14 Dining

After dressing, they made their way to the restaurant on the second floor of House Tasmania. The grand oak doors opened into a spacious dining hall where rows of neatly arranged tables stretched across the room.

Each table was draped in pristine white cloth, adorned with fresh flowers and carefully placed tableware, all arranged with meticulous precision. To the left, a counter bar served customers their choice of alcohol, while on the right, a classical music ensemble played.

Jack recognised the melody. It was a genre called pop music, which had dominated the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Its signature rapid rhythms effortlessly triggered dopamine in listeners, making it synonymous with dance and euphoria.

Some even speculated that certain pop musicians had infused arcane elements into their compositions, elevating the genre beyond all others.

The more Jack observed, the more glaring the contrast between this world and the war-torn outside became.

Here, war was merely a distant echo.

The elite were always the last to suffer, while the poor plunged headfirst into the abyss of misery.

Lupus, noticing the grim expression on his face, gently nudged his forearm. "Are you okay, Jackie?"

"I~I'm good. Don't mind me."

"Then…" She gestured with her hand.

"Please!"

"Um, if you say so, I'll find us a table," she prompted, just as a waitress in a dark red uniform and brown apron approached them with a polite smile.

Jack quickly masked his thoughts and gave a small nod.

The waitress led them to a two-person table in the centre of the hall, skilfully pulling out a chair for Lupus before circling to do the same for Jack. He nodded appreciatively.

"So, would you like to take a look at the menu first, or are you ready to order?" the waitress asked, maintaining her professional smile.

Lupus returned the smile and promptly listed her choices. "I'll have a Bratwurst platter, a Schweinshaxe set…" She paused, allowing the waitress to tap her order into a datapad.

The waitress glanced up. "Would you like your Bratwurst served with chopped cabbage and mustard?"

Lupus nodded eagerly, her golden eyes flickering toward Jack, silently conveying that she wasn't finished. "And I'd also like a Sauerbraten."

The waitress took note before turning to Jack.

"Wait… Didn't you just order for me too?" Jack stammered, taken aback by the sheer amount of food she had requested.

"No… because I don't know what you'd like for dinner," she admitted bashfully.

"You can eat all that?" Jack's mind reeled. Those three dishes alone were enough to feed at least ten people for an entire day.

Snapping back to the moment, he quickly placed his own order. A single set of Sauerbraten.

The waitress recorded it and then noted Lupus's last-minute additions: a dessert at the end of her meal and a takeaway portion of assorted sausages. She picked a slice of carrot cake, fitting for her bunny Wildren's nature.

Jack raised an eyebrow. A takeaway meal, too? Was she planning a midnight feast? He found it unfathomable how arcane users required such a high caloric intake to replenish their mana. It was yet another intriguing aspect of the arcane world that piqued his curiosity in ways he hadn't expected.

Unintentionally, he found himself admiring everything about her. She looks beautiful and athletic, but that high-calorie intake doesn't seem to contribute to her physique at all. As they waited for their food, a love song played softly in the background. Lupus rested her chin on her laced fingers, gently kicking her feet in rhythm with the acoustic beat.

Jack was too nervous to notice the subtle shift in her demeanour.

When the lyrics conveyed a message of hidden love, Lupus found her gaze flicking toward Jack's face, only to dart away just as quickly, warmth rising in her cheeks.

Jack, dressed in the dark, ornate tunic that Lupus had picked for him, looked unexpectedly refined. The extended shoulder padding broadened his frame, making him appear more muscular. His silver hair was neatly combed and parted evenly to the side, accentuating his sharp, clean-shaven jawline. Under the amber glow of the chandelier, his eyes seemed more expressive than usual.

In Lupus's mind, Uncle Jack was… appealing. Enough to make her heart tingle in an unfamiliar way.

She knew it was improper; enticing a family man away from his loved ones was nothing short of disgraceful. Yet, she reassured herself that she hadn't done anything too daring.

At least, not yet.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Just for tonight, she wanted to indulge a little. Just a simple dinner between them, nothing more.

Then, as if struck by lightning, Jack's denseness suddenly dissolved.

Wait, wait, wait! Is this a date?!

His thoughts jolted him like an electric shock to the core, and he straightened up awkwardly. His fingers fidgeted as he tried to calm his nerves. He wanted to think of his family, to remind himself of the boundary between them, but no matter how hard he tried, no memories came.

It was as if they had never existed in the first place.

What kind of dilemma was this?

And to make matters worse, the age gap between them was enormous. He had likely lived twice as long as she had.

Before he could spiral any further, a familiar voice shattered the awkward tension. Standing beside Lupus was the dazzling mage they had met earlier that evening, his posture still effortlessly elegant.

"Sir Lunarius Willhelm! Good evening again!" Lupus greeted, attempting to rise from her seat, but he quickly gestured for her to remain seated.

Willhelm nodded politely at her before turning his dark green eyes toward Jack.

"My deepest apologies for our previous encounter, and for what I'm about to say." His tone was smooth yet unreadable as he offered a small bow. "I originally mistook you for her servant, which is why I failed to introduce myself properly."

Jack couldn't quite tell if the elf was being condescending, sarcastic, or genuinely apologetic. Regardless, he shook his head to indicate no offence was taken.

"My name's Jack, Jack Squire. I… um, was a debris collector in low orbit," Jack said, pointing upward.

"Space?" Willhelm's eyes shimmered, and an amicable smile flashed.

"Yes… Sir Lunarius." Jack extended a hand, shaking Willhelm's. "Nice to meet you, Sir Lunarius."

"The pleasure is mine, Mister Jack Squire," Willhelm replied with his usual grace. "Rarely have I seen an astronaut in a fresh!"

"The sentiment is mutual. I have never met an arcanist before. Let alone two at the same time." Jack returned, his smile widening.

Then, as if something unseen had drawn the elven mage's attention, his gaze drifted toward the bar.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to indulge in a bit of fine liquor," Willhelm said before pausing mid-sentence. His eyes flicked back to Lupus.

"If you would like~" He hesitated, then suddenly changed his mind. "How rude of me, I should've realised by now that you two are together."

He exchanged polite nods before turning away, his cape billowing elegantly as he strode toward the bar.

Jack sat in stunned silence, completely bewildered. Meanwhile, Lupus simply smiled at Willhelm's assumption without correction.

"Lupy! We're not together!" Jack blurted, flustered beyond words.

But Lupus merely shook her head, leaving him even more frustrated.

"Well, we're in the same room tonight, so technically, we're together... literally." She played on words, grinning toothily at him.

He sighed deeply. "But that could make him misunderstand us, especially you!"

"Not that I really care," she replied, waving dismissively.

Then, suddenly, her golden eyes squinted mischievously. "Ho ho! Why are you trying to set me up with the Lunarius, Jackie?"

Her question caught him slightly off guard. He quickly gathered himself. "...I thought you had a crush on the guy," he said innocently.

"Hahahaha!" She burst into laughter. "Oh, you're so adorable!" she teased, wiping away tears with her finger, leaving him even more dumbfounded.

The food arrived, and Lupus and Jack enjoyed their meals together in bliss. The delicacies at House Tasmania's restaurant were far superior to those at the DebrisX cafeteria.

During the meal, their main topic of discussion was their next steps. Jack told her that his hometown, Steinburg, was in Western Germund. To her surprise, Lupus's hometown, Hasenwald, was just fifty kilometres away from his.

Once the main course was finished, Jack noticed that Lupus had indeed managed to eat everything without issue. Her appetite was three times larger than his. Then her slice of carrot cake arrived, and she bounced in her seat with joy as she feasted on it merrily.

After dinner, the two retreated to their room. Lupus held her takeout in her hands, walking closely beside Jack in the hotel corridor.

Their room was located further down, near the end of the hallway.

"I almost didn't believe you could finish everything," Jack said as they walked on the dark red carpet.

"Well, mana is life itself. Energy and mana are indistinguishable, according to Galileo's observations." Lupus paused as Jack appeared confused. "Well, he was an arcanist who loved to write books over a thousand years ago," she explained patiently.

"That's an interesting take. So, you mages can regenerate mana by resting and consuming nutrients? I wonder if protein and fats would be more efficient, energy-wise, since they provide more calories," Jack rambled, his mind wandering.

Lupus's face lit up with excitement. "Wow! You guessed it correctly. You see, as amazing as arcanes are, they still follow the laws of nature. So yes! Protein and fat are the best for mana regeneration in terms of the amount of mana. While..." She paused dramatically, closing one eye to tease him.

Unintentionally, Jack leaned in closer, straining his ears. She noticed how eager he was to learn more about the arcane.

Unable to contain his excitement, he asked, "What? While what?" forgetting to blink.

"Fufufu, meanwhile, 'high-absorbing rate' carbs like sugar can temporarily boost mana... and..." She paused again to heighten his curiosity.

Jack grabbed her arm. "And what?" he pressed, eyes glinting as he was overwhelmed by pure curiosity.

She glanced down at his hand on her arm and smiled cunningly. He quickly retracted his hand with a look of shame.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"With Arcanite harnessers, we can refill our mana almost indefinitely!" Lupus finally revealed, lifting her index finger triumphantly.

"Ohhh! I've heard of that before. It's like batteries for mages, right?"

"You're right, my esteemed student, Novitcius!" Lupus replied, pleased with his quick wit. She even referred to him by the beginner rank of a mage.

In a mock ceremonial gesture, she placed the edge of her four fingers on his left shoulder and then his right shoulder.

"Hehehe!" He chuckled at her sudden wit.

"You seem intrigued by the art of arcane, Jackie. Would you like to become a mage, hmm?" she asked, nudging his shoulder lightly in a teasing manner.

Jack let out a soft chuckle. "Well, actually, no. But I'd love to learn more about it. It couldn't hurt, right?"

"Righty right!" she replied with glee.

The two entered their room and prepared for bed.

After finishing his evening routine, Jack settled on the sofa, his legs hanging uncomfortably off the edge. But he had grown used to it.

His back squeaked in protest as he shifted, feeling the strain of gravity. It had been a long couple of days, and the exhaustion had finally overtaken him. It was better than any sleeping pill.

Soon, his mind began to drift off.

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