Chapter 101: Fine Dinning
The air was scented with flowers and spice, the kind of smell that came onto your nose subtly but left a strong kick soon after. It filled the dining room, moving with the same softness as the music that was being played by a middle-aged man dressed in a proper suit and sitting in the corner. He was strumming a harp delicately and yet with much intensity. Each finger managed to release a sound that sent chills. His song was epic, like it told a great tale, and yet very soft as it carried you along beautifully.
The dining room was in no way lacking to match such a beautiful scent and sound. The floor was covered with the best marble, polished until it reflected the stunning ceiling with engraved artwork that seemingly told a story of a war against horned beings that resembled the textbook demon.
The dining table sat at the center, unnecessarily long and yet did not seem to be overcompensating as it fit the room, polished brown with golden rims, much like the chairs that stood around it.
The entire table was covered in food of all assortments, meats of all types and kinds, cooked in so many ways that you would think they had used the whole cookbook.
At the end of all this luxurious food was a man seated on the highest chair at the table, dressed in apparel that fit this sort of dining. A black suit coat with golden trims, the kind of clothing that was made specifically for this person as it suited him down to the smallest detail.
His golden-blond hair was tied into a ponytail that rested on his back, with two slim streaks of hair coming down on opposite sides of his forehead. His face was smooth and well-chiseled, the type of skin many women would kill for. But even then, it was clear to see he was not young, a man in the middle of his life for sure.
He held the fork and knife with grace, perfectly controlled as he cut into the steak that was before him, made rare, its reddish coloration still showing.
He took a bite of it and then raised his head to look at the door, and at that exact moment, the door swung open and footsteps followed. Lady Ezra walked in, her boots sounding hard against the floor. She walked like she knew the place and felt at home there.
She got to the chair at the start of the table, one that faced opposite the man who was seated there. She sat down, and instantly a server who had been standing to the side walked to her and served her wine with practiced perfection, as well as a plate of steak that had been perfectly prepared for her taste ahead of time.
She looked at the food with no particular interest but then took a bite of it and sipped the wine. Then she placed everything down and looked at the man across the table.
"Duke William Astria," her voice was crisp.
"Captain Ezra, still going by that name, right?" he asked, his voice sounding almost seductive.
"That’s my name," she stated.
"Haha, let’s not play dumb this early into our discussion. We both know the truth, but for the sake of keeping up your little game, let’s use your name, Ezra," he said while a smile hung on his face. He cut into his steak without looking and took another bite.
"The reason I set this meeting with you is not because of that," she said as her eyes turned to slits. "I am sure you know what is going on in the kingdom."
"I’m a Duke, of course I know what is happening, but having an interest in it is another thing altogether, and I do not have any interest."
"Tch." She clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "If you choose to lie, lie to someone else and not me."
"Haha, you really know me too well. So what is it about? The Crimson Church movement? The demons, the Undead Cult, or the dragon?"
He noticed her reaction when he mentioned the dragon, and his smile widened. "Ah, so the dragon. I did hear you had been placed in charge of the case.
"A headmaster of one of the best academies defeated by a dragon and a Divine Armament stolen."
He took a sip of his wine slowly and then let out a breath. "I’ve always known that having a washed-up old man in the Sixth Star Mage Realm as a headmaster was a shitty decision.
"He made it to the Sixth Star Realm with the help of alchemy and hidden rituals. That’s the reason he can never go past there. He has used up all the resources that he has.
"Tch, that stubborn king and his wife still decided that they wanted to reward him for being one of the people that killed a dragon back in the time of war, giving him an academy to run and a Divine Armament."
"Be careful how you speak, Duke. They are still the royal family," she said with a frown.
"And I am loyal to them till the day that I die."
He said while swirling the wine around his cup. He took a sip and then looked at her. "That does not mean I’ll not criticize the nonsense decisions they make all the time."
"Sigh, that’s fine. That aside, I sent someone to confront the dragon. Ken, the son of the Marquis. He is a new Six Star Warrior Captain in the Royal Knights and was available.
"The dragon took him down along with his whole squad. He returned almost dead. He was unable to retrieve the Divine Armament."
"Hmmm, interesting," he muttered.
"What is?"
"The fact that he returned alive. There is no way to escape a dragon that is stronger than you, enough to damage you heavily, unless you managed to injure it and get away.
"So did you ask the young man if he was able to do that?"