"These desserts are great!" Zayne exclaimed happily, like a child, sending spoon after spoon into his mouth.

"Sounds like you're pretty hungry. I would suggest something more nutritious than desserts, but unfortunately, the kitchen has been closed for a long time." Veronika said calmly, elegantly separating a slice of cheesecake.

Zayne shrugged, "That's more than enough. I've never tasted anything so delicious!"

"I'm sure the chefs would appreciate your praise." Veronika said seriously with a strange expression. She could clearly see Zayne's sparkling eyes, but she couldn't believe he was telling the truth, for to her these desserts had long been commonplace.

However, it was just as Zayne said, he was absolutely sincere. He simply could not afford to buy the highest quality desserts, which were made entirely from natural ingredients.

"Anyway, the coachman is waiting for you. He will take you to your home, or rather Mr. Roland's house." Veronika sighed.

"Understood." Zayne nodded.

"Ah, yes. I have one more thing to tell you. Tomorrow night, the Redfall Family has a banquet, obviously you are invited, as well as Mr. Roland, Mrs. Elin, and Mrs. Rina." Veronika said quietly.

"Hmm...? A banquet, at a time like this?" Zayne was puzzled, "I mean... In three days we're going to Orcs Dungeon and there's a chance that Chaos Hearth will show up..."

"So what?" Veronika stared at Zayne, "First, a limited number of people know about this mission, and second, what do you think is going to happen? The whole town is supposed to stand still and wait for the mission to succeed? Life goes on, no matter what, and the less the ordinary citizens know the better, especially for themselves."

'Wow... I feel like I'm in a secret agent movie, although she's right. If only five people are going to be involved there's no point in letting the rest of them know.' Zayne muttered inwardly, finishing his cake.

"Mr. Zayne, I don't want to offend you in any way, but you should understand that you should wear something appropriate for the banquet." Veronika coughed, and glanced at Zayne's torn coat, "That's not a bad style for a fight, but not for a formal celebration."

Zayne nodded silently as Veronika placed another letter on the table with something written on it.

"Give this letter to my friend the tailor. I have provided the address. Also don't forget to find yourself a date, it's very important." Veronika moved the letter closer to Zayne.

"Sure."

...

Crackle.

Zayne opened the door to the two-story house and cautiously stepped inside. It was late, the blue moon was brightly illuminating the whole town while all the inhabitants slept, and a pleasant yellow light was burning in the kitchen.

Zayne walked on and saw Roland, who was sharpening his sword and cleaning his armor with a serious face. He was doing it meticulously, trying not to miss a single detail.

"Oh, Zayne, you're back already." Roland looked at him as a slight smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah, I was a little late, Veronika decided to treat me to desserts and I'm glad I agreed." Zayne sighed, sitting down across from Roland.

"Heh, Veronika is a great woman, cold and serious on the outside but actually kind on the inside." Roland grinned, putting his sword aside.

They spent the next hour talking about various topics, which allowed Zayne to learn a little more about the world he was in as well as about Red Feather City.

By the middle of the night, Roland had gone to bed, leaving Zayne alone. The soothing light of the lamp, as well as the silence of the night, made his eyelids heavier, gradually sinking him into a deep sleep before which he could not resist.

...

The warm rays of the sun awoke Zayne from his sleep as well as soft footsteps slowly approaching him on the creaky wooden floor.

"Agh... It's morning already...?" Zayne muttered, wiping his eyes, then he turned and saw Elin, who was yawning widely since she too had just woken up.

Realizing that Zayne was sitting at the table and not Roland, Elin's eyes went wide and she quickly ran away.

"What's going on...?" Zayne tilted his head in confusion.

Then, Elin reappeared, only now she approached Zayne with her arms folded in front of her and bowed slightly.

"Good morning, Zayne." Elin said quietly.

Zayne looked at her with a puzzled expression for a while, then.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" His laughter spread throughout the room as he was unable to contain himself.

"Elin, did you decide to repeat after Veronika? Hahaha, that was funny!" Zayne kept laughing.

Elin's face turned completely red with shame and resentment as she clenched her fists tightly, "Fool! I was just trying to be polite! You, men, are too tactless!"

Zayne's face changed, he hadn't expected it to be such a big deal to Elin.

"Agh, don't be offended, let's get some breakfast. Sit down at the table, I'll think of something." Zayne said calmly and headed for the basket where there were some eggs.

Elin looked at him puzzled but did not resent him and obediently did as he said.

After a while, a pleasant aroma of herbs and sweet-scented peppers spread throughout the house, immediately attracting the attention of the other people in the house.

"Damn, Elin, did you decide to cook something?" Roland muttered as he walked down the stairs with Rina.

"Oh, Zayne, so you are the cause of that beautiful aroma?" Rina muttered with a dazed look.

"Hah, nothing special, just the usual breakfast I made for everyone." Zayne smiled as he placed four plates of fried eggs on the table as well as bacon.

The plates quickly emptied, making everyone satiated and satisfied, especially Rina, who didn't have to cook this time.

"Great! This is a fitting breakfast for a workout!" Roland slammed his fist on the table, got up, and headed for the basement.

"Well, I have somewhere to be too, I'll meet you at the banquet." Zayne headed for the exit.

"Ughum, see you later!" Rina nodded.

Elin remained silent, she seemed to want to say something to Zayne but just couldn't do it.

...

The streets of the city were confusing, but by asking around the locals, Zayne was able to find the right place. Holding the letter in his hands, he went inside the atelier, which had many exquisite gowns and formal suits on the shelves.

Zayne was a little embarrassed, though he had money, all the clothes around him looked too expensive. In his mind, he was still very poor and felt uncomfortable about his appearance.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

A cute girl approached Zayne, but as soon as she saw his tattered coat the smile disappeared from her face. She was about to kick Zayne out so she wouldn't ruin the store's reputation, but right before she did, he held out a letter to her.

"Here, I was told to take it to the tailor."

The girl's eyes went wide from the sign on the letter as she turned and shouted, "Mr. Sanches! It's urgent!"

After a while, a middle-aged man with a curled mustache and black hair approached them. He had several patches on his arms and a very old hat on his head.

"What happened...? Do you realize you have distracted me from speaking to a very important guest?" Sanches muttered, rubbing his cheek with a confused expression, then he looked at Zayne.