During the small altercation, the waiting line had shrunk considerably, testifying to the fast speed of the service. Concretely, the cook regularly supplied a huge round cooking plate heated with wood with white meat which she could not say from which animal it came then stuffed the whole accompanied by vegetables in a big tortilla. A white, brownish sauce overflowed from the result which reminded Mia so much of chicken kebab. Suffice it to say that the prospect of tasting what looked like an earthly dish delighted her to the highest degree, without any irony.

"Never mind him, he's my little brother Jodas," Shaun said as they approached the counter. "He's pretty wild!"

"He could have stayed with us, I wouldn't have minded."

Mia wasn't the most child-friendly person out there, but the child's disappointed face still struck a chord with her. It was difficult not to feel pity in the face of the disappointment of a small being.

"So they can blame me for endangering you the second his evil childish mind will have a stupid idea to mess up the neighborhood? No thanks. I love my brother, but he's an evil genius for stupid things, and trust me I'm not what you would call a novice in this either!"

"Strangely, I do not doubt that," agreed Mia, laughing softly.

"Next!" the man at the counter called out to tell them it was their turn.

Shaun slipped his hand into the pocket of his overalls to pull out some coins, along with some small useless objects such as old metal bolts or something that looked like a pin. He sorted them quickly to end up selecting four small copper coins and giving them to the man who was waiting for the payment to issue the order to the cook just behind.

Mia curiously observed the currency of the young man, having not really had the opportunity to discover the monetary system of this world at the Arena. She had never needed money, and she hadn't seen anyone use it since there was no store at school. Shaun only had copper pennies similar to those on Earth, so she couldn't check if they had other types of coins as well. Something told her that she would quickly learn how to use their change if they were to stay in Callis for a while.

Three minutes later, the pair received their galette on a wide, thick leaf that served as a makeshift plate so they wouldn't get burned and dirty. The intoxicating smell of the shawawa was already filling the blonde's nostrils with ecstasy, and she was eager for the food to cool enough for her to swallow in a few bites. Shaun took her a few meters further to the entrance of a small alley where huge empty wooden boxes were arranged on which he sat down with a bound. Mia imitated him by positioning herself delicately at his side, being careful not to spill her leaf.

"Thanks for paying, by the way."

"You're welcome! I'm going to ask Vassili to repay me," he said, smiling mischievously. "It's only four coppers, but it's my pocket money, all the same. I shouldn't have to use my own money for a mission! He'll just have to add them to my parents' paycheck when they get back to Callis."

"When they get back to Callis? I thought no one had left town in decades."

Mia couldn't wait for the shawawa to cool down enough and began to blow on it several times to speed up the process. The galette was already dripping with a few drops of fat from the meat and it was particularly mouth-watering. Shaun, even more, impatient than her, had already dared to bite into it and was chewing his first bite, his eyes shining. The blonde followed him in his tasting, a smile from ear to ear when his taste buds came into contact with the food. She couldn't clearly identify any of the vegetables, although they vaguely reminded her of some of her own, like pickles, in particular, the overall taste did remind her of a kebab with some special ingredients. Her dream of the last few weeks was finally coming true.

"This is delicious!"
"Told you so!" Shaun stammered with his mouth full before swallowing his contents. "Most residents aren't allowed to leave town for security reasons, but there are still regular convoys that are sent to the four corners of Istarea to trade or do diplomatic exchanges with trusted allies or something like that, I don't know the details. My parents are Sentinels, they ensure the safety of the convoy. They are lucky enough to be able to roam the outside world!"

"So you've never been out of Callis?"

"No, but one day I will go around the world, it's only a matter of time!" Shaun promised, confident that day would come.

If I had known that I would leave Earth so quickly, I too would have gone around the world... Well, at least I'm still alive.

The pair silently ate the rest of their street food to savor it to the fullest. The idea of ​​staying in this unfamiliar town seemed a little more enviable to her now that she knew there was this kind of food. It must have been stupid to be reassured by so little when their hosts were the same individuals who had risked her and Ethan's lives, but Shaun's presence had managed to make her forget for a few moments the shock of the events of the standby.

"Shit! They'll kill me if we're late, we gotta get moving!"