Basilio's POV
I then went to a table for two and sat there after putting my backpack on the other chair. Then, a waiter came to me and handed me a menu. "Welcome to the Ye Old East Tavern." Receiving it, I replied, "Thanks, sir." I then read it as the waiter left the table. And so, after finding out that my wallet had its paper cash turned into numerous coins known as Presa, the currency used in this country, I found that it was when I looked at the writing inscribed on one side of the coins. Okay…I can read their language somehow…
And so, I ordered a plate of meat pie and a glass of water for 3 Presas. A few minutes later, I was eating that simple meal, and it was really good. Finally! My hunger has been satisfied now. Well…my life in this world was starting.
A bit later, after paying for my meal, I was about to grab my backpack and leave the place when a boy approached me and asked, "Hey, are you new here?" Hearing that, I turned to my left and saw that the boy, dressed in a commoner's clothes, was standing in front of me.
Third person POV
"Oh, hi there," Basilio said to the boy. "Yes, I am. Why?"
"Um…" replied the boy while stuttering a bit, "…welcome to our town. My name is Chivo Sergia, nice to meet you…"
"Oh! Nice to meet you, Chivo-kun. My name is Basilio Valencia, an Otherworlder."
The boy, Chivo Sergia, was surprised to hear that Basilio was an Otherworlder. "Wow…that race of strange people…?"
"Yes," responded Basilio back positively, "and I was reincarnated in this world today."
"Yup, and I am mostly new here…"
"Oh…um…well…I am free today, so do you want me to help you in this town."
"Oh, you're a local in this town?"
Chivo then nodded. "Yes, and I was born and raised here."
"Okay, give me guidance in this world then!"
Chivo's level and rank as of now are at Level 4 and F-ranked
And so, Chivo guided Basilio into this town, showing him its wonders and familiar places. Basilio was paying attention to his explanation and guidance while taking pictures with his smartphone. This lasted for half of the afternoon. At that time, Chivo had to go home to his family's home because of his older sister and niece and parted ways with Basilio after saying goodbye and good luck to him.
"Yeah, thanks for everything, Chivo-kun!" Basilio said to him positively and with a good farewell, before going around town to find an inn to stay for the night.
And then, Basilio found one across the street from the town plaza and got a room for himself with a price tag of 2 Presas per night. After that, he stayed in that room to rest up and recharge, planning to visit the night markets when night fell. And so, at night, he did, visiting the night marketplaces in the town streets and browsing for anything he might be interested in buying. And then, he bought a ceramic cup for half a Presa and a tablecloth in blue and grey for a Presa. These things are essential for him in his life and travel in this world.
For the next few days, Basilio continued to explore and study about this world, starting in the town of Fresa de Ard and studying in the town library in the morning. He travelled outside of town in the afternoon after lunch, exploring and documenting his discoveries and the new things about this world in his notebooks and phone. He realized that the Otherworlders of different worlds, nationalities, and eras had been coming and passing in this world for a straight 500 years, introducing their tech and expertise to this world. That is why there were manga and novels in bookstores, phones and laptops were used by some people, lattes and matcha in cafes, and trains and buses roam the streets by independent drivers. He can see a laptop spreadsheet of prices of goods by a merchant, and a modern Nokia phone used by a farmer to chat with someone from far away. T-shirts were popular among the commoners, and aside from the modern graphic designs, localized pre-modern ones were also popular. A submachine was used by a gunslinger to hunt mobs in the forest with his swordsman who used a notebook and a ballpoint pen (popular for their non-smudging capability) to check their quest.
"Oh, flip…" Basilio's mind echoed as he leaned against a tree in the forest, "…I can imagine Itami-san from "Gate" when he sees that in this world. His reaction would be so hilarious…"
[Imagination mode…]
Itami and his squad had their minds short-circuiting when they saw that the gunslinger and his swordsman partner were slaying a few dire wolves in that forest. "Yup!" Basilio chirped while holding his agenda notebook and laughing hard. "You guys are not the first ones to come here, and neither did I. I only came here via reincarnation 3 days ago!"
Itami clutched his head; his fantasy tropes were ruined the moment he heard the gunshots.
"Welcome po dito," Basilio responded with a grin and his Tagalog accent and language to indicate where he came from in his past life. "Taga-Tacloban po ako."
Itami's tropes were further shattered when he heard Basilio's origins in his past life. "A Filipino here…why…why?!"
Basilio gave an iced drink to him.
[Mode ended…]
Basilio doubled over so hard he nearly lost his balance by the tree. The elven gunslinger and his human swordsman partner were confused when they looked at him. "Don't worry!" Basilio wheezed. "I'm fine! Do what you're doing now…"
Thinking that he was okay, the two adventurers went back to their quest.
After that, Basilio went back to Fresa de Ard to swing by the café for this afternoon.
But Basilio didn't know that Chivo had been pretending to not know about Otherworlders and knew about them through a phone. But how come Chivo managed to acquire one?