Summoned and Unwanted

“This is the reason I wanted to meet with a Synergist my good friend Aceon and Tiffi trust.” Bobstrider scratched both cheeks as if he was embarrassed. “I don’t want to send many letters to the hardheaded dwarves about my wife’s staff. So I hope you can make a great staff for my wife.”

Sakura flustered at the shocking words. Not only was Sakura still learning how to engrave minor runes and infuse them with mana, but she didn’t touch advanced stuff like embedding monster cores into objects to enhance the user’s spell potency.

“I am sorry, Vincent, but I told the Duke about the great works I saw in Lady Sakura’s workshop. The Duke became interested after heading the depiction of Lady Sakura’s work.” Aceon revealed.

“Huh?... Great products? They aren’t as good as I want them to be. They need at least a day or two of work.” Sakura said because of her perfectionist side.

“How about we discuss this matter later? Those candles are making us hungry, and...” Vincent paused to look at Lupa and Plow, “Some of us have already started drooling. The trip was long, and we hadn’t breakfast this morning.”

Vincent chuckled and continued, “The candles defeated us.”

“Why sure.” Bobstrider accepted. He walked to his chair while saying, “I love to use these candles to eat, but this is the first time I spent a long time conversing while standing. This is a new experience, ha ha.”

*Snap* Upon Bobstrider’s finger snap, the two butlers entered. They helped their lord sit by pulling and pushing the chair. Afterward, they asked at the same time, “My lord. Do we tell the kitchen to finish and serve the food?”

.....

“Yes. Tell them to bring a few bottles of wine as well.” Bobstrider ordered. “I want to celebrate Tiffi’s health and the new connection with the infamous Lionheart family.”

Tiffi took a seat near Bobstrider and said, “Uncle. Please do not be too rude to my savior. He made enemies with many noble families because they violently harassed his good teammate.”

“Yes, Tiffi. I already heard from Karta about the Lionheart family situation.” Bobstrider looked at Vincent and continued, “Karta loves to have someone that can make noble families from the aristocrat faction leave traces of their unacceptable actions. She must have collected some evidence thanks to the appearance of a new noble.”

Vincent casually took a seat. He smiled friendly and said, “I appreciate how understanding Bob is. Thank you for inviting us even while knowing I pissed a lot of people.”

“Vincent...” Aceon nervously said.

“Haha. An honest man, as I heard from my wife. I do not mind friendship with a good family, even if it has enemies. My wife can take care of them if anyone tries to annoy us, ha ha.” Bobstrider said casually as if he had no worries in the world.

Bobstrider looked at Sakura and continued insisting, “I hope my proposal will be accepted in our business talk.”

Sakura nervously nodded as the pressure on her increased. She sat while anxiously thinking about making a staff for the strongest mage in Lusterfall. Additionally, the thought of creating a staff without too much experience in rune work and magic core embedding knowledge caused Sakura to believe she was going to fail inevitably.

Lilith sat beside Sakura and held her hand. “Duke... I mean Bob. Sakura has never done something advanced like this before. Not to mention a weapon to the strongest mage in Lusterfall. Thus I request to add inexperience to the table and understand Sakura will not be able to show the same results as a professional could.”

Vincent, Ester, Lupa, Kazumi, Iris, and Sakura looked at Lilith with the expression of disbelief. Lilith spoke formally and, without any sign of nervousness, heard her voice.

Only Sakura could feel Lilith’s hand nervously shake. Sakura understood Lilith was being courageous for her sake. It made Sakura happy and more relieved the situation with the staff wasn’t going to make her feel like fainting.

“Interesting choice of words, daughter of the truthful lion. I can see you inherited the lioness’s blood from your mother. She is also a good businesswoman.” Bobstrider nodded in partial agreement. “Sure. We will have a thorough discussion.”

During the time Lilith lived her new life, this was the first time anyone complimented her mother for being a good businesswoman. It made Lilith smile and feel relieved a person of the highest attenable noble rank praised her mother.

The doors opened, and maids pushed food trolleys. The moment they removed the dish covered, the aroma of enticing food overshadowed the smell of the scented candles.

*Grumble* The stomachs of everyone who stayed in the dining hall for the long introduction grumbled to be fed. The enchanted scented candles effect worked, even while discussing multiple topics and taking their minds off the temptation of food.

Vincent lowered his gaze and looked at the plate placed in front of him. He secretly chuckled while watching food placed on the plate in artistic symmetry.

After taking a peek at the plates of the others, it made him feel the meal was copied and pasted. It looked too identical to call it real.

Vincent started doubting if the cooking classes had a duplicate manufacturing-like skill where they cook and present plates without a hint of difference. The plate in front of everyone gave Vincent the impression of being cooked and arranged by a precise robot.

“The food smells so good I might forget my manners. Bob, I hope eating without manners is allowed.” Vincent said, hoping to let Lupa, Sakura, and Plow eat without minding their manners. Only Ester and Iris had learned enough eating manners from Lilith to eat respectfully.

Lupa only accepted to eat with a fork because her teeth were the only knife she needed. This made Lupa appear wilder than eating with her hands and making a mess.

On the other hand, Sakura became afraid to eat respectfully. At first, she broke a few plates or cut the table by using too much strength. Later, the problem became different.

Whenever a knife and a large uncut piece of meat were in front of Sakura, she would have the urge to cut small pieces and leave a sculpture made out of meat.

“Ha ha, no need to mind for manners. Our long conversation paused for a moment so that we could eat symmetrically delicious food.” Bobstrider accepted.

Unknowingly to Bobstrider, the multiple tense people waiting for a favorable response became relieved. Sakura for herself while the rest because of Lupa.

Lupa grabbed the two symmetrically placed chicken legs and started eating like she eats at home. She enjoyed the food without any restraints.

“I won’t let my wife beat me.” Said Vincent while grabbing a chicken leg with his hands and eating without much manners.

Vincent’s actions made Lupa look less wild, Ester stopped worrying about Lupa, Iris ate without caring for mistakes, Lilith ate a little bit more casual, Sakura avoided using a knife as if it was a sculpting tool, and Plow ate without worrying about acting like a bad girl.

After the three-course meal consisting of meat was over, everyone’s bellies were full and happy. The maids extinguished the scented candles, brought a small damp towel to wipe their hands and face, and took orders on what refreshments each person wanted to have.

Vincent compared this to eating in a high-class restaurant. This experience made him recall the first time he ate a course menu with his parents.

A maid placed a cup of tea he ordered. After taking a sip, the taste of high-class leaves left a sweet aftertaste of mint and honey on his tongue. If his eyes didn’t see a cup of tea, Vincent would’ve believed he tasted a dessert.

*Knock* The butlers entered and announced, “Royal Guard Duke Lucas Hawkins has arrived, and he is requesting to enter the dining hall.”

[Royal Guard!? Does it mean what I think it means? Isn’t it Biro’s father and Feng Mengli’s friend? The man whose eyes move like a hawk to look at women. The man who helped us here and there.]

-Calm down, Kazumi. We wanted to meet with him if he is really Biro’s father and Feng Mengli’s friend.-

[Clam down? Did you forget how Feng Mengli has possibly told Lucas about you being from another world?]

-...- Vincent had forgotten about that part.

Vincent looked at Lilith. Their eyes soon met, and as if they knew what was in each other’s minds, Vincent whispered to reassure Ester and warn Lupa beside him, while Lilith whispered to reassure Iris and Sakura that Lucas Hawkins wouldn’t do anything because they are Lionhearts now.

“Sure. Let him enter.” Bobstrider accepted without overthinking.

“My lord. What about the two female guests with him?”

“Anyone with the duke is welcome to enter as well.”

The doors opened as if Lucas was overhearing what was happening inside. He entered the dining hall, and his eyes moved like a hawk at Ester, Lupa, Iris, Lilith, Sakura, and Tiffi.

Bobstrider was helped to stand up. “Please stay seated, my guests. There is no need to greet the Duke after he looked at the ladies in the room with his rude hawk eyes.”

“Haha.” Lucas burst out laughing. “Are you still mad that I didn’t look at your wife symmetrically the last time we met? Can a magic core make you forget my transgression?”

“Is it symmetrical?”

“Why sure it is, haha.”

The conversation left Vincent, Ester, Lupa, Kazumi, Iris, Lilith, and Sakura speechless. Lucas paid Bobstrider for looking at his wife unevenly or something similar.