Upon hearing the young man's questions, Cyril didn't bother to respond as he didn't feel comfortable discussing the reasons for his journey with a stranger he had just met. Sensing Cyril's hesitation, the young man decided not to pry and reached into his waist pouch. He took out pieces of jerky from a wrap and gestured toward Cyril.
"If you have nothing to eat, you can have some of my jerky."
Before Cyril could refuse, the young man handed him the meat and insisted: "Just take it. I packed plenty before setting off. Since we're all from the same city, it's only natural to help each other out. Also, I won't ask why you left home, so don't worry. By the way, my name is Tim, Tim Craws. As you can see, I'm a combatant, Rank 2 to be precise."
After introducing himself, Tim extended his hand with a smile on his face. Cyril hesitated for a moment but eventually shook Tim's hand and replied: "I'm Cyril, a Rank 1 combatant."
"Oh?"
