I leaned back, rubbing my satisfied belly as I finished off the last bite of my stew.
"Food good, Raf?"
She gave me a small nod, chewing calmly. "Delicious."
A smear of sauce clung to her cheek, so I reached out and wiped it off with my finger.
"I'm stuffed. Man, this place might be lawless, but they sure know how to cook," Xin said, kicking back in his chair, arms draped lazily over the backrest. He glanced between the two of us. "You thinking of sticking around?"
"That's the idea," I said. "But it depends. If I'm staying, I need to find a sustainable job first."
Xin scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Jobs here are... let's say, not exactly posted on a bulletin board. Most of 'em involve being strong enough to not die on your first day. Business owners don't trust outsiders easily, which, well—fair enough. If you've got guts and strength, I could point you to a few gigs. Faction security, maybe. Or head to the second district—mercenary work pays decent coin."
I let out a long sigh. "So basically, fight to survive or join a gang. Real career goals, huh?"
Xin grinned, toothpick between his lips. "Welcome to Levaerûn."
But before I could come up with another snarky reply, a loud crash shook the restaurant.
"Sir, please, don't cause a scene in here!" the blonde cat-girl waitress pleaded, standing helpless before a beast of a customer.
The guy slammed his table over, plates and food clattering across the floor.
"What do you mean 'don't cause a scene'? This town's called lawless for a reason, right? No rules. No laws. I'll do whatever the hell I want!" The brute stood tall, flexing arms the size of tree trunks.
His entire body was covered in gray fur, built like a tank, with hooved feet and a bull's head. Only his arms were strangely human—huge, yes, but eerily dexterous.
A Minotaur.
And he wasn't alone. Seven more were lounging in the corner, smirking as they watched him grab the waitress by the waist and yank her toward him.
"You're mine tonight, sweetheart," he growled.
The other Minotaurs laughed.
Oh crap. This was going south fast.
"Another one of those types," Xin muttered, pushing his chair back with a sigh. "It'd be nice if everyone who came to town was like you two."
He got up and started walking toward the mess.
Rafaela looked at me, brows furrowed with worry.
I patted her head, trying to reassure her, though I kept my eyes locked on the situation.
Xin approached with his usual soft smile. "Is there a problem, good sir?"
"Master Xin, we're sorry!" another waitress bowed deeply, flustered. "We tried—"
Xin held up a hand. "It's alright."
The Minotaur squared up to Xin, towering over him. "And who the hell are you supposed to be, little foxy? Want me to squash you too?"
Xin chuckled. "Oh no, nothing like that. I was just hoping you'd let the young lady go. That kind of behavior's frowned upon here, especially without consent."
The Minotaur scoffed. "You deaf, runt? This place is lawless! Ain't no rules here!"
Xin's smile didn't budge. "That's where you're mistaken. Every faction here has its own code, and breaking those rules has consequences. If you can't follow them, you're welcome to leave. Now."
The Minotaur shoved the waitress aside and leaned in. "Are you threatening me, you little—"
The rest of his gang stood up, surrounding Xin like a pack of wolves.
This was spiraling.
Cherubim…
[Assessing…]
I tensed. I was about to rise when—
"It's either you leave peacefully," Xin said, voice still soft, "or you leave in pieces. I'll ask one last time."
The Minotaur snarled and swung.
And then—CRACK!
A thunderous noise echoed through the restaurant. Dishes rattled. People gasped.
When I blinked, the Minotaur was on the floor—motionless. His skull, caved in. Blood pooled under him.
Xin stood above him, fist extended, expression calm.
One punch.
The seven other Minotaurs froze, faces pale.
[Assessment complete. Target: Xin. Fox-type beastfolk. No Magic Skill detected. Extreme physical capabilities confirmed.]
Holy hell. No magic. No flashy skill. Just pure, raw power.
This dude… he's a monster.
One of the Minotaurs dropped to his knees, shaking. Another dragged the body back while the rest followed in terrified silence, dragging their dead comrade out of the restaurant.
You could hear a pin drop.
Xin turned back to the stunned room, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry for the disturbance, everyone. Hope I didn't ruin your meal."
The silence shattered into a round of applause and cheers.
The waitress who had been grabbed bowed repeatedly. "Master Xin, I—I'm so sorry you had to step in—"
"Didn't I say not to worry?" he smiled gently, as if he hadn't just crushed someone's skull like a watermelon.
I stared at him.
Yeah… remind me never to get on this guy's bad side.