Chapter 7 - The dinner

It was now time for Eli's dinner with Dave and his family. Dave had collected Eli from his usual fishing location, and, together, they went to Dave's home.

Finally at the door, Dave opened it, inviting Eli in. Eli's eyes widened as he entered the home; this was his first time inside a house since arriving, and, as he took everything in, what he felt could only be described as envy. After all, he had been sitting by a lake for such a long time that he had lost track of time itself. It had no physical effect on Eli, but he was now realizing that it affected him mentally. And seeing the warm and dimly lit home, the food on the table, Jacob and Sara happily conversing, the fisherman was now finding out what he missed out on. What he saw was something he had never had or experienced in his entire life, so it was only natural he would feel this way.

However, this feeling was quickly interrupted.

"Hello, Mister Eli, welcome to our home! Follow me to your chair," said Jacob as he walked Eli to his seat.

As he sat down, Eli began to observe the food laid on the table. It was mainly chicken, fruit, bread, and vegetables. This was quite the big meal, even though Dave and his family weren't necessarily poor, they also wouldn't really eat such a big dinner without a proper occasion. Eli, however, due to not being exposed to such social events and the culture of the location he's in, failed to realize this.

Finally, everybody took their seats, and Dave spoke first, "Welcome to our home, Eli. Allow me to properly introduce myself and my family. We're the Von Drayvold family. Please consider this dinner a way for us to thank you, even though we know this isn't nearly enough."

Eli wore a slight smile and replied, "This is plenty enough. Thank you for having me."

As everyone started to eat with their forks and knives, Eli looked a bit confused, trying to hide the fact that he wasn't exactly sure how to use the utensils in front of him, so he just began to imitate what everyone else was doing... rather terribly.

"Mister Eli, you never really told me why you only fish," said Jacob.

Although this was a question that Eli wasn't going to answer, it was still a welcome distraction from Eli's vicious battle against the fork and knife.

"It was just time for a change, I suppose," said Eli in a somber and heavy voice.

"A change from wha—"

"That's enough, Jacob," said Dave, interrupting his son, as it was obvious to every adult in the room that Eli wasn't comfortable answering the question.

"Dave, can you tell me about the monster I killed?" asked Eli. Frankly, he was curious about the world and the kinds of species within it, but he didn't want to make it even more obvious that he knew very little of the world, so he asked a rather specific question.

Dave was quite happy to hear that Eli asked this question, as it would immediately shift the tone of the conversation in a more acceptable direction. So, Dave answered, "The creature you killed is simply known as a giant fish. It is a very powerful monster, as it usually would take the Royal Guard, who are the most prestigious military force in the kingdom."

"Judging by their name, aren't they supposed to be focused on protecting the king?" asked Eli.

"Yes, back when I used to be a part of the guard, we were tasked with many different missions, including protecting the king, going on conquests, or protecting the kingdom from foreign incursions. But we live in an unprecedented period of peace, so the king has tasked the Royal Guard with dispatching dangerous monsters."

This had just confirmed some of the assumptions that Eli had made, mainly with this being a kingdom.

"Mister Eli! How many fish have you caught?" asked Jacob, completely derailing the serious conversation that was ongoing. However, this was natural. This is a question that every child would be curious about, given the amount of time that Eli had been fishing.

Eli took a few seconds before answering, then put his head down in shame, answering, "None..."

After a few seconds to process the answer, the whole family burst out in laughter at this absurd response.

Is it even possible for a fisherman not to catch any fish? How does that even happen?

"Just because I fish, that doesn't mean I'm good at it," said Eli in response to the family's reaction.

"I guess we found the one thing you're not good at," said Sara in a playful tone.

Even though it felt like they were making fun of him, Eli still quite enjoyed the time he was having and cracked a slight smile.

Shifting the conversation into a more serious direction, Dave warned Eli, saying, "Eli, while I have no doubts regarding your abilities, I would still be careful not to attract any more attention. Frankly, I'd venture a guess that you're already on the Kingdom's radar. They're probably just being extra cautious not to antagonize you, given your abilities."

Eli responded, "I see. Thank you for your warning, Dave."

By now, it was getting quite late, and everybody had finished eating, so it was time for Eli to depart.

The fisherman stood up, facing the family, and told them, "Thank you for having me. The Von Drayvold family will always be dear to me," Eli said with a visible smile.

This statement took the family by surprise, as this was the first time Eli addressed them with such gratitude and honesty. They all clearly appreciated it.

Dave walked Eli to the door, and after a brief goodbye, the fisherman departed.

The following morning arrived, and a man clad in heavy golden and white armor, bearing the Royal Guard's crest implanted in the middle of his chest plate, and a sheathed sword by his side, knocked at the door of the Von Drayvold family.