Dining with Althaus

As soon as the door closed, Ren let his body fall limp against the bed. He hated this entire situation, but even he had to admit--this bed felt heavenly. Resting his head against the cloud-like pillow, he didn't bother to cover himself with a blanket.

"Seriously--did they cast a comforting spell on this bed or something?" He joked to himself, rubbing his cheek against the fluffy cushion.

As tired and comfortable as he was, it was hard to let himself fall to the world of dreams as he dreaded the upcoming dinner with Althaus. The entire scenario of him having to change clothes in front of him had skewed his perception of the nobleman, but he tried his best to convince himself it was just a misunderstanding.

Even if he didn't fully believe his own explanation--it was enough to let his anxiety-driven mind fall into slumber. It felt like he had only shut his eyes for a moment before heating a knock on the door--causing him to sleepily open his eyes.

"Mister Ren, dinner is ready. Lord Althaus is expecting you," A deep, elderly voice spoke from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, yeah…" Ren sat up slowly, wincing as all of his muscles seemed to ache.

--Whatever that thing Althaus gave me in the carriage must've worn off. Ren rubbed his stiff shoulder.

One look at the window and he could tell that he actually did manage to get some sleep as it was pitch black outside--save for the lights that lit up the capital itself.

Opening the door, he was face to face with the man who woke him up. He was tall--very tall. The man stood well over two heads taller than him, with shoulders broad enough that made his imposing stature almost suffocating to stand in front of. His elderly appearance was nothing more than a showing of his age--as the physique he held was nothing short of an olympian.

"Sorry for disturbing your rest, the Lord told me you were needing rest--but I assure you that the sleep you get will be much more fulfilling with dinner in your stomach," The man spoke to him, bowing his head.

Ren was still in awe at the man's stature. He wore a butler uniform with a black cape draped over his shoulders, with silken white gloves embroidered with large green gems on top of each hand. He held an aura of formality--that accompanied with the aged silver hair the man had helped him deduce who the man probably was.

"Excuse my rudeness, I should introduce myself. I am Norbert, the head butler of the Althaus manor. If you need anything, I will always be available," The tall man bowed once more.

"Y-yeah, nice to meet you," Ren chuckled nervously, still intimidated by the man.

Although the giant butler spoke with a kind, well-mannered tone, his face remained stoic--with eyes that seemed to read every part of Ren. In all of his eighteen years of life, there had never been somebody he feared this much. It wasn't a direct fear, but he knew that if he tried something like escaping--this butler would be the one to retaliate.

"Right this way, I'll show you to the dining area," Norbert placed his arms behind his back and began to walk in front of him.

He nodded his head and followed behind the butler, keeping a distance of a few meters that Ren called the "Dash Zone"--just out of the man's reach and enough time to run if need be. He didn't plan on doing anything, but the fear in him wasn't taking any chances.

The butler's imposing aura alone made Ren feel more like the butler's servant than vice versa. All he could do was stare at the butler's large back as he carefully followed him without paying any mind where he was even stepping.

"Is your private quarters to your liking? I took special care to supply you with an abundance of books that will help you adjust to this world," Norbert suddenly spoke up, not slowing down in the slightest as he spoke.

"Urr, yeah--no complaints here. Just a quick question, what kind of books did you shelve exactly?" Ren asked.

"A variety, like I said--reading them will help you adjust to this world quite nicely. Tales, monster logs, adventurer handbooks, stories of all sorts," The butler responded, taking a swift step around the corner.

"Monster logs…?" Ren chuckled nervously as he followed him around the corner.

The butler didn't seem much for conversation as he silently marched through the lavish halls of the manor without responding. He couldn't decide whether the butler's silence was positive or negative. Either way--it didn't matter as they stopped in front of a pair of tall wooden doors.

He watched as the brute of an elderly man pressed his hands against the heavy doors, pushing them open without little strain--still holding his stoic expression. The now open doorway revealed an elegant dining hall. Walls lined with paintings of all kinds, not a single spot was left unclean and most importantly--the table itself was something out of movies that he had seen, stretching far down the room vertically with a white cloth covering it.

However--amidst the regal beauty of the dining room, all of that enamor fell to null as he saw Althaus seated at the very end. The nobleman was now dressed in a black robe-suit mix, the fine cloth lined with golden decorations. Althaus' golden irises seemed to radiate as he gazed at him from across the room with a slight smile.

"Take a seat. You're an honored member of the Althaus estate now, Ren--I want you to enjoy this supper," Althaus gave him a welcoming smile as he ushered for the boy to sit at the closest seat near him.

--He really wants me to sit right next to him? Is he even trying to be subtle? There are like twenty seats! Ren paused for a moment, deciding whether or not to play along.

"It seems the boy is still a bit tired. Help him to his seat, would you, Norbert?" Althaus moved his gaze to the butler.

"Of course, my lord," Norbert nodded his head.

Ren then felt the giant hand of the butler against his back. His gentle push was enough to force him to walk forward.

"Hey! I'm fine, I can walk myself," Ren snapped, letting out a huff as he walked over to the seat to the left of Althaus, sitting down.

The butler didn't even react to him, simply nodding his head and leaving towards the kitchen. Now it was just him and Althaus.

He watched as the man grabbed the dark green bottle of wine, tipping it over as a red liquid poured into his glass. The man swayed the liquid around in his glass, taking in the scent of the rich alcohol before glancing over at him.

"Would you like some?" Althaus offered, presenting his glass to him.

The aroma rising from the glass was almost intoxicating--he had never been one interested in alcohol, but the rich, fruity smell coming from the wine was almost enough to tempt his parched throat.

"I'm not old enough to drink," He quickly answered with a trembling smile.

"Maybe in your world--but not here. Come on, you should celebrate this new life, live a little," The nobleman persisted with a smile, taking a sip of his glass before letting out a satisfied sigh.

The last thing he wanted to do was put himself in a vulnerable state around a man such as him. He had seen enough media to know that noblemen in fantasy worlds are almost always the scum of the world--and this man bought him no less. Even if he claims to have bought Ren just out of interest of his other world knowledge--it was a hard thing to believe.

"Sorry, but I'll pass--" Ren fervently rejected the offer, trying to sound as polite as possible despite wanting nothing more than to deck the man.

"If you insist, my friend. I had never met someone who didn't wish to partake in the wine made of the fermented grapes of the Dionysus Gardens," Althaus stated, taking another sip of the wine," honestly, most would pay quite a fortune for a single glass."

"Dionysus? Like the "God of Wine"?" Ren asked, perplexed by the man's last statement.

Although his knowledge of Greek mythology wasn't extensive--everyone at least knew of the gods. To hear that name dropped in an entirely separate world such as this was a surprise.

"Oh? A "God of Wine", you say? Now that is quite interesting. The Dionysus Gardens have always been known as a place in which grapes of almost mythical quality grow--but you say that namesake comes from a god?" Althaus smiled, pleased at this new information, "Do tell."

"Yeah, well, in my world there are a variety of religions and stories that tell of different pantheons of gods. Dionysus is a god that belongs to the Greek branch of mythology--he is the "God of Wine"," He explained it to the man, fiddling with the silverware as he patiently waited for the food.

"The way you explain it sounds like these gods are nothing more than fairy tales in your world, no?" The man asked, finishing off his glass of wine as he gulped it down.

Before he could respond--the twin doors opened up as Norbert walked in holding a large silver dish on top of each hand. The butler strolled over, carefully setting the dishes down in front of the two before lifting the lids. As the lids were removed, the savory aroma flowed out from the dish--flooding his nose with a now pestering hunger.

The dish itself was chicken lathered with a creamy, brown sauce sprinkled with a variety of spices, as well as a nice quantity of fresh vegetables that he helped prepare. That wasn't all--the towering butler set down a basket filled with freshly baked sticks of bread.

"Enjoy your supper, my lord, sir," Norbert bowed his head, "I will be just outside the dining hall if you need anything."

Between the heavenly scent of the food and the culinary masterpiece it looked like--his hunger felt almost ravenous as his stomach growled. Luckily, it seemed the nobleman either didn't notice the sound or chose not to point it out as he poured himself another glass of wine before grabbing his utensils.

"I take it you met Meinhard, the chef of this manor?" Althaus asked as he used his fork and knife to dice up his chicken.

"Yeah," Ren answered, not much for small talk as all he wanted to do was fill his stomach.

He began to carve away at the chicken with his fork-knife combo before shoving a piece of meat doused in sauce into his mouth. As soon as it hit his tongue--he was sent to paradise. In haste, he began to devour the meal, forgetting the concept of manners as he ate like a ravenous animal.

"I take that it is to your liking?" Althaus asked with a wry smile.

He nodded his head without verbally responding, taking a sip of water before continuing his conquest against his plate--finishing it within a minute.

"Well, it seems your table etiquette is lacking--but that is a minor issue. I've never been one to quite follow the code of conduct for nobles," The nobleman laughed before washing his meal down with more wine.

The room fell quiet before Althaus set down his glass--looking over at him before deciding to speak once more.

"I'd like to clear something up--a misunderstanding. If I'm wrong then pay no attention to my words, but--I think in the carriage earlier today when you had to change clothes, you think I had some sort of perverted motives, no?" Althaus asked, his tone was now much more serious than usual, his golden irises maintaining contact with his.

"No...well…" Being put on the spot like this, he didn't know exactly how to answer.

"It's fine, Ren--I completely understand your suspicions. This entire situation is quite dreadful, I wouldn't blame you for lacking trust. However, I assure you that I had no ill intentions when making you change," Althaus wiped the sauce from his lip with a white napkin.

The man was right about his lack of trust--but against his better judgment, he decided to put faith in his words. At least to him, the tone he spoke in was sincere and until now, Althaus had only shown him complete hospitality.

"Yeah, I guess I did get the wrong idea before--I'm fine now," Ren smiled before taking a large gulp of water from his glass.

"Well, now then since that is settled--I would like to inform you of the task I want to be completed from you. It is completely up to you whether or not you do it, if you reject it--you are still allowed to live here all the same, but if you accept it, I will pay you an allowance," Althaus sat his hands down against the table.

"What is it?" Ren asked, his eyes lighting up at the mention of money.

"I want you to write a book containing the history of your world as you know it, the various cultures, food, everything. Of course, you don't know our written language, so Meinhard has agreed to give you lessons each night,"

Althaus clapped his hands together as if he had been waiting to announce this offer to him. This definitely isn't what he expected--if he was being honest, he expected something more on the side of vulgar from the nobleman, but this was definitely a nice change of pace. However--him? Writing a book? A book that would present Earth through his own experiences? Even he could tell you he wasn't an optimal candidate for such a project.

"You can think it over, there is no need to rush such things," Althaus looked at him before adjusting the collar of his outfit.

"Well, I just have one question--is this book solely for you or what?" Ren asked, not knowing which option he liked better.

"As much as I'd like to share the epics of your world with my own, you do remember the status you have in this world, right? If I were to spread such writing, the prying eyes of the Argonauts would surely come directly for me--and let me tell you, they aren't ones to negotiate," Althaus gave a slight smile.

"Argonauts"--that was the second time he heard that name, and he still didn't know what it referred to. At least, in this world, he didn't understand the meaning.

"I've just got one more question--what is an "Argonaut"?" Ren asked, catching Althaus with his question before the man could get up from the table.

The nobleman looked at the table for a minute as if pondering how to respond before turning to Ren--still with a look of hesitation in his regal gaze. It was obvious that the term referred to something sinister or malicious--but it was eating away at him on what it meant.

"I suppose you should know, but for full context--I'll explain it properly. In Mastorn, there are three routes that those with a talent for combat can choose in life. The most common is that of an "Adventurer"--one who journeys the land, accepting quests and exploring the mysteries of this world. Quite a fulfilling life if you ask me. Then there are "Knights", which takes not only magical and physical talent but true integrity, serving the kingdom with your all. Lastly, there are the "Argonauts"--namely, the common rank of those in that line of work are called "Executioners", with Argonauts being the highest rank amongst that branch," Althaus rested his chin against the top of his hands.

--Honestly, that is pretty much what I expected from this world except for this whole "Executioner" and "Argonaut" thing. Ren thought to himself, listening closely as the man explained it to him.

"The old king of Mastorn long ago established the Argonauts in order to combat the unstoppable force of other world heroes summoned by other kingdoms, although they don't only handle problems pertaining to otherworlders--they're akin to the royalty's dogs. They're vastly powerful and that is why we must act in caution, we're in the belly of the beast--staying in the capital means we're right under the Argonaut's noses," Althaus fiddled with his beard.

"I see...just one more question," Ren felt he was pestering the man at this point--but his curiosity was killing him," when you say the "unstoppable force of other world heroes", do people like me have some sort of inherent talent in this world?"

"I don't want to get your hopes up, but in most cases, yes," Althaus stood up from the table, fixing the crinkles in his suit,"now if you'll excuse me--I have quite a bit of papers to attend to. Get some rest, Ren, tomorrow is the start of a new life!"

And with that--he once again found himself excited to be in this fantastical world. It seemed that his unfortunate introduction to this world had sidelined his perception of Althaus, who seemed to be almost a saint in regards to a nobleman.