His concern was that the pursuers would prepare quickly and catch him before he could leave the castle, but it seemed fate was on Silva's side.

  He removed the armor and helmet in a shaded area outside the castle, changed into the shirt he had bought, buried the armor in the ground, and was about to return to the castle when he encountered the pursuers.

...

  "Here you go! Sorry to keep you waiting!"

  With a lively voice, a substantial lunch set of deep fried beef with sweet vinegar sauce, fried white fish, salad, and bread was placed on the table.

  As he tore into the bread and popped a piece of fried beef into his mouth, Silva once again recalled the pursuers he had passed earlier.

  (There's quite a sharp one among them. I never expected them to send out a pursuit team composed entirely of cavalry...)

  Just as he passed through the castle gate, intending to find a place to eat, they had arrived from the direction of the castle.

  Four men and women were at the front. Two of them were familiar faces.

  (Rolf and Celia...)

  Rolf exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.

  Celia was a mage with a cold, calculating intelligence.

  And then there was a timid looking young man whose name Silva didn't know.

  These three were formidable but not terrifying.

  (The problem is that one...)

  The blonde, blue eyed woman.

  From Silva's estimation, she possessed martial prowess nearly on par with Rolf, despite being a woman.

  Having trained in martial arts himself, Silva had developed the ability to gauge others strength.

  (And those eyes... she's not just a simple warrior... she's...)

  Those eyes were filled with calmness and intelligence. She carried an air similar to Celia but differed in one crucial aspect.

  A confidence backed by experience.

  If Celia was an inexperienced strategist, this woman was undoubtedly a seasoned general.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Eyes that had seen many a battlefield, not just from the front line like Rolf but from a much deeper, strategic level.

  As he munched on the fried white fish, Silva contemplated his next move.

  (Escaping from here has just gotten a lot more challenging...)

  This marked the first encounter between Silva and Shaldina, two individuals who would later clash over the hegemony of the Western Continent.

...

  "Here you go!"

  The proprietress of the Sea Sound Inn placed two large mugs on Silva's table. The frothy, amber liquid filled to the brim spilled over, creating a dark stain on the wood.

  "...I didn't order these," Silva said, glancing between the mugs and the smiling proprietress.

  "They're on the house! Drink up!" she replied cheerfully, pulling out a chair and sitting down at his table.

  "You don't look familiar. Are you a traveler?" she asked in a friendly tone, her round face radiating warmth.

  Silva, noticing how comfortably she had settled in, asked, "Aren't you busy?"

  "Take a look around," she chuckled. "You're the only customer here."

  Silva glanced around the inn. When he first arrived, there had been a few patrons, but now he realized he was indeed the only one left.

  "It's that time of day," she continued. "We usually stop serving lunch at three, but since you came in at 2:30, I couldn't close up shop just yet." She took a hearty gulp from one of the mugs she had placed in front of her.

  "I let the kitchen staff go on break early, but there's still some cleaning to do. Still, there's no point in me standing around all alone until you finish, so why not keep this old lady company? Consider this drink as payment for your company." She slid one of the mugs closer to Silva.

  "I see. Sorry to trouble you," he said, picking up the mug.

  "Don't worry about it," she waved him off. "So, are you a traveler?"

  Her tone was still friendly and approachable, clearly revealing her chatty nature.

  (Might as well use this chance to learn a few things,) Silva thought, deciding to go along with the story he had prepared. He needed information, after all.

  "Yes, that's right. It's my first time here..."

  "Oh, your first time in the Imperial Capital, Ortomea? Are you here alone?"

  "No, I was with my father, but... he passed away from an illness recently," Silva said, lowering his head in a display of grief.

  The proprietress, sensing she might have touched on a sensitive topic, quickly offered, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that..."

  Silva lifted his head and smiled gently. "It's alright. It's not something we could control."

  "I see... An illness... So, what will you do now? Are you planning to return to your homeland?"

  "I'm thinking of settling down here in the Imperial Capital. I've been traveling from place to place with my father for a long time, and I think it's about time I put down some roots."

  (Now comes the tricky part. I need to choose my words carefully to avoid raising suspicion,) Silva thought, patiently waiting for an opportunity to steer the conversation toward the information he needed. He knew rushing things would only make the proprietress suspicious.

  The proprietress seemed to take Silva's story at face value. She was naturally trusting and didn't seem to doubt others easily, and Silva's story sounded plausible enough.

  "Is that so? So, what do you plan to do to make a living?"

  (There it is! Finally!) Silva was relieved that the conversation had moved to the topic he was waiting for. He needed a job to support himself, but as someone from another world, he didn't know what kind of work was available here. Additionally, if he asked awkward questions about general knowledge, it could arouse suspicion.

  Given that he had already revealed his face to the proprietress, he needed to be cautious to avoid exposing his identity to the Empire.

  "Well, to be honest, I don't have any particular skills besides helping my father with his work... The best I can do is wield a sword to some extent," Silva replied.