"You don't seem to be from this region. Which district are you from?" the cook suddenly asked, which got Hayato off guard. He didn't seem to be the type of person who would bring up a question so abruptly. The boy assumed that he was a man of very few words.
"Hm... I can't tell for sure. I don't remember many things from where I am from", he scratched his neck and averted his eyes unwillingly. The cook had his back facing him, so he didn't see it.
"Ok. They probably kicked you out. Or, then, you ran away. You are basically a criminal, aren't you? You shouldn't be here if that's the case."
"Ah... sorry. Excuse me, then", Hayato was about to leave, but the cook shook his head.
"I am not talking about my ramen place, boy. I am talking about this district. You shouldn't be here at all. It's very troublesome when a deserter enters another district, you know? A war can emerge from such a situation."
Hayato frowned hard as he stopped in his tracks and turned to the cook. Hesitantly, he sat back on the chair, both arms on top of the table.
"Why would you want someone like me as a customer, then?"
The cook shrugged.
"It's not a crime to serve a criminal, you know? We don't choose the customers we cook for", he seemed very chill about the situation.
"Besides, you don't seem to be someone dangerous. I can see it in your eyes. I cooked several times for very ill-intentioned people, so I can recognize when I see one."
The cook took a bowl and filled it with noodles, meat, and all sorts of spices.
'I don't know whether I take it as a compliment or not...'
Before Hayato decided, the bowl landed in front of him, together with two chopsticks.
He was so hungry that he snatched the chopsticks and took a piece of meat, biting it vigorously.
"If you don't pay, you will work for me for an entire week. Got it?"
"I... I thought this one was the cheapest."
"It is."
'And still, it's worth an entire week of work?' Hayato nearly spat the meat he had inside his mouth.
"I don't know if I want to eat here anymore..."
"Naive kid. I waited for you to take the first bite for a reason. Now you need to eat all of it. I don't know if you read this part at the end of the menu, but here says that you need to pay an extra tax if you don't eat everything you order. That means you will need to work for me for three weeks."
"In total?"
"No, plus three weeks."
"Okay..."
As he ate, Hayato's head released more smoke than the machines he saw out there. He tried to think of a way to get out of that situation.
'I was naive, indeed. Damn my life! Well, at least this ramen is very tasty. The noodles are handmade, the spices are natural, and the meat is quite fresh. That's something you don't get to eat often.'
As Hayato wolfed down the food, the cook went to a sink in the corner of the kitchen and washed the dishes carefully. He was too slow when doing that, for some reason. It looked like his mind was somewhere else.
"Don't you have any clue of how you ended up here, boy? Is it something recent? How long are you wandering on the streets."
"Hm... I think it's been half an hour since I woke up here. I don't remember many things, but I do remember that I ended up here forcefully. It was too sudden."
The cook looked into his eyes for the first time, stopping to wash the bowl he had in his hands. The sound of the water hitting the sink was somewhat unsettling.
Hayato swallowed his food forcefully, then coughed. He didn't like eye contact at all.
"Hmph. You don't need to lie to me if that's what you are doing. Anyway, it's none of my business. Just have in mind that, if people find out that you are not from this district, you will get in trouble. The governors of this district don't like to get involved with the world outside the walls. You will get expelled or killed as soon as they catch you.
"I could very well report you, but they wouldn't give a single penny as a reward for that. Not for me, a commoner, a simple cook. That's why you should only trust plain people, ok? White masks, simple clothes, and poor etiquette. Got it?"
"Why are you telling me all these things?" Hayato tilted his head.
"Because, as troublesome as foreigners can be, they are also a game-changing piece in any board game. There are rumors about a foreigner that they call Shiro no Kishi or Yuki no Kami. I think the outsiders call him White Barbarian or something", the way he said White Barbarian had the strangest accent that Hayato had ever heard before.
"Anyway, leaving aside the names, he is a foreigner. I think he appeared in District 42 or 52. Something like that. This guy overtook that district's previous imperialist government all by himself. He built influence, gained their trust, acquired power... and then made a big riot. All near districts were talking about it. It's been years since then, but it's still a hot topic."
"I see..." Hayato nodded. He even stopped eating, such was his interest in that subject.
'So, there are more people like me here? I wonder who this guy is.'
"It seems that such a thing happened in many other districts. That's what they are saying, at least. Since then, foreigners are feared across the whole continent. Some of them are called The Unmasked because they do not have the habit of wearing masks, and this universal tradition is strange for them, but this type of foreigner doesn't come from the districts of this continent. They are still a mystery to everyone.
"But, anyway, being an Unmasked or not, you are a foreigner. Being one, maybe something interesting will happen. That's why I will keep my mouth shut... But you still need to pay."
"Yeah, yeah... figured."
'So, this continent is divided into various districts. At least fifty. I don't remember seeing walls, so each district must be about the size of a state or even bigger. It seems that there are districts that speak english, judging by the nickname he just said... I am definitely in a different world.'
Hayato made sure to eat everything as he thought about that subject, even if he was a bit hesitant about it. His stomach was empty as he didn't eat in school and the only food he had in his stomach was now on top of some palace's rooftop.
He wolfed down the food, feeling satisfied with the portion that the cook served him.
"Do you want more?"
"This much will do, honestly. Besides, I don't know whether I would be able to afford the rest or not."
The cook cast a murderous glance toward Hayato.
"Two bowls of ramen are equal to four weeks' worth of free work. Just for reference if you actually order another one."
"I-I don't know if this calculation is fair, you know? Shouldn't it be two weeks?"
"My ramen place, my rules."
Hayato sighed.
"Well, I don't know why you are so adamant about it. I do have money, you know?"
The cook turned to him, not believing the boy in the slightest. Feeling challenged, Hayato put his hand inside his pocket, searching for his money.
'Well, I bet that the dollar bills won't do. Maybe the coins...'
"Here. Eight coins."
The cook took one of the eight coins that Hayato placed on the table. He intently looked at it, then bit it.
"What kind of ore is this? Doesn't look like silver. Copper, maybe? But it has the color of silver."
"Cupronickel. It's not an ore, per se. It's an alloy. Anyway, to make things easier, is a bettered version of Cooper. In fact, 80% of this alloy is made of copper. Back on where I am from, I am sure they called it white cooper."
One of the few things that Hayato could brag about himself was his overall intellect. He usually was naive, but he found it easy to learn and memorize most things, even the most insignificant ones, like the name of the alloy that coins are made of.
"Hmph, ok. I will accept it. But, as you said, only 80% is cooper, so it has 80% of a cooper coin's value. So, the total sum of your expenses will be six of these coins, and I am being quite generous."
Hayato wasn't worried about that money, anyway. Even if the cook asked for everything, he would give without complaints. He just didn't want to make an enemy of the person who now knew about his situation so well. That guy could ruin his whole life with a single report to the authorities of that district.
"Well, since things turned out this way, you can work here for as long as you need. And it will not be for free. Ten copper a day should be enough to help you live a less miserable life, though still miserable."
"Hm? Are you really giving me a job?"
"Yes. I am. It's dangerous to stay on the streets, especially for someone like you. Not only guards will hunt you down if they find out, but the ugly faces you might meet in this city can be quite dangerous and make your life a living hell, too."
"T-Thank you very much, sir!"
"Don't be. I am not being selfless. I will make sure you work more than you earn."