I came to with a start jerking awake and sitting up, still reacting to the dwarf Tim leaping at me with great speed.

Laying on the road outside the inn and off to the side of the door (I suppose so I wouldn't be blocking people from coming in) I realized I wasn't under attack - not anymore, anyway - and relaxed while looking around.

Aldrous stood next to me, leaning up against the front wall of the inn and studying the clouds above. He seemed to notice me waking up, and raised his helmet in his hand to put it on his head before speaking.

"Well lad, that's a shame. I was about to warn you before Tim approached, but he's not a dwarf - nor does he appreciate being referred to as one of the dwellerfolk. Been happening all his life."

Oh. Not-a-dwarf Tim. That seems to track with what happened.

"You've lost any chance you had with Tim I'm afraid, but I do happen to know another place looking for help and including room and board, if you're interested." Aldrous continued, "I'm afraid it's not as high scale as here though."

"Oh thank you, sir, lead the way!" I perked up and requested of him, "And thank you for the help and the advice; I'm not sure what I would have done otherwise."

My head ached as we spoke.

"No need for thanks lad, you seem an enterprising sort. I'm sure you would have figured something out."

Aldrous offered me his hand, yanking me to my feet before gesturing for me to follow him. We walked for several city blocks, before taking a turn off the main road and meandering through one street after another. Only the grid pattern of the city and my ability to remember the direction of the gate and the lord's area allowed me to have some kind of idea where I was.

Speaking of which, the sun was low enough for me to figure out directions - or at least what they would be on earth. If the sun still sets in the "west" in this world, then we'd be in the eastern section of the city, and walking toward the northeast corner of the city.

The shadows began to lengthen dramatically compared to when I originally woke up here, the city beginning to be cast in darkness. As daylight began to fade, I noticed individuals walking the streets and casting Mage Light into the top of pillars, seemingly made to catch the spell and empower it to last through the night.

It wasn't too much longer before we rounded a corner and in front of us was a sign for the "Salty Clam Tavern" - I assume they served seafood.

Aldrous glanced back at me before walking inside, I suppose making sure I was still following him. The inside was as different as could be from the previous establishment.

First, the kitchen was clearly visible in the back, just a serving counter blocking any random person from walking up to anyone cooking. There was an octagonal-shaped bar in the center of the room, filling a decent amount of space with the taps centered up against a pillar that ran to the roof behind it. It seemed they had quite a number too, with 4 taps per side of the octagon. Tables and chairs filled most of the rest of the space here, packed in like sardines in a can; almost fitting for the place's name.

The building itself was similar to every other I'd seen so far, wood framing - but clearly not as kempt as Tim's with stains overlapping everywhere on the floor, and layers of smoke particulates left on the rafters above from the smokey torches lit within.

A few people were sitting at random tables throughout, but clearly, the place hasn't fully opened yet as no one has been served any food or drink, and all the employees seem busy in the kitchen getting prepared. We must have just walked in before the evening rush.

Aldrous lead me up to the counter before the bar, yelling out into the kitchen, "Marie, can I have a moment?"

One of the people running around in the kitchen spun around at this; a thin woman wearing an apron much like everyone else in the kitchen but with slightly more formal clothes underneath. She ran up to the counter when she saw Aldrous, seemingly excited to see him present.

"Aldrous! My good friend. Are you here to have a meal, a drink, or... me?" Marie said, bouncing slightly on her feet and seemingly completely unashamed of her words.

Aldrous seemed to flinch, clearing his through and responding with a stammer (even though I can't tell through his helmet, I'm sure he was blushing!) "N-No, Marie. I have a young friend here looking for work, and I remembered you had been looking for someone to do some scullery work for a bed and some small coin. I thought maybe he'd be the right fit."

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"Hmm..... so you aren't here to see me...?" Marie looked up at him with a visible pout, and Aldrous seemed to freeze in place. She must have decided to have mercy though, and quickly turned to face me as I stood there silent next to Aldrous (I could hear a sigh of relief from under that helmet as she did so, and he clearly relaxed his posture). "Well, he looks sturdy enough to last the night. I'm Marie, I'm the owner of the Salty Clam and I usually spend my time working bar - meaning I'll have my eyes on you all night. I need someone to clean floors, scrub pots, deliver food and ale, lug around supplies - everything all the rest of us is too busy to do ourselves. In exchange, you'll get a small room and bed, a small amount of coin every night as well as a meal before we open and after we close. I don't much care what you do during the day in your off time, but I expect you to be here every evening as night falls, and well into the night working. Is this acceptable to you?"

I took a moment to think about it before responding. I do wonder how much XP the tasks I'll be doing at work will give me; if any at all - but otherwise this seems like the perfect place to start. At the very least I seem to have found a place to sleep and eat in the meantime.

"My name is Dekar, and I'd be very grateful to you if you let me take this job!"

"Great!" Marie smiled at me, nodding her head happily. "I suppose we'll start you off with a meal now to ensure you have the strength to work through the night, and we'll see how your first night goes. And while you eat..." she trailed off, turning back towards Aldrous whose formally relaxed posture seemed to stiffen instantly, "I'll just chat with my favorite customer!"

I gave her a nod - not that she was paying any attention to me with her armored hero standing in front of her across the counter - and took my seat at a nearby table. I found myself relaxing for the first time since I came here, my immediate needs and worries taken care of.

Even if everything else fails or I can't seem to figure this place out, I can at least work like an indentured servant for the rest of my life to survive. I'm sure I can find other opportunities as long as I can stay alive...

Eventually, as I sat there staring off into the distance, one of the cooks in the kitchen walked over and placed a bowl and spoon on the counter, grunting and nodding at me to indicate it was mine before turning around to continue his work.

I grabbed the bowl and spoon and sat back down, almost mindlessly beginning the shovel it into my mouth and noticing it was clam chowder - only to almost cough it out a few seconds later.

Dammit. What was the reduction of the senses for my race, 10%!? I must admit I didn't particularly notice the effects of it yet, though I did notice that I didn't seem to feel my clothing and unworn boots rubbing against my skin as roughly as I would be expecting - although maybe I just didn't feel it anymore. My sight didn't seem to be much worse than I was used to (though I was used to wearing glasses in the other world) and the city smelled too high heaven and was noisy.

But this? My first bite to eat since I've been here? This I noticed. It didn't just seem to reduce my sense of taste though, it seemed to replace 10% of it with... sawdust? Cardboard? As if literally 10% of the meal had its taste stripped away, just leaving the awkward texture and that weird aftertaste behind.

It wasn't anywhere near enough to ruin the meal, the clam chowder otherwise being delicious and well made. Just... unexpected. I thought about my choices as I sat for a minute, considering the food.

But no. I've committed to this path, and a little inconvenience (or even a lot of inconvenience) is nowhere near enough to knock me off course. I can deal with slightly tasteless food, I'm sure.

It took me a bit to finish and as I did Marie left her poor, suffering target behind and came out from the kitchen to walk up to me.

"Well Dekar, it's about time to begin. I hope you're ready to work."