Asta's Adventure

In a few hours, they reached the bustling city of Nairn, located in the Common Lands. At the center of the city lay a square with a fountain, and nearby stood the city church — a large building with two spires stretching high into the sky. From the hills surrounding the city, there was a breathtaking view that Asta had time to admire from the air. After enjoying the scenery, they decided to descend.

Once they landed, David suddenly heard strange, almost thunderous sounds. Turning around, he saw Asta scratching his head, clearly embarrassed, as he looked at him:

— Hey, David... Since I ran out of the house this morning, I skipped breakfast. Maybe we could find a place to eat?

Secre, who was sitting on Asta's head, supported the idea with an affirmative nod.

— Fine, — David sighed. — We're staying here for a while anyway. Let's look for a place with good food — and booze.

Hearing the word "booze," Asta raised an eyebrow in surprise.

— Seriously? You're going to drink?

— What's the big deal? I'll just have a mug of beer! It's refreshing. But what are you going to feed your bird? Did you even bring bird food?

Secre gave David such a disdainful look that he almost stepped back.

— No, — Asta replied calmly. — She's smart. She likes human food. She shows me what she wants.

— Alright, let's just go, — David waved his hand dismissively.

They began asking the locals about good places to eat and soon found themselves at the doors of a tavern.

— Hmm... Looks decent. I wonder what it's like inside, — David said, opening the door.

Inside, the place was lively: patrons were eating, drinking, and chatting loudly. The noisiest group was at a table where knights from the Purple Orca squad were seated. Their behavior made it obvious they were already heavily drunk.

Asta and David picked an empty table. A minute later, a waitress came over and handed them a menu.

David quickly placed his order: a mug of the most expensive beer and some snacks. Asta handed the menu to Secre.

— Go on, point with your beak at what you want.

David almost burst out laughing.

— Hah! Seriously? You're letting your bird pick the food?

To his surprise, Secre studied the menu carefully and tapped her beak on a salad and a muffin.

— Well, I'll be damned, — David smirked.

Meanwhile, Asta ordered so much food that the waitress had to double-check.

— Sir, are you planning to take this to go?

— No, I'll eat it all here, — Asta replied with such confidence that the waitress looked bewildered but took the order anyway.

While waiting for their food, Asta headed to the restroom, and Secre flew off somewhere. David stayed at the table and unintentionally overheard the knights from the Purple Orca squad.

— Hey, what do your mom and a tornado have in common? — asked the bespectacled knight.

— Go on, spit it out, you bastard, — grumbled his scar-faced companion.

With a grin, the bespectacled knight answered:

— She sucks you in until you're dead!

The scarred knight and the others roared with laughter.

— Hahaha! Not bad, pup! But let me tell you, your mom's hole is so big even dark mages are afraid to look into it!

The bespectacled knight shot back quickly.

— Oh yeah? When did you come up with that?

The scar-faced man, clearly pleased with himself, spread his arms.

— I've got jokes like that for days — I've got a whole squad of knights to test them on!

— That's what your mom said, — quipped the bespectacled knight, triggering another round of laughter at their table.

David tried to stifle his laughter, but when Asta returned with Secre, he was still smiling.

The evening ended well: they enjoyed a great meal, bought some supplies, and set off on their journey.