“Fine...I’ll tell you everything.”

In this situation, I could lie but that would not be a good course of action, in fact, that was probably the worst. Someone like Hefarian really admires generosity and honesty and so if I do so dare lie about something we would likely be turned in seconds later after leaving this building.

At least if we’re honest, we may have some leeway and leave this place. We might get a permanent ban from entering the city, in which we shouldn’t even have been here in the first place, or Hefarian might understand if we explain our experiences in detail, which is the option I’m really gambling for.

I took my chances and rolled the dice. It took a couple of minutes to explain everything that led up to us being here, I even detailed how I was a mob boss of a prominent gang in the city that had a presence in this city and elsewhere, and how we snuck into the city using a back door entrance which was run by the gang runner by me.

At this moment I kinda cringed at the fact that I was being a rat, a snitch, I wouldn’t have ever done this when I was a lot younger whether it be when I worked for the mob or was the boss of it. Rats were filled with holes and everyone feared it. But I was no longer in his old world, I have a new gang in a new world, and being in prison for quite some time really changed my outlook on things. And if ratting out my gang meant that I could keep safe the people right next to me then I’ll do it in a heartbeat.

Hefarian shut his eyes and let out a huge sigh.

“I see. So that’s who you are, Antonio.”

“Y-yeah.”

“Honestly, you should’ve just told me in the first place, I understand who you are now and what’ve you’ve been through.”

“So...what now? Am I getting deported? Or arrested?”

“Neither.”

“HUH?”

Every person present in the room was shocked, an uncharacteristic action for someone in power to take, but of course, this wasn’t just any person in power, it was Hefarian, a person who so far has come off as someone different and someone who doesn’t obey the norm, so this response wasn’t totally out worldly.

“Y-you serious? So what’s going to happen to us?”

“Nothing.”

“So things are just going to stay the way as before?”

“Exactly.”

“Even after being the boss of a prominent gang?”

“Your gang wasn’t always trouble, and in some cases, they’ve even helped out in the city.”

“Illegally entering the city through a back door entrance?”

“That is a problem which I’ll deal with later but it’s not anything major.”

“How did you even come into control of the office in the first place?”

“The exact reason why you are asking.”

That was just baffling, to have almost all the support of the city residents because of your relaxed and carefree nature. The people probably feel a connection with the mayor since he’s always in public and since they can connect with him they gain their support.

“So you're just gonna let all of what I’ve done slide?”

“If you mean not penalize you for what is considered criminal acts then yeah, I see no reason why actions committed in another city in a foreign empire should be punished in another city, but I am gonna require some info on that back door entrance.”

“Sure I’m fine with that, although I’m not sure if the public would be if they were to find out their mayor is protecting a criminal.”

“Then I guess we're just gonna have to keep it a secret why don’t we?”

“I can agree with that.”

“Ezekiel, that man is definitely trouble, even with only interacting with him for mere seconds I can tell that he’s up to no good.”

“Well, I have some work to do at the moment, we should go out together someday.”

“Alright, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Hefarian escorted us out the mayor’s building, as we were leaving some other men in fancy robes entered with small books and folders in their hands, they were probably having a meeting with Hefarian.

As we passed them they all glanced at us suspiciously, I’m sure they’re gonna ask the mayor who these couple of random nobody’s leaving the building. Eh...I don’t really mind anymore.

At the moment it was sunset, you could see the orange clear sky, this city even though it was getting late was still bustling with people and shops were kept open, this place really resembled a bustling modern city one that I would have lived in a long time ago before I got

Sent to prison. The lights, the loud noises, and the people, all the senses of being back in a city were coming back. I really could shed a tear at this moment.

I stared blankly at the sunset distancing myself from reality. I wasn’t sure if I should be sad because I might miss my old life or happy that I’m still alive and experiencing the new things in this world.

“Hey, Antonio! The day is still young! Where do you wanna go?!?!” Yelled out Elizabeth which brought me back into the present.

“Um...we just ate dessert, we’ll probably go for dinner later tonight, which leaves the time in between to do something...any ideas?”

Everyone as always when it came to making decisions about how we were going to spend our time during the day, staring blankly in the sky in an attempt to make one or the other to come up with a final answer. And that person that always would come up with the final answer was himself.

“Y-You guys are just hopeless without me aren’t you?”

They all giggled like little school children, it felt like I was babysitting for a bunch of three-year-olds in a daycare job, and these three-year-olds were the most indecisive babies you would have ever met.

“Maybe there are some places where we could just sit and relax.” Suggested Alexandria.

“Good idea but where in god’s name would we find such a place?”

Alexandria pointed to her right, I looked to my left because I was in the front looking at her. All the way down there were people looking as if they were sitting on the ground, there were quite a bit of people but there were still areas where you could settle down.

“Well then it’s settled, let’s go there and relax!”

We marched down the street getting ever so close to our destination. And finally, we reached this place of relaxation.

It was a large grassy area, people had blankets on the grass and they laid down on them. There were what seemed to be dating couples, married couples, and whole families all gathering in this one large area.

“U-Um...Antonio, I think we should leave now!”

After Alexandria has suggested we come here and finally arrived she was suggesting to go back and do something else with a reddened face.

“Well, no can do! We’ve gone this far and I’m not going back!”

I ran into the area passing the many people who were on the ground. The ground went from paved flat stone to rough grassy dirt which slowed me down a bit.

“W-Wait up Antonio!” Yelled Alexandria.

“I can’t let you beat me!” Yelled Elizabeth.

“Do we really have to run!” Yelled Robbert.

“Do not leave me!” Yelled Maishaza.

All three of them were chasing me as I was trying to find an open spot where we could settle. They caught up a little and to widen the distance, even more, I started to speed things up. I shit it to high gear and zoom past the people laid on the ground producing large gusts of wind as I passed.

The people stared on in annoyance probably thinking what this guy was doing, running all over the place and disturbing the peace. But I paid them no heed, I was just having my own fun. It'd been a while since I’ve done running for fun, all the times before it was always us running away from a threat and for our lives, so it was obviously a nice change of pace, also by the end of this he would have worked up quite the appetite.

Maybe Hefarian might have some free time for dinner...or maybe not. Honestly I just never know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do.

And finally, after running for a couple of minutes nonstop I finally found the perfect spot. The sunset was near its end. I roll onto the ground spreading my arms and legs as if I were making a snow angel after a snowy day, I shut my eyes as I intake the nature around me.

I heard multiple feet stomping on the dirt, they got closer and closer. These were probably the others finally catching up to me. I opened my eyes and to the right was where they were.

“Care to join me?” I asked with a relaxed tone.

They were silent but after a second or two, they seemed to agree and laid on the ground around me. It was weird, they had come from never being able to relax always having the fear of bumping into Ezekiel in the back of their heads.

But now looks at us, relaxing in nature on the ground as if they were normal people living normal lives.

The sun had finally left and it was now a bit dark, many people had already gone off to do other things and now it was time for them to go as well.

“Well then, let’s go eat some dinner! I’m feeling really hungry right now!”

Everyone agreed as they got up, we went back to the stone-paved streets. Again nothing changed, only the time of the day did. And so we again were on the hunt again for a place to eat a good dinner.

As we were walking along the streets we came across a large building with a large glass window. Pas the window were people at tables drinking and eating plates of delicious-looking food.

“I think we’ve found our spot!”

Everyone eager to nourish themselves with food rushed into the restaurant. A light ring from a bell and a waiter was there in front of them. He had two horns and two extra arms. The waiter said something that we couldn’t understand but when I responded with saying five while holding up five fingers which surprised the waiter.

“Welcome to the Star restaurant! I see you all speak the human language!

The waitress at the dessert place was human therefore she spoke the human language. This waiter clearly wasn’t human and normally wouldn’t know how to speak it. But there he was switching up the language as if it was nothing.

“Do all waiters speak different languages?”

“Yes, sir! The criteria for being hired into the staff for most restaurants is that they can speak different languages!”

Now that they’ve learned this new information it would become easier to find places to eat, shop, and overall hang out since most of the staff would be multilingual. He hadn’t talked to people on the streets yet but he was sure that some may be able to speak the human language like this waiter and Hefarian, or maybe just understand bits of it.

“I shall lead you five to your table!”

We follow the waitress to a round table with six chairs, we all take our seats and take a look at the menu that was placed down by the waiter. And after glancing over each page we came to the conclusion that none of us could read it. And so our choices were up to the waiter.

“Just get us whatever is good!”

“O-Ok!” Said the waiter rushing away.

Well then...can’t wait. I wonder what our waiter is gonna order for us, better be good and if it isn’t...well that’s on me.

“Hey punks out of our seats!”

We looked to the direction in which the yelling came from, it came for a group of humans and monsters who were all size feet or taller, at most eight feet tall. The taller ones had to lean slightly forward in order to move inside the building.

We ignored them and this time they got close and repeated their statement.

“Get out of our seats or else I make you unable to sit for the rest of your life!”

This comment struck a nerve in me and I responded with “I’d like to see you try, punk.”

“Wrong choice buddy! You're done for!!!”