blew on the soup. The green tea paired well with the rich chicken broth - relaxing his body more and more with each sip.

”Shit! That’s hot.”

Strolling through the city center, Aki caught wind of an establishment that supposedly posted jobs for needy travelers. This was a good opportunity for him to make some cash so that he could afford better equipment. ”It wouldn’t hurt to take a look.”

Truth be told, this establishment wasn’t Aki’s kind of scene. He was used to quiet, run-of-the-mill areas that weren’t heavily populated. As they call it, the Boar Hat Pub was anything but quiet, to say the least. When he had first arrived, he was greeted with ale which he was forced to down. The men and women drunkenly sang and danced as the busker played his tunes. It was a total nightmare.

Akihiko hid from the mass at the back of the pub away from all the festivities. It was The Boar Hat Pub’s 10th anniversary. ”I guess that explains the noise level.” he said entirely unaware that this was the norm. As he scanned the room, the glares of intoxicated men stared back at him. ”I stick out like a sore thumb, don’t I?” he worried. The warrior wasn’t looking for a fight but his gut was telling him to stay alert.

Sitting on his right-hand side was a young man who didn’t appear to be of drinking age. His hair was a vibrant blue and he looked of average height. The stranger was very ecstatic about their order almost as if they had come here regularly. Another odd character had joined the party - this time a young lady with feline characteristics. ”Oh, so they just let anyone in here then.” he thought to himself.

The Encan watched as the commotion between the young lady and a drunk died out. She was feisty with a whole lot of attitude. Aki signaled her over as he pointed to the young man from earlier. Taking a seat at the stranger’s table, he raised a finger to place an order. ”Do you drink?"