[Ren’s POV]
I arrived at the restaurant a little earlier than we had agreed. It was a pleasant place in the wealthier part of the city, the sort of establishment where people came to enjoy a quiet meal rather than make a show of how much money they had. The interior was warm, the tables were spaced far enough apart for private conversations, and the general atmosphere suited what I had in mind.
I chose a table near the window and settled in to wait. I had spent more time than I cared to admit deciding what to wear, which was probably a sign that I was taking this more seriously than I intended. Still, I had asked Sera out, and it would have been rather embarrassing to arrive looking as though I had just rolled out of bed.
She arrived a few minutes later. Her appearance was more relaxed than the last time I had seen her, though she still carried herself with the same quiet confidence. Sera spotted me almost immediately and approached the table, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Traveller," she greeted me as she took the seat opposite mine. "I was beginning to wonder whether you would actually show up."
"I did invite you," I replied, standing briefly to pull out her chair before sitting down again. "It would have been rather strange if I had abandoned my own invitation."
"People change their minds."
"True, but I try not to make a habit of disappointing my guests."
Sera gave a small laugh and glanced around the restaurant. "You chose somewhere nice."
"I thought it would be better than trying to have a conversation somewhere crowded. Besides, I didn’t know what sort of places you preferred, so I settled for somewhere comfortable."
"That was considerate of you."
"I’ll take that as approval."
She smiled but didn’t answer immediately. A waiter came over to greet us and handed us the menus. For a short while, we looked through the selections, and I was grateful for the brief pause. It gave us something to do besides stare at each other while trying to decide how the evening was supposed to begin.
Once we had ordered, Sera rested her hands on the table and looked at me with renewed interest. "You still haven’t told me your name."
I looked up from the menu. "I suppose I haven’t."
"You’ve been rather comfortable letting me call you Traveller."
"It has its advantages. It saves me from having to introduce myself to everyone I meet."
"And what happens when someone wants to know who they’re speaking to?"
"I suppose I have to make an exception." I gave her a small smile. "My name is Ren."
"Ren," she repeated, as though testing how it sounded. "That’s better than Traveller, at least."
"Only at least?"
"Yes."
I laughed. "I’ll have to work on improving your opinion of it, then."
The food arrived shortly afterwards, and the conversation settled into a more comfortable rhythm. I asked her about her work, though I was careful not to turn the evening into an interrogation. Sera was a merchant, and from what I had gathered, she had spent years building her position. It seemed only natural to ask how she had managed it.
"It’s not as interesting as you might imagine," she told me while cutting into her meal. "There are negotiations, accounts, unreliable partners and people who think they can get away with cheating you. Most days are spent solving problems someone else created."
"That sounds familiar. I used to spend hours dealing with problems that could have been avoided if people had simply read the instructions."
Sera looked amused. "Instructions?"
"Long story. The important part is that people rarely make things easy for themselves."
"I’m beginning to notice that."
I asked whether she enjoyed the work, and she considered the question for a moment before answering. She admitted that it could be exhausting, but she liked having something of her own to manage. There was satisfaction in watching an idea grow into something real, even if the process was often unpleasant. I found that answer more interesting than a simple declaration that she enjoyed making money.
"Does that mean you intend to keep doing it indefinitely?" I asked.
"I’m not sure. I haven’t given much thought to what comes after."
"Then perhaps you should. It’s easy to spend so much time building something that you forget to decide what you actually want to do with it."
Sera studied me over her glass. "And have you decided what you want?"
"Not entirely," I admitted. "I’ve spent a good deal of time travelling. There are still places I’d like to see, but I wouldn’t mind finding somewhere to settle eventually. Somewhere I don’t have to keep moving just because the next destination happens to be interesting."
"That doesn’t sound like someone who is ready to settle down."
"Perhaps not. I’m still allowed to think about it."
She smiled at that, and I continued, telling her a little about the places I had visited without going into details that weren’t mine to share. I found that she listened more closely than I expected. She occasionally asked questions of her own, and the conversation moved away from business and into more ordinary matters. It was a welcome change from the careful exchanges I had grown accustomed to having with people who were always looking for some advantage.
By the time we finished eating, the initial awkwardness had mostly disappeared. Sera seemed more at ease, and I no longer felt the need to think through every question before asking it. The evening had gone better than I expected, which was encouraging. Apparently, a successful conversation didn’t require a carefully prepared strategy after all.
When we left the restaurant, I accompanied her outside. Her carriage was waiting nearby, and the driver stepped forward when he noticed us approaching.
"Thank you for the evening," Sera said as she turned towards me. "It was more enjoyable than I expected."
"I’ll consider that a good review."
"You should. I don’t give them out often."
"I’ll try not to let it go to my head."
She gave a quiet laugh before stepping towards the carriage. Then she paused and looked back at me. "Good night, Ren."
"Good night, Sera. I hope we can do this again."
"We’ll see."
It wasn’t a promise, but the smile she left me with was encouraging enough. I watched until the carriage had pulled away before turning towards the street.
[COMPANION BOND UPDATE]
Target: Sera Voss
Bond Progress: 40%
I glanced at the notification and couldn’t help smiling. It seemed the evening had gone well, even by the system’s standards. I dismissed the message and started back, already considering what I would do with the rest of the night.
For once, things were progressing without me having to force them.