Vitmori POV

Entering the dining hall, I find a rather ornate-looking room lined with plush carpets that go down the length of the room on each side of the table. There were impressive-looking banners that stretched from the ceiling to the floor that depicted what I could safely assume was the family's crest considering how often I've seen it around the place. The table looked fit to sit at least twenty people and it nearly did just that as I looked over everyone who was attending this meal.

At the head of the table was Trelio who looked admittedly rather haggard with what I could only assume was a fairly serious hangover if Vivia's comments last night were anything to go by. However, the same could be said of their kids Vitra and Larkis as they also looked fairly pale compared to when I saw them last night. Vivia, for her part, looked fairly alright at least compared to the rest of her family.

As the maid led me through the dining hall to the seat at Larkis' immediate left, I made sure to visually check in with the others who were enjoying the meal this morning.

The meal itself looked to be scrambled eggs, sausages, sliced fruit, something that was remarkably like hash browns, and some kind of toast made from a loaf of brown, grain-rich bread. All in all, it was a generous and well-made-looking spread that probably wasn't that far off from what the people of the village were used to eating if I was gauging everyone's reactions correctly.

Staying on the right-hand side of the table from Trelio, and to Vivia's immediate left was Tul'mi, the two women conversing about something or another. Further down the line, the twins sat together with Puh'ma sitting between them, and at the far end was Mage Aspen who sat across from Cecil as they seemingly continued their conversation from last night about their experience in magic while Aspen sincerely did his best to offer advice and guidance to the younger mage.

On the left-hand side of the table, Basmori sat next to my seat while eagerly digging into the food before him, though he was admittedly rather clumsy and a little messy as he got used to using the utensils that were set before him while more often than not using his hands to pick up and eat the food.

Freyli was served at the table as well, eating from a rather ornate-looking bowl as she was served eggs with sausage, though the sausage was already chopped up into smaller pieces so she could more easily eat from the bowl. With that said she was also served a small plate of sliced fruit which she also helped herself to with equal vigor.

Behind the two of them sat Legosi as he stayed close to the siblings while eating from a rather large and still ornate-looking bowl that was filled with sausages, other cuts of meat, and hard-boiled eggs. On a second glance, I noticed that Legosi's coat looked a lot nicer than I remembered; in fact, he looked like he recently got a bath and a rather thorough brushing. Around his neck was a silver chain with a rough cut but polished green emerald the size of my thumb hanging off the chain. I'll have to see what all that is about in a moment...

To Freyli's right sat Ren, the foxkin girl looking particularly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as she eagerly savored the hearty meal while admiring her surroundings.

Further down the line were Krys and his team, along with the adventurers as they seemingly conversed among each other and the elite teens who sat across from them. Among the thieves and adventurers, it seems the only one that didn't get any 'action' last night was Cecil; though likely it was due to him seeking out academic pursuits instead of physical ones.

Between Rantz and Lily, I could tell they were both in rather good spirits; though at a glance I could see that Rantz was sporting some new hickeys around his neck along with what looked to be bite marks on his shoulders that peeked out from beneath his tunic.

In regards to Krys and Sera... Well, Krys had some similar-looking hickeys around his neck and seemed in better condition than he was expecting after what happened the night before, though it was Sera who seemed the most pleased if not a little confused about last night's events as she wondered why her lower back was much more sore than usual.

Looking over to Zax, well the poor guy just looked worn and sore all over, his arms and legs still feeling rather shaky from last night as it seems he got much more than he was bargaining for with that young dwarf he left the party with.

Finally, at the very end of the table, sat Lostrill and Riley; the two of them conversing between themselves as they did their very best to both not draw attention or cause any trouble as they were keenly aware of just how unusual it was for them to be dining in the same room as rank 2 elites and didn't have the good fortunate of being ignorant like the younger members of our caravan.

I did wonder where Wither and Blight ended up staying, considering that I'm not seeing them around here; I highly doubt they managed to get into any sort of trouble, so it's not like I have much to actually worry about.

Patting Legosi's head as I passed, I took a moment to dote on both Basmori and Freyli before taking my seat between Basmori and Larkis. The half-elf man managed to force a smile on his face despite the persistent headache that insisted on plaguing him. "Good morning, Mage Vito, I trust you had an enjoyable night in the library?" He asked sincerely enough before sipping at what looked to be a mug of tea.

I just offered a smile as I scooted my seat in. "Yes, you've got quite the collection, I wasn't even sure where to start at first when I began looking over your inventory." I mentioned kindly.

Though before I could say anything else, another maid approached and regarded me with a polite smile. "Great Mage, are you ready for your meal?" She asked with professional curiosity.

I could feel Trelio moving to say something to the maid about me not needing to eat, but he opted to hold back and watch how I handled it for myself.

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I just flashed the maid a little smile before shaking my head a bit. "Oh, no thank you. I had more than my fill last night and I don't really need to eat all that much to begin with." I explained, though considering that everyone else was eating and I was invited to join them at breakfast, I suppose I should get something. "Though with that said, I would like some coffee with a little bit of cream." I asked though I was surprised to sense her confusion as she looked at me with an uncertain air about her.

It wasn't just her either, glancing around I noticed that most of the people here didn't know what I was talking about, though they had a word for it in their language, so it's not like they didn't have it in this world.

Tul'mi knew what I was talking about, though it was actually Krys who piped up much to my surprise as well as Ren's. "Coffee is a rare and exotic drink around these parts; it comes from the far north in the Drizan Hotlands, at least on this continent. The plants are hard to grow and difficult to maintain when compared to tea and have a strong, bitter taste that most people aren't accustomed to." He explained before glancing over at me. "They wouldn't have something like that here, Boss, though they might have some in the capital if you're looking." He mentioned with a smile. As Ren continued to give Krys a rather incredulous and surprised look about him being this knowledgeable about things that even she didn't know about, he just offered an amused smirk. "What? I make it a point to know about luxury goods." He mused kindly before going back to his meal.

"Ah, that's a shame." I say while stroking my chin before looking over to the maid. "Then I'll take some black tea if you don't mind. I don't have a preference in regards to the blend." I don't exactly know if they have specific names in this world and I don't want to stand out even more than I already have trying to comb through the memories I've absorbed trying to remember any. However, if they don't have a coffee culture in this country, or even this part of the continent... Then what do they call coffee tables?

Regardless, the maid lowered her head respectfully before standing tall again. "Yes, Great Mage, I'll be right back." She said politely as she then turned on her heel and left the dining hall.

"So you have a lot of experience 'drinking' this coffee stuff?" Vivia asked curiously, her meaning clear to me as she considered the fact that I'm very much just a fancy wooden golem as far as she knew.

I just smiled a little more, leaning back into my seat while I waited. "I used to drink it quite often while I grew up, it was so readily available to me back then so I hadn't realized it was meant to be a rare good." I explained away before shrugging a bit. "It's been a long time since I had it though, I suppose I just really miss the smell of it."

At that, Trelio and Vivia nodded intently, sufficiently satisfied by that explanation before Trelio decided to pipe up. "Oh, just so you know. Defender Legosi there managed to capture two scouts from that foreign army at some point last night. It seems they were trying to see what happened to their forces, given that they never returned yesterday." He explained, sounding rather pleased by the developments before continuing. "They're currently chained up in our cells, but we'll deal with them in time." Trelio said as if to reassure me.

I glanced over to the particularly well-groomed spitter wolf and his new silver chain with the green jewel, earning a proud-looking wolfish grin from him as he looked up from his bowl before digging back into the food. "Oh really? Well, I would expect nothing less from him. He's the leader of his pack back home and his job normally is to protect it with the other wolves." I say before leaning forward and resting my arms on the table. "Though is there a reason you're referring to him by his title? Legosi isn't really one for formalities."

Trelio chuckled heartily at that before nodding in understanding. "He said as much, though you and yours have done so much for this town. Especially Healers Wither and Blight. It would be wrong of me to not at least be respectful enough to address you all by suitable titles. Admittedly Legosi wasn't comfortable with being called Mister or Master Legosi, and insisted that if I were to refer to him by a title, then Defender would be preferable." He dutifully explained while sounding painfully sincere.

A glance over at Vivia and a shake of her head in response was enough for me to know that Trelio isn't one to drop pretenses like she was, so I opted to not argue much and offered a smile. "Well, if you insist, I won't try to convince you to do otherwise." I mused kindly.

"So what can you tell us about coffee? Is it any good?" Vivia asked curiously, just making conversation while everyone else ate and generally had their own ongoing conversations.

I couldn't help but flash a grin as I leaned back in my seat. "Is coffee any good? Well, I suppose it's all a matter of preference... I personally preferred tea when I was younger, but over the years I found that nothing could beat a good cup of coffee after a rough night or on an especially early morning." I mused before deciding to talk more about coffee; sharing what I knew about the different ways to prepare and brew it or the many ways it could be used in cooking, especially with pastries.

As we spoke, the maid eventually brought out my tea and set it out quietly in front of me before dismissing herself all over again. I took a moment to look over the tea, collecting the mug as I felt the muted warmth radiate into my wood. Bringing the tea up to my nose, I slowly inhaled the rather floral scent before slowly tipping the piping-hot liquid into my mouth. I... Didn't taste much of anything, which I expected of course, but it was still no less disappointing as I stashed the mouthful of tea away in my storage.

Trelio and Vivia watched on with interest, wondering where the tea was going since I had expressly told Vivia that I didn't even have a stomach.

Breakfast went on without a hitch as we eventually moved on from coffee with Tul'mi leading the conversation and discussing with Vivia and Trelio about plans moving forward in regards to the reconstruction of the village as well as possible initiative in training up more guards and a possible militia from the village numbers. While they may not be overtly effective combatants, the training may help instill confidence in the villagers after yesterday's events and work towards restoring a sense of normalcy in the near future.

As the plates were being collected, Larkis decided to pipe up with a smile while looking significantly better than he had been at the beginning of the meal. "Hey, would you all be interested in sparring?" He asked while looking over the line of teenagers across from him, a small grin of anticipation forming on his lips as even Puh'ma and Vitra looked intrigued by the suggestion. "We don't often get the chance to spar with peers our age, so it might be fun." He enthused with a charming amount of hopeful confidence.

It was then that Rantz and Krys shared a glance between them, being the respective leaders of their groups before the two looked at me next.

I just smiled while taking a sip from my mug of tea before offering a little shrug. "I don't see why not, just try not to over-exert yourself. I still have some business to attend to, but the standing plan for today is still to depart for the next town over and then the capital."

The two leaders among their peers share a nod as Rantz pipes up first as he regards Larkis. "Sure, we're actually on our way to the capital to test up to Sapphire rank, it'd be interesting to see how we hold up to some tier 2 and 3 elites." He mused with a confident grin which the elite teens eagerly reciprocated.

Krys sighed a bit but nodded as well. "Well, my team isn't really geared to open combat, but any experience is a learning experience. We'd be glad to take part in the sparring as well." Krys explained with a more subdued smile.

"The more, the merrier." Puh'ma added simply as the elites moved to stand, soon followed by the rest of the teens.

"I should probably make sure things don't get carried away." Tul'mi mentioned with an amused look on her face before pointing at Aspen and gesturing for him to follow. "And you're coming along in case anyone gets hurt."

"Of course, Miss Tul'mi." Aspen replied deferentially to the higher-ranked elite, standing as he followed the crowd of teens; though I did see Ren follow the group as well accompanied by a curious Basmori and Freyli who were thus accompanied by Legosi.

With nothing else to do here, Riley and Lostrill also dismissed themselves, leaving me with just Trelio and Vivia as I regarded them with a more serious expression on my face. "Well then... I suppose it's time to talk business, shouldn't we? I have a feeling you're going to want to know just why someone like me is going to the capital, right?"

Trelio shared a look with Vivia before looking at me and offering a slow nod. “Of course, Mage Vito.” He said soberly, having caught the shift in my mood rather easily as he then glanced around at the servants who were still cleaning when he started to stand. “Let’s take this to my office.”