The interior of the tavern was cozy and warm. The fireplace burned intensely with a reassuring aura around it.
The walls were made of wood, and so was the floor, which may not have been the greatest of ideas when coupled with the fireplace. It seemed like the place had a few signs of multiple epochs; it wasn't conforming to any one era. The walls appeared to be from a time far in the past, while the fireplace seemed pretty modern, according to Anastasia's observations. The place was probably bought cheaply and renovated over time with what they had on hand.
The place was filled with multiple tables and seats; people sat on those chairs and benches. It was rather crowded for being so early in the morning, as people drank beer and alcohol without worrying about what was happening around them.
It seemed the people there were too focused on their hearty conversations to notice the girl who had just barged in. She even began to think her eyes had fooled her, and she had entered the wrong place.
Clink!
She turned her around towards the sound of glass hitting a solid surface. There, she found a young man with handsome features. He was wearing a loose shirt and a uniform that was vastly different from the revolutionaries'.
He was behind a counter, with multiple barrels behind him and a multitude of drinking glasses on the counter.
The man had mid-length blonde hair in a 70-30 split. His eyes were a gorgeous, mesmerizing emerald color. He truly had the look of a young gentleman of the aristocracy.
The guy turned his head towards the door. He had been the only one to look in that direction ever since Anastasia had entered, and he looked around before inviting her to the lone counter.
She hesitated for a bit before making up her mind and going towards the young man. She sat at one of the stools and waited for the man to speak, as he was the one to invite her.
"Are you a new one? I don't think I've ever seen you before." He asked leisurely all the while cleaning a pint. His eyes were calm and unwavering, but full of good intentions, it seemed. Her soul did not make any of that hurtful scratching, so she classified the man as 'safe'.
"Well, you could say that." She didn't know how to explain her situation. Just tell him she actually followed the commander back here and hoped to join the revolutionaries.
"Let me guess, you actually followed one of the commanders back here and hoped to join the revolutionaries. Am I wrong?" His smile was kind, but no less terrifying to her.
How?
"It's written all over your face, to me at least."
I'm kinda jealous now...
I thought I was good at reading people, but there's always a bigger fish in the ocean, I suppose.
"Ha! How are you so good at reading people? I'm kinda jealous, you know?" She smirked at the man.
"Hm, there's no real reason. I've always been that way, I think. I can't really say for when I was a baby, though... The name's Lenart by the way."
"Anastasia, nice to meet you." She extended her hand first to shake the man's hand. He didn't react for a bit, but ended up shaking the girl's hand either way.
"Didn't expect that. Bowing is more the trend now, isn't it?" He laughed nervously after shaking hands.
Anastasia looked around the tavern, at the numerous waiters and waitresses attending to the well-being of the business.
"I ought to ask, but are you a revolutionary?" She asked subitly, this was her main question as soon as she met him.
He didn't have any sign of acknowledging their political ideas, but since he welcomed them as customers, she supposed he had no opposition towards them at the very least.
"Eh, you could say so. I'm not actively trying to cause uproars or kill the noblesse, but I still do what I can. I guess you could say I'm more of the moderate faction."
I see.
It's pretty logical, but I never thought about people in his situation. The ones who agree with the political ideas of revolution, but are not ready to fight for it.
But I guess it makes sense, I've never encountered one. My entourage is primarily composed of nobles or people from the print shop; I don't have much contact with anyone else.
Anastasia waited for a bit, thinking about how to formulate her question. She could not find anything that would not seem suspicious, and anyway, Lenart most likely already knew what she was going to ask.
"What do I do to join the revolutionaries?"
"Do you want to join us. If so, welcome to the revolutionaries." His voice took on an ironic, comedic tone, but he somehow made it sound genuine, as if he were mocking the situation rather than being sarcastic.
"Just like that?" She was pretty astonished when she heard him say it. She had joined the revolutionaries just like that.
If I knew it was that easy, I would've just asked the commander directly. I really did all that for nothing. Ha!
"Yeah, that's it. Pretty stupid, I know, but if someone really wanted to infiltrate us, we probably wouldn't be able to catch them, but I am totally confident in our ability to eliminate them as soon as we find them." His eyes were serious and menacing, like he was sending threats and warnings to Anastasia
Suddenly, he bent down and opened a cabinet under the counter. He picked up a bunch of things, only to put them back into the cabinet one by one, occasionally sneaking a look at the lady on the other side of the counter.
Finally, after spending some time going back and forth between the cabinet and Anastasia, he stood up with a satisfied look on his face.
He proceeded to hand out something to the young girl.
It was a long blue cloak with a hood. The back of the cloak bore the symbol of a golden eagle. An animal that was rare but well known in the Zemedy region.
"It took me some time trying to find something that would fit, but I think this one should be good! You're really tall, I must say!" He smiled happily, like the kind of guy who was content just to give something to someone, truly a selfless person.
She immediately traded her red cloak with the blue one. The contrast between the blue hooded cloak and her white dress underneath rendered a beautiful result from the outside.
She could not see herself from the back, but from the little she could see of her outfit, it looked pretty decent.
Behind her, a young man arrived, around her height, with long blonde hair in a low ponytail. He wore a breastplate and a blue cloak like all of the revolutionaries in the tavern.
"That's a tall lady if I've ever seen one!"