"Come to think of it..."
Vera looked around at the clutter. She could hardly imagine anywhere here where she could eat in peace.
"Is there a decent restaurant around here?"
"No."
Ines answered first. W, who had missed her chance to speak, bared her teeth in a savage grimace.
"Mercenaries usually eat at taverns," Ines continued.
"They serve food and drinks. If you'd like to try Kazdel's 'local specialties,' that's where you should go."
"A tavern?"
Vera frowned slightly. Behind her, the mercenaries burst into cheers.
"[Sarkaz profanity]! How long has it been since I had a proper drink? I'm drinking my fill this time!"
"Anyone want in? Same old rule: first one to pass out pays!"
"Me!"
"Count me in!"
Their tension vanished in an instant. The promise of alcohol sent the spirits of these battle-hardened men soaring.
Vera opened her mouth, then decided she didn't have the heart to spoil their fun.
"But..."
A hesitant voice spoke up. It was Rice.
"Um... I don't think we have any money left."
"..." x N
Every cheer and conversation stopped dead.
They exchanged looks. Only then did they remember—
They had hurried here without taking a single job along the way. They had earned nothing.
With Vera providing their food, they had almost forgotten how short they were on money.
The mercenaries drooped like frost-struck eggplants, hanging their heads and sighing.
Seeing this, Vera asked in confusion:
"Is everything expensive here?"
The mercenaries looked up, puzzled. One answered hesitantly:
"Uh, actually... not that expensive?"
Taverns weren't cheap, but they weren't completely beyond their means either. They were just genuinely broke right now.
"I see..."
Vera nodded thoughtfully, then said with some uncertainty:
"If it's just a meal and a few drinks... one gold bar per person should be enough, right?"