As soon as I exit, Reginald is there waiting for me, his ever present smile glowing on his face.
“I see you noticed the clothes I left for you! You look fantastic, Lord!”
I loosen my collar, suppressing the urge to groan. “Sure did.”
The navy blue shirt clings to me uncomfortably, and the black plants, although perfectly tailored, feel stiff and impractical. Even the belt I wear feels much too expensive. It’s stuffy, to say the least. If I was given a choice, I’d have much rather preferred a t-shirt and shorts, or even a battle suit, but this still beats the robe I was wearing earlier.
My stomach rumbles loudly, and I sigh. “Surely this mansion has food, right?”
Reginald pumps his chest, proudly. “Of course! Follow me!”
He leads me to a large building, rather far from the bath. Without even stepping in, the smell of food invades my nostrils, tugging at my senses, and making my stomach more restless than it was before. Perhaps sensing my impatience, Reginald opens the door for me. The smell hits me like a wave, freshly cooked food and spices I cannot even name washing over me. My stomach cries once more, and I hastily step inside, more than ready to eat my fill.
I enter a large cafetera-like area. There are large tables filling the entire space, and I can see large doors leading to a kitchen, from which chefs shuttle rolling trays filled with food. Instead of there being a line of people waiting for staff or machines to place food on their plates, however, everyone is seated, and they seem to wait for food to come to them instead. Above, large chandeliers with crystal patterns illuminate the hall with a soft glow, enhance by the natural light coming from the numerous windows pointing to the outside world.
‘I guess this is more of a restaurant than a cafeteria.’
Pulling me from my thoughts, a short woman in uniform approaches me. “Welcome! How may I serve you today?”
Reginald answers before I can. “This gentleman here is a guest of the main family of FullCastle. He’s here to eat, please select a suitable location for him.”
The lady seems flustered, but she quickly regains her composure and hastily leads us to a window which conveniently points to the garden that had caught my attention earlier. Once she’s left, I sit down, and a menu appears, projected by a device in the center of the table. As I begin looking through the options, I notice that Reginald is still standing next to me.
I look at him, raising an eyebrow. “You’re not going to sit?” I ask.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t dare, Lord! Please, do not concern yourself with me!”
With a sigh, I stand up, pull the chair on the other side of the table, and re-iterate. “Please sit down. It makes me uncomfortable that you’re standing next to me.”
His eyes widen. “B-but, Lord! I couldn’t possibly-”
“Just sit, don’t make me say it again.”
Reginald lowers his head, and awkwardly, he takes a few steps toward the chair, promptly sitting down without arguing any further. “If you insist…”
Satisfied, I return to my seat and stare at the menu some more.
Before I can make up my mind, however, the lady from earlier returns and the display disappears. “It’ll be here shortly!” She says, a smile on her face.
I watch her leave, speechless.
‘I didn’t even order anything.’
Not even a minute later, she returns with my food. An omelet, a small cup of fruits, two slices of toasted bread. Next to the plate she places a for, and a spoon, alongside a small cup of orange juice. She then bows her head lightly and leaves.
I salivate at the sight, of course, but somehow, this isn’t what I expected. I look at Reginald sitting in front of me. “I thought it'd be more fancy, but this is surprisingly…normal.” I say
A grin widens on his face. “You honor me with your praise!”
I meet his gaze. “Did you choose this?” I ask.
He adjusts his tie. “Yes! Not only did I consider your dietary needs, I also took your background into consideration, ensuring that everything would be familiar, and simple to eat!”
I nod, impressed. “...Nice work, really.”
Without wasting another moment, I devour the plate in front of me, emptying in mere moments. Each new bite enters my mouth before the last has gone down, sometimes pushing me to force the entire thing down with the orange juice I was given, exquisite in its own right. Despite the simplicity of the food, its flavor is on a whole other level compared to anything I’ve tasted before, save perhaps for Aurora’s pastries. The fruits are fresh, the toasted bread is crunchy at the edges, yet soft at the center, the omelet is fluffy and perfectly seasoned, everything is perfect.
‘They eat like this every day?!’
I eat enthusiastically, maybe excessively so, as if I hadn’t eaten in a week.
‘Now that I think about it, I really haven’t eaten in a week…’
It takes a dozen minutes or so, but finally, when the last bite has gone through, I set down my silverware. My plate utterly empty, I lean my head backward, satisfied.
Looking at the ceiling of this dining hall, my body clean, and my stomach full, reality creeps back in. My eyes return to Reginald, my voice hardens, and my darkens. “So, what happened to DaiKar? What are they doing about this catastrophe?” I ask him.
He seems as though he expected this. Quickly, he pushes his sleeve up, revealing his watch. “I think it’s better to show you rather than tell you.”
With a tap, he displays a new article, a public statement from DaiKar academy.
My eyes scan through rapidly, and it goes something like this:
[DaiKar admits fault for the death, injury and disappearance of students, but reminds, in a very apathetic manner, that death is to be expected when one is a warrior. Still, they promise to not only cull the traitors, but to also fortify their defenses. In the meantime, they’ve exceptionally opened a new ‘program’ for students. The [enlightened] immersion program. For a duration of three months, students will be sent away to ten of the greatest families of Melodica, who will guarantee the pursuit of their education as well as their safety. Among the participating families, I recognize a few names. FullCaslte. Starforge. Thunderblade. Eldarion. Silverside]
“I see….” I mumble to myself. “When are they getting here?” I ask Reginald.
“In two weeks or so, Lord.”
I stroke my chin thoughtfully. “Hm.”
I put the thoughts aside. It’s not like that changes anything for me. I jump out of my seat, and head for the exit of the building, Reginald following closely behind me.
I turn to him as I walk. “Can you bring me to a training room?”
He hastens his step, overtaking me. “Of course! Follow me!”