Shion saw Eren walking towards the drunk travelers and blend with them.
She raised a hand asking for a waitress. Ordered a mug of ale, and just waited.
Despite focusing on the door, she couldn't see anything happening.
No one coming inside. Only people leaving.
She couldn't see the window, but no body could see her through the windows either.
The waitress came back with her drink.
Shion sipped her ale.
A young human came to her table "Excuse me, miss"
He was no more than seventeen, dark skinned, his hair braided, carrying an axe and a shield.
"You are a mercenary, am I right?" The man's voice carried some fear and doubt "My name is Morcant"
"Yes I am" Shion responded "What about it?"
Was he the one following them? Was he a threat?
"My friends and I saw you sparring this morning with the lizzardfolk"
"Oh" Shion was a bit taken aback "Is that so?"
Seems like this young man is not related to the page.
Probably.
"I had to tell you, your fight was amazing" The boy started losing his tone of fear, and pulled a chair on the table in front of Shion "My friends and I started sparring right after that"
"Oh, so you're mercenaries too" Shion eyes were still scanning the place.
"Yeah, we started about a week ago" He said excited "We completed a couple jobs already, nothing to write home about"
The kid seemed to be excited for talking to someone he admired for some reason, Shion couldn't understand what was so special.
"You're lucky to still be alive" Shion said "Many mercenaries die within the first few days"
Morcant's face changed to a fearful expression again.
"That's the profession" Shion said calmly, eyes still on the entrance.
Morcant went silent, he didn't spoke a word after being so chatty.
"What's wrong?" Shion asked.
"We lost a friend on the first few days, despite being a simple job" He said, a grim look in his eyes "We went to gather herbs, some monsters attacked us, we tried to flee together, but he got lost somewhere"
The more he recalled, the sadder he looked.
Shion understood his grief.
"Did you search for him?" Shion knew 'lost' didn't mean dead.
Morcant didn't say anything else.
"Listen" Shion explained "I don't know the reasons for you and your party to become mercenaries. All I can say is, if you're going to be one, assess your skills, help one another, and train to be better every time"
She got the same advice early on her own journey.
Eren entered the pub as Shion was speaking.
She gave her a confused look, as Shion had company and that was unexpected for Eren.
"Do I interrupt something?" Eren asked.
"No, it's all good" Shion replied "Morcant here was telling me about him and his friends"
Eren took a seat next to Shion and Morcant.
The kid looked really sad.
"Shion, what did you do to him?" Eren asked.
"Wait, this isn't my fault" She paused "I think"
"No" Morcant replied "I just don't like how things started out. The three of us wanted a better life and now we got one killed"
Eren knew the feeling "Listen, death is inevitable, and you are doing whatever you can to remain alive, that should be your main focus. Losing a friend is painful, but you have to focus on the ones alive, even if it hurts"
Her captain came to memory.
Morcant considered Eren words for a moment "I guess you're right, we still have to keep going, and training so we can defend ourselves next time"
The grief didn't leave his eyes, but it no longer paralyzed him.
"Train with people like Bhaox, he's skillful, experienced, and quick" Shion suggested "Mercenaries will mostly wander around towns, but fighting different races, different mercenaries will give you new abilities"
"Archers, wizards, arcanists, every weapon type will have different combat styles depending on the user" Eren completed "Different styles will force you to learn different combat moves, parries, dodges. Quick thinking will keep you alive"
Eren is technically new as a mercenary, but the guard training helped her — somewhat. Also watching Shion made her understand the battle a little bit better.
Morcant was thinking, looking at the table. Determination flashed in his expression.
"I'll give my best" He said "Will try to become better to help my friends, and make a name for myself"
He thanked Shion and Eren for the advice, before leaving the place.
"So, how were things with Pingnast?" Shion asked.
"The job has been paid. He sent one of his workers to notify the association" Eren replied "He gave us 2 extra silver, payback for purchasing the page he said"
Shion thought for a moment "Then we will have to get another job from the association tomorrow"
"Why?"
"We could use the extra coins to move to the next town, I would like to travel to the capital city" Shion said.
"Any specific reason?" For Eren it really didn't make sense.
"There could be better jobs, which means more coin. We could also find someone stronger to train with" Shion looked excited about it "There's also the thing about a library, I've heard that is the biggest in the continent, only second to the royal library inside the castle"
A mercenary fighting with sword looking for books.
That was a first on Eren's book.
"Which reminds me" Eren interrupted "How do you know so much about Alchemy?"
Shion blinked in silence.
"Don't play dumb here" Eren was a bit amused and slightly annoyed "You talked about alchemy with that merchant like it was nothing. I understood the first parts but then you rambled like a true royal wizard"
"Oh" Shion said smoothly "That?"
Eren couldn't help her laughing "That?" She laughed "You're going to down play it just like 'that?'"
Shion chuckled a bit "My father taught me everything magic related"
Eren tried to control her laughter a bit "Wait, seriously?"
"Yes" Shion replied "He said whenever alchemy failed, it's because magic should be involved. Wherever magic failed, alchemy should be involved"
Eren finally stopped laughing "Sounds like a smart man"
"He is" Shion got a bit nostalgic "He really was an amazing man, and wizard. He was patient, knowledgeable and kind. He always smelled like ink and chamomile"
Eren was a bit surprised, looking at Shion express herself like that about someone "Wow, he really must be something for you to talk of him like that. I didn't even knew Orcs had wizards"
Shion shaked her head, confused "Orcs?"
"Well, you're an orc, aren't you?" Eren asked, there was no polite way in her head to ask that.
"Well, yeah, but my father is a human" Shion replied.
They both paused.
The pub sounds were still there, but they felt muted to Eren and Shion.
Eren couldn't understand how a human raised an orc.
"I see" She didn't, not fully. But she didn't press.
The noise of the pub rushed back in, as if someone had lifted a spell. Shion finished her ale. "We should head to the inn."